In summary
The world’s first Micro Four Thirds System camera with features and performance to appeal to photo enthusiasts.Panasonic’s new Lumix DMC-G1 is the first model in an entirely new camera system, officially known as ‘Micro Four Thirds’ but sometimes dubbed ‘EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens)’ to provide a better picture of the difference between it and a DSLR (which it resembles superficially). Cameras made for this system have no reflex mirror and no optical viewfinder. The sensor is also significantly larger than the sensor in similar-sized advanced digicams. . . [more]
Full review
Panasonic’s new Lumix DMC-G1 is the first model in an entirely new camera system, officially known as ‘Micro Four Thirds’ but sometimes dubbed ‘EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens)’ to provide a better picture of the difference between it and a DSLR (which it resembles superficially). Cameras made for this system have no reflex mirror and no optical viewfinder. The sensor is also significantly larger than the sensor in similar-sized advanced digicams.
Although smaller than most DSLR cameras – and claiming status as the smallest interchangeable-lens camera on the market – compared with a typical digicam, the G1 remains quite large; too large to fit into a shirt pocket and you’d need a sizeable jacket pocket to accommodate the camera with the 14-45mm kit lens. However, it’s slightly smaller than the Olympus E-420 – although it weighs five grams more. The illustration below provides a comparison between the G1 and Panasonic’s DMC-L10, the company’s smallest and lightest DSLR model.
When designing the G1, Panasonic has endeavoured to combine the most popular features of its advanced digicams with those of its DSLRs. Consequently, the new camera comes with a full range of adjustments for serious photographers plus the automated controls point-and-shooters require. However, the user interface resembles those on Panasonic’s high-end digicams. To please fashion-conscious buyers, The G1 is offered in three smart (but sober) colours: blue, red and black.
Front view of the black version of the Lumix DMC-G1 with the pop-up flash raised.
Build quality is mostly good and the camera’s SLR-like plastic body is covered with a smooth, rubber-like material that provides a surprisingly comfortable and secure grip. The moulded hand grip has a nice deep notch for the second finger and a complementary rear thumb-grip moulding. Both position the index finger nicely for operating the shutter button and the push-and-turn dial just below it. Depending on the shooting mode, pushing the dial in adjusts exposure compensation or switches between aperture and shutter speed settings.
Top view of the G1 fitted with the 14-45mm kit lens.
Left of the viewfinder/flash housing on the top panel is a rotating dial for setting the autofocusing modes plus a lever for raising the flash. A moulded focus distance mark lies just in front of the former. There’s a flash hot-shoe on top of the finder housing and the viewfinder eyepiece has a soft rubber surround that will please users who wear glasses.
Right of the finder housing is the main mode dial, which carries settings for iA (“Intelligent” Auto), P, A,S and M shooting modes, a Custom memory setting, My Colour and Scene modes and five “Advanced” scene pre-sets (Portrait, Scenery, Sports, Close-up and Night Portrait). Program shift is supported in the P mode.
Each of the Advanced Scene settings contains between four and five sub-menus that provide fine-tuning of exposure settings. For example, the Portrait mode has Normal, Soft Skin, Outdoor, Indoor and Creative options, while the Landscape mode has Normal, Nature, Architecture and Creative sub-modes.
In most cases, these sub-modes simply tweak hues and contrast a little. However, the Creative setting provides more flexibility with aperture and shutter speed adjustment. Pre-sets in the Scene mode sub-menu include two Baby settings and a Pet setting where you can store a child’s (or pet’s) birthday and display the age when shots are played back. The remaining modes are Party and Sunset. These modes are similar to those in Panasonic’s digicam range.
Below the mode dial are two lever settings, the front one selecting the drive and self-timer modes and the rear the on-off switch. Both are easy to re-set inadvertently when changing exposure settings. Buttons right of the mode dial provide direct access to the Q. (Quick) Menu and Film Mode settings. Pressing the Q.Menu button displays an array of icons across the top of the LCD. Sub-menus for each parameter drop down as you move from one to the next using either the arrow pad or the front dial control.
The Q.Menu display.
The Film Mode button opens a selection of six colour and three B&W “film’ pre-sets with pre-set colour, contrast and saturation adjustments. Options include Standard, Dynamic and Smooth (for colour and B&W), Nature and Nostalgic for colour plus two “My Film” memories for saving your own preferred adjustments and a Multi Film mode that captures up to three shots at a time, changing the film setting each time the shutter is released.
Film Mode settings.
My Film selection in the menu.
Most of the rear panel is covered by the 3.0-inch “free-angle” LCD monitor, an articulating display that rotates 180 degrees horizontally and swings through 270 degrees vertically and provided 100% field of view with 460,000-dot resolution. This 3:2 aspect ratio screen has an Auto Power function that automatically boosts brightness by up to 40%, depending on ambient lighting. At maximum brightness, the display is 1.4x brighter than normal.
Rear view of the G1 with the free-angle LCD screen fully extended.
More remarkable is the G1’s 1,440,000-dot colour Live View Finder, which also provides 100% field of view and has a refresh rate of 60 fps. According to Panasonic, the field sequential system uses RGB 3-independent sequential illumination to produce 180 fps for each of the three colours. This is the best EVF we have seen on any camera we’ve reviewed to date.
When you look into the viewfinder, a sensor automatically turns the Live View Finder on and the LCD off. Take your eye away and the process is reversed. You can confirm the depth of field and shutter speed effects by pressing the Preview button and Display buttons. All displays on the LCD are replicated in the viewfinder, allowing you to change menu settings without taking your eye away. Post-capture playback of shots is also provided in the viewfinder – and this has some disadvantages because it slows camera response times.
The memory card slots in behind a lift-up panel on the right hand side of the camera body. Although it closes snugly, its hinge is rather flimsy and represents the main weak spot in build quality. Sharing this compartment is the DC-in port. The rechargeable battery fits into a dedicated compartment in the base of the camera. Beside it – and centered on the lens axis – is a metal-lined tripod socket.
Features & Controls
When you remove the G1’s lens, the sensor is exposed to full view instead of being partially protected by the mirror as in a DSLR. This is shown in the illustration below.
There are plusses and minuses to this situation. On the plus side, the sensor should be easier to clean as you don’t need to lift a mirror to get at it. On the minus side, it’s vulnerable to fingermarking (the sensor on the review camera arrived with a small finger mark). Panasonic has adopted the Olympus SSWF dust removal system for its DSLR cameras and also uses it for the G1. Vibrating at approximately 50,000 times per second, this filter shakes off dust and other particles, which land on an adhesive strip below the sensor.
The G1 also sports Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. image stabilisation system. Implemented in the lens, it compensates for the blurring caused by hand-shake. A dedicated LSI processes output from the gyrosensors at up to 4,000 times per second to counteract camera movement. Three modes are provided: Mode 1 provides continuous correction; Mode 2 corrects only when the shutter button is pressed (and claims to provide greater correction); Mode 3 corrects only vertical movements to enable panning.
The contrast-based autofocusing system supports several AF modes, including multipoint AF with up to 23 focus points, 1-area AF with a selectable focus point, Face Detection, and Tracking AF. In the 1-area AF mode the AF frame size can be changed from Spot to Extra Large in 4 steps by turning the control dial. With the 1-area AF setting you can adjust the size of the AF frame in four steps by turning the control dial.
The Custom menu contains a Pre AF setting with three options: Off, Quick AF and Continuous AF. Quick AF (which activates automatically in iA mode) starts focusing as soon as the camera is pointed toward a subject; you don’t need to half-press the shutter button. Continuous AF maintains focus automatically and continuously. Although both and minimise focusing lag for shooting they tend to consumer battery power and should be avoided when the battery is low.
In manual focus mode, the MF Assist function, which must be switched on in the Custom menu and engaged with the Menu/Set button, enlarges the centre of the image to make focusing easier. You can then rotate the focusing ring on the lens to focus on the subject. The Custom menu also provides AF+MF settings plus a setting for switching the AF assist lamp on and off.
Like most recently-released cameras, the G1 comes with Face Detection AF and AE. Capable of identifying up to 15 human faces in a frame, the system also includes Face Tracking and can follow moving subjects. However, Quick AF and AF Tracking can’t be used together. In-camera red-eye removal processing is also provided.
When the iA mode is selected, six functions work together to provide optimal camera settings. In addition to the MEGA O.I.S. system, the Intelligent ISO Control function detects subject movement and automatically adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to best suit the movement and light conditions. At the same time, the Intelligent Exposure function provides a form of dynamic range adjustment.
When the subject includes a bright area that could easily become washed out (e.g. the sky), the camera slightly under-exposes the shot, at the same time brightening shadowed areas. The system also works for flash exposures and backlit subjects and users can adjust the effect in three levels in normal shooting mode.
An Intelligent Scene Selector analyses scenes and automatically sets the Scene Mode to either Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery, depending on focusing distance, brightness levels and whether it detects a human face. This subject detection system also includes focus tracking, which is engaged from the time the shutter button is half-pressed.
Selecting the My Colour mode allows users to freely adjust the colour, brightness and saturation in the image. Changes can be seen on the LCD or in the viewfinder. The effects of adjustments can also be seen in the various white balance settings and these can be fine-tuned across two axes (amber/blue and green/magenta) with nine steps of adjustment in each colour direction. White balance bracketing is also supported with bracketing covering three shots along either colour axis.
In the Custom menu you can set the colours of the Info display on the LCD to match (or contrast with) the camera’s body colour. You can also choose between two guide line displays (grid only or grid plus diagonal lines) and two display styles for both viewfinder and LCD. The proximity switch that automatically toggles between viewfinder and LCD when you raise the camera to your eye can be switched on and off, as can the histogram display. The histogram can also be re-positioned on the screen.
Page 1 of the Custom menu.
The Custom menu can also be used to register a shortcut for a frequently used function, which can be activated subsequently by pressing the Down button on the arrow pad. In the Q. Menu mode, selecting the My Menu tab automatically stores the five most recently used menu items, for quick, easy retrieval.
Page 1 of the main menu.
As yet the range of accessories for the G1 is somewhat limited. As well as the G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. Zoom lens used for this review, Panasonic also offers the G Vario 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 telephoto zoom lens, both of which have been designed especially for the G1 body. (A review of the G Vario 45-200mm lens will be posted on this website shortly.) With the DMW-MA1 mount adaptor, users can fit other Four Thirds System lenses to the G1 body.
Three external flash units are available, the DMW-FL220 (GN22), DMW-FL360 (GN36) and DMW-FL500 (GN50). Other accessories include the DMW-BLB13 battery pack, DMW-RSL1 remote shutter release, three shoulder straps, a soft camera case and soft bag, three filters and HDMI and DC cables. Note: although the G1 can be connected to an HD TV set via its HDMI port, no HDMI cable is supplied with the camera.
Sensor & Image Processor
The 4/3-type, 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor in the DMC-G1 uses technologies derived from Panasonic’s (nu) Maicovicon sensors, which were first released in 2004 and targeted mainly at cameraphones. Offering the advantages of both CCD and CMOS sensors, these new imagers have higher fill factors and lower power consumption than other sensor types and claim to offer superior image quality.
Potential purchasers of the G1 should bear in mind that the sensor on this camera is exactly the same size as the sensors on the ‘standard’ Four Thirds System DSLRs; i.e. it measures 22.5 x 18.0 mm (i.e. half the size of a 35mm film frame). However, it’s significantly larger than the sensors in even the flagship models in most digicam manufacturers’ ranges. The diagram below provides a graphical comparison between 35mm-sized, “APS-C sized”, Four Thirds System and the largest digicam sensor areas.
Coupled to the G1’s sensor is a new noise reduction circuit and a new manufacturing technique implants the photodiodes in the deep portion of the silicon wafer to further suppress noise when shooting in low-light conditions. Image processing chips enable simultaneous read-out of four channels of data, thereby supporting live viewing at 60 frames/second.
The G1 also features Panasonic’s new Venus Engine HD image processing LSI, which further enhances image quality by separating chromatic noise from luminance noise and applies the optimal noise reduction to each. Independent gradation control is provided for each of the R, G and B colours to further ensure accurate colour reproduction. The Venus Engine HD also supports an extensive range of functions, including HDMI output.
As in Panasonic’s advanced digicams, the G1 supports three aspect ratio settings and raw file capture is possible at them all. Video capture is not supported. Typical image sizes are shown in the table below.
|
Aspect ratio |
Image Size |
Resolution |
Fine |
Standard |
|
4:3 |
RAW |
4000 x 3000 |
15.5MB |
|
|
L |
4000 x 3000 |
6.4MB |
3.2MB |
|
|
M |
2816 x 2112 |
3.2MB |
1.6MB |
|
|
S |
2048 x 1536 |
1.7MB |
0.87MB |
|
|
3:2 |
RAW |
4000 x 2672 |
13.8MB |
|
|
L |
4000 x 2672 |
5.7MB |
2.8MB |
|
|
M |
2816 x 1880 |
2.8MB |
1.5MB |
|
|
S |
2048 x 1360 |
1.5MB |
0.79MB |
|
|
16:9 |
RAW |
4000 x 2248 |
11.6MB |
|
|
L |
4000 x 2248 |
4.9MB |
2.4MB |
|
|
M |
2816 x 1584 |
2.4MB |
1.2MB |
|
|
S |
1920 x 1080 |
1.2MB |
0.6MB |
|
Continuous shooting speeds top out at three frames/second in the High Speed mode and two frames/second for Low Speed. JPEG images can be recorded to the limit of memory capacity, although burst speeds will slow as more shots are captured. For raw files or RAW+JPEG pairs, a limit of seven shots per burst applies.
Playback
Playback options in the G1 are much as you would expect from any sophisticated camera. As well as single-frame review, you can select index views with 12 or 30 thumbnails or opt for a Calendar display that shows thumbnails of the first frame in a shoot on the day on which it was taken. Up to 16x playback zoom magnification is supported and automatic rotation of vertical shots can be set for JPEG images – but not for raw files.
Images can be marked as favourites, DPOF tagged for automated printing, protected or deleted. Selected shots can be resized for emailing or uploading to a website. However, you can only downsample shots and change them from Large to Medium or Small. You can also trim shots or change their aspect ratio using the camera’s menu. The trimming control is essentially zoom-based cropping exercise with the control dial adjusting the zoom ratio and the arrow pad buttons positioning the area of the crop.
Single frame display with no shooting data.
Playback zoom with 16x magnification.
Delete options.
Playback with shooting data.
Playback with basic shooting data and histograms.
Slideshows can be played using either all images on the memory card or only images tagged as favourites. The display time for each image can be set to one, two, three or five seconds or you can change slides manually.
Pressing the Display button in playback mode toggles through a sequence of showing the image with and without shooting data overlay, a thumbnail with shooting data and a thumbnail plus RGB and brightness histograms. If the Highlight function is switched on, over-exposed highlights will blink during playback.
Software
The bundled software disk contains Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0 SE and PHOTOfunSTUDIO plus USB drivers for Windows PCs. The ArcSoft Software Suite supplied with Panasonic’s compact digicams and QuickTime are not provided. We’ve already covered these applications in Photo Review’s review of the Lumix DMC-LX3.
Unlike the FZ28 we reviewed recently, we had no problems viewing and converting raw files taken with the G1 with the Silkypix application. The screen grabs below show some aspects of the user interface in Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0 SE.
The browser window.
Some of the adjustments provided.
Development options.
The Kit Lens
The Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. lens will only be supplied with the G1 body and not offered as a stand-alone lens. Coverign a focal length range equivalent to 28-90mm in 35mm format, it is constructed from 12 elements arranged in 9 groups with one Aspherical element. With a diameter of 60 mm and measuring 60 mm from the tip of the lens to the base of the lens mount, it is petite for its zoom range. Zooming from the 14mm position to 45mm extends the front of the lens by 28mm. Overall weight is approximately 195 grams.
The G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.
Built from high-quality polycarbonate plastic, it has a metal bayonet mounting plate with a gunmetal grey ring between the camera body and the zoom and focus rings. This ring carries the on/off slider switch for the built-in MEGA O.I.S. stabilisation system. The front of the lens is threaded to accept 52mm filters.
The zoom ring is covered by a ribbed, rubberised ring roughly 15mm wide. It turns smoothly with minimal creeping and rotates through roughly a quarter of a turn. No zoom lock is provided. As you move the zoom ring, the maximum aperture changes with focal length as follows:
|
Focal length setting |
Max. aperture |
|
14mm |
f/3.5 |
|
18mm |
f/4.0 |
|
25mm |
f/4.9 |
|
35mm |
f/5.5 |
|
45mm |
f/5.6 |
The iris diaphragm has seven blades and closes to create a circular aperture. Minimum aperture at all focal lengths is f/22. The focus ring is about 6 mm wide and made from hard, ribbed plastic. It rotates through 360 degrees wand there are no stops for setting close-up or infinity positions. The front element of the lens doesn’t rotate during focusing, enabling use of angle-critical filters and other attachments. The MEGA O.I.S. stabilisation system engages quickly and works almost noiselessly.
Inside the mounting plate are 11 electrical contacts that enable the camera to interact with the lens. Supplied with the lens is a ‘petal-shaped’ hood that attaches via a bayonet mount. When fitted it adds approximately 45m mm to the overall length. A clip on lens cap and end cap are also provided.
Our tests showed this lens to have very good flatness of field, with only a slight degree of barrel distortion at the widest focal length. This had vanished by the 25mm setting and no pincushioning was observable at 45mm. Imatest revealed a small degree of edge softening throughout the aperture range (as shown in the graph in the Performance section below), although this was barely visible in test shots.
Lateral chromatic aberration was consistently negligible throughout our tests as shown in the graph below. We found no evidence of coloured fringing when test shots were enlarged to 100%. The lens-based image stabiliser enabled us to shoot hand-held at shutter speeds down to 1/30 second with the 45mm focal length setting. This equates to approximately one f-stop of shutter speed advantage over an unstabilised lens.
Note: The red line on the graph marks the border between ‘negligible’ CA and ‘low’ CA.
The small sensor made it quite difficult to obtain truly out-of-focus backgrounds at wide apertures when the lens was set at the 45mm focal length – and even more difficult at 14mm. Bokeh was compromised as a result.
Performance
Provided light levels were reasonably high, the G1’s contrast-based AF system seemed able to handle most situations it encountered, albeit with a few lapses with low-contrast and close subjects. With the multipoint setting focusing was often on the wrong part of the subject in such situations. Autofocusing slowed in dim lighting and hunting became quite common. For some of our night shots it took more than a second to find focus.
Metering was generally accurate, regardless of the metering mode selected and exposure levels were nicely positioned. However, the sensor’s dynamic range, although wider than in a typical digicam, was not quite as wide as we’ve found in most DSLRs with larger sensors. As a result, most shots with wide brightness levels had blown highlights and slightly blocked shadows – even with raw files. Shadow noise was, however, lower than we’ve found in most digicams.
Image quality was generally good, although not outstanding, largely due to the issues outlined above. Pictures taken with the review camera using the default settings showed colours to be generally accurate and saturation was nicely restrained. Our subjective assessments were confirmed by Imatest testing. JPEG images contained plenty of detail and we found no instances where shots were over-sharpened. Compression artefacts were generally absent from JPEG shots.
Imatest showed resolution to be slightly below expectations for a 12-megapixel camera at ISO 100. Interestingly, raw files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0 SE without any tweaking turned in lower line width/pixel height figures than JPEGs from the camera. However, colour accuracy and exposure accuracy were higher in the converted files. (The latest version of Adobe Camera Raw – our preferred conversion software – did not support the G1 when this review was conducted.)
The kit lens delivered the best results at between two and five f-stops below maximum aperture. Imatest also revealed a small degree of edge softening throughout the aperture range, although this was barely visible in test shots. The graph below shows the results of our tests across the lens’s aperture range.
Surprisingly for the camera’s sensor size and the appearance of test shots at high ISO settings, resolution remained relatively high right up to ISO 1600 but dropped sharply at ISO 3200. The graph below shows the results of our tests.
Test shots taken in dim lighting with and without flash showed little visible noise right up to ISO 800, even without noise reduction processing. Stepping up to ISO 1600 produced a noticeable increase in granularity and some blotchiness in the darker areas of the picture. By ISO 3200, both colour and pattern noise were visible and shots were distinctly blotchy. Switching on noise reduction processing subdued both grain and blotchiness at a small cost to image sharpness.
Auto white balance performance was similar to that of Panasonic’s compact digicams. The test camera failed to completely eliminate the colour cast of either incandescent lighting or fluorescent lighting. Both pre-sets came close to neutrality and manual measurement produced neutral colours under both types of lighting. With adequate scope for in-camera tweaking of colour balance, this issue is largely irrelevant for serious photographers.
Flash performance was generally very good and the built-in flash provided even illumination of an average-sized room throughout the camera’s ISO range. Flash exposures were also well balanced for low-light portraits in which flash provided the main illumination.
Camera response times varied, depending on the type of memory card we used. With a fast APT 4GB Class 6 SDHC card, shot-to-shot delays for both JPEG and raw files averaged approximately 0.8 seconds. In RAW+JPEG mode it took more than a second for the EVF to refresh. Although start-up time was almost instantaneous, capture lag averaged 0.4 seconds, reducing to a consistent average shutter lag of 0.1 seconds. It took 3.5 seconds to process an image file, regardless of whether it was recorded in raw or RAW+JPEG mode.
The continuous shooting mode performed to specifications, capturing five Large/Fine JPEGs in 1.7 seconds and five RAW+JPEG files in 1.9 seconds. No indicator is provided on the camera to show processing of JPEG burst so we couldn’t assess JPEG processing times. It took 12.3 seconds to process burst of five RAW+JPEG files but only 7.5 seconds for a burst of five RAW files, regardless of whether the images were captured in the high-speed or low-speed mode.
Conclusion
It’s early days for the Micro Four Thirds format and really too soon to make definitive judgments about how well it (or this camera) will succeed in the marketplace. With no other cameras for comparison, we have been unable to consider this camera for an Editor’s Choice nomination. However, it’s worth noting that in the G1, Panasonic has produced a camera that looks like a DSLR and supports the same range of user-adjustable controls but has a smaller, lighter body. It looks great, is reasonably well built and offers decent (though not exceptional) all-round performance.
But, it’s not all that much smaller than the smallest Four Thirds System cameras from Olympus and it’s heaver than the lightest Olympus model. So, it’s difficult to see precisely what has been gained in moving to the new format.
For starters, the lenses are definitely smaller than Four Thirds System. However, at present there are only two on offer (although more have been promised for next year). On the downside, putting existing Four Thirds System lenses on the G1 body would compromise its small size so you might as well stick with the larger, SLR-style camera.
Price is likely to be the main deterrent to purchasing the G1. At $1,649 for the body plus 14-45mm lens, it’s almost double the price of the Olympus E-420 (which is only marginally larger but whose body weight is 5 grams less). And the difference between the E-420’s 10-megapixel sensor and the G1’s 12-megapixel chip is negligible to the target market for each product.
Consequently, we can only provide the following suggestions to “speed readers” (but please read the entire review before parting with your hard-earned cash):
Buy this camera if:
– You’re transitioning from a digicam to a more sophisticated camera and want a familiar suite of controls and logical, easy-to-use menus to begin shooting with.
– You’re interested in capturing and adjusting raw files (there’s plenty of potential in the G1’s raw files but you need better software than the bundled application to exploit it).
– You wish to make a style statement (red and blue DSLR-like bodies are sure to generate interest).
– You want the smallest current interchangeable-lens camera system on the market.
Don’t buy this camera if:
– You plan to leave the camera on full-auto for all shots.
– You want to shoot video (the G1 can’t).
– You need a pocketable camera (the G1 isn’t).
– You want to use ultra-wide lenses (the only ones available are Four Thirds System lenses).
– You only shoot JPEG images.
IMATEST GRAPHS
JPEG image files
Raw image files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0 SE.
SAMPLE IMAGES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
30-second exposure at f/4.5; ISO 100.
13-second exposure at f/14; ISO 3200 no noise reduction.
13-second exposure at f/14; ISO 3200 plus noise reduction processing.
Flash exposure, ISO 100
Flash exposure, ISO 3200
Flash portrait, 45mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/40 second at f/5.6.
16:9 aspect ratio: 45mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/11.
Close-up: 25mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/7.1.
Close-up showing ‘bokeh’: 45mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/160 second at f/5.6.
45mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/20 second at f/5.6.
With 45-200mm lens in overcast conditions: 51mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/5.6.
With 45-200mm lens: 200mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/1000 second at f/7.1
Specifications
Image sensor: 4/3-inch (22.5 x 18.0 mm) Live MOS sensor with 13.06 million photosites (12.1 megapixels effective)
Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds system (Four Thirds lenses via adaptor)
Focal length crop factor: 2x
Image formats: RAW, JPEG (Exif 2.21), Fine & Standard compression; 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios
Image Sizes: 4:3 ratio: 4000 x 3000, 2816 x 2112, 2048 x 1536, 3:2 ratio: 4000 x 2672, 2816 x 1880, 2048 x 1360, 16:9 ratio: 4000 x 2248, 2816 x 1584, 1920 x 1080
Image Stabilisation: MEGA O.I.S. (optical)
Dust removal: SSWF
Shutter speed range: 60 to 1/400 second plus Bulb (max. 4 minutes); flash synch at 1/160 second
Exposure Compensation: ±3EV in 1/3EV steps
Self-timer: 10 sec., 2 sec.
Focus system: Contrast detection AF. Manual focusing supported
Focus modes: Single AF, continuous AF, Face detection, AF tracking, 23 area/1 area focusing
Exposure metering: 144-zone multi-pattern sensing system with Intelligent Multiple, Center-Weighted, Spot modes
Shooting modes: Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual plus 10 Scene pre-sets: Close-up (Flower/Food/Objects/Creative), Sports (Normal/Outdoor/Indoor/Creative), Portrait (Normal/Soft Skin/Outdoor/Indoor/Creative), Night Portrait (Night Portrait/Night Scenery/Illuminations/Creative), Baby (x2), Scenery (Normal/Nature/Architecture/Creative), Party, Pet, Sunset, Intelligent Auto
Picture Style/Control settings: Colour: Standard, Dynamic, Nature, Smooth, Vibrant, Nostalgic; Black and White: Standard, Dynamic, Smooth
Colour space options: sRGB, Adobe RGB
ISO range: Auto, ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200; Intelligent ISO in Live View Mode
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set, White Set 1,2, Colour temperature setting (2500-10000K in 100K steps), Flash, White Balance Adjustment (2-axis adjustable, ±9 steps each), White balance adjustment (Blue/Amber bias, Magenta/Green bias)
Flash: Built-in pop-up flash (GN 11); range approx. 45 cm to 6.2 m; Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Forced On/Off, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction modes; Hot-shoe for TTL Auto with Optional FL220, FL360, FL500 flash units
Flash exposure adjustment: ±2EV in 1/3EV steps
Sequence shooting: 3 frames/second (high speed); max. 7 RAW frames
Storage Media: SD/SDHC cards
Viewfinder: Colour LCD EVF with approx. 1,440,000 dots; field of view approx. 100%; diopter adjustment -4 to +4 dpt; 17.5mm eyepoint
LCD monitor: Free-angle 3.0-inch TFT LCD with 460,000 dots (field of view approx. 100%)
Live View modes: 2x, 4x digital zoom, up to 2x Extra Optical zoom, Highlight display, Guidelines (3 patterns), real-time histogram
Data LCD: no
Playback functions: Single, 12, 30-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (16x max.), image rotation (except for RAW), Slide show (duration is adjustable, also manual controllable), Playback of favorite pictures, Resizing (selectable number of pixels), Trimming, Protection, Aspect conversion, DPOF print setting
Interface terminals: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, HD AV output, MiniHDMI (Type C); PAL/NTSC video
Power supply: Lithium-ion battery pack (7.2V, 1250mAh) CIPA rated for 330 shots/charge (LCD) or 350 shots/charge (EVF)
Dimensions (wxhxd): 124.0 x 83.6 x 45.2 mm (body only)
Weight: 385 grams (body only)
Retailers
CamBuy
www.cambuy.com.au
Digital cameras, lenses and accessories with 100% genuine Australian manufacturer’s warranties.
Ph: (02) 9029 2219
Camera House
www.camerahouse.com.au
Ph: 133 686
The largest speciality photographic retail chain in Australia.
Camera Pro
www.camerapro.net.au
CameraPro Pty Ltd
Suite 607, 180 Queen St, Brisbane 4000
Tel: 07 3333 2900
Australian owned and run company based in Brisbane.
Camerasdirect
www.camerasdirect.com.au
Retailer of digital camera equipment and more.
Secure online shopping and delivery across Australia.
Ph: 1300 727 056
Camerastore.com.au
Camerastore.com.au
Ph: 1800 155 067
Camera-Warehouse
www.camera-warehouse.com.au
Comprehensive range of digital cameras and accessories online (www.camera-warehouse.com.au) and an online print service (www.royalexpress.com.au).
Digital Camera Warehouse
www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au
174 Canterbury Road 367 High Street
Canterbury Northcote
NSW 2193 VIC 3070
Ph: 1300 365 220
Electronics Warehouse
www.electronicswarehouse.com.au
1300 801 885
Australian retailer of Vapex rechargeable batteries offering factory direct prices and fast, free shipping Australia wide.
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Photographic Equipment & Supplies – Retail & Repairs. Click here for list of stores.
Ted’s Cameras
1800 186 895
Big range of cameras and photographic products with stores in most states and online.
Rating
RRP: $1649 (as tested with 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 lens); $2,199 (Twin Lens Kit with 14-45mm and 45-200mm lenses)
Rating (out of 10):
- Build: 8.5
- Ease of use: 8.5
- Image quality: 8.5
- OVERALL: 8.5
