Panasonic DMC-G3: Its Smallest Interchangeable-Lens Model with Viewfinder

Camera Review

Secaucus, NJ—Panasonic added a new model to its Lumix G series of compact system cameras (CSC)—the DMC-G3, which is the company’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable-lens camera with a viewfinder to date.

The G3, designed to be more portable than a traditional digital SLR, features a new 16 megapixel sensor engineered to produce true-to-life, high-quality images plus 1,920×1,080 Full HD (high definition) video recording with stereo sound in AVCHD.

“With the Lumix G3, Panasonic offers an extremely light compact system camera that is easy to use, thanks to a touch-control LCD, yet still maintains powerful and creative features to appease the more advanced photographer,” said Darin Pepple, senior product manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co. “With new features that enhance photo and video quality, the Lumix G3 offers exceptional image quality that a photographer at any level would be excited about using to capture their experiences.”

For the camera traditionalist, the G3 provides a traditional DSLR-like experience with an external mode dial for access to common modes like program, shutter and aperture priority, and manual. Additional dial settings include two custom modes, scene modes and a creative control mode. A dedicated video button can be used to switch to video without changing modes.

Like most traditional DSLRs, the G3 has a flash and hot shoe for connecting optional Lumix flashes. And recognizing that a traditional eye-level viewfinder is still a must-have for many, Panasonic included an eye-level electronic viewfinder that projects a high-resolution 1.44m-dot image with 100% field of view.

To ensure it’s user friendly, the G3 features touch-control shooting that lets photographers focus on the subject by touching it on the 3.0-inch high-res LCD screen. Once locked on the subject by a touch, the G3 tracks the subject, even if it moves, with autofocus (AF) tracking. In addition to its 23-area autofocusing points, there’s a new pinpoint AF for precise near–pixel-level focus point setting at the touch of a finger anywhere on the LCD. With a new “precision contrast LightSpeed” AF system, the G3 is said to focus in 0.1 second (14-140mm). The LightSpeed AF is achieved by reducing the detection time for focusing by doubling the Live MOS sensor drive speed from 60 frames per sec to 120 fps.

In addition, manual focus control has been improved, compared to its predecessor the DMC-G2. When magnification is first enabled at 4x by touching the subject on the LCD, that subject is enlarged in a small window allowing users to keep the rest of the image in view as a framing reference. Beyond 4x, that small window fills the monitor so more control over focus fine-tuning can be achieved. This is available in MF assist (manual focus) and AF + MF modes.

The touch LCD, which rotates 180° to the side and tilts 270° up and down, also aids in image playback; users can scroll through hundreds of images on-screen by thumbing through the thumbnails. Or, to play back images one-by-one, the user can drag an image across the screen as though flipping a book page.

Other features include: Panasonic’s iA and new iA Plus modes, which are enabled automatically once the iA button is pressed and include intelligent resolution, MEGA OIS (optical image stabilization), intelligent ISO control and intelligent scene selector when shooting still images; full-res bursts of 4 fps or 20 fps at 4MP resolution; visual effects that include retro, high key, sepia and high dynamic; photo style film modes; a dust-reduction system to repel particles from the sensor; and a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system lens mount. There are lens adapters available for mounting older Leica M and Leica R lenses, including prior Lumix Four Thirds lenses.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, made of aluminum, will be available in a variety of colors, including black, red, white and brown, starting in June. Suggested retail price of the Lumix G3 with the 14-42mm zoom lens kit will be $699.99. panasonic.com