I'm always on the lookout for a digital version of the 35mm rangefinder, but with zoom lenses and low-light capability. Having played with the Panasonic G1 in store and worked with raw test shots, I'm very close to buying it; my only remaining concern being that something to trump it from another manufacturer might be just around the corner. The G1's met with enough success that competing cameras (and an inevitable G2 from Panasonic) seem likely to follow -- but in what time frame? One possibility is for a competing company to stick an APS-C sensor into an EVIL body, resulting in a marginally larger camera, perhaps about the size of the Leica M or Voigtlander Bessa R.
Apparently, the G1's EVF is dramatically faster, higher-res, etc. that anything previously seen on still cameras. Also apparently, it's based on technology Panny first used in their pro-grade video cams. Since I don't follow video cameras, I'd appreciate if anyone who does could tell me whether Nikon, Canon, etc. would have access to an equivalent EVF, or whether Panasonic has that sewn up at present?
Of course, a competitor would also need equivalently good contrast detection AF, but I imagine it would be harder to determine whether any of the competition have that up their sleeves as well.
I'm assuming we're not likely to see anyone but Leica doing the actual OVF rangefinder thing, given all the issues with parallax, angle of incidence, telephoto support, etc., etc. -- Or is Zeiss working on a digital version of the Ikon even as I write this? ;)
