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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Panasonic Lumix G1 Preview

“The first thing you notice about the G1 is that it really is quite small. In fact, it’s smaller in every dimension than the ‘world’s smallest SLR’ (the Olympus E-420), which is one of the benefits promised by Micro Four Thirds’ elimination of the reflex mirror. From a design point of view it is, in almost every respect, very careful to mimic DSLR design, with a large grip and command dial embedded in the front of it. And the result is a camera that will be instantly familiar to users familiar with DSLRs and, perhaps more importantly, one that is consistent with the expectations of users aspiring to own a DSLR.

Despite being smaller in every dimension than the Olympus E-420 (the smallest DSLR on the market), the G1 features a respectably sized grip that fits well in the hand and puts both the shutter button and mode dial in easy reach. The ‘push and turn’ control dial avoids the need for any buttons to be held down when changing settings, meaning the AF/AE Lock button can be placed very conveniently. With the supplied lens mounted the G1 feels reassuringly ‘dense’ - it’s heavy enough to feel solid and stable in the hand.”

• For the complete review visit DPReview