How small is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1? This small
Product shots of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 didn't do justice to its diminutive proportions, as revealed by a set of photos surfacing on Flickr
The strength of the Micro Four Thirds standard is the compact size of the models that will use it, but the product shots of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 didn't give us a true sense of the camera's size. Drawing a box on paper the size of the 124 x 84 x 45mm dimensions didn't tell us much -- the lines don't seem much smaller than our trusty Olympus E-510 -- so we've been itching to see it in scale. We previewed the G1 upon its anouncement, but thanks to Flickr user Luc Saint-Elie we've got a chance to see it in the wild, and we're finally starting to get a sense of its proportions.
And it is small. The body's small, the lens is small... it's really small, alright? There's something a bit thrilling about the images of the G1 with the lens off, and we can't wait to get hold of it ourselves. On a side note, this might be good time to remind yourself how to clean a camera with interchangeable lenses.
There's a lot going on under the bonnet, with a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor shooting raw images and jpegs. The large 76 mm (3-inch) LCD screen is complemented by an electronic viewfinder.
What these images don't tell us is anything about is the weight of the camera. It'll be interesting to see how the balance of the G1 is affected by attached lenses and external flashes.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 will arrive in November, but we're sure to see more of it on the Internet. We're yet to hear about a price, but we're pretty certain it'll be north of five hundred quid -- so start saving. -Rich Trenholm