Decent compact digital cameras are commonplace. For €150, you can get a 12 megapixel model with most of the software bells and whistles thrown in.
Triple that price and you’re into the basic SLR models, with their interchangeable lenses.Panasonic’s Lumix GF1 is a different beast. It has a solid, hard body, roughly the size of a small SLR. It has a choice of a few interchangeable lenses, but it is still considered a compact camera.
Where it differs from the typical compact camera is in the images it produces. Almost alone among compacts, it offers the option of shooting pictures in a raw format. Raw images usually give better quality and can be adapted for more purposes, including posters or larger format printing.
The GF1 is something of a breakthrough for raw images in a non-SLR device. The quality is stunning. Several hundred shots, taken on a weekend in Mayo, produced images that just can’t be obtained on a normal compact camera (for some examples, see this page’s blog at yourtech.ie).
The resolution of the images was also top-notch, with shots up to ISO level of 1600 coming out beautifully. The camera also shoots HD video (720p) very well, a big bonus given the rise in bandwidth and photo sites that are available.
So what are the GF1’s downsides? The camera is a little clunky and heavy, compared to most compact models. There are also some counter-intuitive issues with it: I had to consult the manual to figure out whether or not I had a zoom. (I didn’t, as it came with a pancake lens instead of a zoom one.)
Unlike many of its rivals, it also requires the loading of the CD software for images to be uploaded to most computers. This is surprising, especially when using a Mac.
Also note that, for a device that carries the price tag of an SLR, it does not have anything like the speed of an SLR. I found that it took up to two seconds for the camera to refresh itself before being ready to take another shot.
Despite these niggles, the camera is a superb device and one that comes highly, highly recommended.
Price: €680 for body only; RRP is €990 to include the 20mm lens and €870 with the 45mm lens.
The two second delay is a setting that you can adjust. It is the time that the image is displayed after you take a picture so that you can review it. I was stumped by this as well until I found the setting. Now I have it set to zero. ... Yes, the images it takes are wonderful.
Posted by: Larry | April 10, 2010 at 02:43 PM