Panasonic announced two new G-series interchangeable lens system cameras, the G2 and G10. Both have the same 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor that was included on the original G1. The G2 adds touch-screen capability to its 3-inch free-angle LCD, making it the first system camera to include the trendy feature. The G10 claims its fame as the “world’s lightest” system camera with a viewfinder.
The two Lumix G-series cameras, announced March 7, make several improvements over the G1, which was announced in 2008 as the first Micro Four Thirds camera on the market. Both new models record 720p HD video; the old G1 doesn’t have any movie mode at all. The new cameras also add an updated Venus Engine HD II image processor, a dust reduction system, and seven color modes that sound similar to the Art Filters included on the Olympus Pen cameras. The new cameras add compatibility with SDXC cards in addition to the SD and SDHC cards they already support.
The Panasonic Lumix G2 and G10 come with a Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, but are compatible with other Micro Four Thirds standard lenses with an optional adapter. Panasonic G-series cameras are also compatible with Leica M/R lenses with an adapter.
The Panasonic G2 is the successor to the G1 with the same 3-inch free-angle LCD monitor structure, but with the addition of touch-screen capability. The new camera can focus on subjects and take pictures with one touch to the screen, and navigation in the playback mode is made simpler with touch too.
“Touch-operation is a user interface with which many consumers are both familiar and expect, and we think the Lumix G2’s touch-operation makes it easier and quicker to take photos and videos that have professional-like effects,” said David Briganti, senior product manager of imaging at Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, in the March 7 press release.
The G2 keeps the same 1,440,000-pixel electronic viewfinder that the G1 has, but adds an eye sensor that automatically activates the finder’s display when you look through it.
The G2 records 1280 x 720-pixel HD video in AVCHD Lite format, which takes up less memory than Motion JPEG-format videos. The G10 records the same HD resolution, but in Motion JPEG format. The G10 has a 3-inch, 460,000-pixel LCD screen – the same size and resolution as the G2 and G1 – but the screen does not rotate nor does it have touch-screen operation.
The Panasonic Lumix G10 is billed as the “world’s lightest digital interchangeable lens system camera with a viewfinder.” Few interchangeable lens system cameras have viewfinders. The Panasonic G-series models all include electronic viewfinders. The G10 has the least resolution of the series with its 202,000 pixels. The G10 weighs in at 11.85 oz (body only), while Olympus’ latest camera, the E-PL1, weighs 10.44 oz. The Olympus E-PL1 does not have a viewfinder on its body though.
