Panasonic Lumix GX1 channels the spirit of the GF1

I happen to like the Pansonic Lumix DMC-GF3 for what it is: a model that delivers the photo quality and speed that point-and-shoot upgraders are looking for in a size substantially smaller than a dSLR and with an interface that's familiar to them.

But when it came out, I heard quite a few grumblings from people who wanted the real successor in the GF series. They didn't mind the slightly bigger size in exchange for a physical mode dial and hot shoe. Well, it looks like Panasonic heard those grumblings, too. Or perhaps it was always in the master plan. In any case, the Micro Four Thirds-based Lumix DMC-GX1 looks like what the successor to the GF1 should have been. And I have to say, on paper--and in photos--it looks like a very promising offering.

Everybody seems to be pretending the GF2 never happened; even Panasonic compares the GX1 to the GF1 in its press release. Admittedly, we gave the GF1 an Editors' Choice and considered the GF2 a lackluster follow-up, but it's still a very good camera. But the nostalgia's also possible because the design hearkens back more to the earlier model, most notably with the return of the physical mode dial, which Panasonic dropped from the GF2. It's actually a little bigger than that model, longer and deeper, but the depth comes from a slightly bigger grip and I can't fault it for that.

The "X" in the product name is a bit misleading. Panasonic will offer it in a kit with the new X series zoom lens that was announced this summer, but it will also be available with the older 14-42mm lens or in a body-only configuration. Otherwise, it's just a modest update of the two GF models that precede it to bring it up to currency. It incorporates the sensor that's in the G3 (not the more advanced sensor from the GH2, despite the resolution similarity) and the current Light Speed autofocus architecture. Other additions to the camera are an electronic level and a one-button autoexposure override.

Here's a summary of its specs compared with its siblings:

You can see the price premium you pay for the new lens is about $150. It's more compact than the old version and optimized for video, which makes it kind of annoying that the camera doesn't support 1080p. The camera's also a lot more expensive than the GF2 for no obvious reason in terms of capabilities; we're used to getting a faster AF system and higher-resolution sensor for the same price. (It's possible there are economic reasons, though.) True, the maximum ISO sensitivity has gone up a stop, but I'll have to wait to test it before I can say that it's meaningful.

Here's where it sits relative to similarly priced competitors:

This is a widely varying crowd with a variety of designs, and the least expensive--the Sony--has one of the better feature sets. But I really like the way the Panasonics operate, and I'd be thrilled if the JPEG processing is better in the GX1. And it's important that those new Panasonic X lenses should be usable on Olympus cameras (though I'm not sure if the necessary firmware updates are already in place), which could also affect your buying choices; the cheaper E-PL3 has the attractive tilting LCD, after all. I'm definitely looking forward to giving this one a whirl.