Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13532 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: Lumix G1 Black

Features

• Interchangeable lens camera
• SD, SDHC, Multimedia card Slot
• 13.1 Megapixels
• 3" TFT LCD Display
• Megapixels: 13.1

Manufacturer's Description
Change the way you see
The LUMIX G Micro System will change the way you see – and enjoy – the digital interchangeable lens camera. It does so with a collection of features that put enormous photographic power in a palm-sized camera with interchangeable lens. The Micro Four Thirds System standard for high quality and wide compatibility. Full-time Live View for setting up the perfect shot. The unique iA mode for capturing stunning photos with all the ease of a compact digital camera.

Photography made fun
The LUMIX G Micro System is a camera you'll love from day one. It's easy to take with you. It makes every day a new opportunity for discovery. It lets you capture the emotion behind the moment. It gives you the freedom to express yourself visually. And most of all, it makes photography more fun than you've ever imagined. The LUMIX G Micro System will forever change the way you see the world around you, and the role that photography plays in your life.

Full-time Live View shows you - before you shoot - how the settings change the photo
Taking photos is a lot more fun when you don't have to struggle to get perfect images. With the LUMIX G Micro System – and its Full-time Live View – using a digital interchangeable lens camera is now as easy as using a digital compact camera.

The LUMIX G Micro System can display guidelines and a histogram on the LCD and Live View Finder along with the image composition.

But more than that, you can see through them – before pressing the shutter button – how the exposure compensation and white balance adjustment will affect the photo. You can even see how adjusting the aperture and shutter speed settings will affect the photo.

In other words, the LUMIX G Micro System gives you easy Live View shooting that simply isn't possible with conventional digital SLR cameras.

Bright and easy-to-see free-angle LCD
The large 3.0-inch LCD rotates 180º horizontally and 270º vertically, making it easy for you to capture dynamic shots from extreme angles without getting into an awkward position. And when the lighting around you changes, the LCD backlighting level automatically changes too, so you get comfortable, easy-on-the-eyes viewing at all times.

All angles
With the large 3.0-inch LCD no matter where or what you are shooting your view will never be impared.

You can take high angle shots over a crowd; shots to the right and left, around obstacles or barriers, where an ordinary viewfinder just won't work; tripod shots without having to crouch; and low angle shots near ground level.

iA mode can make all the right settings – automatically
If you've resisted buying a digital SLR camera because you think they're hard to use, your wait is over. Meet the LUMIX G Micro System, with iA (Intelligent Auto) mode. A big hit in LUMIX compact digital cameras, iA mode activates six detection and compensation functions that work automatically, leaving you free to just aim and shoot. It's easier to get a beautiful shot any time, any place.

Shake detection – MEGA O.I.S.
Gyrosensors built into the lens detect hand-shake and an O.I.S. shifts to compensate. Assisting you in getting those clear, beautiful, blur-free photos.

Motion detection – Intelligent ISO Control
If the subject moves as you snap the shot, the camera automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to help prevent subject blur.

Light detection – Intelligent Exposure
The camera can correct the brightness in parts of the image that are too dark due to insufficient lighting, backlighting or use of the flash.

Face detection – Face Detection AF/AE
The camera detects when there are faces in the frame and adjusts the focus and exposure to capture them properly. This allows you to shoot beautiful portraits without any hassle.

Scene detection – Intelligent Scene Selector
The camera automatically selects whichever of five Scene modes – Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery, and Close-up – best suits the situation.

Subject detection – AF Tracking
Once you've focused on a subject, AF Tracking keeps the subject in focus – even if it moves – until you press the shutter button.

Digital Red-Eye Correction for beautiful night portraits
The red-eye correction in the built-in flash and the camera's image processing circuit work together to reduce red-eye when you're using the flash to take shots of people.

Live View Finder makes shooting through the viewfinder more accurate and comfortable
You've never looked into a viewfinder like this one. Developed by Panasonic for the LUMIX G Micro System, this high-performance electronic viewfinder boasts a Fulltime Live View function that converts the optical viewfinder unit into a digital form. You experience a new level of shooting convenience through the high-performance viewfinder that is simply not possible with optical viewfinders of the past.

Eye sensor: Live View Finder switches on when you look into it
When you look into the viewfinder, a sensor automatically turns the Live View Finder on and the LCD off. You enjoy smoother, easier shooting without having to switch the setting of the display.

100% field of view with high resolution
The LUMIX G Micro System's Live View Finder has the large 1.4x (0.7x) magnification and 100% field of view of the optical viewfinders on high-end digital SLR cameras. This, plus the 1,440,000-dot equivalent resolution, makes it easy to shoot the exact image the camera sees.

Freely customizable information display
Customize the camera to fit your shooting preference by changing the display style or switching to a full-screen display. The LUMIX G Micro System also features the Quick Menu that's popular on LUMIX compact digital cameras, so you can make a variety of settings without taking your eye from the Live View Finder.

The open standard that led to the mirror-less body
The LUMIX G Micro System adopts the Micro Four Thirds System standard, developed as an extended version of the Four Thirds System standard for digital camera systems. Using this standard, and developing a camera body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit, the lens mount outer diameter was reduced by about 6 mm (compared with the conventional Four Thirds camera) and shorten the flange-back distance by about half.

Removing the mirror box also makes for smoother operation. The result is a digital interchangeable lens camera that's both extremely compact and highly mobile. The LUMIX G Micro System is a camera that you can take anywhere – and that, in turn, can take you as far as you want to go.

LUMIX G lenses: Superior portability, superior rendering
These interchangeable lenses, designed exclusively for the Micro Four Thirds cameras, bring out the full potential of the 4/3-type image sensor. For instance, some aspherical lenses and ED lenses can ensure the impressive image rendering even in the smaller size than the Four Thirds lens. Also, as a prerequisite for Full-time Live View shooting, all lenses support contrast AF

Live MOS sensor - higher image quality, lower power consumption
The 4/3-type 12-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the LUMIX G Micro System offers the best of both worlds – the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor.

New technology that makes it possible to read 4 channels of data simultaneously also helps the LUMIX G Micro System deliver 60 frame-per-second Full-time Live View images, while faithfully reproducing high-resolution images with fine detail and rich gradation.

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

Fantastic camera
I have been a keen photographer for the past 40 or more years and used to carry around with me a massive bag of SLRs and lenses which very often I could not be bothered to lug around and so missed many a good photo. Since digital came in I have been avoiding the big name DSLRs because I knew the same problem would arise. All of the conventional DSLR are pretty bulky and even more so if you include their lenses. So I have been using compact and 'bridge' type digital cameras for the past few years which are easy to carry around. Unfortunately they also have small sensors so the image quality is not so good when enlarged. All that changed when the G1 came out. This is what I had been waiting for i.e. a DSLR size sensor with interchangeable lenses but without the massive bulk. I have now had this camera for 3 months and am most delighted with it. The image quality is fantastic and advanced features such as the flip out screen, the image stabilisation and many others make it great fun to play with and tweak. The lens quality is excellent as tested by the dpreview site, they show that it is as good or better than similar entry kit lenses from Canon. At present there is a shortage of lens options (although you can use the range for the Olympus DSLRs) but more are coming out in the next month or so. The size and weight saving goes for the lenses as well as the body so if you compare e.g. a Canon, Sony or Nikon DSLR kit each with a couple of lenses you would be looking at a considerable weight and bulk saving.

Cute as a button, but works like a beast!
First of all, let me get things straight - this is NOT a DSLR camera. A conventional DSLR camera (digital single lens reflex camera) has a mirror inside the camera body which reflects images to a pentaprism that eventually goes to your eye. Basically, what the lens 'see' is exactly what you get in a DSLR's viewfinder. The Lumix G1 takes away that mirror and instead replaces the viewfinder with an electronic one, hence the smaller size. Of course, the G1 is being compared to DSLR cameras because it has a DSLR-sized sensor, which is much bigger than the typical compact cameras' sensors (which also means better resolution and image quality).

Who is the G1 for? Honestly, die-hard DSLR fans will not welcome the EVF because they perceive them as grainy and low in resolution. This one, however has a >1 million pixel EVF, which is probably the best in the market by far. Coupled with full-time live view and shutter-speed preview, you have a killer here. Not to mention the swivelling 2.5" screen which is a joy to use. Of course, the downside: the lag and apparent noise in low-light situations. Like other EVFs, the viewfinder does not view well at night but please take notice that the image quality is not affected.

The micro four-thirds format is an all new format for digital cameras. Due to that, there is currently only 2 lenses in the market - the 14-45mm and the 45-200mm zooms. With a crop factor of 2x, you get a reach of 400mm at the telephoto end which is REALLY sweet. While there aren't any other lenses in the market, that's actually not a bad thing because both of these lenses would blow you away. Both these lenses have built in image-stabilisation (Panasonic's MEGA-OIS) which allows you to take sharp handheld photos at low shutterspeeds, even at 1/8s! Furthermore, they have little or no chromatic abberation and lens distortion is at a bare minimum. You'll have to try them for yourself to believe! In fact, DSLR lenses of this quality (with VR/IS) would set you back more than what this camera costs if you're considering to go the DLSR way.

Of course, the main feature of this camera is undeniably its size and performance. Without a mirror/prism, its obvious that this camera would be less bulky and lighter than its DSLR counterparts. Being a person who emphasizes on build quality and 'feel', this camera surprisingly ticks all the boxes. It has a very luxurious feel to it due to the unique rubber coating, compact yet large enough to be used comfortably with larger hands, and feels very solid. Build qualilty is impressive and you get the 'Made in Japan' sticker rather than the 'Made in Thailand' one which you get in Nikon DSLRs (even the D90!). The weight? Lovely - I had this camera strapped comfortably around my NECK for the whole day. Some DSLR-fanatics tried to point out that it weights the same as the Olympus E-420, but please understand that the M4/3 lenses are much lighter/compact than the standard 4/3 lenses, plus the G1 outperforms the E-420 in so many aspects. Lastly, the size of both the camera and lenses means that you could easily fit your equipment into a small backpack and travel light. Travellers, do note this.

The price for this camera is rather steep if you actually compare it to entry-level DSLRs and would make the big guns look like a good bargain. Then again, let me remind you once more that the kit lenses (both 14-45mm and the 45-200mm) are EXCELLENT lenses. By getting them, you can literally stay off from buying any new lenses because both of them would easily have your needs covered. Furthermore as you all know, good DSLR lenses would easily set you back >500 quid per piece, and the tack sharp ones way beyond that. The G1 lenses' 52mm thread rings also means that you can swap filters between both lenses and just use 1 set of them, which is already darn cheap compared to a set of >70mm filters.

I wouldn't want to blab on about the the technical bits, because you can just watch the video from Panasonic's website. This camera is what it is - a hybrid compact camera with interchangeable lens. Another downside - it lacks the ability to capture video (I don't know why Panasonic has left this out, but apparently a HD version of the G1 with video capabilities would be released soon enough, so opt for that one if you really need it). Anyway, let's finish this review with a bit of talk on the prospective buyers.

This camera is well suitable for:
1) Enthusiasts currently using bridge/compacts who are looking to upgrade to a camera with better fexibility, resolution and image quality.
2) DSLR users who find having a full DSLR kit (lenses and camera) too bulky and heavy to go around, but do not want to compromise on quality.
3) Entry-level DSLR users who have few lenses and can easily afford to swap over to the M4/3 format.
4) Travellers (I am one).
5) People looking at DSLR alternatives and would not care to buy 1000 quid lenses, but rather stick with VERY GOOD kit lenses that would cover the range of everyday needs.

This is definitely not for:
1) Professional DSLR users or pixel-peepers with a huge selection of top-class(expensive) lenses.
2) Stubborn people who cannot accept a modern format but rather, stick with a 60-year old technology. DSLR snobs, in short.
3) People who regularly prints at >A3 sizes.
4) People with gorilla-sized hands.

To conclude, the G1 would easily put a smile on the faces of people who have handled it. It is a fun, compact and easy-to-use performer which would be more than enough for the enthusiasts, yet powerful and flexible enough to cope with the needs of semi-pro users. This camera WILL not fail to impress, and the potentional of the M4/3 format is intriguing.

Great camera and prices ias falling!
I have been looking to upgrade to a DSLR but put off by the size of the things!So when this came along which is no bigger than very old but dependable SLR Cosina CSR I was sold.
It does everything my SLR does and for someone starting out in the digital format has all the standard features Aperture/Shutter priority,Manual plus plenty of more like Intelligent Auto Mode, which means point and shoot and let it do all the work.
Certain reviews moan that it doesn't have movie mode but I bought this to take pictures and I'll leave movies for my digital compact.
Yes a little pricey but that's coming down fast!