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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 02 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 21 September 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 26 August 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 23 July 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 16 July 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 11 July 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 10 July 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 10 June 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 09 June 2009 - |
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- 5 |
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- 03 June 2009 - |
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- 0 |
WhatDigitalCamera 's conclusion / rating - 02 October 2009 |
“ The GH1 is an exceptional camera, but more than anything it is an exceptional video camera. In terms of still imaging it has some improvements on the previous G1 model, though these are not significant enough on their own to justify the huge price difference.
The GH1 does come with an impressive lens, which does come some way to explain the price increase, and this is a great addition for both still and for video use.
As this review was going to press, Panasonic announced an update to the GH1 and the 14-140mm lens, which is expected to give improvements to the camera's burst rate, video stabilising and other performance issues.
If this is the case it may answer the minor gripes we have - all apart from the price - making this an even better proposition... ”
WhatDigitalCamera's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraReview 's conclusion / rating - 21 September 2009 |
“ Cameras (like sports cars, camping/adventure gear, professional musical instruments, and top shelf audio/video components) get much more interesting (and expensive) as they increase in complexity - the GH1 is a case in point.
The bottom line here is that the $1500 GH1 is a near perfect choice for shooters graduating from a prosumer/long zoom digicam to their first dSLR. For more serious photographers who eschew video in favor of still photography, the GH1 might not be their best option... ”
DigitalCameraReview's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
LetsGoDigital 's conclusion / rating - 26 August 2009 |
“ The small minuses, for example the location of the video button, do not compare to the long list of unique features that the Panasonic GH1 offers. However, there is one thing we have to mention, and that is its retail price. The slightly high price is mainly caused by the specially designed lens. On the other hand, there is no similar system offering the same video quality and video functionality, so from that point of view, the retail price seems justified... ”
LetsGoDigital's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
Luminous Landscape 's conclusion / rating - 23 July 2009 |
“ It's difficult and more than likely foolhardy to write a bottom line comment on a product that has only been available for a short while, and even then is still not in full distribution. My few weeks with the GH1 though, shooting stills as well as video, has given me an appreciation for what Panasonic has accomplished.
At some $1,500 with its provided lens the GH1 offers tremendous value both as a stills and video camera. As with any product though, there are compomises. Some will want a larger sensor and higher resolution on the stills side, but at 12MP and with its smaller and lighter lenses the GH1 will meet many photographer's needs. The Micro 4/3 format's ability to take just about any lenses is also a plus not to be ignored.
On the video side image quality equals that of any other current video capable DSLR, and in terms of resolution and low noise leaves consumer camcorders in the dust.
With its articulated LCD and electronic viewfinder it trumps the 5DMKII in terms of shooting practicality, and also other models from Nikon, Canon et al which suffer from similar shooting inconveniences as well as an inability to shoot true 1020/P24. Sure, the GH1 will be superceeded soon enough, but for the moment it is the king Combocam... ”
Luminous Landscape's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraInfo 's conclusion / rating - 16 July 2009 |
“ If you're not looking for video recording capabilities, there's no good reason to choose the Panasonic Lumix GH1 over the far less expensive G1 introduced last year. The two cameras are nearly identical in feature set, and while the GH1 has a new image sensor, that doesn't mean it's a better image sensor. In fact, for still photos, we ran into more difficulties with color accuracy and low light performance with the new camera (though shot to shot speed has improved).
If you've been tantalized by the idea of an interchangeable-lens camera that shoots high-def video, though, Panasonic delivers the goods. While video quality results aren't radically better than the video-enabled SLRs we've tested, they are superior overall. More important, though, are two key factors. Unlike the SLRs, the Lumix GH1 offers an extraordinary level of control over your video shooting settings, including aperture, shutter speed and even ISO settings, plus fine adjustment of white balance, color and more. Equally important, you get live autofocus while shooting video, a feature found routinely on camcorders but sadly missing from video SLRs to date. In a perfect world, the GH1 would match the still image performance of topnotch SLRs in its price range, and it doesn't quite live up to that lofty goal. However, it's one of those cameras that seems to shoot better than it tests. We enjoyed using the camera and are pleased with many of the images we captured. Resolution is very good and, if colors aren't very accurate, that doesn't mean they're unattractive. We do wish there were more available Micro Four Thirds lenses, but at least the 14-140mm kit lens included here delivers first-rate performance. And while $1500 is a lot of money, you are getting a high-end lens with an extensive zoom range and a camera that succeeds as an all-in-one device better than any still or video camera before it... ”
DigitalCameraInfo's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
CameraLabs 's conclusion / rating - 11 July 2009 |
“ As we said at the top, Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-GH1 is the most complete and well-rounded hybrid camera we’ve tested. Both the stills and movie capabilities are very well thought-out and implemented, with few compromises to mention. Considering this is only the second Micro Four Thirds camera on the market (and so closely based on the first), it’s an extremely impressive start for the youthful standard.
The GH1 simply appeals on multiple levels. Physically it’s compact without compromising comfort, and those wanting to travel light will greatly appreciate a kit that’s slightly smaller than rival DSLRs even when fitted with a 10x super-zoom. It’s easy to use with great automatic modes, yet has enough control and sophistication to keep enthusiasts happy. Still images could do with a boost in sharpening, but there’s plenty of detail and similar noise levels to industry leaders up to 1600 ISO. There’s a great screen, which doesn’t force you to sacrifice quality for articulation. Then there’s the movie mode which unlike most rivals, offers continuous autofocus, manual exposure control and the choice of HD quality and encoding formats. It’s also great to have a 10x super-zoom range in the standard kit, with the additional bonus of discreet AF and aperture adjustments.
So what’s not to like? Technically speaking the large and detailed Live View Finder may be a triumph under general conditions, but it does become slow and noisy in very low light, and there’s also no live view between frames during continuous shooting. So we’d rule-out the GH1 if you’re serious about action or very low light photography. There’s also a number of restrictions involving autofocus in the movie mode, particularly when using the Full HD 1080p setting – although it seems slightly churlish to complain when most rivals don’t attempt to autofocus at all when filming.
The biggest problem is the relatively high cost of entry. At the time of writing, Panasonic was only selling the GH1 in a kit with the G VARIO 14-140mm lens, and while they’re an ideal combination, the super-zoom lens inevitably makes the camera look expensive compared to rival kits. Once again, the fair comparison would be against a DSLR that’s also equipped with a 10x lens, at which point most combinations cost roughly the same.
But critically, rival DSLRs are available in much cheaper kits, whereas the GH1 is not. This is a shame as there’d be many who’d prefer to spread the cost by buying the GH1 body first with, say, the 14-45mm zoom, before investing in the 14-140mm at a later date. Such options would also make the GH1 look more competitive against rival models, whereas as it stands, many will be frightened-off by the price without even realising it includes a premium 10x lens.
Those who reject the Lumix GH1 on what looks like a high price or a departure from DSLR traditions will however be missing out. The GH1 succeeds in multiple respects, delivering a seamless stills and video experience that’s ultimately very satisfying and fun to use. If shooting video is equally important as stills, the Lumix GH1 is simply one of the best options so far. Panasonic has done a great job with its first two Micro Four Thirds cameras, and with the Olympus E-P1 joining the party, the new format really is shaping-up to be one of the most innovative and exciting on the market.
Note: at the time of publishing, the GH1 wasn’t yet widely available, so many prices were for inflated import models. The retail kit price for the Lumix GH1 and G VARIO 14-140mm lens should be $1499 USD. Check back soon for an updated list of retailers... ”
CameraLabs's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 10 July 2009 |
“ The GH1 offers the same ease-of-use and solid image quality as its sister model G1. On top top of that you get the best implementation of a HD video mode that we have yet seen on a large sensor camera. You pay a fairly hefty premium for this feature, but for anyone who is planning to make good use of the camera's motion picture capabilities, the GH1 has to be highly recommended... ”
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 10 June 2009 |
“ The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is the best attempt yet at implementing video recording on a DSLR-like camera. The combination of high price, compulsory kit lens and so-so image quality in low-light conditions won't make it suitable for everyone though.
If you're looking for high-definition video in a DSLR format, then the Panasonic GH1 is easily your best choice. The ability to continuously auto-focus during recording simply isn't offered by the likes of the Canon EOS 500D or Nikon D5000, which force the user to manually focus. Although the GH1 is sometimes a little slow to re-focus, having this functionality makes the world of difference, ensuring that the main subject is amlost always sharp. In addition, the GH1 also allows you to change the aperture and shutter speed during recording as well as before, something that only the much more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark II can do (with its recent firmware upgrade). Again there's a caveat, as you can clearly hear the click of the GH1's mode dial in the movie, but you can always edit this out later if you have the software and know-how. Sound is otherwise a real high-point of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 's movies, with the built-in stereo mic and wind cut function helping to create a much better soundtrack than virtually any other digital camera.
In summary, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 offers a fantastically well-implemented Live View experience in a small and portable DSLR-like format with the addition of an intuitive video mode that mere mortals, and not just experienced videographers, can produce great results with. If you don't need the video capabilities, though, the much cheaper DMC-G1 camera is by far the more logical choice... ”
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
Imaging Resource 's conclusion / rating - 09 June 2009 |
“ Panasonic's approach to the interchangeable-lens digital camera, the G-series, includes no mirrors or pentaprisms to weigh the system down, making the goal of simple live view easier to realize. All that was missing from the Panasonic G1 was video capability, a problem solved in the GH1.
However, adding that capability was not an easy job. Indeed, it required a new lens motor design to get an external, removable lens to focus quickly enough for the contrast-detect autofocus system to do its work, and the design had to focus quietly enough for video recording. Panasonic calls these HD lenses, apparently for the High Definition video capture they enable.
The good news is that the Panasonic GH1 and its kit lens are quite capable, easily rivaling digital SLRs from the other major players. The overall kit includes just about everything you want from a high-end digital camera: Live view, articulating LCD, electronic viewfinder, image stabilization, face detection, fast autofocus, excellent optics, high resolution, and sophisticated HD movie capability. About the only real criticisms are difficulty tracking subjects while in continuous mode and the strong blurring we found in AVCHD video mode when subjects move at all. Both criticisms are related to capturing subjects in motion, so it's safe to say that the Panasonic GH1 isn't necessarily the best interchangeable-lens camera for action. Workarounds include popping an optical viewfinder into the hotshoe for tracking moving subjects while you shoot in continuous mode, and shooting in Motion JPEG for clearer action video.
We were impressed with multiple aspects of the GH1, foremost of which was the pleasure in using the camera. It's small, light, and brings home great images. Optical quality is surprising. Autofocus speed is impressive. And though the electronic viewfinder doesn't do well with shadow detail, it's still the best we've seen in lieu of a true optical viewfinder. Printed output finalizes the impression that the Panasonic GH1 is an excellent digital camera, as it easily outputs 13x19-inch prints from JPEGs and 20x30-inch prints from RAW files... ”
Imaging Resource's rating: |
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- 5 |
Complete review here
DCResource 's conclusion / rating - 03 June 2009 |
“ The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is a compact, interchangeable lens camera that does double-duty: it takes photos and high definition video. Unlike most "hybrid" devices, the GH1 pulls both off quite well, though it's not without its issues. The GH1 takes good quality photos, offers a second-to-none live view experience, and has a host of automatic and manual controls. On the video side, you can record at resolutions as high as 1920 x 1080, with continuous autofocus, image stabilization, and all the zooming you can eat, courtesy of the new 14 - 140 mm kit lens. The main downside of the movie mode (at least at the highest resolutions) is that the AVCHD codec is a real pain in the you-know-what to work with (good old Motion JPEG is available for 720p and below, thankfully). Another big issue about the GH1 is its price: at $1500, it costs nearly twice that of the original DMC-G1. In other words, you're going to need to be pretty hardcore about video to spend the money on the DMC-GH1. If you choose to do so, I think you'll be pleased with all that the camera has to offer.
If you're looking for a compact, interchangeable lens camera that can record movies in Full HD, then then Panasonic DMC-GH1 is the only game in town (yes, the Canon EOS-5D Mark II can do it too, but it's not in the same class). The GH1 is both a very capable digital still camera, and its video recording abilities are impressive, as well. The AVCHD video format is not for the faint-hearted, and you may need to purchase some pricey software in order to actually edit it, so keep that in mind. At least Panasonic gives the user the option of using M-JPEG, at least for 720p and below. The bottom line here is that the GH1 is a solid pick if you're after a camera/camcorder hybrid -- if you like the camera but don't need the video capabilities, then the much cheaper DMC-G1 is worth a look as well... ”
Complete review here
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