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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6

The latest Panasonic interchangeable lens camera gets a flip-up screen, Wi-Fi and NFC for photo and video transfer.

Lexy Savvides Principal Video Producer
Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech, including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy is based in San Francisco.
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First impressions

The latest addition to Panasonic's interchangeable lens camera (ILC) line is the GF6, a compact model that supersedes the GF5 from last year.

Though it's still a lightweight model at around 320 grams with battery, there are more connectivity options than before, including built-in Wi-Fi and NFC. Panasonic had been pushing NFC on its compact camera range earlier this year, including models like the tough FT5 and travel zoom TZ40.

Around the back, the GF6 gets an upgrade to a tilting 3-inch touchscreen that flips up 180 degrees for self-portraits and other applications. In terms of the sensor, the company is sticking to its Live MOS version, but bumping the resolution substantially to 16 megapixels. Panasonic claims better low-light autofocus performance thanks to the Venus Engine processor — apparently, the camera can focus quicker in moonlit situations without using the AF lamp.

Thankfully, the physical mode dial has been reinstated on the GF6, a feature that was sorely missing on the GF5, with all options relegated to the menu system.

Plenty of creative modes are available for photographers, including a stop motion animation feature that pieces together a clip in-camera, and filters which now include such intriguingly named options as sunshine, old days and toy pop.

No pricing has been announced for Australia so far, but expect to see the GF6 in July.