Panasonic DMC-GH2

Preview based on a pre-production GH2

When Panasonic first launched the GH1, its second Micro Four Thirds camera, it was widely seen as simply being a G1 with video shooting and a considerably more expensive kit lens. And, if your primary concern was stills photography then this wasn't an entirely unreasonable assessment. However, its real appeal was not that it had video, but that it offered what was, at the time, some of the most flexible, high quality video available. Again, the 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 kit zoom may not have been cheap but it had been specifically designed and built with fast, quiet autofocus and stepless aperture control to allow AF during movie shooting and exposure changes without sudden changes in brightness.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Preview based on a pre-production GF2 It's been fourteen months since Panasonic announced its first compact-body 'rangefinder-like' Micro Four Thirds camera, in the shape of the DMC-GF1. This quickly gained a following as arguably the best 'enthusiast' camera of its type, with its solid feature set, fast reactions and body bristling with external controls. But since then the market has moved on and new contenders have appeared on the scene, with Sony's NEX cameras in particular making a splash due to their impressive miniaturisation and excellent image quality. Under this new-found pressure of competition, the GF has slimmed-down and emerged with a new, sleeker look.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

The G1 is the most unusual and exciting digital camera we've seen for a while.

It's made from a mixture of SLR and compact camera technology, and promises the quality of an SLR without the bulk. As such, it could be the ideal camera for discerning photographers on the go.

It uses a new interchangeable lens system called Micro Four Thirds. These lenses are a little smaller than equivalent SLR lenses, but the most significant size reduction is in the camera body. The G1 lacks an SLR's optical viewfinder and associated optics and, as a result, isn't much bigger than an ultra-zoom camera such as Panasonic's FZ28. However, the 17.3x13mm sensor is four times the size of the FZ28's, which has a huge impact on image quality. The sensors in most entry-level SLR cameras are 30 per cent bigger again, but the G1's is still in SLR rather than compact territory.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 review

           The TZ8 is a cut-down version of the Panasonic TZ10, and costs around £75 less. The two models are very similar and their photo-taking abilities are identical. What you don’t get here is the TZ10’s GPS tagging, its 3in, 460,000-dot screen and its ability to record video in AVCHD Lite format.

          GPS tagging is something we can happily live without, especially if it’s as flaky as the TZ10 was in our tests. The screen downgrade is more significant, but this one’s 2.7in diameter and 230,000-dot resolution are perfectly adequate.
         The TZ8 records its video in the capacity-hogging M-JPEG format, which means a 2GB card holds just eight and a half minutes of video. However, unlike the previous cut-price TZ model, this one can record videos in 720p HD.
           Noise reduction wasn’t as effective as it was on the TZ10 and the audio is mono rather than stereo, but the autofocus and zoom are fully operational and their motors didn’t spoil the soundtrack. Comparisons with the TZ10 aside, the TZ8’s videos are considerably better than from most stills cameras.
          With the same lens, sensor and image-processing engine, it’s no surprise that the TZ8’s photo quality and performance are identical to the TZ10’s. That’s good news for outdoor photography, with crisp details and exquisite colours in bright light. Low-light, high-ISO shots were spoiled by noise, but the highly effective stabilisation meant we could keep the ISO speed down as long as the subject wasn’t moving.