Preview of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

[MJ]

Featuring the 'world faster autofocus system' taken from the Panasonic Lumix GH2 and the touch-screen capabilities and ease of us of the Panasonic Lumix GF2, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 has finally been announced officially today. Numerous rumours and leaks online fueled ever popular 'mirrorless sytem' segment. The Panasonic Lumix GF3 is the imaging company's newest compact Micro Four Thirds digital camera. This creates a new class of mirrorless camera in Lumix line next to the GF2.

Red Dot Photo had a preview session with the pre-production unit and finds out more about its improvements and capabilities over its predecessor.


The Panasonic Lumix GF3 is very well suited for users who want the simplicity of a digital camera but not the size and complexity of a traditional DSLR. In comparison to the GF2, the GF3 has added features and functions, but with reduced size and weight.

Technical specifications of the GF3, in comparison to the GF2 can be found below:

	GF3	GF2
Image Sensor	12.1 MP LIVE MOS	12.1 MP LIVE MOS
Engine	Venus Engine VII HD	Venus Engine VI HD
ISO Setting	200-6400	100-6400
AF Speed	Target Less than 0.1 sec (with 14-140mm lens) Target Less than 0.18 sec (with 14-42mm lens) Less than 0.15 sec (with 45-200mm lens)	0.15 sec (with 14-140mm lens) 0.21 sec (with 14-42mm lens)
Burst Shoot	Target over 4 fps	3.2 fps
iA	iA Button, Defocus Control, Brightness and Color (WB) Control	iA Button Defocus Control
Colour Control	Creative Control Mode (NEW tentative)	My Colour Mode
Movie Recording	AVCDHD 1920 x 1080/50 (Sensor output 25fps) AVCHD 1280 x 720/50p (Sensor output 25fps) Motion JPG 1280x720 (30fps)
LCD	3.0", 3:2, 460K dots Touch LCD
Operation	Touch Panel, Control Dial (New)	Touch Panel, Cursor Button, Rear Dial
Size	Approx. 107.7 x 67.1 x 32.5 mm	1128 x 67.8 x 32.8 mm
Weight	Approx 225g	Approx 265g
Built-In-Flash	GN6	GN6
Microphone	Mono	Stereo (Wind Cut), Mic Level Adjust
Interface	HDM DIGITAL AV OUT	HDM DIGITAL AV OUT
Accessory Shoe	None	Equipped
Battery Life	Approx 320 images Video continuous recordable time 130 min	Approx 320 images Video continuous recordable time 130 min

With a weight of only 225g (265g previously) and size of only 107.7 x 67.1 x 32.5 mm (previously 112.8 x 67.8 x 32.8mm), the GF3 is out to impress consumers who are looking for a light, feature-oriented compact.


The image processing engine of the GF3 has also been upgraded, from Venus Engine VI HD previously to the current Venus Engine VII HD.

Another much anticipated feature of the camera is its autofocus speed, which some found slightly too slow previously in the GF2 at 0.15 seconds. The GF3 is able to autofocus in less than 0.1 seconds, alongside 4fps during burst shooting.


A newly added control dial also makes it much easier to adjust settings and toggle between modes in the camera.

The GF3 also adds on to its intelligent Auto function, including defocus, brightness and white balance colour in its latest Micro Four Thirds offering.


On top of that, Creative Control Mode is also a newly added feature of the GF3, which allows users to utilise inbuilt processing filters for image capture.

The Panasonic GF3 is definitely a promising new addition to the Micro Four Thirds product offering. Do look out for the in-depth review by Red Dot Photo, coming soon!

[Air on D]

The Panasonic Lumix GF3 looks like a downgrade from the GF2. Size seems really small. Mirrorless systems are tending to go for super small bodies and the lenses are still 'large' in comparison. I wonder if such size mismatch will cause imbalance in taking a shot.

[The Miracle]

looking forward more any new lenses. At the rate they're throwing out cameras, the evolution of lenses should keep up too.