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Author Topic: Panasonic GF1 and Lenses  (Read 11262 times)

DarkPenguin

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Panasonic GF1 and Lenses
« on: September 02, 2009, 01:58:29 am »

New E-P1 style Panasonic m43 camera.  Finally a real announcement of the 20mm f1.7 pancake and an unexpected  Panasonic Leica 45mm Macro with OIS (a form of jiggle inhibitor) lens.

See dpreview.com for details.

The sample gallery for the GF1 uses both lenses.  Some civilized bokeh.
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MarkL

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Panasonic GF1 and Lenses
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2009, 07:44:35 am »

Looks like an EP1 with viewfinder and focus issues mostly sorted, good to see some progress in this format. I'd be interested how good the optional EVF actually is though.
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Er1kksen

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« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2009, 08:27:16 am »

The optional EVF is pretty mediocre. Not worse than what you'd find on your typical modern superzoom, but nowhere near as good as the one in the G1/GH1.

Unexpected 45mm macro? Looks like you haven't been paying attention. Even better, there's a new lens roadmap floating around for 2010 that lists a 100-300 4-5.6 IS, 8mm fisheye, and 14mm f2.8 from Panasonic.
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BJL

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Panasonic GF1 and Lenses
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2009, 03:11:57 pm »

Quote from: MarkL
Looks like an EP1 with viewfinder and focus issues mostly sorted, good to see some progress in this format.
If not for one thing, the GF1 would be an easy choice over the EP1 for its modestly higher price. The one catch is Panasonic's insistence on in-lens OIS stabilization only, so that stabilization is only available with three Micro Four Thirds lenses (not even including Panasonic's new 20/1.7), plus a couple of Panasonic Four Thirds SLR lenses that are probably now discontinued. The EP1 in-body IS is available not only with all six mFT lenses, but with any of the many other lenses that one can attach with an adaptor.

There is a strange split on AF too: the EP1 AF works with all Four Thirds SLR lenses (though it is probably very slow with the older 4/3 lenses, not designed specifically for CDAF) while the GF1, like all Panasonic mFT bodies, offers AF only with lenses designed specifically for CDAF. But at least when the Panasonic mFT bodies do AF, they do it faster than the EP1!

So this time around it is Olympus that cares more about backward compatibility, having sold a lot more Four Thirds SLR lenses than Panasonic.


As to the accessory EVF: I am sticking with my previous prediction that only a distinct minority of GF1 customers will bother to buy it. Apparently a high quality EVF like that of the G1/GH1 does add significant bulk, perhaps because a strong optical magnifier is needed to get a large image from a tiny EVF screen.
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250swb

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« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2009, 05:40:22 pm »

Quote from: BJL
snip....

There is a strange split on AF too: the EP1 AF works with all Four Thirds SLR lenses (though it is probably very slow with the older 4/3 lenses, not designed specifically for CDAF) while the GF1, like all Panasonic mFT bodies, offers AF only with lenses designed specifically for CDAF. But at least when the Panasonic mFT bodies do AF, they do it faster than the EP1!

snip.....


It isn't the body that focuses slowly with the EP-1, it is the way the lens Firmware works with the EP-1. If you put a Panasonic 14-45mm on the EP-1 it will focus as fast as the same lens on a G1, and in video mode it will focus on C-AF without the jerky back and forth stutter that you get with Olympus lenses.

Steve

bg2b

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« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2009, 10:42:12 am »

Quote from: 250swb
If you put a Panasonic 14-45mm on the EP-1 it will focus as fast as the same lens on a G1
I don't believe it will.  It's certainly faster than with the Olympus zoom, but the G1/GH1 are still notably faster.
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DarkPenguin

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250swb

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« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2009, 05:09:55 pm »

Quote from: bg2b
I don't believe it will.  It's certainly faster than with the Olympus zoom, but the G1/GH1 are still notably faster.

I honestly can't say I have the equipment necessary to validate my statement, but it seems to me that if I use my Panasonic lens on my EP-1 it is a damned sight faster to focus, and without the back and forth stutter before focusing. If it is subsequently proven to be a tad slower than the G1 with the same lens, I'll just say 'so what', who's going to notice the difference? Anybody WILL notice the difference between the faster focus speed of a Panasonic lens compared to any Olympus lens on the EP-1 however.

Steve

BJL

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« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2009, 05:28:42 pm »

Quote from: 250swb
It isn't the body that focuses slowly with the EP-1 ...
Testing at DPReview suggests that Panasonic has the mFT AF speed advantage in both bodies and lenses: faster with the same lens on GH1 vs EP1; faster with Panasonic lens vs Olympus 14-42 on the same body, either EP1 or GH1. But amongst lenses, the 14-42 might be the slowest for AF; keeping it so small may have involved small, weak AF motors.
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250swb

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« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2009, 01:01:00 pm »

Quote from: BJL
Testing at DPReview suggests that Panasonic has the mFT AF speed advantage in both bodies and lenses: faster with the same lens on GH1 vs EP1; faster with Panasonic lens vs Olympus 14-42 on the same body, either EP1 or GH1. But amongst lenses, the 14-42 might be the slowest for AF; keeping it so small may have involved small, weak AF motors.

Phew, glad I don't have the 14-42mm then! I suppose if words like 'relatively speaking' are used to often when talking about such things we'd all get fed up with it because there'd be nothing to pick over. Its all to no avail though as the tests will need doing again come 15th September, when the rumoured Firmware upgrade for the EP-1 is supposed to be released. Time to get the pencil sharpened for noting down more statistics!! Hurrah!!

Steve
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