An addictive, attractive and very usable Camera

[burnymeister]

I have used a lot of cameras over the years - especially with the advent of digital ones. My priorities are a combination of:

1. Portability (system size including lenses)
2. Image Quality
3. Usability
4. Form factor
5. Availability of lenses including primes

The 4/3 and m4/3 standard has produced many good cameras, especially in the past few years and I have used almost all of them and many of the lenses too.

Up until the GM1 there has not been a camera in the m43 system that truly used the smaller sensor size to produce a small body. Many of the premier m43 cameras such as the GH4 and the EM1 are awesome cameras (especially with the excellent range of high quality lenses now available) but they aren't much smaller or lighter than my Fuji gear.

The GM1 is a remarkably small camera. It's downright tiny! I used a Sony RX100 mark II all last summer and while I loved it, I felt limited by it's 1" sensor and non-interchangeable lens design. The GM1 fixes those issues and adds a few nice bonus features for me.

Something that doesn't get mentioned a lot with regards to the GM1 is the blazing fast AF. My routine is simple and flexible - and fun! I have the camera set up to "Area focus" with the touch screen activated for focusing. I simply compose the scene on the excellent LCD the way I want, touch the screen where I want focus to be and press the shutter. So intuitive and so fast, it actually makes the lack of EVF a total non-issue for the first time on a camera for me. I always want an OVF / EVF option but for the GM1 I wouldn't use one even if it became somehow possible.

The tiny 12-32mm lens is awesome too. I can fit the entire package in a tiny case on the shoulder strap of my backpack and barely notice it's there. Lenses that make sense on this camera include;

• 12-32
• The upcoming "new" 35-100 that Panny is designing for this camera
• Olympus 12mm f/2
• Panny 15mm f/1.7
• Olympus 17mm f/1.8
• Panny 20mm f/1.8
• Olympus 25mm f/1.8
• Olympus 45mm f/1.8

I also have the optional Panasonic grip which is way too expensive but does add some security for one-handed operation.

 

[billbourd]

Read your post and wondered just how small is this camera. Pulled up the specs, retrieved my old Rollie 35 and a ruler. Could not believe it but they are virtually the same. Now I can appreciate just how small this GM1 is. Might have to get one to compliment my EM-5 which until now I thought was small. Years ago I carried the Rollie when I didn't want to "lug" around my Pentax Spotmatic.

 

[JoshHikes]

I got the GM1 as an ultra light backpacking option.
The kind if backpacking that you would never carry a leather man tool because it is way to heavy. Not neccisarily the kind of backpacking that I only eat cold food to save the weight of an ultralight stove. So between those two ranges, is my best attempt to simply quantify how important weight is.
Personally I was very attracted by the high quality I was allowed at this weight. This is less than a rx100 and it is an ILC?
That said I am very surprised and comforted by how many folk appreciate the GM1 outside of my rare nitche use. I was drolling over the omd 10 until I saw the weight. Longer shutter speed,NFC, and pano mode would be nice, but at this feature/gram I am thrilled.
Glad I am not alone.

 

[Bram de Mooij]

I bought one and got that grip with it. The camera I like very much. That grip is useless to me. It just blocks the tripod attachment point.

 

[Hen3ry]

And it ought to be in this little cam because it is just the kind of functionality people want in a take anywhere camera.

Cheers, geoff

 

[Tom Caldwell]

Read your post and wondered just how small is this camera. Pulled up the specs, retrieved my old Rollie 35 and a ruler. Could not believe it but they are virtually the same. Now I can appreciate just how small this GM1 is. Might have to get one to compliment my EM-5 which until now I thought was small. Years ago I carried the Rollie when I didn't want to "lug" around my Pentax Spotmatic.

The main difference Bill is that the GM1 will go very close to replacing the EM-5. The reviewer forgot to mention the compromises to the "control surfaces" that were necessary to achieve the very small size. On the imaging front the sensor and most other technical features that make an image it shares with the larger Panasonic camera bodies.

 

[Tom Caldwell]

And it ought to be in this little cam because it is just the kind of functionality people want in a take anywhere camera.

Cheers, geoff

 

[Andrew MM]

Hi Josh...I am like you and have been looking for a better quality option for backpacking. I currently use the LX7 which has served well but wish for a little more DR and MP for bigger prints. The EM10 is appearling except for the reasons you note. Do you have the GM1? Any thoughts about the DR? According to DXO it is nearly the same as the LX7. I shoot a lot or early/late light with high contrast and have to bracket heavy and merge.

 

[Tom Caldwell]

It can also be a good sports/action camera if you fit the right lens and use an appropriate auxiliary viewfinder. The beauty of any camera with the versatility of access to a good range of lenses.

Like ... what a little wonder action-cam when fitted with the 35-100mm f2.8. The AF is quick and it is just a case of getting enough light in there to maintain a fast shutter speed.

Mentioned elsewhere - some user creature comforts - wheels, buttons, evf and tilt lcd, among others, are sacrificed to get the small size. Even mechanical shutter is compromised and the flash is low power and the battery life is on the low side of generous. No hot shoe. Therefore if anyone needs all the creature comforts then they had best buy a larger camera. But if you wish to have as small a camera as possible that will retain high-quality image making capability then the GM1 has no real opposition when it comes to a body with a wide range of possible lens combinations.

The electronic shutter compromise also has some advantages in speed and silence.

The touch screen interface is well integrated and refreshingly free of twee icons. Five extra fully configuarble touch functions make up for lack of mechanical buttons. Seen as sparsely populated by mechanical controls if you add in the five-slot touch function, the fifteen slot touch quick menu, and the pop out exposure lock and capture by touch functions this camera actually has every control that the enthusiast user could wish for. In fact I suggest that most will run out of functions that they might use before they fill up their quickmenu.

M4/3 cameras have become a straight size-choice. Big tank like dslr bodies are slowly being discarded and the M4/3 format is winking at their users. They still work well for some purposes but are slowly being painted into a corner. The question of optimum size then arises. For some a larger size means good grip, useful mechanical controls with intuitive and easy access (ergonomics), and full function shooting and imaging capability. There are M4/3 mount cameras in this class a-plenty if you wish to save a modicum of dslr body size. Making all these constaints work on a tiny camera body is hard. Panasonic has chosen to retain full function shooting and imaging capability and has sacrificed some user comforts to get there. I think they have done a very good job in reatining as much user comfort and intuitive interface, it is not perfect, but some compromises were obviously necessary.

--
Tom Caldwell

 

[Tom Caldwell]

Hi Josh...I am like you and have been looking for a better quality option for backpacking. I currently use the LX7 which has served well but wish for a little more DR and MP for bigger prints. The EM10 is appearling except for the reasons you note. Do you have the GM1? Any thoughts about the DR? According to DXO it is nearly the same as the LX7. I shoot a lot or early/late light with high contrast and have to bracket heavy and merge.

Andrew the GM1 uses the latest M4/3 sensor used by Panasonic hence the GM1 is only a severely trimmed GX7 with much the same (should be identical) photographic capability. You range of performance can only be modified by the lenses you select from the many M4/3 lenses available. In fact the kit zoom lens that comes with the GM1 is very good and also compact. Pixel by pixel the GM1 should be better than anything the LX7 could produce. Of course the temptation is to ramp up the lenses attached tot he GM1 and you will soon enough lose any size convenience with a larger format lens on board, or several of them.

So it is a backpackers camera if you keep it lean and mean. Otherwise it is a remarkable small format camera for every purpose you could throw at it.

 

[Paul_R_H]

Ha! Yes, I had a Rollei B35 for when I didn't want to carry my Pentax MX, and the MX was pretty tiny for its day. Now it's the GM1 for my lightweight days and Pentax K5 for heavy days.

Paul

Read your post and wondered just how small is this camera. Pulled up the specs, retrieved my old Rollie 35 and a ruler. Could not believe it but they are virtually the same. Now I can appreciate just how small this GM1 is. Might have to get one to compliment my EM-5 which until now I thought was small. Years ago I carried the Rollie when I didn't want to "lug" around my Pentax Spotmatic.

 

[Paul_R_H]

How do you actually _see_ the EVF in bright light? I love my GM1 but find it very difficult in bright sun. If the sun's behind me the screen is overwhelmed, but at least I can shade it with my hand. Shooting into the sun is harder because a reflection of my bald head gets in the way. Have tried caps and so on but it just doesn't quite work. Maybe I should get a massive black wig.

Mostly now what I do is 'compositional bracketing'. Aim the camera in approx the right direction and then take loads of shots in the hope one is correctly framed and level.

...it actually makes the lack of EVF a total non-issue for the first time on a camera for me. I always want an OVF / EVF option but for the GM1 I wouldn't use one even if it became somehow possible.

The tiny 12-32mm lens is awesome too. I can fit the entire package in a tiny case on the shoulder strap of my backpack and barely notice it's there.

Agreed. the 12-32 is amazingly good for an amazingly small kit lens. I assumed from the jpegs it was getting a lot of software correction, but even the RAW files have little distortion or edge softness.

Lenses that make sense on this camera include;

Add the Sigma DN 60 to this list. Sure it's not a zoom and doesn't have anti-shake, but as it is pretty amazingly sharp across the frame at f/2.8 you can use fast shutter speeds. Fine value too.

• The upcoming "new" 35-100 that Panny is designing for this camera
• Olympus 12mm f/2
• Panny 15mm f/1.7
• Olympus 17mm f/1.8
• Panny 20mm f/1.8
• Olympus 25mm f/1.8
• Olympus 45mm f/1.8

--

Vern Dewit
Calgary, Alberta Canada
http://www.explor8ion.com
http://verndewit.com/

Paul

 

[Hen3ry]

And it ought to be in this little cam because it is just the kind of functionality people want in a take anywhere camera.

Cheers, geoff

 

[JoshHikes]

Hi Josh...I am like you and have been looking for a better quality option for backpacking. I currently use the LX7 which has served well but wish for a little more DR and MP for bigger prints. The EM10 is appearling except for the reasons you note. Do you have the GM1? Any thoughts about the DR? According to DXO it is nearly the same as the LX7. I shoot a lot or early/late light with high contrast and have to bracket heavy and merge.

Andrew the GM1 uses the latest M4/3 sensor used by Panasonic hence the GM1 is only a severely trimmed GX7 with much the same (should be identical) photographic capability. You range of performance can only be modified by the lenses you select from the many M4/3 lenses available. In fact the kit zoom lens that comes with the GM1 is very good and also compact. Pixel by pixel the GM1 should be better than anything the LX7 could produce. Of course the temptation is to ramp up the lenses attached tot he GM1 and you will soon enough lose any size convenience with a larger format lens on board, or several of them.

So it is a backpackers camera if you keep it lean and mean. Otherwise it is a remarkable small format camera for every purpose you could throw at it.

 

[billbourd]

I bought a few of these for the chargers I have so as not to have to carry the extension cord. Very handy and cheap.

Loading…

www.amazon.com

 

[Hen3ry]

Cheers, geoff