Lumix GF1 Review

so awesome XD the pictures are amazing too.

I haven't own any camera yet. I borrow my dad's old Sony Cybershot (I forgot whats the model) pretty hard to get used to it.

Lumix GF1 is awesome so bye bye D90/D5000 (probably). Definitely gonna get this.

Woah, pretty decent. Might want to introduce to my partner in TBE... :P

BTW , are you serious on letting go that saber wig?

Nice review! That does indeed look like one sweet camera that enables you to make nice images, and with more possibilities than the LX3.

Carrying around a large DSLR like the Kiss X2/450D can be a hassle but I guess that's a factor you have to accept when getting one. But I only got my Canon 450D less than a year ago and I'm not planning on giving it up just yet for a model like the GF1.

I'm wondering if the lack of a viewfinder on the GF1 isn't an unwelcome negative element. I find myself increasingly using the viewfinder on the 450D to check everything before making a shot, like the Dof, shutter time,... While the display on the 450D is nice and bright enough, out in the sunlight it's harder to see all the details. But the fact you can immediately see effects like WB change on the GF1 screen seems like a plus too.

Some awesome photos in this article too Danny. Regardless of what camera you use your photos are always impressive. Can I has your photographer skillz? ^^;;

thx for the review. this GF1 is a great mix of photography technies.

This new Lumix looks GOOD, however, I'm not too keen on no TTL viewing - must have viewfinder eyepiece like wide-angle gadget for old-style Leica. using Canon EOS 10D in tha bookindian studios for documentation and Sony WEBBiE for fun stuff. been doing photography since 1968. great reviews and insights on new technologies.

wow that's really nice pic.
btw , danny , just wondering which one do you like between LX3 or GF1?
( ^ _ ^ )v

Great pictures with the camera, good shot with many lens and a compact body that you can put in your pocket...a great tool in your arsenal...

lovely photos. unfortunately, it takes time for the newest models to come to my part o' the world. will have to stick with my old travelling companion, a Canon Powershot, for now. no moolah yet for a DSLR.....

looking forward to otaku.fm and to the winners of the giveaway.

awesome pictures as always...(O_O) did I spot a Co-Op van in the before last picture, does that mean you need two people to drive it (^_^).

Currently I use Samsung NV10 (compact), it isnt so good.
I am going to upgrade soon but I cant choose if to go with the Canon EOS Kiss x2, 18-55mm and 50mm or go with the Panasonic LX3.
Camera will be used for friends, family, portrait, indoor and outdoor shooting, do well in good light.
What do you readers think I should do?

Seems like an interesting gadget. But the lens kind of defeats the purpose of it being portable. Will probably go with a Sony H20 or the LX3. Besides.. I'm eyeing on trading up my Canon EOS-Kiss2/Rebel XTi/400d for an EOS-40/50D

That GF1 looks like it's HDMI ready too.

danny, the hole under the flash mount is for the viewfinder, panasonic is using electronic viewfinder, here a link ;)

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/PanasonicGF1/page3.asp

Really nice camera, and the size... its so compact, when the lenses isn't on.

"Tokyo Figure Show in Singapore?"

^^; will be anticipating that if it was coming!!

The GF1 really looks versatile!

Still love my Canon and Nikon. *kiss* ('~')

Shots look real good with the GF1. I don't take many pictures though, so it's not for me.
I have however have noticed a drop in LX3's price over here. Maybe a significant drop will entice me to get one.

BTW... I knew you didn't get the Olympus. Hence my comment: YOU LIE! =P

Your room is so awesome wish mine was like that XD. excellent camera.

hmmm... will have to seriously look into the GF-1
My next camera purchase 'was' going to be a Canon G11, but now i don't know...><"

your photos are gorgeous as always

I'm definitely going to get a GF1 on my next trip. Thanks Danny! I also got a LX3 after seeing you're review a while back ;)

@Danny, that sockey under the Hotshoe is for the Live Viewfinder.

Wow, you got GF-1 as a free sample!

the size of the battery really increase, look like the size of a DV cam's batt.

@Danny: Where's your Nikon D5000?

Lunar-chan nendo in the middle?

Love the review & comparison shots.

The Japan Times X Danny Choo? cool!

Thinking of gett the new Canon 7D after th official release.

Article like this one makes want to upgrade my camera, I have this old, sturdy Olympus camera which cannot take good quality pictures, too big to carry it around(I don't bring it to Japan at all), has small memory and much more :P

Hopefully I will make an upgrade before the next Japan trip ^^;

Very nice!

Currently thinking of a new camera for myself, probably another Pentax (K7) so I can use my current lenses.

Here's my current regular use cameras:

http://img21.imageshack.us/i/imag0059s.jpg/

Using a KissX2 right now..its the only camera i have..haha! Posting my photos in Japan on figure.fm? hhhmm!!!

GF1 is looking amazing.

I only updated to the LX3 a few months ago, so I'm still learning. I like the LX3 for its small stature, but wielding top caliber photo quality on the compact level.

Other than the size and weight difference, is there a difference in quality from the "Mini SLR" GF1 and a regular DSLR like the Canon Kiss 2?

I'm making an assumption here that the GF1 doesn't surpass regular DSLRs. However it does boast of more portability. Overall the camera looks pretty small but the huge lens that you have to attach on to it kind of kills the portability a bit D;

As for my imagery armory, I think I'll pick up a DSLR for serious quality, when I do get enough skills to wield one properly. Currently thinking I'll just go for regular DSLRs, rather than fancy ones like the PEN and GF1.

Gah, I'm so incredibly jealous! I do want a GF1 because of its size, but I'm currently torn on whether to get a Nikon D90 or just giving in and getting the GF1. My current solution is to go with the D90 and just wait until the GF2 or 3 or something... :<

I hope Panasonic will offer a pancake lens like Olympus does... It's useless having a small body and humongous lenses in the backpack, this simply nullifies the purpose of having a compact DSLR camera.
If only the PEN would have a built in flash I wouldn't wait to buy it, but the idea of spending something like 200 euros for getting a hot-shoe flash that works like a built in one is a no-no for me.

I would like to get a better camera, atm I have a Lumix, but a cheap version, it is not good for macro pictures, and since I only have time to take pictures when I am back from work, and it is already dark I would like a camera that can take good pictures with low light, or artificial light. As a beginner, would you recommend GF1 over a nikon/canon DSLR? Some people say that they like to manually focus and don't look through a screen, do you think that this is something so important?

Damn you, Danny. You're really starting to make me think about upgrading my armoury (posted over on figure.fm).
Those Ironman and outdoor shots look great, by the way. (And with that workspace, Chris is a very lucky man XD)

I still wish I can get the Epson M-mount D-rangefinder. Still, I love my quality and would not dump a DLSR (Sony Alpha 900 and all of that Minolta glass too) due to size, that is why I have a Minolta Himatic AF-2. I have not used it in years, but you never know....

Just go to my blog to see some of the photos from that DSLR that I have. 16x20 prints anyone?

As expected... Canon and Nikon may brag about being the Top 2 in camera business... but Panasonic is no push over... the good lens used by Panasonic never disappoint you... currently using Panasonic FZ28 and aiming the Panasonic G1 as my next camera...

the video quality looks pretty nice. one gripe i had with the lx3 is that it can only encode in mov format. not to mention the lack of zoom or autofocus. but i guess that's what you get for a point and shoot. the GF1 is definitely a worthy competitor to the EP1, although i must say, i did notice quite a bit of advertising on olympus' part to promote the EP1 here. Saw an ad in city hall as well as a couple of print ads in the papers.

That's just insane Danny! What will you receive next? Free computers? :O
Beautiful camera, beautiful pictures.

As for myself, I just use my cell phone camera for pictures at the moment. My cheapo Argus camera from china randomly stopped working.

That camera looks so awesome, I can't wait until someone puts a full frame sensor into a body like that :D

Wow, so awesome this GF1 >_< Hope get my hands in one...

I see some new nendo puchies... and never heard about Taiga Swinsuit Nendoroid.

Very nice camera indeed.Though waay to expensive for me I think I'll save up for an older(and slightly cheaper) model of camera instead.^_^

In Mandarin there is a saying: "To Draw a snake and add legs."
This is what it is. The LX3 is a great camera, a compact camera you can put it in you pocket and go everywhere with it and with ease. But What the hell were they thinking when they put that big bulky lens(even though changable) on that little body???

BTW, I just noticed, Danny is really getting obsessed with those dollies. 4 Already! I'm sure more will follow...

The camera looks good :0 quality is pretty decent too. But I got myself a Sony A330 DSLR recently so probably won't be getting another one for some time xD

Would you recommend the GF1 over the LX-3? I was waiting for that comparison in your review but you never mentioned it. Also, you repeatedly say the GF-1 has a smaller body compared to the Kiss, but the GF-1 has a gigantic lens that makes it seem just as bothersome to carry around as the Kiss. I think I might pick up the LX-3 over the GF1. Good idea?

So many nice photos!

I use a Nikon D40 which is suiting me quite well.

This actually sounds ideal for me. I was always worried about the size of DSLRs and if I would use it as much as I thought. I bought an LX3 and love it's compact size so I know I'd love something like this.

I bet this would be great if coupled with primes like 20mm F1.8 (if theres any) or other primes
Ultra compact for potrait/landscape shots

I predict I'll still be use my D40 for a a couple more months. Hopefully the LX3 price drops and I could get one for more mobility and compactness!

i'd be intrested in buying the wig

Just got a LX3 a few months ago. so probably will be a while befor i get another camera

thx for the review, the GF-1 look really great.

Do want !! ^^; XD

Nice pictures... and room... :)

Have the LX3, but I'm already considering buying a DSLR with changeable lenses so maybe I'll get a GF1. Looks pretty good ^^

Sadly I couldn't get my hands on taiga sukimizu XD.
Right now i'm using a point and shoot, canon powershot. Would love to get a DSLR but still haven't decided which one to get (price is also a reason.) I love taking pictures but sometimes really don't have anything to take a pic of...

Nice review Danny! I have the Olympus E-P1 and the 20mm pancake lens and have been enjoying taking various pictures out here in Japan recently! I posted a couple of sets here, but still very much learning how to use the camera well:

http://gakuranman.com/aeon-photo-walk/

http://gakuranman.com/random-japan-photos-1/

Would love to help you with your Japan Times project!

Wow why bring cotton buds and stuff around? The GF1 doesnt have its own cleaning mechanism? It does something like sending out a high freq wave to clear mechanical dust.

nice review :3 but I wont be getting it since me still need to save up for 24-70mm 2.8L

Bought my GF1 on Monday, at Yodobashi in Shinjuku. Was 90 000円. And I must say, I really like it. :) I bought the one with the 20mm pancake lens. But still, It's not like I carry it around in my pocket. Used my points to buy a bag/case for it today. Usually keep it in my bag when I'm out.
Though there are a few things that irritate me, e.g, there is no image stabilization on the pancake lens.

Wow, looks like it sure is capable of many lovely things! Been keeping my eyes open for a good camera but, honestly not sure what I'm looking for. Though, the articles on DC are always a help ^-^~

Looks like a great choice to bring along for holidays - would love to get it if not the current lx3 still serving me well. Was a dSLR user before, but nowadays weight + quality are both important to me as lugging around a big cam body + lenses could really be a pain.

Thinks micro four thirds cams will do well.

Oooooo....
Have been planning to get a DSLR and was thinking to get Sony α. Lumix GF-1 Looks compact and great to carry and takes great shots. Will be saving up for this.

d@@b

Very awesome pictures, but i still prefer my Canon 450D DSLR. I prefer holding bigger cameras to take my shots, i dunno if it's just me but by doing so it makes me much easier to take pictures with it :P

Very colorful! My Lumix FZ18 also takes good shots, but sometimes it turns out all green in artificial light. Not sure why.

Want!!!

The pictures turned out amazing...wish i could get free cameras knocking on my doors...

Nice pictures. I usually automatically fix my photos after taking them with my camera. ^^

Awesome!
Someone probably already said this, but here it goes again anyways:
That slot on top of the LCD is for the Electronic View Finder.
There's a lens adapter available, but AF won't work... at least for now.
Which is a bummer, but I'm still considering switching to this beauty... fortunately, I didn't invest much on Canon lens just yet, and since I'm also interesting in video capture, and also on having something more portable to carry around, it's all win.

My Canon XSi is great and all, but I end up not carrying it around due to it's size, and there are several events where I wanted to make short video clips which I end up not doing because I have to choose either to carry my Canon, or to take a camcorder or something...

Nice review Danny!

Hmm, square format shooting: tempting. Been sold on medium format film so getting that look in digital would be cool as well... and the photos look great.

I dunno, to be honest I'll probably not get the GF1 though, there's not really a gap in my armory that I'd need it to fill. With the detachable lenses it's still too bulky to fit in my (admittedly quite small) bag, so it won't be taking over from the LX3 on the everyday camera front. On the other hand, if I'm doing something where I'd be wanting to change lenses, then I'd probably also be at the stage of being willing to lug a full-format DSLR body with me as well... so it's not taking over from the 5D mkII either, besides I like the feel of a SLR/DSLR camera.

To be honest I think the next armory upgrade I'll be looking at will probably be a medium format Mamiya or Hasselblad.

WOW....you're picture look so clear!!! this looks like an awesome camera! ME WANT!!

I was gonna pick up an LX3 before simply because of the previous review and articles utilizing the LX3; simply the images were stunning. What especially drew my attention was the night shots the lighting looked really great; and for a camera of that compact size it was really nice.

As for the GF1 ~ the depth of the pictures seem like rises above the LX3 by a lot; especially noticeable in the outdoor shots.

Hope to see some night scenery shots soon with the GF1 soon ~

Nice shots! I like the GF1's portability and whatnot but I REALLY love my Canon 20D and should spend any additional photography money on a couple of lenses and, eventually, a newer body and underwater housing.

Having said that the GF1 is a tempting little toy!

Nice!!
Really good photos ^^
Need one, i'll start saving for it :D
LOL the Lenses are much bigger than the camera :P

My XT gets jammed time to time, not sure if it's user error on my part (LOL) but I had been using the XT a lot ^^; So I gotta save up for a new body in future. I've always liked the cannon body's form factor tho so will likely stick to the series ^^. I see Aoi chan got a hand gun? ^o^ And Ai chan sounds like a lovely name too ^^ pink wig and blue eyes sounds yum :)

Sigh. Such a luverly camera. Alas and alack, current funds are low and not likely to rise anytime soon for such a toy. And if I did have one, I wouldn't likely use it too often. Would certainly help with making my figs look better on screen though.

Wish it still had a built in viewfinder, even a rudimentary one. Spending an additional 170 USD for one is kind of a lot.

Thanks for the review Sir Danny!

Looks like a really nice camera! I'm in need of a nice one, maybe someday pick one up or go with the older LX3. Maybe do some comparison shots between the cameras?

Looks like good quality photos to this boy, need to get a compact really, starting to get quite annoyed with my chunking DSLR.

Lettuce spegetti, never seen that before, must be nice as long as the the lectuce is still crunchy.

wow danny your voice is sexy... oh and very nice pictures btw, it seems like a good camera ^^

Looks like another fantastic (compact) camera, but putting a big lens on it kinda defeats the purpose? The price is too steep IMO.

I can imagine it being awkward to hold the camera too when you mount a big lens on it, not to mention no viewfinder - it would be totally annoying to look at the LCD while trying to hold the Lumix still for a shot?

What's the name of the crazy-eyed nekomimi Nenodroid girl? I like her!

I'll stick to my point and shoot as I don't take much photos anyway.
Mmm.. Also looking forward to that Narika review~

I'm quite excited about a more compact dslr-like camera though I'm not too keen on getting rid of the mirror. The compact package is a major selling point for me but the lack of a viewfinder is a turn off. Also, I fear it won't have the instant shutter response that you find from slr cameras. The photographs look promising especially those with an abundant light source such as the sun. If theres a smaller lens attachment, I might actually look into it.

Anybody know if there is an adapter to fit Minolta Lenses to a Canon or Nikon body? I've been looking at Sony, but I'm not all that happy about the fact that the flash mount is a proprietary fitting rather than the standard shoe mount.

Really nice photos! Even more impressive that it's from a micro DSLR.

I need to learn when to use what settings on my Canon DSLR. Being a nub at the moment and using auto. >_>

looks like a great camera. might be out of my budget though.
on a side note, a tokyo figure show in Singapore would be awesome, though i'm only there twice a year

If i'm not wrong, GF1 is able to use Olympus Pen's 25mm F2.8 Pancake. Since both cameras are using the same Micro Four Thirds. Too bad i already bought myself a D90, if not i might get the GF1 instead of DSLR.

Great Photos!! Gretings from Germany!!!
Ariel Nieto

That one's Sanyo Xacti HD handycam... If I'm not wrong ^^;

@Danny, are you using a high fps speed for the video shoot ? No ficker ? guess the fps is faster then the monitor refresh rate ??

'Playing about with the dynamic color settings here.'
'color'

Danny, how could you?

Mine is LX3, I love every part of her. Managed to get her a genuine wide angel lens recently. Man, she's so awesome :).

Me likie camera, too bad its like $1,000.

I would prefer this to the rather handbag-y Olympus EP-1. However these cameras are unsuitable for shooting moving objects or action because of the VF time lag, and become useless in bright sun. Don't chuck the Canon just yet!

I'm using a Canon Powershot SX100... pretty good so far, but i need to upgrade for a better camera now. I was thinking of getting a Nikon D50... but now i'll think again, seeing this lumix.

If nothing good coming out from the Nikon event in Oct 15th, GF-1 will be it.

Hoping for a X1 alike APS-C compact from Nikon... :(

In the mean time, my D700 + 24 70mm is breaking my neck...

Nice Camera, would love to play with it for a while ^^

Nice Cam ^^ want to test some shoots xD

My newest Cam is the Canon SX20 is... ^^ love her, i am not rich and cannot buy much objectives. So i desided to buy a bridge ^^

im super jealous! me want one too
question it the gf1 better than the sony cybershots?

Is GF1 good for first timer?
I like photography and I'm intended to buy one...Any good recommendation?

I love my Nikon D90! ^^ Love to carry it around everywhere although it is very heavy and bulky. But taking photos with a DSLR just got that totally different feel with a compact camera. Although compacts are catching up to DLSR standard.

I've got three film kits and for digital I just use a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35.

My two key rules about buying a camera are (1) no pop-up flash, (2) must have optical viewfinder. That's why I haven't bought the new Olympus.

The battery on my Lumix tends to die in 40 shots or so which kind of ruins the point of having space for 700 images on the memory card.

OTOH I don't want a digital SLR because they all seem so damn big and heavy. If I want to carry that heavy an outfit I'll bring my medium format kit.

I'm still a camera noob, so I wouldn't know the difference, really ^^; But from what I can see I guess GF1 is going towards the DSLR route compared to the LX3.

Oh and me gots the puchi nendo sukumizu Taiga ^.^

I got my first camera as a graduation present, a Fujifilm Finepix S1500. It suits my purposes rather well. I can finally share my figure photos now!

Nice pics with the camera, you seem a lot more accomplished as a photographer than me, Danny.

This is the lens protector that is needed.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008B50M/B00008B50M/ref=nosim/

i wish i knew about these things called settings.. i just point and clicky.. i have an slr from back in the film days and i still don't know how to use it, lol..

*sigh* and I just purchased a G10 not too long ago (2 months? a couple days before the GF-1 & the G11 announcements!)

Enjoy it, personally I'm hanging with my dslr and RF until the E-P2 comes out, supposedly by the years end. I have a feeling it will topple the GF-1 slightly.

Lumix GF1 Review picture beautiful, color, wide size,

Good review. I'm definitely getting this now. There goes my savings!

I'm using the Lumix LX3 right now and I like it a lot. The GF1 looks really nice but I still have a lot to learn about photography so the LX3 will be more than enough for now^^

That Lumix is so compact for what if offers o.O I'm always fascinated by people who actually have the knowledge to take a good photo, no matter the light conditions. I have a FujiFilm S5800 (a bridge camera) but I hardly know to use it. I just switch through the modes :| Maybe its time for me to read something about apertures, ISO and related. Going in Brazil at the end of the month, so I should be ashamed of my lack of knowledge. The photos will be awful.

thx for the review. this GF1 is a great mix of photography technies.

mic jack

HDMI jack

usb video out

my bad, cable release