Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
MSRP $899.99
Released Oct 2009
Pros
- records video in 720p high definition (whereas the G1 doesn't record video at all)
- 3" display with respectable 460k pixels
- slick aesthetic
- no built in viewfinder
- no Leica lenses yet for micro four thirds
- higher price than the already compact Micro Four Thirds DMC-G1 it is based on
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is a compact DSLR built as a director competitor to Olympus’s notorious E-P1. It’s essentially a DMC-G1 (bulky SLR), but smashed into a much more convenient and user-friendly frame that resembles the E-P1 AND adds along a much-wanted built-in flash feature. It utilizes the Micro Four Third System standard and gets rid of a mirror box and optical viewfinder — which is now OPTIONAL— thereby delivering a new-generation SLR unlike anything else they’ve previously produced. And the DMC-GF1 hosts 720P capabilities, which means it can record “Full-time Live View” high-speed AVCHD Lite, high-definition movies. And core to the unit is its LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH lens and 12.1-megapixel live MOS sensor, that when combined allow for superior image-quality videos and images with adequate brightness, even without the included flash.