• On GameSpot: So-called 'Halo killer' gets 23 to life

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Video

To play this video, you need Javascript enabled and the latest version of Flash installed. Install Flash now
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Created: 05/15/2009
Video description: If you're willing to pay a premium to be on the cutting edge of digital photography and video, and as long as you don't shoot sports or in dark venues, then you'll likely love the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Video Transcript

[ Music ]

>> Lori Grunin: Hi. I'm Lori Grunin, Senior Editor with CNET, and this is the Panasonic Lumix DMCGH1. This is the does-it-all model that lots of people have been waiting for. When I say does it all, I mean even though it looks like a shrunken DSLR, it's non-SLR. It's an interchangeable lens camera, but it lacks the mirror box that makes an SLR an SLR. Instead, it's like an overgrown point and shoot that you can swap lens on. Now, earlier, Panasonic came out with a G1, which is a lower-end model of the same camera. The main difference is this one supports video. Although it's smaller than the typical SLR, it's pretty dense, and that makes it kind of heavy especially with the 14 to 140 millimeter lens. That's a 10x zoom, which is very unusual for an interchangeable lens, and it provides an effective field of view of a 28 to 200 millimeter lens. What's special about this lens is that it allows the camera to continuously autofocus when shooting video, and that is the primary difference between what this camera can do and what the video on a typical digital SLR can do. And the video quality is very good. As is the sound quality, it has a very nice built-in microphone. Unfortunately, the placement tends to be a little more susceptible to wind noise than I'd like, but there are three levels of wind filter in the camera that you can use to try to cut that. The photo quality is good, but high SO's, it doesn't get the typical quality that you get with an SLR. It's slower, and to the EBF is just not optimized for action shooting because it's always showing you what you've already seen, not what's going to happen. In other respects, the image quality and the performance is very good. It's fast. The autofocus system seems particularly fast. Like the G1, it's a very comfortable camera to shoot with. It's very nicely designed. It has this large LCD. It's bright. It's easy to see in daylight. As for the EBF, that depends upon how you feel about EBF's. They have their advantages; they have their disadvantages, and like the G1, it has a full manual feature set. If you're thinking about getting this versus getting digital SLR, you probably won't find anything lacking in its price class. Speaking of price, that's really the major drawback for this camera is that it's very expensive, at least at the time of this video. The price may drop, and unless you really absolutely have to have it now, I would probably wait until the price does move a little bit. I'm Lori Grunin, and this is the Panasonic Lumix DMCGH1. [ Music ]

Related Videos

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 (black)

If you love supertelephoto photography, this Panasonic looks like the camera to beat.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

As long as you don't want much in the way of manual features, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a very nice camera that can handle a variety of shooting situations.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30K is an 8-megapixel, point-and-shoot camera. Compared to other point-and-shoot digital cameras on the market, it is expensive at around $565. Includes ArcSoft PhotoImpression, ArcSoft Panorama Maker, LUMIX simple viewer, ArcSof

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

The best interchangeable-lens compact we've see thus far, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 delivers great photo quality and performance in an enthusiast-friendly shooting experience. Like competitors, however, the lack of an optical viewfinder limits its usability for photographing action.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1

Rugged and sleek, this point-and-shoot is waterproof to 10 feet and can withstand a 5-foot drop. Plus, it comes in hard-core orange.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5

Though it's not perfect, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5's compact midrange megazoom feature set puts it in a class with just its sibling, the TZ4, and should deliver a satisfying shooting experience.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1

A full-featured waterproof/shockproof pocket point-and-shoot, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is a near-perfect rugged camera for everyday use.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1

With a flexible lens in a pocketable package, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 is a pleasing point-and-shoot megazoom--both in design and photo quality.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is a camera that people will either love for its speed, photo quality, and interchangeable-lens flexibility, or hate for its large-ish size, electronic viewfinder, and occasionally frustrating design.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ1

This compact camera combines good photo quality, optical image stabilization, and a long 6X zoom for a bargain price.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1K Review

The good: Interchangeable lenses; comfortable to use; well constructed; excellent low-ISO photo quality; very nice 720p video; fast autofocus; 10X zoom kit lens; flip-and-twist LCD; mic input.

The bad: Expensive; middling high ISO sensitivity image quality for the price; slow kit lens; EVF implementation makes burst shooting difficult.

The bottom line: If you're willing to pay a premium to be on the cutting edge of digital photography and video, and as long as you don't shoot sports or in dark venues, then you'll likely love the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. But if you're simply attracted by the not-to-be-underestimated flexibility of interchangeable lenses with autofocus and depth-of-field control for video, wait for the price to fall a few hundred bucks.

Read full review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1K Specs

Manufacturer: Panasonic
Part number: DMC-GH1

Product Specifications
  • Product Specifications

  • Product Basic Spec

Read full specs

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1K Prices

Online stores

Store Certified rating Inventory Price
Amazon.com

Rate this store
See store profile
In stock $1,499.99
J&R Music and Computer World

Rate this store
See store profile
In stock $1,499.99
Crutchfield

Rate this store
See store profile
In stock $1,499.99
Amazon.com Marketplace

Rate this store
See store profile
In stock $1,499.00