Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 preview

Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G1 is the first camera to be based on the new Micro Four Thirds standard. Micro Four Thirds was jointly developed by Olympus and Panasonic to target people who want the flexibility and quality of a large sensor / interchangeable lens camera, but have been put off by the large size and weight of a traditional DSLR along with their perception of difficult operation.

Micro Four Thirds addresses this by taking the existing sensor of the Four Thirds DSLR standard, but dispensing with the traditional SLR mirror and optical viewfinder to allow a much shorter lens to sensor distance; this in turn enables smaller and lighter cameras to be built, which are also quieter in operation. Micro Four Thirds does employ a new lens mount, but can accommodate existing Four Thirds lenses with an adapter.

Micro Four Thirds was announced in August 2008, and one month later Panasonic unveiled the first model to use the new standard plus two new zoom lenses. The new Lumix G1 previewed here houses a newly developed 12.1 Megapixel Live MOS sensor which at 17.3x13mm conforms to both the Micro and original Four Third specifications – indeed it hints at the possibility of new Four Thirds models with 12.1 Megapixel resolution. The sensor is protected from dust by the SSWF system.

This sensor delivers 4:3 images at a maximum resolution of 4000x3000 pixels. Wider 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratios are also available, but simply crop pixels from the top and bottom of the frame. Each aspect ratio is available in two lower resolutions, and there’s also the choice of Fine or Standard JPEG compression. The G1 can thankfully record images in RAW, either by themselves, or accompanied by a Fine or Standard JPEG.

Sensitivity ranges from 100 to 3200 ISO, and the G1 can shoot JPEGS at 3fps until it runs out of memory; continuous shooting in RAW is still at 3fps, but limited to seven images. There's also an HDMI output to HDTVs.

The G1 is equipped with a Micro Four Thirds mount which will accept any Micro Four Thirds lens, along with any existing Four Thirds lens with an optional adapter, although there are some caveats regarding AF, see later. Since the sensor remains the same size as the existing Four Thirds standard, so does the field reduction factor of 2x.

Since there’s no SLR mirror in a Micro Four Thirds body, the G1 does not have the optical viewfinder of a traditional DSLR. Panasonic has however pulled out the stops in the G1’s compositional options, offering a 3in flip-out screen with 460k dot resolution, along with a high quality electronic viewfinder. The screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio and appears to be the same type on the Lumix LX3 compact. As such it’s a step-up from the 230k screens of lesser models, but not in the same league as 920k dot VGA screens on today’s higher-end DSLRs. Like Panasonic’s compacts, the screen also offers an Auto Power function which adjusts the brightness to match the surrounding lighting.

The electronic viewfinder, known here as a Live View Finder or LVF, is a big step up from those found on most compacts. While models like Panasonic’s own FZ28 employ electronic viewfinders with just over 200,000 pixels, the G1’s Live View Finder boasts nothing less than 1,440,000 dots. According to Pansasonic, this equates to a 480,000 pixel display with an 800x600 resolution. This technology is inherited from Panasonic's industrial video cameras and is the first time it's been implemented in a consumer model. It certainly delivers comfortably more detail than regular EVFs, and makes up in some respect for the lack of a true SLR optical viewfinder; it should also be mentioned the lack of mirror slap means the G1 can enjoy silent operation. Note the LVF on the G1 has an aspect ratio of 4:3, showing the native coverage of the sensor, while the screen has a wider 3:2 aspect ratio.

Dispensing with the mirror in the body loses more than just the optical viewfinder though. It also means the quick phase-change autofocus system of traditional DSLRs is missing here and the G1, like all Micro Four Thirds models, relies entirely on a contrast-based AF system like a compact camera. The G1 offers single and 23 area AF modes, along with face detection. Panasonic claims the AF is quicker than that of compacts like the Lumix LX3 or TZ5, and on the same level as an entry-level DSLR's phase-change system; indeed at around 0.3 seconds, it may be the fastest contrast-based AF system to date. We will of course be putting this to the test in our upcoming full review.

Now we’ve seen this limitation before with contrast-based AF on the latest full-sized Four Thirds DSLRs, but with those cameras you can at least fall back on the traditional (and quicker) phase-change AF system with incompatible lenses. Since that option isn’t available on the G1 (or any Micro Four Thirds cameras), lenses which aren’t compatible with the contrast-based AF system become manual focus only. Consequently, the majority of existing Four Thirds lenses will not support autofocus on the G1, unless the manufacturers update their firmware on each to support contrast-based AF. Hopefully this restriction will encourage firmware updates for at least the more popular Four Thirds lenses, which in turn may allow them to also support contrast-based AF on the latest full-sized Four Thirds bodies. In the meantime, if you are stuck in manual focus mode, the G1 can at least magnify the view by 5 or 10 times.

To address issues concerning difficulty of use, Panasonic has sensibly equipped the G1 with the latest Intelligent Auto mode seen on its compacts. This combines a number of technologies including Intelligent ISO which can detect motion in the frame, and Intelligent Scene Detection which has an uncanny ability to recognise the type of composition you’re framing.

One mode lacking from the G1 though is video recording. This is disappointing given many will regard Micro Four Thirds models as high quality compacts and simply expect the facility to be present. Panasonic can’t really claim the G1’s DSLR sensor as an excuse either as theoretically any camera with Live View can record a video stream, and Nikon has already put this into practice with the D90. We questioned Panasonic about this decision and the company explained it was building a lineup with one range being for still images only. The G1 is the first model in this range, but in 2009 it will introduce a second range of products which also featured video recording.

Micro Four Thirds is all about size and weight though, and the G1 is certainly pretty compact, measuring 124x84x45mm and weighing 385g without its rechargeable battery. Add the new 14-45mm kit lens and the combined thickness and weight increase to 105mm and 580g, again without battery. Sounds impressive, but how does that measure-up against other models?

Canon’s EOS 1000D / Rebel XS is the company’s smallest and lightest DSLR to date, measuring 126x98x62mm and weighing 450g without battery. Add the standard EF-S 18-55mm IS kit lens to the Canon and its thickness and weight increase to 132mm and 650g (again without battery).

The Olympus E-420 is currently the World’s smallest DSLR, measuring 130x91x53mm and weighing 380g without battery. Add the Olympus 14-42mm kit lens and its thickness and weight increase to 113mm and 570g (again without battery)

Compared to Canon’s budget model, the new G1 body is similar in length, but 14mm shorter, 17mm thinner and 65g lighter. Add their respective kit lenses and the G1 combo becomes 27mm thinner and 70g lighter, so an impressive difference overall.

Compare the G1 to the E-420 though and the differences aren’t as significant. The G1 body is 6mm less wide, 7mm shorter and 8mm thinner, but actually 5g heavier. Add their kit lenses and the G1 remains 8mm thinner but becomes 10g heavier. Interestingly the new Panasonic kit lens, is virtually the same size and weight as the Olympus model – just 6mm shorter, 1mm less diameter and 5g heavier, although it does feature built-in optical stabilisation.

The G1 should be available from November, but pricing wasn't known at the time of writing. We can however say the G1 will be available in black, red or blue finishes, which gives it greater consumer appeal that many DSLRs.

Which now only leaves our usual feature comparison: so how does the G1 measure-up against the competition?

Compared to Olympus E-420 The Olympus E-420 is the World’s smallest and lightest DSLR, and in terms of size and weight, there isn’t as much difference between it and the G1 as you might expect. Indeed as discussed above, the E-420 is only 6mm wider, 7mm taller and 8mm thicker, whether both bodies are fitted with their kit zooms or not. Revealingly, the E-420 body is actually 5g lighter than the G1, or 10g lighter again when equipped with their respective zooms, although neither figure includes battery. So does that mean Micro Four Thirds has failed to deliver on one of its core promises before even starting? Yes and no. While some will obviously be disappointed the G1 isn’t smaller still, it does have a number of benefits over the E-420. For starters, a kit with an optically stabilised lens. Secondly, a larger and more detailed screen which can twist and flip to any angle. Third, an Auto mode which employs all of Panasonic’s most cunning technologies to deliver virtually foolproof operation. Fourth, the absence of a mirror allows silent operation. Fifth, an HDMI output, and last but not least, two extra Megapixels, although it remains to be seen if these have a negative impact on noise levels. In the E-420’s favour though is a proper SLR viewfinder, which despite being small on this particular model, will still be preferred by photographic traditionalists. Secondly, the phase change AF system may only offer 3-points, but it’s quick and works with any lens you attach – remember at the time of writing Panasonic could only confirm two lenses which would autofocus with the G1. So there’s pros and cons to each system, but many will find the G1 could have been more compelling had it offered a movie mode and broader AF support with other lenses. And if you want something really small, remember you could fit the Olympus 25mm pancake lens onto the E-420 and end up with a combination that’s actually 105g lighter than the G1 kit and 19mm thinner – sure it’s not a stabilised zoom lens, but that’s still pretty impressive considering there’s a reflex mirror in there. See our Olympus E-420 review for more details.

Compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FZ28 is the latest in a line of very successful super-zoom cameras. Since the G1 could be regarded as a compact in many respects, it’s interesting to see how it compares to such a model, especially from the same company. There are some similarities too: both cameras come with stabilised optics, have full manual control, silent operation, composition with either electronic viewfinders or screens, support for RAW recording and Panasonic’s latest Intelligent Auto mode. In its favour, the FZ28 obviously comes with a huge 18x optical zoom lens with optical stabilisation, equivalent to 27-486mm. So that starts with roughly the same wide angle coverage as the G1’s first kit zoom, but then gets even closer than the optional telephoto zoom without having to swap lenses and risk dust entering the body. The FZ28 also features movie recording facilities, including an HD mode which captures video at 1280x720 pixels. The FZ28 is additionally smaller at 118x75x89mm and lighter at 370g (without battery, but including lens). In its favour, the G1 has two extra Megapixels and a considerably bigger sensor, which allows far better performance in low light at higher sensitivities. It has a bigger and more detailed screen which flips to any angle, and an electronic viewfinder that’s more detailed too. The kit zoom may only be a 3.2x model, but you can remove it and fit other models. The G1 also has a flash hotshoe and HDMI output. So with its bigger sensor, the G1 gets the quality vote, and the ability to switch lenses also gives it great flexibility. But the FZ28’s 18x zoom already arguably covers virtually every situation, there’s a movie mode, and the camera is smaller, lighter, and even though we don’t have the G1’s pricing yet, the FZ28 will be cheaper. We’ll be reviewing the FZ28 in the near future, but its predecessor has a lot in common, so for a preview of many of its features, check out our Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 review.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 final thoughts

It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about this first Micro Four Thirds camera. Photographic enthusiasts will always get excited about the prospect of a small camera with a DSLR sensor, and here’s one which also has interchangeable lenses. That’s surely a win-win, and by adding a decent flip out screen, a detailed EVF, the best Auto mode of any compact to date, and traditional features like RAW and a flash hotshoe, you surely have a winning product.

Unfortunately though there’s a number of aspects which disappoint with the G1. There’s no movie mode, the AF only works with certain lenses, and while it’s undeniably small and light, it’s actually physically quite similar to the Olympus E-420, which lest we forget is a proper DSLR with full AF support on any lens. Crucially, Panasonic has also yet to reveal pricing for the G1.

Until we test a final production Lumix G1 for our upcoming review and video tour, that’s about all we can say about this new camera. While some aspects are disappointing, there’s still a lot to like about the G1, and of course once it’s your hands, you may feel very differently. Either way, it remains exciting to have a new system which brings relatively large sensors and interchangeable lenses to compact form factors, so we look forward to testing the G1 and seeing how Micro Four Thirds develops in the future. In the meantime, we'd love to hear what you think of Panasonic's latest in the dedicated thread we've setup for it in the Cameralabs forum.