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| Panasonic G7. This is a crop from the full frame below. Even though the G7 has "only" 16 Mpx and for this photo is "only" using the $100 kit lens it is capable of recording an amazing amount of information with excellent rendition of fine details and very good highlight and shadow detail. |
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| Panasonic Lumix G7 with kit lens Panasonic |
Matsushita Electric/National/Panasonic is a global electronics and technology giant making all kinds of products for consumers and industry.
Their first foray into imaging appears to have been with a VHS camcorder in 1985. The NV-M1 was described as being “very light, only 2.5 Kg”.
How technology has changed. The current GM5 makes better video and at 211grams, has less than a tenth the mass of the NV-M1.
Panasonic continues to make camcorders for consumer and professional purposes.
The first still cameras and the first to bear the “Lumix” sub brand were the LC5 and F7 of 2001, both fixed zoom lens types. These cameras featured Leica branded lenses signalling the relationship between Panasonic and Leica which continues today.
The first Lumix interchangeable lens camera (ILC) was the L1, a 4/3 format DSLR of 2006. This was the first DSLR with live view.
The L1 featured retro controls and faux rangefinder styling without the usual DSLR pentaprism hump.
I think someone senior in Panasonic must really like the idea of the L1 as several modern models reprise the styling and Panasonic’s own promotional material has several times harkened back to the L1.
In his introduction to the DPR review of the follow up L10 model in 2007 Simon Joinson wrote “…
The L1 failed to translate all that launch interest into actual sales.”
The camera and indeed the whole 4/3 DSLR enterprise were not commercially successful, so Panasonic dropped the idea and with Olympus launched the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable lens system in 2008.
The first model of this project was the G1 which looked and mostly operated like a very small DSLR.
I bought a G1 and got my first experience of bad camera ergonomics, in due course leading to the creation of this blog.
Since then Panasonic has invested considerable energy and presumably a great deal of R&D funding into the M43 line and also its ongoing series of fixed zoom cameras.
In the last few years Lumix model output has been prolific with Panasonic apparently emulating Sony to some extent, releasing multiple slightly different variations on a few basic themes presumably hoping some will find favour with buyers.
In the last year or so we have seen new models in the G, GM, GX and GF series of MILCs.
In the Fixed Zoom lens group there have been the FZ1000, FZ300, TZ70 and LX100.
The product development people at Panasonic have been very busy.
Some months ago I had decided I was so pleased with my FZ1000 and LX100 fixed zoom lens duo that I would not buy any ILC this year.
But then I got intrigued by the G7 and wanted to explore its ergonomics so I bought one and am currently reviewing it.
The G7 is a good, even very good camera but it is not perfect. It lacks the EFCS offered by several competitors and there are some haptic issues with the control panel.
I have decided to pass on the GX8. I am not a fan of the faux rangefinder style for ergonomic reasons and I have already posted my negative analysis of the dedicated Exposure Compensation dial. Plus I get picture quality very close to that of the GX8 at a much more attractive price point with the G7.
The FZ300 does not appeal. It has the same sensor and lens as the FZ200 which our family had for a while two years ago. We found the picture quality disappointing.
I have a sense that Panasonic and to some extent the whole camera industry are busily making stop gap products at the present time.
Sure, there are innovative technologies being introduced.
DFD autofocus is one which I have found really works well. Advanced lens design and manufacture is another. This has allowed, for instance, the excellent lens on the FZ1000 to be produced.
Many models from several makers are putting more pixels on the sensor. Fair enough although high pixel count/small pixel pitch is actually causing problems not seen with lower pixel counts.
Sony is causing a stir with several new technologies in the A7R(2) and the new high speed RS sensors in the RX100(4) and RX10(2).
There are ongoing improvements to image quality, performance and capability, all true.
But I think the big restraint on development right now for high quality, high pixel count/small pixel pitch ILCs, which includes most of them, is the focal plane shutter which clatters about inside the body impairing image sharpness.
Panasonic’s answer to this is mixed. Some cameras have an Electronic First Curtain Shutter (EFCS) but other do not.
All have an Electronic Shutter (which is required for video) but the use of this for still photos brings its own problems.
When Panasonic and the industry as a whole can find a reliable, set-and-forget, use-all-the-time solution to the shutter shock issue I think there will be a big advance in the capability and usability of our cameras.
Samsung
Samsung is a giant business conglomerate (chaebol) which makes just about everything from ships to chips including gazillions of smartphones. I don’t know why they bother with cameras.
I have some history with Samsung MILCs beginning with the NX10 which I bought in 2010 with various zoom lenses. I thought the NX10 had much better ergonomics than the Lumix G1.
I subsequently got an NX11 then NX20. Over a period of several years I owned and used quite a few lenses as well. These cameras all used the 28mm diagonal sensor.
For a while Samsung appeared to lose interest in the NX line so I switched back to the M4/3 system which was evolving more rapidly.
A year ago Samsung released the much larger NX1 with a set of equally large pro style wide aperture zooms. This camera and its big zooms are not much smaller than full frame gear such as the Nikon D750 with f2.8 zooms.
Even without the various problems which affected the initial rollout I would not be interested in the NX1.
If I wanted to go up in format from M4/3 it would be to the Sony FE mount full frame system not any system with a 27-28mm sensor.
Ricoh/Pentax
Pentax was once a major player in the film SLR market producing a series of models which were very popular with amateur/enthusiast users but never quite succeeding in the professional market.
Pentax lost momentum when it was slow to adopt autofocus in the late 1980’s and has never recovered. There must be a loyal band of Pentaxians out there continuing to support the DSLRs which the company continues to make.
My last Pentax purchase was an ME super SLR in 1984. Nothing since then has attracted my interest.
The K-01 mirrorless camera of 2012 was a complete disaster.
The Q series of mirrorless ILCs uses the small 9.3mm sensor which makes much more sense behind a fixed zoom lens than a series of interchangeable lenses.
I had a Ricoh GR1 film compact at one stage, I think it was the GR1v, with a 28mm lens. It was quite a nice camera but I found the lens too wide for general photographic use.
Ricoh continues to use the GR designation for its digital compacts which have an enthusiastic band of supporters. Unfortunately they still have the 28mm (equivalent) lens and no built in EVF.
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