I will continually update this page. Latest additions will be on top of each category!
HOT! Preorders available!
Black GF3 with 14mm lens at Amazon (Click here).
White GF3 with 14mm lens at Amazon (Click here).
Red GF3 with 14mm lens at Amazon (Click here).
Brown GF3 with 14mm lens at Amazon (Click here).
Leica 25mm still not available for preorder on Amazon (Click here to see the search results).
Hot details
Compared to the GF2 the GF3 has a high-speed contrast AF (approximately 0.18 seconds). Burst speed has been increased 3.8 seconds at full resolution screen as the shutter is re-designed. No hot shoe! The GF3 has the VII processor engine.
The GF3 is available from July in black, red, white and brown for a suggested retail price of 550 Euro-including 14-42mm kit lens. 599Euros (or 699 dollars) with the 14mm lens.
HOT! According to DC.watch websites the Leica 25mm F/1.4 Summilux will retail for 73.500Yen (630 Euro) and will like the Lumix GF3 be available around July.
The lens uses nano coating technology and also has a new UHR (Ultra High Refractive) index lens.
Previews and Reviews
Hands-on at Quesbesde (google translated).
HOT! MTF resolution chart and image samples on Panasonic’s website.
HOT! First Leica lens review at Dslrmagazine (google translated). The lens has a very good resolution and contrast!
Hands-on preview at Photographyblog.
Preview at Techradar.
Preview at Imaging Resource.
HOT! Preview at DPreview.
Hands-on at Reghardware (with ISO-test!)
Image samples
Panasonic GF3 image samples on Flickr. Leica images on Flickr.
HOT! Full size image samples in JPG and RAW at Quesabesde.
Full size image samples at lenstip.
HOT! First RAW pictures on Photographyblog.
Image samples taken with the Leica lens at Photographyblog.
Techradar.
Reghardware.
First images on Bestproduct.nl.
Links to Press release
Panasonic GF3 presentation website.
GF3 and Leica lens presentation at Forum Olympus France.
SystemKameraForum (german)
Pink GF3 available in Japan (DC.watch).
Amateur Photographer.
DSLRmagazine (spanish).
Photoscala (german).
Dpreview.
Akihabara.
Leica lens on Focus Numerique (french).
GF3 on Focus Numerique (french).
Fotosidan (swedish).
Hybridcams (french).
Whatdigitalcamera.
The finnish website cisionwire.
The dutch magazine Twekaers
Videos on youtube and vimeo
Russian presentation on youtube.
First testvideo taken with the GF3 on youtube.
GF3 and Leica lens presentation video on youtube (dutch Beste Product).
First video on youtube (by italian PMAstudio).
Panasonic GF3 specifications
Image Sensor 12.1 MP LIVE MOS
Engine Venus Engine VII HD
ISO setting 160-6400
AF speed Approx 0.18 seconds
Burst shoot: 4 fps (12.1MP)
Movie recording: AVCHD HD (1080i, sensor output 25fps)
LCD Screen: 3.0″, 3:2, 460K dots Touch LCD
Size: 107.5 x 67.1 x 32.0mm
Weight: 222g
Built-in Flash: GN6
Interface: HDMI, Digital AV Out
Poll
[poll id=”68″]
139 Responses
Niceeeeeeeeeee
900 Euros for the 25mm? Ouch. I know it will be a good lens, but I just don’t understand how they justify almost twice the price of what Nikon sells their 50mm f/1.4 for.
I have to give the GF3 credit, it’s not for me, but pair it up with the 14mm and the 20mm and looks like it will make a nice pocket street shooter. With that smooth shape it should also slide in/out of a pocket easier.
Yes, to expensive in my opinon. 899 is a lot of money for a “standard” lens!
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/dg_summilux_25.html
see this admin…. it uses nano coating technology and also has a new UHR (Ultra High Refractive) index lens.
i think it’s not a standard lens ;P
Thanks…posted! 🙂
And now breakfast!!!!!
It is expensive, but cheap for a Leica. If it was 600-700, I wouldn’t even hesitate.
On the other hand, the Nikon 50/1.4 requires a $3k D700 to get a similar FOV.
Also, this 25/1.4 is definitely cheaper than a Nikon 24/1.4+adapter, but that option doesn’t make any sense.
Considering that the 50mm is a 80mm equiv on most nikon dslrs – the correct lens to compare with is the 35mm f1.4 which does cost quite a bit more
I still think the 50mm f/1.4 for FX is the more accurate comparison. Nikon doesn’t make anything like this with DX in mind unless you count the 35mm f/1.8…which is more of a cheaper entry level lens. The weather sealed 35mm f/1.4 G is a metal pro-grade lens designed primarily for full frame.
€899 is $1290!!! :O
Might as well get a 25mm Nokton…
I’ll take a Voightländer Nokton 25mm for that price!
Gee, that’s exactly what I’m getting and at the old price, $899! 🙂
$499 for the GF3 WITH the 14-42mm. Wow. That’s great! Goodbye LX5 and XZ1!
How does it handle manual focus with no control wheel?
499 Euros, $699 dollars on Amazon, same price as the full-featured G3. They have to be joking!
Yeah, just saw that. $699 with the 14mm?
How do you spell “Stick ’em Up”?;-)
If the body were being sold separately for $399, I might bite!
899€ will be $899, the high-tech exchange rate is much “simpler” than the official (sadly for us Europeans…)
If they like such exchange rates so much, why don’t they price it 899 yen in Japan 🙂 ?
I would not pay 899 euros even if it is weatherproof…a little disappointed by the price.
Yes its a little high. I hope Olympus brings out a 25mm standard Zuiko lens at a better price – maybe the competition might result in a lower price for this lens.
µ4/3 are “boutique” cameras? small, exclusive, expensive exotic glass (in plastic housing)
Yes, price is high. But let’s see how good the lens is. Soon we will see the very first reviews!
I know this is Panasonic’s day, but I hope we soon know the max. aperture for the Olympus portrait lens! 🙂 That will make our decisions easier.
Coming veeery soon on 43rumors 😉
Doesn’t matter how good the lens is… the lenses aren’t that bad… it’s the sensors–limited dynamic range and resulting plastic looking pictures
haha, the hood is bigger than the one for the 45 macro, what happened there PanaLeica?
The 25mm F1.4 is a safe buy for me. Nikon’s, Sony’s and Canon’s 35mm F1.4 are much more expensive.
They both sound good for what they are, but I think I’ll stick with my original plan and get the Voigt 25/f0.95 🙂
already on amazon too: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_356584862_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000695951&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=top-1&pf_rd_r=04SKQDGQCXF2PB8GS3VG&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1304168722&pf_rd_i=gf3&tag=rumors0a-20
You forgot to mention that for the GF3 you can no longer fit an external flash (or the external viewfinder) to it.
I certainly keep waiting for another camera.
For me, new DG Summilux’s focus ring is TOO thick. Moreover, what the…. oh no. That hood….. is so dreadful. Someday I will buy that new summilux, but I’ll make a completely new petal-shaped hood before everything else.
where is the 12-50mm zome lens!!!!!!!
Did anyone else notice that the accessory port is missing?
I do, but the intended target, i.e. P&S user, won’t.
I can’t believe Pana print “nano surface coating” on the lens body, that’s totally non-leica and non hi-end, like kid’s showoff.
Video-test of GF3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgKUqFZMXOU
I like!
Announcement in russian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0LUqGjzmV0
I regret having bought the GH2. Nice camera, I really like it, but in the end not so much smaller than a Canon 600D, and besides the smaller sensor, lenses are soooo much more expensive. Finally I am not going to buy the 25mm. Not worth it 🙁
The samples of the lens are underwhelming to say the least
Nice presentation of links and resources admin! This may be your best “continually updated” post yet. 🙂
Now if only it were some more pro-ish models being released! 😉
re Duke: I found the lenstip.com lens samples to be rather nice. What didn’t you like about them?
Thanks! I am working like a dog right now. Hope to have some time for breakfast soon 🙂
Nice work! Thank you!
I was talking about thephotoblogger samples and I only looked at the f1.4 ones. Looked fine, just not astounding, nothing the 20 1.7 couldn’t do.
Admin we need you for the future rumors, please have your breakfast 🙂
Wait a second, this camera costs as much as the G3 and has an inferior sensor? WTF Panasonic?
Price: GF3 + 14mm = G3 + 14-42mm.
GF3 is $100 cheaper with the same kit lens. That said, still too expensive. Would rather get the GF2.
Ah, thanks Ron. I did not know the G3 could be had with the 14mm. I do actually prefer the 14mm to the zoom.
This camera will not sell at $699. It will not sell at $599. It needs to be $499 with lens and then it HAS A CHANCE. No serious photog is gonna buy this- the sensor is poor and the features/controls are lacking (to say the least). It’s gonna have to appeal to the masses- to do that it needs to be CHEAP! Not a hater. I’m a big fan of the GF1. But people need to be realistic. No idea what Panasonic is thinking. The new Nex is far superior to this and with the 16mm comes in at $100 less.
Then again, I guess this is superior to the Nex in some respects. Just upset they squandered all the good will they generated with the fantastic GF1. The GF2 and GF3 should have never been called GF cameras. The GF2 was a downgrade from the GF1 and the GF3 is now a further downgrade. It’s time for Panasonic to come out with an upgrade.
The samples from the 25mm on Lenstip show that it’s a typical ASPH Summilux:
* great micro-contrast from wide open
* excellent center sharpness wide open
* characteristic soft/sharp bokeh
* lots of CA (which can be corrected in-camera)
The output is very similar to that of the 4/3 version. However, the construction seems less durable so it should cost less.
I’m considering the GF3 as a (jeans) pocketable camera. The camera depth is 32.5mm. Add to that 21mm for the 14mm pancake, and it adds up to 53.5mm. My (as of now broken) S90 is 31mm deep and is totally pocketable. My E-P1+20mm combo isn’t pocketable at a depth of 61mm (the cap on the lumix 20mm itself is about an additional 3~4mm). Both LX5 and XZ-1 seem to be almost pocketable @ 42~43mm deep (but I haven’t tried either of these two myself).
Height and width are almost similar to LX5/XZ-1, so that’s fine.
So… will it blend (ermm, fit)??? Is 53.5mm just the right size, or falls short of pocketability by a mere few millimeters?
Reza, as long as you have a pancake as small as the 14mm I think it should be pocketable. Of course if you put a zoom on it it begins to look a bit ridiculous- much like the Nex.
Pink color GF3 available in Japan.
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110613_452742.html
This is a product targeted at P&S consumers. Not for me. Can’t wait for the L(C)1 m43 replacement!
+1
That will be very interesting to see. I hope it is a great product. I am hoping for an EVF body in rangefinder styling – I dont care too much about a tilt LCD. I would prefer an Olympus with IBIS but if they arent going to deliver such a model with an EVF then I am heading towards Panasonic.
I wonder if they will put in the multi-aspect sensor as per the GH product line? I certainly hope so. In my view this is more important on a camera designed for photos rather than one for videos.
Panasonic , after a good start with the new m4\3 line , is making useless (and ugly) cameras
The lens is quite interesting , but I’ve also bought the Voigtlander 25 f0.95 , which I like very much, so I won’t buy this one (too late)
The GF3 is too small, too ugly, too pointless
An advanced GF3 (integrated viewfinder, etc) would be the right product , right now
At the moment the only interesting cameras are the G3 and GH2
But both are too big and bulky , IMHO
If Samsung will bring a new , small and advanced camera , and the new fixed lenses , I’m going the sell m4\3 ‘s lenses and camera
+1
There is a big IF there…
Good, go ahead – I’m up for a used Voigtlander on eBay 😉
So what do you want? Small? Or feature rich cameras, which inevitably needs to be bigger. It is this schizophrenic to want smaller and smaller bodies, and once manufacturers deliver, complaining about missing or ommitted features and too much of smallness.
This pocketability faction clearly drives m4/3 in the wrong direction: smaller and smaller, less controls. It is not understandable, why Panasonic has even ommitted the usefull click-wheel, which is so well positioned under the thumb. Now we have to deal with this Olympus style thingy wheel. Is that the future?
+10
the omission of the thumbwheel is a huge step backward. On my GH2, even when shooting in M mode, I can adjust aperture, shutter and compensation with the thumbwheel alone, never taking my eye off the EVF. Who thought shooting manual could be so easy?
The pathological fixation on mythical pocketability with an interchangeable lens attached makes NO sense! Unless you wear hip-hop clownwear. Buy a Canon S95 with a collapse able lens!
GF3 is not for fringe markets like 43rumors readers, but for the masses.
So, the masses don’t want superior ergonomic solutions, like the click wheel?
Masses like touch, touch and touch, or right 😀
How much does the Voigtlander cost in Europe? Is it the same price as the Panny/Leica (899 Euros)?
I think so, if you can find it
I can find for 729€ in France.
Thanks for the response. I actually think I would prefer the Voigtlander, even if it was the same price, definitely if it can be had for almost 200 Euros less.
25MM F1.4 RRP in Japan is 73500 yen
that about USD$900 (672 euro)
Even less in euro, 637 EUR according to google. So, how do they explain the 263 EUR difference? Ok, half of that may be taxes, but by no means the 1 dollar = 1 euro rate is typical: just check the price of the 20mm f.17 in Amazon (383 EUR vs $510). This is a rip-off to European customers.
And the problem for the m4/3 system is that this lens may be Leica and have super nano freaking technology on its surface, but most of m4/3 user are just amateurs who don’t need that (at such price), and we still lack an affordable option for a normal prime lens.
Even 637€ is WAY overpriced. A Nikon 50/1.4 costs 450€, so how can they explain that the Panasonic costs twice the price.
450 * 2 = 900, not 637!
900 Euros is what the lens is gonna cost AgentOOSoul, not 637. The 637 is what it would be if converting Yen to Euro. So yes, you can get two of the Nikon 50 1.4 for the price of this lens.
Yup, at least it is what the article says.
Whatever, any price above 450€ seems crazy to me for a standard lens, even wide open. Even the Nokton is cheaper!
I can get the Nikon for SEK 3290. What the price of the Panasonic will be is not yet known. Maybe it will cost twice as much as the Nikon, maybe not. Never make the mistake to compare the manufacturers recommended selling prices. And especially don’t compare the MRSP for an unreleased lens with the street price for a lens that has been in the market for a long time. Only compare selling prices in stores you trust.
Well, I look at what Admin posted, I can see the recommended price will be 899€.
Nikon 50mm’s recommended price is… 399€, not even 450.
Look at here : http://www.nikonpassion.com/nikon-nikkor-af-s-nikkor-50mm-f1-4-g-une-nouvelle-focale-fixe-en-version-af-s/
“Disponibilité Décembre 2008 au tarif public de 399 euros.” “Prix public” is a synonym for recommended retail price.
I can find street prices of 350€.
US prices are quoted without Sales tax, while Euro prices are with VAT.
899€? Incredible…
Reading the specs of GF3 leaves me wondering who it is aimed at ( except at Sony 🙂 ). Certainly not for enthusiasts, while the pixel count may be low in the eyes of P&Sers, price is not lower than competitors’ and software still lacks Sony “gimmicks”. I don’t see why I would recommend it to anyone over NEX-5. People who would buy it certainly do not care for 20+ available lenses. In Thom Hogan’s terminology, just another iteration that leaves room for the next one.
It does have a flash, which the Sony hasn’t. And the touch screen is probably viewed as a feature by gadget-happy consumers. These features are more “in the face” and easy to understand by the average consumer than the Sony software gimmicks.
“These features are more “in the face” and easy to understand by the average consumer than the Sony software gimmicks.”
Incidentally, I was in Rome at the same time these journalists were trying out GF3 and 25mm Leica and was carrying my E-PL1 and my brother’s Sony HX5 – ONLY because of the panoramas. And guess for what pictures I get most WOWs from folks that are not photography experts? Panoramas. The Colosseum, the Roman forum, the Vatican museums, the Pantheon, the piazzas – ultra wide shots I couldn’t have taken with any m4/3 without pp. And I’m at pains to explain why is E-PL1 better than this P&S.
Considering even enthusiast’s favorite Fuji X100 has panorama function, I don’t see why are Panasonic and Olympus ignoring in-camera stitching. Let’s see if dual core E-P3 changes that…
So you’re saying if you’re out to wow non-photography experts buy a Sony? I don’t know about you, but I’m out to wow myself – and I’m sure I could do that with any camera. MFT offers the best combination of lenses, bulk and weight.
No, I’m saying that non-photography experts wowed by my photographs are more likely to buy a NEX-5 than GF3. I’m aware of m4/3 benefits, but it’s hard to explain to people that are not enthusiasts – and they are the majority that funds R&D.
I totally agree about the wow-factor. And I even find myself having a lot of fun with these gimmicks. Just added a used NEX 5 for panoramas and in-camera HDR.
I see – fully agreed.
Panasonic should go to greater lengths in showing that GF3 is smaller than NEXs with lens.
Personally I see it aimed at people like myself, I have a GH2 and a lot of lenses and whenever I really care about what I’m photographing I use my GH2 complete with (small) bag containing camera and lenses…. now when I’m out on casual trips with friends or out for an evening at a party or similar, then I don’t normally take my GH2 as it’s too large…. If I can buy a GF3 for a decent price then coupled with the 14mm lens I can carry the two easily without the need for a bag and they can go anywhere with me…. also handy to give to my girlfriend instead of the usual compact point and shoot she carries when we are on vacation…. the GF3 will have the added bonus of being able to attach a different lens if necessary. (Price wise – as long as the GF3 goes for not much more than the price of buying the 14mm lens then I don’t see it as bad value, the price is bound to come down after launch).
I don’t see why you would choose GF3 over GF2. If I had to choose between lower price/better usability and faster AF/smaller size, I’d choose former.
If you actually read Jerodequin’s post, it’d be clear that the small size of GF3 over GF2 is his main point. And that’s exactly why I’d consider GF3, as long as the price comes down.
🙂
No, his main point is small size of GF3 over GH2 (the large video-orientated 1000 USD camera). I was saying he should buy GF2 (the small touch screen centric 600USD GF1 successor) over GF3, not GH2. And the conclusion of this discussion is that Panasonic should change their naming scheme – even Rebel or Kiss sound better than all these codes :).
The GH2 is neither large nor video-oriented. It is currently the best performing m4/3 stills camera with the best IQ. Seems too hard to get.
Yes. Yes. A very small body that can share lenses with my GH2 would be excellent! I have no desire for either kit lens, so a body-only option would ideal. For the right price, of course.
Maybe a new sensor also, i look the sart on ISO 160 ?
like GH2 and G3 doing 😉 or only same motor ?
Since it has a base ISO of 160, it is reasonable to believe that this is a newer sensor design. If it is a newer sensor, then it is what we have all asked for: Better sensor, but not more megapixels. 12 megapixels is enough.
Olympus has a base iso of 200 with the same sensor.
Not necessarily – the image processor is new and they might have tweaked it. Could be a minor update of the sensor as well.
If there’s no hot-shoe, there should be at least wireless flash control via the onboard flash! This can’t be that difficult to realize! Are Panasonic engineers that stupid not to check this or are they just so stubborn!?! Even Canon has -finally- realized that wireless flash control via the built-in flash of the camera does really make sense; Panasonic should at last begin to understand that fast lenses DO NOT make versatile flash systems obsolete!!!!
Yes, this has always been a drawback with Panasonic cameras. Why don’t they support Olympus wireless flashes or develop a wireless system of their own?
The GF3 is an entry level camera!
Why would they put exotic, pro-oriented features in a glorified P&S camera?
This is a legitimate complaint if you’re talking about a flagship camera like the GH2, but it’s ridiculous to complain about in a camera that touts it’s small size as it’s biggest feature!
– no stereo microphone!
– no external mic accessory (I know, GF2 didn’t have it either)
– un-watchable video (youtube link) which just made me a headache
why should I buy it instead of Olympus? no go…
Buy because of SIZE and SIMPLICITY.
It’s a cute little camera meant to sell to the widest possible audience. Want more features? Buy a G3 or GH2 or wait for the advanced body later this year.
> Why would they put exotic, pro-oriented features
> in a glorified P&S camera?
Wireless flash control is neither exotic nor pro-oriented! Almost every major camera manufacturer does offer wireless flash control. Canon does (even if it took years for them to make the onboard flashes of their cameras master-compatible), Nikon does, Sony does, Pentax does, Olympus does – that’s not what I would call “exotic”. Only Panasonic won’t get it. And wireless flash control is NOT especially a pro-oriented feature, because pros know how to calculate/determine the proper exposure for manually triggered remote flash units. With wireless flash control, one can leave his/her camera in full auto mode; that sounds rather like an amateur-oriented feature than a pro-oriented one!
> This is a legitimate complaint if you’re talking about
> a flagship camera like the GH2, but it’s ridiculous to
> complain about in a camera that touts it’s small size
> as it’s biggest feature!
What’s the size got to do with this? Implementing wireless flash control via the onboard flash wouldn’t make the camera any bigger, because the existing electronic circuits for the onboard flash just need to be slightly modified (allowing the onboard flash to emit highspeed intermitend bursts as control signals) and all other necessary modifications do NOT concern the hardware, but just the firmware!
ADMIN!!!
THE NEW GF3 HAS A ***NEW*** 12.1 MP SENSOR!
The Hungarian http://www.pixinfo.com site sustains this information – moreover, just watch the G2 sensor here:
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/g2/high_image.html#live_mos
and the one from GF3 here:
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gf3/high_image.html
Not sure about the electronics, but at least the sensors’ layouts are not the same! Please check the infirmation!
Hi!
I didn’t find any info saying the sensor is new (Only the readout frequency has been doubled).
Readout frequency is 120 frame on second, same so GH2 and G3, maybe the is new sensor, and i hope on better DR. And the is also important to auto/auto people, 😉
This is P&S interchangeable lens most of us don’t like it but that doesn’t mean their are no market for it. But NEX C3>GF3
“NEX C3>GF3”
NEX-C3 loses because of 720p mpeg video, but NEX-5 beats GF3 ( price is similar ). Sad but true.
Not sure about that. How many prospective customers will start to hesitate when they find out that the Sony has no built-in flash?
Leica lens…failure for me!
No metal body
No aperture ring
No OIS (but expected)
Bokah looks average
899??? Too expensive!
Im keeping my voigtlander (bought it for 650 euros)it’ll last longer!
GF3? Waste of time. Cash grab…nothing more.
+1
Especially the ridicules amounts of CA at this photo
http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_25mm_lens/photos/panasonic_25mm_lens_16.jpg
Absolute agreement 🙁
on the other hand it’s cheaper than the Voigtlander and has auto-focus (hopefully fast acting)
presumably the CA will be corrected in-camera after a firmware update(?) like for other m43 lenses
The high end lures the low end and the low end funds the high end.
More users means more cash.
More users means more lenses and accessories sold which means even more cash!
More cash pays for R&D which translates into more technology advances.
No Mr. Reee, More cash means .. more cash 🙂
SECAUCUS, NJ (June 13, 2011) – Panasonic today announces its latest compact system camera (CSC), the mirror-free Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF3 is the COMPANY’s (my caps) smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera with a built-in flash.
I wonder why they don’t say WORLD’s smallest and lightest?
Perhaps they know it would lose it’s title in a couple of weeks to Olympus mini? Any hints, Admin?
The Nex-c3 is still smaller (w/o lens)
But it doesn’t have a built-in flash.
You take a lot of pix without a lens, Frosti?
LOL +1
Yes Max i can, cant you?
GF3 w/ pancake is smaller than NEX-C3 w/ pancake.
As long as you don’t use lens or flash, yes NEX is smaller.
43RC, thank you for some logic, as to why Panasonic cannot legally say its the smallest camera, because its not 😉
No lens! Pocketable! The Holy Grail has been found! 😉
Sony engineering has done it AGAIN!!!
Pinhole, and always/never in focus 😀
What is your quest?
What is your favorite color?
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
Where is the aperture ring and the dof guide that where on the 4/3 version? The focus ring look like a wired focus ring. Fuck this dumbass trend that modern camera don’t need mechanical, or mechanical like, control anymore. I hate menu, i hate touchscreen, i want to control my camera without putting away my eye from the viewfinder.
You’ll find all that stuff on the Voightländer Nokton 25mm f.95.
Actually, ALL the Voightländer lenses have that stuff!
And haven’t you heard?
It’s impossible to shoot photos without IBIS/OIS or auto-focus.
True (even if i admit that mf only lenses can be bothering), but i’m afraid that kind of control are more and more something considered by marketing people as “vintage”. Look at the X100 that is technology top notch with a realy nice control layout for people that don’t care of scene/art/random gimmicks mode (And pana know that kind of double wheel layout, it was used in lumix L1!), it even have a scale indicator in the viewfinder that really lacks in my GF1, Fuji didn’t resist to give it a vintage look. So when i see that the Micro Version of 4/3 leica 25mm, that is supposed to be “pro” (at least in its price) and leica branded, is cutdown compared to the original, i’m a bit afraid of what is coming next.
Yeah. The term “legacy” lens is even irritating. Legacy to me means something that’s obsolete and unusable, like floppy disks or Windows. 😉 My manual lenses are quite usable today, thank you!
My 20+ year old Nikon AI lenses and a Pentax Spotmatic SPII with 50mm f1.4 and 105mm f2.8 Super Takumar lenses that my late father-in-law bought in the early 70s and barely used… Are All supremely usable! (Fantastic lenses the Pentax! Bummer he didn’t get the 135mm f2.5! 😉 ) Now I’m completely hooked!
I agree that MF can be a pain sometimes, that’s when I’ll use my 20mm or 14-140mm. Walking down the street with my Pentax 50mm set at 3 meters and clicking away at passersby is lots of fun!
The problem is when companies make something that strives to be all things to all people. EVERYTHING is compromised and NO ONE is satisfied.
+1 Shame no manual controls. I own the 4/3 version and this version (at this price) will not inspire me to switch…
I would love a smaller lens but would miss the control too much.
looking at the samples of the woman with the hat,I think its a great portrait/model photography lens.
The i look by GF3, is very great IQ, also on ISO 3200
and you need pixel 1:1 on ISO 6400 for look realy noise. 🙂
Oh, Panasonic is out to really win my heart!
GF3? Awesome! Stick a tiny pancake on it and you’re covered for all casual shooting scenarios.
GF Pro? Awesome again! Maybe it’ll finally be able to replace a DSLR?
Fast glass? Awesome again! µ4/3 has always had a shortage of good fast glass, and Panasonic seems to get that it’s a problem.
Olympus really needs to step up their game, here. I like the IBIS in my E-P2, but it looks like there are precious few other reasons to stick with them when Panasonic looks to cover both the high *and* the low end better. The E-P3 better have some really nice surprises with it, or the PRO Pen better come out much sooner than expected!
+11
The EP3 will add more plastic chrome strips to the body and lots of new art filters!
What more do you need?
Fins like a ’59 Cadillac, that’s it! One for an external flash, the other for the VF2! That ought to get retroids and hipsters salivating! 😉
Olympus really needs to pull it together. Seriously.
Admin has done a good job scraping up possible tidbits. If half are true maybe Olympus has a chance.
AHHHh, GF3 sensor 😉
MMMM….art filters…
I need a Jacob’s Ladder and a drafty castle. And a hunchbacked assistant ;-).
Another review of WhichWebsite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=187kS8_H6JM
First look of Photoradar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br2ElAcBT9o
Still 2x crop is it ? Good for P&s ers maybe, not for me. Nex rules still IMHO, native lens availability is one thing , but manual lens support is still awesome for Nex.
When is the 1.5x crop sensor coming for Panasonic ? Any Plans? Rumors ?
NOT Olympus and Panasonic stay by 4/3 😉
Manual lens aside, Nex is the worst system imho.
Samsung will do it right.
How come Panasonic says the GF3 has a stereo mic on their website, while everyone else says it only has a mono mic?
Website: A stereo microphone, featuring Dolby® Digital Creator, on the upper body records dynamic, true-to-life stereo audio that brings out the power of your HD videos.
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gf3/high_image.html
The MFT 25mm seems to only be slighter better than the MFT 20mm, whereas the IQ advantage of the original FT 25mm Summilux over the MFT 20 mm is much more pronounced.