Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6

When I removed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 rental from the camera bag and held it in my hands, I was disappointed. It's TOO tiny.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 was announced last October and touted as the smallest among interchangeable lens cameras (ILC). I had read good things about the Lumix DMC-GM1.

The Lumix DMC-GM1 features a 16 megapixel µ4/3 sensor, low-light sensitivity to ISO 25600, contrast-detection autofocus, a focus peaking mode, an electronic shutter with speeds ranging from 60 sec to 116,000 sec, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also has full HD 1080i/p video recording at 60 or 24 fps in the high-quality AVCHD format. I do not care about the video features.

After renting the Olympus OM-D E-M5 with M.Zuiko ED 12-50mm F:3.5-6.3 EZ and Olympus OM-D E-M1 with Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH, I was looking forward to using this compact interchangeable lens camera (ILC). But when I removed it from the camera bag and held it in my hands, I was disappointed. Measuring just 99mm x 56mm x 30mm, The Lumix DMC-GM1 is definitely "pocketable". I think it's TOO tiny.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1
Friday 8 August, 2014 | Nikon D5100 | 1125 sec | ISO 250 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G | F4

The images above and below show the size of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 compared to my iPhone 5 and my Nikon D5100.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1
Friday 8 August, 2014 | Apple iPhone5 | 160 sec | ISO 50 | iPhone 5 back camera 4.12mm f/2.4 | F2.4

Using the little buttons and touchscreen controls while holding the camera is frustrating. I'm not a large man. I have small hands. Yet, I could barely use this camera. If it weren't for the $750 price tag, I might think that Panasonic designed this camera for children. Wealthy children.

The Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 is wonderfully compact and lightweight. However, it lacks a manual focus ring. I wanted to test the highly touted focus peaking feature, but without a focus ring, this is impossible. Lensrentals.com offers other µ4/3 lenses, for example, the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH mentioned above, that do have a focus ring. I could have rented that instead bit it was more costly to rent. I suspect that using manual focus while holding this tiny camera would be frustrating. Did I already mention, I think the camera is too small?

The Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 is roughly a 24-64mm full-frame equivalent, a little short of the 24-70mm typical zoom range. I think this focal range works well for a compact travel camera. The 12mm end is wide enough to capture the requisite "on-holiday" scenery, and the 32mm end is just a hair shy of a 50mm portrait lens. The largest aperture is f/3.5 which for portraits may not provide enough separation between subject and background. Still, it's passable if your goal is a compact travel ILC. I think this is the ideal use case for this camera.

The Lumix DMC-GM1 has a wireless transfer feature, allowing the photographer to transfer a JPG image to a smartphone for editing or posting to social media. After about thirty minutes on the web reading about setting up the Wi-Fi, I was frustrated. Panasonic has three iOS apps in the iTunes store. At first, I couldn't figure out which one I needed. But after reading a few online forums, I had that sorted. Once I found the right app in the App Store, it took me a lot of attempts before my iPhone successfully connected to the camera. The software is slow. The performance was jerky. This wireless transfer feature is helpful, but it needs improvement.

I also tried to use the app to control the Lumix GM1 remotely. After an hour, I still didn't know how to remotely shoot an image and wirelessly transfer it to my iPhone or iMac. I had this figured out by the second day of the rental. Still, because of the frustration, over the weekend of the rental, I mostly used the Lumix DMC-GM1 and Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 as a compact interchangeable lens (ILC) point and shoot.

orange-yellow flowers with bee
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
orange-yellow flowers with bee
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1320 sec | ISO 125 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1400 sec | ISO 125 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6

On the upside, though, I was impressed with the quality of images captured on the Lumix DMC-GM1. Over the week weekend, we attended the Just Jersey Gourmet Food Truck Festival and a pre-wedding family gathering, a meet and greet, for an upcoming wedding. I grabbed some photos on Sunday while Shaan and I picked up produce from the Honey Brook Farm CSA in Pennington. There is some cropping and minor adjustments to exposure to the images.

I had the whole weekend with the GM1, but my first impressions never went away. This camera is TOO small. I'm not sure why Panasonic made this. This ILC feels too much like a point-n-shoot and not at all like a compact systems camera (CSC).

Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1200 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Kiran | Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Shaan | Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1800 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1500 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F6.3
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F6.3
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1800 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F6.3
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1500 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F6.3
Saturday 9 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1200 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F6.3
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 180 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1125 sec | ISO 800 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 1125 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6
Sunday 10 August, 2014 | Lumix DMC-GM1 | 180 sec | ISO 400 | Lumix G Vario 12-32mmF3.5-5.6 | F5.6

Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH

I took advantage of an borrowlenses.com Independence Day deal to rent an Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH zoom lens (Equivalent to 24-70mm). Starting July 1st, over 6 days, I used the camera and lens in various situations. I loved the kit and didn't want to send it back. It took photos that looked excellent on a computer screen, but still, something felt lacking.

I had intended to use the kit to shoot some fireworks photos but, in a rush, didn't read the manual. In my defence, I received the package from FedEx that same night. However, I didn't get the OM-D E-M1 to pair with my iPhone via Wi-Fi and opted to shoot fireworks on my Nikon.

I did get a few late evening photos of the open fields and my family, which was a good test of the low-light ability of the Olympus OM-D E-M1. As you can see, the camera performed admirably.

Tuesday 1 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 110 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F10

Since I had the camera the week, I got to experiment with the various features and menus. The E-M1 has an overwhelming number of menu options. It seemed daunting at first, but the different on-camera prompts helped me find my way through them. Unlike the Fujifilm X-T1, which has a lot of manual control knobs, the E-M1 is more like my Nikon. Changing camera settings required me to stare at the read LCD while turning a camera dial. I don't think it's a failing of the E-M1. This is how many DSLR cameras work. But I like the knobs and dials of the Fujifilm X-T1 more.

Tuesday 1 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1800 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F2.8

I had a chance to shoot flowers, food, and people during the six days. The 12-35 mm µ 43 lens present the same field of view as a 24-70mm lens on a 35mm FF camera. The 12mm focal length is wide enough for capturing landscapes, cityscapes and groups photos, with the 35mm focal size sufficient for portrait shots.

The lens and the camera took excellent shots, but I was not too fond of the background blur quality (bokeh). Something didn't look right.

I experimented with the focus peaking mode. The results were mixed, but I think the failure was in my skill, not the camera. If I had more time with the camera, I think I could get better at it.

Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 160 sec | ISO 500 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F4

Most of the reviews about mirrorless cameras complain that auto-focus isn't quite up to par with a DSLR. While there is some truth to that, I think most of the criticism is hogwash. I used the continuous autofocus mode with object tracking and was able to nail action shots just fine. I didn't test the camera in high-speed sports situations. Still, in my experience, for most consumers, the camera will perform well.

These are action shots of my kids having fun at the Community Park Pool in Princeton.

Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1200 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F2.8

As I mentioned, the bokeh was not attractive.

As with the Fujifilm X-T1, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 has built-in Wi-Fi and iOS software. Using the Olympus Image Share app, I connected the E-M1 to my iPhone. I was able to control the E-M1, snap some photos, and download images to my iPhone (or iPad). I don't recall the details, but I feel the Fujifilm app was easier to set up and use, especially when it came to geotagging.

I think all new DSLRs must include a Wi-Fi option. I loved taking photos, downloading to my iPhone, making slight adjustments in Photogene, and sharing them on social media. With my Nikon D5100, I use an Eye-Fi Mobi card to do the same trick but having it built-in to the camera means I can use any SD card brand and use cards with a higher capacity.

In my opinion, the OM-D E-M1 is a capable camera. Still, the entire kit gets quite expensive with the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH zoom lens. More expensive than the X-T1 with a similar lens. The X-T1 body is slightly smaller and lighter (without a lens) and, in my opinion, produces better results. However, the E-M1 would be on my primary camera if I owned micro 43 lenses.

Saturday 5 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1100 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F2.8
Saturday 5 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1160 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F8
Saturday 5 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F2.8
Saturday 5 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1250 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F8
Saturday 5 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1400 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F3.2
Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1200 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F9
Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 180 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F10
Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 1320 sec | ISO 200 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F5
Sunday 6 July, 2014 | Olympus E-M1 | 160 sec | ISO 320 | Lumix G X Vario 12-35mmF2.8 II ASPH | F2.8