Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

Reviews are starting to appear for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. The most comprehensive ones can be read at camera enthusiast websites such as The Imaging Resource, DCResource.com, and DigitalCameraReview.com, while PopPhoto.com and CNet.com offer good (though less detailed) reports. We found too few user reports for any source to be of much value for those.

"Game-changing," "historic" and "breakthrough" are some of the adjectives critics use when talking about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, which is the first non-SLR digital camera to offer the option of interchangeable lenses. Picture quality is excellent -- competitive with those from high-quality digital SLR cameras in side-by-side tests. Virtually every digital camera feature -- save a movie mode -- is here, as are some DSLR features, such as a dust-reduction system. This Micro Four-Thirds (Micro 4/3) system digital camera is larger than typical compact digital cameras, yet smaller than most DSLRs. On the downside, only one accessory zoom lens is currently available, though an optional adapter allows the use of standard 4/3 lenses. The biggest negative is price, as the DMC-G1 costs more than some entry-level digital SLR cameras. While there is no direct competition for this camera yet, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (*est. $405) is a substantially smaller and substantially less expensive advanced compact digital camera with tons of features and great image quality. While the 24mm Leica-branded zoom lens is not changeable, reports indicate it's a cut above the norm. One negative is that the lens has a very short, 2.5x zoom range.