New G3 and Leica lens review at Luminous Landscape (+ new E-P3 tests)
One of my favorite cameras gets a field review at Luminous Landscape (Click here). They tested the G3 and the new Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 lens: “The new G3 may well be one of the best Micro Four Thirds camera yet. And, except for those that need more versatile video capability, the G3 may in fact be a preferable camera for some users than the top-of-the-line GH2…Overall image quality was very good indeed. The jump from 12MP to 16MP has not detracted from IQ in any visible way. At ISO 160 and 200 the camera is as clean as one could wish. ISO 400 and 800 start to show noise, but no worse that similarly priced cameras from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc. A bit of luminance smoothing in Lightroom and the images are certainly usable for most any purpose. Beginning at ISO 1600 noise begins to be problematic, and though it can be reduced, detail resolution starts to suffer.”
And about the 25mm lens: “I found little to fault and a lot to like. The lens’ resolution wide open is very good in the center, and naturally softens toward the edges, though by less than one would imagine. Vignetting is modest and I rarely bothered to correct it in post processing. Flare is minimal, even wide open.”
As you know the G3 is finally shipping everywhere in the world and you can find first kits in Stock in at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay! The Panasonic Leica 25mm lens is only available for preorder at Adorama, B&H, J&R, Digitalrev and eBay. Both the G3 and 25mm lens are highly recommended!
P.S: There is a new E-P3 hands-on at SystemKamera-Forum.de (german) image samples at Fourthirds-user.com and a Olympus EP-3 vs Olympus EP-2 comparison at ThePhoBlographer
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Recent comments
Comment from pdc: Go with the Lowepro Inverse AW100....
Comment from LGO: Agree. I have Nikon D7000 and GH2 and t...
Comment from hsa: The D7000 sensor is considerably better ...
Comment from Diane B: Don't laugh at the brown LOL. I love mi...
kesztió
11 months ago |Wrong.
Still no G3 on Amazon (not counting overpriced 3rd party resellers).
Adorama sells just the not really my favourite brown version at this time.
B&H has neither of models in stock.
J&R sells just body only.
Really hope that things will change in the next few days…
kesztió
11 months ago |OFF
Will somebody measure the exact size of the G3 with 14-42 attached to help me find an appropriate camera bag (not big, just to fit the camera + an additional M42 lens) please?
My favourites are Lowepro edit 120 or 130 but not sure if at least one of them will fit the camera with kit lens + additional AR 55/1.4 lens + M42 adapter.
pdc
11 months ago |Go with the Lowepro Inverse AW100.
Olympius
11 months ago |For all those complaining about the lack of a built-in EFV and a tilt-swivel LCD on the E-P3, well, here’s the camera for you. And you get four more megapixels to play with.
Personally, I find this camera far more impressive than anything Olympus has ever done with micro 4/3, and more appealing than any of the Sony NEX cameras to date.
Panasonic is really doing a very nice job with their micro 4/3 cameras and lenses, they have a lot to like, and little to complain about. Let’s just hope they do a better job making and shipping these cameras than they have with the GH2!
For a company that has no legacy camera operation to rely on, they are doing an excellent job. As long as this rumored “pro GF” camera makes up for the GF1 to GF2 debacle, they’ll be doing great.
Olympius
Mike
11 months ago |I think the problem is that Zuiko Users want a Pro Body like E-3 to use the FT Lenses: Weatherproof, Fast AF for FT Zuikos, Remote Flash Support and In-Body Stabilisation. This is also not delivered by Panasonic.
Something like the Sony A-33/A-55 for mFT and FT would be great…
Andyoz
11 months ago |I agree that Panasonic are doing a very good at the moment especially with the G3. I wasnt that impressed with the G1/G2 but the IQ on the G3 seems like a big improvement. I must say that I do prefer Olympus in general but if the Pro GF camera looks as nice as an L1/LC1 and possibly has an EVF then I may choose this over an E-P3.
frank
11 months ago |I always like the luminous landscape reviews. Not too technical, but based on actual usage by someone who really makes an effort to use and understand the camera and lens. His review of the GF1 with 20/1.7 was the reason I bought my GF1/20 and was spot on.
The only thing were he was mistaken then was the reason the P setting kept the 20/1.7 wide open so much. It it because it is just so good wide open!
che
11 months ago |i don’t know why you keep G3 so high on post count, where GH2 is so neglected and it’s by far most andvanced m4/3 camera jet and just a few months older than G3, and its video mode leaves all G GF and PEN’s to think about. I’m not a big Panny fan but OLY’s, but i feel this is not right. In my country you cant even buy GH in stores but ordering. OK its expencive considering G and 600D but its on par with 60D and i feel it’s on par with quality, correct me if i’m wrong.
Bimbo
11 months ago |Price. And the fact that the G3 is a huge leap over its predecessor.
Frederick Hew
11 months ago |As well as better tonal balance, it doesn’t have the green cast the GH2 has. I think the body is nicer too and, according to reviews, is built better and inspires more confidence.
Bob B.
11 months ago |I considered purchasing a GH2 but its high price and video-centricity put me off. I shoot strictly still photographs so I decided to be patient and wait for the GF Pro body. (I currently own a GF1).
But I agree with you the GH2 is Panasonic’s best (if not THE best) MFT body to date. Even with the release of the E-P3…I think it still holds that spot.
I think the G3 is targeted at a very different audience than the GH2 tho. Price and features are very different within the family. Panasonic is definitely doing a good job of targeting a market…especially when compared to the O company.
che
11 months ago |Somehow i think that the video expands knowledge of photographers, and it really can’t be bad, i use 2 4gb cards on my pen’s to do both… the only hard thing is AE Premiere and VDub, but it can be managed with all the PS AI knowledge already there. Btw what is the street price of a GH2 in US.
Bob B.
11 months ago |Body $899
with kit lens $999
..but neither is available. Ever since the release of the camera the availability is spotty at best.
I put a “notify me when available” for a silver body only at Amazon and B&H photo 4 months ago…and I have not been notified once.
So that camera is almost impossible to get here for the advertised prices.
Guess that means if I want to actually be able to purchase the GF pro when it is released…maybe I can get the body about this time…NEXT YEAR! LOL.
che
11 months ago |thanks for the info. Btw today i asked for price of 17mm 2.8 for OLY they said…hold your breath…340e… ohh my…are they crazy or what…
twoomy
11 months ago |Bob… Don’t let the marketing trick you. The GH2 is a wonderful stills camera. I have always been a stills photographer and I’m coming from a Nikon D300. I use the GH2 now because its image quality rivals the (older, but bigger sensor D300) and it’s smaller. The fact that it does video doesn’t really concern me much; I take a few souvenir clips every now and then, but that’s about it. It doesn’t really detract from its ability to do stills.
Zorg
11 months ago |I second this. The GH2 has an edge over the G3 for ergonomics (many more direct accesses), and can also do multiple image ratios without loosing too much resolution (that’s the cherry on the cake).
The only reason why I don’t jump in Panasonic’s boat is IBIS… I still have to think a bit about it…
Mr. Reeee
11 months ago |+10 twoomy!
Same here. 99% stills, with the occasional video clip. Shooting in Cinema Mode and being able to adjust shutter speed (although it’s best at 1/50) and aperture while shooting is more still camera-like than video camera-like, in my minimal video experience at least.
The multi-aspect sensor, LCD and EVF were the kickers for me. It’s fantastic for stills. Manual mode is fast, easy and fun with Constant Preview active. Set the aperture on the lens, rotate the control wheel for shutter speed and see instant result in the EVF or LCD. It seriously, couldn’t be any simpler.
When I compared the GH2 side-by-side with a D300s and D7000 it was an absolute no-brainer. I laughed at the Nikons and was set on the GH2. Even coming from years as a Nikon user. I had Nikon SLRs (FG and FM2) and prosumer digitals, but never a DSLR.
hsa
11 months ago |The D7000 sensor is considerably better than the GH2 { and yes I have both} and as you state video is of low importance to you . The GH2 loses its key advantage ,
LGO
11 months ago |Agree. I have Nikon D7000 and GH2 and the Nikon D7000 is superior for still photos. The GH2 however rocks for video. The EVF, ETC and articulating screen makes a big difference in video.
Re the superior performance of the Sony APS-C sensor, I am suggesting in this forum for Olympus to use the Sony sensor in the Nikon D7000/D5100 on its m4/3 camera so it not only cuts itself free from Panasonic’s hold, it will actually leapfrog Panasonic in this regard. Olympus can just crop out the bigger APS-C sensor to produce a multi-aspect m4/3 image. Nor would using a bigger sensor have an impact on the body size as Sony has shown with the NEX-5 and NEX-C3.
Bob B.
11 months ago |WOW…impressive review…although..I think I am going to keep pluggin along with my GF1 and wait for the GF pro model. Seems that this camera is nicely targeted.
If you want brown…you better hurry….I heard the the United Parcel Service is buying up a lot of that stock!
2m
11 months ago |Same here, I got my GF1 in february 2010 and have been looking for an improvement ever since. The G3 is the first camera I would consider, but I think the EVF is misplaced. I hope that the GFpro will have an EVF and on the left side if you look from behind. A second wheel would be nice. And if it looks anything like the GF1, I’m happy.
What I’m asking myself is why people insist on having a screen on an EVF-Camera. If anyone would just put an EVF on the camera, the free space could be used for an EOS 1V-style wheel. But well, that’s just dreaming.
Bob B.
11 months ago |2m…do you mean why do people insist on having a LCD screen on the back of the camera with an EVF..?????
I am old school and used to shoot polaroids…I want a screen on the back of the camera to look at what I have shot…I am so used to that now. I find putting my eye to the viewfinder and fiddling for buttons and trying to review the images I have shot in the viewfinder VERY awkward…but that is just me. YOu may have a point..perhaps I could get used to that if there were other benefits with the LCD not there.
Bimbo
11 months ago |I guess they’re a tonne of us GF1 users holding out for the GF Pro.
Just hope it hits the spot though.
Bob B.
11 months ago |LOL…I am trying to keep my expectations low. Hopefully Panasonic R&D reads the pages here!!!!!
Diane B
11 months ago |Don’t laugh at the brown LOL. I love mine and I’m a dyed in the wool black camera person since film days with big black DSLRs. The brown is subtle and classy with the big black wide band around the body. Its not black but “quiet”. And I’m not someone that worries about fashion but the subtle difference intrigued me without shouting.
Diane
SteveO
11 months ago |If Panasonic were to add IBIS to the G3 it would be my perfect mFT, and I’m sure many Olympus E-xxx users would feel the same way. Olympus would be left in the dust, and deservedly so for never providing an upgrade path for its own FT small-form factor DSLR users.
The G3 even without IBIS appears to be one of those watershed cameras that come along every so often. I’ve seen nothing but positive reviews, even on their now adjusted JPEG colors.
Andyoz
11 months ago |SteveO
I agree – IBIS is one thing that holds me back from getting a G3.
You make a very good point about Oly’s approach to their E-xxx owners. At the very least they should communicate what they are going to do for FT owners in terms of a future roadmap of bodies. Is there going to be a E-xx replacement but are E-xxx owners expected to go MFT and if so then when it is coming with a VF?
I would love to see Olympus come out with some sort of X100 style interchangeable lens rangefinder, but at the very least they should take the body of say the E-420 (or the E-620) and re-design it with an EVF and MFT mount, keeping the same sort of rear controls and I think that would really sell. It cant take that much engineering work. I was just looking at some old reviews of the E-420.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse420/page3.asp
Just for a bit of fun I was looking at some reviews of some older Olympus cameras like the c5050 and C8080.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc5050z/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc8080wz/page3.asp
Those were the days when LCDs were small and Viewfinders and controls were more important
It seems everything has gone in order to get bigger and bigger LCDs which is a shame. I prefer to view my pictures on a computer. In many ways the controls on alot of cameras have become worse in order to package in a large LCD. Just my thoughts.
ha
11 months ago |> It seems everything has gone in order to get bigger and bigger LCDs which is a shame.
Well, a reasonable amount of Canon EOS user I’ve see recently seem to use live view mode only. Looks like LCD IS important (for sales) and VF will be a niche
Esa Tuunanen
11 months ago |Well, that’s the problem of OVF: You don’t know what sensor sees but have to do image post view to know if exposure was good and it works even less well for video shooting.
So instead of trashing ergonomy totally that analog era relic of OVF should be replaced with EVF.
Esa Tuunanen
11 months ago |>http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc8080wz/page3.asp
Those were the days when LCDs were small and Viewfinders and controls were more important
Too little direct controls, low res at the time EVF and usual button zoom, this is better:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/konicaminoltaa2/page3.asp
Body is actually less wide than Pana GH2 which looses miserably to A2 in both controls and ergonomy.
Even E-420/620 are superior in ergonomy to “best” of MFT so saying there’s super tanker sized hole in body line up underestimate.
Becoming consumer products has definitely turned cameras to fashion toys with marketing pushing useless gimmicks.
Elf
11 months ago |SteveO…… Over on DPR we have
http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Olympus-E-P3-Digital-Camera-Review/Panasonic-G3-Comparison.htm
Interesting the reviewer is under the impression that G3 is the Panasonic flagship model, and has a 230k LCD. Makes CNET look proffesional at least they get their specs right.
Bob B.
11 months ago |Elf…that is not DPR (Digital Photography Review)….I REALLY doubt that they would ever make a mistake like that… The DPR site is incredibly professionally run and they are spot-on with their facts and presentations. Your posted URL refers to DCI…(who?)…LOL.
Elf
11 months ago |I know it’s posted on DPR I found it hillarious so I shared it
Cheers
Nick Clark
11 months ago |But it’s not posted on DPR…
Dummy00001
11 months ago |+1
MP Burke
11 months ago |If you look on DP Review forums some people have been posting photos taken with the G3 over the past few days. Maybe it’s the old issue that availability is worse in the US than it is in the UK and other regions.
I’m sure Panasonic would be delighted if existing m43 users decided to change to the G3, but it looks to me like the G3 is Panasonic’s camera to compete with current dslr’s in the similar price range. I think of the Nikon D5100: video and still resolution are similar, both have a tilt/swivel screen, but the Panasonic is smaller and lighter.
For anyone waiting for the upgrade to the GF1, it would appear to be better to wait a while, to see if a GF type camera appears with the same sensor as the G3. In another few months we should also find out if there is any substance to rumours that Fujifilm may make a m43 camera.
Mr. Reeee
11 months ago |I’d hope (and assume) that the GF-Pro has the GH2′s multi-aspect ratio sensor, not the mid-range G3 sensor.
Both the D3100 and D5100 are noticeably larger than the GH2, also!
Bill Oriani
11 months ago |I bought a GH2 with 14-140mm in the USA by skipping the big online stores and going to my local camera store (Precision Camera in Austin, TX). I ordered it, waited a couple of weeks, and picked it up for the same price as the online stores… in Dec 2010. My suggestion to early adopters is to try your local camera stores. (I did the same thing when ordering a D7000 when it was hard to find earlier this year)
Per
11 months ago |My G3 will arrive tomorrow. It is available in all Europe it seems. G3 is a very good compromize feature set/IQ/size/price. I think it is better to hold and handle than the GH2. Compared to the new bunch of Olympuses it has built in EVF. This makes a less expensive housing and I can spend more on the new primes 12, 25, 45.
fta
11 months ago |How about some real news
http://www.eoshd.com/content/3342/panasonic-gh2-hack-ptools-released
Dan
11 months ago |The real question on my mind is how is the dynamic range, and no I don’t mean someone quoting me numbers, I want to know how the real world dynamic range of this camera is ? The reason I switched from Panasonic to Olympus was due to the dynamic range (and I don’t mean highlight clipping, I am talking about the color and tonality of the files) . Panasonic files always have had a ‘digital look’ to them. My Olympus on the other hand (EPL1) looks much closer to the files I get from a traditional SLR. I would consider buying the G3 (it does look like a winner), but samples on the web still indicate to my eyes that the dynamic range is still an issue.
Agent00soul
11 months ago |And also, the colours don’t seem to be in Olympus class. They might be improved from earlier Panasonic cameras but on the other hand, the new Pens have further improved colours, which means they will be very hard to beat. When I compare the colours in the Comparometer at the Imaging Resource, there is no doubt that the G3′s colours are sorely lacking, compared to the E-P3′s.