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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Ultra Compact Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Ultra Compact Camera

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Key Features of the Panasonic DMC-GF1 :
  • World's smallest Digital Interchangable Lens Camera.
  • Accepts a large variety of micro Four Thirds Lenses.
  • 12.1-Megapixel Live MOS Sensor: Higher Image Quality, Lower Power Consumption.
  • Large 3.0" LCD Screen with Live View.
  • Extended HD Movie Recording with SLR Quality.
  • A Built-In Flash in a Stylish Body.
  • Face Recognition, Intelligent Exposure, Intelligent Scene Selector, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control.
  •  MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
  • Take Advantage of Leica and Four Thirds Lenses
  • The High-Speed, High-Performance Venus Engine HD

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 is the latest addition to the award-winning LUMIX G Series, which debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with a built-in flash. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 distinguishes itself from previous models with its elegant, compact design reminiscent of classic film cameras, yet builds on Panasonic’s success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. With its compact size, user-friendly design and ability to record High Definition (HD) video and take professional-quality photos, the LUMIX GF1 continues to redefine digital photography standards.

Panasonic GF1 highlights
With its lightweight body, the LUMIX GF1 provides experienced photographers with the ideal digital camera to carry with them at all times. Like its predecessors in the LUMIX G Series, the LUMIX GF1 eliminates the pentaprism found in traditional interchangeable lens cameras. Thus, this mirror-free structure allows Panasonic to dramatically reduce both size and weight.

Though small in size, the LUMIX GF1 does not compromise in advanced features. The LUMIX GF1 thoroughly optimizes the advantages of a system camera to ensure high performance, whether capturing photos or HD video. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 can record 1280 x 720 High Definition video in AVCHD Lite, a format that enables longer recording times. With a dedicated video record button, capturing video is convenient and easy. The LUMIX GF1 can also record HD Motion JPEG in 1280 x 720 and other video recording formats include: QVGA, VGA and WVGA. The LUMIX GF1 has a unique Movie Program Mode that allows consumers to adjust the depth-of-field while shooting in HD video, so background and foreground can be blurred to give creative effects--something typically only possible with expensive professional camcorders.

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 includes the new My Color mode, which includes seven preset effects--Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, Silhouette and Custom--all which let users manually set the color, brightness and saturation levels. With the Live View function, users can see how these settings will effect the photo before they shoot, making it easier to capture the exact mood or atmosphere desired. For even more elaborate effects, users can choose from a total of nine Film modes, and set the contrast, sharpness and saturation levels for each. A custom function lets users store their favorite settings in memory. Furthermore, the exposure meter can be displayed in other shooting modes and the correlation between shutter speed and aperture is shown, with a color-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range.

For those users not quite comfortable with extensive manual and creative controls, the LUMIX GF1 provides a user-friendly setting that can address a beginner’s comfort level, while helping them evolve their photography skills. For instance, Panasonic’s new Scene mode, Peripheral Defocus, lets users take a photo where the foreground is in focus and background is blurred--or vice versa. This popular effect can be intimidating for a beginner, but in the Peripheral Defocus mode, by simply selecting the objects to be blurred and focused using the camera’s keypad, it is simple for photographers of any level.

Panasonic Lumix GF1 Highlights

Versatile Functions and Superb Images
The GF1 adopts the Micro Four Thirds System standard, which was developed as an extended version of the Four Thirds System standard for digital camera systems. By using this standard and developing a camera body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit, LUMIX was able to achieve a dramatic reduction in both size and weight compared with conventional digital SLR cameras, to create a new-generation system camera that features Full-time Live View, high-speed, high-precision Contrast AF, HD movie recording, and more. The GF1 is small enough to take anywhere yet sophisticated enough to take you as far into photography and movies as you want to go.
Panasonic GF1 highlights

12.1-Megapixel Live MOS Sensor: Higher Image Quality, Lower Power Consumption
The 4/3-type 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the GF1 offers the best of both worlds--the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. This sensor is also advantageous for photo and movie recording with its high S/N, thanks to a new circuit structure that is unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. It results in clear images even when taken at high ISO sensitivity.

Extended HD Movie Recording with SLR Quality
The hybrid GF1 lets you take both high-quality photos and HD movies. You can shoot breathtaking HD (1280 x 720) movies in AVCHD Lite format (MPEG-4/H.264) backed by the high sound quality of Dolby Digital Creator. And you can record for a longer time without running out of memory because AVCHD Lite stores data more efficiently than Motion JPEG while maintaining stunning image clarity and detail. A dedicated "movie record" button on the top lets you instantly start recording movies while shooting photos, so you don't miss a second of the action.
*"AVCHD Lite" and "AVCHD Lite" logos are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

A Built-In Flash in a Stylish Body
Some compact size cameras reduce weight by not including a built-in flash. With the GF1, the built-in flash is concealed inside the body and out of sight. A single touch pops the flash up for easy shooting anytime you want. You can also adjust the light intensity in the range of ±2 EV at 1/3 EV steps to match your subject.

My Color Mode Puts You in Control of Your Colors
Naturally you want your photos to be unique. My Color mode on the GF1 lets you control each and every photo with eight unique preset modes in all, including a colorful Expressive mode, a soft and moody Pure mode, and a Custom mode that lets you adjust the color, brightness, and saturation just the way you want them. You can dramatically change the images of even familiar subjects to express your own creativity.

The Soft Focus of Peripheral Defocus Mode Lets You Achieve Professional Results
The GF1 automatically adjusts the focus to match the AF area you positioned while gently defocusing the foreground and background to emphasize the subject. You don't have to change the aperture yourself to take photos with the highly attractive soft focus effect of an SLR camera.

iA Mode Helps Prevent Shooting Mistakes in a Variety of Situations
Select iA mode, and the GF1 automatically activates a host of advanced functions and technologies that make it easy to capture beautiful, clear shots.
Panasonic GF1 highlights
  • Face Recognition: This function recognizes the faces of subjects that have been registered in the camera and displays the names of up to three people. The GF1 then optimizes the focus and brightness of the registered faces. Turn Face Recognition item ON and register the person with a full-face portrait on the shooting menu in advance.
  • AF Tracking: Once you've focused on a subject, AF Tracking keeps the subject in focus--even if it moves--until you press the shutter release.
  • Intelligent Exposure: The camera can correct the brightness in parts of the image that are too dark due to insufficient lighting, backlighting or use of the flash.
  • Intelligent Scene Selector: The camera automatically selects whichever of five Scene modes--Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery, and Macro--best suits the situation.
  • Face Detection AF/AE: The camera detects when there are faces in the frame and adjusts the focus and exposure to capture them properly. This allows you to shoot beautiful portraits without any hassle.
  • Intelligent ISO Control: If the subject moves as you snap the shot, the camera automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to help prevent subject blur.
  • MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer): Gyrosensors built into the lens detect hand-shake and an O.I.S. shifts to compensate. Assisting you in getting those clear, beautiful, blur-free photos.
*Some functions in iA mode will not be available depending on the lens that is mounted.

Produce Original HD Movies
Unlike most other cameras, the GF1 allows the use of My Color mode and Scene mode to record HD movies. And Motion Picture P mode lets you change the aperture for more creative HD movie recording.

Panasonic GF1 highlights
iA Mode: Beautiful HD Movies with Point-and-Shoot Ease
Select iA mode, and the GF1 automatically activates a host of advanced functions and technologies that make it easy to capture beautiful HD movies.

Full-time Live View: See How the Image Will Turn Out Before You Shoot
The GF1's Full-time Live View lets you see in the LCD how adjusting the exposure, white balance, aperture and even the shutter speed will affect the shot. This makes it easier to capture a special shot or particular kind of image without shooting again and again.

Let the Exposure Meter Guide You
The on-screen meter display indicates the degree of aperture and shutter speed that can be changed within a suitable exposure range. The range in which appropriate exposure is not possible is shown in red, so you can intuitively grasp the corresponding aperture and shutter speed combinations.

Take Advantage of Leica and Four Thirds Lenses
More than 20 available Leica M/R lenses or 30 Four Thirds lenses can be used with the Micro Four Thirds System standard GF1, simply by mounting a separately purchased lens adaptor.

An Optional Live View Finder Mounts to the Hot Shoe
You can equip the GF1 with an optional 202,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder (LVF) featuring a magnification of approximately 1.04x (0.52x*) and 100% field of view. Because it displays the same information as the LCD, it is effectively used in situations where the LCD is difficult to see, such as under bright sunlight. The LVF is also handy for low-angle shots because it can be tilted vertically from 0 to 90 degrees.
*35 mm camera equivalent

The High-Speed, High-Performance Venus Engine HD
The Venus Engine HD incorporates two CPUs. This not only boosts image processing speed, it also helps achieve an exceptional noise-reduction performance. Also, the two CPUs of the Venus Engine HD allow long-time movie recording in AVCHD Lite format while maintaining low power consumption. And the Venus Engine HD features HDMI output too.

Dust Reduction System Protects the Image Sensor
If dust or other foreign matter gets inside the camera when you're changing lenses, it could cling to the image sensor and show up as a spot in photos. The GF1 helps eliminate this possibility by placing a Supersonic Wave Filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles. This keeps the image sensor clean at all times and eliminates the need for cumbersome maintenance procedures.

HD Photos and HD Movies with VIERA Link Networking
The GF1 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals. Just connect the camera to an HDTV using a single HDMI mini cable (optional). It's also easy to enjoy slideshows in which both photos and movies are played according to the recorded timeline. If you have a VIERA TV, you can control the camera's playback functions with VIERA's remote control unit.

Easy HD Image Viewing with the SD Card Slot
Simply take the SDHC/SD Memory Card from the GF1 and slip it into the card slot of a Panasonic VIERA or Blu-ray Disc player, and you're ready to view HD images. For even greater impact and entertainment fun, you can add background music and image effects to your image slideshows.
*To play movies recorded in the Motion JPEG format, you need the included AV cable.

PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 HD Edition Makes Photo and Movie Editing Easy
AVCHD Lite movies can be transferred to a PC from an SDHC/SD Memory Card or via the USB cable to view or edit them. You can also make a DVD disc from AVCHD Lite files by converting them to MPEG-2. The software makes it easy and fun to edit or organize a collection of photos. It features a Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in the photos stored in your PC and lets you sort them by face. Also, photos shot with My Color mode can be categorized and viewed by style. The sophisticated interface allows you to enjoy emotion-packed slideshows with a variety of effects and music. And motion images can be directly uploaded to YouTube

SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 SE Adjusts RAW Images Any Way You Want Them
The GF1 records original image data in RAW file format, which allows images to be developed according to your intention. A number of highly advanced functions can be applied to these RAW images by using the SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 SE software utility, with its unique combination of high resolution and extraordinary color separation.





Panasonic DMC-GF1 Photo Samples

Click here to view more samples.
These are actual photos taken with Panasonic DMC-GF1.
Photos courtesy of Flickr and belong to respective users. To view a larger image click on thumbnail.

Compare Panasonic DMC-GF1 with similar cameras

Name: Nikon D40X Canon 40D Nikon D5000 Panasonic DMC-GF1
Megapixels: 10.0 10.1 12.3 12.1
Optical Zoom: N/A N/A N/A N/A
Max Res: 3872 x 2592 3888 x 2592 4288 x 2848 4000 x 3000
LCD Screen: 2.5 " 3.0 " 2.7 " 3 "
Digital zoom: No No No Unknown
Image stabilizer: No No No No
Media Card: SD / SDHC card Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD / SDHC card SD / SDHC / MMC
Battery: Nikon EN-EL9 Lithium-Ion & charger included Canon 1390mAh Li-Ion & Charger Nikon EN-EL9e Lithium-Ion battery Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery
Weight (with batteries): 522 g (18.4 oz) 822 g (29 oz) 590 g (20.8 oz) 315 g (11.1 oz)
Lowest Price: $609.95 $889.95 $639.95 $773.99
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Panasonic DMC-GF1 User Reviews

Avg. Rating
4.0
Out of 5
This item is reviewed by 20 people so far.
Click here for complete reviews.

1
Out of 5
GF! ? Save your money Wait For the Canon G12
- Reviewd on: 2/4/2010 12:00:00 AM By: L. Wilson
I purchased this product
I was totally disappointed.
I have a Canon G10 and wanted to upgrade the video to HD and get more zoom power
I took it out of the box and noticed that the body was extremely light made totally of plastic it seemed.
The 14-45 zoom lens was heavy throwing the balance way off when connected to the camera.
I am used to the G10 which is not heavy but has a solid metal body.
Then the test was the video.
I shot a couple of movies looked at them and they were okay.
The test was panning.
It was choppy much more so than the G10
And I shot photos and some the formats were not able to be recognized by Iphoto.
The result within an hour it was at UPS being returned.
Not worth the $865 not even worth $300
But Amazon was great they get top reviews.
It only cost me about $4.00 to return it with free shipping coming my way.
4
Out of 5
Great camera, but no image stabilization is a HUGE problem
- Reviewd on: 2/1/2010 12:00:00 AM By: Y. Altshuler
I spent a lot of time trying to make up my mind, and now I have. Looked at both GF1 and Olympus E-P1 and going with Olympus. Panasonic is a better camera, no doubt, but they completely missed the boat with image stabilization. And I mean completely. Seems that they forgot why the 4/3m was created in the first place, and it was to make compact SLR for enthusiasts, not just professionals. That means a compact all-in-one camera for pics and video. Compact is the key word here, and without in-body image stabilization the only option for video is the Panasonic zoom lens with the MEGA O.I.S., which is huge. The 20mm pancake lens is fantastic for pics, but it does not have IS and you will not be able to shoot free hand video with it. Would you buy a camcorder without IS? I would not.

With zoom lens GF1 is nearly as large as a regular SLR, so what's the point? Olympus E-P1 has in-body IS, you can carry it around with just the pancake lens and get all the shots and video you want. Without optical IS built into the lens Olympus produced a collapsible zoom lens that is much smaller, even with it attached E-P1 is still pretty compact. For those who don't care as much about the size of the camera it will seem that I'm obsessed. True, but if not for size, why even consider GF1? Full size SLR will be cheaper and better.

Olympus has shortcomings too, slower auto-focus, no af assist light to make it even worse, no built-in flash. But I'd rather carry the small flash than the huge lens. In-lens image stabilization of Panasonic completely defeats the purpose and is the deal breaker for me.


5
Out of 5
Consumer review for consumers (i.e. parents) looking for increased photo quality
- Reviewd on: 2/1/2010 12:00:00 AM By: MJC
This review is really intended for parents, grandparents and non-pros who are looking for a camera that will improve the quality of their photos, without strapping a massive camera around their necks. This is a great camera for that.

Per the title, I'm not a pro or even an amateur photographer. I had a Lumix DMC-TZ3, which is very small and has a big zooms. It worked well for pictures of our children outside in bright light. However, the indoor and low light quality was not as good as we wanted. Since many of these family photos will be kept, saved, and archived for a long time, we were willing to spend some extra money IF we could find a camera that would do it and that was convenient and easy to use.

As an aside, we tried a couple other point and shoot cameras (thanks to Costco's great return policy) but, with some research, realized that ever increasing megapixels and zoom were not going to help us. We needed better lenses and bigger / better sensors.

The key features that were most important to us in comparing other cameras in this price range were:
1. Improved image quality than our point-and-shoot cameras, especially capturing active children in low-light / indoor light conditions. (We tend to turn off the flash and use room lighting so as not to stop the kids in their tracks, which ruins the spontaneous moments we are trying to capture.)
2. Able to take high quality video clips when a photo moment would be better captured with video and audio.
3. Small enough to carry in a pocket and keep handy on a small shelf in the kitchen so that we'll actually use it.
4. Easy to use automatic settings / good auto settings, since we do not use the manual (professional) settings.

We compared the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 to the Canon EOS Rebel T1i and the Nikon D90. We ruled out the Olympus EP1 (or EP2?) early because it does not have an integrated flash. Yes, I know I said we tend not to use it, but we do use it for "say cheese" portraits and a few other instances. Light usually seems to improve the quality of our photos, and having to carry and attach a big flash to the Olympus dropped it from our list early.

We looked at the sample photos and photo tests available for DMC-GF1, T1i, and D90 at [...]. We also held them, turned dials, and pushed buttons at a local camera store. We liked the color, tone, and clarity of the DMC-GF1 best as posted at dpreview. (I imagine this is subjective. We are not pros.) We favored the much smaller size and weight of the DMC-GF1, too. These were all great cameras by our standards, though. Any of them would have greatly improved the photos of our children. In the end, the GF1 was a clear winner for us.

Quality:
The DMC-GF1 has greatly increased the quality of our photos, especially the low light (but high action) ones inside the house. We use the automatic setting most of the time, but sometimes select a scene, such as portrait or (more likely) sports. It is ready to take pictures almost the instant it is turned on. It can take pictures quickly with very little lag from the the time we press the button to the time the actual photo is captured. For those of you using point and shoot cameras, this will be a huge improvement.

Video:
Videos look great on our 52" screen. There is a small button on top of this camera that is easy to locate. It lets us immediately take a video of the photo shot we were trying to take. Research showed that the GF1's micro-four-thirds system allows it to better focus while taking video compared to the canon and nikon because the 4/3's system does not have a mirror that has to be moved or dealt with while filming.

Size:
We bought the 20mm lens and tend to use it more than the larger 14mm-45mm lens. The GF1 is not small and portable (by our standards) with the 14-56 lens, but it fits into a large pocket with the 20mm lens attached. There is no zoom on the 20mm lens (except our feet), but the picture quality is so good that we can easily crop photos when necessary using iPhoto and still have great quality for blown up printout, such as in family calendars...

Easy Automatic Settings:
The camera's automatic settings are doing what they are supposed to do: allowing us to capture great moments by automatically selecting good settings. I don't want to mess with it. Light still matters, but photos that our phones and point-and-shoot cameras are incapable of catching or incapable of rendering without lots of blurry noise look good. Yes, our kids can still do things at high speed in the darkest corners, resulting in noisy, blurry pictures, but the while subjects (kids) and settings (house) have not changed, the number of throw away shots of otherwise great moments has plummeted. We leave the camera on automatic for most shots, but sometimes turn on the flash or select a scene from the easy to use menu. (Turning on the flash is very easy, just press the button on the back of the camera (right behind the flash) and it will pop up, ready to do its thing).

It's not perfect for us, but it's great. Ideally, it would be even smaller, cheaper, with a powerful zoom, and would never miss a shot. Still, we feel it was the best value for our money, and we have been delighted with the photos.
5
Out of 5
Perfect For Moving Up From A Compact
- Reviewd on: 1/17/2010 12:00:00 AM By: G. Huffman
I am by no means an advanced photographer (intermediate at best), but ready to move up from a pocket camera. The GF1 is an excellent entry point into the kit camera range. There are plenty of ways to control a photo ... manual shutter, aperture, focus and ISO settings, along with a healthy variety of filters. Plus plenty of auto settings. With its large sensor (compared to any compact), photos without a flash are amazing in light conditions which used to be hopeless for me. Indoor photos without flash seem to come out brighter than what I see with my eyes. Right after I received this camera a couple weeks ago, I field-tested it on a business trip to Tampa and was very pleased. I've uploaded a few of those "customer images" to Amazon that were taken in several challenging lighting conditions. Judge for yourself.

I've only shot 2 video clips so far but don't really have an opinion about quality yet, although it's pretty easy to use.

Build quality is first class. Rock solid with controls and fittings that feel like they should last forever.

I bought the kit with the 14-45mm lens which has a very smooth zoom but seems especially large on its body. I tested the lens with its Optical Image Stabilization switched off, and it does make a noticeable difference. Sometime this year, I'm going to get the 20mm pancake lens that the critics are raving about. Hopefully by then, I'll have mastered how to choose the setting or combo for each effect I want. I'm really looking forward to learning how to take much better photos, and I now know for sure that this camera will teach me.

The most negative thing that I can say about the GF1 is its price. Fortunately, I managed to get it for "only" $849 from a very reliable retailer on Amazon the day after Christmas. That deal seems to be long gone. But it's still an excellent camera for anyone who wants to take their photo skills to the next level beyond point-and-shoot.
4
Out of 5
Great photo camera
- Reviewd on: 12/16/2009 12:00:00 AM By: Guillermo Lastres
Very good picture quality even at low light. I like the Pancake Lens, makes it very portable. I'll probably end up buying the viewfinder for video shooting.