We enjoyed our short time with Panasonic’s new mirrorless G5 in our hands-on last month, even if it was a little on the porky side. And, if you hail from the Land of the Rising Sun and had your heart set on one of these 16-megapixel shooters, Panny’s announced you’ll get your chance from September 13th. We’re getting dangerously close to missing the stateside launch target of August, but where the US website is showing the G5 as unreleased, availability on Amazon tells a different story. We’re reaching out for confirmation on that — as well as pricing — and will update should we hear more.
Adapters to fit Canon’s EF lenses on Micro Four Thirds and NEX camera bodies most definitely aren’t new. Without any electronic link, though, that Lumix GX1 or NEX-F3 owner has had to focus by hand, sometimes without any aperture control — what year is it, 1930? Kipon wants to make sure you’ll never have to stoop to that level again through a pair of new adapters that keep the electronic controls working. As always with these parts, there’s likely to be catches: we don’t know the prices and ship dates, for one, and lens conversion can still hurt the autofocus speed. Even so, anyone who’s been hoarding (or simply envious of) Canon glass now doesn’t have to eye an EOS-M just to get a mirrorless camera with the lens adapter they crave.
Canon has long been a leader in the world of DSLRs, but when it comes to smaller sized shooters, Canon had largely concentrated on commercially viable consumer and prosumer class digital cameras, not really treading on the mirrorless camera technology known as Micro Four Thirds which has been around for some years now. The mirrorless camera comes close to a DSLR in terms of image quality, and yet is far less bulkier in terms of size, not to mention allowing you to change a fair number of lenses (a market which is growing), making it a favorite secondary camera to many.
Well, Canon has finally decided to dip their toes into this particular market, by offering the Canon EOS M digital camera which is said to deliver exceptional EOS Full HD video quality with continuous autofocus, not to mention having it accompanied by a notable and expansive range of lenses.
Inspired by EOS technology, the EOS M will be able to leverage on the company’s core technologies, while distilling them down in order to deliver outstanding video capture capabilities without sacrificing image quality when it comes to still shots. Whenever you want to capture still images, the EOS M camera’s 18-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor is more than capable of delivering a shallow depth of field, in addition to incredible low-light image quality and a wide dynamic range which is more than capable of capturing rich gradation and detail.
This is the latest member of the EOS family, where both videographers and photographers alike regardless of their level of professionalism and interest, will be able to play nice with a couple of lenses that were specially designed for Canon’s new camera format – namely the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens and the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. Not only that, you are also able to make full use of your Canon EF and EF-S lenses courtesy of the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.
Canon has its fair share of top notch DSLRs, but what separates them from the likes of Olympus and Panasonic would be the fact that they have yet to make the plunge into the world of mirrorless cameras – basically, we are talking about the Micro Four Thirds market here. Well, glad to say that Canon has performed a U-turn on their previous decision, and will roll out their very first mirrorless camera from the middle of September onwards in an effort to capture a chunk of the tiny, albeit growing, interchangeable-lens cameras which bitter rival Nikon ventured into in 2011.
It is said that Canon is able to have a production capacity of 100,000 of such mirrorless cameras each month. Basically, Micro Four Third cameras will have large sensors that deliver near DSLR image quality, but does not come with any optical viewfinders at all. This offers the advantage of having a smaller camera body – and in turn, making it lighter, of course. Do you think Canon will be able to make a big splash in the mirrorless camera market?
According to tipsters, patents, and a couple of Japanese websites, it looks like Canon is set to release their first Micro Four-Thirds camera very soon. For now, all that remains are the discovery of the full specs and what the camera actually looks like.
The Canon EOS M will match other Micro Four-Thirds cameras like the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix G. The above image might give an inkling to what the camera looks like, but it could just be a masterful exercise in Photoshop. The Japanese site Digicame-info reports that it will be named EOS M, and it does look like a thin, mirrorless camera. It is expected to come with an entirely new mount, the EF-M, which could mean that the sensor would be closer to a full APS-C than to the one used in the PowerShot G1 X. This could mean that the sensors would be bigger than other Micro Four-Thrid cameras, which would be good news.
Canon is expected to make an announcement on July 23rd, so we’ll know exactly what they have in store then.
Panasonic has announced today three new Lumix camera in North America/Europe with the DMC-G5, DMC-FZ200 and DMC-LX7. The First model the DMC-G5 is a nice little Micro FOur Third Camera and replace the actual G3 and comes with a 16Mpix sensor offering a 1080/60p video mode as well as a very convenient 6fps burst mode. The G5 comes with a 12,800 Max iso speed and the usual iA+ or Intelligent Auto Plus mode from Panasonic as well as a 3.0-inch free-angle LCD on top of the usual Electronic …
It’s been nearly half a year since Panasonic’s Lumix series of cameras got any new members, but today the company is introducing three more shooters to the family. First up is the DMC-G5, the latest addition to the company’s Micro Four Thirds lineup. It’s the successor to the G3 and packs a 16-megapixel sensor capable of shooting 1080p videos at 60fps and stills in up to 6fps bursts at a max 12,800 ISO at full resolution. The G5’s LVF has a proximity sensor to automatically switch between it and the camera’s 920,000-dot capacitive screen depending on which one you’re using to frame your shots. When the G5 goes on sale next month, you’ll have your choice of black, silver and white models.
In addition to the G5, Panasonic’s also introducing a new superzoom camera, the DMC-FZ200 and a high-end DMC-LX7 point-and-shoot. The FZ200 replaces the FZ150 and pairs a 12-megapixel sensor with a 25-600mm constant f/2.8 aperture Leica Elmarit lens with nano surface coating to reduce flare and ghosting. It has a 24x optical zoom and shoots 1080p video at up to 60fps along with stills in up to 12fps bursts, though its max ISO is only 6,400. Meanwhile, the LX7 has arrived sporting a 10-megapixel sensor and a 24-90mm, f/1.4-2.3 Leica Summilux lens with the same nano surface coating as the FZ200. Like its Lumix brethren, it shoots 1080p video at 60fps, and shares the same maximum 12,800 ISO as the G5. It’ll be available in black and pearl white when it ships in August. We got to spend some time with all three, so join us after the break to learn a bit about what its like snapping pics with this trio of Panasonics.
Not everybody wants a full DSLR and not everybody is content with the camera on their smartphone. That’s a difficult segment to fill, but Panasonic believes it has the line-up necessary with its latest range of cameras. The LUMIX G5, FZ200 and LX7 each target different users with different needs, but they also all share a commonality of feel and function that we’ve come to expect from Panasonic. Read on for our hands-on first impressions.
Promising most flexibility is the Panasonic LUMIX G5, the company’s latest Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera. The G5 debuts a new 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor hooked up to Panasonic’s reworked Venus Engine, in a chunkier chassis than the smaller GF-Series we’re big fans of here at SlashGear. That mini-DSLR styling makes for a camera that’s easy to hold in both regular and portrait orientations, and there’s a new function lever that falls neatly under your shutter finger and allows easy zoom, exposure or aperture control during shooting.
Panasonic LUMIX G5
It also comes into play when you’re navigating through the menus or reviewing shots, though there’s also a turn-and-push dial on the back panel next to the tilting, swiveling 920k dot LCD display. The bigger-than-GF-Series body also leaves room for a live viewfinder, though, which increases the resolution to 1.44m dots and almost 100-percent field of view. It’s a great addition to a Micro Four Thirds model, and helps the G5 feel like a “grown-up” DSLR when framing shots, but Panasonic also uses it for its clever Eye Sensor Auto Focus system.
Panasonic LUMIX G5 sample shots
We had no real problems getting the G5 to lock focus swiftly, but in Eye Sensor AF mode the camera automatically starts focusing on likely subjects when it senses your eye is at the viewfinder. It’s a quiet shooter, too, thanks to a new Electronic Shutter mode borrowed from some regular DSLRs, though unlike the majority of those cameras there’s a range of integrated effects and even help tutorials for the more advanced features.
You lose a little of the pocketable convenience to fit all that in – along with a stereo microphone and Full HD video recording, no less – and the G5 probably isn’t the camera to take along on a night out, but it’s already shaping up to be an excellent compromise between the size (and sizable price) of a full DSLR and the sort of performance you’d only hope to coax out of a compact camera.
Still, while the G5 is the obvious photographer’s choice, that’s not to say we weren’t swayed some by the Panasonic LUMIX FZ200. At first glance, the two look surprisingly similar, but where the G5 allows for some lens swapping, the FX200 settles on a single lens with a huge 24x optical zoom. It’s paired up with a 12.1-megapixel High-Sensitivity MOS sensor and can deliver a consistent f2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range.
Panasonic LUMIX FZ200
Now, the FZ200′s Live View Finder is – at 1.312m dots – slightly lower resolution than that of the G5 (though still near 100-percent coverage) it does still have a folding, twisting display, and the creative potential of the optical zoom is not to be underestimated. The unit we were testing was pre-production, so we won’t take too much from the (already excellent) sample shots, but it’s clear to see that Panasonic’s engineers have been working particularly hard on cutting down camera shake when you’re at the higher limits of the zoom.
Panasonic LUMIX FZ200 sample shots
These photos were taken using a pre-production camera model and does not reflect final picture quality
There’s both optical and digital image stabilization, and they do an impressive job of keeping things level even when you’re super-close to your subject. In the two shots of the Audi TT, for instance, each of which were taken at full 24x zoom, the crispness of the images belie the fact that we were some distance away. It’s easy to fit a huge zoom to a camera and call it a day; it’s far harder to deliver a finessed balance of zoom and picture stability, and we’re already hugely excited to get our hands on a final production FZ200 to see just what sort of shots we can coax out.
Finally, there’s the Panasonic LUMIX LX7, looking for all the world like the original LUMIX GF1 but with a fixed 3.8x optical zoom lens. The most pocketable of the three – both in terms of bulk and price – it’s also our favorite design; we were big fans of the GF1 (and were a little disappointed that Panasonic gradually diluted the industrial aesthetic down for subsequent models) and a lot of that appeal has been carried over.
Panasonic LUMIX LX7
There are a sizable number of physical controls and dedicated buttons, given this is a compact camera. You get a proper mode wheel (when even the current GF3 uses a virtual selection carousel) and an AF/AE Lock key on the back as well as shortcuts for ISO and white balance. The camera as a whole nestles neatly into the hand; it’s easy to keep stable and, while there’s no Live View Finder, the 3-inch 920k dot LCD is bright enough for outdoor use. You don’t get a tilt/swivel hinge, but we’re content to trade that given how easy it is to slip the LX7 into a pocket; more missed is the touchscreen introduced on the GF2, which makes for very easy touch-to-focus control.
Sample video (make sure to select and watch 1080p HD)
In practice, it’s a great camera to pull out and grab an impromptu frame, though it does have its foibles. As with most compacts it loves light, and low-light shots – especially when there’s a section of brighter light, such as through an open door or window – can end up murky and grainy. Scenes with less disparity in lighting, though, are captured with good color accuracy, though whites could sometimes come out with a slight blueish tinge.
Panasonic LUMIX LX7 sample shots
Outdoors, the LX7 is in its element, and we particularly appreciated its macro abilities, with some beautifully delicate focusing possible on close-up subjects like flowers. The optical zoom obviously falls well short of the capabilities of the FZ200, but it’s a solid compromise between bulk and ability, and it shifts swiftly in response to the toggle that surrounds the shutter release. Interestingly, Panasonic’s iAuto mode doesn’t earn itself a dedicated button on the top panel; we’re pleased to see the LX7 prioritizes a dedicated video recording trigger. Footage is recorded at up to 1080p Full HD, and we were impressed by the quality the LX7 could pump out.
So, three very different cameras, for three relatively distinct segments of the marketplace. The LUMIX G5 is undoubtedly the most flexible option, but it’s tough to argue with the optical zoom capabilities of the LZ200 – outfitting the G5 with a Micro Four Thirds zoom of similar capabilities would make for an expensive package overall. Then there’s the LX7, which we could easily see those with regular DSLRs opting to drop into a pocket for more casual photography.
This week Panasonic has brought on the heat with a collection of cameras and lenses for those cameras that are set to bust of the market, not least of all with the LUMIX FZ200. This super-zoom digital camera is aiming at those looking for full range F2.8 aperture action with 24x optical zoom onboard, and it’s not messing around. With both full HD video and ultra high-speed response coming standard as well, this may very well be your next every situation shooter.
Processing and Lens
The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ200 brings on the LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT 25mm ultra-wide angle lens, a powerful beast with 24x optical zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 25-600mm) and full range F2.8 aperture at 600mm. That means the ability to capture even the fastest moving dogs chasing frisbees with a fast shutter speed even from one heck of a long distance away.
NOTE: Have a peek now at our hands-on experience with this and several other Panasonic devices released this as well!
This device works with a 12.1 megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor, Light Speed auto focus, and the LSI Venus Engine also onboard a couple other high-powered devices revealed today from Panasonic. The LSI Venus Engine is set up to bring you high sensitivity recording, fabulous image quality, and that high speed response we’ve been talking about. With this device’s Light Speed AF, you’ll have high speed burst shooting at 12 fps at full resolution tied to a 0.95 second startup time for the whole unit. That’s quick on one end and quicker on the other.
Zoom
Adding on to its ability to snap at distances quite far away, this device’s 24x optical zoom is able to be increased to a 48x equivalent with a so-called Intelligent Zoom function. With this device’s Intelligent Resolution technology, Panasonic suggests that we’ll be able to maintain picture quality as well.
Along with this, the FZ200′s POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) brings on correction accuracy and a minimization of blur, perfect for zoomed-in situations. This device also uses Active Mode to suppress handshake vibration for both still pictures and video, and has Nano Surface Coating technology in place to minimize light reflection at the entire zoom range, that being 380nm-780nm.
View Finder
With the FZ200′s ability to remain steady at a range, you’ll need to have quite the little set of view finders to back you up as well. With 100% field of view and 1,312,000-dot equivalent high resolution, this device’s 0.2-inch EVF (Electronic View Finder) is set to do the job well. You’ve also got a side lever made to smooth zoom functions as well, set in the stroke and locating position for high excellence and ease of use.
You’ve also got a lovely 3.0-inch, free-angle 460,000-dot Intelligent LCD screen as well. This beast has AR Coating and wide viewing angles so you’re able to monitor your shots from as many shooting positions as possible.
Video
This device is able to bring on full-HD in 1,920×1,080 60p videos in AVCHD Progressive (MPEG-4) and MP4 formats. You’ve got Dolby Digital Stereo Creator for sound, stereo zoom microphone for zoom noise reduction, and an Auto Wind Cut function to keep out the unwanted junk as well. You’ll be able to utilize Creative Video as well as Active Mode for manual shutter and aperture settings as well as point and record shooting.
Special Effects
You’ll be able to work with Photo Style to bring on the Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait and Custom options. You’ll also have POWER O.I.S. with Active Mode, Face Recognition, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Handheld Night Shot, Intelligent HDR, AF Tracking, Intelligent D-range Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, and of course Motion Deblur. Several more modes have been added to this creative suite as well including Miniature Effect, High Dynamic Range, Retro, Sepia, High Key, Expressive, Toy Effect, and Star Filter.
Pricing and Availability
You’ll have to wait for the final information on release and price for this unit, but Panasonic promises a 30 day window before it’s dropped in which you’ll know where and for how much you’ll be picking this device up.
Today Panasonic has introduced the latest in their G series of cameras, the LUMIX DMC-G5, complete with a newly-integrated 16.05 megapixel Live MOS sensor and their own Venus Engine for ultra high quality images and video. This camera brings all of the greatnesses of previous G series models with a lightweight, compact body, precision AF (Auto Focus), and a built-in flash. As with the rest of the LUMIX G series cameras, this model also uses Contrast AF, that allowing the focusing of the camera on subject matter to be controlled by the image sensor inside the device.
Processing and Controls
This model features a redesigned Venus Engine that will bring you next-level signal processing capabilities. You’ll have what Panasonic promises will be both crisp and clear images in both video recording and photos whenever you shoot. With the LUMIX G5′s precision AF working with its high-grade lens selection, you’ll have fabulous white balance as well as lifelike image rendering plus a perfect balance of high resolution with little to no noise across the grid – all of this equalling out to create highly faithful color reproduction for both photo and video.
NOTE: Have a peek now at our hands-on experience with this and several other Panasonic devices released this as well!
The LUMIX G5 doesn’t only have fancy gear on the inside, it’s got a slightly modified set of controls on the outside as well. You’ve got what Panasonic is aiming to be a stress free experience with user-tested controls made so that you can concentrate on shooting rather than flipping and flopping your way through an a future album. To start this party off right, Panasonic added a function level near the shutter released for direct adjustment of exposure, zoom, or aperture control. This level can also be used to magnify images in playback mode and flip pages in your menu.
This function lever is also available for use with the turn-and-push rear dial to allow you adjustments of major shooting settings as well. All of this, again, is set up so that you have a simple and quick-access experience.
Auto Focus
For those of you that aren’t a fan of the manual focus lenses of the world, the LUMIX G5 continues the G series’ legacy of Auto Focus greatness with Contrast AF, that again being focusing controlled by the image sensor. This system has higher accuracy, especially with a bright lens, than the Phase difference system AF. This unit also includes full-area Touch AF for focusing on any point in your field of view, and Speed AF with undeniable quickness in locking on to a subject.
And while we’re on the subject, capturing fast-moving objects will be much more accurately done with not only Touch AF control, but with bust shooting at six frames per second at anywhere up to 16.05 megapixel full resolution.
View Finders
The screen you’ll be looking at all this through is a a massive 1,440,000-dot equivalent LVF (Live View Finder) – quite bright and bringing you approximately 100% of your field of view. They say approximately because for all of science and engineering’s greatness, they still can’t guarantee perfection in real-world translation of images through screens – imagine that! NOTE: Panasonic didn’t tell us that, it just makes sense, science-wise.
This LVF works in combination with the device’s LCD screen and the G5′s built-in eye sensor to bring you automatic switching between the two. This system also works with Eye Sensor AF, automatically focusing in on a subject when you look into the EVF for “spur-of-the-moment shooting opportunities.” The screen on the back is that 920,000-dot high resolution LCD we just mentioned, with tilting 270 degrees up and down and, again, bringing you approximately 100% field of view. This panel is also a touch screen and you’ve got the ability to work with both the LVF and LCD simultaneously for what Panasonic encourages as “more intuitive shooting.”
Fun fact: the new Electronic Shutter mode added to this model allows silent operation for when you’re shooting subjects where silence is necessary.
Video
The LUMIX G5 is capable for picking up high-resolution full-HD 1,920×1,080 60p video in AVCHD Progressive (that being MPEG-4) or MP4 format. This unit of course utilizes Touch AF to focus in on subjects as the video is being recorded, and you’ve got a Extra Tele Conversion function as well that’ll extend your zoom range Max 4.8x with little to no deterioration of image quality. Just like past LUMIX G series cameras, you’ve got a dedicated video record button so you can record video while you’re snapping photos with your shutter button at the same time.
Sound quality for video will be high-quality with integrated Dolby Digital Stereo Creator and you’ll have noise reduction with the camera’s Wind Cut function as well.
Creative Control
There is a series of special effects you can implement on your shots in Creative Control Mode on the LUMIX G5. This camera has 14 filters – that being a bump up from the 5 included on the most recent G series unit. These include Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, Hi Dynamic, Miniature Effect, Star Filter, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, One Point Color, Cross Process, Low Key, Toy Effect, and the always lovely Soft Focus.
These filter effects can be previewed in real time on the device’s LCD display with Live View mode, and the camera’s Intelligent Auto / iA Plus modes suggest filters that might look best in any situation if you ask them nicely. With Intelligent Auto Plus mode you’re also able to adjust the defocusing area in the background as well as have control over white balance and exposure compensation in your shots. Intelligent Auto mode will also bring you flexible control when you’re using such automatic shoot assist functions as the following: Intelligent D-range Control, Face Recognition, Intelligent Scene Selector, AF Tracking, and Intelligent ISO Control.
For the Newbies
Users who are new to interchangeable lens system cameras are going to have one whole heck of a lot easier time jumping in with the LUMIX G5 due to its Scene Guide feature. This system brings up 23 different sample photos captured with the device by professional photographers that can be selected by the user as it matches with the environment in which they’re about to shoot. When they select one of these 23 samples, the camera is set to the pre-selected parameters that best fit the situation. This mode also includes technical advice, recommended interchangeable lenses, and procedures for the user to learn their device as quickly as possible.
Pricing and Availability
You’ll be able to pick up the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G5 (aka the LUMIX G5) in black, white, or silver in a selection of kit combinations. Pricing and availability have not yet been revealed, though Panasonic promises 30 days warning before they’re ready to ship the product – you’ll know then!
Meanwhile have a peek at the gallery above and below as well as our hands-on experience with this device along with the rest of the Panasonic hardware revealed this week!
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Canon has long been a leader in the world of DSLRs, but when it comes to smaller sized shooters, Canon had largely concentrated on commercially viable consumer and prosumer class digital cameras, not really treading on the mirrorless camera technology known as Micro Four Thirds which has been around for some years now. The mirrorless camera comes close to a DSLR in terms of image quality, and yet is far less bulkier in terms of size, not to mention allowing you to change a fair number of lenses (a market which is growing), making it a favorite secondary camera to many.
Canon has its fair share of top notch DSLRs, but what separates them from the likes of Olympus and Panasonic would be the fact that they have yet to make the plunge into the world of mirrorless cameras – basically, we are talking about the Micro Four Thirds market here. Well, glad to say that Canon has performed a U-turn on their previous decision, and will roll out their very first mirrorless camera from the middle of September onwards in an effort to capture a chunk of the tiny, albeit growing, interchangeable-lens cameras which bitter rival Nikon ventured into in 2011.
