DCresource tested the new Panasonic GF2: “It offers very good photo quality, snappy performance, a touchscreen LCD with a customizable interface, the best Auto mode on the planet, and Full HD video recording. The bad news is that it has issues with redeye, underexposure, and highlight clipping, and one of the available kit lenses isn’t great, either.”
GF2 shop links: Amazon US , Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon UK, Amazon DE and [shoplink 19414 ebay]eBay[/shoplink].
Focus Numerique tested the Olympus XZ-1 and the results are astonishing! The lens is super sharp even wide open (at f/1.8)!!! Distortion is minimal. The only moderate issue is Vignetting. Image quality is good from ISO 100 to 400. Dynamic range is a little bit less than the [shoplink 17288]Panasonic LX5[/shoplink]. Message to Olympus: Great acamera, but please we want more good lenses for our Micro Four Thirds system! Thanks 🙂
Olympus XZ-1 direct shop links: Amazon US, Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR
9 Responses
Interesting Positive Review of the GF2 in general with a few things I see differently.
Many have been saying and claiming that the new GF2 after all is only a very little bit smaller. Just look at the volume statistics if you are going to pack this camera into a small box: GF2 15 in3, NEX5 17 in3, EPL2 22 in3, and D3100 54 in3. So GF2 is 50% smaller in volume than EPL2 and less than 1/3rd the size of the smallest DSLR!
The reviewer on one hand likes the colors produced by the GF2 and then goes on to complain that the camera frequently underexposes by 1/3 of a stop? Well that is exactly what I would want as isn’t that how Oly colors are perceived to be much richer and vibrant more saturation because of underexposing and Pany formerly said to be duller less saturation because of overexposing?
Looking at the pictures I was say the pictures are very good in good lighting all the way thru ISO 1600 and 3200(slightly less saturated colors) with only 6400 ISO unuseable and if one needed more speed one should simply just shoot it 1 stop underexposed. On the nighttime pictures noise and poorer IQ does come in a stop lower or good thru ISO 1600 only.
What I find surprising at least to my eyes that in the pictures of the bottle with reasonable lighting the JPEG pictures at ISO 3200 look better with the cameras default processing than even the raw + PP examples? So no need to go to raw unless very dark conditons with more noise?
The reviewer doesn’t like the 14mm lens so much because he is comparing with the 20mm/1.4 and GF1 he has and uses. These comments should be relative to other wide prime wa lenses ie the Oly 17mm and Nex 12mm as WA is harder to design and naturally more vignetting?
To me the only bad thing noted as about the redeye problem but I have not seen that mentioned in any other review so curious if this was an anomoly of the redeye reduction not working on this particular camera?
Good to see this review out and thanks for posting.
I handled the GF2 today at Park Cameras (UK) … nice and small, well built, the customisable screen (have your gave options/buttons) is pret cool, the touch to fouc and shoot is also nice. not for me though, wouldn’t buy a camera like this without the in body IS.
the body+14mm kit looks like the best value especially if you have the GF1 and 20/1.7 already
Image stability is the deal breaker for me as well….
Lol, the ugly panasonic color still exist. Must be really hard to perfect color at Panasonic side. Oh yeah, I can always shoot RAW and PP all 500 pictures in one sitting.
I won’t discuss how you one define the GF2 colors as “ugly”, but you have a completely wrong perception about raw workflow. Nobody would PP all images of a shoot only the best, if necessary. The rest can be viewed pleasantly with the preset you have established. Much less hassle than the JPEG fans pretent.
@Thomas, I was really referring to the skin tone color. Most (about 90%) of the pictures I see people post on the net have bad skin tone colors compare to the Olympus, Sony, Canon and Nikon.
You said “Nobody would PP all images of a shoot only the best, if necessary.” So what if I have 100 best pictures? I then have to sit on my computer to fix them don’t I? Maybe a few of you guys have all the time in the world, but most people have other stuff to do like work, family time, and house chores. I’m sorry,but a preset can’t guarantee a fix for all 100 pictures.
I would typically keep 5-6 frames from a 150 (if they were reminding me of technique or something to go back and shoot again) … maybe edit 3, post 1 to the net
a trip to Goodwood Festival or Revival meeting (car show) … I might shoot 600-1000 images. I’d keep 30-40. Consider 8-10 as solid keepers, post 3-4 to the net.
I doubt I would ever keep 100 from a shoot, I’ve been working that way for years. 138k images shot since Jan-2005
See, we are different. You shoot for your own keep, but I shoot to keep and also distribute to friends and families. I usually keep 90% of my shots just because of this. I surely don’t want to give them pictures with pinkish/pale skin tone. My niece $150 Olympus has better skin tone than my GF-1 (sold for NEX-5). When I bought the GF-1, I didn’t know about this problem until it was too late to return for a full refund. I’ve been checking the color of the new GH2 and GF2, but they seem to have the same dreaded colors.
sounds like a good time to buy an Olympus body 🙂