Formerly it used to be a big fat analog Nikon SLR camera with two big fat lenses from even often came out good pictures - but to wear something as millstone around the neck is not nice, especially when you walk in nature, or is out on the town.
Then there was "snapping" of various characteristics including a super-zoom camera (Panasonic FZ5) - truly portable, some even compact but lack of size of the image sensor, these devices made only under optimal light conditions really useful pictures.
For me, the GM1 leads now together what I have appreciated both the SLR camera as well as to the snapping:
Thanks to the large, the current sensor is to make very useful photos even under difficult lighting conditions. These to be used in 1600 nor in high-resolution photos with good self-ISO for me; From ISO 3200 you should then already. For comparison - previously was ISO 400 times the highest of all emotions.
The package is small. Damn small. And I had massive doubts after seeing the appropriate comments on any web pages. Ultimately, has proved to me that the size of my larger, higher resolution hands is really perfectly acceptable. After about 3-4 weeks acclimatization period everyone has probably the individually optimal posture found. One-handed operation is in my opinion not really make sense possible because the handles are not suitable for this - in spite of the very pleasant weight. The grip offered by Panasonic as an accessory is overpriced in my opinion; an alternative can be found on "franiec grip GM1" - I do not have it, but can not imagine that the alternative will also help well.
In this combination, I find the package of GM1 and the very compact zoom really stands out well.
On a few points I would like to explicitly enter:
* Image quality - is a function of user, lens, and camera. The camera sensor works very well, the 12-32mm kit zoom lens (24mm - 64mm small picture) works very well; a Panasonic 45-150mm optically stabilized zoom (90mm-300mm small picture) is very fast and very easily; Plus, there's the manual Samyang 7.5mm Fisheye (15mm). All this is not professional quality and can not be expected in the price range, in the size class, and also in the weight class. The quality is perfectly adequate for most applications. What can under correctly used, the camera can be seen for example when searching for "flickr cameras dmc-GM1".
* Size and weight - compact and light. The lenses. The GM1 with kit lens fits loosely in your pocket and came easily be carried by hand. All lenses (above) and batteries are suitable in a small fanny pack and are thus always present without disturbing really.
* Robustness - to my shame, I must confess that the camera including kit lens has three times the floor need to contact. Has suffered the paint, but the optical quality appears unchanged (good). From my perspective, this is important because the photograph is not my main focus - I just want the record what I see at this moment.
* Speed - the camera will start very quickly and react rapidly and directly; the autofocus is almost always true, and always very fast, even in low light conditions.
* Flash - I usually use no flash but the available light; who really knows that he must have flash that would take significantly larger cameras with significantly greater flashes in the eye.
* Battery and power - yes, the battery is small indeed. In practice it has proved to me that a battery for a whole vacation day survived packed with photograph. Who will score only 10 photos per day, for the battery lasts significantly longer. When traveling, it has been found that completely the original battery and two additional, cheap noname batteries sufficient to guarantee the camera to use several days without recharging intensive. Battery charging happens with external charger. The ideal would be the (optional) charging directly in the camera via USB, but I think that this was technically no longer be accommodated in the overall design of the camera. Energy management is simple: Turn off the camera always immediately - and on again when needed. Since the camera very fast start (see above) which is practiced very rapidly and prolongs battery life.
* WLAN - uses a lot of energy and has two functions: a) upload from the camera directly to the Internet. I think the implementation of very, very moderately and do not use it; b) remote control of the camera - and this works really well if you, for example, the camera is positioned at a location at which a person is not really good.
I had now an opportunity to play with a Sony RX100 (II) - provided similar compact and light, but without the ability to change the lenses, and with their own compromises. A Panasonic GH4 (the top model of Panasonic) I already had in my hand and found it really, really sexy because incredibly fast, incredibly tired in his hand lying, a plethora of features. Oh, and unfortunately the GH4 is really big (in comparison).
In my travels, a smartphone is also becoming additionally there - a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The camera built there belongs to the upper class of what is currently on the market. The produced image quality is certainly good and I am always amazed what is technologically feasible. This is true but only in perfect and matching lighting conditions. Once a wide range and light and dark areas in a photo should show the smartphone much earlier and more clearly the weaknesses of the lens and the sensor. The GM1 is actually getting dramatically better - faster, clearer photos, more dynamic range, a lot more flexibility with interchangeable lenses.
If you are daring enough, you can use the GM1 as Selfie- and Action Camera: The focal length of the kit lens is short enough that you can make nice photos outstretched arm. The camera is light enough that you can install it on a handheld tripod (Cullmann Flexx Freestyle Kit) - which then helps very in the stabilization of video.
Oh - and by the quality of the video from the camera is very good, with very good resolution. Meanwhile, I am learning that for most videos a tripod is very important that you should not shoot out of hand as a rule. Once I've implemented, my videos are content probably ahnsehlicher.
Would I buy the GM1 again? Yes!
