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December 1, 2009

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 review

Of very similar dimensions and build quality to the Canon PowerShot G1, the 12.1Mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 offering is the only model here with interchangeable lenses. But in using the new Micro FourThirds system, it's technically not a digital SLR. Updated, December 1 2009.

Powering up in just over a second, the DMC-GF1 does away with the internal mirror mechanism to bring lens and sensor closer together. Its manufacturer is therefore claiming the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 as the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera, with both RAW and Jpeg capture offered.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 doesn't have an optical viewfinder (an electronic viewfinder costs an extra £165), so you must rely on the impressively clear 3in LCD for composing and viewing snaps. A pop-up flash is included, along with an accessory shoe. Artistic types will enjoy the colour effect controls - we particularly liked the ‘dynamic art' option.

There's also a Peripheral Defocus Mode that blurs potentially distracting backgrounds to draw attention to your sharply focused subject. Up to and including ISO 400, images are noise-free.

With a very narrow ridge to the front and the lack of any rear padding, we found it difficult to get a firm grip on the Panasonic when shooting handheld. Still, it's possible to use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 as a glorified point-and-shoot - the intelligent Auto mode recognises given scenes and subjects and adjusts its settings automatically.

There's a dedicated button for HD video capture and you can also shoot in AVCHD Lite or Mpeg formats at a resolution of 1280x720. If you're attaching a zoom lens you'll need to manually adjust framing and focus when filming, however. An HDMI port is provided.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 presents a highly portable option for photo enthusiasts who want the option to switch lenses without the bulk of a digital SLR. Anyone who already owns a digital SLR will find this less appealing as a replacement, however, since they will have to invest in a whole new set of Micro FourThirds-compatible lenses.

NEXT: our first look, from September 2009 >>

EXPERT VERDICT ON PAGE 3 >>

Continued...
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Independent customer reviews from

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 scored:
8.8 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 12 reviews:

02 Oct 2009 crepin, bois-de-villers (Belgium)

8

Good Points

very nice product, very compact, good product.It takes very nice pictures.

Bad Points

Product destined for Asia and not for Europ, Because interface is only in Japanese or in English. Not in french language...or other And it's impossible to change it in french now.The jeck for the charger (to connect to 220 V) is not destined for Europe.

23 Oct 2009 Luke, Brighton

9

Good Points

Excellent compromise between a high end compact and DLSR; small enough to carry around easily. Excellent image quality and good flexibilty offered by the inter-changable lenses.

Bad Points

No viewfinder (optional accessory) and limited lens range currently available, although I am sure this will change.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

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