Another nice fature is the range of available adapters for e.g. Canon FD lenses and other SLR lens types. These require manual focus, but the adapters are only around £25 (30-35 USD). Of course, the focal length values double for the 4/3 cameras, so a 24-70mm legacy lens would equate to a 35mm camera equivalent of around 48-140mm,i.e. quite useful.
@Gellikins Live bands = low light shooting (usually), so I'd suggest an entry-level DSLR over the GF1 or any other micro-four thirds camera. Look at the Nikon D3100 or D5100...the D5100 in particular might be nice because the movable screen allows you to do some interesting angles, shooting above your head, etc.
hye,. i am a new user of gf1 camera with 20mm lens,.but i actually do not know how to use the zoom function,.can you explain to me,..for example i want to take a close up but i cannot do so as i took the picture,it back to unzoom,.so finally i cannot take a close up picture.so i hope you can help me
@miyuheartgd You zoom by walking forward with your feet. :-) The 20mm lens is a prime lens, meaning it has no zoom. If you want a zoom lens, you'll need to buy a zoom lens. This isn't a macro lens; you have to be a certain minimum distance away from whatever you're taking a picture of. Looks like it's 0.66 feet for this lens.
@rocatsify The G12 is a point and shoot camera that matches up against the Panasonic LX5, the Nikon P7000, etc. The GF1 is a totally different kind of camera - better in every way I'd say - but also bigger/heavier. The two don't really compare.
Hey jason I really like your vids...I am an amateur photographer who wants to move to dslr....would you recommend this camera for me to assist me in my transition before bying a dslr (baring in my mind i only used compact normal cameras instead to shoot photos of myself and my friends)...looking forward to you reply ( I already have the gf1 in my amazon bascket, just awaiting your confirmation)
@platinum7zeppelin I guess it depends on whether you need/want the size of this camera, or you need/want the flexibility of a DSLR when it comes to lenses. If you're serious about photography, eventually you'll own more lenses than your camera body is worth. Ultimately, with a DSLR you're buying into a lens system - you'll change camera bodies over the years, but keep using the same lenses. The GF1 is a great little camera, but there's a limited number of lenses for it right now.
I use the Hoodman loupe. It's the cheapest and it works great! It may seem counter productive to bulk up the camera with a flash and a loupe, but trust me, it's a whole lot easier the lugging a 7D around your neck all day! You can get professional results, but obviously not as good as a true DSLR. If your shooting for fun and don't want the back pain it's perfect. I use it for comic con, for example, and it was great.
I strongly suggest the electronic view finder. I use it with the 20mm pancake and have never really felt lacking for IS. Holding the camera to your eye along with the high aperture help stabilization a lot. I think lens IS is better, provided the lens actually has IS! Or, you can use a loupe, which is like a magnifying lens for the lcd, and therefore doesn't tie up the hot shoe so you can use an external flash and still have an eye level viewfinder, but adds bulk. Still much lighter then an SLR.
@danduranduran I strongly recommend against it. :-) I bought it, largely because another Youtube commenter was similarly enthusiastic about it, and frankly, it was a waste of money. For me at least, it's something that adds bulk and size where the purpose of this camera is to slim down. So while I'm happy that you're happy with the EVF, I wish I hadn't purchased it. :-(
@ThoughtsMedia It boils down to shooting style I guess. I hate shooting arm's length with the LCD. One of the reasons the touch screen on the GF2 doesn't do much for me, and certainly isn't worth the loss of the AE lock button. I mean it's cool and all, but not worth it. The evf could be better, but is good for composition. I'm glad you don't like yours. It falls off too easy, my only real complaint. Already lost one, you can sell me yours if I lose this one! I'm looking at a Velcro solution.
It also boils down to how important bulk is to you. I thought this was a big issue for me, which is why I bought it, but I quickly realized I was more interested in the weight benefits, and didn't mind adding bulk so much. I can walk around with a complete system all day without feeling it. I use the 14-45 often. I recommend trying the loupe at a camera store if they let you. Bulky but elegant in that you get full LCD resolution. Both loulpe and evf greatly compensate if your lens isn't IS.
hi, I'm mainly interested in shooting macro images of animals, plants, etc and I have had a Lumix DMC-TZ3 for around four years, I've decided to buy myself a dslr? but I haven't got a very good idea of which one
i was considering this camera-Lumix GF1-but I'm wondering if its worth spending some more money on a better camera? like a proper slr?
do you have any ideas of the type of camera I should look into? thanks :)
Jason. Im looking into some cameras mostly for recording video but as well taking good quality pictures. and ive been thinking about getting Gf1. I was also looking at the Nikon p7000. but im leaning more on the lumix. some words of advice would be nice thank you.
@obeyjoe1 The P7000 is a point and shoot camera, but a nice one. So it's small with 7x zoom, shoots raw, etc...but ultimately has a sensor quite a bit smaller than a DSLR or micro-four thirds camera. The GF1 (or GF2) is much bigger once you put a zoom lens on it, but the photo quality will be higher, especially under low light. So, like all things, the answer is "it depends on what you need/want".
@ThoughtsMedia Thank you for responding. I have been doing my homework on both the GF1 and GF2 and i am for sure going to purchase the Gf2. What lens do you recommend. i will be using this for more close up snap shots. I was thinking of a fish-eye lens kind of type.. any advice?
@obeyjoe1 Fish-eye lenses are typically good for "trick" photos, for not portraits or, well, most normal photos. The 20mm f/1.7 lens; it's a 40mm lens on the GF-1 body.
I would check out the GH series if I were you. It has full 1080 video and the GF2's stereo mics are too close together and not facing your subject. GH is a bit bigger but has a built in evf, better mics, and you can attach an off camera mic, which the GF1 doesn't and I don't think the GF2 does either. Plus, they removed the mode dial and auto focus/auto exposure lock buttons for size on the GF2, which would personally drive me nuts, but I'm more of a still shooter and am very happy with the GF1.
Just looking at buying my first DSLR for backpacking europe next year. Have begun to look at both Canon 55D & Nikon's D3100, but then saw this little GF1. Would you recommend this as a contender for a great travelling camera? What other lens would you recommend having outside the 20mm pancake?
@mattbekgibbs Yes, the GF1 would make a nice travel camera. I might suggest the new 14mm lens instead of the 20mm lens; or you could get the 14-140mm and only take that one lens. The down side is that it's a slow lens at f/4.
@nikkowhite I'm no expert, but the GF1 feels absolutely glorious; chunky, solid, metallic. Also I trust Lumix more than I do Sony when it comes to optics).
@Valtyful No, it seems quite nice to me. 19% smaller, higher resolution sensor, touch screen. If I was dreaming, I'd want to see in-body image stabilization, but Panasonic doesn't seem to want to do that with their ILC cameras. What did you want to see in the GF2?
@sirtechy Hard to say. The GF2 looks great, but the price hasn't been announced for it yet. The Leica is a clone of the Panasonic LX5 - you just pay more for the Leica brand. The LX5 looks like a great camera, but I haven't reviewed one, so I can't make any comparisons. As always, do your own research, and make up your own mind - after all, it's your money!
@sirtechy I'm an LX3 owner and couldn't be happier. But the LX5 seems like a LOT more money for not much more camera. If I had my time again I'd go for the GF1, it feels so nice, takes great photos, and most importantly has a solid, clacky sounding mechanical shutter.
@luizgustavocarneiro I don't understand what you mean - hard to turn? It shouldn't be hard to turn at all. It as a little stiffness, but not too much.
@whizlyleduff That's kind of a silly statement. Micro-four thirds sensors are smaller than full fame or APS-C sensors, yes, but they're MUCH bigger (and better) than the tiny sensors in point and shoot cameras. So it's all about what you're comparing it to...
I'm looking at cameras but I'm a beginner looking at dslr. I have been looking at canon 500d, canon 450d, nikon d3000 but love the look of this camera.
Which camera would you recommend for beginners wanting to move up the ladder to a dslr?
@tyros8000 I'd recommend the Nikon D3100. I think the micro four thirds system has too many compromises right now, and the GF1 is still quite expensive compared to entry-level DSLRs. The Nikon D3100 has MASSIVE bang for the buck.
@hapaworm Couple weeks ago i played with the Nex5 and GF1 in a store. If you going to shoot "Manual" instead of the Intelligent mode. changing settings suck on a Nex5. But the Nex5 has nice things like the flip screen, Panorama mode and instructions to make pictures. But i prefer the GF1 because of the internal Flash, easy changing settings and liked the White version. i have no regret ! i LOVE it !
@hapaworm Can't remember what the big difference where.. But look at this youtube vid. He somewhere compare it with the GF1. " Sony NEX-5 First Impressions (feat. Panasonic GF1) "
Great review. It helped me make the decision to buy this camera, and I haven't been disappointed a bit. It has it's quirks, the menu system is definitely a little fiddly, but that feels like nit-picking. I was reluctantly thinking about a Canon G11 until I saw this.
this is a very good and unbiased review. thumb-ups to you dude. I'm just curious, if you are to compare this with the Canon S90 and Canon G11, would you still go for Lumix GF1? Those are the top 3 cameras on my mind now. I'm planning to get one by the end of August. Hope you could help me decide. Thanks a lot! I'm a fan of yours. :-)
@eroz18 I can really only compare the GF1 to other cameras that I've reviewed, and I haven't reviewed the S90 or the G11. Unfortunately, I have to buy the cameras I want to review most of the time, which means I don't review many cameras...so you'll have to check out other reviews of the cameras. I hate to disappoint a fan, but I can't speak about cameras I haven't tried before.
@NLS87 "OK" is a highly subjective term; myself, I think the D300 is OK up to ISO 1600, but when it hits ISO 3200, the noise can get pretty bad. Forget about ISO 6400. Remember though the D300 is almost three years old now; the D300s added video, but uses the same sensor. The D300/D300s is due for a new model pretty quick here. I'm thinking a November 2010 announcement...
@addiction6to6bad6 Yeah, I bought two GF1's so I could use one to film the other. ;-) No, of course it's not filmed with the GF1 - it's a Canon HF100. As for why the sound is bad, didn't you see the on-screen explanation at the 5 second mark? The gain was too high on the camera, so the audio was clipping a bit.
@ThoughtsMedia oh sorry. Maybe wasn't paying attention. It's late =P . lol I see the explanation now. I was prob. trying to listen instead. I'm checking tons of reviews.. Sadly this one is a bit too expensive for me I think but it seems good in lowlight . Wish all came with a flip n twist screen though. Seems hard to get both something that is good in low light and that screen
Thank you for your review.Can you please advice on purchasing the right camera for my needs. I am no professional and just would like to be able to make good quality pictures of my 1 1/2 year old daughter that never stay still and to have a good video. My choices are the Panasonic that you've reviewed , Olympus E-PL1, Cannon S90. Thank you
To show if the images are SHARP show us some comparison pictures. All the camera stores I go to have nothing, ZIP to show me! SO my money is in my pocket!
@VALMARIESASK It's impossible to judge the sharpness of an image encoded into a Flash video, even at 1080p - there are just too many compression artifacts. Go find a Web-based review and look at some sample images at full resolution.
@Esrhan If you can wait a bit, do. Nikon is supposed to be coming out with an EVIL camera (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens). I'd wait and see what happens.
Bought the camera back then a year ago! Still happy and now even more happy with the GF1 seeing how they stripped and turned the GF2 and GF3 into touchscreen compact cameras.
Funny Canadian accent, I keep waiting for you to say "aye". Have you had a chance to try out the G2, I'm really curious about touch-screen focusing. Awesome review BTW.
@ronaldpangful I haven't had a chance to try out the G2 - I personally believe that touch screen anything on a camera is kind of goofy, but I haven't spent much time with touch screen cameras, so perhaps I'll change my mind. As for my accent, I thought the only people who said "aye" were pirates. ;-)
@JojoTheLucky A fast shutter speed helps you capture moving subjects; optical image stabilization helps keep the image sensor steady. They both perform completely different functions.
You put a 24-70 on a DX body and a grip... that's kinda counter productive to the whole DX thing isn't it? I shoot an FM3a with a 50 AIS 1.8 MK3 pancake for te very reason that it is small and full frame and simple to use. I sold my 50 1.2 for that reason - too big. I am looking at this digi camera as I don't own any digital cameras and maybe one could come in handy now and then. So I agree on the small lens issue. But back to the D300 - that doesn't have to be sooooo big either.
@sinoperture I'm not entirely sure how to respond to this. Counter productive in what way? What matters is the pictures, not how big/small/ugly/pretty your gear is. I looked at the video of your gear, and we clearly come from radically different points of view on photography - I use what I use because it suits me, and I'm sure you do the same. What matters is the photos, so I don't need to defend the size of my D300 rig.
@ThoughtsMedia Easy tiger... not attacking....no need to be sensitive. I was merely perplexed why a mid range zoom designed for FX would be mounted on a DX. And was wondering where a 35 at the wide and a 105 at the long end in a zoom came in handy for what kind of shooting? Does curiosity always kill the cat?
@sinoperture Apologies if I came off as touchy, but "guy who shoots film" and "guy who criticizes digital gear" usually equals "pretentious jagoff who likes to trash others" and I don't have a whole lot of patience for that. But if you'd like to have a civil discussion about photography, well, that would be just grand. :-) Continued in my next post...
@ThoughtsMedia No prob. When did you give up film and move to digital anyway? I am yet to do so because of the size and complexity of them - hence why these new micro four thirds have me interested....
@sinoperture I bought my first DSLR in 2003...a Canon Digital Rebel. Prior to that, my first experience with a "real" 35mm camera was my Canon Rebel. Prior to that, I'd only used point and shoot film cameras. So, really, I never had much experience shooting with film - I went digital as soon as I could (bought a Kodak DC265 in 1999). What can I say, I'm a digital guy. :-)
@sinoperture As for why the FX lens on the DX body, it's pretty simple: Nikon only makes pro-grade glass for their FX bodies. The difference between their gold ring lenses and 90% of their other lenses is shocking. Once I tested the 24-70 f/2.8 lens, I had to own it. Yes, it's big and heavy, but the sharpness is out of this world, the speed is great, and it's definitely worth the investment for me personally. Focal range? I just make it work - you get used to the range pretty quick.
I agree on the results. That is why I sold all my fancy crap and I now sell a steady stream of prints through some galleries.
But digital is a real put off. But could come in handy and the GF1/EP2 have been contenders... but still too many buttons.... there is the X1. But no ability to put a longer lens on it. :-s
@sinoperture Digital has its pros and cons. I heard you mention in your video you'd share your New Orleans photos after a "few months" when you'd developed them, scanned them, etc. For all the cons, a very important pro for me (and for many other digital shooters) is the speed at which we can process and share our photos. As with all things in life, there are compromises; what matters is picking the compromises that matter least to you.
@sinoperture As for too many buttons, the GF1 is pretty simple to operate - I rarely do more than switch between shutter priority, aperture priority, or full auto, and adjust the given settings. Once you have the GF1 set up, you don't need to fiddle much - unless, of course, fiddling with buttons is your thing. ;-)
I am torn between a package of GF1 having a lens of 14-45mm and 22mm. What should I get between the two? There's a third package deal wherein both lens can be bought together with GF1 but it's already out of my budget.. maybe you could give me advise before I buy later..
@restacio I bought the 14-45mm lens but returned it after a week. The 20mm (I assume that's what you meant) is so nice and fast at f/1.7. I'm really spoiled by fast glass...I shoot with f/2.8 lenses or faster all the time, so using the 14-45mm sucked because the GF1 would shoot up to 1600 ISO, where it looks like crap. They need some f/2.8 glass for this camera...the lenses out for it now are all pretty slow (with the exception of the 20mm).
panasonic builds image stabilization in the lenses and olympus (direct micro four thirds competitor) builds it in the body - so the best kit would be a olympus pen body and the 20mm 1.7 panasonic pancake (costs more and don`t mean double stabilization), because when you would buy a olympus pen kit the prime lens would have only F2.8 ... thats called marketing... pretty ignorant camera manufactures !
@muimulti I'd have to disagree - the Olympus Pen was rated everywhere as having significantly slow autofocus, and for me that's a big problem. It would be great to have the in-body IS from Olympus, but I wasn't willing to put up with the other negatives of that camera just to get the IS.
There is no DOF scale on the lens - is there a way to set manual zone focus? Say buy specifying a length in metres? AF - is never a good idea IMHO - speed aside - it is never artistic as it can't think.
And if there is a manual zone focus setting - does the lens/book/box also come with a DOF chart for the 20 1.7? If that can be set at f5.6 and 2 metres (35 on 35 2 metre square rule) then it could be fired like a point and shoot and always have focus in that 2 x 2 square!
@sinoperture The manual focus zones are kind of limited - definitely a drawback to this camera. The best you can do is to set the focus tracking point - it gives you a little set of cross-hairs that you set on whatever you want to focus on, lock it on, then you can re-compose and it will track that object. There's no DOF
chart to my knowledge. When you set it to manual focus, and you turn the focus ring on the lens, it gives you a 100% crop preview. Neat!
@ThoughtsMedia OK - so if I find lamp post 2 metres away and manual focus on it and have AF turned off. Assuming I don't bump the focus ring - the camer will stay set at that point?
@sinoperture It should...but I honestly haven't tried that because it's not the way I shoot. When the camera is set to manual focus, it stays locked on the focus, so I see no reason why it shouldn't...ultimately I think you need to go to a camera store that sells the GF1 and get some hands-on time with it. :-)
@ThoughtsMedia Yeah - going to this weekend. Not decided if I will sell my 85 1.4 AFD to fund it yet. I don;t shoot at 85 often. 28-50 is where I am happy 95% of the time. But man that 85 1.4 looks nice when I use it. Is face detection something that can be switched on and off quickly? Say leave it on face (as that is what I shoot in the street the most) but be able to flip it off so I can go for another AF point if I am doing something moe edgy or less obvious?
@LEXPIX It's a great walk-around camera - very light and easy to manipulate. Doesn't come across as a "pro" camera, so it's less intimidating than a full DSLR.
uhhhmmm, may I ask. is that the pancake lens your using?? is that the kit lens? or does the camera automatically come with the pancake lens or you need to buy it seperately??? I don't mind about the image stabilization cuz I am more of n indoor photographer. I don't go o events/concerts etc. that much so this would be perfect for me.. BTW great review... I'll subscribe
@JohnJasonSantillan Yes, that's the 20mm pancake lens - though it's a bit thicker than a traditional pancake lens, so I'm not entirely sure if it's really called a pancake lens. You can buy the GF-1 with this lens; I did. You can also buy the GF-1 without any lens at all if you want. Glad you liked the review!
@JohnJasonSantillan I haven't seen/tried the Samsung NX10 yet, so I don't have much of an opinion about it. It has a bigger sensor than the GF1, so it might better in low-light scenarios. I personally think Panasonic makes better cameras overall than Samsung.
Ive had the ep2, Its image quality and body IS was great. But I sold it because it was slow and had a horrible menu interface. I hope panasonic brings the GF2 out soon. I still have my 20mm 1.7 panasonic lens.
@roger767 I don't think you're going to see a GF2 for a while...the GF1 was released in September, and I don't know if Panasonic is going to be aggressive with a year-to-year update schedule. Maybe they will given that Olympus has already shipped a second EP camera...I guess we'll have to wait and see!
when yu just told me about the G2..i checked it out..yea is big..and it only does 720p video not just like the gf1 and ep2..thanks anyways..but the gh1 does full 1080p..but is big..
Whoops, sorry, I thought the G2 was the successor to the GF1, but I guess not. Look, it sounds like you're looking for something that doesn't yet exist on the market today, so you'll either need to lower/alter your expectations, or continue waiting for the perfect solution.
i ask this because i want a camera that takes amazing pictures and has great video quality..i want the best picture quality and video quality so i dont have to spend money on two different cameras..evrithing in one camera..but very compact..and i was looking at the gf1 or ep2..but then i saw the canon hf s11..which i think is good recording videos..but not sure about the picture quality..what do yu think..wat camera would be good in both what am looking for..
The photos that come off a video camera are usually pathetic. You don't want that. Maybe you should look at the Panasonic G2 - it does 1080p video that's quite excellent, but also takes great photos as well. It's bigger than the GF1, but is more capable at video.
hey thoughtsmedia...how is the gf1 compared to the olympus ep2...both picture and video quality...and is the video on both cameras better than a camcorder..such as the canon hf s11..please let me know..
I have no experience with the EP2 or the EP1 - I haven't touched either one of them. What I've read though is that the EP1 has slightly better low-light performance, but much worse focusing speed. I looked at the EP1 before I bought the GF1, and based on the reviews I read comparing them both, I went with the GF1. As for the video quality, it's 720p and not 1080p like the Canon HF S11 offers, but it would be good in low light. The depth of field is what makes is great though!
And let me just add that if your goal is to take a lot of videos, a dedicated video camera is probably better for you - but if you want to take mostly photos and do some videos, the GF1 is a great choice.
after listening to your review, i guess i'm not going to get this one, because i can only own one of these...ZS3 would be better for a beginner right?
Well, yes, the ZS5/ZS7 models are more expensive, but they also offer more features - it just depends if you need what they offer. If not, the ZS3 is a great camera!
Hi you should really consider buying the add on EVF, as it makes a world of difference when it comes to framing in bad sunlight & holding the camera steady.
I can get much sharper shots with the GF1 & 20mm using the EVF than i would holding outwards like a P&S, moreso in lowish light conditions
I was abit put off at first getting it as the quality is only 202k, but tbh it's much better than i expected.
Cool, thanks for sharing your insights - I've only had the briefest of hands-on time with the EVF for the GF1, so I don't have much of an opinion about it. In general I loathe EVF's because the quality sucks (who wants to see the world through a low-res reproduction?), but if you're saying it's pretty good I might give it a shot. :-)
Much to my frustration, I recorded five videos on the same day with the microphone turned up too loud - so all five videos have the same gain problem. I know, it sucks...but I can't bring myself to re-record them. It would be far too difficult.
the only thing that puts me off it that it has no zoom:S
lucylou2012 2 months ago
Another nice fature is the range of available adapters for e.g. Canon FD lenses and other SLR lens types. These require manual focus, but the adapters are only around £25 (30-35 USD). Of course, the focal length values double for the 4/3 cameras, so a 24-70mm legacy lens would equate to a 35mm camera equivalent of around 48-140mm,i.e. quite useful.
walshamite 6 months ago
Hi :) I wondered if you would recommend this camera (or any other Lumix G cameras) for band photography? Thanks!
Gellikins 7 months ago
@Gellikins Live bands = low light shooting (usually), so I'd suggest an entry-level DSLR over the GF1 or any other micro-four thirds camera. Look at the Nikon D3100 or D5100...the D5100 in particular might be nice because the movable screen allows you to do some interesting angles, shooting above your head, etc.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 7 months ago
@ThoughtsMedia much appreciated!!
Gellikins 7 months ago
Mmmm... :)
andreipetunin 9 months ago
hye,. i am a new user of gf1 camera with 20mm lens,.but i actually do not know how to use the zoom function,.can you explain to me,..for example i want to take a close up but i cannot do so as i took the picture,it back to unzoom,.so finally i cannot take a close up picture.so i hope you can help me
miyuheartgd 9 months ago
@miyuheartgd You zoom by walking forward with your feet. :-) The 20mm lens is a prime lens, meaning it has no zoom. If you want a zoom lens, you'll need to buy a zoom lens. This isn't a macro lens; you have to be a certain minimum distance away from whatever you're taking a picture of. Looks like it's 0.66 feet for this lens.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 9 months ago 2
@ThoughtsMedia thanks for your reply! i appreciate it ;)
miyuheartgd 8 months ago
@ThoughtsMedia The available 14-45mm would be the zoom of choice, I think. Failing that, the 14-42mm.
walshamite 6 months ago
E-lectronic
V-iewfinder
I-nterchangeable
L-ens
Camera
souleateryo 9 months ago
i love the retro style of this and the olympus e-pl1
MrPlaystationboy 10 months ago
Hey! Would you say that this camera is much better in comparison to the canon powershot G12?
rocatsify 11 months ago
@rocatsify The G12 is a point and shoot camera that matches up against the Panasonic LX5, the Nikon P7000, etc. The GF1 is a totally different kind of camera - better in every way I'd say - but also bigger/heavier. The two don't really compare.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 11 months ago
awesome review!!
ramirb 1 year ago
Can you put other lens on the camera
aeroxtreme15 1 year ago
@aeroxtreme15 Yes, as long as they are Micro Four Thirds lenses.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia
Any lens with the right converter however only Micro Four Thirds lenses will autofocus
iJ3WB0Yx 1 year ago
Hey jason I really like your vids...I am an amateur photographer who wants to move to dslr....would you recommend this camera for me to assist me in my transition before bying a dslr (baring in my mind i only used compact normal cameras instead to shoot photos of myself and my friends)...looking forward to you reply ( I already have the gf1 in my amazon bascket, just awaiting your confirmation)
Thanks
platinum7zeppelin 1 year ago
@platinum7zeppelin I guess it depends on whether you need/want the size of this camera, or you need/want the flexibility of a DSLR when it comes to lenses. If you're serious about photography, eventually you'll own more lenses than your camera body is worth. Ultimately, with a DSLR you're buying into a lens system - you'll change camera bodies over the years, but keep using the same lenses. The GF1 is a great little camera, but there's a limited number of lenses for it right now.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
I use the Hoodman loupe. It's the cheapest and it works great! It may seem counter productive to bulk up the camera with a flash and a loupe, but trust me, it's a whole lot easier the lugging a 7D around your neck all day! You can get professional results, but obviously not as good as a true DSLR. If your shooting for fun and don't want the back pain it's perfect. I use it for comic con, for example, and it was great.
danduranduran 1 year ago
I strongly suggest the electronic view finder. I use it with the 20mm pancake and have never really felt lacking for IS. Holding the camera to your eye along with the high aperture help stabilization a lot. I think lens IS is better, provided the lens actually has IS! Or, you can use a loupe, which is like a magnifying lens for the lcd, and therefore doesn't tie up the hot shoe so you can use an external flash and still have an eye level viewfinder, but adds bulk. Still much lighter then an SLR.
danduranduran 1 year ago
@danduranduran I strongly recommend against it. :-) I bought it, largely because another Youtube commenter was similarly enthusiastic about it, and frankly, it was a waste of money. For me at least, it's something that adds bulk and size where the purpose of this camera is to slim down. So while I'm happy that you're happy with the EVF, I wish I hadn't purchased it. :-(
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia It boils down to shooting style I guess. I hate shooting arm's length with the LCD. One of the reasons the touch screen on the GF2 doesn't do much for me, and certainly isn't worth the loss of the AE lock button. I mean it's cool and all, but not worth it. The evf could be better, but is good for composition. I'm glad you don't like yours. It falls off too easy, my only real complaint. Already lost one, you can sell me yours if I lose this one! I'm looking at a Velcro solution.
danduranduran 1 year ago
It also boils down to how important bulk is to you. I thought this was a big issue for me, which is why I bought it, but I quickly realized I was more interested in the weight benefits, and didn't mind adding bulk so much. I can walk around with a complete system all day without feeling it. I use the 14-45 often. I recommend trying the loupe at a camera store if they let you. Bulky but elegant in that you get full LCD resolution. Both loulpe and evf greatly compensate if your lens isn't IS.
danduranduran 1 year ago
nice review bud, thanks
nitrovo 1 year ago
hi, I'm mainly interested in shooting macro images of animals, plants, etc and I have had a Lumix DMC-TZ3 for around four years, I've decided to buy myself a dslr? but I haven't got a very good idea of which one
i was considering this camera-Lumix GF1-but I'm wondering if its worth spending some more money on a better camera? like a proper slr?
do you have any ideas of the type of camera I should look into? thanks :)
Ana
fatcatshatsatonamat 1 year ago
Jason. Im looking into some cameras mostly for recording video but as well taking good quality pictures. and ive been thinking about getting Gf1. I was also looking at the Nikon p7000. but im leaning more on the lumix. some words of advice would be nice thank you.
-Joe
obeyjoe1 1 year ago
@obeyjoe1 The P7000 is a point and shoot camera, but a nice one. So it's small with 7x zoom, shoots raw, etc...but ultimately has a sensor quite a bit smaller than a DSLR or micro-four thirds camera. The GF1 (or GF2) is much bigger once you put a zoom lens on it, but the photo quality will be higher, especially under low light. So, like all things, the answer is "it depends on what you need/want".
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia Thank you for responding. I have been doing my homework on both the GF1 and GF2 and i am for sure going to purchase the Gf2. What lens do you recommend. i will be using this for more close up snap shots. I was thinking of a fish-eye lens kind of type.. any advice?
obeyjoe1 1 year ago
@obeyjoe1 Fish-eye lenses are typically good for "trick" photos, for not portraits or, well, most normal photos. The 20mm f/1.7 lens; it's a 40mm lens on the GF-1 body.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
I would check out the GH series if I were you. It has full 1080 video and the GF2's stereo mics are too close together and not facing your subject. GH is a bit bigger but has a built in evf, better mics, and you can attach an off camera mic, which the GF1 doesn't and I don't think the GF2 does either. Plus, they removed the mode dial and auto focus/auto exposure lock buttons for size on the GF2, which would personally drive me nuts, but I'm more of a still shooter and am very happy with the GF1.
danduranduran 1 year ago
Just looking at buying my first DSLR for backpacking europe next year. Have begun to look at both Canon 55D & Nikon's D3100, but then saw this little GF1. Would you recommend this as a contender for a great travelling camera? What other lens would you recommend having outside the 20mm pancake?
mattbekgibbs 1 year ago
@mattbekgibbs Yes, the GF1 would make a nice travel camera. I might suggest the new 14mm lens instead of the 20mm lens; or you could get the 14-140mm and only take that one lens. The down side is that it's a slow lens at f/4.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Where did you buy the camera from? Amazon? Or in store.
katanaboy4 1 year ago
@katanaboy4 I bought it from Panasonic's online store.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Should I go for GF1 or the Sony NEX-5? please help Mr. Jason
It's a hard pick :/
nikkowhite 1 year ago
@nikkowhite It's your money, spend it on whatever you wish. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia In your opinion, Which one is the best and worth the money?
nikkowhite 1 year ago
@nikkowhite I'm no expert, but the GF1 feels absolutely glorious; chunky, solid, metallic. Also I trust Lumix more than I do Sony when it comes to optics).
blackdice23 1 year ago
@blackdice23 I think I'm gonna go with GF1! thanks! NEX-5 is quite big compared to the GF1 and less pricey!
nikkowhite 1 year ago
are you disappointed with the newly announced Lumix GF2?
Oliveira - Portugal
Valtyful 1 year ago
@Valtyful No, it seems quite nice to me. 19% smaller, higher resolution sensor, touch screen. If I was dreaming, I'd want to see in-body image stabilization, but Panasonic doesn't seem to want to do that with their ILC cameras. What did you want to see in the GF2?
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
great review! :)
kru5h3000 1 year ago
is olympus ep1 better or lumix gf1 better?
WinterPassedBy 1 year ago
Mr. video guy whould you buy GF1, GF2, Leica DLUX 5 or LX5 from Panasonic if you were going to buy?
sirtechy 1 year ago
@sirtechy Hard to say. The GF2 looks great, but the price hasn't been announced for it yet. The Leica is a clone of the Panasonic LX5 - you just pay more for the Leica brand. The LX5 looks like a great camera, but I haven't reviewed one, so I can't make any comparisons. As always, do your own research, and make up your own mind - after all, it's your money!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@sirtechy I'm an LX3 owner and couldn't be happier. But the LX5 seems like a LOT more money for not much more camera. If I had my time again I'd go for the GF1, it feels so nice, takes great photos, and most importantly has a solid, clacky sounding mechanical shutter.
blackdice23 1 year ago
Great review, thanks!
BenRoperFilms 1 year ago
In the future allot of dslr will be compact like this one.
Echofromsomewere1 1 year ago
Jason, I am from Brazil...I found the rear dial "hard" to use.
Talk me about the rear dial....
Maybe my rear dial has a problem....
Thanks
luizgustavocarneiro 1 year ago
@luizgustavocarneiro I don't understand what you mean - hard to turn? It shouldn't be hard to turn at all. It as a little stiffness, but not too much.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Nice review there, i would love to own one of these but will never afford one :-(
cjdrange47 1 year ago
Macro Four Thirds camera Sensor is worst among all sensor!
whizlyleduff 1 year ago
@whizlyleduff That's kind of a silly statement. Micro-four thirds sensors are smaller than full fame or APS-C sensors, yes, but they're MUCH bigger (and better) than the tiny sensors in point and shoot cameras. So it's all about what you're comparing it to...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
what is the best low light camera point and shoot with hd vid, face detection, stabilization, and a timer?
what is the best beginner dslr .. low light, hd vid, stabilization, a timer ?
punkydebutante1 1 year ago
I'm looking at cameras but I'm a beginner looking at dslr. I have been looking at canon 500d, canon 450d, nikon d3000 but love the look of this camera.
Which camera would you recommend for beginners wanting to move up the ladder to a dslr?
tyros8000 1 year ago
@tyros8000 I'd recommend the Nikon D3100. I think the micro four thirds system has too many compromises right now, and the GF1 is still quite expensive compared to entry-level DSLRs. The Nikon D3100 has MASSIVE bang for the buck.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia Looking at the D3100, I was considering the GF1, but the D3100 with all it's video settings and the rest, it seems amazing.
AETrainingDavid97 1 year ago
How about compare it with the nex5? Dilemma, which one should I get?
hapaworm 1 year ago
@hapaworm Couple weeks ago i played with the Nex5 and GF1 in a store. If you going to shoot "Manual" instead of the Intelligent mode. changing settings suck on a Nex5. But the Nex5 has nice things like the flip screen, Panorama mode and instructions to make pictures. But i prefer the GF1 because of the internal Flash, easy changing settings and liked the White version. i have no regret ! i LOVE it !
GlennnD 1 year ago
@GlennnD how about the lens for both?
hapaworm 1 year ago
@hapaworm Can't remember what the big difference where.. But look at this youtube vid. He somewhere compare it with the GF1. " Sony NEX-5 First Impressions (feat. Panasonic GF1) "
GlennnD 1 year ago
Great review. It helped me make the decision to buy this camera, and I haven't been disappointed a bit. It has it's quirks, the menu system is definitely a little fiddly, but that feels like nit-picking. I was reluctantly thinking about a Canon G11 until I saw this.
Buddythunder1 1 year ago
Great review !!
GlennnD 1 year ago
this is a very good and unbiased review. thumb-ups to you dude. I'm just curious, if you are to compare this with the Canon S90 and Canon G11, would you still go for Lumix GF1? Those are the top 3 cameras on my mind now. I'm planning to get one by the end of August. Hope you could help me decide. Thanks a lot! I'm a fan of yours. :-)
eroz18 1 year ago
@eroz18 I can really only compare the GF1 to other cameras that I've reviewed, and I haven't reviewed the S90 or the G11. Unfortunately, I have to buy the cameras I want to review most of the time, which means I don't review many cameras...so you'll have to check out other reviews of the cameras. I hate to disappoint a fan, but I can't speak about cameras I haven't tried before.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
D300 and ISO 6400 is ok?
NLS87 1 year ago
@NLS87 "OK" is a highly subjective term; myself, I think the D300 is OK up to ISO 1600, but when it hits ISO 3200, the noise can get pretty bad. Forget about ISO 6400. Remember though the D300 is almost three years old now; the D300s added video, but uses the same sensor. The D300/D300s is due for a new model pretty quick here. I'm thinking a November 2010 announcement...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
is this filmed with the lumix as well ? cause the sound is pretty bad
addiction6to6bad6 1 year ago
@addiction6to6bad6 Yeah, I bought two GF1's so I could use one to film the other. ;-) No, of course it's not filmed with the GF1 - it's a Canon HF100. As for why the sound is bad, didn't you see the on-screen explanation at the 5 second mark? The gain was too high on the camera, so the audio was clipping a bit.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia oh sorry. Maybe wasn't paying attention. It's late =P . lol I see the explanation now. I was prob. trying to listen instead. I'm checking tons of reviews.. Sadly this one is a bit too expensive for me I think but it seems good in lowlight . Wish all came with a flip n twist screen though. Seems hard to get both something that is good in low light and that screen
addiction6to6bad6 1 year ago
Excellent review, thanks for posting.
littlescale 1 year ago
Thank you for your review.Can you please advice on purchasing the right camera for my needs. I am no professional and just would like to be able to make good quality pictures of my 1 1/2 year old daughter that never stay still and to have a good video. My choices are the Panasonic that you've reviewed , Olympus E-PL1, Cannon S90. Thank you
ivalinki 1 year ago
@ivalinki I can't tell you what to buy. I can only review the cameras I get, share my thoughts about them, and you decide what works best for you.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Thank you very much. Sorry I never understood yhat there would be limitations (flash) that you reminded me of. All the best to U and Urs!
VALMARIESASK 1 year ago
To show if the images are SHARP show us some comparison pictures. All the camera stores I go to have nothing, ZIP to show me! SO my money is in my pocket!
VALMARIESASK 1 year ago
@VALMARIESASK It's impossible to judge the sharpness of an image encoded into a Flash video, even at 1080p - there are just too many compression artifacts. Go find a Web-based review and look at some sample images at full resolution.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
The lack of zoom and image stabilisation is a deal breaker for me :( I think I'll get the TZ10 or something
MEareCAT 1 year ago
Thank you very much for this review. Very professional. Still struggling wheter I want to spend my money on this but we'll see.
Esrhan 1 year ago
@Esrhan If you can wait a bit, do. Nikon is supposed to be coming out with an EVIL camera (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens). I'd wait and see what happens.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia
Bought the camera back then a year ago! Still happy and now even more happy with the GF1 seeing how they stripped and turned the GF2 and GF3 into touchscreen compact cameras.
Esrhan 7 months ago
Funny Canadian accent, I keep waiting for you to say "aye". Have you had a chance to try out the G2, I'm really curious about touch-screen focusing. Awesome review BTW.
ronaldpangful 1 year ago
@ronaldpangful I haven't had a chance to try out the G2 - I personally believe that touch screen anything on a camera is kind of goofy, but I haven't spent much time with touch screen cameras, so perhaps I'll change my mind. As for my accent, I thought the only people who said "aye" were pirates. ;-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia What is this all aboot?
Nukeman33 1 year ago
what's the difference between a shutter and the optical image stabilization? It's confusing... can anyone help me?
JojoTheLucky 1 year ago
@JojoTheLucky A fast shutter speed helps you capture moving subjects; optical image stabilization helps keep the image sensor steady. They both perform completely different functions.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
You put a 24-70 on a DX body and a grip... that's kinda counter productive to the whole DX thing isn't it? I shoot an FM3a with a 50 AIS 1.8 MK3 pancake for te very reason that it is small and full frame and simple to use. I sold my 50 1.2 for that reason - too big. I am looking at this digi camera as I don't own any digital cameras and maybe one could come in handy now and then. So I agree on the small lens issue. But back to the D300 - that doesn't have to be sooooo big either.
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture I'm not entirely sure how to respond to this. Counter productive in what way? What matters is the pictures, not how big/small/ugly/pretty your gear is. I looked at the video of your gear, and we clearly come from radically different points of view on photography - I use what I use because it suits me, and I'm sure you do the same. What matters is the photos, so I don't need to defend the size of my D300 rig.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia Easy tiger... not attacking....no need to be sensitive. I was merely perplexed why a mid range zoom designed for FX would be mounted on a DX. And was wondering where a 35 at the wide and a 105 at the long end in a zoom came in handy for what kind of shooting? Does curiosity always kill the cat?
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture Apologies if I came off as touchy, but "guy who shoots film" and "guy who criticizes digital gear" usually equals "pretentious jagoff who likes to trash others" and I don't have a whole lot of patience for that. But if you'd like to have a civil discussion about photography, well, that would be just grand. :-) Continued in my next post...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia No prob. When did you give up film and move to digital anyway? I am yet to do so because of the size and complexity of them - hence why these new micro four thirds have me interested....
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture I bought my first DSLR in 2003...a Canon Digital Rebel. Prior to that, my first experience with a "real" 35mm camera was my Canon Rebel. Prior to that, I'd only used point and shoot film cameras. So, really, I never had much experience shooting with film - I went digital as soon as I could (bought a Kodak DC265 in 1999). What can I say, I'm a digital guy. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia I still use my IXUS 330. Takes perfectly good pics for web or 6x4's...
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture As for why the FX lens on the DX body, it's pretty simple: Nikon only makes pro-grade glass for their FX bodies. The difference between their gold ring lenses and 90% of their other lenses is shocking. Once I tested the 24-70 f/2.8 lens, I had to own it. Yes, it's big and heavy, but the sharpness is out of this world, the speed is great, and it's definitely worth the investment for me personally. Focal range? I just make it work - you get used to the range pretty quick.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia
I agree on the results. That is why I sold all my fancy crap and I now sell a steady stream of prints through some galleries.
But digital is a real put off. But could come in handy and the GF1/EP2 have been contenders... but still too many buttons.... there is the X1. But no ability to put a longer lens on it. :-s
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture Digital has its pros and cons. I heard you mention in your video you'd share your New Orleans photos after a "few months" when you'd developed them, scanned them, etc. For all the cons, a very important pro for me (and for many other digital shooters) is the speed at which we can process and share our photos. As with all things in life, there are compromises; what matters is picking the compromises that matter least to you.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@sinoperture As for too many buttons, the GF1 is pretty simple to operate - I rarely do more than switch between shutter priority, aperture priority, or full auto, and adjust the given settings. Once you have the GF1 set up, you don't need to fiddle much - unless, of course, fiddling with buttons is your thing. ;-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Can you magnify the screen before taking a picture ?
I want to use a leica or nokton manual focus lens.
Thanks!
toocoolforu 1 year ago
@toocoolforu No, I don't know of a way to magnify the screen before taking a picture.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
I am torn between a package of GF1 having a lens of 14-45mm and 22mm. What should I get between the two? There's a third package deal wherein both lens can be bought together with GF1 but it's already out of my budget.. maybe you could give me advise before I buy later..
restacio 1 year ago
@restacio I bought the 14-45mm lens but returned it after a week. The 20mm (I assume that's what you meant) is so nice and fast at f/1.7. I'm really spoiled by fast glass...I shoot with f/2.8 lenses or faster all the time, so using the 14-45mm sucked because the GF1 would shoot up to 1600 ISO, where it looks like crap. They need some f/2.8 glass for this camera...the lenses out for it now are all pretty slow (with the exception of the 20mm).
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
panasonic builds image stabilization in the lenses and olympus (direct micro four thirds competitor) builds it in the body - so the best kit would be a olympus pen body and the 20mm 1.7 panasonic pancake (costs more and don`t mean double stabilization), because when you would buy a olympus pen kit the prime lens would have only F2.8 ... thats called marketing... pretty ignorant camera manufactures !
muimulti 1 year ago
@muimulti I'd have to disagree - the Olympus Pen was rated everywhere as having significantly slow autofocus, and for me that's a big problem. It would be great to have the in-body IS from Olympus, but I wasn't willing to put up with the other negatives of that camera just to get the IS.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia
There is no DOF scale on the lens - is there a way to set manual zone focus? Say buy specifying a length in metres? AF - is never a good idea IMHO - speed aside - it is never artistic as it can't think.
And if there is a manual zone focus setting - does the lens/book/box also come with a DOF chart for the 20 1.7? If that can be set at f5.6 and 2 metres (35 on 35 2 metre square rule) then it could be fired like a point and shoot and always have focus in that 2 x 2 square!
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture The manual focus zones are kind of limited - definitely a drawback to this camera. The best you can do is to set the focus tracking point - it gives you a little set of cross-hairs that you set on whatever you want to focus on, lock it on, then you can re-compose and it will track that object. There's no DOF
chart to my knowledge. When you set it to manual focus, and you turn the focus ring on the lens, it gives you a 100% crop preview. Neat!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia OK - so if I find lamp post 2 metres away and manual focus on it and have AF turned off. Assuming I don't bump the focus ring - the camer will stay set at that point?
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture It should...but I honestly haven't tried that because it's not the way I shoot. When the camera is set to manual focus, it stays locked on the focus, so I see no reason why it shouldn't...ultimately I think you need to go to a camera store that sells the GF1 and get some hands-on time with it. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia Yeah - going to this weekend. Not decided if I will sell my 85 1.4 AFD to fund it yet. I don;t shoot at 85 often. 28-50 is where I am happy 95% of the time. But man that 85 1.4 looks nice when I use it. Is face detection something that can be switched on and off quickly? Say leave it on face (as that is what I shoot in the street the most) but be able to flip it off so I can go for another AF point if I am doing something moe edgy or less obvious?
sinoperture 1 year ago
@sinoperture Yes, you can select from Face Detection, AF Tracking (the cross-hairs thing I mentioned), 23 area focus, or 1 area focus.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia so even this camera's videos you cant edit w/out a windows 7? or at least the avchd lite videos
TheChotster 1 year ago
thanks for this video !
kim9876543213 1 year ago
Nice review of this camera. I'm seriously considering this for use as my walk around camera.
LEXPIX 1 year ago
@LEXPIX It's a great walk-around camera - very light and easy to manipulate. Doesn't come across as a "pro" camera, so it's less intimidating than a full DSLR.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
uhhhmmm, may I ask. is that the pancake lens your using?? is that the kit lens? or does the camera automatically come with the pancake lens or you need to buy it seperately??? I don't mind about the image stabilization cuz I am more of n indoor photographer. I don't go o events/concerts etc. that much so this would be perfect for me.. BTW great review... I'll subscribe
JohnJasonSantillan 1 year ago
@JohnJasonSantillan Yes, that's the 20mm pancake lens - though it's a bit thicker than a traditional pancake lens, so I'm not entirely sure if it's really called a pancake lens. You can buy the GF-1 with this lens; I did. You can also buy the GF-1 without any lens at all if you want. Glad you liked the review!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
@ThoughtsMedia I kinda am confused between this and NX10. for sure i guess they produce same quality. hehe. for u which is better?
JohnJasonSantillan 1 year ago
@JohnJasonSantillan I haven't seen/tried the Samsung NX10 yet, so I don't have much of an opinion about it. It has a bigger sensor than the GF1, so it might better in low-light scenarios. I personally think Panasonic makes better cameras overall than Samsung.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Ive had the ep2, Its image quality and body IS was great. But I sold it because it was slow and had a horrible menu interface. I hope panasonic brings the GF2 out soon. I still have my 20mm 1.7 panasonic lens.
roger767 1 year ago
@roger767 I don't think you're going to see a GF2 for a while...the GF1 was released in September, and I don't know if Panasonic is going to be aggressive with a year-to-year update schedule. Maybe they will given that Olympus has already shipped a second EP camera...I guess we'll have to wait and see!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
so glad i brought this camera , i got rid of my canon 450d slr cos i never used it too much and perfer to get the canon 550d later
this camera takes great pics easy to carry and pictures come out same as the canon 450d for what i need and use
this camera goes everywhere with me now love it x
jennadollface 1 year ago
when yu just told me about the G2..i checked it out..yea is big..and it only does 720p video not just like the gf1 and ep2..thanks anyways..but the gh1 does full 1080p..but is big..
machoBaller213 1 year ago
Whoops, sorry, I thought the G2 was the successor to the GF1, but I guess not. Look, it sounds like you're looking for something that doesn't yet exist on the market today, so you'll either need to lower/alter your expectations, or continue waiting for the perfect solution.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
i ask this because i want a camera that takes amazing pictures and has great video quality..i want the best picture quality and video quality so i dont have to spend money on two different cameras..evrithing in one camera..but very compact..and i was looking at the gf1 or ep2..but then i saw the canon hf s11..which i think is good recording videos..but not sure about the picture quality..what do yu think..wat camera would be good in both what am looking for..
machoBaller213 1 year ago
The photos that come off a video camera are usually pathetic. You don't want that. Maybe you should look at the Panasonic G2 - it does 1080p video that's quite excellent, but also takes great photos as well. It's bigger than the GF1, but is more capable at video.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
hey thoughtsmedia...how is the gf1 compared to the olympus ep2...both picture and video quality...and is the video on both cameras better than a camcorder..such as the canon hf s11..please let me know..
machoBaller213 1 year ago
I have no experience with the EP2 or the EP1 - I haven't touched either one of them. What I've read though is that the EP1 has slightly better low-light performance, but much worse focusing speed. I looked at the EP1 before I bought the GF1, and based on the reviews I read comparing them both, I went with the GF1. As for the video quality, it's 720p and not 1080p like the Canon HF S11 offers, but it would be good in low light. The depth of field is what makes is great though!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
And let me just add that if your goal is to take a lot of videos, a dedicated video camera is probably better for you - but if you want to take mostly photos and do some videos, the GF1 is a great choice.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
after listening to your review, i guess i'm not going to get this one, because i can only own one of these...ZS3 would be better for a beginner right?
KaNGaRooBaby910 1 year ago
Yes, the ZS3 (or the new model that replaces it, the ZS5 or ZS7) would be a good place to start.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
but then the price of the ZS5/ZS7 are more expensive than ZS3...i really love your red colour ZS3
KaNGaRooBaby910 1 year ago
Well, yes, the ZS5/ZS7 models are more expensive, but they also offer more features - it just depends if you need what they offer. If not, the ZS3 is a great camera!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Hi you should really consider buying the add on EVF, as it makes a world of difference when it comes to framing in bad sunlight & holding the camera steady.
I can get much sharper shots with the GF1 & 20mm using the EVF than i would holding outwards like a P&S, moreso in lowish light conditions
I was abit put off at first getting it as the quality is only 202k, but tbh it's much better than i expected.
Ixon2001 1 year ago
Cool, thanks for sharing your insights - I've only had the briefest of hands-on time with the EVF for the GF1, so I don't have much of an opinion about it. In general I loathe EVF's because the quality sucks (who wants to see the world through a low-res reproduction?), but if you're saying it's pretty good I might give it a shot. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
Bad sound again?! :'(
piratapan 1 year ago
Much to my frustration, I recorded five videos on the same day with the microphone turned up too loud - so all five videos have the same gain problem. I know, it sucks...but I can't bring myself to re-record them. It would be far too difficult.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago
looks pretty snazzy!
Xylo23 1 year ago
@Xylo23 It's a FANTASTIC camera. So much fun to use, and really great picture quality.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 1 year ago