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]

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. :clap 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]

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 FiltersFor 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.

http://grainbelt.smugmug.com/photos/523591312_oLEXY-M.jpg

[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.