Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1: The pocketable DSLR

Panasonic has been at the forefront of compact cameras for years upon years – the  compact Lumix series, for example, has outsold all Canon and Sony competitors due the amount of different colours they come in, this in turn appealed to students, happy snappers and people who want something they can just ‘throw in their bag’. Panasonic genuinely have a knack for creating cameras which appeal to everybody.

Now, however, Panasonic have created a camera which really will appeal to everybody. Specification wise, this camera comes very highly equipped – in fact, the DMC-GF1 is the most highly equipped ‘compact’ this technology blog has ever seen. It also, admittedly, definitely looks the part and looks very masculine indeed despite its cosmetic sleekness. Here are the official factory specs;

- Resolution: 12.1 MP
- Sensor type: CMOS
- Burst rate: 3fps
- Video recording: 720p AVCHD Lite and MJPEG
- Optical zoom: N/A
- LCD screen: 76mm (3 inches), 460,000 pixels
- Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds
- Memory card compatibility: SD, SDHC, SDXC
- Size (WxDxH): 119mm x 71mm x 36.3mm
- Weight: 285g (body only)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 enters a new category of camera – slightly larger than a compact, albeit more bulky, the Panasonic is far more feature rich than any other compact on the market. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 will set you back £458.99 (best price) which includes the lense. If you have been looking for a compact, but want the power to go with it, then the DMC-GF1 is certainly a camera you should check out.

However, with decent DSLR cameras starting at £699, will you photographers drop the full functionality for the compact version? Or is this camera going to be a secondary expensive throw in the bag gadget? If you are in the market for a camera which is both portable and functional, another option to check out, although it is less feature rich, is the Ricoh CX3.