Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7

In summary

Despite supporting raw file capture (which is barely mentioned in the user manual), the GF7 is essentially designed for snapshooters. To that end, plenty of ‘assisted’ shooting modes are available, including selfies, jump shots and slimmed portraits with smoothly-rendered skin.

There are also several handy movie modes, which have appeared previously, some aimed at producing streamable video clips for sharing via social media. Wi-Fi integration supports easy smart-phone connection via QR code.

Although not as compact as the GM5, the GF7 is just small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or purse with the 12-32mm kit lens fitted.  

The GF7 also shares some important features with the GM5, including a dual mechanical/electronic shutter mechanism, a proper mode dial on the top panel and the same compact DMW-BLH7 lithium-ion battery. Consequently, it could attract buyers who find the GM5 a bit too small for comfort.

While its feature set and tiltable monitor are ideal for selfie shooters, the lack of a viewfinder makes the GF7 less attractive to serious photographers ““ particularly those who enjoy shooting movies.

 

Full review

Panasonic’s new DMC-GF7 camera, which was announced at the end of January is the latest of the company’s entry-level CSCs and a relatively minor upgrade to its predecessor. The primary benefits of the GF7 over the GF6  it replaces are the new shooting modes it offers for different types of self-portraiture. Sensor resolution and image processing are essentially unchanged and the GF7 includes integrated Wi-Fi plus NFC. Alas, there’s still no viewfinder ““ and no way to attach one.
 

 Angled front view of the DMC-GF7 with the bundled 12-32mm lens. (Source: Panasonic.)

In Australia, the GF7 is being sold with the  Lumix G-Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. lens, which we reviewed with the GM1 in January 2014. A twin lens kit which adds the Lumix G Vario 35-100mm f/4.0-5.6 lens is also being offered for an RRP of AU$999.

Who’s it for?
 Despite supporting raw file capture (which is barely mentioned in the user manual), the GF7 is essentially designed for snapshooters. To that end, plenty of ‘assisted’ shooting modes are available to make it easy to take selfies, as well as jump shots and slimmed portraits with smoothly-rendered skin.

 The GF7 with its monitor flipped up for shooting selfies. (Source: Panasonic.)

There are also several handy movie modes, which have appeared previously, some aimed at producing streamable video clips for sharing via social media. Wi-Fi integration supports easy smart-phone connection via a QR code display but you need to pre-install an app to make it happen.

Although not as compact as the GM5, the GF7 is just small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or purse with the 12-32mm kit lens fitted.  The GF7 also shares some important features with the GM5, including a dual mechanical/electronic shutter mechanism, a proper mode dial on the top panel and the same compact DMW-BLH7 lithium-ion battery. Consequently, it could attract buyers who find the GM5 a bit too small for comfort.

Unfortunately, while its feature set and tiltable monitor are ideal for selfie shooters, the lack of a viewfinder   makes the GF7 less attractive to serious photographers ““ particularly those who enjoy shooting movies. The comparison table below lists key features of the GF6, its predecessor the GF6 and the GM5.

	GF7	GF6	GM5
Sensor	17.3 x 13.0 mm Live MOS
Effective resolution	16 megapixels
Image processor	Venus Engine FHD
Max. video resolution / frame rate	1920 x 1080 at 50i, 50p	1920 x 1080 at 25p	1920 x 1080 at 50i, 50p
Shutter type	Mechanical and electronic	Mechanical	Mechanical and electronic
Shutter speeds	60-1/16,000 sec.	30-1/4000 sec.	60-1/16,000 sec.
X-synch	1/50 sec.	1/60 to 1/160 sec.	1/50 sec.
Flash	Built-in auto pop-up		Bundled
Flash GN (ISO 200/m)	5.6	7.5	10
Hot-shoe	None		Yes
Viewfinder	None		EVF with 1,166,000 dots
Monitor	3-inch 3:2 aspect  with 1.04 million dots		3-inch 16:9 aspect with 921,000 dots
Monitor tilting	180o upwards	180o upwards, ~45o down	none
ISO   range	ISO 100 to 25600	ISO 160 to 25600	ISO 100 to 25600
Max. burst speed (Electronic shutter)	40 fps	20 fps	40 fps
Max. burst speed (High-res)	5.8 fps	4.2 fps	5.8 fps
Wi-Fi / NFC	Yes / No	Yes / Yes	Yes / No
Power supply	DMW-BLH7 lithium-ion battery	DMW-BLG10E lithium-ion battery	DMW-BLH7 lithium-ion battery
Battery capacity	230 shots/charge	340 shots/charge	220 shots/charge
Dimensions (wxhxd)	106.5 x 64.6 x 33.3 mm	111.2 x 64.8 x 38.4 mm	98.5 x 59.5 x 36.1 mm
Weight (body only)	236 grams	280 grams	180 grams

Like other Panasonic G-series cameras, the GF7 can take advantage of Panasonic’s range of 23 M4/3 lenses and also use lenses from Olympus and several third-party manufacturers (most of which lack stabilisation).

What’s new?
 Most of the new features in the GF7 have already been provided in other cameras released by Panasonic recently. Features like the mechanical / electronic shutter mechanism, sensor and image processor and touch-screen controls are shared with the GM5. The flip-up monitor was introduced on the GF6, where it provided a wider range of adjustments.

In common with the GM5, the GF7 includes Panasonic’s latest Light Speed AF system, with a 23-point contrast-based sensor incorporating DFD (Depth From Defocus)  technology. The company claims the camera and lens can exchange digital data at up to 240 fps for fast lock-on times.

The choice between AVCHD and MP4 movie modes is standard Panasonic practice  and the GF7 supports the same AVCHD and MP4 /H264 formats as the GM5. (The more efficient HEVC /H.265 codec provided in recent cameras like the Samsung NX1 is not utilised.) The ‘snap movie mode’ was introduced with the GM5, which also supports the same time-lapse and stop motion animation recording as the GF7.

The selfie shooting modes are genuinely new and will make many snapshooters happy. But the integrated Wi-Fi, which requires an app to connect with a smart device, simply repeats what other cameras have provided ““ and there’s no NFC to make connecting devices easy; just a QR code solution. However, for quick and easy posting of selfies to Facebook or other social networks, the GF7 can’t beat shooting with a smart-phone.
 Like other low-end G-series cameras, the GF7 provides two ‘Intelligent Auto’ shooting modes, both equipped with automatic scene recognition. The Intelligent Auto Plus mode  includes brightness and colour tone control and the regular Intelligent Auto mode doesn’t.

There are also 22 Creative Control filters, which can be used with the P, A, S and M shooting modes (unlike some previous models). Twenty Scene pre-sets are available, another setting common throughout the current line-up, with the Portrait, Child and Scenery pre-sets being on the mode dial for faster access.

Build and Ergonomics
 The redesign of the camera body has made the GF7 more like the smaller GM series cameras. It looks a bit squarer and front panel is flatter and lacks a moulded grip, while the AF-assist/self-timer LED has been shifted to the right side of the lens.
 

 Front view of the GF7 showing the size of the camera in relation to the average user’s hand. (Source: Panasonic.)

The rounded lines of the GF6’s top panel have morphed into a chunky flash housing that sits atop a flat panel on the GF7. The flash is also more conventional looking and its head isn’t raised quite as far as the head on the GF6’s flash, increasing the risk of red-eyes in portrait shots. There’s no hot-shoe for mounting accessory flashguns or other accessories.
 

 The top panel of the GF7 with the 12-32mm kit lens fitted. (Source: Panasonic.)

The stereo microphone holes now straddle the flash housing, providing greater separation, although probably not enough to signify. The mode dial has moved to the outer edge of the top panel with a new button between the shutter release/power switch and the flash housing.   This button, which toggles the selected ‘Intelligent Auto’ shooting mode on and off, has already been used on several previous G-series models and most recent Panasonic digicams. It will select the most recently-used ‘Intelligent Auto’ mode, with the default being Intelligent Auto Plus.

A new Wi-Fi and Function button combo is located on the left side. The default setting is for Wi-Fi, although rotating the LCD monitor to the ‘selfie’ position re-sets this button to operate the camera’s shutter.   Wi-Fi capabilities are the same as on the GM5.

The movie button sits directly below the mode dial and lies flush with the top of the redesigned thumb pad. Below it is a standard arrow pad with a rotating control dial for adjusting settings plus cursor buttons for accessing the exposure compensation, white balance, AF and drive/self-timer modes, replicating these controls on the GF6. The central Menu/Set button selects items or locks in values.
 

 The rear panel of the GF7. (Source: Panasonic.)

The rear panel is dominated by the flip-up monitor, which has capacitative touch-screen controls and an unchanged resolution of 1.04 million dots. However, unlike the monitor on the GF6, it can’t be tilted downwards for over-the-head shooting.

The GF7’s monitor supports the same touch, drag and pinch/spread operations as the screen on the GF6. Touch controls can be switched on and off in the camera’s Custom settings menu, which also offers Touch Tab and Touch AF settings. The former displays touch icons on the right side of the screen, while the latter optimises either focus or focus and exposure for a touched subject.

The base plate of the new camera is unchanged, with a metal-lined tripod socket on the lens axis and a combined battery/card compartment. Interface ports for HDMI and AV-Out/Digital (USB) connections are located under a lift-up cover on the right hand side panel.

Simplified Shooting Modes
In addition to the regular P, A, S and M shooting modes, the GF7 provides plenty of scene pre-sets and in-camera special effects. There are 23 Scene Guides available, 20 of them usable for movie clips and the ‘Intelligent’ Auto mode can detect 11 of them and apply the appropriate adjustments.

Panasonic has set up the GF7 for easy ‘selfies’ by engaging the ‘Self Shot Mode’ when the monitor is flipped up. In this mode, the Wi-Fi button acts as a second shutter button, enabling shots to be taken with the right or left hand. Touch operation is also engaged by default.

In-camera processing operations in the ‘Self Shot Mode’ include Soft Skin, Defocusing and Slimming Mode settings. These three ‘beauty-effect’ modes can soften skin, slim facial lines and defocus backgrounds, regardless of how many people there are in the frame.
 The ‘Self Shot Mode’ also contains settings for controlling how the shutter is released (button, touch, ‘Buddy’ or ‘Face’ shutter), setting the number of shots to be taken and the delay in triggering the shutter. The Face setting detects a face in the frame and triggers the shutter after you wave your hand in front of your face. (You don’t need a selfie stick.)
 

 The new Face Shutter and Buddy Shutter self-portraiture modes. (Source: Panasonic.)

Buddy Shutter is a new function that recognises when two faces are brought together in front of the camera. The shutter is released when the two faces come within a pre-determined distance of each other.
 

 The Jump Snap shooting mode.  (Source: Panasonic.)

The new ‘Jump Snap’ setting provides an easy way to capture subjects jumping for a mid-air portrait. With this setting, the accelerometer in a paired smart-phone can be used to detect the highest point of the jump and simultaneously trigger the shutter.

Creative Control modes apply special effects processing for both still images and movie clips. Options are common to most Panasonic cameras and include Expressive, Retro, Old Days, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Monochrome, Dynamic Monochrome, Rough Monochrome, Silky Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Toy Pop, Bleach Bypass, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Fantasy, Star Filter, One Point Colour and Sunshine.

Users can also choose from the Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery and Portrait Photo Styles or create their own Custom settings by adjusting existing settings. Naturally, these settings are only applied to JPEGs since raw files are not processed in the camera. But they will be applied to JPEGs recorded in RAW+JPEG mode.

The Snap Movie mode that was introduced with the GM5, is supported. It produces short video clips that are optimised for social media. Users can record two, four, six, or eight-second clips which can be combined with focus and fade effects and sequenced using a smart-phone or tablet with the Panasonic Image App. Background music can be added before these short video edits are uploaded for sharing via Instagram, Facebook and other services.  

Sensor and Image Processing
 Panasonic doesn’t say whether it has updated the sensor and image processor chips in the GF7 but the sensor’s resolution is still 16-megapixels and the Venus Engine processor is listed as the partnered chip. ISO sensitivity ranges from a native 200 to a maximum of ISO 25600, with   an extension downwards to ISO 100 available. Movies have a maximum ISO of 3200.

A hint that the processor may have been upgraded is the increase in continuous shooting speeds from 4.2 frames/second with AFS re-focusing in the GF6 to 5.8 fps in the GF7 with the mechanical shutter. Up to 40 fps is available with the electronic shutter, which has a top speed of 1/16000 second.
 The GF7 supports the same still picture options as its predecessor, recording both JPEG and RW2.RAW file formats as well as supporting the capture of stereo pairs for 3D viewing using the MPO file format and Panasonic’s H-FT012E 3-D lens. It also offers the same image size settings and aspect ratios.   Typical file sizes are the same as those provided in our review of the GF6.  

Video
 Video capabilities haven’t changed much, either. The GF7 still supports both AVCHD and MP4 formats and offers a top resolution/quality setting of 1920 x 1080 / 50p at 28 Megabits/second (Mbps) in both formats for the PAL system (50 Hz). Not surprisingly, the older H.264 codec is used rather than the new HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) H.265, which is significantly more efficient and widely used in cameras with 4K movie capabilities.

Users can adjust camera settings in the P, A, S and M modes and apply many of the Creative Control filters. Full-time AF and stereo soundtrack recording are available. Panasonic has made some adjustments to recording formats and frame rates to bring the new camera up to current expectations. The table below shows the settings available.

Video format	Aspect ratio	Picture size  (pixels)	Frame Rate	Bit rate	Recording capacity/8GB card
AVCHD	16:9	1920 x 1080	50p	28 Mbps	37 minutes
		1920 x 1080	50i	17 Mbps	1 hour
		1920 x 1080	50i	24 Mbps	43 minutes
		1920 x 1080	24p
MP4		1920 x 1080	50p	28 Mbps	37 minutes
		1920 x 1080	25p	20 Mbps	49 minutes
		1280 x 720	25p	10 Mbps	1 hour 30 minutes
	4:3	640 x 480		4 Mbps	3 hours 25 minutes

The maximum recording time per clip is unchanged since the GF6 at 29 minutes and 59 seconds ““ or up to 4GB in MP4 mode. The available recording time is continuously updated on the monitor screen.

Wi-Fi
The integrated IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fiis the same as in the GM5 withQR code connection to smart devices available (provided the Panasonic Image App for iOS/Android is pre-installed. Like the GM5, the GF7 lacks NFC capabilities.

 Most camera functions can be controlled remotely via a connected smart device and users can review shots on the device’s screen. Geotagging of images is also available using GPS data from a connected smart-phone. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi-to-App solution is more complex than the target market for this camera is likely to accept and most will probably prefer continuing to take and share selfies with their smart phones.

Playback and Software
Playback settings for still pictures are essentially the same as in other G-series models that include the same touch-screen capabilities. The software bundle is also the same and contains the latest versions of PhotoFun Studio   and Silkypix Developer Studio plus a 30-day trial version of Super LoiLoScope. Owners of TV sets or Blu-ray disc players with SD Image Viewer slots can playback recorded images and videos by simply inserting the camera’s memory card.

If, like us, you dislike Silkypix, and don’t want to wait for Adobe to release the next version of Adobe Camera Raw, the freeware converter, Raw Therapee, will do the job competently. (It’s available at http://rawtherapee.com/blog/list/13.)

Performance
 Not surprisingly, subjective evaluation of test shots from the review camera revealed close similarities with shots from the GM5, GM1 and GX7, all of which share the same sensor and image processor. Plenty of detail was recorded and images were sharp and colour accurate, with a slight tendency to emphasise reds and purplish blues.

Since the GF7   wasn’t supported by our preferred raw file processor, Adobe Camera Raw, when we conducted our tests, we chose to process RW2.RAW files with the free file converter, Raw Therapee, rather than using the supplied Silkypix Developer Studio (which we have found to consistently deliver indifferent results). The resulting TIFF files were close to colour-neutral.

Imatest showed JPEG files could almost meet expectations for a 16-megapixel camera with optimal lens and ISO settings.  However, as expected, converted RW2.RAW files delivered noticeably higher resolution across more focal length and aperture settings.  Resolution held up very well with both file types across the camera’s sensitivity range, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below.

 
 Long exposures taken in dim lighting showed little visible noise up to ISO 3200, with a progressive increase in noise thereafter. By ISO 12800 some granularity was noticeable in test shots. Shots taken at ISO 25600 displayed noticeable colour noise and image softening and would only be printable up to snapshot size.

Flash exposures were roughly two stops under-exposed at ISO 100 when the 32mm focal length was used, but correctly exposed between ISO 400 and ISO 6400. From ISO 400 on,  exposures were evenly balanced up to ISO 12800. Colour reproduction was reasonably faithful at settings up to ISO 3200 but the influence of ambient lighting could be seen from then on and images became rather soft and flat at ISO 25600.

The auto white balance setting delivered similar results to the GM5’s. An obvious warm cast remained in shots taken under incandescent lighting, although shots taken under fluorescent lights and flash shots were free of colour casts. The incandescent pre-set introduced a faint purple cast, while the flash preset remained colour neutral. No preset is provided for fluorescent lighting. Manual measurement produced neutral colours with all three lighting types and there’s plenty of scope for fine-tuning colour rendition via the touch screen.

Autofocusing while shooting stills was acceptably fast and accurate in most situations, particularly when the touch screen was used to set the focus position. No significant slowing was evident when shooting stills in low light levels or while panning.

Metering was as accurate as we’ve found with previous G-series cameras. The default Standard setting in the iDynamic mode delivered well-balanced highlight and shadow detail, even in quite contrasty situations, although only for still shots. Video clips sometimes contained over-exposed highlights in contrasty conditions.

Video quality was similar to the GM5’s and generally very good, and the AF system was able to keep pace with slow and medium-paced movements, although it occasionally failed to lock on quickly when subjects changed their distance from the camera rapidly. Soundtracks were generally clear with satisfactory stereo presence, considering the sizes and separations of the tiny in-camera microphones. Clips showed no interference from focusing and zooming and the wind-reduction filter did a good job of suppressing wind noise.

Our timing tests were conducted with the same 16GB Panasonic SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 card as we used for the GM5. The review camera powered up in approximately one second, although, as with the GM5,  an additional second was needed to unlock the lens to make it ready to shoot.  

We measured an  average capture lag of 0.15 seconds was eliminated when shots were pre-focused.  Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.55 seconds without flash and 3.4 seconds with.

On average, high-resolution JPEGs took approximately 0.6 seconds to process, while RW2.RAW files were processed in 0.9 seconds and RAW+JPEG pairs in 1.5 seconds.

Recording times and buffer capacities for the four continuous shooting modes available matched Panasonic’s specifications.   Live view is not available with either the Super high-speed or high-speed settings.

The Super high-speed mode can record at 40 frames/second for one second but is JPEG-only. Processing this burst of shots took 10.2 seconds.  The High-speed mode captures records JPEG and raw frames at 5.8 frames/second and appears to have ‘unlimited capacity for the former.  We recorded 61 frames in 10.6 seconds, which equates to approximately 5.8 frames/second. Processing of the final frame was completed within a second of its capture.

With RW2.RAW files in the, the camera slowed after 10 frames, which were captured in 1.7 seconds. It took 6.2 seconds to process this burst. Changing to RAW+JPEG capture, we found the buffer memory filled with the eighth frame but the capture rate of around 5.8 frames/second remained stable. However, it took 8.4 seconds to process this burst.

The middle and low speed settings record at four and two frames/second respectively with live view supported during capture. Both settings are available for bursts of RW2.RAW files and the buffer limit is seven frames. Frames are processed on-the-fly and processing was completed within one to 1.5 seconds of the last frame captured.

Conclusion
 Snapshooters who habitually used monitor screens for framing shots will probably find the GF7 delivers the combination of compact body size and point-and-shoot functionality that suits them. For these users, the simplified self-portraiture modes could provide a reason to upgrade from previous cameras (including digicams).

However, owners of GF6 cameras gain little else and posting shots to sharing websites via camera-to-app-on-smart-phone is more complicated than simply shooting with a smart-phone and posting directly to your favourite sharing site. Most snapshooters are likely to favour the simpler route.
 Aside from these issues, the GF7 we reviewed was a competent, although unspectacular, performer and its small size and light weight make it suitable as a back-up body for a more up-market camera. The lack of a viewfinder is an issue for anyone buying the camera for outdoor use.

It’s a bit early to see discounted prices for this camera in local stores and as far as we’ve been able to determine, it is much more expensive to purchase online from an overseas website. The major off-shore re-sellers offer the single-lens kit for US$600 and those who ship to Australia list it for AU$757.82 ““ without including shipping costs.  

 

SPECS

 Image sensor: 17.3 x 13.0 mm Live MOS sensor with 16.84 million photosites (16.0 megapixels effective)
 Image processor:  Venus Engine
 Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds mount
 Focal length crop factor: 2x
 Digital zoom: 2x, 4x
 Image formats: Stills ““ JPEG (DCF, Exif 2.3), RW2.RAW, MPO (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds system standard); Movies ““ AVCHD (Audio format: Dolby Digital 2ch), MP4 (Audio format AAC 2ch)
 Image Sizes: Stills ““ [4:3] 4592 x 3448, 3232 x 2424, 2272 x 1704, [3:2] 4592 x 3064, 3232 x 2160, 2272 x 1520; [16:9] 4592 x 2584, 3840 x 2160, 1920 x 1080; 1824 x 1024;  [1:1] 3424 x 3424, 2416 x 2416, 1712 x 1712; 3D images: 1824 x 1368, 1824 x 1216, 1824×1024, 1712 x 1712; Movies: AVCHD Full HD – 1920 x 1080 at 50p/28Mbps,   50i/17Mbps, 50i/24Mbps, 24p/24Mbps; MP4 Full HD – 1920 x 1080 at 50p/28Mbps,   25p/20Mbps, HD – 1280 x 720 25p/10Mbps, VGA – 640 x 480 25p/4Mbps;
 Image Stabilisation: Lens based
 Dust removal: Supersonic wave filter
 Shutter (speed range): Electronically-control focal-plane shutter / Electronic shutter (60- 1/16000 second); X-synch at 1/50 sec.
 Exposure Compensation: +/- 5EV in 1/3EV steps (+/- 3EV for movies)
 Exposure bracketing: 3, 5, 7 frames in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV steps, Max. +/- 3 EV, single/burst
 Other bracketing options: WB: 3 exposures in blue/amber axis or in magenta/green axis
 Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay plus 10sec, 3 images
 Focus system: 23-area Contrast AF system with AFS (Single), AFF (Flexible), AFC (Continuous), MF
 Focus modes: Face/Eye Detection, Tracking, 23-Area, 1-Area , Pinpoint; Full area touch focus is available
 Exposure metering:  1728-zone multi-pattern sensing system with  Multiple, Centre-weighted and Spot metering patterns
 Shooting modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Scene (Portrait (mode dial) / Child (mode dial) / Scenery (mode dial) / Silky Skin / Backlit Softness / Relaxing Tone / Bright Blue Sky / Romantic Sunset Glow / Vivid Sunset Glow / Glistening Water / Clear Nightscape / Cool Night Sky / Warm Glowing Nightscape / Artistic Nightscape / Glittering Illuminations / Handheld Night Shot / Clear Night Portrait / Soft Image of a Flower / Appetising Food / Cute Dessert / Freeze Animal Motion / Clear Sports Shot / Monochrome)
 Creative Control: Expressive, Retro, Old Days, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Monochrome, Dynamic Monochrome, Rough Monochrome, Silky Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Toy Pop, Bleach Bypass, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Fantasy, Star Filter, One Point Colour, Sunshine
 Photo Style Modes: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait, Custom
 Colour space options: sRGB and Adobe RGB
 ISO range: Auto,   Intelligent ISO, 100 (Extended), 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 (Changeable to 1/3 EV step)
 White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1, 2 , Colour temperature setting; Blue/Amber, Magenta/Green bias adjustments
 Flash: TTL Built-in-Flash, GN5.6 equivalent (ISO 200・m)
 Flash modes: Auto*, Auto/Red-eye Reduction*, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off (* For iA, iA+ only); 1st. Curtain Sync, 2nd Curtain Sync. available
 Flash exposure adjustment: +/- 2EV in 1/3EV step
 Sequence shooting: Mechanical shutter: Max. 5.8 shots/sec.  (with AFS), 5 frames/sec (with AFC, in 1-area-focusing AF mode); Electronic shutter: SH: 40 frames/sec
 Buffer capacity: Max. 39 Large/Fine JPEGs, 7 RAW files or   RAW+JPEG pairs
 Storage Media: SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (Compatible with UHS-I standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards)
 Viewfinder: None
 LCD monitor: Tiltable 3-inch, 3:2 aspect  TFT LCD monitor with static touch control; Approx. 1.04 million dots
 Playback functions: Normal playback, 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (Max. 16x), Slideshow (All / Picture Only / Video Only / 3D / Category Selection / Favourite, duration & effect is selectable), Playback Mode (Normal / Picture / Video / 3D Play / Category / Favourite), Location Logging, Clear Retouch, Title Edit, Text Stamp, Video Divide, Time Lapse Video, Stop Motion Video, Resize, Cropping, Rotate, Rotation Display, Favourite, DPOF Print Set, Protect, Face Recognition Edit, Picture Sort, Delete Confirmation
 Interface terminals: USB 2.0 High Speed Multi,   microHDMI TypeD / VIERA Link,
 Wi-Fi function: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2412 MHz – 2462 MHz (1-11 ch), Wi-Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode
 Power supply: DMW-BLH7 Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 680mAh, 4.9Wh); CIPA rated for approx. 230 shots/charge
 Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 106.5 x 64.6 x 33.3 mm (excluding protrusions)
 Weight: Approx. 236 grams (body only); 266 grams with battery and card

 

TESTS

 

 Based on JPEG files:

 

 
 Based on RAW2.RAW files converted with RawTherapee V. 4.2.16:

 

SAMPLES

 

 Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

 Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
 

 Auto white balance with flash lighting.
 

12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/7.1.

 

32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/9.  

2x digital zoom, 32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/9.
 

4x digital zoom, 32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/10.
 

30-second exposure at ISO 100, 18mm focal length, f/5.6.
 

20-second exposure at ISO 400, 18mm focal length, f/6.3.
 

8-second exposure at ISO 3200, 18mm focal length, f/11.
 

5-second exposure at ISO 6400, 18mm focal length, f/13.
 

2-second exposure at ISO 12800, 18mm focal length, f/13.
 

2-second exposure at ISO 25600, 18mm focal length, f/16.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 100, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/5.6.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 400, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/5.6.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 3200, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/5.6.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 6400, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/5.6.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 12800, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/5.6.
 

Flash exposure at ISO 25600, 32mm focal length, 1/50 second at   f/6.3.
 

4:3 aspect ratio; 32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/400 second at f/8.
 

3:2 aspect ratio; 32mm focal length, ISO200, 1/400 second at f/8.
 
 

16:9 aspect ratio; 32mm focal length, ISO200, 1/400 second at f/9.
 

1:1 aspect ratio; 32mm focal length, ISO200, 1/400 second at f/10.
 

Close-up; 32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/5.6.
 

Close-up; 32mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/5.6.
 

Backlighting; 25mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/400 second at f/11.
 

16mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/7.1.
 

Still frame captured while recording a movie clip; 21mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/1300 second at f/4.7.
 

 Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at 50p/28Mbps.
 

 Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at 50i/17Mbps.
 

 Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at 50i/24Mbps.

 Still frame from AVCHD Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at 24p/24Mbps.
 

 Still frame from MP4 Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at 50p/28Mbps.
 

 Still frame from MP4 Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clip recorded at   25p/20Mbps.
 

 Still frame from MP4 HD (1280 x 720) movie clip recorded at   25p/10Mbps.
 

Still frame from MP4 VGA (640 x 480) movie clip recorded at   25p/4Mbps.
 

Rating

RRP: AU$699; US$600 (for single-lens kit with H-FS12032E-S lens)

 

• Build: 8.5
• Ease of use: 8.5
• Autofocusing: 8.5
• Still image quality JPEG: 8.5
• Still image quality RAW: 8.8
• Video quality: 8.5

 

 

Buy