A few thoughts about the Panasonic G3

I've had the Panasonic G3 for a few weeks now. I haven't had much time to do much more than "play" with it. I am getting familiar enough with it's strengths and weaknesses so that I'm not stumbling around.

This is a small camera. That may seem like an obvious statement but it's amazingly small for the amount of technology and features it's packing. I had an Olympus E-510 and E-P1 before replacing them both with the Panasonic G3. The G3 handles better than the E-P1 and has the primary features of the E-510. That's a hell of a trick.

The EVF image on the G3 is far bigger than you'd expect from a SLR-like camera. I don't think you could make an OVF appear that big that easily. Yes, I prefer an OVF for clarity and speed, but I'll take an EVF for composition. An OVF can't "gain up" when the light gets low. When I see this EVF boost an image it's a quick visual clue that the ISO is climbing (when it's on automatic).

Yes, Panasonic's tend to drift to warm black as the ISO climbs and the ambient light levels drop. It's an interesting effect and easily adjusted in Lightroom. Every digital camera has it's own "palette of colors".

The kit lens is good, a bit more sensitive to flare than the Olympus kit lens, but good. (It just may be the Olympus cameras were cleaning this up electronically, even in RAW.) I have a nasty habit of shooting towards the sun sometimes. I'm not seeing internal reflections in the images (I did with the Olympus lens) but a general lowering of contrast. Again, it's an easy Lightroom fix. Its not easy to make a lens hood that covers 28mm to 84mm. I'd rather have the "effect" than not. It's a natural effect. I don't want the camera or software cleaning it up for me.

What we all overlook is how far Panasonic has come as a camera brand in a very short time. The first Lumix was in 2001. They had no film cameras. The did have video and (obviously) electronics experience before the first Lumix. But in a tick over a decade Panasonic has built up quite a solid reputation for good cameras. They've taken Micro Four Thirds farther than anyone else, even Olympus. Thinking back, I've probably owned more Panasonic digital cameras than any other brand. They work well. I currently own three and not one of them has me thinking "this camera would be better if..."

What the G3 reminds me of is my old Panasonic FZ8. Even when I bought my first digital SLR, more often than not, I grabbed the FZ8. It had an incredible lens, created great RAW files and it worked well. I considered getting the FZ150 before the G3 came out. The FZ's are that good.

In a few weeks I'll pick up the 45-200 lens. Right now I want to get more familiar with the camera and it's features, not load up on accessories and distractions. Overall, I think the G3 is a hell of a good camera. It stands out from the others (at this price point) with just the right amount of useful features and handling - and a minimum of electronic gimmicks.