Price: $1100 with 14–42mm Power Zoom
Superb
THE LOW-DOWN: This is the top Panasonic micro four thirds compact system camera that does not have an integrated electronic viewfinder. The high resolution VFL2 viewfinder is sold separately. It is built around the company’s 16 megapixel sensor and was supplied for review with the motor-driven image stabilised 14–42mm zoom. There is a cheaper ($900) combination of camera and conventional zoom mechanism. The motor zoom is intended for video shooting. Construction is excellent and the familiar Panasonic touch-screen control system is a feature with its touch-expose-focus-shoot facility. There is a useful level indicator accessible through the display info setting.
LIKE: The more we use the Panasonic touch screen system the more we like it. The ultra-fast auto focus means that a light touch on the subject area on the screen takes a perfectly focused and exposed picture every time.
DISLIKE: We wouldn’t buy this camera/lens combination because the power zoom is like a throw-back to compact systems. For anyone primarily intending to take stills the conventional — and cheaper — kit zoom is the way to go for quick, precise changes of focal length.
VERDICT: This is a superb camera. Its only competition is the Olympus E-P3. The GX1 is a whisker smaller than the E-P3, but not so you would notice. The Olympus has a 12mp sensor but in side-by-side pixel peeping we could not see any significant difference in output. As they cost about the same the choice might come down to appearance. The GX1 is brutal, form-follows-function, no nonsense. The E-P3 is sweetly retro and feels nicer in the hand. Either way you can’t go wrong. And for anyone considering an entry level DSLR we would strongly advise to look at these two cameras before buying. You’ll get more camera for your money.
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