http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/ Engadget Comments for Panasonic's Lumix G1: world's first micro Four Thirds camera http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 3:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 3:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 5:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 3:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Now my comment above just looks stupid, I am so depressed!
Whatever will I do now, my life has no meaning...]]>Sep 12th 2008 4:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
You could always blog for Engadget. Ohhhh, snap!]]>Sep 12th 2008 7:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Looks interesting. It's not quite as small as I had hoped, but I think the idea of a non-SLR interchangeable lens system makes sense.

The high-res viewfinder shows they realize what it'll take to compete with SLRs. And the fact that it can preview shutter speed (motion blur) shows that there are reasons to prefer an electronic image over a mirror box.

I still think it needs to be a bit smaller, like a Leica. That will draw the photojournalists in.]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Does it have in camera lens focus or does it rely on the USM/HSM/SWM type system?]]>Sep 12th 2008 6:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 3:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
The size, as I commented before, is still not that small. Smaller than the smallest DSLR, but with a lens, it's still a monster compared to a compact. As I recall, the big gripe of many low end DSLRs was that they were *too* small, and couldn't be held comfortably, especially by men. The pinky finger would always fall short of the grip.

There is a downer, in that the sensor is always exposed, vs being only exposed during exposures on a DSLR, and I don't see any dust removal feature. There is also the question of battery life. DSLRs have always been the king of battery life because their sensors are only activated during exposures, vs compacts which have their sensors on all the time. Also strange is that there's no in-body IS.

All in all, it looks like a lot of compromises, although they did seem to achieve some good breakthroughs in AF and EVFs. People will buy it (people will buy anything), but I doubt that it will have a significant market share.]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
The size for lacking of a hand model is hard to judge, but see the copycat design from Sony-DSC-H1 down to the hand grip jog dial (very useful feature I must add), high resolution LCD, decent pixel count, HDMI output... San the garish red edition, Looks pretty good so far. ]]>Sep 12th 2008 4:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Another problem is the market for this Panasonic - who is this for? People with super zooms, compacts digicams or SLRs users wanting a smaller backup? Super zoom users already have live view, are smaller with a greater zoom range then micro 4/3, and cheaper. SLR owners who want smaller back ups? Back up to what - Panasonic SLRs? How many users is that? Now we finally have compact digicam users, and first time digital buyers. This is probably the target market, but debatable how many mom/dad types would walk into the store and come away with a micro 4/3... I can just see the sales person going "well actually this is like a digital SLR but without a mirror box and uses contrast detect focus as opposed to phase detect, minus the optical viewfinder which is replaced with an EVF..." ugh... ]]>Sep 12th 2008 5:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 6:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Yes, inch-by-inch the un-fathom-able US system moves over to the miles better metric units. Tally-ho!]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
And all we use anymore is really miles, gallons, and feet/inches when measuring people. Maybe cups.

But really, in most applications the US is metric. Then again, I'm mostly involved with the science and art world (Europe is hip, dog).]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
BTW, just three countries in the world have not yet officially adopted the SI: the good ol' US of A, Liberia, and Myanmar (Burma). Now THAT'S exclusive (if not exactly elite) company!]]>Sep 12th 2008 4:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Most of those units never used to be used when measuring people!]]>Sep 12th 2008 4:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/]]>Sep 13th 2008 12:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
That's a joke, right?]]>Sep 12th 2008 5:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Yes, circa 1980. Famous SNL skit by Rick Moranis and Doug Thomas as "Bob and Doug McKenzie in The Great White North". At least, I thought it was famous.

As in, "there are 42 metric beers in a six pack".

Maybe I'm just old. They even had an album featuring Geddy Lee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie
]]>Sep 13th 2008 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Well done Panny!]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 4:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 4:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
It's a pity because 4/3 sensor has a smaller dynamic range, opposed to say APS-C. Secondly, I like Nikon lenses (and Canon ones aren't too shabby :)), especially wide angles and primes. But I am not knocking this in any way, it is revolutionary in its own right. ]]>Sep 12th 2008 4:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/ Secondly, I like Nikon lenses (and Canon ones aren't too shabby :))

If you have collection of lens, then the (imaginary uAPS-C) product is likely not for your.

The whole point is that not only body is smaller, but also new lenses for the format are smaller too.

And thanks to proper branding and consistent feature set, consumers would not get confused over what lens on what camera has what feature - what is pretty much state of affairs on Nikon/Canon side. As newcomer to DSLR, I choose Oly & FourThirds solely because I got tired reading all the FAQs about D40 and lenses you can/cannot use on it (and D40 still remains better choice for DSLR newcomers due to price/performance ratio).

To people who want to get a taste of DSLR quality - but do not want to carry around a heavy bag full of equipment - the compacts are pretty perfect start to learn photography. Though the price at the moment is really ugly ($750) and would hardly appeal to anybody, except professionals who often like to buy /interesting/ stuff.]]>Sep 12th 2008 8:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
That said, the micro four thirds system is the first thing in a while that's given me even the slightest desire to switch...]]>Sep 14th 2008 10:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 4:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 4:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 5:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/I always thought it would fit into a pocket. But I don't have industry-sized pockets, do you?]]>Sep 12th 2008 6:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
I like this camera though and will have to break down and buy a full size camera one day for use when I don't need to hide the fact I have a camera or when walking/hiking/kayaking/biking and don't want to have to take a huge camera (even the G1 is too big).]]>Sep 12th 2008 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Pancake got its name for being very slim lens - only 20mm deep.

Though I know from my own experience how fast people get addicted to zooms and Pancake is so slim in part because it is not zoom lens.

The point is that you can have a pancake mounted for all the casual photos - and it would fit any (large) pocket perfectly. And for cases of something more complicated you can always carry in a bag one/more extra zoom lens.]]>Sep 12th 2008 9:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 7:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 7:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 8:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/ ... crappy digital camera CCD chip.

From RTFA: "a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS Sensor" - pretty much the same sensor as in Oly E-3.

The point of u4/3 was to reuse the sensor. That's why in the name "Four Thirds" remained.

Compared to normal compacts - 1/1.8" or 1/2.5" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device#Sensor_sizes ) - the camera is really high-end.]]>Sep 12th 2008 9:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Based on the reviews I've read for the FZ-30 and FZ-50 on sites such as DPReview, I expect really big things from this camera.]]>Sep 12th 2008 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 7:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
The smallest and lightest body that supports interchangeable lenses.
Yet, with a viewfinder as large as a 35mm camera (or a "Full Frame" DSLR), and brighter than in normal situations due to its ability to gain.
A flip and tilt back display.
Quiet operation (no noisy mirror swing).

If none of this is important to you, then by all means, get a DSLR.]]>Sep 12th 2008 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
It looks like it would compete with the prosumer compacts but really there isn't much point with that entire product line. They're still too large to fit into something like a jacket pocket and there isn't much of a price gap with entry level DSLRs which provide much better functionality. And today's DSLRs are so idiot proof that anyone could operate one without knowing a single thing about photography.

I also like the buzzwords... "intelligent ISO"? Cameras started having built in exposure meters in the 1970s... the effect of ISO, shutter speed and aperture on exposure is trivially easy to calculate. The only way it can live up to this and still have some meaning is if it can accurately identify scenes dominated by bright objects such as snow and compensate accordingly - although normally you'd change the shutter speed before messing with the ISO speed. ISO speed logic is simple, keep it as low as possible because high ISO = high noise.]]>Sep 12th 2008 8:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
While the optical viewfinder right now is preferable to EVF, there is no reason to believe that this would remian the case in a few years from now. Already we see atleast two advantages of EVF on this camera:

1) it has a magnification of 1.4x (or 0.7x in terms of FF) making it almost as big as a 5D viewfinder. This is not something which would not have been feasible using an optical viewfinder with a 4/3rds sensor (E-420 or D40 etc are no competition here)

2) Display does not go dark when you use Depth of Field preview

3) Viewfinder magnification linked to focus ring - i.e when you turn the manual focus ring, the area around the selected focus point would automatically become magnified, making critical focusing much easier. Again optical viewfinders dont have an answer to this

Plus you have the "shutter speed preview" - not esential but just an indication of new possibilities which open up once you move things into digital. And things move rapidly in digital land so the EVFs could soon reach a lvel of resoltion and clarity which surpasses the optical viewfinders.

Other great advantage of this camera over competing SLRs:

21 focus points covering almost the whole screen or 1 focus point which can be placed anywhere on the screen!! - I use a Canon 30D and those 9 points packed closely in the center are pathetic in comparison

So whether this particular camera is earth-shattering or not, it is starting in a direction which would likely be the future of this industry]]>Sep 12th 2008 12:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 8:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 12:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Did RED patented red? :)]]>Sep 12th 2008 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Companies can afford to cram the latest digital tech into DSLRs because they know their target demographics are willing to spend the money, no compromises.
Apparently nobody thought of putting DSLR sensors into a regular digital camera box, until now.

]]>Sep 12th 2008 10:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/
Panasonic is doing something pretty strange with this camera, so I'm not surprised at the unconventional color. However, it does clash with the fact that they did marketing research which led to them keeping the SLR-ish form, because people wanted something they could recognize.

People seem to get stuck on the "WYSIWYG" mentality of the EVF, as in they want to see blur, rather than actually seeing what's happening in order to properly frame the picture and push the shutter at the right time. It's pretty easy to judge if you're going to get image blur, just look at the shutter speed and focal length.

But one thing that I like about this camera is the leap in advancement of EVFs and contrast detect AF. If Panasonic can do it, then I have do doubt that this or similar tech will make its way into other compacts, and that will make using compacts *much* more enjoyable.]]>Sep 12th 2008 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 11:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/panasonics-lumix-g1-worlds-first-micro-four-thirds-camera/Sep 12th 2008 10:27AM