G1's small in stature, but big on pictures

Panasonic today unveiled the Lumix DMC-G1, the world's smallest interchangeable lens camera.

Based on the micro four-thirds system, the G1 effectively does away with the traditional mirror and pentaprism arrangement found in conventional SLRs. This means that the entire camera can be much smaller and compact, and lenses are generally more lightweight.

All the photos below were taken with the G1, testing out two lenses announced alongside the camera (a 14-45mm and a 45-200mm). Stay tuned for our hands-on first take and review. All photos were taken at Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi Beach, Australia on the Panasonic DMC-G1.

We like how the G1 has lots of customisable settings for the beginner and amateur photographer alike, such as colour temperature control and saturation, that can all be previewed in real-time on the electronic viewfinder and LCD screen.

Even on an overcast day, the G1 coped with the conditions and we were able to under- or over-expose shots to compensate.

In shutter-priority mode, the G1's viewfinder and LCD are able to show the effect of changing the speed in real-time before you take the picture.

The G1's LCD screen pops out from the camera body and can rotate, much like a camcorder's screen; good for tricky-angled shots.

The photographer can adjust saturation and colour levels in-camera, without the need for post-processing. All these photos are presented "as is" straight from the G1.

More examples of the G1's colour saturation in action.