Panasonic GF1 thoughts?

I guess I am not really able to comment yet – it's my first 'proper' camera and I've not used it much yet, but I can't see myself 'needing' another lens any time soon.

Here's another pic.

So is that the 20mm one?

but I can't see myself 'needing' another lens any time soon.

I have an 18-200mm on my D300 and am continually frustrated by its lack of range at both ends 🙂

10-24 Tamron / Nikon if you have the money and a fixed 400mm also if you have the money are your best friends.

I am just asking cause a friend wants a portable but flexible camera and was thinking if he has to get the 14-45 then it is not all that great as it is still too bulky. But if you can get by with the 20mm for all day shooting then that is a whole different story.

I think I will just experiment, set my Nikon at 27mm and keep it there for the whole day, see how I get along.

How about the zoom lens that comes with the PEN 1

http://www.photozone.de/olympus–four-thirds-lens-tests/452-oly_m1442_3556

A lot flatter when closed than the other zooms.

Is there a disadvantage to using that with the Panasonic? I guess you don't get image stabilisation.

Joe

So is that the 20mm one?

Yup. That was a jpeg straight out of the camera – just been playing with the RAW files in lightroom and the look pretty amazing imo.

I have an 18-200mm on my D300 and am continually frustrated by its lack of range at both ends

Is that a problem with the lens or the user? 😛

Is that a problem with the lens or the user?

I've never asked the lens(e) for its opinion.

I have three Panasonic lenses, the 14-45, 45-200 and the 20, and right now I am really enjoying just using the 20. This was taken when it was almost dark:

I am just asking cause a friend wants a portable but flexible camera and was thinking if he has to get the 14-45 then it is not all that great as it is still too bulky. But if you can get by with the 20mm for all day shooting then that is a whole different story.

I think I will just experiment, set my Nikon at 27mm and keep it there for the whole day, see how I get along.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/why-40mm.html

I have been checking out the pictures coming out of the GF-1s of the world and it looks like a very capable camera. I just find the 20mm (40mm equivalent) a bit unconventional. A 17 or a 25 wouldn't have scared me all that much.

Edit: Thanks for the link! I guess it is more normal than I thought and you just have to work with it. Hm my friend is up for dillemas as he is between the GF1 and the 20mm and an LX3

and a fixed 400mm also if you have the money are your best friend

400mm on a 2x crop camera? 😯

5thElefant he has a D300 which is a 1.5 crop camera. and if a 200mm (ie 300mm) is not enough the next logical step is a 400mm (600mm) 🙂

Ah, I thought we were on GF1s.

Blame simonfbarnes he sidetracked us with his not quite enough 18-200 lens :p

is not enough the next logical step is a 400mm (600mm)

except I'd want all the intervening focal lengths too…

Blame simonfbarnes he sidetracked us with his not quite enough 18-200 lens :p

except the 400 cropped up before I mentioned my lens ?

Nop the 400 cropped up right after you mentioned your lense 😉

And there is no need for the rest of the steps you can crop from a 200 you can take a few steps back from a 400.

taken with the 20mm…

(Tate Gallery, St Ives)

(Maximillian Cervantes III, second most photographed seagull in St Ives a few days ago.)

(taken whilst walking from Sennen Cove to Lands End)

its a cracking little lens & camera!

oh and here's a dinosaur

Nop the 400 cropped up right after you mentioned your lense

ooops, you're right 🙂

And there is no need for the rest of the steps you can crop from a 200 you can take a few steps back from a 400.

the other problem being that my camera is so routinely covered in shite that I dare not change the lens due to all the crap that immediately gets onto the sensor 🙁

I'm sure my pics are still not amazing but I'm blown away by the quality of the camera so far.

I like em Grum especially the warehouse one, I find the B&W Dynamic setting very addictive!!

Cheers – it's your fault I ended up getting this camera really! 🙂

Not messed about with the b+w settings on the camera too much yet.

Another.

MrNut do you use the 20mm exclusively or do you have/drag around other lenses? Admittedly it is encouraging that the possibilities are there even with a fixed 20mm lens

yep, 20mm is all I'm using at the moment but I'm after getting an m42 adapter so I can stick my old russian lenses on it

Im on just the 20mm and love it.
Takes all the hassle out of lugging lens for no reason, but makes you think about what your shooting.

I see your in lancaster as well Grum.

The Dynamic B&W is great, i have that on my C1 setting.
Trying to find settings that will emulate Velvia and Reala for the other custom banks or "My Film" mode.

Gotta say, am warming up to the idea of one… But I can't see me parting with my D40 or my LX3 so I have to persuade myself that I need yet another camera… I can happily live with one bike but not with one camera it seems :p

shoei,

Trying to find settings that will emulate Velvia and Reala for the other custom banks or "My Film" mode.

if you suss them out can you post em up please?

Gotta say, am warming up to the idea of one…

I'm no expert at all but I am blown away by the quality you can get from such a compact package – I had it in my coat pocket earlier and it was a bit disconcerting because I couldn't really feel that it was there.

I can see myself taking it with me pretty much everywhere, which was what appealed to me. Yeah it's expensive, but well worth it imo.

+1 🙂

My GF1 lives with me most days. Bought a nice crumpler bag that it fits in along with other bits and bobs.
Dnt know if i'd be brave enough to carry it on the mtb round some trails though.

I came down from a D80, grip, sb600, siggy 70-200 f/2.8, 30mm f/1.8 plus a couple of other lenses and havent really missed the D80 at all.
Used to be a hassle to dig out the D80 and lug it all around.

Bought a nice crumpler bag that it fits in along with other bits and bobs.

Which crumpler did you get? I am hoping to take it out biking but haven't been out for a while.

Dnt know if i'd be brave enough to carry it on the mtb round some trails though.

That was gonna be my next question, who has taken it or planning on taking it on some mtbing around a roughish trail. It is too expensive and big to feel comfortable dragging it around biking and whatnot and in that respect it is like my D40 with its lenses. The LX3 on the other hand seems a lot less fragile – even if only for its non removable lenses and more compact dimensions.

Which crumpler did you get? I am hoping to take it out biking but haven't been out for a while.

Its a MuffinTop 5500. A shoulder/courier style. GF1 fits nicely in one corner, room for the gorrila pod next to it and a large area left to carry kids drinks/jumpers/buttie box. Front has the memory cards/lens cloth/odds and sods.

It is too expensive and big to feel comfortable dragging it around biking

I don't think so – expensive maybe but definitely not too big, and very solidly built.

The GF1 is a near perfect travel camera.

For 16 days I lived with it strapped to me as I climbed through the valleys of central Nepal up to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,200 meters.

I covered the camera in sweat. I hit it against rocks (unintentionally). The air was often dusty and this dust, by the end of the trip, had worked its way into every nook of the GF1. And yet it performed flawlessly. Never once did it stutter or complain or fail to take an image when I asked it to. And only rarely did it take the wrong image.

The compact combination of Panasonic's GF1 body and the 20mm f1.7 Lumix pancake lens works with you as a traveler. It's a light, sturdy, capable, exceptionally well conceived photography kit that demands to be taken on adventures.

http://craigmod.com/journal/gf1-fieldtest/

Here's a bit of bikey porn.

Its a MuffinTop 5500. A shoulder/courier style.

I really like the look of these for a dedicated photo outing, but I would quite like something that is only just bigger than the camera as well. Been looking at the Jimmy Bo 200 but I'm not sure if it will fit. Which gorillapod have you got, are they as good as they look, and do you use a ball head as well with it? Sorry for all the questions!

I've got one of these:

Finnish Respirator Bag

its got some compartments inside which is handy, I'm now thinking about pulling apart my old camera bag to pad out the inside just to give it some protection. Its also got a strap that goes around your waist so it could be used whilst riding.

You've done your research haven't you grum?

Nice blingy bike too 😉

Gorrila pod wise, its the original small one. Bought it to mount the SB600 flash on for doing "strobist" type stuff. Used it for holding my camcorder as well which weighs about the same as the GF1.

Small bags wise, how about the good old CCS range of bags. Ive got a Warthog case ive had for nigh on 20 years. Built like a tank.

I was out on a job the other day when my DSLR became overcome by water. Luckily I'd chucked the GF1 and 20mm in my bag. I sent the two best shots to the magazine editor one taken with the DSLR the other with the GF1. His preference was for the one shot with the GF1. Shortly to be gracing the front cover. I'll stick it up when it's been published.

Thanks shoei and MrNutt

This looks like it might fit the bill for a smaller bag – http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1041&thread=34343387

You've done your research haven't you grum?

Yup spent far too much time geeking out over reviews etc before purchasing. 🙂

Nice blingy bike too

🙂

just took this one, for use in the "which watch" thread, came out quite well for a snap me thinks: