Rumored Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GF1 gets pictured
By Donald Melanson 
posted August 6th 2009 1:51PM
posted August 6th 2009 1:51PM
Well, this one's a bit out of the blue, but a member of the Xitek.com forums has produced this image of a hereto unheard of Micro Four Thirds Panasonic Lumix GF1 that's purported to come from an internal Panasonic PDF. A second image (after the break, and full size at the link below), also reveals a few more interesting details, like a port below the hotshoe that would presumably be used for a detachable EVF, and a built-in pop-up flash. Otherwise, about all that's clear is that the camera itself appears to be slightly smaller than the Olympus E-P1, and that it's prompted an endless stream of speculation on the photography forums.
[Via Digital Photography Review]
[Via Digital Photography Review]
Do want.
Want!
yeah, but check out the crop factor on that bitch
EVF THANK GOD!
where do I sign?
Hopefully they don't repeat the failings of the Olympus, such as:
1. No intervalometer for time-lapse.
2. Can't turn the viewscreen off, so if you're shooting hundreds of shots in sequence with a remote, you waste the battery.
3. Ridiculous USB jack for the remote shutter release. WTF, Olympus?
4. Screen is unusable in sun.
Nice snag!
M1st
Most people seem to only care for Canon or Nikon cameras.
Which is a shame.
I've seen people use almost all brands of point-n-shoot cameras... but you're right about Canon and Nikon for DSLRs.
Micro Four Thirds has only been around for a year... so it takes time for a camera format like this to take hold.
You are probably right.
But I myself is waiting for a Nikon Micro Four Thirds camera since we only have Nikon lenses.
Until then, nothing can replace my LX3
;)
Nice snag!
M1st
with lens, this doesnt look smaller than entry level DSLRs to me.
Will there be a Leica version?
what do you mean, "top quality optics"? Panasonic uses leica lenses, perhaps the best lenses on the market.
sorry, wrong post. why can't opera work like a normal browser?, lol
yet another four thirds with out a built-in view finder... *cries*
On the bright side, almost all of the point-and-shoot these day doesn't need a build-in viewfinder. I'll be selling off my G1 for this. Hopefully the images and noise quality is better than the G1 or it's just another version of the Oly E-P1.
OH EM GEE! Selling my LX3 asap!
I'd like a cheap LX3 please :P I've got my DSLR, so that LX3 fits the mold for a good P&S quite nicely!
...seriously? name ONE entry-level DSLR that has a body the size of a point and shoot.
sure, the lens makes it a tad more bulky, but it's nowhere near the size of digital SLRs.
i think this is a better option than the E-P1.
there appears to be jizz in my pants
oh very nice. love the all black body.
That's what sh....ah, nevermind.
Looks like a Lumix LX3 with interchangeable lenses and a bigger sensor. If that's true then it should be awesome. If it's price-comparable with an entry-level DSLR I'll be hugely tempted - the E-P1 is a tad bulky for me, having now seen one.
This looks to be the same size as the E-P1.
That camera is beautiful. I want!
If this blends a TZ7, LX3 and EP-1 into one (IE, stereo audio recording for video plus manual controls for stills), then this is heaven. And it's great to see Panasonic have finally put a separate PLAY [>] button on the rear so one can quickly jump into playback mode without the need to slide a switch - and of course, this will mean the camera is always ready to snap a shot at the press of the shutter release!
This is hawt. I just played with a GH1 and I'm seriously considering dumping my Canon kit in favor of micro four thirds. It's got everything I ever wanted in a futuristic SLR: tilt-swivel LCD, live preview, HD video, and on and on. It can even use old Canon primes with a cheap adapter.
Canon, you better be paying attention or you'll find yourself getting dumped on prom night.
How much?
I see AVCHD on there so hopefully it has the same if not better(higher bitrate please) video functionality than the GH1.
beautiful! Looks just like the LX3!
Will it take meh shots like the rest of the m4/3 show? Damn Bayer sensor, damn lens selection. Face it, if you want me to invest in a system that is both bigger and more expensive than my Sigma, it better have outstanding glass available (get lost with your adaptor pieces) to make it worth the added bulk and ease suffering the mushy sensor. At least this Panny has no joy-nub for added frustration.
I'm with you when it comes to Foveon sensor. I love the quality of the photos I get from my Sigmas. Both Oly and Panny have started using weak AA filters in micro four thirds camera, however, and the image quality at the pixel level is starting look much better.
I think it will be a step up from the Canon G10 and other similar tiny sensor point & shoots, however it won't be able to compete against a 5D Mark 2 with prime glass anytime soon at the individual pixel level. I'm sure it will get great pictures, and I would be more likely to carry this around (and take it underwater, rafting/kayaking, rock climbing, out in the rain, in dust storms, and other hazardous locations), but pixel density is starting to become a problem with the tiny sensors in most cameras.
They need to advertise it to the people who are afraid of damaging their expensive DSLRs, and the amateurs who what something better than a small point & shoot, but still want something they can carry around with them all day long.
Panasonic has Leica glass backing them up, so I wouldn't be concerned with that (the 20 1.7 is looking mighty tasty), and at least with the oly, the sensor has a weakened AA filter (it's actually inherently sharper than anything Nikon and Canon make). Aside from that, I've heard way too many functionality issues with the Sigma, not to mention the fixed focal length (and not being able to change lenses) is a huge con for me.
@Andrew
None of the Panasonic µ4:3 lenses thus far have been developed in collaboration with Leica.
What could tempt me would be a really sharp & bright 85mm equivalent, say 1:1.4. That would be hot.
Yeah, the Sigmas are dooogs... just kidding. They're slow in certain aspects, and you better have an idea about what you're doing in the first place, but at the size there is nothing better in terms of IQ. Nothing. My DP1 is always with me, like a good compact should. Never forget that, it's an entirely different class of camera. Plus the pixel level sharpness of the Foveon is simply stunning.
@Plothole - maybe not right now, but they've been using Leica glass in their point and shoots. Their own lenses, optically speaking, seem to do the job just fine anyway.
Then again, knowing the snobbish nature of Leica, they may never develop a micro 4/3 lens.
I find all this Leica talk hilarious. Olympus make great lenses.
As for their lens selection with Micro Four Thirds...well you could always get a regular Four Thirds camera at minimal size expense and certainly far less actual dollar expense than this Panasonic GH1 is likely to cost - especially if you don't want to use adaptors on this smaller unit. Olympus' lens line-up suffers no more weaknesses than the competitions, and of course has a few strengths, just like the competition have their strengths in certain areas.
I'm still a bit iffy on the benefits of Micro Four Thirds. I'm actually more excited at the video possibilities of the format, to be honest. That and the fact the mirror flip is gone.
As for sensor quality; its not about the sensor quality per se (Panasonic make fine sensors and they are used in Olympus' current line-up), but about the size of the sensor and total amount of light collected that has a large influence on the output noise. So does leaving craptastic shadow-enhancing technology on in your camera. In Olympus cams it's called GRADATION, and if it's set to anything but NORMAL, results will be abnormal (ie. noisy) in daker areas where it attempts to boost contrast.
Some reviewers seem to not be aware of this and leave the setting on. Others do not (and they also tend to test with kit lenses, unlike dpreview who hand-picks sharp primes for their tests):
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_500D_Digital_Rebel_T1i/noise.shtml
While it is clear that Nikon takes the lead here (and Canon tends to take an aggressive approach at smearing everything at a cost to detail, IMO), it's not always about noise at higher ISO for lots of people. It's about getting sharp results corner-to-corner for x dollars with great kit lenses, often at more common ISOs. For uncommon ISOs, it's great that for Olympus users the NOISE REDUCTION: OFF setting means Noise Reduction is actually OFF, allowing for processing with more advanced noise reduction on the PC, if desired.
Which Sigma? Certainly not the DP1 or DP2, roughly the same size as GF1 / E-P1and you don't get any choice of focal length without switching cameras. u4/3 is a new system, but I think it's as open as 4/3, might as well send Sigma a letter demanding they use the format.
Foveon is nice, but it's no panacea either, there are trade-offs. If there weren't trade-offs, then why is Sigma cameras not more popular?
You're kickin' the dead... ;)
The point is: I'm not telling you that the little Sigma's are the end-all compact. They have drawbacks, some of which can easily be deal-killers to some. I'm telling you that there apparently is no glass in u4/3 that tickles my fancy. And be assured: whatever can be considered a trade-off in the DPseries, the lenses are not it. Absolutely not.
I hope it addresses the issues with the EP-1, especially the poor AF speed. Given that Panasonic has the GH1 which has exceptional AF (nearly as fast as a DSLR), this should be found in the GF1, along with the outstanding high-speed EVF (in LCD format, perhaps). Also, given Panny's track record vs Olympus's, I'm expecting that this will trump the EP-1 in many areas.
To anyone in the market for something like this and tempted to get the Olympus pen, you'd best wait for this to come out first.
Panasonic actually has the best contrast detect AF out there (GH1), so you can bet this camera won't be a slouch given they are the only ones with that tech. I'm really excited since now this means more competition and choice. Can't wait to see what the full specs and features are.
Fanboy.
OMG
Sexiest camera ever made. THIS is how cameras SHOULD look.
But... is it too much for me to want an EVF? I know they can do it with these micro four-thirds cameras. All they'd have to do is put a small bulge at the top, which to me, wouldn't be too much of an issue.
OMG. I want that pancake. Oly's pancakes are pretty mediocre.
Though I'm pretty that price of the Panay's pancake would be much higher than that of Oly's.
This is rather close to the digital mockups that were seen on this Japanese blog recently:
http://blog.livedoor.jp/e_p1/archives/51229143.html
As usual, the real thing is not as nice as the production model.
The perspective looks a little bit off to me. Like the image was spliced from shots of the EP-1 and LX-3.
Look how thin that body and that 20mm is. I wish Nikon (because I'm heavily invested already) would make some "pancake" lenses. If I had a pankcake lens on Nikon I weld be able to stuff my D80 into a cargo pocket. This would alow me to smuggle in my camera to places that prevent people bringing in cameras.
Nikon used to make a Pancake... the 45mm f2.8 AI-p. You might still be able to find it second hand, albeit at a premium. And of course it's only a MF lens.
Oh, there is also the Voigtlander 40mm f2. Still a manual focus lens, and not as small as the Nikon. But you can get one new.