LUMIX G1

Ok by now everybody has seen or at least heard about this camera.

It's cool (it comes in red if you want it), compact and delivers good images.

So where is the catch?

No optical view finder - replaced by a electronic one

No prism means no glass - lighter body and less costs

First impressions

Its an improvement compared to bridge cameras but still if you have a nice LCD on the back (which is movable) maybe you don't need at all the viewfinder.

Size - I like the compact camera body and the design, but frankly I hold it with my three fingers (not that I have particularly large hands). In general, I favors using additional battery grips which provide better handling especially with large lenses. For using the G1, I would immediately look for the grip - which btw is not foreseen.

The G1 is aimed at being used with compact lenses, but still despite appearances, the camera is not that compact. Canon G10 is more compact - but it has a built in lens which cannot be replaced, so its not an SLR. But 450D and even its lighter version the 1000D have more resolution has an optical view finder with mirrors and everything (ok don't expect High Point) and sells for less. Pentax KM is also an interesting camera and holds better in the hand.

In fact, probably in this league of cameras, the rangefinder type (such as G10 which is the grand nephew of the Canonet) seems better suited for descreet, available light, quality lens photography. The Lumix is rather based on a video camera design, hence electronic view finder, movable screen, and contrast detection autofocus.

The funny thing is that it does NOT have (yet) video capacity. Panasonic displayed a prototype of an HD capable G1 which will be available in 2009. A full HD version may not be available before 2010. Even then, it will remain to be seen which functionalities the lens will retain when shooting video.


The only "concessions" to SLR design are the use of a mechanical shutter and the use of interchangeable lenses, which with the adoption of the new micro four/thirds format are more compact than ever.

First conclusions

Its a novel design which builds on the bridge cameras legacy of combining features from videocam and SLRs.

The camera seem to deliver, according to various commentators, a good level of image quality which position it above the average compact digital camera and among the medium high level of the most recent consumer DSLRs.

Strong points

Image quality

compactness

Live view and in lens Image Stabilisation

LCD panel is large and moving

More questionable points

Has a lot of videocam genes but... no video

Price - you can get a D60 with double lens kit for the price

New lens (sub?) system

Not that compact compared to G10, 450D or Pentax KM

Pentax 15mm f4 DA Limited

Pentax 15mm f4 DA Limited, originally uploaded by pincolatino.

Pentax 15mm f4 DA Limited.

Prototype on display at Pentax stand at Photokina.

It should be available in Spring 2009.

Being a DA lens, this lens may vignette seriously when used on a 35 mm SLR or Full frame sensor whenever Pentax decides to manufacture one.

Pentax has a good 14mm f2.8 lens in the DA range with Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass and Quick-Shift from AF to MF. It correspond to a 21mm and costs around 600$.

Pentax KM

Pentax KM + DA Limited lenses

At Photokina, Pentax displayed the new KM digital SLR amateur camera. This is an interesting and compact new body.

It basically has the same specs of the K10, K200 in terms of resolution - 10 Mpix CCD (Sony made?) and a Pentax K bayonet.

So it is compact like a bridge camera, although it offers full SLR features and the possibility to mount almost any Pentax K lens (K, KA, KAF, KAF2); screw-mount M42 lens with an adapter ring; and 645- and 67-system lenses with an adapter.

Add as a bonus the on-sensor stabilization that helps to gain a couple of stops on any lens.

The processor managed dynamic-range expansion function avoids washed out areas in high contrast scenes and generally a wider range of exposure.

Ok, don't expect a super bright and large viewfinder but certainly a better one than the electronic view finders found in bridge cameras. In this regards, it would be interesting to compare viewfinder performances with the Lumix G1 which sports an HD electronic viewfinder to compensate for doing without a mechanical reflex mechanism and prism. I would suspect that optical reflex will always be better.

You can't use the 2.7-inch LCD monitor to compose because believe it or not there is no live view function.

Using KM with Pentax Limited lenses

The KM will be available in November as a kit only package with a simpler (ie plastic bayonet) version of the 18-55 DA zoom.

The great thing is that you can use the Pentax limited fixed lenses on this camera, although the sensor multiplication factor (x1.5) should be taken into account. So for instance, a 50mm equivalent on KM would be roughly a 33 mm lens. While the 21mm lens becomes a 31mm and so on.

The lenses in this Limited range are all beautifully made (especially the first series), they are auto focus lenses, very compact and reasonably priced for what they offer.

The KM is just perfect with Pentax Limited lenses. You can achieve a compact and high quality kit for a relatively good price. The ideal is a KM with 21mm combo for wide angle street/travel photography, as you end up with slightly less than a 35mm, ok at f3.2 this is no Summilux.

The KM with 40mm f2.8 is also a compact and lightweight combo although as a 60mm equivalent it may be less useful everyday. But the use of K bayonet allows a wide range of possibilities, although I don't know if I would like to mount 645 lenses on it.

Pentax KM with 40mm f2,8 DA Limited

SMC FA Limited Lenses

• smc FA 31 / 1,8 AL Limited
• smc FA 43 mm / 1,9 Limited
• smc FA 77 mm / 1,8 Limited

You should note that the existing smc FA limited lenses are in principle not optimized for digital. But given that they are good lenses and the sensor would use only the center of the image, avoiding any light fall off or softness at corners, you may of course use them. The trade-off may be purple fringing. Also, the fact that taking into account sensor multiplication factor you end up with a range of moderate tele lenses (50-65- 115).

On KM 31mm while representing an interesting option, is a bit bulky for what it is (345g) and uses 58mm filters (no problem if you are a Canon user). Also while it has a very nice silver finish, it may not look that good on KM's black body.

The 77mm may also be considered for portraits given its f1.8 aperture although on KM you end up with the equivalent of a 115mm which is in between a 90-105 range for head/shoulder shot and 135mm which is better for head shots. It is compact and lightweight (270g) so maybe you can get closer to your model. Filter is Pentax standard 49mm and it is available in black. Availability of this lens may not be as wide as others.

SMC DA Limited Lenses

Pentax has has issued a new range of Limited lenses for DA that is optimized for digital cameras.

• smc DA 21mm f/3.2 AL Limited
• smc DA 40 mm / 2,8 Limited
• smc DA 70mm / 2.4 Limited

They are on average slightly less bright than the FA series (average 2.8 compared to 1.8 in the previous series). This is a full stop more on average although this may be in part compensated by the KM's shake reduction system in terms of speed but you loose in terms of out of focus (bokeh) areas (which is also diminished by the digital sensor crop factor.) So for portraits with beautiful out of focus backgrounds you have to look somewhere else. On the other side if hyper focal is what you need this may be the good combination.

At Photokina, Pentax had also two other lenses from the Limited range on display: a 15mm f4 DA Limited and a 35mm Macro lens which is new and should be already available.

Pentax KM + DA Limited lenses clockwise from top 21/3.2; 35/2.8 macro; 70/2.4; 21/3.2