What is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1?

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 is the latest in the relatively new breed of cameras known as compact system cameras, or CSCs. These cameras are smaller and lighter than digital SLRs, but unlike compact cameras have interchangeable lenses.

The Panasonic GX1 follows in the GF lineage of Panasonic cameras that began with the GF1 – a popular camera among enthusiasts due to the ready access to a number of manual controls.

To the disappointment of many GF1 fans, the subsequent GF2 and GF3 became increasingly more basic cameras and attracted a new audience – those looking for a simple CSC. The new GX1, however, sees the return of the mode dials and the more tangible manual control.

Watch the video below for our first, hands-on impressions of the GX1.

How does the GX1 differ from the GF1?

When you pick up the GX1, the first thing you notice is the solid metal casing, the metal buttons and the hand grip that all add to the overall premium finish – but that’s not all that’s new on this model.

Its 16Mp sensor is superior to that found on the GF1, in fact it’s the same sensor as found on the larger Panasonic Lumix G3. It won’t necessarily perform the same as the G3 but here’s what our lab said about its image quality.

Still images are pleasing on the G3. Our testers remarked on the colours reproduced by the G3 as being accurate and attractive. Low-light performance is an area where the G3 clearly falls behind some of its competitors, however, and images can be rather noisy. This isn’t a serious weakness, but certainly a notable one.

Read the full Panasonic Lumix G3 review for more detail.

What’s new with the Panasonic GX1?

There are a few notable new features on the Panasonic GX1. Firstly, there’s a level gauge that acts like an on-screen spirit level and helps align shots squarely with the horizon. Next up there’s the manual focus assist feature that enlarges the area you’re manually focusing on by a magnitude of 10x to help ensure the picture is sharp.

There are also four customisable buttons, which can be set to your favourite settings for easy access, and there’s a ‘one push auto exposure’ correction tool that matches the shutter speed to the appropriate aperture setting if you’ve manually adjusted the exposure settings in a way that’s unlikely to produce a decent shot.

The new Panasonic GX1 borrows more technology from its predecessors in the shape of its touchscreen control. The LCD on the rear of the GX1 measures 3.5-inches diagonally. Many features can be accessed through the touchscreen including, when the camera is paired with one of the new Panasonic X lenses, control of the zoom.

What else is there to know about the GX1?

Panasonic has also introduced a couple of new shooting modes, namely Toy Effect and Low Key. The GX1 will shoot Full HD (1080p) video, and the files can be saved in the AVCHD or MP4 file format. The choice will depend on whether you intend to play the files back on a TV or your computer.

The GX1 has a pop up flash, but with its more compact body, there’s insufficient room for the inclusion of a viewfinder. A new attachable electronic viewfinder (Panasonic LV-F2) will be available as an optional extra, but will set you back around £230.

The GX1 itself will cost around £500 for just the body. It will launch in December with the standard 14-42mm lens for around £600, and in January you’ll be able to buy it with one of the new 14-42mm powerzoom X lenses for around £730.

In the full review…

These are just our first impressions of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1. When it’s released we’ll be sending it to our labs for a full test. Which? tests every camera to stringent standards, giving you the definitive verdict on:

Picture quality In our lab-based reviews we look at a number of aspects of picture quality, and put each camera through a series of challenging tests that reflect everyday use – such as photographing on sunny days or indoors.

Speed Shutter delay is measured precisely using a sophisticated timing method so we can see how long the delay is between pressing the shutter and capturing the image. We also measure start up time, time between shots and the speed of the camera’s burst mode.

See our how we test digital SLRs page for more on our testing, or try Which? today for just £1 to see the Best Buys in our digital SLR reviews section.

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