Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 opinions please DSLR

[TuscNick]

I am thinking about entry into the DSLR, my last few cameras have been panasonic lumix compacts most recent TZ5 which is without doubt a great camera.

I have hankering for a DSLR, looked at Nikon, Cannon etc, but then I cam accros the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 , reveiws seem quite good, but as a none expert I would welcome some more expert or experianced opinion>

For about £600 I can get the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 with 14-45mm ois and 45-200mm ois, would I be better spending my money elsewhere, say nikon or cannon, and if so what would be the best use of that type of money.

I am also unsure as to how much more of a camera I am getting, what more would the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 DSLR offer beyond what I have in the TZ5.

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Nick

[SamHH]

The main advantage of an SLR camera over your current one is that it will have way more flexibility, both in having interchangeable lenses and in the fact that you can control pretty much every function manually (although you can leave it all on automatic if you want). Also, the image quality will probably be better by virtue of having a physically bigger sensor and the availability of higher quality lenses. The downside, beside the expense, is that they're bigger and heavier; no camera is any good if you can't be bothered to use it because it's too much hassle. Lots of people who have an SLR camera also have a compact camera for when they don't want to lug the weight around.

The usual advice if you're going to get an SLR is to go with Nikon or Canon because they are the established market leaders and have a massive range of lenses, flashes and other accessories. This also means they have the best availability of second hand kit, and most third party lenses are available to fit Canon and Nikon cameras. Some manufacturers have price advantages with certain bits of kit, but overall I think they all balance out quite evenly.

The Panasonic you mention is interesting in that it uses an electronic viewfinder instead of a conventional mirror system, allowing it to be a bit smaller and lighter, but I don't think that alone would make me choose it over a Canon or Nikon, even if I didn't already have any of their kit.

This is a good review of the Panasonic. Some of it's a bit techy but you can skip over that. There's also reviews of cameras from the other makes:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg1/

Edited by SamHH on Wednesday 18th February 23:25

[Ravell]

Personally I'd stick to either Canon or Nikon if only for the fact that you can rent a lens if you want to do something specific (like renting an otherwise very expensive long telephoto for motorsport). The choice of lenses for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 seems to be very limited.

[andy-xr]

For half that price it's worth considering, but £600-£700 would get you a more mainstream and more compatible SLR from Nikon/Canon with less limitations.

RRP aside if you never plan to use more than the supplied lenses and are happy to give more control to the camera then it'd be a good bet. I have a TZ compact as well, and the intelligent auto is actually pretty decent, something I notice the G1 has. I've never used Canon so I cant comment, but I think it'll come unstuck against say a Nikon D90 kit, and they're around the same sort of price. The D60 would be an interesting option, the G1 uses 4/3rds lenses, the D60 needs Nikon AF-S but is half the price

I'd go D90 for that money I think, or track down a D80 kit to save a few quid but still have something you can build on as you want to

[TuscNick]

Thanks for that info, all food for thought.

Some well made points, its sounds like Nikon or Cannon might be my best option, I justed wondered wether the Panasonic might be the "Sahpe of things to come" in which case was thinking of getting in early.

I do suppose that the lack of extras, kit, lenses etc is probably the main floor with it, although I did notice in the reveiws that it had a converter which allows it to accept other lenses (not sure if that means nikon and connon compatable ones)

I would like to spend about £600 inc lense or lenses, so is D90 right ?

Nick

[Elderly]

I already have a DSLR but I'm considering a G1 just for its small size.

I'm sure the image 'quality' of the micro 4/3rds system would not be as 'good' as that
of a modern DSLR with its larger sensor but it will be much better than no image at all
because I didn't have my big DSLR with me at that vital moment (I hate holding compacts out at arms' length).

I am going to wait to see how the micro 4/3rds system and the Panny lenses develop.

[Ravell]

TuscNick said:

...I justed wondered wether the Panasonic might be the "Sahpe of things to come" in which case was thinking of getting in early.

I do suppose that the lack of extras, kit, lenses etc is probably the main floor with it, although I did notice in the reveiws that it had a converter which allows it to accept other lenses (not sure if that means nikon and connon compatable ones)

I would like to spend about £600 inc lense or lenses, so is D90 right ?

Nick

Keep in mind that early adopters of new technology usually end up unpaid beta testers and get stuck with all the bugs.

The way I read the review was that it hasthe option of a converter allowing use of only the other Panasonic lenses meant for a DSLR with a regular mirror box.

Nikon D90 is a very nice camera IMO. Go to a shop to try it out first though. I found the D90 extremely comfortable in my hands and all the controls seemed to be in the right place, but every person is different and you might prefer the way a Canon feels. Both brands match each other closely for features anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that too much unless you want specific types of lenses the other might not offer.