Friday, August 2, 2013

Finally! The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is Announced and Looks Great!

 
Image Source:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/01/panasonic-reveals-lumix-dmc-gx7-enthusiast-mirrorless-camera
 
I have not been using my Micro 4/3 camera system much at all this year. Focusing more on Leica and film cameras, I just have not had the time to use it all. I did invest in a DMC-GX1 for a pittance earlier in the year, and took it along on a trip to Key West, Florida.
 
(Click Here) to see some shots I made with the GX1 on that trip.
 
The GX1 works very, very well in my hands. But, we Panasonic fans have been waiting for a next generation of GX cameras, bringing the sensors up to date with the state of the art, especially as it concerns high iso performance. Well, it's finally here, or at least announced.
 
(Click Here) to read about it on dpreview.com
 
What are the great features? Well, first, the GX7 reportedly has an all-new sensor with improved signal-to-noise performance. This means that it will indeed perform better at high iso settings (low light), with less noise. The maximum iso setting is now 25,600, though I would bet that the maximum useable setting is somewhat lower than that, if you don't want to deal with a lot of sensor noise. We'll see.
 
It also has in-body stabilization, which has been in Olympus cameras for some time, but never in a Lumix Micro 4/3 body. I hope this will work well with my older Micro 4/3 lenses that have stabilization built into the lens.
 
The next GX7 also has a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), rather than the accessory finders required for previous GX cameras.
 
Finally, the GX7 provides "focus peaking," which allows you to know when you're in focus when you're using manual focus.
 
These cameras will be in high demand for some time. They'll sell lots of them. I can't wait to see just how good the new sensor is.
 
There's more news from Panasonic as well. They have announced a new Pana-Leica "Nocticron" 42.5mm f1.2 super fast lens. This will be a wonderful portrait lens, taking advantage of the compact Micro 4/3 design, yet with a sufficiently fast maximum aperture to produce shallow depth of field, a common desire in portraiture. More on that later.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 

1 comment:

  1. Yes, maybe a big step forward by Panasonic. Can't wait to hear about IQ vs. Olympus OM-D. Focus peaking is a big plus. Having the viewfinder in the left corner of the body might take some getting used to. I wish the price were a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

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