New Panasonic GF2 review (+ BHphoto shows the GF2 price)
Digitalcamerareview tested the new Panasonic GF2. They wrote a five page long article and tested also the new 14mm f/2.5 lens. Conclusions are as usual on the last page. Interesting, the reviewer says that it will be a real challenge for Nikon to make a better mirrorless camera than the GF2.
P.S.: BHphoto (Click here) has pricing up for the GF2:
14mm kit -$699
14-45mm kit – $599
Body only – $499
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Recent comments
Comment from stickytape: Where does it say in the article that "i...
Comment from Cteve: That's interesting because if you look o...
Comment from Bunfoolio: A question from a newbie to cameras but ...
Comment from Sandy: There are a couple of stores in Tokyo ar...
frosti7
2 years ago |Pricing is not over the top, it seems
dCap
2 years ago |I like it when the kit lens is something new … like here. This must be an attractive option for GF1/20mm owners thinking of the 14mm and tempted by the new small camera too!
(The GH2 with the 10x zoom is also priced well into a bundle)
Voldenuit
2 years ago |I’ve heard some mixed reports of the 14/2.5′s performance. Will be very interested to see dpr or photozone benchmark the lens in the their labs.
safaridon
2 years ago |Very complimentary review in almost every respect. Well done Panasonic!
Certainly shows you have a choice for about as bright and good colors as you wish and JPEGs and setting good right out of the box. Other reviews linked by 43rumors with more testing of the lens have shown that although noise from the sensor increases above ISO 800 the resolution (ie detail) remains high in raw (and two hundred lines lower in JPEG) all the way to ISO 3200.
The 14mm lens AF times of 0.3 sec is slower than Pany’s reported claimed 0.2 secs AF with the 14-140 lens but still faster than any other m4/3 other than GH2.
Am surprised that no reviews are pickup up on the fact that GF2 has a provision for extra tele conversion when used in video extending the focal length of any lens used by factor of x4.3 without loss of either IQ or lens speed. Reviewers of GH2 say this one of the very best features found for video and will be very useful on smaller cameras as enable users for video to use a faster small lens at either 2X or 4.3X factors.
I also would like to see note that the GF2 now provides 60fps review on the optional EVF instead of 30fps and this should make a improvement in the view as much steadier but still may not help for manual focus with enlargements. Maybe this provision will permit Pany to now use a high definition EVF on the GF2?
Now if only Pany would provide just a couple more small primes and smaller zoom to use with this camera.
marco
2 years ago |Maybe you want to look at: http://lenstip.com/273.1-Lens_review-Panasonic_LUMIX_G_14_mm_f_2.5_ASPH..html
Lenstip reviews are maybe better done than photozone reviews.
Sandy
2 years ago |The start of the review is actually WRONG!!!
“After partnering with Olympus on the development of the Micro Four Thirds System standard (an offshoot of the Kodak/Olympus Four Thirds System), Panasonic followed Olympus into the mirrorless/interchangeable lens class of compact digital cameras with 2009′s Lumix DMC-GF1.”
Panasonic DID NOT in fact FOLLOW Olympus into the mirrorless/interchangeable lens class of compact digital cameras with 2009′s Lumix DMC-GF1……
Panasonic LED Olympus into the mirrorless/interchangeable lens class of compact digital cameras with Sep 2008′s Lumix DMC-G1, and March 2009′s Lumix DMC-GH1, before Olympus even got going with the first Pen E-P1 in June of 2009!!!!!!!!
safaridon
2 years ago |You are quite right, I noticed the same thing. Seems that many people just assume that m4/3 didn’t start until the EP1 Pen arrived so as you correctly point out was started with the G1 and GH1 by Pany even if the EP1 was the first “small” compact model on the scene.
MikeS
2 years ago |Pretty sure that what was meant was that Olympus was first to make an mirrorless camera with compact styling, as opposed to the mini-SLR styling of the G1/GH1, hence the E-P1/GF1 “resembling a large compact point and shoot” rather than a compact SLR.
Godot
2 years ago |If that’s what’s “meant” then it’s so poorly written as to be laughable. It pretty clearly says Olympus had the first m43 body, period.
Rabbit Moon
2 years ago |I wighting between GF2 and E-PL2.
I think GF2 give me good pic than E-PL2 but I love control like in GF1.
PS. zoom lens, kit of GF2 is 14-42mm not 14-45mm.
Tomas
2 years ago |Oly has a nicer color output – essential for a photo
safaridon
2 years ago |Added comment I left out:
This review noted the very good AF capability of the GF2 to track moving subjects the best of any small m4/3 even of train approaching at 30 mph. Also the burst capacity of more than 60 frames at over 3 fps not to shabby. That’s 20 continous seconds compared to maybe 12 frames previously so a big improvement over GF1.
pdc
2 years ago |I still struggle with composing everything on the LCD (unless you want to add a clunky EVF to the hotshoe) – for shorter focal length work (under 50mm) I think I would be comfortable, but for telephoto without
the use of a tripod, I would find it awkward. ISO improvements (over my G1) are great, but I will be very surprised if resolution, clipping and noise is any different from what we get with predecessor cameras (G1, GH1, GF1, G2, G10) as it appears that it is still the same sensor. With the smaller pixel size on the GH2, I still find noise and clipping artefacts to be more common than I’d thought we would get after 3 years of sensor refinements. If the G3 doesn’t show improvements in this area, we will looking to Nikon, Pentax and others to put greater emphasis on EVIL IQ.
Loren
2 years ago |Woah, the prices are way lower than the $800+ some reviewers were expecting!
Loren
2 years ago |Also, the P.S. part of your post says the GF2 comes with the 14-45mm lens when it actually comes with the newer (and inferior) 14-42mm.
John Metsn
2 years ago |Everyone seems to forget to mention that GF-2 lost the remote shutter release port. Maybe it’s not a big deal for some, but it would surely be for me, as I love my wireless shutter release…
Sandy
2 years ago |There are a couple of stores in Tokyo are selling GF2 kit, but the body only minus the 14mm lens. (I’ve seen this a few times with the GH1, where they buy the kit, remove the kit lens and sell the body and lens separately)
The GF2 body in the kit box with everything except the 14mm lens is 32,800 yen, or about $400 USD.
Cteve
2 years ago |That’s interesting because if you look on EBAY, about all the Hong Kong (China and Singapore) sellers are offering the GF2 + 14mm kit for minimum 800$. I live in South Korea and the situation is the same so far. I hope a price revision will come soon because there is no way I’m going to give an extra 200$ to some Chinese Ebay sellers, no way.
Bunfoolio
2 years ago |A question from a newbie to cameras but why is the pancake more expensive than the 14 to 14-42 lens?
Thanks
stickytape
2 years ago |Where does it say in the article that “it will be a real challenge for Nikon to make a better mirrorless camera than the GF2″…?