Smaller, lighter, and more approachable, the GF2 tries to broaden series’ appeal

Panasonic GF2

12.1MP CSC camera

$499 (camera body)

www.panasonic.com

On Sept 2, 2009, Panasonic offered photographers an unashamedly enthusiast friendly compact system camera (CSC) known as the GF1. Thanks to its copious amount of physical controls, a cleverly designed pop-up flash, serious appearance, and impressive feature set, the GF1 became the leading choice for skilled photographers looking to find a compact alternative to their DSLR camera. Fast forward to today, and suddenly there’s a number of manufacturers offering CSCs, for which we’ve deduced three major reasons. First conventional wisdom says that many point and shoot photographers want DSLR image quality, but don’t want to stray too far from the form factor and ease of use of their compact cameras. Second, enthusiast photographers want a smaller camera system for convenience, but don’t want to sacrifice the image quality that they’re used to. Finally, and this is just our opinion, the camera makers that aren’t Canon or Nikon are looking for a way to reach around those two camera makers’ stranglehold on the DSLR camera market, and in the CSC, they have an innovative, fresh, and instinctively appealing (smaller! and easier!) way of doing it.

So, while the Panasonic GF1 was very enthusiast oriented, more recent CSCs have instead targeted somewhat less skilled photographers. The premier example is the Sony NEX-5 which has whittled its form factor to basically nothing, and its camera controls too. It simply screams super portable, and certainly looks (and is) as easy as a point and shoot to use. It’s in this market that Panasonic had to produce a follow-up to the GF1, which they did on November 4, 2010 with the release of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. Much to the chagrin of GF1 fans, the GF2 appeared to have moved beyond (below?) its enthusiast orientations, instead now catering very much to the point and shoot crowd seeking superior image quality. The evidence? Just take a look at what’s been ditched: the remote release socket, no 2nd curtain sync or flash exposure compensation, battery life has been reduced, and look at the physical controls, or should we say lack of physical controls. The shooting mode dial is gone, the AF/AE Lock button is gone, the AF/MF button is gone, heck even the cool drive mode switch is gone. How can this be? Well, you can thank the GF2′s touchscreen for that, a 3″ 460k touchscreen that takes over for all the missing physical controls, and even at times for the few remaining controls. We realize that physical controls are all but a necessity for more advance shooters, but are they really?

First though, let’s look at the advantages of the new GF2. The biggest improvement comes in the form of reduction. The GF2 is 19% smaller and 7% lighter than the GF1, with no real consequence to handling. The GF2 now offers 1080i (Full HD) video and includes built-in stereo microphones. The ISO range has been bumped to ISO 6400, a dedicated iAuto button arrives on the camera’s top deck, and did we mention the touchscreen? Yes, the GF2 offers a touchscreen, and it is how you’ll generally interact with the camera. So perhaps with the right touchscreen interface, you might be able to live without physical controls, I mean, who needs a shooting mode dial if a virtual one works just as well?

What we’ve found interesting about the GF2 is that after spending some time with it, it appears to us that Panasonic hasn’t really tried to shun the enthusiasts after all, it’s just attempted to broaden the appeal of the GF2. The GF2 is still fairly customizable, and still offers a lot of control, even if that control is virtual. I know many enthusiasts won’t like not having the AF/AE Lock button, but Panasonic has a solution, you can program the Q.Menu/Fn button to perform that role, if it suits you. For less advanced photographers, the GF2 will look far less overwhelming, the controls are more point and shoot like, and in this age of touchscreen smartphones, the GF2′s touchscreen should also prove less intimidating. Complete with finger swipe gestures, and touch to focus (and shoot if desired) control, we think even more advanced photographers might find some redeeming values in it. Smaller, lighter, and mostly better featured, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 remains a compelling choice in the CSC market, now even for beginners. It’s just that now the choice is amongst a broader range of competition, with bigger sensors, less controls, more controls, etc… given that, is the GF2′s unchanged imaging sensor and new touchscreen interface enough to earn it top billing amongst the options?

Specifications
Camera	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Street Price	$499 (camera body) | $599.95 with 14-42mm lens
Sensor	12.1MP 4/3 ‘Live MOS sensor’
AF System	Contrast AF system | 23-Area-Focusing/1 Area Focusing
ISO Range	100-6400
Continuous Shooting	3fps for 7 RAW or 30+ Fine JPEGS (assuming Hi-mode)
LCD	3.0″ TFT LCD 460,000 dots touchscreen
Viewfinder	Optional Electronic Viewfinder DMW-LVF1
Shooting Modes	Program AE, Aperture priority AE, Shutter priority AE, Manual, iAuto, My Color, SCN, Custom (3 memories)
Scene Modes	Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Architecture, Sports, Peripheral Defocus, Flower, Food, Objects, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Illuminations, Baby 1, Baby 2, Pet, Party, Sunset
Video	AVCHD : NTSC: 1920 x 1080, 60i, 17Mbps or 13Mbps, 1280 x 720, 60p (sensor output is 30p) 17Mbps or 13Mbps | PAL: 1920 x 1080, 50i, 17Mbps or 13Mbps, 1280 x 720, 50p (sensor output is 25p) 17Mbps or 13Mbps | Motion JPEG: 1280 x 720, 30fps | 848 x 480, 30fps | 320 x 240, 30fps | 640 x 480, 30fps
Output	USB 2.0 (High Speed), Video Out (NTSC / PAL), HDMI
Storage	SD / SDHC / SDXC
Dimensions	4.44 x 2.67 x 1.29 in/113 x 68 x 33 mm
Weight	9.35 oz/265 g

Technical Analysis

Based around the same 12.1MP 4/3 ‘Live MOS sensor’ found in the GF1, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that image quality from the GF2 hasn’t changed at all from the GF1. This equates to the GF2 taking a very nice photo that’s easily superior in detail, dynamic range, and low light performance than any point and shoot compact camera, but a step behind its APS-C competitors, and at least aesthetically, behind the Olympus E-PL2. Cameras like the Sony NEX-5, Samsung NX100, and Samsung NX10 offer bigger sensors than the GF2, and as expected those cameras provide both more detail and roughly one stop more of usable ISO performance. Compared to the Olympus E-PL2, the GF2 is technically very close, both offer usable ISO files arguably to ISO 1600, and at least in RAW, both have similar dynamic range abilities.

Despite technically being very close, the two cameras don’t take the same picture, and it’s apparent right away. The E-PL2 takes snappier, more visually appealing photos in most circumstances. The Olympus processing engine makes for pictures full of punch, with rich colors and plenty of detail. The GF2 on the hand takes distinctly more natural photos, that have a flatter appearance, and noticeably less punch. We need to make clear that we’re not saying the GF2 takes a bad picture, and as we’ve found ourselves saying with a couple of Panasonic offerings, it’s highly likely that many photographers may prefer the GF2′s more naturalistic approach to image processing. We suspect most photographers will be pleased with the GF2′s output, but for our use, we found the temptation to add a nice S-curve of contrast and a warmer white balance in post-processing frequently too irresistible.

As such, we think the GF2 should really be used in RAW for best results. RAW will provide more headway for making changes to contrast and white balance, and permit superior noise reduction and sharpening when compared to the GF2′s JPEG engine. As we indicated above, the GF2 can produce quite usable ISO 1600 files, but even lower ISO shots will reveal image noise, especially in some of your shadow areas. Shooting JPEG provides slightly snappier files, but you’ll want to watch out after ISO 800 as in-camera noise reduction can really begin to eliminate detail. So yes, out of the box, we definitely prefer the E-PL2′s image quality over the GF2′s, but we should point out that there’s room to improve your in-camera results by making changes to the GF2′s “Picture Adjust”. We definitely recommend spending just a bit of time here to dial in some contrast, saturation, sharpness, and noise reduction to avoid post processing (assuming you want to avoid it),

If you want to get more creative with the GF2, that’s possible too. The GF2′s version of in-camera art filters fall under the shooting mode “My Color”, and it includes the options of “Expressive”, “Retro”, “Pure”, “Elegant”, “Cine”, “Monochrome”, “Dynamic Art”, “Silhouette”, and finally a “Custom” option that you can setup yourself. As we’ve seen with many cameras offering these in-camera filters, the My Color filters simply aren’t specific enough or aggressive enough in their implementation to warrant widespread use. Basically, they’re too half-hearted to want to pursue, so you likely won’t use them too often. The role model here for camera makers should be Olympus, their digital filters can be very distinct, and many are genuinely very cool. We love the idea of encouraging photographers to be creative, but Panasonic has to offer more compelling options here.

On to much stronger ground, the AF of the GF2. We’ve come to expect very responsive autofocusing from Panasonic, and the GF2 is no different. General focusing speed is very fast, we’ve only seen weakness in dim light when trying to focus on an area of low contrast and of light tonal value. In most circumstances though the GF2 is as fast as most DSLR cameras in this price range, while doing things those cameras can’t. Remember that touchscreen? Well, the GF2 offers touch focus controls, just touch the point of interest, and the GF2 quickly focuses, it can even be set to fire the camera, making for quick and easy (if shaky) shooting. The GF2 also allows the photographer to freely move the AF point over most of the composition using the multi-selector, and even control the size of the AF area. Both of these are done easily and quickly. Of course you can leave focal positions up to the GF2 if you like, using its 23-area AF option, but even that can be configured to focus on the left, right, top, or bottom area of your composition. Prefer manual focus? The GF2 tackles that well too. Turn the focus ring and the LCD fills in with an expanded view of your composition, with options for moving the magnified view around, and a touchscreen option for zooming in further. Also on board, face detection and a tracking AF, both of which are highly effective at their respective duties. Continuous focus (AFC) is an option as well, but the GF2′s slow continuous shooting rate and LCD blackout between shots make it unreliable for shooting dynamic subjects.

Other aspects of the GF2′s performance are typically very good. General camera responsiveness is very good, be it touchscreen or physical control, the GF2 deftly responds to the photographer’s input. Continuous shooting speeds are distinctly average, offering just 3 fps in its continuous “High” mode, but we were able to get 7 shots in RAW before the buffer filled and slowed the camera down to below 1fps for any additional shots. When set to JPEG, the GF2 appears unlimited in its burst depth, we stopped counting after 30 consecutive shots.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 In the Field

Like its predecessor, the GF2 is definitely a very well built camera that looks and feels more luxurious than its price would indicate. Of course, it’s also smaller and lighter than the GF1, and that doesn’t appear to have any consequential effects on its handling either. Thanks to the redesigned grip and the thumb indent on the camera’s rear, the GF2 still feels very comfortable and secure in the shooting hand despite the loss of bulk. It’s not a huge difference, but for us the GF2 feels slightly better than the GF1.

Clearly the biggest change with the GF2 has to be reduction of physical camera controls in favor of a new touchscreen interface. Missing from the GF1 are the shooting mode dial, the AF/AE Lock, the AF/MF button , and the drive mode switch, but before panicking, it’s the physical controls missing, not the functionality. The shooting mode dial is replaced by a hard to miss virtual button on the LCD, that when pressed brings up the various shooting or exposure mode options. To dig deeper, you’ll have to press the “Q. Menu” button, which comes in physical and virtual variants. Press it and you can access 10 of your essential camera settings. Why 10? In order to keep all of the “buttons” big enough to touch, Panasonic has limited the settings to two pages of 5 options, and a “Q. Menu Customize” option allows you to easily decide which settings you want to populate your 10 options and in which order. For most camera settings this will typically mean 3 “button” presses: the Q. Menu button, the camera setting, and the change to the camera setting. So before mourning the loss of controls, take solace that it’s really the perception of the controls that have been lost. You still have a shooting mode dial (virtual), and the missing drive mode dial has had its function moved to the multi-selector. This leaves one big sore spot, the AF/AE Lock button, which as we mentioned in the intro, can be programmed to the Q. Menu button if desired. Furthermore, if for some reason you don’t like touching the screen, most of the on-screen options can be interacted with by the physical controls.

Given that the touchscreen plays such a prominent role in controlling the camera, you’d assume that Panasonic may have revamped their aging and oft confusing interface into something cleaner, and more intuitive right? Actually, no, the GF2 still uses the same dated interface we’ve criticized in the past, but some changes have been made to make controls more “touchable”. It’s amazing to us that after using dozens of seemingly simple photography related apps for the iPhone and iPad, that Panasonic hasn’t yet managed to come up with a visual approach that’s as instantly graspable and easy to use as a $.99 app. For us at least, there was a learning curve… or more accurately, an adaptation curve. To be clear our complaint isn’t with the functionality, nor the capabilities, the issue largely lies with the screen layout and interface aesthetics which are just awkward enough to make the GF2 less than instantly graspable. Within days though, we did adapt to the GF2′s touchscreen and it eventually becomes second nature. When that happens you start to realize that there is something to the touchscreen approach, yes…even on an advanced camera. Making simple camera settings, adjusting the camera’s display options, swiping through images in playback, and yes touching your focal point are useful additions, ones we wouldn’t mind seeing on even more cameras.

The physical controls that remain on the GF2 are well placed, nicely labeled, and responsive to the touch. We like the clickable command dial and the dedicated video record button, but we can’t help but to think the dedicated “iA” button (intelligent AUTO) could have been used for something more useful. Still, having the controls means that the GF2 can be used largely like any other camera, and it certainly helps keep photographers grounded as they adjust to simply touching the appropriate buttons on the screen.

Despite the dual nature of the GF2′s control setup, it is still a pretty nice camera to use. As we mentioned above, the GF2 feels great and focuses fast, and for PASM (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, and Manual) shooters, the GF2 makes quick and easy changes via that clickable command dial, perfectly located next to the right thumb. Another plus for advanced photographers, the GF2 offers a good degree of useful shooting information and some degree of camera customization, all at a touch of a (virtual) button. Live histograms, grid overlays, exposure information, and the ability to program in camera settings to the “Q. Menu/Fn” button are all easily done, while in playback mode the GF2 provides plenty of post capture exposure information along with histograms and a handy magnified view, navigated by finger point on the touchscreen. As with the GF1, the GF2 provides a low-power pop-up flash which can come in handy for compositions requiring some fill flash (because of its hinged design, it can even be aimed at the ceiling for potentially more natural results), and it also features a hot shoe and accessory port. Obviously the hot shoe allows for a separate flash accessory or flash/strobe triggering device, while the accessory port allows photographers who prefer a viewfinder to attach Panasonic’s DMW-LVF1 electronic viewfinder.

For beginners, the GF2 puts a bright red “iA” (intelligent AUTO) button right next to the shutter, and with reliable results, it is indeed a pretty good way to get started with the GF2. Using “iA” limits many of the touchscreen options, so the the GF2 at least has the appearance of being less confusing, but unlike many other “AUTO” modes the GF2 still provide the user with some abilities, like exposure compensation, touch focus, and “Defocus Control” which allows the less advanced photographer to adjust background blur via a simple slider. Used in “iA”, or in one of the various scenario specific scene shooting modes, the GF2 is easy to use, but we’re quite certain that Sony’s approach with the NEX-5 might be much more approachable for graduating point and shoot photographers, and probably more fun.

Image Samples

We’ve attached a few image samples to provide you with an idea of what the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is capable of. For further examples check out our full-size RAW ISO samples, JPEG ISO samples, and the original full-size image samples.

It Takes Video Too

At least on paper, the GF2 seems to be an interesting portable video solution, but it isn’t without some notable problems. Resolution has been bumped to “Full HD”, also known as 1080i, using AVCHD compression with 25fps or 30fps sensor output. The GF2 also offers 720p recording in two compression choices, either AVCHD or Motion JPEG both at 30fps. The GF2 does provide the ability to record stereo sound via mics on its top deck, but unfortunately it doesn’t provide a hookup for an external stereo microphone (though it does provide a microphone level adjustment). Taking video couldn’t be easier, as the GF2 offers a direct video record button, just press the button regardless of which shooting mode you’re in, and the GF2 starts recording. It doesn’t offer an actual movie shooting mode though, which means in situations where you know you want to shoot video for awhile, you won’t have the ability to compose with the 16:9 aspect, unless the camera has previously been set to the 16:9 aspect for stills as well. Further, the ability to directly record from any shooting mode implies that the GF2 offers manual controls (while shooting in “Manual” mode for example), when in actuality the GF2 takes over exposure control once you press the record button, which can create gain adjustments, in addition to obvious exposure shifts. One final annoyance, the GF2 offers what sounds like a cool “Extra Tele Converter” mode that will give a 3.1x magnified view cropped straight from the sensor with no quality loss. Incredibly though, the GF2 won’t allow you to preview the effect, and you would have had to previously set the GF2 to “JPEG Standard” to use the mode in the first place, so using the Extra Tele Converter option will always require some well thought out planning.

On the plus side, the GF2 offers pretty effective continuous focus while shooting video, as well as the interesting ability to continually touch focus while shooting video, though this can lead to some stability issues if shooting hand-held. There can definitely be issues where the continuous focus can’t focus quick enough, creating some back and forth motion temporarily, but the GF2 has been more capable than most in this department.

Despite some of our complaints, the GF2 is capable of taking pretty good video, though it is susceptible to some graininess. It’s unfortunate that the GF2 didn’t offer a stereo mic input and real manual controls, because it would have been a clever and portable video solution, but as it stands the GF2 should offer more than enough quality and ability for the occasional videographer.

We’ve included a few clips to give you an idea of the GF2′s video abilities, but as always actual video quality is slightly better than what YouTube’s compression implies.

Final Opinion

Panasonic GF2

likes:

Excellent build

Fast, responsive AF

“iA” offers some degree of control

dislikes:

Dated and cluttered interface

lacks manual video control

Relatively average image quality

Smaller, lighter, and now touchscreen friendly, Panasonic has done its best to introduce a wider range of photographers to its “GF-series”. There’s no question that the changes do make the GF2 more appealing to photographers with less advanced skills, and nobody can fault Panasonic for trying to make the camera smaller, the question perhaps should be whether the touchscreen adds to the experience of using the GF2 for either set of photographers, be they more or less skilled.

Our initial reaction is to say no, the touchscreen doesn’t seem to bring any real advantages for either group of photographers. When we think of compelling touchscreen solutions, we think of the interfaces currently offered in today’s smart phones and tablet computers, and Panasonic’s implementation simply doesn’t rise to those levels of ease of use, visual appeal, or intuitiveness. This isn’t to say that it isn’t easy to use or confusing, just substantially less natural or fluid, at least until one adapts to using it for some time. Having said that, the touchscreen certainly hasn’t been the negative that we thought it might be before using the GF2. Nearly all that could be done with the GF1, can still be done with the GF2, and given the duality of the control set-up, it’s sort of hard to complain one way or the other. With abilities like touch focus and the added real estate the touchscreen provides for “virtual controls”, our final take is that the GF2 is slightly improved with it, in fact we now think more cameras should offer them (touchscreens) to supplement existing physical controls. There is real value in having one, but the potential hasn’t been fully realized, yet. Oddly though, the advantages are more skewed towards the advanced photographer than the beginner, again mostly because of the design of Panasonic’s interface. Photographers with less skill will probably be content to press the “iA” (intelligent AUTO) button and possibly use the screen to touch focus, and that’s fine. But without the physical visual option of say… shooting modes for example, how many less advanced photographers will know the GF2 offers a handful of “Scene” (SCN) shooting modes in addition to “iA”. There’s no question the GF2 would be an excellent camera for advancing point and shooter photographers, but nothing Panasonic has done with the GF2 seems to make it any easier to actually use or more approachable, at least for the less advanced.

Naturally the GF2 is more than just a “touchscreen camera”, it’s a well made, fully featured, compact solution that takes pretty good pictures. How good? Better than any point and shoot, but not as good as its APS-C competitors nor as appealing as Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds (MFT) PEN cameras. So despite the improvements Panasonic has made with the GF2, their focus should be on the sensor that has been the heart of the GF-series thus far. We’re tempted to say this may be as far as things can go with MFT, but cameras like the GH2 show there’s room for improvement. For now, the GF2 is certainly a competent camera, but one that requires several caveats in recommending. For the more advanced photographers that the GF2 is best suited for, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is “Recommended” especially if you’re not a JPEG shooter, and preferably if you involve some light degree of post-processing in your workflow. In our opinion the Olympus E-PL2 provides more appealing images of the same quality, with roughly the same functionality. For less advanced photographers, we’d recommend passing on the GF2, there is a much more ideal solution for you in a camera like the Sony NEX-5. For current GF1 owners, it should come as no surprise that you also should pass on the GF2, the improvements just don’t justify the need to upgrade. In conclusion, we want to be clear, the GF2 is a nice camera, but new and improved competition means that the GF2 doesn’t deserve the same pedestal that the GF1 did.

CGG Editor’s Rating:
value:
8
design:
8
features:
8
performance:
7
image quality:
7

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