Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Review
August 2010, Carl Garrard
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 12.1 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-Inch Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Lumix G VARIO f/3.5-5.6 MEGA OIS Lens (Black)
Digital SLRs)
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Review: Panasonic's first Micro Four Thirds camera to hit the market in 2008, the Lumix DMC-G1, created a buzz (mainly good and some bad) unlike anything I have seen since digital photography went mainstream. The G1 (as we shall call it) went on later to receive many awards, including Popular Photography's camera of the year in 2008. Since then, Micro Four Thirds (m4/3) cameras by both Panasonic and Olympus have dominated the sales in the Digital Interchangeable Lens Camera (D.I.L.C) category. Samsung and Sony now stiffen the competition, however, it goes without saying that Panasonic indeed have the head start here and a more refined product overall. Owning my own Panasonic cameras I wanted to see how the G1 would hold up against some of the finest designs Panasonic has produced to date, the DMC-L1 and DMC-LC1. |
The Panasonic DMC-G1 is a 12.1 megapixel Digital Interchangeable Lens Camera that replaces a standard optical viewfinder with a 1.4 million pixel electronic viewfinder, has a 3" free angle LCD, full time live view, a fully mechanical shutter mechanism, and focuses solely with contrast detect autofocusing. It comes in several color variations such as Black, Blue, and Red to placate style conscious consumers. There are more bits to report on the G1 for sure, but this is the gist of the specs as a still imaging device. What matters most is how Panasonic managed to make the G1 a photographic tool, do all of its bells and whistles work together in harmony, or does the camera tend to step on its own feet?
Using the G1
The G1 incorporates a generous amount of exterior analog controls for a camera this size, almost cramping its available real estate, yet still manages to make a camera that is usuable. Mainly the rear 3" free angle LCD dominates the back panel and pushes most control upwards and to the right of the camera. Certainly other designs I've used seem more cramped and uncomfortable, but the G1 still pushes the boundaries of what I consider acceptable. I like to have room to use my controls, and a comfortable place to lay my thumb. Resting my thumb on a corner of an LCD panel isn't comfortable to me when using a camera all day long.
The upper deck is filled with the amount of controls I can appreciate, yet not always like using in practice because of the way Panasonic sorted them. On the upper left we have the focus mode knob which moves in three clicks and allows for manual, auto focus continuous, and auto focus single modes- three commonly used modes when shooting with a still imaging device. Next to that knob is the flash release switch.
On the right of upper deck we have the drive control switch under the main control knob which controls access to all of the normal controls such as M,S,A,P modes, and adds a custom, color, scene, night, close up, sports, scenery, portrait, and last but not least its Intelligent Auto mode.
Also located under the main control knob is the on/off switch you manipulate with your thumb. I find the G1 easy to turn on without having to re-position my right hand, but impossible to turn off without doing so. Not a big niggle, but nevertheless a niggle.
Still on the top deck we have the Q. Menu access button, and the Film Mode Access button. Both are positioned in an uncomfortable to access fashion and would have been better placed on the back where the thumb could be used to access these features. And last but not least the shutter release and the control wheel (under the front of the shutter release) round out the upper control surfaces of the G1. In my opinion the front control wheel should have been angled upwards for easier manipulation by the forefinger as well moved closer to the shutter release. Panasonic has since moved that wheel to the back on the G2.
On the back panel, starting with the upper left, we have the LVF/LCD switch which toggles your live view between the LCD or EVF, the EVF itself is activated automatically with sensors by the eyepiece (if you choose to activate this in the menu that is), which I find a better solution overall. To the right of the EVF is the playback button and the AF/AEL lock button, both positioned in a good place.
Below those we have a display button, the multi controller pad controlling access to the menu, AF area, white balance, ISO setting, and a FN button which can be set as a custom button (I have mine set to metering choices). Below the multi controller pad we have the DOF preview/delete button.
All in all this is a lot of external control for a camera that is pretty small. Personally I could have done without the multi-angle LCD being so big, giving room for controls and making the G1 a bit more comfortable, but I'm sure that LCD has helped to sell quite a few G1's to individuals less choosy than I.
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Panasonic G1 review
Hello,
In the G1 review you made the comment "I like that there is so much support for lenses via adapters, but I don't like that autofocus doesn't confirm with those lenses, or, that you can't use the MF magnify feature with those lenses either."
You CAN in fact use the MF magnify feature with any non couples lenses via an adapter.
When you want to use the MF magnify, press the left arrow button on the back, then the center button. I do this almost automatically these days, without having to even take my eye away from the EVF.
Thank you
Technically I was correct, the feature will not auto magnify when you use the focus ring (obviously due to the lack of a connection to the lens) but as you say this is a work around to that feature that seems work pretty well indeed- just not as fast or fluid as the MF magnify feature.
C
I have many top quality MF
I have many top quality MF lenses, and this feature is brilliant on the G1!!!
Indeed
I will be using this feature now, and I'm sure I would have found it ....eventually ;).
C
Panasonic G1 Vs Ricoh GRDIII ?
I know it's apples to oranges, but I read you shunning review of the Ricoh and your Bland review of the G1. So if God said you can only hVe one camera of these two, which would you pic? And briefly, which has better IQ in your opinion. Thanks so much!
Looks like some typo's
totally change the tone of your comment :)! But I understood you.
Sorry it's a bland review for ya. I think the review would have been much more in-depth had the camera addressed a couple of handling issues, and the banding issue.
The IQ differences are difficult to address between these cameras. I was afraid to use the G1 over ISO 400 because of the banding, whereas the GRD III does show *some* evidence of banding in rare circumstances tends to be much more consistent to ISO 800 than the G1 does.
For the sensor size the GRD III wins for me. For low ISO details and resolution, the G1 wins, although the GRD III really does a fine job at giving the G1 a run for its money.
Personally I kept the GRD III and I probably will never sell it less Ricoh makes an even better version of that camera that includes everything I like about the current GRD III. I ended up selling the G1, and I like my LC1's much more than the G1 as well. My L1's will band at ISO 400 and above, but I primarily use them at only lower ISO's and found my L1's to have better image quality when compared at the same resolution- they also have much superior handling than the G1 (which goes a long way with me).
G1 has a lot going for it, but in the end with all the cameras I have, I just couldn't find room to keep it around.
C
guess I got lucky
I've read several G1 reviews & comments about banding on the sensor. Mine seems to have very little of that, and can go higher in ISO as a result. I've processed an iso3200 raw here for amusement - nice and grainy, but in a 'good' way :^) When you have a good one it's a fine, modern sensor - and it kicks the K-7 to the curb on chroma noise. This was processed in Elements 9 with 10 lumi, 15 chroma NR (out of 100). That's good and bad news, as it means the K-7 is on the shelf more than I had expected.