I was pretty interested in the Micro 4/3rs mirrorless system and got one to play around with yesterday. I'm a Canon/Nikon shooter so I've spent most of my time hunting through the manual so far but did take a couple of back-yard shots if anyone's interested. First impressions:
1) The EVF is really pretty good. It still seems unnatural to me to compose with the LCD, but through the viewfinder is fine - I don't notice any lag as I move around or zoom, but there is some noticeable image noise that lets me know its an EVF and not an optical viewfinder. Its not distracting, just noticeable. The one big difference is after a shot there's a very noticeable 'freeze' while the image processes before the viewfinder goes live again that I don't think I'll ever get used to.
2) The LCD and liveview is a lesson to others how it should be done. Sweet. You can flip the LCD around anyway you like, including flat panel on the back of the camera, the menus on it (once I figured out the Panasonic Icons) is clear and unobtrusive, very nicely done.
3) Its small, about the size of a large P&S and I have big hands so it feels rather cramped. But given there won't be large lenses on it, and its purpose for me is a 'just in case' travel camera, that's OK.
4) As anyone would expect ISO 800 is the max. 1600 might be sort of usable with noise reduction and a web-sized shot. 3200 is for the marketing department only. ISO comparisons are here and here
5) The MegaIS system works quite well with the included 14-45 kit lens, certainly comparable to the Canon 17-55.
Anyway, for purposes of a "better than P&S interchangeable lens camera that I can carry in my briefcase" I'm pretty impressed with it. A few 100% jpgs are at
Thanks for the brief review, I'm very interested in this camera as a "take everywhere" sort of camera. Love my D700's but they're big and heavy and overkill for casual shooting.
Sam,
I spent this last weekend playing with the A900 so I haven't picked up the G1 again. Right now with just the 'kit' lens its a little limiting. I'm hoping to get an adapter and try some other lenses soon. I'm hopeful with some better lenses mounted I'll get better images - no way to really compare but I'm not too impressed with the kit lens.
Personally - I find the G1 a very capable camera. It's not perfect but for a small, carry anywhere camera it competes very favorably with other small DSLRs like the Olympus E410/420, Canon 450 and Nikon D40/40x. I haven't done any formal testing but I did do one late season hike with it: http://www.verndewit.com/p103875348
Here's some other samples (it was a cloudy, dull sort of day):
Beautiful shots Vern!
I'm hoping this camera (or the Olympus version when it comes out) is going to be a great walk around cam.
I did manage to get an adapter ordered today, so hopefully over the holiday weekend I'll be able to play with some standard 4/3 lenses. Looks like I'll have to manually focus some of the better ones, but with the nice LCD on the Panasonic that shouldn't be much problem.
There's about a half-second of EVF freeze while a shot is processed. It really threw me for a loop the first time it happened - I was shooting a still and started moving to reframe through the viewfinder, but nothing moved.
At any rate its not going to work well for action shots unless there's a software fix that lets the e-viewfinder go live while the shot is processed. So its much like a point-n-shoot in that way.
I'm not sure I would recommend the G1 for sports either but for just about anything else I've been very pleased with it. Extremely lightweight in the hand and to carry. The little 14-45 kit lens is very light and sharp, plus the IS works very well. Here is a small gallery I've put up on my flickr page:
I'm definitely not looking to shoot sports with one, but I often take several shots close together when trying to capture expressions in a portrait, etc. My wife's Fuji F20 has always really frustrated me in that department.
It's more than fine for quick shooting. The only issues are going to be with fast sports. I can take lot's of in-focus shots of my kids running around no problem.
I got my adapter yesterday and have been playing around a bit. The only Olympus lens I have that will autofocus is the 9-18mm f4-5.6. It worked quite well, except for a tendency to overexpose about 1/3 stop, but I felt the IQ was perhaps a bit better than the kit lens. I posted some 100% jpgs HERE Nothing exciting just a few quick shots out of the house.
Cool - how bulky does the whole setup become with the adapter and that lens? I'm not sure when Panny is coming out with a wide angle lens for that camera but that's what I'm the most interested in...
Vern Dewit wrote:
Cool - how bulky does the whole setup become with the adapter and that lens? I'm not sure when Panny is coming out with a wide angle lens for that camera but that's what I'm the most interested in...
The excellent Olympus 4/3rds mount ZD 7-14mm f4.0 is supposed to be made available for the Micro 4/3rds system. I doubt it could get any better than that.
pascal03 wrote:
The excellent Olympus 4/3rds mount ZD 7-14mm f4.0 is supposed to be made available for the Micro 4/3rds system. I doubt it could get any better than that.
From what was announced, the m43 7-14 f4 will not be the same optical design as the ZD version. It will be a Panasonic and much, much smaller. I'd suspect the optical designs will be related but very defnitely not identical.
Roger - How does the EVF size feel? Like a 40D, 5D? One of the previews I read somewhere said that the EVF had a very large view, but I didn't know how to interpret that. Big to compared to what? Any other comments regarding the G1 versus the Canon G10 would be interesting too.
