Question: Digital Cameras - Panasonic Lumix G1

Marcus Hunt

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Hi guys, I'm thinking of getting a new camera and was wondering if any of you happen to use this particular model or know anything about it? One can read reviews but there's nothing like hearing about something from someone who's used or is using it.

The particular camera I'm looking at is a Panasonic Lumix G1 and the reasons I'm particularly interested in this model are size, weight, and SLR style lens flexibility. My Canon 10D is starting to show it's age now. It has a small review screen, has only 6 mega pixels, and above all, it's a large, bulky and heavy beast that doesn't encourage everyday use. I use my Canon Ixus compact(which is great but lacks flexibility) for everyday shots because of the 10D's disadvantages.

Now don't get me wrong, with a little sharpening in Photoshop (the 10D takes very 'soft' shots) the 10D takes fabulous pictures but being only 6Mp if I crop the picture afterwards (especially if you guys want detailed close ups of work) then it doesn't take much enlargement for them to start pixelating.

The Panasonic G1 however, reportedly takes great pictures, is lightweight and a lot less bulky. It replaces the SLR mirror with an Electronic View Finder. I suppose this is what concerns me most as when I've looked through EVFs in the past, I've never been happy with their image reproduction. They're okay on a video camera but with a stills camera they've never (in my opinion) really been up to the mark especially when compared to an SLR's viewfinder. But this EVF is responsible for Panasonic being able to make the G1 smaller and lighter. Has anyone had any experience of this view finder and what is it like to use?

Also, the G1 uses a 4/3's format; I've never used this and struggle a bit to understand it other than it means the lenses can be smaller and the camera body shallower. Again, does anyone have experience of this 4/3's format and what is it like practically speaking?

I hope there's someone out there who can advise me as I don't really want to take a leap in the dark with this. I have a Canon system and logic says I should stick with this format but there is something about the G1 that really appeals to me. But the bottom line is, is it any good?
 

James Miller

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Lumix cameras

Hi Marcus, I am a Lumix fan and I have an old Lumix DMC-LC5 which is only 4 meg but has a superb Lieca Summicron lens which gives me very high quality photos. I have a vast collection of cameras as it has been my hobby for the past forty years and have kept them all as I have upgraded. My main digital camera is a Nikon D70, I have a collection of Nikon lenses from my 35mm cameras and they all fit the digital D70 which made my choice for me when going digital SLR. I am not sure if the Lumix G1 is available with Leica lenses, if it is then I am sure it is a great camera. One last point is that I have a couple of professional photographer friends who swear by the Canon digital SLRs, if you are brand loyal. The photos on my members album were all taken by me using my Nikons and Mamiya cameras.
 

Sam

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Marcus: I've never been a fan of electronic viewfinders. Just don't like the image.

Personally, I think you're better off upgrading to a newer Canon DSLR body. My 50D has amazing resolution. You can also get a 40D which is nearly as good, and both have really nice, bright viewfinders and use the world class Canon lenses. I don't see going Panasonic as an upgrade. I think you'll be dazzled if you could test a 50D, both for engraving photography as well as other things like nature, landscape, etc. Its low light capabilities are mind boggling. / ~Sam
 

Marcus Hunt

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I know what you mean Sam, and as I already have Canon lenses all I'd need to invest in is a body for now. What's the weight of the 50D? My 10D is magnesium bodied and feels bomb proof but weighs a ton which is why I'm loathed to carry it around!
 

Kevin P.

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Marcus, it's not the MP's it the size of the sensor. D Pogue who reviews for the NY Times and is available on line explained about MPs in one of his columns.

Sam gets great pix; so I'd check out the Canon 50D.
If you want real quality weight comes with it.

I carry my Canon SD870 everywhere. I think of it as a photo memo pad.
The info on cameras online is overwhelming. One "dscameras.com" is one that goes way beyond; but it does list prices and there's quite a spread in pricing.
Kevin P.
 
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Winstonklein

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Hi Marcus. you may consider also the Sony Alpha DSLR-A380L. Easy to use camera,got a smooth Auto focus .a excellent Image stabilizer.


Winston.
 

Sam

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Assuming you have good lighting then more MP's give you more cropping ability. Sensors continually get better and along with that comes exceedingly good low light performance for when you're not shooting engraving. But simply larger MP numbers don't guarantee better photos.

The 50d isn't light, but I'll put up with the weight in exchange for what it delivers photo-wise. / ~S
 

Kevin P.

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Sensors continually get better and along with that comes exceedingly good low light performance for when you're not shooting engraving. But simply larger MP numbers don't guarantee better photos.

Sam, are you saying that a larger sensor does not photograph engraving well? And the conjunction 'but' implies exception to the preceding statement. Confusing.
Kevin P.
 

John Cole

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I shoot with a 40D in my studio and love it. I've also got a 20D for my back up. Another thing to concider is the weight of you lens. I've got several lens's that weigh more than my camera bodies.
Also instead of a 50D, you might want to look at a rebel model of cannon. If I remember correctly the rebels have a rather large shot size. If you're just wanting good basic shots it's a solid little slr at significnatly less weight than a more expensive version.

Just a few thoughts
John C.
 

eastslope

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I absolutely love the Panasonic lumix. I have a DMC-TZ3 for 3 years or more now. There are newer models of the same thing. It's put probably a thousand miles in my saddle bags, been dropped off horses, dropped by me, been soaking wet, and still takes excellent pics. The camera fits right in my pocket and has the huge viewfinder screen that is very clear, it has the 10 power leica optical zoom lenses and takes very nice pics of brightcut silver work. My father has very expensive big cannon and it will not do that unless you spend forever fussing. The Panasonic is easy to use, durable as can be, works in 30 below zero, has long battery life, and it will be the same camera that I upgrade to when this one bites the big one. The Panasonic Lumix is a wonderful camera, an excellent buy, and you will do yourself a favor by owning one. Yeah, I feel strongly about this. It's a good machine.
 
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tbear

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New Camera

Marcus,
I have Canon(s) and have had Olympus and Nikon. My main camera is a Canon 1DS Mark II which is a full (36 x 24mm) sensor and 17mp. It is more camera that you would need. But I'm a real fan of Canons and their lenses. I also carry around a Canon G9. Canons newest one is the G10 in that range. It's a 12mp. Sam has a 50D which is a really nice camera. Canon has just released a new SLR called the 7D which is supposed to replace the 50D and is 18mp. It is not in the stores yet. Something like the 50D or the new 7D with a decent len(s) or two would be good. You could also look at The Nikon D90. It is only a 12.5mp but seems to be getting decent photos and reviews. One of the items that will be a factor is what lenses you decide you want to get. I have a Canon EF24-70mm, f.2.8L USM lens and a EF 70-200mm, f2.8L IS USM lens. These are all automatic focusing. These are very expensive lenses and would cost more than most camera bodies. The f number is basically how much light you can pump down the tube and onto the sensor. In the case of my lenses the f number is consistent through out the entire range, as in from 24-70mm. These lenses are also big 77mm in diameter and long. The 70-200mm has a motor in it for image stabilization. The other less expensive lenses will usually have a f number of 3.5 to5.6 throughout the range. That does not mean they are inferior it just means that at different focal lengths the f number changes. On my 70-200mm lens I usually attach a set of close up connectors on it called Kenko tubes and can get down to some real small stuff. I'm sure I just confused you but I think one of the Canons and one good lens like a 24-70mm for now would do you okay. If you have a real camera store near you you usually can rent a camera and lenses pretty inexpensively to test them. Another item is a tripod a must if you want to do close up work, no ones hands are that steady.:beerchug:
What ever you decide on make sure that you get a UV filter for the front of your lenses,they are worth their weight in gold and protect you expensive lens from flying objects etc.
I use a program called Adobe Lightroom to process all my photos and also from there to Adobe Photoshop.
There are also other lens manufacturers Like Sigma etc. that make lenses for Canon.
You can go here a read reviews on lenses and cameras.
http://www.dpreview.com/
Hope I have not confused the issue.:big grin:
T
 

John Cole

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I'm a cannon fan, but in the end it's just the same type of discussion about tools. (GRS vs Lindsay vs ect.)

Marcus,
I'm sure that you wouldn't buy a new engraving set up without giving it a try, so I would suggest the same with a new camera. Take a bit of time and find a good camera shop close to you and test run several different models. In the end it's the tool that you are comfortable with the most that will give you the best product.

Eastslope,
Thanks for such a wonderful testomonial on the panasonics. My eldest daughter has been bugging me to let her borrow one of my cameras, and I've been toying with the idea of getting her, her first "decent" camera. If the panasonics are as hardy as you say, then I will definately be giving them a second look.
 

rod

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Marcus,

Along with the great advantages of a heavy SLR, I take it you also have a pocket point and shoot for 'go anywhere' occasions. My Sony 13.6 meg with close marcro at about $230 US is darn useful. Lotsa megs, but the sensor has understandably much smaller elements than the SLR.

Rod
 

Marcus Hunt

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Thanks for your replies guys, there certainly is a lot to think about! I love my Canon 10D and my Ixus; in fact my wife and I have used the Eos from its inception during the days of film so we are both Canon fans. The problem I have with it though is the big, heavy, bulky nature of the beast which means, more often than not, it's left at home in favour of the compact Ixus which, as I said before, takes fantastic pictures but is limited in it's capabilities.

I have no doubt that I should really upgrade from the 10D to either the 40D/50D but it will probably end up the same as the 10D i.e. left at home because I can't be bothered to lug it around all day. This, I feel, rather defeats the object of the exercise.

Since asking this question yesterday I've spent most of the day going through review after review on the Panasonic Lumix G1 and whilst I've come to the conclusion it's not perfect (I don't think there's a prosumer product that is under £2k) from what I've seen it takes great pictures and is of a size and weight that is easy to carry. Yes it's a 'bridge' camera, basically a very high end compact with an eye level EVF instead of the SLR mirror and pentaprism, but I think this is probably the right camera for my needs and requirements. I know there are Canon's in the SLR entry level league that are lightweight but in all honesty that would be a retrograde step as they don't stack up against the G1 picture quality wise.

So all in all now total confusion reigns in my head. Do I stop being a wuss and go the butch Eos route or go for comfort and the G1?
 

vilts

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To add a little bit more of the confusion. You might want to check out the upcoming Canon G11. They downgraded pixels from G10's 14.1MP to 10MP on that model (I think this is the first time any manufacturer has downgraded megapixels, ever), but this should give better low light performance and 10MP should be usually enough. It can do macro, has all the manual controls, raw file support etc. It is definitely on my wishlist to replacing my G9, which is with me 90% of the time. Other 10% is 5D :)

(another canon fanboy)
 

Sam

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Marcus: Abigail and I are both photographers and we both have DSLR's with a bevy of heavy lenses along with compact point-and-shoot cameras. For us it's a very simple decision as to which one to bring when we leave the house. If image quality isn't critical we pack the small cameras. If we're really serious and out for best quality shots we bring the heavy artillery.
 

Arnaud Van Tilburgh

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Marcus, I'm a bit familiar with photography.
The first affordable I have bought was the Nikon Coolpix 5400. It is not a reflex camera and a bit slow if one want to make action photos.
That is why I bought me a Nikon D70 when it came out. Also this was a affordable camera to me.
But as a goldsmith, I also want to make photos of my work. So a good macro /micro lens was needed.
I have used my D70 with a lot of lenses for some years now.
Recently I only use the Nikon Coolpix 5400, as it has a wonderful lens with macro and zoom features.

The photos I make with the Coolpix where alway right in balance, I mean there was always some blacks and whites. Much better than the newer D70

It is a small camera made in magnesium. And as I also like to travel with my Camper, the other camera (D70) with all the lenses is to heavy for taking it always with me, so that is why I now only use the older Nikon Coolpix. It only weights 400 gram.

I only want to point on that you also probably need a camera whit good macro function.

And 6 megapixels is more than enough I think, as the quality of a photo is not only its megapixels.

Now I have more fun making photos using the older coolpix, and I know sometimes we are tempt to buy the newest, but it is not always better.

arnaud
 

Sam

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Arnaud: I agree that the Coolpix 5400 is a great camera. I used it for a long time until the SLR's came down in price. A few years ago I converted my 5400 to a dedicated infrared camera. It's more fun than ever now!

 

eastslope

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Sam, that is an amazing picture! Proof in point, you know what your talking about on these cameras. It looks like Ansel Adams could have shot that. Thanks for sharing that, and your other terrific photos in the past. Seth
 
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