DCRP First Look: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 may look like yet another digital SLR, but it's not. The G1 is the first Micro FourThirds camera, which does away with the mirror and optical viewfinder of a traditional D-SLR. Since there's no mirror box taking up space, this allowed Panasonic to shrink the dimensions of the camera and its lens mount. The result is the smallest camera on the market with interchangeable lenses: the DMC-G1.

Since the G1 lacks the traditional AF sensor found on regular D-SLRs, Panasonic had to find another way to provide autofocus, and they're using the cameras Live MOS sensor to provide fast contrast detect AF. The optical viewfinder has been replaced by an electronic one with a resolution that must be seen to be believed.

Here are some other highlights of the G1:

* 12.1 effective Megapixel Live MOS sensor (same size as on a regular FourThirds camera)
* Venus Engine HD image processor
* Flip-out, rotating 3-inch LCD display + ultra-high resolution EVF
* Live view whose quality rivals a compact camera thanks to 60 fps refresh rate and fast, 23-point autofocus
* Dust reduction system
* Full manual controls + Intelligent Auto Mode (just like on Panasonic's compact cameras)
* Continuous shooting at 3 frames/second
* Hot shoe for external flash
* HDMI port

Since the DMC-G1 has a new lens mount, new lenses will have to be developed for it. The camera will be launching with F3.5-5.6, 14 - 45 mm and F4.0-5.6, 45 - 200 mm lenses, both of which have image stabilization. Further down the line are F4.0 / 7 - 14 mm, F1.7 / 20 mm, and F4.0-5.6 / 14 - 140 mm lenses.

So are current owners of FourThirds D-SLRs left out in the cold? Not completely. With an adapter, you'll be able to use all your FourThirds lenses on the DMC-G1, though they may not all support autofocus, at least initially.

Jeff Keller

more: dcresource