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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Based on 60 reviews

Excellent:

27
Good:

27
Average:

6
Bad:

0

Pros

Fast autofocus speeds; built-in pop up flash; 720p HD video recording.
Olympus E-P1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Great build Retro design, Lovely retro design Cool arty modes, Good colour rendition Good noise performance, Excellent continuous shooting mode Nice auto white-balance system, Nice Art modes Sharp images
Very fast autofocus for a Contrast Detection-based camera; excellent movie mode; very good image quality in good light; simple and discrete design.
GF1 offers an interesting look versus other DSLR cameras, Image quality is very good, Manual focus "zoom" feature works extremely well, Camera construction is very sturdy, Offers both USB and HDMI output
Solid build. Fast, excellent pictures. HD movies
Compact size for an interchangeablelens camera, Great learning tool and/or DSLR replacement.
More compact than a D-SLR. Fast focusing speeds. Extremely sharp images. 720p30 HD video capture. Built-in flash. HDMI port with CEC support.
Compact body with DSLR-sized sensor, Detailed 3in / 460k screen and optional EVF, HD movies with choice of encoding formats, Great Auto mode and full Manual controls.
Excellent photo quality and performance for its class; comfortable, streamlined design; interchangeable lenses.
High-quality build, Weighs just over one pound with 20mm lens, Fits into small places, Excellent quality kit lenses, Camera corrects geometric distortion and chromatic aberration, Accurate LCD viewfinder, Very good auto white balance performance in inc...
Superb resolution, excellent overall image quality up to ISO 1600, Stunning raw output, Reliable exposure and focus and generally reliable white balance, Excellent build quality & great screen, Surprisingly good handling, fun and easy to use, Very compact
Light and relatively compact, Very good image and video quality, Good AF and shutter response, Shoots RAW, One button video recording.
Size, design, HD video, Peripheral Defocus scene mode, Micro Four Thirds compatability
Onboard flash; compact size; good picture quality; optional electronic viewfinder helps conserve battery life; solid build.
Good build, Nice design, Good image results

Cons

Mono audio recording; colour modes not practical; average ISO performance; no builtin optical image stabilisation.
Olympus E-P1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Optional optical viewfinder No High ISO NR, Some Art modes can be slow Electronic viewfinder is optional
Noisy images at high ISOs; camera not as small as it seems when all the parts are added on; aggressive anti-noise processing in JPEG mode blurs detail.
Camera seems a little expensive, Learning to find all of the GF1's features will take some time, Placement of popup flash is very awkward, No optical viewfinder
No viewfinder, no onboard IS
No optical viewfinder, Not as many lens options as a full DSLR, Image exposure is a bit dark
Noisy images at ISO 1600 and higher. No optical viewfinder. No optical image stabilization with 20mm lens.
No stabilisation in body or 20mm kit lens, Viewfinder is a pricey accessory, Screen suffers from reflections in bright light, Focusing restrictions with many lenses.
EVF costs extra; can't use EVF and hot-shoe flash simultaneously.
Dynamic range and high ISO output not quite as good as best in class (including Olympus E-P1), JPEG output nowhere near as good as it could be - shoot raw for best results, Default settings don't produce particularly appealing (JPEG) color, Flash is v
Cost, Monitor only standard, view finder optional.
Costly, limitations to auto focus, no inbuilt viewfinder
Mono microphone tends to pick up too much ambient noise; My Color feature can be improved; slow shutdown time.
No built-in viewfinder, Optional finder is low resolution, Switch under command dial can be tricky

By Buy-n-Shoot on September 16, 2010

Panasonic have released a number of cameras in their G Series over the past couple of years. Each iteration added minor improvements that, many would say, should have been implemented in its predecessor. But this should, really, be forgiven for...

80
By FutureLooks on August 30, 2010

The GF1 is a surprisingly good camera given its size and weight. It certainly holds its own against other cameras in a similar price range namely the ones from its Micro Four Thirds partner Olympus. In-body image stabilization, external...

80
By Photography Bay on August 23, 2010

In short, I love the GF1. It is my current pick of the mirrorless camera genre. Sure, the GF1 is not going to replace anyones 5D Mark II or D700 anytime soon. For casual photos though, its tough to beat for image quality, functionality...

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By AsiaOne on July 19, 2010

Still, the GF1 is a decent mirrorless system camera that manages to outperform compact cameras and superzooms alike. It also retains many options and settings that experienced photographers will...

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By TechCentral on July 19, 2010

In a nutshell, the GF1 has many good qualities that make it a strong performer in this camera shootout. SIDE VIEW: Mounted with a 20mm pancake lens, the GF1 makes for a very portable compact camera. Its main advantages are its portable size, ability...

80
By Digital Photography School on May 01, 2010

I’ve long waged a personal war against overweight, over-sized digital SLRs. As the effective digital film frame is mostly stamp-sized why on earth does the body and lens of every camera maker’s DSLR have to be so bulky?When the Micro Four...

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By Gadling on April 13, 2010

In this review, we'll introduce the fourth Micro Four Thirds camera to earn some coverage here on Gadling. As a quick reminder - Micro Four Thirds digital cameras offer the same image sensor quality found on large(r) digital SLR cameras, but in a...

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By T3 Magazine on March 11, 2010

More contemporary looking than the E-P2 and with a built-in flash, this is an amazing deal as long as you can live with the lack of anti-shake by instead buying an image-stabilised...

80
By PC Authority on February 26, 2010

A likeable high-end compact, but its expensive and cant handle noise at high ISO...

83
By CNET Australia on February 15, 2010

The GF1 is the most complete Micro Four Thirds camera yet. If you're looking for the ideal entry-point into the format, the GF1 could be...

85