Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

Dan got his hands on his first Micro Four Thirds, which is designed to feature all the specs of a SLR camera with a much more compact design. What it […]

We love the compact body and the level of control that you get. We also love the full articulation of the screen: it's a real bonus and helps make the

When you consider the incredible flexibility offered by digital capture (unencumbered by the physical need to put the film behind the lens and to advance it frame by frame) it's perhaps surprising that the digital interchangeable lens camera has remained so firmly rooted in a basic design that hasn't changed since the 1950's. The single lens reflex does its job very well, but building a camera around a mirror box seriously ties the designer's hands - not only in the physical size and shape of the body, but in the lenses too (the distance to the sensor means retrofocus designs are needed to overcome the distance from the sensor to the flange).

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When you consider the incredible flexibility offered by digital capture (unencumbered by the physical need to put the film behind the lens and to advance it frame by frame) it's perhaps surprising that the digital interchangeable lens camera has remained so firmly rooted in a basic design that hasn't changed since the 1950's. The single lens reflex does its job very well, but building a camera around a mirror box seriously ties the designer's hands - not only in the physical size and shape of the body, but in the lenses too (the distance to the sensor means retrofocus designs are needed to overcome the distance from the sensor to the flange).

The world's first Micro Four Thirds System camera with features and performance to appeal to photo enthusiasts.Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-G1 is the first model in an entirely new camera system, officially known as 'Micro Four Thirds' but sometimes dubbed 'EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens)' to provide a better picture of the difference between it and a DSLR (which it resembles superficially). Cameras made for this system have no reflex mirror and no optical viewfinder. The sensor is also significantly larger than the sensor in similar-sized advanced digicams.

Panasonic G1 review, find out how the G1 stacks up against the competition in our real-world review with in-depth image quality comparisons.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is the first Micro Four Thirds System-based camera on the market.

Does the G1 spell the end for conventional DSLR design?

Review posted 3/2/2009PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-G1: WORLD'S SMALLEST AND LIGHTEST DIGITAL INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERA World's First Micro Four Thirds System Camera Features Portability, Ease-of-Use and Colorful Blue and Red Models For Personalized Style and Active Lifestyles Secaucus, NJ (September 12, 2008)

This tiny interchangeable-lens electronic-viewfinder model represents an entirely new class of camera.

Review of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1K, one of the first digital cameras using the new Micro Four Thirds format.

Panasonic has developed an Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera (ILDC) that’s not a single lens reflex model. Substantially smaller than a standard D-SLR, the 12.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-G1 is categorized as a Micro Four Thirds camera; that’s only because of the relatively diminutive body size. It’s equipped with a full-size (13.5x18mm) Four Thirds sensor that’s much larger than the (5.76x7.18mm or smaller) chips used in high-resolution digicams. That allows for decent pixel size for greater dynamic range and better image quality at high ISO levels.

Companies that aren't Canon or Nikon have it rough in the digital camera market-particularly outside the cheap point-and-shoot area. Some band together for strength in numbers, creating cooperative standards like Panasonic, Olympus and Leica's new Micro Four Thirds system-a spec for smaller cameras with digital…

In the short history of digital photography there haven't been many innovations in camera design and technology.