Panasonic GF1 views

lnk

lnk

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Leigh
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Sold most of my DSLR kit over the past few months and got a S90 but now the urge is coming back for a new camera :)

Am interested in the Panasonic GF1 with the 14-45mm lens and would like to hear from anyone who owns one of these cameras and can give me their opinion as to whether its a worthy buy.....the camera will be used for general street photography and landscape stuff

Leigh
 
daugirdas said:
Have a read first here: http://www.photozone.de/olympus--four-thirds-lens-tests/414-pana_1445_3556?start=1
And don't forget about the lack of lenses.
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I think we need to bear in mind thats only a £200 lens

I have just ordered a GF1 purely because I am sick of lugging around a kit bag and the idea of being able to pop the lenses I need in my pocket appeals to me.
My only concern is whever I would have prefered just the G1 due to it's hand grip and EVF, and haning tried them side by side there really isn't a huge difference but if I ain't happy i'll just send it back.
People I have spoken to who have bought them are over the moon with them.
 
i love my GF1
the only thing is lack of a decent viewfinder as i hate using lcd screens like a point & shoot but make no mistake....this is a serious camera & the 14-45mm is a good lens as well
 
the best deal i could find in my area was at currys digital....got a GF1 in black & 14-45mm along with the 45-200mm (which is another cracker of a lens) for £849.00 & i could not be happier with it....used it more than i used the 7D i had before it
 
I was considering one of these to use as a small walkabout camera when I didn't want to lug the DSLR gear around (I have a Canon G9 compact which is great at base ISO but I wanted something that would perform better in poor conditions). I was torn between the GF1, G1 and the Oly Pen, so headed to a shop for a play. In the end I went for the G1 as it felt better in the hand and isn't much bigger (the lower price helped too). So far I've been really happy with it - it's so light that carrying it all day isn't an issue and the results are pleasing.
 
britco said:
i love my GF1
the only thing is lack of a decent viewfinder as i hate using lcd screens like a point & shoot but make no mistake....this is a serious camera & the 14-45mm is a good lens as well
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Holding the camera away from your body has to be a serious flaw for anyone wishing to take seriously sharp quality shots. There is simply no way that a photographer can hold a GF1 steady enough to reduce your chances of getting camera shake.
 
For a 1st lens i would strongly recommend the 20mm f1.7 'Pancake' lens. It is a superb lens. The 14-45 is very good also but it starts at f3.5 which is fine for tripod/monopod use but i would still go for the 20mm. I hardly use my 14-45mm but i expect it will be handy for landscapes when i get to do some!

Also don't forget you can (with suitable adapter) fit old manual focus lenses on these cameras.

Superb camera. I have had mine for a good few months now and i love it. It's easy to use and stuffed full of features. Also it's much easier to use in the real world than a DSLR as it's half the size!
 
got a 20mm on order...can't wait to try it
 
The EVF makes a huge difference to the usability of the camera, don't forget though you can use one of the old optical vewfinders designed for rangefinder cameras if you are just looking for something cheap and cheerful, although I'd imagine with the increase in sales of the GF-1 and Pen any available won't be all that cheap any more....
 
Thanks for the replies and the link......i bit the bullet earlier and purchased the camera with the 14-45 lens.

Just had a little play with it and the menu system may take a little getting used to as ive only had canon stuff before, will take the camera out tomorrow for the day and see how it feels.
 
aberal said:
Holding the camera away from your body has to be a serious flaw for anyone wishing to take seriously sharp quality shots. There is simply no way that a photographer can hold a GF1 steady enough to reduce your chances of getting camera shake.
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Really?
 
aberal said:
Holding the camera away from your body has to be a serious flaw for anyone wishing to take seriously sharp quality shots. There is simply no way that a photographer can hold a GF1 steady enough to reduce your chances of getting camera shake.
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You obviously don;t know how to hold a camera when shooting via the screen. :wacky:
 
I have yet to have a problem using the rear screen, mind you i expect i will if the sun is strong and behind me!! Even so i can't justify spending all that money on a view finder just for the odd few times i can't see the screen 100%.
 
aberal said:
Yes, really.
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It's a matter of opinion rather than fact. It's also clear that competence and technique play a big part - it's simply not reasonable to say that there's "no way that a photographer can hold a GF1 steady enough to reduce your chances of getting camera shake". Presumably you're qualified to make such bold assertions by virtue of the fact that you have a GF1 and u4/3 lenses?
 
Nobody is required to have qualifications to form an opinion. IMHO if the OP wants to take landscape photos and general street photography then they increase their chances of getting better results by having a camera which can be held as steadily as possible in all eventualities. That is best achieved with a camera with a viewfinder and there the GF1 is lacking as compared to the G1 or all DSLR's because the camera has to be held away from the body.
 
Rather presumptuous to form such a strong opinion about something without first hand knowledge in my opinion. Nevertheless, I feel qualified to say that it is perfectly possible to get excellent results holding the camera away from your eye - I've had a D200, D300, D700, 40D and 1D3, and am happy to report that, despite the admittedly different way of working, there's very little difference - don't forget, the lenses are very much smaller and lighter than dSLR counterparts when effective focal length is taken into account, and so balance isn't as much of an issue. Of course, you could also use the optional viewfinder on the GF1 if you struggle - rubbish for judging focus, but perfect for judging composition etc.
 
I'm sure you can get excellent results. I'm saying, in my view, you will get the best results with a viewfinder. It's up to the OP to make a judgement about the quality they are looking for and how best to achieve it.

Incidently, I owned a Panasonic Lumix compact which I sold on this forum around a year ago. Not the GF1 I grant you, but sufficiently similar for my experience with it to colour my opinion.
 
Of course, you could also use the optional viewfinder on the GF1 if you struggle - rubbish for judging focus, but perfect for judging composition
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ah, this could be a stumbling block for me, I've no problems with composition but a precise focus is something I'd really want, would I be better off with a D90?
 
MrNutt said:
ah, this could be a stumbling block for me, I've no problems with composition but a precise focus is something I'd really want, would I be better off with a D90?
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It focus's just fine with the EVF attached, after all its auto and attaching the viewfinder doesn't do anything to stop this.

Even in manual focus you can still focus, its slower but manual focus with GF1 is, you can still get good results mind you. ;)
 
scraggs said:
I think we need to bear in mind thats only a £200 lens

I have just ordered a GF1 purely because I am sick of lugging around a kit bag and the idea of being able to pop the lenses I need in my pocket appeals to me.
My only concern is whever I would have prefered just the G1 due to it's hand grip and EVF, and haning tried them side by side there really isn't a huge difference but if I ain't happy i'll just send it back.
People I have spoken to who have bought them are over the moon with them.
Click to expand...

Stop whining you will love it ;)
 
oh I'd also be using fully manual lenses (old russian glass, I like the way they've aged) with an adapter, I'm keen to hear peoples experience with manual lenses? (I'm also considering the 20mm, the cheapest I've found camera and 20mm is £699.00).
 
aberal said:
I'm sure you can get excellent results. I'm saying, in my view, you will get the best results with a viewfinder. It's up to the OP to make a judgement about the quality they are looking for and how best to achieve it.
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No, you get the better shot form the camera you have with you. The simple fact is the a more compact camera is more likely to be carried, ergo you are more likely to get a better picture with it.

For some reason, some people think that you can only shoot with a screen by holding your arms out straight - this is of course nonsense. To shoot steadily with a screen all you have to do is tuck your elbows into your body and voila a firm and steady grip. I may not be as firm and steady as holding a DLSR to the eye, but it is easily steady enough to get sharp pictures.

Furthermore, from the way you talk, you'd think that GF-1 user are precluded from using tripods. The lack of mirror slap on a GF-1 actually means that it is easier to take sharp pictures on a tripod than it is with a DLSR where you have to mess around with mirror lock up functions.

Incidently, I owned a Panasonic Lumix compact which I sold on this forum around a year ago. Not the GF1 I grant you, but sufficiently similar for my experience with it to colour my opinion.
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I would suggest that the inability to take sharp pictures is far more a reflection of the photographer than it is the camera.
 
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