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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 08 November 2009 - |
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- 4 |
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- 04 November 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 02 November 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 26 October 2009 - |
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- 3 |
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- 15 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 15 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 13 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 11 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 08 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 05 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
LetsGoDigital 's conclusion / rating - 08 November 2009 |
At the time of writing, there are only two truly compact Micro Four Thirds System cameras available. Both are similar when it comes to functions and dimensions. Olympus and Panasonic are the promoters and developers of the Micro Four Thirds system, and are thus faced with the difficult task to convince the traditionally established camera market that such a system is the answer to the consumer's demand. There are mainly two manufacturer battlefields; one of which is led by Nikon and Canon, while the other consists of several small brands trying to conquer market share. The impact of Micro Four Thirds with the arrival of the Panasonic GF1, and also the Olympus E-P1, is significant. The question is how and to what extent Micro Four Thirds will develop...
LetsGoDigital's rating: |
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- 4 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraInfo 's conclusion / rating - 04 November 2009 |
This camera shines when it comes to capturing clear sharp images, in fact, when it comes to resolution it was better than the full size SLRs that cost the same. Its onboard noise reduction really impressed us when we cranked it up because most of the time small image sensors yield noisy photos, not this one. White balance was accurate in both auto and custom. Another thing, this cameras auto focus system is fast, real fast. Lets be honest, it wont keep up with a full on pro camera but hey, take this to your kids next soccer game and you will love how it performs...
DigitalCameraInfo's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
Steves Digicams 's conclusion / rating - 02 November 2009 |
We enjoyed using the G1 when we reviewed it earlier in the year, and using the GH1 only brought back fond memories of its predecessor. This camera can capture pleasing photos in a variety of shooting situations, without ever having to take the camera out of iAuto mode. The GH1 also performed quite well in the shooting performance, and ISO categories, making it a very pleasing model. The new kit lens will be something to be desired by G1 owners, with a much broader focal range that offers more farming and photo opportunities. I was hoping to have spent more time working with the GH1's video recoding options, especially since the addition of the 1080p and 720p video modes were the main new features on this camera. That said, if you were interested in the G1 when it was announced late last year, the GH1 will be even more tempting. With all the same features, quality, and performance of the G1, but with a nicer kit lens, and the addition of a usable HD video option, Panasonic has really added to appeal of this camera. With an MSRP of US$1499.99 though, the GH1 carries a lofty price for the added features over the G1 (MSRP: US$799.99); just $100.01 shy of double the price...
Steves Digicams's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
ByThom 's conclusion / rating - 26 October 2009 |
The question most of you have for me at this point is: E-P1 or GF1. My answer is going to surprise you, I think: the Olympus E-P1.
The whole reason to acquire one of these cameras is image quality, I think. If you're just looking for a convenience camera, there are plenty of competent compacts. But if you're a DSLR user looking for DSLR-type results out of a smaller camera, than small differences in image quality start to stack up.
Panasonic has made some poor decisions in their JPEG rendering: dynamic range is compromised, color noise is too high, there's a hue-type shift in colors, and the default sharpening values are too high. This combination results in JPEGs that feel a bit rough and digital to me. At least compared to the Olympus E-P1, which produces a more subtle, higher quality JPEG out of camera. Some of the Panasonic faults you can deal with: you can turn down sharpening and you can address the hue shift with judicious white balance adjustments. But you'll still have slighty more noise (or noise reduction artifacts if you get aggressive there) and lower dynamic range. Simply put: Olympus's imaging ASIC outshoots Panasonic's. If you're a JPEG shooter, this is a meaningful and real difference.
Raw shooters aren't quite at the same disadvantage. Other than dynamic range, most of the differences between the two cameras can easily be addressed in conversion. The dynamic range difference may be an issue with converters not yet fully optimized for the Panasonic images, though. Overall, shooting raw I'm not finding a lot that I would differentiate between the two cameras. I think the real issue, as with most cameras shooting raw, is that the person doing the conversion needs to learn how to optimize the conversion for the sensor.
Outside of image quality, the GF1 almost wins. I say almost for a couple of reasons. First, autofocus is a clear win for the GF1. If you need autofocus, or even manual focus, I'd tend to push you towards the GF1. But the GF1's kit zoom lens doesn't collapse, the camera itself doesn't have sensor-based stabilization, and the slightly better controls and built-in flash aren't big enough pluses to overcome those other two things. Frankly, I was expecting a bit more out of the Panasonic, and perhaps that's clouded my judgment a tiny bit, but it just doesn't push the m4/3 compact forward enough over the E-P1 to be a clear winner. Put another way: Olympus really only needs to match the GF1's autofocus and the E-P1 becomes a fairly clear winner, especially for JPEG shooters. I was hoping there would be more differentiation between these two cameras, but it just isn't there in terms of the camera handling...
Complete review here
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 15 October 2009 |
Overall though - and I guess you probably already know this - I really loved the GF1, and will find it very hard to return it when this review is finished, meaning that I may have to wipe the dust and cobwebs off my wallet and actually hand over my own hard earned cash for one. The Olympus E-P1 now has some very, very strong competition in the form of possibly the most engaging and enjoyable camera on the market today. A compromise, for sure, but a surprisingly happy one...
Complete review here
TheOnlinePhotographer 's conclusion / rating - 15 October 2009 |
Is the Panasonic GF1 a DMD? In my opinion, it has to at least be close. This camera can be carried with you, it's unobtrusive, quick to respond, quick to focus, has a fast lens, produces excellent image quality and has good low-light performance. There will be a viewfinder for it soon (albeit an electronic one). One can attach a multitude of older lenses, and new ones will keep being produced. It shoots great video to boot. Can it be improved? Sure. For starters, I wish it had an articulating LCD, in-body image stabilization, a more powerful flash, and 1080P video. But, I can live with this camera. It does not cause me any real frustrations, and because it is as compact as it is, I can always have it with me.
Even though I have owned it for only a few weeks, I am serious when I say that as an all-around picture taker, this Panasonic GF1 may be my favorite digital camera ever...
TheOnlinePhotographer's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
Imaging Resource 's conclusion / rating - 13 October 2009 |
Both the Panasonic GF1 and the Olympus E-P1 have their virtues, and both take a pretty nice image from what we can tell. The Panasonic GF1's faster autofocus makes it a better choice for journalists, though those shooting JPEGs will have to be careful about the yellow and orange performance. Olympus's E-P1 has considerably slower autofocus, though we didn't notice it much until we set the camera in front of our timing test bench. This autofocus difference, though, really becomes noticeable when you try to focus while shooting video, and it's not just the Olympus camera, but the Olympus lens that perturbs the focus much more dramatically, while the 20mm Panasonic lens we tested was both tame and quiet while refocusing. We're hoping that this will prove true with the rest of Panasonic's lenses, and that Olympus can somehow update their firmware to improve their focus speed.
What's absolutely clear is that Panasonic and Olympus have identified and quickly exploited a niche in the market. Much like the Netbook in the computer space, the Micro Four Thirds camera comes at an ideal time, offering a small solution to quality imaging. They're not quite as inexpensive as a Netbook, but many of the peripherals seem priced for the market.
I predict it will be a banner year for Panasonic and Olympus, two companies who do well enough, but really needed a big hit in the digital camera space. If Panasonic can make enough of them, I think the Panasonic Lumix GF1 will be a runaway best seller...
Imaging Resource's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraReview 's conclusion / rating - 11 October 2009 |
The GF1 is an interesting camera with the potential to attract a wide cross-section of users. On the one hand it can appeal to novice shooters with its host of automatic and scene shooting modes, face recognition technology and compact size. More experienced hands will find a broad expanse of manual controls and adjustments to suit the fussiest of users, along with that compact size. It's small, light and slots into the gap between high end compacts and the DSLR.
The camera focuses quickly, has good shutter response and a decent continuous shooting rate. Image and video quality are very good, ISO performance leaves true compact digitals far behind, and there's a bunch of lenses that will mount on the camera with proper adaptors, and, depending on their age, provide partial to full compatibility.
On the downside, there's an adaptor for legacy Four Thirds lenses: MSRP about $170. Another for Leica M lenses at about $250, and yet a third for Leica R lenses at another $250. An electronic view finder will set you back about $200. Get one of each to go with the $900 GF1 and you're approaching $1800. A Nikon D90 and stabilized 18-200 lens will set you back under $1600, give better high ISO performance and a higher continuous shooting rate (at least for a time).
But the Nikon is much larger and heavier, and there lies the attraction of the GF1 - it puts out quality images from a relatively compact and light camera. I don't mind lugging my DSLRs around, but if I ever needed near-DSLR performance without the weight, the GF1 would be an easy choice to make...
DigitalCameraReview's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 08 October 2009 |
The Panasonic DMC-GF1 is a natural evolution of the Micro Four Thirds format, offering similar functionality to the G1 and GH1 models in a smaller and lighter body. The GF1 isn't perfect, but it is one of my favourite cameras of 2009.
The DMC-G1 isn't as small as all those glossy marketing shots may have suggested, but it subsequently handles really well, even for someone with large hands. It delivers all the convenience of a compact camera shooting experience with the benefit of a DSLR-sized sensor in a body that is smaller and more portable than any DSLR. Users looking to move-up from a point-and-shoot compact should definitely consider the G1. It delivers a near-seamless Live View experience which doesn't feel as though it has been literally forced into the overall design, as with the Live View function on the majority of DSLRs.
In addition the GF1's auto-focus system is lightning fast and very accurate, outpacing its main competitor, the Olympus E-P1, and even rivalling most DSLRs. Some compromises have been made to physically reduce the size of the GF1, most notably the almost pointless handgrip and the removal of an integrated eye-level viewfinder. While the optional Live View Finder is just about worth buying because of the ability to compose an image with the camera held up your eye, it does fill the external flashgun slot, spoils the aesthetic look of the camera, isn't as clear and bright as the G1 and GH1's fantastic EVF, and is very expensive. The pop-up flash is a more inspired addition, with a unique double-hinged design that scores another important point over the flash-less E-P1.
The new 20mm pancake lens is the most natural partner for the GF1, creating a small and light system that can be easily stowed away. The fast maximum aperture of f/1.7 makes it easy to create out-of-focus backgrounds, and the 40mm equivalent focal length provides an appealing angle of view that's slightly wider than human vision. We also tried the GF1 with the 14-45mm and 45-200mm lenses - you definitely need to use the Live View Finder with the longer telephoto lens in order to achieve consistently sharp results. With a new 45mm macro lens due out before the end of October and at least three more lenses scheduled for 2010, Panasonic are clearly committed to the Micro Four Thirds format, an important consideration.
In terms of still image quality, the Panasonic GF1 gets almost everything right. Colours are accurate when using the default Standard setting, with lots of scope to adjust the JPEG output to suit your own tastes, and the auto white balance is spot-on in most lighting conditions. The diminutive pop-up flash is OK for use as fill-in, the ability to make bulb exposures up to 4 minutes long will please night photographers, and anti-shake via compatible lenses helps to keep things sharp in low-light. Noise performance has also been improved compared to the G1 and GH1 cameras, with a very usable range of ISO 100-800 and good results even at 1600. The GF1 still can't quite rival a decent DSLR camera with an APS-C sized sensor in low-light, but the gap has certainly narrowed.
In summary, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 takes most of the good points of its bigger brothers, the G1 and GH1, and literally squeezes them inside a smaller, more compact-camera-like body. The fantastically well-implemented Live View, lightning fast auto-focus, excellent image quality and added bonus of 720p video make the GF1 a great camera for beginners and more serious photographers alike...
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DCResource 's conclusion / rating - 05 October 2009 |
The DMC-GF1 is a compact interchangeable lens camera similar in size to the Olympus E-P1. That shouldn't be too surprising, as they're both rangefinder-style cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds standard. The GF1 doesn't have the cool retro-styling of the E-P1, instead taking a more conservative approach (it looks like a big DMC-LX3)...
Complete review here
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