Lumix GF1: First Impressions
It’s finally here! I got a call today to say that my Lumix GF1 had arrived in store so of course I rushed off to pick it up. While I haven’t had a chance to really play with it yet (the battery is charging), I can give some early comments on the build and handling. If you’ve been following this latest entry in the Micro Four Thirds system you’ve no doubt seen the praise that’s been heaped upon it in reviews, and I can gladly say that my impressions aren’t any different.
In the box you’ll find the camera body (of course) and whichever lens you’ve opted for (I chose the 14-45mm lens over the 20mm) as well as lens caps, a lens bag, a shoulder strap, a battery + charger and a lens hood (only with the 14-45mm lens), plus all the standard manuals and documentation. The first thing I noticed about the camera is that it feels great to hold. The mostly metal body looks nice and feels very sturdy. The size of the body is pretty much what you’ve been led to expect: it’s much slimmer than a full-size DSLR, but larger than a compact. It’s not actually that much bigger than my Canon PowerShot SX100IS, though that camera is larger than most compacts (which has always been part of its appeal to me). Even with the zoom lens attached, the weight of the GF1 is comfortable and it doesn’t feel too front-heavy. I can’t see it being a burden while on holiday, especially with the included shoulder strap.
I’ll leave any further comments for when I’ve actually powered up the camera and played around with it, but as far as the feel of the GF1 goes I am very pleased and impressed.
There are a couple more photos on my blog, if you're interested.
>.< i sooo want to have this camera but sadly my dad won't allow me to buy cameras that are over 500 bucks
haha , i think you should buy it . it is really a nice camera , you won't regret it.
may be you can use your dad's 500 bucks and + your own money haha~~~
*envy* i read reviews about how awesome this camera really is and now just seeing this post makes me want to get it more but sadly due to budget constraints D: would you recommend any good cameras? I don't really know much about cameras but i just need one that is compact, for taking pictures of friends and family and animals , For gundam photoshoot (thats a must) :D and also has 10 megapixel and above if you could recommend any good cameras i would be indebted to you forever :D
Why not go for the Lumix lx3 instead? It's still an undoubtably superb camera but as it is the previous model it is cheaper in price.
The LX3 is an excellent suggestion, but to make a correction: it is not the "previous model". The GF1 and the LX3 are completely different camera formats in different product lines (not to mention different price ranges), and I don't think Panasonic have released a replacement for the LX3 yet. However, it has gotten cheaper simply thanks to having been out for a while.
Wow thanks alot.. :D i and indebted to you forever :D never knew Danny had it though
I was thinking about getting the Olympus EP-2... Until they unveiled the specs yesterday!!!
Looks like the GF-1 is the winner right now! Need to save up after KOSMOS...
@Ryan: Megapixel numbers are misleading because they don't actually do that much!! It's the sensor size which matters and point-and-click cameras have some pretty small ones...
Thanks for the info!
Yeah, the EP-2 announcement was a snoozefest. It just looks like they're playing catch-up with the GF1's features (faster AF, electronic viewfinder... black finish?) while bringing nothing new to the table in Micro Four Thirds Manor. And really Olympus? Still no flash?
I also vouch for the Lumix LX3. It's an excellent camera and I've taken thousands of photos with it.
Having said that... Im in Japan right now agonizing over whether to buy a white GF-1 right now. I'd pick up both the zoom plus the pancake. I cant resist a small lens for walkaround use. The main sticking point for me right now is that the white version is Japan and HK only as far as I know and the Japan version ONLY has japanese menus. I could navigate the menu with a little practice but it might slow me down in the future if I ever need to make an unexpected adjustment. The viewfinder also looks interesting but no store has it on display so far.
Oh decisions decisions.
The white version is so so pretty! There'd be two deal-breakers for me in buying a Japanese unit though. First, the Japanese-only menus: I know you could learn your way around without knowing Japanese, but with so many options it would be far more trouble than it's worth. Second, the warranty would likely be valid only in the country of purchase, so if anything went wrong with the camera you'd be stuck with paying for repairs.
But the white version is so pretty... ^^;
I'm loving my Lumix GF1 (Pancake lens). I'm still messing around with the camera and am liking how they programmed it. You got the camera with the lens that zooms :/. Nice buy ^^.