The Panasonic Lumix G1 is a new 12.1 megapixel digital SLR which uses a 4/3rds ratio sensor. The Lumix G1 features a high-resolution electronic Live View Finder (LVF), 3 inch tilt-swivel LCD screen, integrated sensor cleaning and contrast autofocus. The contrast autofocus provides face detection whilst using the camera in intelligent auto (iA) mode, which is now a widespread feature in many compact digital cameras.
The Lumix G1 is ultra-portable thanks to it’s slim proportions and diminutive weight, allowing you to take it absolutely everywhere. The body of the camera weighs just 385g, the only competitor to pip this is the Olympus E-420 at 380g, whilst the Nikon D60 (495g) and Canon 1000D (450g) seem heavy in comparison.
The Live View Finder provides a digital view through your lens (opposed to an optical viewfinder in most digital SLRs) and is powered by the Venus Engine. This powerful image processor addresses the primary concern of early electronic viewfinders: low resolution and stuttering image. The Venus Engine powers Live View at a silky smooth 60 frames per second!
Alternatively you may choose to compose images using the 3 inch LCD screen, which can be angled for use in odd positions. The beauty of tilt-swivel screens is that ground level shots and over head images (great for crowds) can be accurately composed without any guess-work and wasted time.
The Panasonic Lumix G1 is an intriguing formula: By integrating features of a compact digital camera (portable, composition using a screen, face detection) into a digital SLR (allowing interchangeable lenses and a larger sensor for superior image quality) it certainly provides an attractive proposition for 1st time digital SLR buyers.
Panasonic Lumix G1 Digital SLR at Photokina 2008
