Panasonic Announces G1 Micro Four-Thirds Pricing

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• computerfarmer - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - link

  I have seen full size samples at the following website
  http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCG1/DMCG1A...">http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCG1/DMCG1A...
  
  This Camera style is aimed at people like myself. My first digital camera was a 2mp Fujifilm FinePix A201 and the I moved to a 5mp
  Fujifilm FinePix E550 and now I have a 7mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8.
  
  I am looking for a camera both my wife and I can use. I like experimenting and she likes automatic. Many of the major brands have entry level DSLR's that would fit our needs. I am interested in good quality. The 4/3" sensor is so much larger than the sensor on the FZ-8, at least 5x larger. I do not care if this is called a DSLR or not, my interests are in quality compared to what I have been getting from my FZ-8. My camera is now in Afghanistan with my son while serving(2nd tour) with the Canadian Military.
  
  The G1 is another good choice for me to move up to.
  
  My wife likes the choice of colours.

• Pneumothorax - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  These panny's although are smaller, aren't that much smaller than low end bodies like the Nikon D60/Canon rebel xsi/especially the Oly-420. I wish they really thought "outside the box" as they're no longer constrained by a pentaprism/mirror box. This camera should be alot thinner and smaller.

• Voldenuit - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  Olympus is readying a Micro 4/3 camera in a rangefinder-style body.
  
  This should be smaller than the G1.
  
  Let's not forget, though, that the advantage of a smaller mount and no need for retrofocus means that the lenses for micro 4/3 will also be smaller than for conventional DSLRs (and even regular 4/3).
  
  That said, I 'm waiting for the version with HD video capability.

• strikeback03 - Friday, October 17, 2008 - link

  Wide lenses will still be retrofocal - the registration distance of the micro 4/3 standard is 20mm. Any lenses wider than that (such as this kit 14-45) will still be retrofocal designs. So they won't have to try to make 7mm lenses with a ~40mm registration distance as they do with normal 4/3, but the wides will still be retrofocal.

• LtPage1 - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  So is this a DSLR or not? If it's not, what do SLRs have that this doesn't?

• ElFenix - Saturday, October 18, 2008 - link

  it's not an SLR. SLRs, like all reflex cameras, have a mirror in them that bounces the light up onto the focusing screen so that you can see it through the viewfinder.
  
  this has no mirror, so is not an SLR. this is an EVIL (electronic viewfinder, interchangable lens) camera.

• Wesley Fink - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  Micro 4/3 cameras do not have a mirror box, which means they can be much thinner and smaller with a 10mm mount to sensor distance instead of the 20mm common in real DSLR cameras. As a result of no mirror the micro 4/3 viewfinder is Live View on the LCD and/or an electronic viewfinder. Real DSLR cameras have an optical view through the lens made possible by the flipping mirror.
  
  For more information on the G1 and the new Micro 4/3 standard you can check out our earlier info on "What is Micro 4/3?" in the G1 announcement at http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as...">http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as....

• melgross - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  I was expecting this to go for about $599. This is more like a bridge camera, as has been mentioned. For that purpose, it costs too much.

• Wesley Fink - Thursday, October 16, 2008 - link

  With a collection of interchangeable micro 4/3 lenses and a sensor size close to APS C, I don't really consider the G1 a bridge camera. It's more like a different, and much smaller, approach to a Digital SLR.
  
  Having said that I do agree, however, that it is priced too high if $799 is the actual street price. Keep in mind that Panasonic MSRPs on their current DSLR cameras are MUCH higher than their actual price. If the G1 sella for a real street price of around $499 to $599 I think it will do well.

• melgross - Friday, October 17, 2008 - link

  Remember Olympus's old line of Pen F's? The half frame cameras? I had one, along with my Canon SLR's.
  
  Cute camera. Took decent pictures. Smaller, lighter, good, but not great pictures. Less expensive. It was also a bridge camera, like this one is. I know you protest, but it's all there.
  
  Look at the colors for a start. That's not for the SLR crowd. It's for the point and shoot crowd. To make them feel more comfortable about the cameras. To make the cameras feel less formidable.
  
  These will be smaller lenses as well, and less expensive, as we already see. They will be consumer lenses. Vacation lenses, family picture day lenses, Bowser the dog picture lenses, watch the baby walk lenses.
  
  I think a list for this of $599 would have been better, and a street price in the low $400's.
  
  I know how you like the 4/3 system, but it will never equal the APS-C systems, and of course, is just a toy compared to the FF systems.
  
  I don't know what you were doing in your life when Olympus first came out with the ads for the 4/3 system, but they described it as a compromise between size, weight, cost and image quality. They knew back then, that image quality was compromised in this format when compared to APS-C, and it is.
  
  With all the talk about site size, the 4/3 will always lose.
  
  Which is why this new micro system is good. It's what they promised at the first, but didn't deliver. A smaller, lighter camera, with a very good, but not the best IQ.
  
  Now, they have to make good on the price as well.