Plemix

It’s a new era for DSLR. It’s a cliché opening but it is true. (I know, this claim is even more cliché!) It used to take you much laboring to carry the DSLR around to shoot and now you can take the burden off your shoulder, literally. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 is another (We had Olympus E-P1 a couple of months ago.) solution to the heavy weight of DSLR. I am excited to see what it can do besides offering portability.

GF1 comes in four different colors (True Black, Active Red, Sleek Silver and Clean White) and here in the picture are two outstanding ones. The Active Red and Clean White are showstopper. Beside the LUMIX DMC-GF1 camera body, you get a shoulder strap, a battery pack, a battery charger, a USB cable, an AC cable, an AV cable, a body cap, a user’s guide and a CD-ROM.

Heralded as a portable DSLR, its light-weight body is the deal here. By adopting the Micro Four Thirds system, GF1 achieve the “Artistic Flat” body with the mirror box and optical viewfinder removed. When compared with G1, it is 35% lesser in volume and 26% lesser in weight. The good design does not stop there. It has a close resemblance to other LUMIX family members. I love the milky white color as it adds a modern and chic touch to it. It looks fashionable enough to be a hand-held accessory. It is really difficult to decide between the sleek GF1 and the retro aesthetics of Olympus E-P1. They are both killer design.

Another winning feature of GF1 is its stunning 460.000-dot LCD which is viewable from any angles. I guess I don’t have to go over buttons at the back with you but one thing I want to say is that it’s easy to navigate with the nicely arranged keys. The autofocus button gives you access to high-speed auto-focus (as fast as 0.3 second). You can choose between one-area AF mode in which you can freely move the focus area for special effects or the 23-area AF which ensures an accurate focused picture. This outshines Olympus E-P1’s slower manual focus (tho it works as great!).

The built-in flash is a surprise. Although you can’t match the gimmicky-looking (only the look that I am talking about here!) flash with the bulky professional one, it is more than adequate for social photography at low-light situation. It’s handy as well. It is just a reminder that flash is not available in Olympus E-P1!

This is the view from the top. You have got a mode dial, shutter release and video recording button there. You have got to look into the Intelligent Auto Mode (which is represented by iA on the mode dial). It automatically chooses the right scene; adjusts the ISO and exposure; removes red-eye and detects faces. It is intelligent. You can get a really good shot on auto even in back-lit or low-light situations. The video recording is also class. It’s recorded on AVCHD with much smaller files.

The cable portal is protected by compartment door.

Here you can see the battery compartment and the SD slot. A solid build.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 is an over-achiever inside out. The design is stylish and handsome. As alluring as it is on the outside, it has not sacrificed its functionality for the compact and good-looking body. The noise control is good, the focus speed is excellent. The standard lenses have good IQ. One thing it may be overshadowed by rival Olympus E-P1 is that there is no built-in image stabilization. You have mega OIS in some of the compatible lenses, but you know the difference! All in all, it’s a good call from Panasonic and it goes pretty neck in neck with its rival Olympus.

# posted by plemix @ 9:43 PM