Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1: Tiny camera with big specs

How small is too small? It's pretty easy to dismiss the tiny Pentax Q7 with its equally tiny sensor, but what about a camera roughly the same size with a Four Thirds sensor? That's the question we're asking about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1, an ultracompact Micro Four Thirds (MFT)-based interchangeable-lens model that the company claims delivers roughly the same image quality and performance as the not-quite-so diminutive GX7. Panasonic is targeting the camera at enthusiasts who want something smaller than a dSLR but with comparable photo quality and folks ready to step up to better quality than you get from compact cameras and smartphones. It sits in the lineup between the GX7 and the elephantine-in-comparison G6.

The camera is a nice feat of miniaturization. It's slightly smaller than the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II point-and-shoot (and the same price), but with a bigger sensor. It's got a die-cast aluminum and magnesium alloy body, and at least in my opinion, a really pretty yet functional design. (Sadly, the orange model will not be available in the US.) Panasonic developed a new, compact MFT lens for the kit, a 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 (24-64mm equivalent) with a manual zoom but no manual focus ring, and plans a Leica 15mm f1.7 for 2014. Of course, standard MFT lenses will also work, though even the pancakes feel a bit bulky on the body. Panasonic will offer a small grip that screws into the tripod socket, but really -- why not just give the front side a bit of a bump instead? The optional grip blocks the battery compartment and bulks the body up a bit, which is completely unnecessary. Pentax managed it on the Q7.

Shrinkage doesn't come without tradeoffs. Because of the size constraint, the camera has a completely new, shrunken shutter mechanism, which results in the camera's top shutter speed with the mechanical shutter maxing out at only 1/500 sec; for faster speeds it's electronic shutter only. That means potential problems with rolling shutter in video and distortion when photographing fast-moving objects. (Read about the issues raised by electronic shutters.) It doesn't support 1080/60p because at that frame rate the components generate more heat than can be dissipated in a chassis that small.

It has most of the features of the GX7, including Wi-Fi -- no NFC, as the chipset is too big to fit -- touch screen, focus peaking, the same effects and color controls, and stop-motion and time-lapse modes. It incorporates the same metering and autofocus systems as well.

A new version of the Silkypix raw-processing software will ship at the same time as the camera, and Panasonic made a big deal of emphasizing the vastly improved noise-reduction algorithms. Unfortunately, the software has more problems than just poor processing results, but at least folks who want to use the bundled software shouldn't have a completely dismal experience.

Here's an idea of what $750 gets you:

When you consider that the GM1 has the RX100 II right in its crosshairs, I think it actually has a pretty good shot; it's a lot more stylish and can probably deliver on the speed and image quality. It's not a no-brainer, though; the RX100 II has a better lens than the 12-32mm kit's 2.7x, with faster apertures and bigger zoom range, and it offers better battery life, a tilting LCD, and 1080/60p video with a mic input. However, if you go bigger -- not crazy-big, but big enough that you're not paying a premium for miniaturization -- you can get some very nice ILCs with some more features and even bigger sensors.