Preview: Panasonic G2 & G10 Micro Four Thirds Digital Cameras

A Hands-On Preview of the Panasonic Lumix G2 & G10

The Micro Four Thirds digital camera system looks set to stay, as Panasonic reveals their latest cameras in the line - the Lumix DMC-G2 and the DMC-G10. The G2 is the update to the very first Micro Four Thirds camera released to market, the G1 which debuted in late 2008. The G2 features a brand-new touch-sensitive, articulating LCD screen, with touch controls. The G10 is the G2's sister model, looking similar but lacking some of the G2's features, think of it as the more affordable, entry-level offering in the G-series.

Besides the two new cameras, Panansonic is also launching a new lens, the new LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. with MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization), which is a 35mm camera equivalent of 28-84mm.

We've had the G2 and G10 prototypes in our office for a while now, enough to gleam some first impressions. We'd like to point out that these are prototypes, and while most of their aspects should already be set in stone, the finished model may differ in some details. The new 14-42mm lens can be seen on the G10.

Touching the Panasonic G2

The Panasonic G2 is the update to the first ever Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera, the G1, released to market in late 2008. We thought that the second MFT camera, the GH1, which Panasonic released in 2009, was the actual successor, but Panasonic explained to us that the G and GH product lines are going to be developed separately. The GH series will be the premium, Full HD capable line, while the G series will be more photo than video-centric, explaining the 720p video recording limit on the G2 and G10.

While some of us would have loved an update to the popular Panasonic GF1 (the best-selling G-series model in Singapore, as revealed to us by Panasonic), it's still early days for the smallest G camera, as it was only unveiled in September of 2009. While we enjoy shooting with that camera, it has its limitations, especially when a long lens is mounted on its small body. Weight becomes unevenly distributed, and the lack of a grip makes using it difficult.

Here's where the DSLR-like design of the G2 comes in handy, especially with that handgrip which really makes a difference.

Touching the G2 (Continued)

Touch Control Comes to Micro Four Thirds

The biggest news about the G2 must be its touch-sensitive LCD screen. We've been wary of touch-sensitive digital camera LCDs as very few have been intuitive and well designed in our opinion. That's why we were pretty surprised with the G2's touch controls, which actually worked very well for us.

On Board with Panasonic’s G10

While the G2 and the G10 share similarities, there are marked differences. On the physical aspects of the G10, the controls are slightly different and the LCD screen is fixed and isn't touch-sensitive like the G2. While both shoot 720p video, the G2 can record to AVCHD Lite, while the G10 can only record to motion JPEG. The G10 however, is the more affordable model - think of it as the entry-level model 'DSLR' for the Panasonic G-series.

What's Next for Micro Four Thirds?

DSLRs and digital compact cameras have converged in various ways the last few years. The compacts have climbed up in image quality, while DSLRs have seen wider adoption amongst new photography enthusiasts. The better adoption rates of the DSLR can also be attributed to their friendlier designs as manufacturers design models with in-built guides, explanatory information screens and simpler controls. Despite these improvements, there are still barriers to adopt a DSLR.

At its heart, a DSLR camera is a technical machine, and new users still have to grapple with esoteric terms like shutter speeds, aperture settings and ISO to fully make use of it. While it's true that a new user can simply switch her DSLR to Auto and fire away, it doesn't approach the ease of use given to her by a modern-day compact camera, with features like face detection, smile shot and many more friendly features. At the same time, a digital compact can't give you the clear and sharp images that a DSLR can due to their small sensor size and lens limitations.



A Micro Four Thirds camera is not a DSLR, not in the way it works nor the performance it gives (we can accept that they're close to entry-level DSLRs, but definitely not approaching the high grade professional models). But it is an interesting hybrid, bringing much better quality than a compact camera can deliver, the flexibility of different lenses, and at least in Panasonic's case, very user-friendly features with its iA mode like face detection and quick and intuitive auto-focus. While we might not be able to fully recommend a DSLR to someone who wants better images, but doesn't want to delve deep into photography, we're becoming more persuaded to recommend a MFT camera with its marriage of ease-of-use and image quality.



It's still too early to say for sure that the MFT standard will be a big hit in the way that DSLRs have been. So many other factors have to be right - such as price and competition. Samsung has released its own mirror-less high quality camera, the NX10, which features a DSLR-sized sensor in a small body. Sony too has shown such a prototype in the works, but without any other details. Canon and Nikon are still the major powerhouses in the field, combined with their years of experience and technical know-how, it's conceivable that they have an answer to the rising mirror-less and MFT trends in the works. Still, Panasonic has shown strong performance in their MFT G-series, and have the benefit of having a partner in the standard with Olympus.



For a product such as the camera that has around for more than a century, the development of this market space is still fast and furious even today. While we might not know what's coming next, what we do know is that it should be pretty exciting judging by recent developments such as the new Lumix DMC-G2 and G10.

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