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GX1 vs G3

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astonehouse said:
It looks like the GX1 might have a metal finish instead of plastic, the buttons look more shiny ;)
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it's not even finish, it is made of metal! Don't undervalue this circumstance!
It feels pretty different than even the high quality plastic of G cameras.

Dunno, probably not everybody is as sensible to tactile feeling, but I miss my GF1 for that reason - it was so good to handle it. And now the uniformly warm plastic body just doesn't sit as surely in the hands, and I need to take my hand off the grip every now and then to wipe it from sweat. And it's harder to find the buttons without looking.

However, my experience is for the GF1 compared to the G2, and perhaps the issue is not that substantial with the G3.

Also the orientation sensor with the level indicator may be quite useful.
 
SuvoMitra said:
I used a D-Lux 4 for some time. Same shape as the GF1, but obviously smaller. When the LX5 came out and offered the EVF option, I took it because there are many bright or very dark lighting situations in which the screen is either too dim or too bright, and there are also social situations in which a visibly live LCD isn't the best thing (including street shooting where a black LCD can be more discreet). I found that I started keeping the VF mounted pretty much all the time. These VF attachments are really prone to getting caught in everything.
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I don't have problems with my LVF1 getting caught on things, but like you I leave it mounted pretty much all the time because it's nice to have it right there when I need it.
SuvoMitra said:
This is part of my logic against the attachable VF rangefinder styling. It looks cool but it compromises versatility, especially when the overall size and VF hump has been so reduced in the G3. In combination with the swivel LCD, you have the best of all worlds. Use the VF in bright light or when you don't want to glow in the dark. Use the screen if you like, in any position you like. Turn the screen around and shut it if you don't want to look like you're shooting. Same imaging and functionality and all this flexibility for much less money and hardly any size penalty. Get a waist pouch or a small, comfy bag and put the G3 in it.
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You make a very good case for the G3. The viewfinder hump on the G3 really isn't that prominent, and it does appear that the accessory LVF on either the GF1 or GX1 actually sticks up higher. Maybe the G3 VF sticks off the back a bit more, but that's not going to be an issue for how I normally carry it (which is usually in a Thinktank Retrospective 5 or in a bicycle handlebar bag).

So the built-in EVF and the articulating LCD are the big advantages of the G3, but I'd have to think about whether they are worth giving up the AF/MF and AF/AE Lock buttons. I know the Fn buttons can be programmed for these features, but the GX1 has more buttons overall. But if I embrace the newer touchscreen interface of these cameras and use them the way they are intended to be use, I might not care about the buttons as much. Still...I'd want to try out each camera to see how easy it is to change key settings while using both the viewfinder and the LCD. I have a feeling I could adapt well to using either camera, but sometimes when you handle them in a store one just appeals to you more than the other for reasons that are not always practical.

Sean
 
I wasn't just talking about you and didn't mean to misquote you.

I get it that you want Nex-7 type of camera, which I think is a great design too.

--
^ ^

Just Shoot !
 
I just placed an order for a G3. Asides from the viewfinder, the other key advantage for me is the flipout screen/LCD.

Other than these two features - which of course dictates the size difference between the two the cameras are really pretty similar to me. Well, the G3 has a couple less function buttons on the back.

I believe the NEX7 has these viewfinder and flip LCD as well, and in a smaller body than the G3, but you then have to consider the size of the Sony lenses ...
 
gurgeh said:
Hi,

I was wondering, what are the advantages of the GX1 over the G3, especially if I was planning on having the viewfinder as well?

I see that the G3 is already quite compact (smaller than the G1 & G2). Would the GX1 with the viewfinder be much smaller still? Any other advantages? Or is it mainly aimed for those who don't need an EVF all the time?

thanks.
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Biggest advantage of the GX1: It fits in a pocket (with a pancake lens)
And this is very important for many people!
 
That was sort of my thinking too. With that $300-350 price difference, I could get a second older small size m43 (a EP-1 or GF1) camera, and use that with a pancake if I ever feel a G3 is too large to bring along.
mattmtl said:
GX1 body-only is already $100 more than a G3 body, before you've spent a dime to give it a comparable EVF. By the time you've tallied it all up (GX1 + LVF2 = approx. $350 more than G3), it almost makes sense to buy a G3 rather than an LVF2 for those times when I need a viewfinder.
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KLinLA said:
I just placed an order for a G3. Asides from the viewfinder, the other key advantage for me is the flipout screen/LCD.

Other than these two features - which of course dictates the size difference between the two the cameras are really pretty similar to me. Well, the G3 has a couple less function buttons on the back.
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The fact that the G3 and GX1 are so similar makes the G3 a real bargain in terms of the price compared to a GX1+LVF2. I am sure a lot of people thinking about the G3 were just waiting to see what the GX1 would be like. Now I bet we will see a little spike in G3 sales over the coming weeks. I'm sure the GX1 will sell reasonably well too though. I'm going to at least wait for the review before I decide which direction to upgrade.
KLinLA said:
I believe the NEX7 has these viewfinder and flip LCD as well, and in a smaller body than the G3, but you then have to consider the size of the Sony lenses ...
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If Panasonic released a NEX7 copycat for m4/3 it would probably sell like hotcakes. I know a lot of people were hoping for such a camera. But if Panasonic had made the GX1 more like the NEX7 with an articulating LCD and a build-in EVF there would be just as many people complaining that it strayed too far away from the original GF1 design. It would probably be even more expensive than the GX1+LVF2 as well.

Sean
 
SuvoMitra said:
They should have changed the line name for GF2 and GF3. Given the GF1, GX1 is really GF2, while the other two were G?2 and G?3. Now it's a muddle.
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GS for simple or small

Lets hope X is not for expensive ;-)

Peter
 
gurgeh said:
gurgeh wrote:

I was wondering, what are the advantages of the GX1 over the G3, especially if I was planning on having the viewfinder as well?
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You should compare the features, button layouts, menu, etc to see if there were an advantage for your needs.

Also, would you prefer an articulating LCD? (That is the main drawback of the GX1 for me).

Regards,

Richard

--
"Careful photographers run their own tests." - Fred Picker
 
ohmydentist said:
Why would one need EVF/VF?
one is so used to shoot with VF, and hellbent on continuing it
stabilizes camera better, look more pro in doing so too ^^
could see in bright sunlight
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I just ordered a VF-3 for my E-PM1 because the LCD sucks really bad when yoiu are in the sun.

Otherwise, I think the viewfinder is overrated as a "necessity" and if Oly only had an LCD bright enough for daytime use, I wouldn't have bothered with the VF-3. Hey, maybe Olympus INTENTIONALLY made the LCD dim so they could sell more viewfinders?
 
You might not always want EVF, but the problem is that you usually don't know beforehand if you would want one, and thus you carry it with you anyway. The same way taking pictures, you don't really want attaching/detaching it, so you keep it always attached. And if that's the case I'd rather have EVF built-in, especially taking into account that external viewfinder is sticking out a lot and probably is easy to break. It's basically the same argument why people like zooms.
 
leendertcv said:
gurgeh said:
Hi,

I was wondering, what are the advantages of the GX1 over the G3, especially if I was planning on having the viewfinder as well?

I see that the G3 is already quite compact (smaller than the G1 & G2). Would the GX1 with the viewfinder be much smaller still? Any other advantages? Or is it mainly aimed for those who don't need an EVF all the time?

thanks.
Click to expand...
Biggest advantage of the GX1: It fits in a pocket (with a pancake lens)
And this is very important for many people!
Click to expand...
It might be important for some, but nobody counted if it's important for many, and what the definition of "many" anyway? Let's not generalize here.
 
forpetessake said:
leendertcv said:
Biggest advantage of the GX1: It fits in a pocket (with a pancake lens)
And this is very important for many people!
Click to expand...
It might be important for some, but nobody counted if it's important for many, and what the definition of "many" anyway? Let's not generalize here.
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If it would not be important to many, why then did the G1 receive only a blah response from most people but the GF-1 really set people on fire? Very few were raving about the G1 but a lot did about the GF-1.
 
Panasonic does the same thing with their batteries, changing them every model and making it difficult to use generics. Olympus, on the other hand, has maintained compatibility with their new batteries in the old cameras, which is really appreciated by people (like me) who've acquired 6 of them (batteries, that is!).

You have to wonder if it's a business decision, not an engineering one.
mattmtl said:
Sean Nelson said:
mattmtl said:
I am having trouble rationalizing a GX1 + LVF2 purchase. Especially given the likelihood that Panasonic's new accessory port will be orphaned in a year or two.
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You should never, ever assume that anything that's proprietary is going to be supported beyond the current generaton. About the only exceptions I'd make to that would be flashes and lenses. Batteries certainly aren't guaranteed to be the same on the next model, and EVFs even less so.
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And yet Olympus managed to solve the very same issue two years ago. Got a VF2 for your E-P2 or E-PL1? Still works on current models. Got a VF3 (different resolution)? A firmware update and you're good to go with your old E-P2. (Perhaps not E-PL1, not sure.) And we don't know for sure, but it's reasonable to assume that if Olympus survives as a company, current accessories will work for at least another generation or two, even if new ones come along that aren't fully backward compatible.

So, sure, I get your argument, but it would be a whole lot more persuasive if we didn't have the example of Olympus staring us in the face.

Again, I'm not going to speculate on Panasonic's motives for designing a very limited accessory port the first time out. I have no idea exactly why they did it, but the most generous word I can use to describe what we see of their approach is "shortsighted".
mattmtl said:
Don't treat it any differently than if you were buying a G3 with an integrated viewfinder. If a GX-1 plus LVF-2 are worth the extra price to be able to choose when or when not to deal with the bulk of the viewfinder, then go for it. Otherwise, don't. If you base your buying decision on the idea that you'll be able to spread the cost of the EVF over multiple camera models you're asking for disappointment.
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I have to disagree. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to expect an expensive accessory to be useful into the next generation of host devices. New accessories on old hardware? In that case I'm much more forgiving, though in this specific case Olympus makes Panasonic look terrible on that score too.

Of course, I am only assuming that Panasonic's new port will be as short-lived as the last one. But I don't think that should be the default assumption at all -- Panasonic's recent behaviour pushes me to make it. I do not make that assumption when I buy a Firewire or USB peripheral, I didn't make it when I bought a Panasonic TV with an iPod dock, and I don't make it when I buy a memory card.

At some point, backward compatibility and future proofing will fail in all those cases... but two years is an absurdly short lifespan for this kind of system.
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My G3 with Pancake is perfectly pocketable in a normal jacket and is my replacement for the GF-1 ; an excellent camera at a really good price.

Given that the GX1 has the same/similar sensor as the G3 , I just can't see the logic behind the marketing , price point or its viewfinder-less design.
It's a year too late!
 
You're kidding, surely! What kind of jacket is it that can cope with that 1/2" VF protrusion? Don't you bruise your camera slipping it in and out of said pocket? Aren't you embarrassed to be stuck in the "DSLR form factor"? Don't all your subjects run away when they see that tiny VF hump above the lens?

--
Suvo Mitra
http://www.suvomitra.com
 
A lot of people are wondering this, as the G3 is less expensive even with an EVF. Panasonic seem to be aiming at 2 different markets. The G3 should sell on features and usability for enthusiasts, the GX1 looks like an attempt to appeal to those who want retro-style and a quality feel to the body. People get tactile pleasure out of their gear, as well as pleasure out of the photos it produces.They will often pay more for the same, or even a lower, feature set, to get that 'feel' or image. I have seen several complaints about the plasticky feel of the G3. If that is so important, then the GX1 + EVF offer a more stylish alternative, albeit at a higher price. Sensible marketing isn't it?
--
Pakhead
 
My G3 with 20mm pancake would never fit in my pocket. I'd consider the upgrade if the GX1 with 20mm would fit and if it's all metal. I travel a lot and appreciate metal cameras more than plastic. I'm in no rush so will wait until mid next year when the price is the same as the G3 now.
 
Sarcasm aside, you can't seriously be questioning the statement that the G3 is larger than the GX1, and therefore more difficult to put in some places. That's all there is to it. Some people (yeah, some, I can't quantify it) prefer the smaller form factor.

Why does it seem the DLSR-style lovers are so defensive of their choice?
SuvoMitra said:
You're kidding, surely! What kind of jacket is it that can cope with that 1/2" VF protrusion? Don't you bruise your camera slipping it in and out of said pocket? Aren't you embarrassed to be stuck in the "DSLR form factor"? Don't all your subjects run away when they see that tiny VF hump above the lens?

--
Suvo Mitra
http://www.suvomitra.com
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