Introduction
Panasonic has seen great success with the Lumix GF3, with its small size and beginner-friendly user interface appealing to a wide variety of users. So how does its successor, the Panasonic Lumix GF5, shape up? We spent some time with it to find out.
Aimed pretty squarely at novice shooters rather than enthusiast photographers, the Panasonic GF5 manages to pack some pretty serious punch into its ever so small body. Panasonic claims that its all new 12 million pixel sensor is capable of delivering the same image quality as its bigger brother, the 16 million pixel Panasonic G3.
Making an appearance just ten months after the debut of the GF3, not only does the Panasonic Lumix GF5 offer an improved sensor, but it also includes a new Venus engine for fast performance, a redesigned user interface and some new filters and effects.
Ergonomics have been slightly reworked, with metal buttons replacing the plastic ones found on the Panasonic GF3, and the handgrip from the more advanced Panasonic Lumix GX1 being attached to the camera.
The new Venus Engine has allowed Panasonic to push the sensitivity capability up to ISO 12,800 meaning that this compact system camera (CSC) has the potential to perform better in lower light situations. It’s also capable of shooting at up to four frames per second.
Panasonic is maintaining its "world’s fastest autofocus" claim for the Lumix GF5, coming in at a speedy 0.09 seconds. Panasonic also says that it has recently commissioned some independent research that shows the AF precision along with speed beating all of its rivals, both in the CSC arena and in the DSLR market.
A 920k dot touchscreen has been included on the Panasonic Lumix GF5, another feature that has been brought across from its predecessor. Full HD video – pretty much a prerequisite on most modern cameras – can be found too.
This camera is a direct replacement for the Panasonic GF3, and as such the previous model has now been discontinued. Panasonic expects stock to last until around June (in the UK), so going forward, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 will be the company’s entry-level offering.
Build quality and handling
As previously mentioned, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 is tiny when compared with similar cameras from both inside and outside Panasonic’s range.
Side by side, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 is barely bigger than the Panasonic Lumix LX5, the company’s fixed lens premium compact, which of course houses a much smaller sensor and obviously lacks the ability to interchange the lenses.
The camera is definitely jacket pocketable, if not trouser pocketable, especially when coupled with the 14-42mm retractable X lens.
However, although the camera is small, it still carries enough weight to feel nice and solid in the hands, and give it an impression of gravitas.
The newly designed handgrip, which is taken from the GX1, is a nice addition to the camera and makes holding it a real pleasure, especially when shooting one-handed.
Since the camera is so small, there are barely any physical buttons and control dials to be found, with most of the operation conducted via the touchscreen interface.
The buttons that are present are metal, a first for the GF series, which lend it a higher air of quality and give a satisfying amount of push when in use.
To access different modes (for instance Aperture Priority), a touchscreen mode dial can be brought up, with other options on the dial including art modes, scene modes and custom settings.
At the top of the camera is an "iA" button, which can be pressed to override all settings and take the camera into full automatic mode. The inclusion of a blue LED ring around this button is a nice touch, which prevents the mode accidentally being left on.
For those wanting to experiment with different apertures and shutter speeds, these can be changed via the scroll wheel on the back of the camera (when in the appropriate shooting mode), which is quick and pleasant to use.
Any of the Panasonic Lumix GF5’s 23 autofocus points can be accessed either by using directional arrow buttons built into the scroll wheel, or via the touchscreen.
The touchscreen itself occasionally proved to be a little unresponsive during our time with it, but it’s important to bear in mind that we were not using a full production model, so hopefully this will be something that will be ironed out for the final version.
Unlike the Panasonic Lumix GF3, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 will be available to buy either with the Power Zoom X lens, or with the larger conventional 14-42mm.
During our test we used the power zoom lens. Aside from the obvious size advantages, this offers other increased functionality that can be set via the camera itself, such as the ability to power up at a particular focal length.
However, one downside we found when using this lens with the camera in portrait orientation was that getting confused between the focusing switch and the power zoom switch was all too easy to do, proving reasonably annoying, if presumably something you would eventually get used to.
Performance
Although we weren’t using a final production version of the Panasonic Lumix GF5, initial impressions of image quality are very good.
Panasonic claims that even though it has 4 million fewer pixels than the Lumix G3, it can produce the same image quality. This is a fairly bold claim, but initial indications are good – and we’ll be keen to fully put this to the test once a final version of the camera comes in for testing.
As the camera’s main target audience is beginners, Panasonic has really ramped up its efforts to appeal, with the inclusion of new scene modes, filters and on-screen tutorials and explanations of modes.
Panasonic is understandably quite keen to push the Micro Four Thirds sensor format, with one of the key cruxes of its argument being that edge to edge sharpness is better than its APS-C rivals.
Looking at the sample images from the Panasonic GF5 (see next page), we’re pleased to say that it seems to live up to its claims. The amount of detail captured by the sensor is impressive, while out of focus areas are rendered very nicely.
Colours are also represented well, being punchy and vibrant without being over the top. Auto white balance does a reasonable job of keeping colours in check, but we did notice it struggle a little under artificial lighting conditions.
In a bid to compete with the prevalence of iPhone apps such as Hipstamatic and Instagram, extra filters have been fitted to the Panasonic Lumix GF5, with 14 different variations now available.
Each of the filters can be further customised via sliders on the touchscreen to produce different effects, with the LCD giving a preview of how the final image will turn out.
The filters are a fun addition to the camera, and are great to experiment with, though some are better than others (as you’d expect).
Some of the filters, such as the Cross Process filter, can be directly compared with those found on Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds models, including the Olympus PEN E-P3. On the Panasonic Lumix GF5 this is more subtle than that found on the Olympus PEN E-P3, but offers more customisable control.
One of the downsides of using the filters, however, is that you lose control over parameters such as aperture and shutter speed, which is a shame considering that this an option Olympus was able to include on its most recent PEN range.
Although there seems to be some conflict between Olympus and Panasonic about which exactly has got the faster autofocus, there seems to be little point quibbling over microseconds – whether it’s technically the fastest in the world or not, the AF is as lightning quick, and perhaps more importantly, accurate, as is claimed.
During our test, it was able to lock onto subjects incredibly quickly and easily almost every time, only starting to struggle slightly when the light was pretty dim.
Sample images
All images have been shot with a pre-production sample of the Panasonic Lumix GF5, therefore we are unable to show you full resolution files. You can still click to view a larger image than is shown on this page.
Colours are reproduced very well, producing vibrant and punchy images straight from the camera, without being overly harsh. This image was shot with the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 lens.
An impressive level of detail has been captured in this image – view the larger image to see the fine details such as the eyelashes, the detail is maintained up to the top edge of the frame (the image was shot on a wide aperture so the corners are intentionally blurred).
This image shows how well the colours have been captured, and again displays a good level of detail. Here the camera was able to quickly lock onto the subject during autofocus.
One of the key audiences of the camera is likely to be families, with the camera’s large sensor able to capture impressive portraits by blurring the background. This image also shows how well the camera performed under artificial light – we think it has done a pretty good job of retaining the mood.
This image has been shot with the inbuilt Cross Process filter, which as you can see is reasonably subtle, giving the white flowers a greenish tinge.
Out of focus areas can be rendered well, even when shooting on f/3.5, the widest possible aperture on the supplied 14-42mm ‘X’ kit lens.
Shot on fully automatic mode, the camera has done a good job of picking out the subject to focus on.
Early verdict
Overall impressions of the Panasonic Lumix GF5 are very good. Panasonic has done a great job at building a camera that will appeal very strongly to those looking to step up from compact or bridge models, while keeping enough manual controls to satisfy those looking for more.
Image quality is of course of paramount importance, and it’s here that the Panasonic Lumix GF5 really does deliver. The amount of detail captured is particularly impressive – especially considering the lens being used for the majority of our shots was the supplied kit lens.
This is a great option for those looking to get started with a compact system camera. Panasonic offers a large amount of compatible lenses, should you find you need more than the kit lens(more when you consider that both Olympus and third party Micro Four Thirds lenses are also available) and even more are known to be in development.
That said, with an attached UK price tag of £449 (about $710) or £579 (about $920) with the ‘X’ kit lens, the Panasonic Lumix GF5 isn’t a cheap proposition for the moment, especially those used to dealing with compact camera prices.
Therefore, it’s worth bearing in mind the fantastic bargains that can currently be had with the predecessor, the GF3, which can be picked up for around £200 (with standard kit lens) in the UK and $450 in the US, from certain retailers while stocks last.
We’re looking forward to spending more time with the camera and putting it through our labs tests to find out if the sensor really is comparable to the Panasonic G3.
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