Mirrorless Camera Reviews

The Panasonic GX1 is a very compact system, smaller than their G3 model, but slightly larger than the Panasonic GF3. It could be thought of as Panasonic’s competitor model to Olympus’s PEN cameras and to Fujifilm’s X100. The camera is based on the Micro Four Thirds system and has an MFT sensor with the highest resolution available today (16MP). We tested the kit version, which is bundled with the X Vario 14-42mm lens, a new pancake version of the standard zoom lens. It is a motorized zoom system that provides smooth zooming when recording videos. The camera is able to record Full HD video in AVCHD mode and uses a stereo microphone on the top to record sound.

All interchangeable lens cameras share common feature sets, with some offering higher sensitivity (ISO range), faster shutter speeds, or enhanced video capabilities. Aimed squarely at photo enthusiasts and advanced photographers who can appreciate and make use of its many creative imaging options, the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 ($1,697, body only) stands out as a fast performer, with an astonishing framing rate and very fast autofocus acquisition time, plus many features and functions that will appeal to knowledgeable photographers who want to make use of cutting-edge processing and capture capabilities.

There are few things that can get a man’s heart pumping like a new camera and a legendary car race to test it out at. Or at least that’s how I felt when I got a chance to take the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 for a spin at the Indianapolis 500 in May.

The GF6 is the latest model of Panasonic’s ultra-compact GF series. It is based on a Micro Four Thirds sensor and lens mount system and offers a resolution of 16MP.
The camera doesn’t offer a viewfinder system, but does have a large, touch-sensitive swivel LCD screen with high resolution (1,040,000 RGB dots). All camera functions can be controlled with the four-way control field, which is also a setup and navigation dial, but there are also many functions that can be controlled with the touchscreen in a very handy way.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1KS is very small, even though it has an APS-C-sized sensor. The camera is smaller than Nikon’s 1 series and even a bit smaller than the Pentax Q series, which has a compact camera sensor.

The Panasonic GF5 is an extremely compact camera with interchangeable lenses and a large image sensor (Micro Four Thirds format). The sensor offers 12 MP resolution and is able to record Full HD videos. It also allows taking images with high ISO speed settings of 6400 (additional hi-mode up to ISO 12,800).

The Panasonic Lumix GH5S ($2499, body only) is a mirrorless camera with a 10.2MP high-sensitivity MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor that’s optimized for shooting in low light. While capable of recording still images and video, the Panasonic GH5S is clearly a video-centric mirrorless camera with a very wide range of video format recording capabilities and features.