Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 DSLR Camera Review

Introduction

The DMC-GF1 ($900 with kit lens) is an enticing video-capable DSLR from Panasonic that uses the Micro Four Thirds lens mount system. The camera is roughly the same size as the Olympus E-P1, and the two cameras perform very similarly—both topping out with a 1280 x 720 maximum video resolution.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Panasonic GF1 at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.

Color & Noise Performance

The Panasonic GF1 rendered accurate colors in our bright light test and the camera has a variety of color controls that allow you to fine-tune your image. Click here to read our full color performance review, including color swatches and crops.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Panasonic GF1 produced a color error of 3.84 and a saturation level of 85.2% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

Noise levels were very low in bright light and the GF1 put up statistically identical numbers to the Panasonic GH1 in this test. We usually see excellent noise scores with video-capable DSLRs, however, so the GF1's good performance isn't anything out of the ordinary. Click here to read our full noise performance review, including crops and comparative analysis.
 

Motion & Sharpness

The Panasonic GF1 can record using two different frame rates. It uses a 30p frame rate when shooting in MJPEG (Motion JPEG) mode and a 60p frame rate with the AVCHD Lite mode. We noticed some problems with the 60p AVCHD Lite footage when we tried to play it back with various media programs on our computer (but it worked fine with the camera connected to a television). Click here to read our full motion performance review, including video clips.

The Panasonic GF1 captures video at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720, so its video isn't as sharp as a model that is capable of recording Full HD (1920 x 1080). The camera didn't do that bad in this test, although its numbers were slightly lower than the Olympus E-P1 and Nikon D5000—both of which also capture at 1280 x 720. Click here to read our full sharpness performance review.

Low Light Performance

Testing the GF1 with its 14-45mm kit lens, the camera didn't do very well with our low light sensitivity test. The GF1 needed 25 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor (when shooting at 30p), which is more light than most video-DSLRs require. Click here to read our full low light sensitivity performance review.

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

The GF1 produced strong, decently accurate colors in low light. The camera's numbers weren't much better than the competition, however. Click here to read our full low light color performance review, including comparative images and analysis.

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Panasonic GF1 produced a color error of 4.52 and a saturation level of 93.02% in our low light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

Noise levels weren't bad in low light, but the Nikon D5000 and Panasonic GH1 did better in this test. The GF1's low light image looks fairly noise-free, but it does have a bit of discoloration and blur. Click here to read our full low light noise performance review, including crops and comparative images.

Conclusion

The video functions on the Panasonic GF1 are rather limited. Its maximum video resolution is 1280 x 720, the camera doesn't offer manual ISO or shutter speed control in video mode, and we noticed numerous editing programs having trouble with the AVCHD Lite recording mode. On the bright side, the Panasonic GF1 does offer an MJPEG recording option, which expands the camcorder's versatility for capturing video. We weren't blown away by any of the GF1's performance numbers, but the camera put up average numbers in most of our tests. The only test where the GF1 really struggled was low light sensitivity, although the GF1 also didn't have very good sharpness (especially when compared to cameras that can capture Full HD video). With a $900 price tag (including the kit lens), the Panasonic GF1 is actually a pretty good deal if you're looking for a video-capable DSLR that is easy to play around with. Because it lacks in-depth controls, the camera's video mode is simple to use and understand. Pros and experienced users will gawk at the lack of shutter speed and ISO control in video mode, as well as the limited aperture adjustment feature that Panasonic calls "peripheral defocus." So, if you're looking to replace your video camcorder with a digital camera, the Panasonic GF1 is not the product you seek. If you want a compact camera that offers an easy-to-use video mode, however, the GF1 is a viable option.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Panasonic GF1 at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.