Well say hello to the Panasonic GF1

Internaut

Busy busy couple of days for new product launches with plenty of gadgetry to drool over.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/PanasonicGF1/

One of the lenses launched alongside it is Leica badged (and probably priced accordingly) which should give a clue to one of Leica bodies launched on the 9th....

swintonphoto

Looks nice. However, I am not a big fan of the names Panasonic is using - I can't keep the Panasonic micro 4/3 camera names straight.

Internaut

swintonphoto wrote:

Looks nice. However, I am not a big fan of the names Panasonic is using - I can't keep the Panasonic micro 4/3 camera names straight.

No issue with the names but as an Olympus user who has recently been eschewing raw in favour of JPEG output, I know which I prefer (and this means I'm more likely to use the E-30, even when the smaller G1 would be better suited).

Mr Eddy

Great news. Not the body (G1 is already the perfect size for me, don't need anything smaller) but the lenses. The 20mm/f1.7 samples on dpreview look good. It's exactly the lens I've been waiting for. Price on the Leica macro is a bit scary at AU$1550. Sigh. Oh well, I didn't need that money anyway.

BradJudy

Panasonic GF1
I've been waiting for the Panasonic GF1 announcement. I was looking at the Olympus E-P1, but the local shop never got one in to look at and then I saw the GF1 rumors and thought it was best to wait. It looks pretty nice.

DPReview summarized the pros/cons as:

Panasonic GF1 key advantages

• Faster autofocus and AF subject tracking
• Higher resolution screen (twice as many dots)
• Built in flash
• Optional Viewfinder
• AVCHD Lite
• Fast (F1.7) pancake lens

Olympus E-P1 key advantages

• Currently supports autofocus on a wider range of Olympus Four Thirds lenses
• In-body IS
• Collapsible kit zoom
• Stereo Sound
• Dual control dials
• Art Filters

For the most part, the Panasonic advantages are more important to me, although the in-body IS and broader AF support on the Oly are nice. DPR has some preview samples, but they are almost all 100 ISO. I saw a 400 in there, but I was hoping to see what the 800 and 1600 look like.

I may just bite the bullet this time and pre-order the GF1 once Adorama has a listing up (looks like only Amazon does at the moment). I'd have to decide what zoom lens to get in addition to the pancake - the GH1 kit lens looks nice, but is pricey.

ziggy53

While i like the styling of the newest Panasonic, and the Olympus Micro as well, I do believe that the older Panasonic DMC GH1 has the best feature set of all the Micro Four-Thirds cameras to date. (The electronic viewfinder in addition to the LCD is fairly major to my argument.)

Coupled with the Leica D Summilux 25mm F1.4 ASPH and the Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 ASPH. Mega OIS it really is a pretty capable social and walk-a-round system. Add the DMW-MA1PP lens adapter and then you can add some nice longer glass as well (although at that point another body would do better.)

I suspect there are much better versions of these cameras (Micro) coming in the next couple of years as well. I have decided that I would rather wait and see what happens.

BradJudy

I don't know if you can call a product that you can't even get your hands on yet "older" (the GH1). Yes, it has the best feature set of the u4/3 offerings and it's an interesting option to consider and I haven't entirely ruled it out.

I'll be heading out on a major trip next spring, so I'd like to make the step up before then.

Grainbelt

I took my DSLR, wide angle, macro, and 50mm 1.4 on a motorcycle trip. It sat in my topcase while I snagged my P&S out of my jacket pocket and took 80% of my pics with it.

I think a combo of the GF1 with the 20mm 1.7 and 14-??? megazoom would make a very portable, useful kit. The GF1 w/20mm reminds me a lot of my Pentax ME film body with a 40mm pancake, which is a combination I find hugely entertaining to use.

NikonsandVstroms

It looks really interesting, and this is the 3rd new camera thread I am commenting on in a row, I need to stay up on this stuff!

But the ergonomics look like those of the LX3 which as much as I love it I can't hold. (I even have an issue with the G1, Panasonic does not like me I guess :cry) The good news is the EP1 works for me, just it wasn't too much of an advantage over my E-420 in size and since I have a full 4/3 system already the E-600/620 seems to be my next camera.