Panasonic Lumix GM1 Review - Compact, Classy & Competent
In the not too distant past, you had to choose between size or power for a digital camera. Now however, you can have your cake and eat it too. The Panasonic Lumix GM1 is a sterling example of a camera that can be compact, well-made and powerful at the same time.
Introduction
In the not too distant past, you had to choose between size or power for a digital camera. Now however, you can have your cake and eat it too. The Panasonic Lumix GM1 is a sterling example of a camera that can be compact, well-made and powerful at the same time.
The GM1 will appeal to two camps. For the casual user, the GM1 presents a portable, well-made body, with an easy to use touchscreen. For the prosumer, the GM1 comes with the same sensor as the one in the higher-end GX7, a Mode dial, one customizable FN button, five more digital Fn buttons, and a single control wheel on the back, as well as the option to swap out lenses from the Micro Four Thirds library.
Design & Handling
The first thing you notice about the GM1 is how impossibly small it is for a camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor and an interchangeable lens mount. Toget her with the 24-64mm (35mm equivalent) kit lens, the GM1 weighs a mere 361g; you hardly notice it in the bag.
Paradoxically, the GM1 is almost too light and too small. The front side of the camera is smooth, and coupled with its featherweight, makes me feel like I’m about to lose grip at times. Panasonic sells a grip which can screw on, it doesn’t add much size and weight but it’s extra cost.
The GM1 is so small it's only slightly longer than a poker card.
It's so small that it almost feels too small at times, and can benefit from the optional hand grip which doesn't add much size and weight.
The rear controls can feel a bit cramped, but since the emphasis here is on size I feel it’s a good trade-off. The rear wheel takes over exposure control in PASM mode, and helps when you want a little bit of manual adjustment. The touch-screen offers a quick way to adjust focus by simply tapping, and the Quick Menu activated by the Q.Menu button gives you quick access to vital settings.
Panasonic does one of the best UIs among cameras today, and beginners to experienced users should find it easy to navigate their way around. Plus, the GM1 comes with built-in Wi-Fi, which is a must in today’s photo-sharing age.
The GM1 comes with an easy to use UI, if you want to adjust autofocus points all you need to do is tap on the screen.
That said, there are two design decisions which don’t seem to translate well to a smaller screen. The Touch Tab, a digital drawer to the right of the screen which can expand for more controls, feels cramped and all too easily activated by accident here. It’s turned on from the start, but for a casual user it offers too much complexity by default. The other is an on-screen delete button which shows up when previewing images, on such a small screen it’s way too easy to accidentally tap on it when looking through pictures. It does fade away after a couple of seconds, but would have been better without.
The Touch Tab however, is too easy to accidentally activate on such a small screen, but it can be turned off in settings.
The kit lens folds nicely into itself for compact keeping but has a short 2.6x optical zoom range. You have to unlock the lens by twisting it in order to use it, which does add an additional step to the shooting process. While the GM1’s small size doesn’t mount well with the bigger MFT lenses, it’s perfect with smaller primes and pancake lenses like the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7.
The 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens lifts the GM1 a little off the table, but the entire package still feels balanced.
The biggest disappointment however, is the camera’s short battery life, approximately 220-230 images on a full charge. By contrast, Sony’s RX100 II compact camera can get about 350 shots per charge.
But in the end, the trade-offs feel like they’re worth it for the GM1’s design, portability and ease of use. Its magnesium alloy frame makes it feel sturdy and adds a touch of class to its gorgeous retro-inspired look. The on-screen UI makes it easy to handle, and manual handling is there if you must have it. Just remember to charge it or bring a second battery.
f/5.6 at 64mm, 1/20 sec, ISO 3200.
Image Performance
The sample photographs were shot with the Panasonic GM1. The originals have not been post-processed, are saved in AdobeRGB, and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for full-resolution images.
Image quality is virtually identical to the Lumix GX7, which is to say very good. It is a tad noisier than the GX7 at higher ISO levels from ISO 3200 onwards, but nothing you’d spot unless you zoomed in close, meaning you can shoot up to that setting and still get reasonably good, clean results.
f/5.6 at 64mm, 1/20 sec, ISO 6400.
Auto-focus performance is fast and accurate in most situations, but if you need to shift AF points you can do so easily by tapping the screen. The best thing about having an interchangeable lens camera is that you can swap out the lens for different looks, and the Micro Four Thirds standard has the richest collection of native lenses available for mirrorless cameras.
While the GM1’s small size makes it impractical to mount bigger lenses like Panasonic’s 35-100mm f/2.8, there are a variety of small lenses like the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake and the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 which fit well with the GM1.
f/1.7 at 40mm, 1/60 sec, ISO 200.
f/1.7 at 40mm, 1/125 sec, ISO 1250.
f/1.7 at 40mm, 1/60 sec, ISO 400.
Conclusion
The Panasonic Lumix GM1 ticks a lot of the right boxes. Small body, large sensor. Check. Beautifully designed. Check. Easy to use touchscreen interface. Check. Competitive price. Check. It works great as both a camera for someone who wants a compact camera and for someone who already owns a Micro Four Thirds camera looking for a secondary body. Its AF speed and accuracy, coupled with its high quality images and responsive touch-screen are its highlights.
However, there are some caveats. The short 220-230 shot battery life is not enough for one intensive day of shooting. If you’re going to get this camera, you really should get an extra battery. Some might find the grip too small and slippery, in which case you’d need to shell out extra for the optional grip.
Lastly, the kit lens has a short 2.6x optical zoom, but keep in mind that most entry-level DSLR cameras come with a 18-55mm kit lens which offers 3x optical zoom. If you want a performance compact camera with a longer zoom range, you’re better off looking at the Sony RX100 II (3.6x), the Panasonic Lumix LX7 (3.8x) or the Canon PowerShot S120 (5x). None of them will let you swap out the lens for a gorgeous wide aperture prime though, and none of them will give you the image quality possible with a larger sensor.
In the end, would I recommend the GM1? Despite its shortcomings, the GM1 presents solid performance in a convenient size at a competitive price, so the answer is a yes.
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