DPReview review of GF-1

Olympus! They have always been innovative, creative, compact and out-of-the-box. Someday the DSLR will be sitting in a museum as one of the mistakes during the transition from film.
 
charjohncarter said:
Olympus! They have always been innovative, creative, compact and out-of-the-box. Someday the DSLR will be sitting in a museum as one of the mistakes during the transition from film.
Click to expand...

Although I understand the need for many, for a small sized camera, and actually look for a good compromize of size and capability myself (d700 being the best I have found so far), you can't ignore the fact that for long shooting sessions and especially with long lenses, cameras like 1d-series and d3-series are great ergonomically. They are stable, sturdy and good to handhold. They just cater to a different kind of photographers.
 
Panasonic did it right with this one... now waiting for Olympus announcement for "ep2" at the end of the month :-D
 
Amazon is listing the camera w/the 17mm lens for $899, but not as a main feature of the page. For some reason, the main page shows a non-Amazon retailer selling the package for $1299. But on the right side of the page under "More Buying Choices" you can see an Amazon listing for $899. That softens the blow of the viewfinder a bit.
 
ulrikft said:
I would love a fullframe version of such a camera, with an optical viewfinder on the side, to death.
Click to expand...

I think full-frame would be pointless here. It's only really important if you're accustomed to having a certain field of view from a certain lens. This is an all-new system, with new lenses that have the potential to be very, very tiny and sharp (like the 20/1.7). What I WOULD like to see is more R&D going into sensor improvement, so that the m4/3 sensor of five years from now will be equal to the full frame of today. I mean, we have enough pixels--all we need now is better pictures.

If you mostly use M lenses, you gotta save up for an M9. But I like to think m4/3 will have its own innovations and advantages down the line.
 
ulrikft said:
Although I understand the need for many, for a small sized camera, and actually look for a good compromize of size and capability myself (d700 being the best I have found so far), you can't ignore the fact that for long shooting sessions and especially with long lenses, cameras like 1d-series and d3-series are great ergonomically. They are stable, sturdy and good to handhold. They just cater to a different kind of photographers.
Click to expand...

Actually, I was referring to the elimination of the pentaprism and that mirror flapping up and down. It seems to me a DSLR is like a typewriter with wires to send signals to the computer when the key is struck and the striking letter mechanism hits a sensor (and reads the 'A' or 'B' or........). Don't worry though even if they eliminate the p-prism and the mirror, Nikon and Canon will find a way to make it too big.
 
jke said:
Amazon is listing the camera w/the 17mm lens for $899, but not as a main feature of the page. For some reason, the main page shows a non-Amazon retailer selling the package for $1299. But on the right side of the page under "More Buying Choices" you can see an Amazon listing for $899.
Click to expand...

This is what Amazon shows when they don't have it in stock, but one of their partner sellers does. I had mine on order with Amazon, got an email that it was shipping, and just for grins immediately checked the item page and they were sold out again. Now I have no idea how many cameras Amazon is alloted in each shipment, but with such a large seller, I'd think it would be a bunch.

I've had the GF1/20mm combo for a bit over three hours now, and I am liking it very much.
 
So where can one get a GF1. They seem to vanish as soon as they come into stock. Anyone know of a place that have it with the 17 lens?
 
I'm with you Zwicko. I love it.
I have 5D Mark II (great for professional stuf and studio work and high isos) used to have M8, use film a lot both MF and especially M rangefinders (M6 is my favourite all time camera).

But I hve had the GF1 & 20mm f1.7 for a week now and I love it to bit. Won't replace my other cameras (far from it I love film and the 5D II) but it is my favourite toy right now and the results ae stunning. Made some good a4 prints already and have the Leica M adapter. So far my favourite 3rd party lens is the new CV 15mm f4.5 M munt which is great on it (gives you 30mm equivalent)

Nick
 
charjohncarter said:
Olympus! They have always been innovative, creative, compact and out-of-the-box. Someday the DSLR will be sitting in a museum as one of the mistakes during the transition from film.
Click to expand...

I slightly disagree with you, not because of any Oympus prize, but for the fact they are enjoying the short mindness of Panasonic, who seem to make one step forwards and two steps backwards.

So the truth about the new mini dismountable EVF is out: less quality, pricey, contradicting the shrinked camera. So Panasonic started to make their own version of the EP1, i,e, to tail the already in trouble Oly folks.

Last days I tryied to purchase a G1 soft bag (DMC-BAG1). Only 9 worldwide poor cats selling it at eBay - no one in Israel, nor any idea here by the single local shop selling the G1.

Amazon here, Amazon there you"ll meet yourselves within some months with Amazon monopolist prices, and folks beyond the US will read the famous Amazon message "this article cannot be shipped to your address" (outside the US).

My respected friend Rolland called my attention that Panasonic are 10 times bigger than Olympus. It makes sense, taking account ratios, washing machines etc. But in terms of cameras Panasonic is a caos. Amazon ? Why Amazon ?

The truth is that I would be much happier if Olympus had been those designing and selling the G1 - Panasonic are just not built to leave anything to the photo industry beyond reaping & raping profits. Unlike Olympus I must say.

Well, I have written my opinions on the G1 and GF1 several times, I have my two G1 bodies and pray they last - so I go back to my hole and leave you the consumerist fantasy so many of us like so much.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was going to buy a GF-1 last month but after using a G-1 extensively for six months I realized that the arthritis in my XL right hand was not getting any better when I was cramping my three fingers around that @#$& grip and trying to punch those nasty little buttons... imho they should have made the GF-1 bigger, not smaller!

No complaints about the image quality and I quite liked the operating system -- it wasn't perfect but it had no more gaps in logic than Nikon/Canon. Outside of ergonomics, the G1 seems like a far more useful camera than the GF-1 -- it comes with a real viewfinder and the G1 viewfinder is smart enough to show you the status screen and review images and more than what the GF-1 add-on can do. And it won't fall off.

In fact, after going back to a mirror APS-C Nikon, I miss the larger, clearer, easier to manual focus G-1 finder.

So it seems to me that for actually shooting, the old G-1 with the new 20mm would be the optimal Pany system.

Me? I'm saving for an X1 but going to wait until you guys do all the beta testing first ;-)
 
Good news on the EVF, Fred...the screenshot on DPReview looks fine to me, too. I might well spring for it, down the line. My GF1 is due in today or tomorrow!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom