What's the fuss over the G1?

[splitimageview]

How does the evf on the g1 do in very low light?

Depends on what lens you are using. If you are using the kit lens at 45mm, that's f/5.6, and it's usable, but tends to grain up. A fast lens is much brighter of course, but manual focus.

The G1 really needs some fast micro-4/3-mount primes and only one has been announced.

I'm having a blast with adapted lenses.

 

[Sam N]

The G1 really needs some fast micro-4/3-mount primes and only one has been announced.

I'd love it if Leica helped develop some world-class M4/3 primes. Won't it be ironic (and a bit fitting) if Leica, the people who helped start the whole 35mm thing, end up moving forward with smaller (M4/3) and larger (S2) formats?

 

[rover]

One can always put a viewfinder in the hot shoe, set the 15mm CV lens to hyperfocal and use it like an RF 🙂

I did that with my K10d and Pentax A 24/2.8 lens, but that is besides the point.

I am very intrigued by the G1 and M43 concept. I look a lot at the galleries at flickr and am very very impressed by the images posted taken with this little bugger. When I do get one it will be a purely luxury item for me. Like Joe, I love the stuff I have, so having something else just isn't necessary. And yes, the 2x crop factor is a bummer if you only plan to use your legacy lenses, but the camera does have it's own purpose built lenses. The idea though of using my RF lenses and Minolta MC/MD lenses is pretty cool. Be it the G1, G2 or any Oly m43 that finally arrives at my door, I think it will be really fun to have around.

Hey, think about how quickly Raid will be able to do lens tests now that he can use a digital body on our old stock.

 

[Matt(1pt4)]

'So besides being a nice camera, where's the breakthrough?'

Not sure there is much of one, yet. I suspect that excitement over the ability to use M and other mount lenses on it will fairly quickly die down; remember when people use to be crazy for mount all sorts of legacy glass on the Canon DSLRs? When the novely wears off, the crop factor, cumbersome metering and focussing will still remain. And while the EVF is better than previous EVFs, it's still pretty crummy even compared to the tiny VFs in a standard 4/3 DSLR. Sure, you could mount an external VF, but not all of us shoot our RFs at hyperfocal all the time; selective focus is a good thing.

If fast primes materialize, and if they manage to actually be comparitively tiny, it might be useful, but at the moment, I'd rather buy an E420.

 

[Frank Petronio]

So my $3000 Summilux ASPH turns into a portrait lens on the G1? Seesh ;-)

I had a bad experience trying the Olympus 420 and pancake lens, which has a similar nice build quality and compact package... but its darn Raw files had two stops less dynamic range than my 5-year old Nikon D70. And the metering and auto-focus were also primitive compared to the ancient Nikon.

Based on the DPR review, I'd expect the Panasonic G1 to have similar "short-range" files. Maybe the metering and focusing is better than the Olympus, idk?

Right now I think the Nikon APS SLRs with the cheap plastic primes are the best bang for the buck... that new 35/1.8 and whatever replacement they have for the D60 should be a great lightweight combination.

 

[RF-Addict]

I don't get the craze over this camera either. Why put up with a 2x ratio of the focal length - have all RF photographers become wildlife shooters and need the crazy extension of the focal length🙂 Seriously though - isn't the fun of RF using shorter lenses that are very fast? It seems like that entire concept wnet out the door with the introduction of the G1. I only own FF cameras (digital and film) and can't imagine giving up my wides in exchange for reach.

 

[BillBingham2]

But there are other wides out there to explore (e.g. C-Mount)!

We all have glass that we love, even camera bodies that we love. To be able to take the glass from one to another is a big deal. Invest $3000 in anything and you prefer it to have multiple lives.

But is the glass we currently own the only glass we can love? For me no. I've learned to love a lot of new and old glass over the last 10 years. The 4/3M format opens up a lot of doors for old and some crazy new glass.

FF is great, but I can not use my Nikkors on my Crown Graphic!

B2 (;->

 

[djonesii]

I just got my adapter. In my photographic life, I grew up wit the 1.5 crop factor Nikons .... My "normal" has always been near the 35mm FOV of a 60mm lens. While I'm not really good optics guy, the key lens characteristics in the range of FOV seem about the same for lenses. Perhaps, this has fixed my eye to shoot longer rather than wide. I would prefer a 1.3-1.6 crop sensor, but I'm no where willing to pay 5K for full frame, 2.5K starts to be interesting ....

Then the reality sets in, I have an M6, its fun, but work ... If I had shot with it the preceding three years, perhaps I would be better with my tools. I pick up the Panasonic G1, and I can get my vision of what the photo should be out of the beast. Much the same with the Fuji 645.

So, I have a CV 15, CV25, CV40 and Leica 50mm Summicron collapsible all waiting to be played with as my CQ adapter just arrived. Will it be the same experience and the M6, obviously not, I do hope that this tool will let me get my ideas out of sensor land and into web and print space. For me, that is the idea be the "sensor" 35mm, 120/220, APS-C or micro 4/3!

Dave

 

[noimmunity]

So far, it seems there are two main points:

1) the glass
2) the view (both from VF and from flexible LCD).

I don't see either one of these as a replacement for or threat to the M mount optical RF system with full frame or even 1.3x crop. But it looks cool for what it is, and it could well lead to new things in the future.

 

[splitimageview]

When the novely wears off, the crop factor, cumbersome metering and focussing will still remain. And while the EVF is better than previous EVFs, it's still pretty crummy even compared to the tiny VFs in a standard 4/3 DSLR. Sure, you could mount an external VF, but not all of us shoot our RFs at hyperfocal all the time; selective focus is a good thing.

Can you explain how the metering is cumbersome?

I guess focusing is a negative with any camera except an Instamatic. 🙂

People complain about it not being an RF, and yet when it's pointed out it can be used like an RF, that's still not good enough. So, if you need selective focusing, then how about focusing it? That works.

EVF pretty crummy? Whatever you say. 🙂

Have you ever taken photos with a G1?

 

[splitimageview]

I don't get the craze over this camera either. Why put up with a 2x ratio of the focal length - have all RF photographers become wildlife shooters and need the crazy extension of the focal length🙂 Seriously though - isn't the fun of RF using shorter lenses that are very fast?

Yes, it would be great if there were fast primes, I think mentioned that earlier. They will come, they aren't here yet. But I have other cameras for that in the meantime, if it's necessary.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

As I like playing with different lenses and adapting things, I find this camera very interesting, and quite compelling, but at the current price I think I'll pass!. The sobering thought - at least for me, is - in a couple of years it will be history, and just ask at the camera store - how much for a trade-in on the latest digi-toy 😱 been there! - got a few T shirts! 😀
Dave.

 

[djonesii]

I do have a G1, and in the darkest conditions, I can manually foucs, they simply amp up the EFV it is not pretty, but it is effective. In the same conditions with the M6, I'm left with distance scale focusing.

At the same time, outside the margins, the M6 rangefinder/viewer has a much better optical quality than the EVF. And it has the "always in focus", even with the lens cap on, characteristics of a range finder. I think that horse has been beaten to death, well before I got into photography. This is RFF, so it's pretty clear where this group stands on personal choice!

To me, the key fact is that the G1 EVF gives me a very effective way to get my images in focus over a very wide range of conditions, and it is minimally intrusive on the image making process.

Dave

 

[splitimageview]

In this thread the G1 has been described as both 'pricey' and 'relatively cheap.'

I paid under $500 for mine. That's less than what a good condition 30 year old 50/2 Summicron sells for -- say $300 for the body and $200 for the kit lens.

(By the way, the kit lens does quite well for wide angle, 28mm FOV.)

Digitals depreciate...the way I look at it, the most it can depreciate is $300. 🙂 Compare that to M8 depreciation...

 

[Pablito]

Can someone who has used one of these things please comment on shutter lag compared to a normal DSLR?

 

[splitimageview]

It's in the same ballpark as other cameras in the price range. With adapted lenses it's quite fast (a bit faster than a prefocused D80 for example.)

"Fast shutter lag. While not quite up to current digital SLR camera standards, the Panasonic G1's shutter lag numbers are still good, better than most digicams. At wide-angle, it'll capture a shot in 0.37 second, and at telephoto it's a little faster at 0.36 second. For contrast-detect with an SLR lens, that's pretty fast. Naturally it'll be different from lens to lens. Prefocus shutter lag is blazing fast, at 0.077 second."

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCG1/DMCG1A.HTM

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

Digitals depreciate...the way I look at it, the most it can depreciate is $300. 🙂 Compare that to M8 depreciation...

Haha good point.

For me, the three big issues with M4/3 are crop factor, crop factor and crop factor. I only own two M-mount lenses (35mm and 50mm), neither of which would be useful to me at 2x crop. So, I'm left to buy into a new system.

 

[varjag]

Due to ability to adapt nearly everly still camera lens there, the G1 is gear whore's dream (*). The 2x crop for them is not an obstacle since the purpose of exercise is to mount all those lenses rather than take actual pictures.

* This in no way or form implies that aforementioned camera owned exclusively by gear whores.

 

[splitimageview]

Heh he. Perhaps it is a bit risky to use 'mount' and 'whore' in the same post. 🙂

 

[varjag]

I'm too innocent to understand what you mean! 😉