Panasonic Lumix G1

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Mudster

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
2,509
Location
Surrey
Car
2008 A150 SE Classic, 2007 Saab 9-3 Sportwagon
I know there are some photographic type people on here.

Do you rate this camera?

I'm a bit of a sucker for marketing but this really appeals to me.

I'm not that much into photography to want or need a DSLR and all the stuff that comes along with it. But my exisiting Camera (Minolta Dimage A1) would do with the ability to change for another lens (which it doesn't as it's a fixed number).

So I've seen the packages for the Panasonic offering the 14-45 lens that comes with it alog with the 45-200

See here

Is it any good?

And will it work well in automatic mode well which is what I'll use it for 90% of the time for work related images?
 
I know there are some photographic type people on here.

Do you rate this camera?

Cute. But IMHO overpriced.

Just about any digital camera at this sort of price will produce good results.

Battery life is lower than an equivalent DSLR. More of the camera has to be powered up because the viewfinder is electronic.

If you're not interested in a DSLR and want something that's more than a P&S then this is a decent option. But as regards my comment on price - this is not IMHO a cost-effective market sector.

Bear in mind that that for a lot less money you can get a Olympus E420 - which is small for a DSLR - and two kit lenses from Argos.
 
It's that sort of constructive comment I'm after.

I do want something a little bit more than just point and shoot but without all the faffing. Are there better options?

Is it simply worth me going one generation back in DSLR's?
 
Thanks to your comments I took a look at reviews for the E420.

It's described as a 4/3rds system......What is this?

Is it just a size thing or is there something more to it, as it seems the Panasonic is the same/similar but not described as a DSLR.....Confused.:dk:
 
Thanks to your comments I took a look at reviews for the E420.

It's described as a 4/3rds system......What is this?

Is it just a size thing or is there something more to it, as it seems the Panasonic is the same/similar but not described as a DSLR.....Confused.:dk:

4/3 system was spec'ed out several years ago by Olympus and Panasonic.

The sensor is smaller than a APS-C sized sensor in the low to mid DSLRs.

It's 4:3 format as opposed to 3:2 format of APS-C and full frame DSLRs. The sensor is about 2/3 the area of a APS-C sensor. So it's a good bit bigger than P&S cameras and Canon's G10 an G11.

The APS-C DSLRs from the likes of Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony (nee Minolta) are all based on full frame SLR mounts. So the lenses - even if they are APS-C based optics are generally larger than they need to be for a system designed for APS-C from the ground up.

The 4/3 system was designed from the ground up which is why the lenses are small and neat. The Lumix G1 is a micro-4/3 system. The sensor is the same but the lens spacing is different with the lens mount designed to allow the back of the lens to be closer to the sensor. This is because the 4/3 system is based on SLR type cameras that need enough space to put a mirror between the lens and the sensor. Micro 4/3 cameras can use an adapter to mount 4/3 SLR lenses - the adapter basically looks as if it's meant to be a spacer.

The G1 and other Micro-4/3 cameras currently use contrast based AF detection. This is traditionally slower than the phase detect based AF sensors mounted in DSLRs. I say traditionally because the G1 is supposed to be quite good at AF - allegedly as good as the low end DSLRs. IMO though that might be true in good conditions - but less likely in poor conditions.

If you watch out for the ad with Kevin Spacey you'll see the Olympus EP Micro-4/3 camera. (Dig the way he takes a lens without a rear cap out of his pocket - doh!). This camera shows how the micro-4/3 system sizing makes the camera more like a 35mm rangefinder or compact camera from the 60s/70s. The EP has been criticised for por AF performance.

The G1 has taken a route that makes it look like a DSLR so it's an interesting use of the technology and sensor format. Instead of having a mirror and optical viewfinder like a DSLR it uses an EVF - which is a small LCD screen tucked into the viewfinder. EVFs are actually quite good in that they can show you 100% of the image being recorded by the sensor (low end DSLRs are probably around 90 to 92%). And the EVF can give you more exposure information. Downside is the camera has to be pretty well fully powerred up to run the EVF - so the battery life is a bit less - and the EVF will probably show a slightly delayed image so not quite so good for fast action.
 
Last edited:
I should have added

One differentiating feature that the micro-4/3 cameras will have compared with current low to mid end DSLRs is video capture.

So if video is important to you then the DSLR options available with video are currently limited and not cheap (yet).
 
That's great, thanks for taking the time for such a detailed answer.

For someone like me (not a super serious photographer) the 4/3rds system seems absolutely ideal.

Your description makes the G1 quite appealing....would you say there was much in it between that and the E420, as there is quite a difference in price?
 
I have a GF1 and really enjoy it. It's very intuitive to use (I am no expert) and I think gives great results. I bought it with the 14-45 lens but prefer to use thr 45 -200 zoom so if I was buying it now I would get the package with the 20mm pancake lens and a 45-200 zoom.

Some examples:

2710_1026PracticeHDR1.jpg

20091106_1299_edited-1.jpg

20091111_1427-1.jpg
 
Although I now mainly use a Nikon D700, I still bring my old Lumix DMC FZ20 into use sometimes. Although it is 'only' 5MP the images are superb and I still use the old images - some have been published in national newspapers. The problem that i had with this was 'shutter-lag'. On the GF1 I note that it is 0.37 seconds which I would say was noticeable but acceptable in most circumstances. You would have a problem though with action pics.
The lenses are superb and the end to end technology is excellent.
Olympus is one of my old favourites and I have a bunch of lenses. the Olympus systems of a few years ago also gave me some of my best shots and earlier this week I was working on some images of 20 years ago which I had scanned. One of these i kept looking at as the detail was as good as my Nikon. On the Olympus I would be assured again of its quality and for me it would be important to check the shutter lag.
 
Big plus on micro 4/3 cameras - if you're into photography in a big way the short back focus (lens to sensor distance) allows for adaptor rings (manual focus though) for almost every other lens format. I have Pentax film cameras and lenses but am going to spend on a micro 4/3 at some point, probably the GH1 as I do some video stuff as well.

There are adaptors for Leica and Nikon too, I need a lottery win...
 
While I don't have anything like the level of photography expertise of some of the posters on this thread, I've handled both the G1 and the GF1 and have seen some excellent results from both. I honestly think that the micro four-thirds system is the future of high-end consumer / pro-sumer photography as it addresses the key issue of size and bulk that dogs the more traditional DSLR's.

However, these cameras represent the first wave (OK, that's not strictly true) of this technology and both are compromised in ways that may or may not be important to a particular user. The things that bother me most are shutter lag and low-light performance, so I'll hang back and will jump when the next generation comes along if it eliminates those issues. If those things aren't important to you then both these cameras and their associated lens systems are very impressive, if a little expensive.
 
Well I went and bought a G1 this afternoon, I'd browsed the internet and there were some great deals but I didn't like the idea of the camera bouncing around in the back of a couriers van.

So I bought it Currys Digital for £708.99 for that I got the camera with 14-45 lens plus the 45-200 lens plus an 8gb sd card. Probably £40 over online.....but I get to play with it now and know it hasn't been used as a football by Royal Mail.

Once the battery is charged and I've played with it for a while I'll start getting to grips with it.

Initial reaction is it's really lightweight and compact but not fiddly...if that makes sense.
 
Last edited:
Well I went and bought a G1 this afternoon, I'd browsed the internet and there were some great deals but I didn't like the idea of the camera bouncing around in the back of a couriers van.

So I bought it Currys Digital for £708.99 for that I got the camera with 14-45 lens plus the 45-200 lens plus an 8gb sd card. Probably £40 over online.....but I get to play with it now and know it hasn't been used as a football by Royal Mail.

Once the battery is charged and I've played with it for a while I'll start getting to grips with it.

Initial reaction is it's really lightweight and compact but not fiddly...if that makes sense.
Roll on the samples.
 
First effort (worth posting!)this morning now I'm starting to get the hang of the functions.

P1000227.jpg
 
you should wrap those up in some nice paper and hand them to the wife :bannana:i

nice photo btw
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom