Exactly. If you have this sort of hardware and don't take a few seconds to adjust the Auto White Balance and set your own white balance(s) using a grey card, it's also a waste. Using a grey card can give you dramatic improvement.
Yes - I really do agree with you. I have seen theese problems (from your post) on all the G3's i have tried in stores - all of them has the "gap", and when you "squeeze" the camera body in your hand, it makes theese cracking sounds (at least on the bottom plate).
I have the same cameras for the same reasons. The new sensor is a big improvement over the G1. I always use the G3 like an SLR (EVF) and find the 4 custom settings available basically eliminates the need to go into the menus to change settings.I really like my G3 for what it is (small and light). I see no issues with the G3's build quality. When I want to use something more substantial I use my D7000 DSLR. My D7000 isn't much bigger than a GH2, but it is a more capable camera.
I had the exact same problem as this thread shows - and I looked at 3 different G3's..
