Panasonic GF2 tested by DPreview!
Dpreview (Click here) posted the new Panasonic GF2 review! The camera gets a 70% overall score. For comparison: The Olympus E-PL2 (Click here to read that review) got a 71% score. The main reason for the slight edge of the E-PL2 is: “likeable and convenient though we found the GF2, it’s up against the Olympus E-PL2 which produces consistently better JPEG images from essentially the same sensor”
Price comparison:
Panasonic GF2 direct links at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay
Olympus E-PL2 direct links at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay -> In US you have a $50 instant rebate, and a $100 instant rebate on the dual kit at BHphoto (Click here).
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Recent comments
Comment from ELK: That's right to some degree. But simply ...
Comment from Cteve: I bought the GF2 3 days ago and I'm tota...
Comment from Martin: Someone from DPR posted in a thread this...Comment from fta: you must be BMW driver :)...
M43Photo
2 years ago |I predict there’s going to be lots of complaints that they review the GF2 before the GH2.
Jim Ramsey Khoury
2 years ago |yep i am sure that will be the case
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |GH2?
I have one already. Let them say what they want.
Why are Olympus fans so crotchety?
wife
2 years ago |You mean the 2 remaining fanboys?
Although they’re crotchety, I’m not too sure if you’re any better by attacking them unprovoked.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Joke Alert!
Spoo
2 years ago |Wow. Ya know what??? After looking through the replies on practically every thread on this site, I have come to the conclusion that there are EXACTLY the same number of Olympus “fanboys” as there are Olympus “trolls”. Every time a “fanboy” says something positive, a “troll” blasts them for it. And every time a “troll” says something negative, a “fanboy” rushes in to defend. The opinions expressed are equally idiotic and biased on both sides. I hate Honda, you hate Toyota, and f**k all the Audi snobs. Sheesh.
fta
2 years ago |you must be BMW driver
Miroslav
2 years ago |I prefer E-PL2 over GF2. IBIS and better jpeg win over HD video, small body and touchscreen. I’d like all those combined in one body though.
ELK
2 years ago |C’mon dpreview! Be a man, boy!!! Don’t hide behind political correctness!
You will hardly help sales it’s sales! 
Instead of saying senseless and confusing phrases like “The GF2 is a very different camera to its predecessor, which can confuse the fact that it’s a camera very well suited to its target market”, simply say – We hate this parro… – sorry, camera.It’s a sad marketing mistake to call it GF2 – it’s NOT a successor to GF1! This is an ex-parrot!
JM
2 years ago |I agree, but the sales numbers don’t
leendert
2 years ago |Olympus E-PL2 with Panasonic 20mm F1.7: The best m43 combination for me!!!
Boss
2 years ago |I just got my EPL2 and cannot wait to get the 20mm.
mahler
2 years ago |To me, both Panasonic and Olympus lost opportunities here.
Olympus delivering a camera with apparently good IQ, but an awfull user interface, Panasonic for a camera with a much better interface, but less good IQ.
I don’t know why they both can’t get their act together, to put their best sensor (Panasonic) into the smaller camera model, and the better interface to the current body (Olympus).
Many customers feel now, that the current generation of small m4/3 cameras isn’t what is required and that both manufacturers could do way better.
In search for a compact companion for my GH2, I’ll certainly skip this round of mediocre solutions and wait eagerly what both companies respond to their failures.
I want a small camera with exactly the same IQ as my main body (GH2) and with a usability of similar quality instead of overminiaturized controls.
WT21
2 years ago |Panny won’t give Oly their best sensor, because they know Oly would blow the Pannys away. Jpgs would be fantastic, and with IBIS. The interface is not nearly as important as IQ.
tgutgu
2 years ago |Given today’s IQ, which isn’t that different, despite what some reviews tell, interface and usability, is THE discerning factor. Here, the EPL-2 fails and the GF2 wins. However, my feeling is that Panasonic still could have done better, thus, they did not won me over.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Granted, Olympus has better JPEGs and a better detachable EVF. IBIS is a mixed bag. Oly ergonomics and interface design are a real detriment.
After trying ALL the M4/3 cameras (Oly and Panny), I bought a GH2. Oly’s cutesy, nostalgic design doesn’t compensate for usability flaws.
That said, the GF2 is a big disappointment. Why they felt the need to shrink it and remove external controls is a mystery. It is said that Panasonic considers the GF line to be “ladies’ cameras”. Dumbing down = design for women? How Japanese! Yikes!!!
None of the M4/3 cameras is perfect. We need to learn to adapt what we have and hope upcoming models, from both Panasonic and Olympus and others (?) introduce some real improvements.
Boris
2 years ago |“Granted…”?
No Sir, I don’t want to grant it any longer.
“This time has passed”! (the line from ” Raiders of the Lost Ark,”).
I do prefer ooc jpeg by GF2 and especially GH2 over that by any Olimpus m4/3 camera!
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |I prefer Panasonic JPEG’s more natural colors, but they are a bit noisier than Oly JPEGs at higher ISOs, but since I rarely shoot above ISO 800 with my GH2, that has little relevance for me.
Like everything else, it’s subjective, no?
Boris
2 years ago |Agreed.
The color preferences are not only subjective but they are prone to change over time of personal experience.
ELK
2 years ago |That’s right to some degree. But simply check ISO 3200 shots comparison between GF2 and E-P1 which was released nearly 2 years before. The sensor is the same hence, but still even the 2 year old camera outperforms GF2 in IQ. Panasonic engineers could do something more in those 2 years rather than castrating the excellent GF1 and decreasing it’s default sharpening.
Brod1er
2 years ago |I wish someone would make a mft without an LCD. An EVF is all you need to frame and review. It would allow cheaper more compact cameras which work in bright light. Touchscreen controls would be off the menu though!
Archer
2 years ago |I also want this, with the addition of wind-up power, so that no batteries are needed. The winder could be a simple lever on the top right side of the camera, easily operated by the thumb.
WT21
2 years ago |I have a flashlight that you shake to power. That’d be easier than a winder.
Reza
2 years ago |Perfect! No LCD and a hand crank. It should also shoot 1080p, and you’ll have to hand crank it while taking footage! Like this one (jump to 3:34) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rdRd6gDIcM
Igor
2 years ago |In fact, the idea of such EVF-only compact ILC is not new for the digital cinematography: see for example the Ikonoskop A-cam dII. http://www.ikonoskop.com/dii/
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Oh boy! A crank movie camera. Now that’s REAL retro!
Can yo spell Charlie Chaplin?
EVF only. That’s an interesting concept!
It’s funny how a mere 15 years of digital photography have nearly killed 150 years of viewfinder for all but the hard-core!
Maley
2 years ago |I really doubt u could wind up the camera at a resionable time, this is not a flashlight with 4 leds to power, its a camera.
Boss
2 years ago |I choose the EPL2 over the GF2 for many reasons:
-Image Stability
-Olympus JPEGs
-FT lens autofocus
-better ergonomics
-better looking
-I’m used to Oly interface
-ability to use accessories such as macro LED, etc… (assuming they work good, which I don’t know since the damn macro light is not out yet)
-better pricing
safaridon
2 years ago |Maybe you haven’t taken a closer look at the GF2 specifications and project description by Panasonic? The GF2 will autofocus all Oly 43 lens with exception of one same as EPL2 and from reports probably a little faster also.
Better erogonics? I would think making changes with the small rotary ring around the controller would be a lot more difficult or problematic on the EPL2 than making same changes using the GF2 rear control dial?
microfourthirdsnerd
2 years ago |Maybe the GH2 review is being intentionally held back due to its lack of availability? Hmmm, conspiracy theories commence…
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Maybe DPReview figures that by reading the full GH1 review coupled with the GH2 “preview” it’ll be good enough until the GH3 is announced,
Of course that doesn’t take into account shipping “delays” for the GH3.
Reza
2 years ago |Heehee I guess even Dpreview couldn’t find one in stock!
duncan
2 years ago |They received the camera before the release day. They even took and published some test photos and used them for comparison in the reviews of other cameras.
safaridon
2 years ago |DPR has just said the GH2 review will be out in a week or two but they said the same thing almost 1.5 months ago?
Do you want some conspiracy theories try this. Maybe the review of the GH2 might prove it was too good so competition pressured DPR for delay so they could catch up? Maybe just all the comments on the delay of the review lead editor to delay or cancell the review rather than speed it up? After all the later a review comes out the lower the rating will likely be because the competition has improved in the meantime? Certainly it is not beyond manufactures to try to pressure the reviews to do theirs first by whatever means possible.
This might sound a bit far fetched but I believe that something like that may have happened in the past, case in point the delayed DPR’s questionable review of the popular and class leading FZ18 or failure of Popular Photography to publish or ever print their review on a very popular class leading earlier TZ model when they had already posted it on the web?
Conversely a positive review of a new model can boost its chances of success hence the EPL2 review ahead of the earlier released GF2 for three reviews in a row for Oly while GH2 & GF2 waited? If popularity was the criteria used for order of review then why delay of GH2 when its sales or presales in US exceeded that of the EPL2 and GF2 well ahead of EPL2 at least in latest Amazons sales ranking?
tgutgu
2 years ago |Definitely. The stupid (again: STUPID, AWKWARD, UNERGONOMIC) rotary ring was THE reason, that I did not buy an EPL-2.
With a bit more dedication to user ergonomic, the engineers at Olympus could have come up with something better, without increasing the cost. I would have easily paid 100,- € for such a camera, if the user interface would have been better. Lost opportunities, as usual.
Tunngavik
2 years ago |The DPreview is excellent – now I realize this is not the camera for me.
I would question why anyone would even buy it when compared to the competition. I’m no Sony fan but the NEX 5 seems like a much better camera for the target audience. It is smaller and assuming the new lenses coming out are as good as the 20mm f1.7 or the current GF2 kit lens then it removes that benefit Panasonic can currently offer. The price for the camera is high and Panasonic stuff rarely goes on sale (at least in Canada). In comparison Sony and Olympus products are regularly discounted. The only downside is that the Sony has an external flash. Perhaps the rumored NEX C3 or C5 will remedy that.
I really wanted to buy the GF2, as aethetically it’s a nice looking camera, but considering what I’ve read and seen on DPreview now I highly doubt it.
Boris
2 years ago |Looking through the samples confirmed what I had seen before but what was surprisingly overlooked in the review. It was that in-camera jpeg color rendition has been improved. It has got now the so called spark of engagement that makes gazing at them no less involving that at those by Olympus cameras. And since the advent of GF2 and GH2 (still dreaming about it) I do prefer the ooc jpegs by these cameras over that from Olympus ones.
Tobias W.
2 years ago |Anybody else noticed how much better the image samples of the Olympus JPGs look against the others on dpreview?
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PanasonicDMCGF2/page16.asp
Olympus looks best there.
Even the RAW comparison look better for Olympus, even against that Nikon D3100:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PanasonicDMCGF2/page18.asp
I guess what most people fail to say outright in these reviews is that if you want higher image quality and better JPGs as well as image stabilization for all lenses you go to Olympus, if you want great video and a better autofocus performance you go to Panasonic. From my perception, that is the bottom line.
Boris
2 years ago |Agreed.
The color preferences are not only subjective but they are prone to change over time of personal experience.
Brod1er
2 years ago |@ Tungavik
Yes I might prefer the NEX if it had a flash and better lenses- but it doesn’t and I don’t! The lenses so far have been large and/or poor quality. The body would be bigger if it included a flash. There is no IBIS or built in EVF option. Too many ifs and practical limitations Vs the ability to get acceptable results at ISO12800.
Martin
2 years ago |Someone from DPR posted in a thread this :
The GH2 took far too long to work its way back to the front of the queue and we apologise for that. The review is being worked on and will be ready in the next couple of weeks.
Richard – dpreview.com
Cteve
2 years ago |I bought the GF2 3 days ago and I’m totally in love with it. Very intuitive and the image quality is very nice. I previously owned the Canon 50D and in high ISO (800+) it created some weird horizontal lines in the picture (???) I do not have that problem anymore with the GF2. The video image is stunning. Btw, that follow focus gimmick is actually very useful for video and photo and most importantly IT WORKS, when I use it in video mode, the focus transition is very smooth and it doesn’t have that mechanic “feel”. I just have a little complain, it’s about the defocus function with the “iA” button, it’s way too noisy to use with the video, unless you do not need the sound on what you are filming.