Alan Ernst
Well-known member
Took this mini marvel on vacation to Hawaii where I used it extensively. Very pleased with handling and performance. I agree with much of DP Review’s findings with a few exceptions.
It certainly deserves the gold award...
Mostly a GX1 user for the past two years, my comparisons are in relation to GX1. I rarely use video, have not done any RAW conversions so far (which are covered by DP), so won’t comment on any of these.
Pro’s: very small size / weight; feature rich; fast and very quiet to totally silent if needed; great LCD screen resolution and responsive touch screen implementation; good ergonomics; very customizable to individual shooting style; good intelligent Auto feature; excellent image stabilisation; focuses fast and well; good bracketing range; probably the best kit lens from Lumix so far!
This camera is great value for money!
Many useful features such as multiple exposure, HDR (unfortunately limited to jpeg only setting), interval timer, choice of resetting self-timer and exposure compensation when powering down, etc.
Con’s: most “issues” have to do with the small size and are the prize you pay for a pocketable MFT camera, i.e.: smallish battery (150-175 images per charge in real live including the odd flash and normal use of playback to check image quality), minimum of designated control buttons, need for a tripod adapter when using lenses other than the kit lens, small controls making it almost impossible for use in the dark or cold weather, weak flash, somewhat slow lens, tight lens mount makes switching lenses hard, etc.. All of the above I can live with and will likely get used to over time (or then can fall back on one of its larger siblings if required).
My major complaints so far are issues which could have been designed and implemented better by Panasonic, i.e. manual focusing is very difficult via the touch screen (no focussing ring); flash sync speed of 1/50sec is unacceptably slow and makes it useless for daylight fill flash; no possibility for remote release other than using i-phone with an extra app (there should be a small wireless remote accessory); again no possibility to combine self-timer and bracketing; the multi-function control ring is overly sensitive to touch, which leads to constantly changing the wrong settings; whereas the video button is recessed to avoid inadvertent video capture, the LCD is flush with the rest of the body, which leads to constantly misplacing the AF area in the top right corner (a small ridge beside the LCD could prevent this); battery / memory card slot at the bottom rather than on the side, which would avoid the need for removing quick release plate all the time...
In day to day use, I find the GM1 with the 12-32 kit lens well balanced and it is still ok to use with most Lumix lenses, except the very large ones such as the 35-100 or 100-300. With the 45-175mm PZ X lens it actually works very well, providing a great zoom range from 24-350mm equivalent with two compact lenses. Add the 20mm f1.7 for low light and you’re good to go. I don’t see a need for the extra (overpriced and ugly) accessory grip, but if you use tripod and other lenses, you will need the tripod adapter for sure.
The 12-32mm kit lens performs better than the 14-42mm OIS II kit lens on the GX7 or the 14-42mm PZ X. It has a limited but very useful zoom range and surprisingly consistent image quality. It does not focus very close (12cm x 9cm) but sharpness at close range is pretty good across the image. Some barrel distortion and corner softness at 12mm (the latter at wide open) but generally it is quite sharp from wide open to around f8 at all focal lengths, getting noticeably softer though at smaller apertures over f8. Used at f 5.0 – f 7.1, results are very good and this miniature lens actually compares favourably to the expensive 12-35mm f2.8 at many settings (except at 12-14mm wide open).
The sensor performance is comparable to the 16MP sensor of the GX1 at low sensitivities, but performs distinctly better from ISO 400 upwards. I like the extended ISO feature which allows settings below the base ISO of 200. Whereas dynamic range is greater around ISO 200, reducing the risk of clipping highlights, I find that where this is not an issue, image quality at the lower setting of ISO 125 is actually better. As for the intelligent Dynamic range I don’t think it adds that much. At lower ISO’s there is some improvement, but at higher sensitivity settings, the benefits are outweighed by increased noise and loss of detail. As for noise, at high ISO settings and normal shutter speeds IQ has vastly improved (1-2 stops), but colour noise at ISO > 400 and slow shutter speeds is unacceptable.
Autofocus is fast and accurate, which is good as manual focusing is not very easy with GM1.
White balance disappoints, with colour casts in many situations. Jpeg shooters will need to keep an eye on that constantly.
The GM1 is great fun to use and performs very well in most aspects. It should work well for most enthusiasts and snap-shooters alike. Exceptions are: if you have very large hands, need to constantly change settings (such as ISO, image stabilisation, AE mode, etc.), regularly need to work very fast or do a lot of action photography, in cold temperatures, low light or with manual focusing.
It certainly deserves the gold award...
Mostly a GX1 user for the past two years, my comparisons are in relation to GX1. I rarely use video, have not done any RAW conversions so far (which are covered by DP), so won’t comment on any of these.
Pro’s: very small size / weight; feature rich; fast and very quiet to totally silent if needed; great LCD screen resolution and responsive touch screen implementation; good ergonomics; very customizable to individual shooting style; good intelligent Auto feature; excellent image stabilisation; focuses fast and well; good bracketing range; probably the best kit lens from Lumix so far!
This camera is great value for money!
Many useful features such as multiple exposure, HDR (unfortunately limited to jpeg only setting), interval timer, choice of resetting self-timer and exposure compensation when powering down, etc.
Con’s: most “issues” have to do with the small size and are the prize you pay for a pocketable MFT camera, i.e.: smallish battery (150-175 images per charge in real live including the odd flash and normal use of playback to check image quality), minimum of designated control buttons, need for a tripod adapter when using lenses other than the kit lens, small controls making it almost impossible for use in the dark or cold weather, weak flash, somewhat slow lens, tight lens mount makes switching lenses hard, etc.. All of the above I can live with and will likely get used to over time (or then can fall back on one of its larger siblings if required).
My major complaints so far are issues which could have been designed and implemented better by Panasonic, i.e. manual focusing is very difficult via the touch screen (no focussing ring); flash sync speed of 1/50sec is unacceptably slow and makes it useless for daylight fill flash; no possibility for remote release other than using i-phone with an extra app (there should be a small wireless remote accessory); again no possibility to combine self-timer and bracketing; the multi-function control ring is overly sensitive to touch, which leads to constantly changing the wrong settings; whereas the video button is recessed to avoid inadvertent video capture, the LCD is flush with the rest of the body, which leads to constantly misplacing the AF area in the top right corner (a small ridge beside the LCD could prevent this); battery / memory card slot at the bottom rather than on the side, which would avoid the need for removing quick release plate all the time...
In day to day use, I find the GM1 with the 12-32 kit lens well balanced and it is still ok to use with most Lumix lenses, except the very large ones such as the 35-100 or 100-300. With the 45-175mm PZ X lens it actually works very well, providing a great zoom range from 24-350mm equivalent with two compact lenses. Add the 20mm f1.7 for low light and you’re good to go. I don’t see a need for the extra (overpriced and ugly) accessory grip, but if you use tripod and other lenses, you will need the tripod adapter for sure.
The 12-32mm kit lens performs better than the 14-42mm OIS II kit lens on the GX7 or the 14-42mm PZ X. It has a limited but very useful zoom range and surprisingly consistent image quality. It does not focus very close (12cm x 9cm) but sharpness at close range is pretty good across the image. Some barrel distortion and corner softness at 12mm (the latter at wide open) but generally it is quite sharp from wide open to around f8 at all focal lengths, getting noticeably softer though at smaller apertures over f8. Used at f 5.0 – f 7.1, results are very good and this miniature lens actually compares favourably to the expensive 12-35mm f2.8 at many settings (except at 12-14mm wide open).
The sensor performance is comparable to the 16MP sensor of the GX1 at low sensitivities, but performs distinctly better from ISO 400 upwards. I like the extended ISO feature which allows settings below the base ISO of 200. Whereas dynamic range is greater around ISO 200, reducing the risk of clipping highlights, I find that where this is not an issue, image quality at the lower setting of ISO 125 is actually better. As for the intelligent Dynamic range I don’t think it adds that much. At lower ISO’s there is some improvement, but at higher sensitivity settings, the benefits are outweighed by increased noise and loss of detail. As for noise, at high ISO settings and normal shutter speeds IQ has vastly improved (1-2 stops), but colour noise at ISO > 400 and slow shutter speeds is unacceptable.
Autofocus is fast and accurate, which is good as manual focusing is not very easy with GM1.
White balance disappoints, with colour casts in many situations. Jpeg shooters will need to keep an eye on that constantly.
The GM1 is great fun to use and performs very well in most aspects. It should work well for most enthusiasts and snap-shooters alike. Exceptions are: if you have very large hands, need to constantly change settings (such as ISO, image stabilisation, AE mode, etc.), regularly need to work very fast or do a lot of action photography, in cold temperatures, low light or with manual focusing.
