Ordered a new camera: Panasonic Lumix GX1

[Melensdad]

Hope I didn't make an expensive mistake, I just ordered a new digital camera.

I didn't want a digital SLR, but I was looking for a higher quality camera than a simple point and shoot digital. The camera has 16 mega pixel resolution and is supposed to have one of the fastest auto focus systems available. It also has interchangeable lenses, which is usually something only found on SLR models.

Ordered it today from Amazon.com. Hope to have it before next weekend.

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gx1/index.html

 

[Melensdad]

Not sure why I can't post more than 1 photo per post.



YouTube Video => http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=mSvq2TjXwkY&desktop_uri=/watch?v=mSvq2TjXwkY

 

[muleman]

Old camera revenge has set in. Acting like an old wife....

 

[Melensdad]

Old camera revenge has set in. Acting like an old wife....

Well I have two digital cameras, one is a point & shoot pocket camera, the other is an older SLR digital. I was at fencing practice today and needed to take some photos, the older SLR just wasn't up to the task. Its time to retire that old camera. My point & shoot is a great little camera, but it is not fast enough for shooting photos at high speed sporting events like fencing.

Another YouTube => http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=3BPcTQ_lJeM

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

that's a nice cam mine is a cannon sx20is the only thing I don't like is I don't have interchangeable lenses. I have a 20 x zoom which is about all you need with out a tripod ,but I would love to be able to throw on a wide angle lens so I can get all them krusty eye candy chicks that Big Al has in to one frame .

 

[squerly]

Nice, especially the interchangable lenses.

 

[Melensdad]

Nice, especially the interchangable lenses.

Somewhere, collecting dust in the basement is an old Nikon F2a 35mm camera and a bunch of lenses for it. I loved that big, heavy camera for everything it didn't do. It was a workhorse and had all the manual settings that you could ever hope to use and I used them all.

I'm thinking this camera may be the closest thing to my old Nikon that I'll ever buy. But in a totally different way. I love the idea of the interchangeable lenses, and have come to like the electronics that my old Nikon didn't have.

 

[Melensdad]

. . . I would love to be able to throw on a wide angle lens so I can get all them krusty eye candy chicks that Big Al has in to one frame .

Yup, every once in a while its nice to have flexibility.

This camera uses a new standardized lens mounting system. Olympus, Panasonic and several other companies make lenses for these cameras. They call it the Micro Four Thirds system (I don't know why). Here is a link to the standards page => http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microft/body.html

Pretty interesting concept. Allows for more choices to consumers.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Somewhere, collecting dust in the basement is an old Nikon F2a 35mm camera and a bunch of lenses for it. I loved that big, heavy camera for everything it didn't do. It was a workhorse and had all the manual settings that you could ever hope to use and I used them all.

Reminds me of my old Canon A1. I loved that thing in it's day but it's day has long gone. I got my Canon SX30 IS because it had many of the features that the old A1 had but no interchangable lenses. However it does have 14.1 megapixels, 35x zoom and image stabilization. It takes amazing photos and yours should be even better. I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

Whatever happened to the Browie Box camera???

 

[kermit2]

In my endeavors with Challenge Mountain I go through at least one camera a year. They seem to fall in the snow and water, or my favorite, they turn on when in my pocket and the lens gets stuck. I have a SLR at my availability, but it is just too damn hard to use after all these point and shoots.
I finally ordered a Nikon AW100 from Amazon, its' supposed to be waterproof and shockproof. I ordered it on a Tuesday thinking it would take 5-7 days, it sat on my porch from Friday til Sunday.
Enjoy your new camera, a mickey mouse strap would really set it off.

 

[Melensdad]

Whatever happened to the Browie Box camera???

I had one of those too

In my endeavors with Challenge Mountain I go through at least one camera a year. They seem to fall in the snow and water, or my favorite, they turn on when in my pocket and the lens gets stuck. I have a SLR at my availability, but it is just too damn hard to use after all these point and shoots.
I finally ordered a Nikon AW100 from Amazon, its' supposed to be waterproof and shockproof. I ordered it on a Tuesday thinking it would take 5-7 days, it sat on my porch from Friday til Sunday.
Enjoy your new camera, a mickey mouse strap would really set it off.

Not familiar with that model Nikon, but a few years ago I bought a waterproof/shockproof point & shoot camera and loved it. Got stolen. Replaced it and still carry it. Great little cameras, made better by the fact that you can drop them in a swimming pool or stream, bounce them off a rock, drop them in the snow . . . and they still work!

A 'ruggedized' pocket size point & shoot camera has been my go-to camera ever since buying that first one. But I do find that the limits of point & shoot cameras can cause some grief when shooting at sporting events, or for longer range stuff. Generally that is why I keep 2 cameras. Different tools for different jobs.

 

[kermit2]

I had one of those too



Not familiar with that model Nikon, but a few years ago I bought a waterproof/shockproof point & shoot camera and loved it. Got stolen. Replaced it and still carry it. Great little cameras, made better by the fact that you can drop them in a swimming pool or stream, bounce them off a rock, drop them in the snow . . . and they still work!

A 'ruggedized' pocket size point & shoot camera has been my go-to camera ever since buying that first one. But I do find that the limits of point & shoot cameras can cause some grief when shooting at sporting events, or for longer range stuff. Generally that is why I keep 2 cameras. Different tools for different jobs.

I'd take a picture of it but....
It's different looking, shutter? is in the upper right corner when you are looking at it. It's got gps, haven't figured it out, full hd video. There's two AW100's, one goes deeper end drops farther, $100 more.
I'll let you know in September how I like it.

 

[Melensdad]

I really like the GPS feature that I have on my point & shoot camera.

When we go on trips the GPS tagging helps me identify the location of the photo as its very possible to forget exactly where a picture was taken. The GPS feature solves that problem.

This camera that I just bought does NOT have the GPS feature, which obviously was not a deal breaker for me, but it is a nifty feature to have.

 

[300 H and H]

Panasonic procucts rock for the most part. I have noticed that some of the oldest electronic devices around here are their creations....They all still work just fine. Bet their camera is just as good. Enjoy!

Regards, Kirk

 

[Melensdad]

BEEN PLAYING so here is a mini review: I love the build of the camera, it oozes quality. The body and controls are all top of the line solid metal. Everything clicks solidly and you have visual confirmation of the changes to the settings on the screen.

I love the level indicator on the screen that shows when the camera is tilted up or down and/or side to side. Great feature that should be on all cameras. Its very similar to a pilots horizon gauge, simple visual cue so you know when you are off level in any direction.

I'm not in love with the motorized zoom. The lens is great, the compact size of the zoom is excellent, all the reviews are fantastic and the photos are great, but the zoom button is in a slightly awkward position for MY hand. Its the most compact 14-45mm zoom on the market which gives you the ability to fit the whole camera COMFORTABLY in your pants pocket. But the while others may find it perfect but I don't, only because I think the zoom button location is slightly in the wrong spot. I debated on getting the manual zoom lens with the large rotating ring and opted for the motorized zoom. Not sure if I would make the same choice. On the positive side, the motor is completely silent, while zooming during filming movie clips there is ZERO noise from the lens.

BTW, the photos above show the MANUAL 14-42 zoom lens, I have the MOTORIZED 14-42 on the camera, it is literally only 1/3 rd the size of the manual zoom. So its very compact and that is a great feature. Power up the camera and the lens extends, but when powered down it makes for a very compact package that is easier to carry than with the bigger, heavier lens. PHOTO BELOW shows the compact MOTORIZED 14-42mm lens.

The camera has 2x or 4x digital zoom settings that are nice, they work with every lens, even optical zoom lenses so you can double or quadruple the effectiveness of your zoom lenses with the digital feature. Given the 16 mega pixel resolution of the camera, opting for the digital zoom still gives you crisp images even with the loss of some resolution by using the digital zoom. And while the feature is great, selecting the feature is a bit less than convenient as its buried in a menu a couple screens deep. If you know you are going to need it then you can set it for digital zoom, but don't expect to use it 'on the fly' between quick shots.

One great thing is that you can actually set the camera for MANUAL controls and set your aperature, ISO speed, shutter speed, white levels, saturation, etc on the fly. If you loved playing with manual film cameras then this is a camera that will feel familiar in your hands. On the other hand, it can be set for fully programmed mode too, so you just point and shoot. There are several different programmed modes, including 2 custom programming modes that allow you to fully customize your settings for your needs. As an old film camera guy who still has a completely manual Nikon F2a hidden away, this camera combines the best of the old with the best of the new.

FLASH, forward or bounce! They did a great thing with the design of the flash, if a direct forward flash is too harsh, you can bounce the flash off the ceiling or an object. GREAT feature!!! Most "flashes" are fixed, this one pops up and it is articulating so you can aim the flash for a bounce to soften the light. BRILLIANT.

Lots more good stuff, but those are some interesting highlights.

 

[Melensdad]

I just ordered another lens for my camera. Looked at various lenses to expand my zoom range and reduce/eliminate the need to use the "digital" zoom function. While the camera packs 16 MegaPixels selecting the 2x Digital Zoom still lets you shoot at 8 MP resolution so images with the Digital Zoom used to double the optical zoom of the lens are still of very good quality.

I picked this one => Panasonic Lumix G Vario PZ 45-175mm f/4-5.6 M43 Lens Review

I'm also really liking the programable "function" buttons on the camera. There are 2 hard buttons that can be programed to your needs, I have one set to toggle through the ISO settings and the other set to toggle on/off the digital zoom options. As the rear screen of the camera is a 'touch screen' there are also 2 programable "buttons" that can be set on the screen, but I've not found a need for need for those (yet).

 

[Dargo]

That looks really cool. Since I have a daughter who plays soccer year round and I presently need to sit away from others as to not get bumped etc., I bought this camera for it's zoom capabilities [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Wide-Angle-Stabilized/dp/B009B0MZ1M"]Canon SX50[/ame].

Since at this time I have no desire to spend the time learning all about SLR cameras and their functions, I just wanted one I could put on "auto" and get good pics from a distance. I'm quite sure it's not anything special, but it works for what I wanted. I'm pleasantly surprised how clear pics are at 100X (digital zoom) are. On my pocket cameras, once you hit the 'digital zoom' it means a pixilated picture that is generally out of focus. A friend who takes pics at weddings etc. said he spent more on the carry case for his camera than my camera cost. Oh well, it does what I want it to do. I did figure out that turning it to that 'macro' setting allows me to take really close up pics. Other than that, it's just on auto for me.

Maybe Bob can learn me some about photography with his fancy camera.

 

[Melensdad]

Been playing with my new lens and wow its a nice piece of glass. I picked the 45-175 zoom after reading the reviews. Panasonic also makes a 45-150 and a 45-200. Both are slightly lower grade lenses and part of their value line while the 45-175 is part of their premium "X" line of lenses. Apparently the Panasonic Lumix relationship with Leica cameras/lenses taught Panasonic a few things about quality.

In any case, the 45-175 is the optical equivalent of a 90 to 350mm zoom if you equate it to a 35mm format film camera.

The lens has both motorized zoom and a manually rotating zoom ring so you have your choice on how you want to operate the zoom function. Just like the smaller 14-42 "X" series lens that I got with the camera, I find the motorized zoom to be in a slightly awkward place, but the operation of the motor is SILENT so it will not interfere with movie mode and add any unwanted audio noise to your movies.

The 45-175 mounted on the camera, with the ultra compact 14-42 lens unmounted on the side.

 

[Melensdad]

The camera and both of my lenses. To remove a lens you depress the button on the right side of the face of the camera body and rotate the lens about 1/3 turn counter clockwise. Mounting a lens is simple too, just line up a red indexing mark on the lens with the red dot (approximately the 10 o'clock position near the lens mounting ring), insert it and rotate 1/3 turn clockwise until it 'clicks' into the locked on position.

The 14-42 "X" series lens is actually an incredibly compact little lens. When powered off the lens is perhaps about 1" tall. When powered on it extends to about double its length automatically.

One common feature on both lenses, which could become annoying and must be considered when shooting photos, is that, if you have the lenses "zoomed" in on a subject, but then power down, the lenses return to 14mm or 45mm by default.

 

[Melensdad]

The camera, powered OFF, with the 14-42 lens.

When powered off, the lens auto retracts, and is compact enough to fit into the pocket of a pair of cargo pants/shorts.

 

[Melensdad]

For comparison, the camera, with the 14-42 lens mounted, and the power ON. You can see the lens is now roughly double the length.

Panasonic makes a non-motorized 14-42mm lens that is about $200 less expensive than the motorized version that I own, that lens does not collapse like the motorized version and is actually larger than the motorized version after the motorized lens is extended. There are some optical differences between the motorized lens and the non-motorized lens as well, you get a bit better glass and coatings, in addition to the motor feature when you go up to the premium "X" series lens.

 

[Melensdad]

Since at this time I have no desire to spend the time learning all about SLR cameras and their functions, I just wanted one I could put on "auto" and get good pics from a distance. . .

No arguments from me on this logic. I've shot about 50% of the photos I've taken so far in the "P" setting, which stands for "programmed" where the camera does all the work. Just point and shoot. And realistically that is about what I expected I would do.

On the other hand I've played around with the "S" (shutter priority) setting when shooting photos of fast action fencing, trying to capture the action.

I've also been using the 'burst' mode where it snaps photos so fast that you can quite literally play them back as if watching a slow motion video replay. Amazing feature for sports photos, and the burst mode works with the various different settings like "S" or "P". I've also just started playing with ISO settings and have set up one of the hard function keys so I can toggle through the ISO range. The other programmable function key is now set up to allow me to toggle through the digital zoom functions.

This camera is just as comfortable as a premium "point & shoot" camera as it is a fully programable, highly customizable, digital mirrorless camera that rivals/exceeds many of the DSLR cameras ... but in a much more compact, pocketable form factor. It gives me lots of options like a real hotshoe for the option of using a more powerful flash or other hotshoe compatible accessories, it has totally customizable settings (some of which I may never use) for those who frequently shoot some specific types of shots (like people who sell stuff on Ebay), etc.

Not an inexpensive choice, but one I'm glad I made. Even happier with the choice since most of the price of the camera and original lens were paid for with "Airline Miles" from one of my credit cards!

 

[muleman]

Some place around here I have a real nice Nikon with some fancy telephoto lens that takes incredible pictures. When we got our first Sony digital camera it got parked and has not been used since. Last I used it was to take elk pics and that was before we moved to the mountains. Had a bunch of money tied up in it same as the first digital Sony that recorded on floppy discs.

 

[Dargo]

For comparison, the camera, with the 14-42 lens mounted, and the power ON. You can see the lens is now roughly double the length.

Panasonic makes a non-motorized 14-42mm lens that is about $200 less expensive than the motorized version that I own, that lens does not collapse like the motorized version and is actually larger than the motorized version after the motorized lens is extended. There are some optical differences between the motorized lens and the non-motorized lens as well, you get a bit better glass and coatings, in addition to the motor feature when you go up to the premium "X" series lens.

I like the sturdy, no-nonsense, look to your camera. As I mentioned, too many options just makes me miss the photo because I'm too confused about what setting is best. After being down for months and have longer to go than I've already been down, I'm not sure I could hold up a long telephoto lens now. I'd need a monopod.

 

[Dargo]

I've also been using the 'burst' mode where it snaps photos so fast that you can quite literally play them back as if watching a slow motion video replay.!

Mine has that and it got me in trouble. I was on the balcony of the cruise ship and happened to notice that a few floors down there was a lovely young lady who must have played the tuba based on her lungs. I thought I'd get a pic of the nice overhead view and somehow hit that burst mode.

That wasn't the real problem though. The problem was when we got home and I'd transferred them to my iPad and, in it's glory, it used the 'cloud' and put them all on my wife's iPad too. She was showing her aunts pics of our cruise and somehow she comes across what appears to be about 30 pics of this, what I thought, was one pic. Not good for me... I kept trying to explain the "burst" mode and I kept losing ground.

 

[Melensdad]

I like the sturdy, no-nonsense, look to your camera. As I mentioned, too many options just makes me miss the photo because I'm too confused about what setting is best. After being down for months and have longer to go than I've already been down, I'm not sure I could hold up a long telephoto lens now. I'd need a monopod.

Set it to P for auto-programmed mode and forget about it while the camera does all the work for you. Any camera that offers customized options, also offers the "idiot" mode for point and shoot. On this camera its designated with the letter "P."

 

[waybomb]

Mine has that and it got me in trouble. I was on the balcony of the cruise ship and happened to notice that a few floors down there was a lovely young lady who must have played the tuba based on her lungs. I thought I'd get a pic of the nice overhead view and somehow hit that burst mode.

Burst mode, maybe they were ready to?