Compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

On this page we describe in what areas the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 and its companion the DMC-G2 are identical and where the differences lie. If a particular aspect of the camera goes unmentioned, you should assume that it is exactly the same as its predecessor in whatever regard (such as continous shooting performance, for example). Reading this article plus our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 review will give you all the information about the G2 that you'd expect from a full dpreview DSLR review.

Visually the G2 and G10 are hard to tell apart, and both share the same overall dimensions. However, there are differences, primarily the different sizes of their viewfinders, and their LCD screens. The G2's LCD screen is articulated, whereas the G10 features a lower cost, non touch-sensitive, fixed display.

Key differences

The LCD screens and EVF mounts are the most obvious physical differences between the two cameras, but there are some subtle changes on the topplate of the G10 as well, compared to the G2. Like the G1, the G10 lacks the dedicated dial for AF pattern/mode (you'll find these options in the menu system) and it also lacks a dedicated movie recording button. To commence video recording in the G10 you'll need to rotate to the movie mode position on the camera's main exposure mode dial.

From the front, the G10 (right) is a near-clone of its companion camera the G2. From the back however, the G10's smaller EVF housing is obvious, and its screen is fixed, compared to the G2's articulated LCD. The functionality of the 4-way switch on the rear of the G10 is slightly different too, and rather than the far left button providing access to film modes, it is used to define the AF area. A useful function of both models is that when pressed in, the rear control dial adjusts exposure compensation.

From the top the other changes are apparent - the G10 is closer to G1 than the G2. There is no AF pattern selector, and like the G1 the G10 (right) doesn't share the G2's dedicated movie shooting button either. The G10 does have the G2's dedicated 'iA' mode selector button though.

Movie mode/Microphone socket

The G10 offers slightly reduced functionality in movie mode compared to the G2, and lacks both an external microphone socket and the ability to record video in AVCHD (lite) format. Instead, sound recording is via an inbuilt mono mic only, and footage is recorded in the less efficient Motion JPEG format.

	The remote control socket (shown here upper left) of the G10 is a single-purpose socket, as opposed to a dual purpose remote control/microphone port in the G2. Like the G2, the G10 has a small monoaural microphone built into it's topplate.

Viewfinder/Viewfinder size

Although perfectly decent compared to the average superzoom compact, the G10's EVF cannot come close to the excellent EVF experience of the VF2 viewfinder for the Olympus EP-2, nor the Samsung NX10 or the built-in EVFs of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, GH1 or G2. The G10's 202k dot display is especially poor in comparison to the 1.4 million dots of its G-series companions, and less fluid to use as well, thanks to the omission (presumably for cost reasons) of the automatic EVF/LCD switch which makes swapping between the two modes of display so easy in the G2. The field of view of the G10's viewfinder is the same as the more expensive models though, at 100%, and it has a decent refresh rate of 60fps.

As the shots above (taken with a macro lens from the eyepiece) show, there's a world of difference between the integrated viewfinder on the G1/GH1/G2 (left) and the viewfinder for the G10 (right). It's not bad (certainly on a par with the best superzoom 'bridge' cameras), it's a lot smaller and has a much lower resolution.

Viewfinder crop

The G10's EVF (like its LCD screen) shows 100% of the area to be captured.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 - 100% viewfinder