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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2: In-depth review by dpreview.com
›Read the full Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 review at dpreview.com
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Lumix DMC-GF2, the latest of Panasonic's DSL Micro (DSLM) compact mirrorless cameras, is Panasonic's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens system camera--complete with a built-in flash. The Lumix GF2 is compatible with lenses from the Micro Four Thirds standard, meaning the system is small and compact, while not compromising ease of operation or image quality. Even more, the Lumix GF2 is compatible with Panasonic's new 3D interchangeable lens, the Lumix G 12.5mm / F12, so users can take 3D photos.
The Lumix GF2 is extremely easy to operate for photographers at any level, thanks to a newly-designed user interface, which allows for the focus to be set, or shutter released, by simply touching the large 3-inch touch-screen LCD. The touch-screen LCD with a 460,000-dot-resolution makes taking great photos intuitive. Once a user locks on a subject by touch, the Lumix GF2 tracks the subject with the AF tracking function, even if the subject moves--making it easy to take photos of moving subjects, like children playing. The contrast AF system adopted by the Lumix DMC-GF2 is not only accurate and easy to use, but also very fast. Users can choose from a wide range of AF (Auto Focus) modes, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking.
The touch operation also dramatically shortens the time spent navigating the menus. With the Lumix GF2's newly-designed Touch Q-menu, the user can customize the camera's shortcuts with the most commonly used settings. Together with the simple button components, including dedicated buttons for video recording and iA (Intelligent Auto) mode which lights in-use, users can operate the camera intuitively with ease.
With the Intelligent Scene Selector in the iA mode, the camera automatically switches to the appropriate mode according to the subject touched. For example, a touch on a human face switches to the portrait mode and a touch on the background or scenery switches to the scenery mode, while a touch on the subject close to the camera switches to the close-up mode. With the MF assist mode for manual focusing, users can enlarge the subject by just a touch to select 1x, 5x or 10x and smoothly move the subject by dragging it on the screen. In iA mode and the Peripheral Defocus mode, the range of defocus can be adjusted by just moving the slider with a finger, something not possible with larger more complicated DSLR cameras that don't feature touch control.
While achieving breakthroughs in compactness of design and outstanding photo and video quality, the Panasonic Lumix GF2 can contribute its professional-level imaging performance to well-balanced engine and sensor technologies. For the image processor, the Venus Engine FHD is incorporated, featuring exceptionally high performance signal processing capabilities in both photo and movie recording. With the advanced noise reduction system employing the 3D NR and CNR (Chromatic Noise Reduction), users can capture clear, naturally-balanced images even when shooting at high ISO sensitivity levels to help prevent the color bleeding.
Panasonic's Venus Engine FHD enables Intelligent Resolution technology, which means that three areas--outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation--are automatically detected. Then, the outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clearness while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, noise reduction system is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel, resulting in images that are naturally clear and crisp in both video and photos. The 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the Lumix GF2 offers the best of both worlds--the superb image quality of a CCD sensor, plus the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor.
All of Panasonic's Lumix G-Series DSLM cameras are equipped with the highly-efficient Dust Reduction System. If dust gets inside the camera when the user changes lenses, it could cling to the image sensor and show up as a spot in photos. The Dust Reduction System helps to reduce this risk by placing a supersonic wave filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating vertically around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles.
The Lumix GF2 shoots professional-quality full High Definition (HD) videos as well as handling still photography. The Lumix GF2 can record 1920 x 1080 videos at 60i or smooth HD 1280 x 720 movies at 60p in AVCHD. For those looking for better compatibility with computers, the Lumix GF2 can also record HD Motion JPEG in 1280 x 720 and QVGA, VGA and WVGA. A dedicated video record button makes it easy to start shooting videos, and high quality sound is recorded with the stereo microphone for Dolby Digital Stereo Creator. Panasonic's iA mode extends to video recording, with the following features: Optical Image Stabilizer, Face Detection, Intelligent D-range Control and Intelligent Scene Selector.
The Panasonic Lumix GF2 is artistic not only in form, but also in function, as it provides an array of features that lets users capture true-to-life images while also creating their own expressive, beautiful images. The Lumix GF2 features My Color mode which is integrated with the conventional Film mode. My Color mode offers a total of eight preset effects--Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Cinema, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, Silhouette, plus Custom mode, which lets users manually set the color, brightness, saturation and contrast levels. Also, with the Full-time Live View function, users can see how these settings will affect the images before they shoot, which makes it easier to capture the exact effect desired. The Lumix GF2 has 17 Scene modes, most which can be used during video shooting, too. The exposure meter can be displayed in the P/A/S/M shooting modes for entry-level users to visually learn the correlation between shutter speed and aperture to enhance their photography skills.
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Customer Reviews
The 12MP imager is much sharper than the 8MP in the EOS I was used to; and i always like the warm and vibrant color balance/tone of the Lumix processor. The pop-up flash is neat, and you can tug it to point it upward with you finger for bounce-flash (actually I learned this from an Olympus tech at a demonstration of the EPL2!) The 3-inch LCD is big and bright but if you have vision issue, manual focusing can still be a problem (same with any camera without a diopter-corrected viewfinder); but the Lumix electronic viewfinder may be helpful. The touch-screen is sensitive and menu selections are fairly intuitive (but i think the Sony NEX is even better in that department). The mechanical button to the right of the screen is well laid out and back up almost all the touch screen functions. There is, however, a tendency (especially when holding the camera with a heavier lens) to unintentionally press some of the buttons with your palm and pull up menus which then you have to get rid off before shooting - maybe a "lock-out" option to disable the mechanical buttons would be helpful (there is one to disable the touch screen, I think - but the manual is pretty skimpy on the options (i haven't checked the CDs that came with the kit to see if there is a more detailed digital version yet).
The camera is solidly built and the battery life is good (so far). The kit zoom is decent and versatile. All-in-all, the camera kit is a solid buy, especially @$499!
Let me start off by saying that the touchscreen is very responsive if you think of it as being like a Nintendo DS screen rather than an iPhone screen. In other words, a stylus works better than your fingertip. Or, you can be like me, slap an LCD screen protector on there and use your thumb nail. In fact, a little stylus in the shape of a soda can tab is included with this camera in the box. But I think it will be a little weird to have to start carrying around a stylus with your camera, though I admit, I keep a black Nintendo DS stylus in my camera bag.
If you have no interest in using a touchscreen, you can still navigate through the menus and do everything through the physical buttons. However, I highly suggest using the touchscreen. The physical buttons only have one function(fn) button, and it is tied together with the Quick menu button. You can decide whether to use this button as a fn or Q.menu button in the settings menu. If you use this button as a fn button, you can customize it to be a variety of things, I have my GF2 set to act as an Auto Focus/Auto Exposure lock button.
You can configure the touchscreen to have the Quick Menu button as a digital button instead. By doing this, you essentially allow your camera to have more buttons, which you will learn is one of many differences between a beginner camera and a more advanced camera. The Quick menu is a customizable, in that you can put whatever you want into it, from metering, auto focus settings, exposure, raw vs jpg, histogram, flash settings, etc etc. By using this feature, you allow your most common and favorite setting changes to be available to you at a push of a button, in comparison to trying to navigate through all of the screens in the normal menu.
The ability to configure this camera to act as either a more advanced camera or a beginner camera is really quite nifty. You can argue from a pro standing point though, that by having to press the Q.menu button to get to your favorite setting changes is an unnecessary step when compared to true pro cameras where a lot of these options are readily available as physical buttons on the body.
Another feature concerning buttons, though later proven to be sort of a fault to a lot of enthusiasts, is that the mode dial is digital. On the top-left of the LCD touchscreen, a small icon/letter is present when you want to take pictures. This is the new mode dial, what you would normally see as a wheel on the top of a camera with the letters P, A, S, M and other symbols depending on the camera you're looking at. You simply tap this digital button, then tap your desired mode (P, A, S, M, iA, My Color, Scene, Custom). I actually think it's pretty cool if you can familiarize yourself with using the touchscreen.
The touch screen also acts as a focusing tool. You can literally have two objects that are different distances from the camera and simply touch on them on your touchscreen and your camera will automatically focus on that subject. This works on video as well.
The last thing I want to touch base on concerning buttons is that the GF2 is still pretty pro-friendly. Don't believe people who review this camera that simply tried it out in the store. For instance, as far as a "lack of physical controls" there is still a thumb-wheel (more popular on advanced cameras), that acts as 2 wheels in one. You simply push the wheel, as if it were a button, in order to switch its function that you want to change. For example, in Aperture priority mode you can turn the thumb-wheel to adjust your aperture to your liking then push the wheel like a button and now you can adjust your exposure to your liking. This wheel has a very distinct clicking sensation while turning, each click being a displayed increase or decrease in incremental changes on your screen. It's actually pretty nice!
Another great thing about this camera is that the body is made of metal, it feels very sturdy and well built, "STRONG LIKE BULL!" However, I cannot say the same about the kit lens, which is made of plastic, even the mount is plastic, which when put onto the metal mount of the camera body, you are sliding/screwing plastic against metal... yuck! I plan on getting rid of this lens as soon as I can get an arsenal of primes that cover the range of the kit lens. --A 14mm 2.5 lens is dirt cheap on ebay, followed by a Leica branded 25mm and a Leica branded 45mm... though expensive, these are practically the cheapest way to afford Leica branded lenses. I just sort of wish they WEREN'T branded as Leica so as to lessen the cost even more, they're really nice glass!
The GF2 has a compact size, pocket-able with certain available lenses, I can actually fit this setup in my jacket pockets albeit someone always asks if I'm just happy to see them. Images come close enough to DSLR quality, considering its size. It has customizable menus, 1080 video, touchscreen, hot-shoe (for external flash or electronic viewfinder, both sold separately), and also a HUGE assortment of adapters that are available to use with lens other than the Panasonic Lumix lenses. You lose auto-focus when using an adapter for 3rd party lenses though, but there is a zoom feature for manual focus that helps a lot with this. In fact, this has become one of my favorite features. My fiance has an old Minolta camera (Minolta was right up there with Nikon and Canon back in its heyday), I purchased an adapter for about $20 on Amazon and now I can use MD mount lens on my camera. Even though it's manual focus, I am able to buy really fast lenses for dirt cheap. Tie that in with the fact the Micro Four Third cameras has a 2x crop factor, and this really pushes the limits of what this camera is capable of. For example, I just purchased a 50m/f1.7 Minolta lens for $23, this translates into 100mm/f1.7 (though DoF is also x2, it's still cool) on the GF2. There is no such thing as a 50mm/f1.7 @ $23, or any lens for this matter, for these cameras, the closest being the Olympus 45mm/f1.8 at $385! The Minolta 50mm/f1.4 is also availab on ebay for less than $100. On this note, this isn't just limited to Minolta lens, you can get a Canon or Nikon adapter and borrow lens from your DSLR when you don't feel like trekking around your 10lb camera. Another note here, when using a four-thirds lens (via adapter) the GF2 (and other MFT cameras) supports AF for the LATER Panasonic/Leica and Olympus four-thirds lens that have 'Contrast Detection Auto Focus' or CDAF.
Now, as far as third party lenses go, I also need to mention that you lose the image stabilization in Panasonic lenses. Panasonic implemented image stabilization into their lenses rather than their camera bodies for reasons unbeknownst to me. I cannot say for certain if the image stabilization in the Panasonic four-thirds lenses is compatible with GF2 (or any other Panasonic MFT camera). Theoretically, one would assume that it is, but I haven't actually tried it out yet nor have I heard or read anything about it either. Also, know that when using 3rd party lens, you aren't able to control the aperture of the lens through the camera, you'll be better off using a lens with an aperture ring. Another way around this is to lock the lens wide open on another camera before mounting it onto the GF2.
So what's NOT good about this camera? I've talked this camera up a lot in this post/review, but by no means do I think it's perfect, I just think that it hasn't had the recognition it deserves and that a lot of bad reviews (not necessarily Amazon) from people who don't even own the camera have made this camera seem pretty bad, when in actuality, it's pretty awesome. That, and people who don't get along with change, you know the ones I'm talking about... "Oh, I don't want to use a touch screen, I'm used to having 20 buttons on my camera and not have to look at it, now I have to go through the screen." Blah blah blah, these peoples parents and grand parents were complaining about cameras and TVs going to color from black and white, "but I already see in color, why would I want a color picture or watch color TV?" C'mon people, it's the FUTURE, embrace technology will ya? haha...
Anyways, the major drawback on the GF2 is low light. Seriously, it's like friggin' kryptonite to this thing. Especially with the super slow 14-42 standard zoom kit lens! Mixed in with the fact that with the shorter focal lengths of this lens, the flash doesn't even clear the lens's size! Seriously, take a normal picture at 14mm with this lens (preferably of a wall to really see what I'm talking about), and there's a quarter-circle of shadow in the lower right hand corner of the picture! Someone didn't really think this one through! The pop-up flash does have a pretty unique advantage above other cameras though (excluding the Panasonic's new GX1, which has a very similar flash) in that it can be held up with your finger and used as a bounce flash. But then again, the standard zoom lens is too slow/dark to be able to really benefit from it. And back to the whole "dim light" thing, this camera's high ISO capability is like taking a picture and printing it out on sand-paper. I use ISO 800 maybe once in a while for casual stuff with the kids and family, but if I'm trying to do some type of project or another, I won't go above ISO 400. And if I have a project at nightfall or in dim light, if it's not going to be a a sepia, BnW, or vintage project, FORGET IT! Get some flashlights and light up the place because this camera won't be capturing a salvageable image in the dark. Read more ›
- LCD has great color and viewing angles
- Light
- Stereo video
- Hotshoe
- Responsive touchscreen
- Snappy startup
- Dedicated movie button
- Automatic image rotate
- Flash is mechanically released; you can tilt it up for ceiling flash shots, which is nice
- Surprisingly easy to grip (not great, but better than expected for the slim body)
Cons:
- Menus a bit confusing
- Lens is huge (this is excusable)
- Thumbwheel is a bit stiff
- Flash does not extend high enough to avoid 14-42mm lens; ergo, some shadow appears from the lens
- Flash power is okay
- Camera strap is generic and uncomfortable; plan on getting a better one
- Some special color effects inhibit speed (only the really fancy ones, though)
Pros:
-Touch Screen functions exceptionally well, and the menus are very well laid out. Read more
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