Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 Video Test Review | Bnf Paris from Pier-Yves Menkhoff on Vimeo.
This is a guets post by our friend Pier-Yves. He tested the new Panasonic GM1:
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It has been a long time since I looked for a “video photo pen”. A device which knows how to get to the point without sacrificing to the quality of the image. Just a “presses button”. A device where the effects would be just as a “cherry on a cake”. For one year, most of our professional realizations are filmed with the Panasonic DMC-GH3. Whether it is for commercial, legal, marriage, fiction, etc.. The Panasonic is a marvel. It is just damage which Panasonic France does not assure as regards the collaboration with the professionals. Panasonic France does not like the small independent directors.
How to bring the DMC-GH3 on holidays ? In week-end ? I want something compact and performing. A device with fix focal one . There is the RX1 of Sony, but it is very expensive. For me.
In September, Panasonic announces the DMC-GM1. I tear. It is magnificent. Simple. Basic. Compact. Only the lens bothers me. I do not like zooms for a private use. It is without mattering, I shall replace the lens by the Panasonic 14 mm f2.5 or the Olympus 17 mm f/1.7 f/1.7.
On Friday, November 22nd, 2013, my friends of Images Photo Paris announce me that the DMC-GM1 arrived. About 2 weeks beforehand. I exult.
Today, the DMC-GM1 is in my hands. It is almost too small. Nevertheless, I have no big hands. The menu is similar to that of the other Panasonic. Clear and immediately available. We are far from the “labyrinthine system” of Olympus and Fuji.
An element begins to bother me. It is impossible to place a quick release plate for photo or video tripod with another lens than the Panasonic 12-32 mm or 14 mm. With the Olympus 17 mm, it is limit. With the Panasonic 20 mm or 12-35 f / 2.8, you should not dream. It is impossible. Direction La Grand Bibliothèque de Paris behind my home.
It is cold. Paris is grey. The recording is going to change that of these dear Americans where their images are always full of sun and blue sky. Panasonic DMC-GM1 holds perfectly well in the pocket of my coat. It is even feels at ease.
Right out, it becomes different. To hold a metallic object is not very pleasant. I would have to buy these famous gloves for photographer. I am surprised by the reactivity of the DMC-GM1. It is immediate. Faster than the DMC-GH3. The touch-sensitive screen is reactive too. Even too much. Take care where you put fingers. Too low on the screen, you modify the white balance without being careful. It happened to me. The screen glorifies the images but without betraying them really. What you see is what you will get …
Return at home. The editing is also simple as for the DMC-GH3. The audio dubbing is essential. The audio recording is mediocre. Including with the wind filter. To use only indoor.
Now it just needs a nice case to carry the DMC-GM1. Enjoy your Panasonic.
Cheers.
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Reminder: 104 Euro off (yes already!) on the GM1 at Amazon Germany (all colors, via DL).
GM1 preorder list:
In US at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at Amazon Germany, Wex Germany, Amazon UK, Fotohanskeuzekamp, Cyberphoto Sweden and Wex UK.
42 Responses
Good review post. Confirms that GM1 is a novelty camera. Not for serious work. Will be the prize possession of purse shopping middle aged metrosexuals. Enjoy your (G)irl(M)an(1) pursecams.
Perhaps if you read it another time you will get a better understanding of this review.
Besides, if you think Panasonic marketed the GM-1 primarily to working pros, I think you misread that too.
“Not for serious work”? Sounds like a good description of “Too Many Fails”. Moron.
Don’t forget to buy a purse for your pro pursecam.
Already have one bro. Carries my wallet, keys, my note 3 and soon (once its shipped) my GM1. If you’re looking for a nice leather bag check out roots.
Interesting name you use (Too Many Fails), reflective of some personal issues perhaps that led to your post?
It is not the camera that makes a pictures. It is the photographer.
The GM-1, and other m43 cameras are very capable of delivering amazing quality images, which are probably more than enough for most people to use. For the ones who need more or something else, they can choose a different camera system.
Get a life.
His “review” is right – I played with one in a shop here in HK and it’s too small for me. I don’t have big hands but even so, I found it hard to use. It’d get in the way of taking pictures, which is my definition of a bad camera, so I’d have to really need the mini-size because I’m pretty sure it’d drive me nuts to use this camera often.
MFT cameras are basically toys at PRO prices. There is only 1 single reason for using them: low weight of lenses (from the few lenses to choose from, which btw. are optically abysmal as compared to other brands but cost much more).
The kit m4/3 zooms are equal or superior to kit zooms from either Canon or Nikon (with, maybe, the exception of the Olympus 12-50, but its versatility compensates its optical weaknesses).
The m4/3 primes are, to rare exceptions, fairly good (it’s more the sensor quality and size limiting their output) at least on par with what Canon and Nikon offer except the very top of the range, the prices are not that excessive.
Now the non-kit zooms, with the exception of the Pana 7-14, 12-35, 35-100, the Oly 12-40 are indeed well into mediocre-to-good territory with Canon and Nikon, but really, Tamron and Sigma, offering zooms at least as good for less money, or better for the same price.
The exceptions made are not perfect either, the 12-35 is indeed a bit weak optically when compared to its most direct competitors it is however cheaper than Canon and Nikon branded ones and only Sigma and Tamron can compete on price.
You also have to note that no m4/3 lens suffers from front/back-focusing problems, which is frankly a great thing.
So no, the limiting factor of m4/3 is not the lenses optical qualities, at least not when directly compared.
The selection might still be a little limited and it might lack affordable quality alternatives to brand items, but it has something good for almost everyone, unlike the NEX system…
Cameras are for women anyway, real men carry slabs of rocks along with a hammer and chisel.
And remember, professionals can be identified by how big, complex and expensive their hardware is, not by the fact it is their source of income or by how good they are at their job or how good their output is.
This message was delivered to you by a Canon dealer with too many 1DIV on inventory, come on, be a real manly man, buy my great big camera, it’ll impress girls, I swear, it’s all you miss to finally get laid.
LOL
I really like your sens of humor…
Cheers.
I am a “middle aged metrosexual” professional (as “in the professions”, not a professional photographer) – and proud of it; and we are quite serious with our hobbies. Be careful when you praise with faint damning, you may even confirm our prejudice that those huge dslrs are only for suv driving tea-party voting rednecks, who mistook their camera for their penis.
The STUPID. IT LIVES!!!!
It would be great is someone could post a 1080p24 GM1 video on vimeo.
Nice post!
Panasonic sells a little tripod adaptor base plate extension thingie for $35.
Tripod Adapter Model: DMW-TA1
http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/DMW-TA1
Thank you for the information. I will buy it. In case. Cheers.
Excellent video with this little dynamo of a camera. The APS-C crowd is now scrambling to match it.
I think he doesn’t realize that he needs the accessory grip to mount other lenses comfortably, to add that extra height, and to allow more flexible tripod usage.
The accessory grip use the tripod mount, so you can’t use a tripod with the grip on the camera 🙁
Why talk about menu system as if it is much more than personal preference. I’ve had five different Pansonic cameras and found the menu ok. Not bad but not the best either. Olympus was confusing but I learned it. Fuji is very intuitive and the best of the three brands, in my eyes.
Ok, just got a little annoyed with claim that Panasonic makes good menus…
Actually I would ask WHO does good menus in these days of feature-overcrowded mini-computers that are built for foto and video capture. I cannot think of any manufacturer that comes with a clean, intuitive system. I mean, you can get used to all sorts of cumbersome menu systems, can’t you?
Pentax menu is well organized, with tab menu and no vertical scroll.
>> It is impossible to place a quick release plate for photo or video tripod with another lens than the Panasonic 12-32 mm or 14 mm. With the Olympus 17 mm, it is limit. With the Panasonic 20 mm or 12-35 f / 2.8, you should not dream. It is impossible. <<
Nothing is impossible.
It's very easy to make a small adapter
from aluminium (ca ~40-50mm x 20mm x 4mm) to fix it.
-274 degrees centigrade is impossible. Faster than the speed of light is impossible. Adding a grip and tripod to a gm1 is just slightly inconvenient.
I agree that the GH3 is a real monster. But did you try the gx7? Not that I would recommend it, but it is less a compromise than the GM1 (if one only could get rid of this useless EVF thing that constantly gets in the way).
I was tempted by the DMC-GX7. But I find it, I am sorry :
• Ugly and too big.
• Its grip is more a bump than a grip.
• I do not like the moving and the outgrowth of its viewfinder. A particularly dark viewfinder.
The GX7 is very far from the esthetics of the DMC-GF1. I really wished a video photo “pen” I can put easily in a pocket coat, in a little bag without compromise of the quality of the photo or the video.
Have a nice day…
I guess you should decide either is too large or grip is too small.
That may be your opinion, but I think the GX7 is NOT ugly, not too big, actually looks great, and the grip is excellent. And why does it have to look like the GF1? (And I have both the GF1 and GX7.). The GX7 is also feature-packed.
I added on http://vimeo.com/80273967 a comparison of the 3 video formats proposed by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1.
• AVCHD 1 920 x 1 080 50i Exit 50p 17 Mbps
• AVCHD 1 920 x 1 080 50i Exit 25p 24 Mbps
• AVCHD 1 920 x 1 080 24p Exit 24p 24Mbps
Edited on Final Cut Studio. No correction.
Cheers
This camera has already won Metrosexual Camera of the Year, by the AMPE (Association of Metrosexual Enthusiast Photographers)
This kind of comment always makes me think that the commentator sees Thomas Magnum and Freddie Mercury as the pinnacle of virility.
I usually have this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08) playing in my head while reading them, it seems so appropriate.
Sing with me now !
Macho, macho man
I’ve got to be a macho man
Wimps.
http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2.jpg
Is that a camera you’re riding or are you happy to see me ?
Have fun with your GM1, unserious photography person. Meanwhile gotta go to work:
http://media.digitalcameraworld.com/files/2012/05/sigma-telephoto.jpg
Wait ! How did you guess ?
http://goo.gl/RrYUZR
Ever considered the possibility that, while you are posting with your tongue so firmly in cheek, that it almost pierces through it, the “big is beautiful” brigade – not known for their sense of humour – actually take it at face value and mean every word it (particularly the insulting ones)?
Now, maybe you don’t care about that, and may be I shouldn’t care either, but the fact of the matter is that marketing departments seem to take them seriously. We are not out of the “small is for point-and-shoot upgrader, who is intimidated by too many manual controls” wood yet. So, maybe we should trumpet somewhat aggressively the idea that the “metrosexual”, “metroanysexanyorientation”, “metrotraveller”, “metrohiker”, “metrocyclist”, “metroglobetrotter”, “metroanythingandeverything” enthusiast market is both important and neglected.
I’m not sure i’d agree that the enthusiast market is neglected. Panasonic has been making LX cameras for years, then Sony got into the game, and Olympus. And anyway “metrosexual” is a stupid word, an empty signifier, and stupid people will say stupid things like “girly” and “manpurse” on the internet. I don’t know what to tell you, except, buy the GM1 and go and take some pictures?
Exactly! The RX100 and the GM1 are closest to my dream camera than anything else on the market. Of course I wish they had in-body stabilization (even at the price of a slightly bigger, but still sub-pm2 body) and more manual controls. But I can’t complain. Finally something smaller than the PENs and better than the “advanced compacts” of yesteryear; they are the first and only truly desirable cameras for me (and my needs and my lifestyle, which does not include lugging around huge cameras or gear bags, not any more, since I am no longer in my 20ies). As for “metrowhatsamightcallit”, yes, it is a stupid term, and stupidly introduced, but, now that it has been inadvertently introduced, I am happy to adopt it until a better one comes along.
who cares?
Regarding the tripod problem. I just found out today that Slik SBH-100 DQ BK fit perfectly if you put the release plate sideway. I just tested it with Panny 20mm and 7-14mm with no problem at all.