When I a few weeks ago... Invitation from Panasonic to test a new camera I first asked myself what I could contribute. I have an aversion to these little snap boxes that try to take over my thinking and level light particles to 18% gray. But didn't I just write that the other day? the camera is just a tool is? Maybe this could be an interesting experiment for me.
That's why I was extremely happy when my first question was answered with "yes" during the brief introduction to the camera. The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 can be stripped of all its automatic functions - although the firmware engineers are particularly proud of the new iA+ mode. And they can. In combination with the program mode P, the iA+ mode produces very, very good results in almost all conditions. I show positive examples, but also one exception, in the gallery below.
So I photographed the first day completely manually. I used the 14mm f/2.5 and the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lenses. I used the former in particular very intensively. On the one hand because I like wide angles and on the other hand because I had my D3 with 24mm with me and was able to easily compare the results that both cameras deliver. Due to its size, the FourThirds sensor of the Lumix G3 extends the focal length and aperture by a factor of 2. So a 14mm f/2.5 is actually a 28mm f/5 in full format aka XNUMXmm size.
And that's the big problem with the camera: there are no really open-aperture lenses. It's also difficult due to the design - because of the extension factor of 2. Fortunately, this is one of the camera's few problems - and of course you have to see who the target group for this camera is.
To make up for it, I can say that the lenses mentioned are pretty good. The 14 mm has slight blurring in the outermost edge area when the aperture is open. Otherwise the sharpness is convincing.
What I particularly liked about the camera is the shutter lag. I immediately got the positions I wanted on a chip with the flamenco dance group without any practice phase. The autofocus is also accurate. The electronic viewfinder is better than feared, but unfortunately light/dark contrasts are reproduced differently (but more correctly) in the viewfinder than on the display - this is not necessarily helpful when evaluating an image. Furthermore, the camera's high ISO capability for 16 MPix on the small sensor with a pixel pitch of 3.75 µm (source: DxO Mark) is surprisingly good. You can find a shot at ISO6400 in the gallery below. My observations are also confirmed by professionals. Here I'll show you the measurement results from the DxOMark test laboratory - also in comparison to DSLRs from the consumer sector from Nikon and Canon.
What I didn't like so much was that changing the focus point is really quick and easy only when using the display. The battery performance isn't exactly great either, so I definitely recommend buying a replacement battery. The automatic white balance is a bit too cold for me personally and the colors are a bit dull. However, there is no RAW converter yet, so I can only judge the camera's internal JPG engine. I took a few RAWs and will look at the data again when the appropriate converters are available: from experience, when the camera is officially on sale, we still had a pre-production model.
Otherwise I can say that I was only able to try out a fraction of the possible settings and functions. Modern cameras have so many options that two days isn't nearly enough to test everything. Although I'm not that fast anyway - after all, I'm already well over 40...
There are two other test reports from fellow travelers who focus on other cornerstones of the camera - and also use the previous model. I can therefore recommend: zoomyboy and ifranz.
My personal recommendation: if you're looking for a small, light camera to take photos occasionally, don't want to put much thought into the technology, but want the option to do so, you might like this Lumix G3 have found a good companion. However, if you want to travel with higher demands and also a higher weight, I would - no surprise - recommend the Nikon.
Hey, I could be wrong of course but the size of the chip has no influence on the light intensity of a lens. If it is 2,5 then it is a 2,5. The effect is of course different but that has to do with the size of the chip. Of course I could be wrong, but I think I'm right. Nice report. But the 24 f/1,4 is also an amazing lens and almost unfair to compare! 😉
Hi Thomas, I thought no one would dare to ask this question – thank you for that!
We're both right. Of course, a 2.5 lens is a 2.5 lens, but the effect - i.e. the sharpness range - corresponds to an aperture of 5 on full format (with an extension factor of 2). That's where the bare math simply comes into play. And photography is more math than some people would like 😉
@Stefan Groenveld,
This is exactly the reason why I am now turning my back on the mFT system: the combination of the lack of fast lenses and the sharpness range resulting from the crop.
Still, I really liked the system. It is simply unbeatably compact and can therefore be taken everywhere. Now I have a small bag and I think about which additional lens I want to take with me. Usually the combination of FB and a zoom.
So if you are looking for mFT equipment in very good condition. I listed the fun on my blog:
http://leichtscharf.de/in-eigener-sache/micro-four-thirds-vor-der-abwechslung-bei-mir-jedenfalls-gf1-stuff-for-sale/
I recommend the Voigtländer 25mm f 0.95 in combination with microFt if you like shallow depth of field. Great lens. However, of course, the massive limitation is that it is incredibly expensive and can only be operated manually.
But on the mFT the lens is “only” a 50mm f/1.9 – if you consider how little money you can get a 50mm f/1.8 for from Nikon or Canon…
@Stefan Groenveld,
And that's exactly what I'm talking about. I also had the part in my hand, great workmanship, great feel. But manually, and a 50/1.9 equivalent (although in reality the 0.95 is probably more like 1.1) - for 900 EUR.
Then I sharpened the pencil and did the math. I have now given up on the compactness and in the end I will spend less than the 900 for the Nokton for the new one by selling the above-mentioned equipment.
Which is already in front of me.
I'm with you…
Yip, that's how I understood it too. Just wanted to reinforce this.
[…] (Christina, Franz, Paddy, Christoph, Holger, Steffen, Martin, Oliver, Simon, Manfred, Stefan) were invited by Panasonic to test the new Lumix G3 system camera. By default, […]
[…] These can be read at Fotolism.us, Fotografr.de, Photowalkingmunich, neunzehn72.de, Stefan Groenveld, and Jeriko. Zoomyboy Manfred Huszar has a detailed comparison with the […]
You could look at all the artful ones
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you can only compare pictures of the cameras
would.Of course same pictures of the same
Photographed from location.
Then everyone can form their own opinion.
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I tried to do that as much as I could – in case you haven’t looked at the gallery.
[…] better camera? I asked myself this question, as I've held a Lumix µFT camera (one, two, three) in my hand several times. I answered it with "Micro Four Thirds is dead" and […]