You can tell it more obviously with Chris and the photographs that he takes;you don't need an up to date fancy tick-all-boxes camera to take good photos. A 10 year old Lumix G1 gives you amazing photos at the hands of a good photographer.
Well, he's using a very good Leica lens on it, and lenses evolve very slowly. So invest in good lenses, the backend bit is less critical (unless you need super fancy focus ofcourse).
That Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 is the superstar in the fleet of the Pana/Leica lenses. It outshines most of the primes from Canon/Nikon/Sony. It plays a vital role in making Chris' photos very pleasing aside his being a seasoned photographer.
I shoot by Canon before DSLR then I Swap to Panasonic GX80 , its great Camera but... really hard to hold with bigger lens , and You know what , I bought Panasonic G2 :) way better handling, many controlls Resolution for Hobbyist Just enough :) In Future I will Upgrade to G80 when prices drop down :)
a lot of people actually prefer that design of tilting screen. it's arguably better for street photography and video (when you're only behind the camera) because you can shoot from waist level without having the screen stick out of the side (which some find annoying).
I bought my G1 in December 2008. Loved that thing, still amazed at the images I got from it. Panasonic got so many things right with the G1, design-wise, some other mirrorless manufacturers are still playing catch-up.
Joe Van Cleave I got mine in 2009 with the excellent 14-45mm lens and 45-200mm. Like you I got great images from it as it was good in most applications. Switched to Canon 7D mkII in 2014 after 24,000 plus images with the G1.
I now realise I went mirrorless in 2004. After a lifetime using SLRs (I bought a Rollei SL35 in 1973) I bought an Olympus Stylus 200 3MP compact. The lens quality was amazing and I carried it everywhere. Life got difficult as I approached retirement and I never used a film again in my Nikon FM2n kit. Then a couple of years ago I caught the bug again and bought a used Nikon D80 to use my lenses. Well I soon went mad and bought some new lenses a used D700 and a new D7100. It was a huge disappointment and I hated the Nikon kit and I bought an Olympus TG-3 to replace the Stylus 200. This reached a head on the next holiday and day one I threw the D7100 in disgust into a drawer and used the Olympus all week; it didnt disgrace itself. First week home I bought a used Panasonic GX7 and a 14-140mm lens for travel. I was amazed, especially when an Olympus 17mm f1.8 turned up next month. The Nikon DSLRs were bundled up and sold; I still use my FM2n for film. So now I use a Panasonic GX9 and a whole bag full of small primes. I realise the DSLR experiment was a very expensive mistake which only lasted a year or so and really my main cameras were Olympus compacts until I bought into MFT 2 years ago. So yes I went mirrorless in 2004 and I wont be going back ;-)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I’m now feeling a bit nostalgic about my first real digital camera - Olympus E-300 EVOLT. While not a mirrorless, it did feature the MFT sensor and a wonky side-swinging mirror. That camera had a face that only a mother could love. It was incredibly homely, but at the time, I thought it was the cat’s meow. The pictures captured can’t even come close to the quality I get with my Fuji, but they look decent enough given the 8MP file size.
My opinion is that the mirrorless revolution started with the APS-C Fujifilm X-Pro1 in 2012 and the full frame Sony a7, a7R in 2013. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 had an impressive APS-C digital image sensor and the a7 opened the road of full frame mirrorless cameras. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Sony a7, a7R were launched with very good lenses of professional quality. Before the lenses for mirrorless cameras were oriented mainly to amateurs.
My first mirrorless camera was the Panasonic G2, which is basically 98% G1, and I also owned the G1 too. They are still the best ergonomic feel of any mirrorless camera I ever tried for me. I never had problems with battery life, I got close to 1000 images with my G2 many times. The EVF was low-ish resolution and the back screen was pretty crap but the magnification focus aways saved my ass. I see that the colors still look amazing as they did back then, punch but not oversaturated. Dynamic Range was not up to bragging rights and High ISO performance was not comparable but I was happy with those cameras for almost 5 years. I wish Panasonic kept to that body size (instead of getting fatter with every model like sending kids to McDonald as they grow up) and some of the amazingly quick and easy to use dials and switches. For me Panasonic G2 is the pinnacle of ergonomics in DSLR center EVF camera, while Panasonic GX7 is the pinnacle of ergonomics in the Rangefinder left side EVF camera.
Good job guys I shoot a g7 but I still have my GH1 and shoot it occasionally because in good light its sensor has a very analog look to it wheras the G7 colors feel a bit more pastel. the g7 also feels very cheaply plasticky while the GH1 feels more higher grade and its raised buttons are easy to use by feel compared to the g7's flush buttons. the G7 blows it away though in high ISO, ISO 1600 is better than ISO 400 on the GH and the video quality is much more capable also, the image app to remotely operate the cam, the audio levels, I wish I could put the G7 guts in the GH1 body sometimes. glad you highlighted this camera, respect
I love retrospective looks at older digital cameras. Fun to see where things came from. And it's crazy how much video resolution has increased in the last decade.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 April 2009 was the second mirrorless camera and the first with video recording. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 October 2008 was the first mirrorless camera five months earlier.
Makes me nostalgic! Loved my G1, and the mirrorless concept, as a weekend camera from my big, heavy Nikon dslr working camera kit. And has Panasonic really ever had the credit for inventing the mirrorless camera format? They really are as pioneering in photography in the 21st century, as we revere Leica for being in the 20th century launching the 35mm camera. Remember, nothing much had touch screens back then, so to me the G1 (and then GF1 too) were everything my Nikon D2h was, but massively smaller. PS- big hint at the end about a review of certain new Nikon camera..!
This takes me back. My first m43 camera was the Olympus E-PL3, but I'm still using the system and love how compact it is. It would be fun to see more of these type of videos. BTW, I love you guys!... No homo.
Delighted to see this video right after i purchased my very own G1, featuring 20k shutter counts. Don't know when will my copy pops, but I can confirm this a great camera to shoot with.
6:35 I like how the woman has pulled her t-shirt over her head and at 7:01 when Chris is talking she is like "oh shit, I'm on camera" und puts it back into its normal position
i feel like I only ever really grew up with mirrorless. I had a film camera first, but dslr’s always seemed too pricey for me, as much as I wanted one. I got a gf1 first, which I loved. had a gh3 up until recently before selling it. looking for a new camera now and it’s a fascinating time to be in the market watching all these releases. I think I’ve watched every camera store tv review of the last 5 years over the last few months haha. I’ve had some catching up to do since the gh3. but anyway, as a result dslrs always seemed kinda slow and bulky to me, sort of, old school. the benefits of mirrorless I can’t take for granted and it’s where I’ll be staying into the future I think
I loved the G1 when it came out, but it was too expensive and there were not enough lenses. I waited and got a G3 and the X lenses (which I still have) and changed the bodies as time has passed. Love the MFT system, still love pocketing the GM1 (wish they would do an update on the GM1/5!) and can't see that I will change, MFT offers me everything i need in a size I'm happy to carry.
The GM5 is a marvel of miniaturization, it's body is smaller than the Sony RX100 IV body. I can use the larger Olympus OMD-EM1 or Panasonic G9 as a "Main Camera" and the GM5 as a small carry around camera like a point and shoot. But if anything happens to your main camera suddenly that little carry around camera is also your backup because you can still mount all your main lenses to it.
Dunno why Chris and Jordan don’t create their own RU-vid channel, neither TCSTV or DPreview seems to be their ultimate platform for the long run, would like to see their own RU-vid channel someday ;-)
Most of the times for most of human beings, specially amateur photographers, pictures find their final gallery over cellular phone screens, or pc screens on best of cases. From that perspective the G1 continues to be the hell of a camera and most newer or more expensive cameras a total waist of money, sleeping in dusted shelfs for being too big and heavy full frame dslrs. The G1 brought a revolutionary advance not yet fully understood up to our very days: the Fully articulated lcd screen. When we see nowadays very advancedly expensive cameras with a tilting back as a sort of excuse for not having a fully articulated back, I dont know if to laugh or to cry. But when I see youtube folks presenting the tilt back as a means to watch the image from above, then I know that what I had to do was definitely to cry. The fully articulated back is in fact a mighty creative tool making creative shots possible or impossible, by reformulating what you see in the image, via changing camera position, and this goes far beyond the outstanding convenience as a tool. It is there, at the G1, and still not in cameras ten times more expensive, ten years later....
I'm thinking about getting this camera just to put the Kamlan 50mm f/1.1 on it, since I'm a Nikon guy and they don't make an F mount version of that lens. I found the G1 on eBay for some great prices
Bought the Olympus E-P1 2009 ..... was a nice cam. With a lot of drawbacks ... but nice. Still on mFT since then. (GH2, E-PL3, OM-D E-M5, E-PL6, E-M1, E-M10 I & II, G9)
pcpanik I still use my E-P1 regularly. At ISO 400 or less the files and colors from that camera are gorgeous; it’s a perfect camera for shooting people.
I miss these unsung camera of yesteryear videos! Interesting to see how far mirrorless has come in ten years. You guys should also do some sung cameras from the yesteryear as well maybe.
I didn't know about the G1 and it being the first mirrorless. I had a Sony A33 and A55 (later an A65) in 2010 when it first came out. I've been crediting Sony for bringing mirrorless to the world in high volume. I still shoot only Sony mirrorless. Wish I could afford an a7III. I'm happy with my a6500 and a77. To me mirrorless just made sense. I don't think the full power of mirrorless is with us yet.
I started with a canon Powershot A470 point and shoot. That was a huge deal for me with 7.1mp, super macro mode and killer video quality that got me into the photography thing moreover a canon fanboy 📸
Please do a 5d mkII, 10 years later video. That'd be super interesting imo Heck, even do one on the original 5d. That's like the rage these days. A bunch of youtubers have done videos on the original 5d and I'd love you guys' perspective.
Hi Chris, thank you for a very well thought out video and summary of recent mirrorless history. I feel that your assumption that DSLR's will continue may be incorrect, it occurred to me quite recently that the technology needed for optical systems will continue to become more and more expensive to make, while the manufacture of EVF's will get cheaper and cheaper because highly skilled engineers and craftsmen are not needed. The unfortunate 'reality' of modern industry controlled as it is by bean-counters and profit motivated executives will wipe out the DSLR as we know and love it. It seems that Nikon and Canon are already starting to change over with their new mirrorless offerings. We must always remember that the industry is not interested in giving us good stuff to play with, only what gives them the most profit!. Cheers, Richard.
wow man, I extensively used Minolta Dimage A2 with EVF back in the 2000s and I thought I was beating the DSLR users because my EVF showed THE IMAGE AS IT WAS BEING TAKEN!
Nah, I don't think so - it's still being tested by "social media creators" first! ROFL Seriously though, I'd expect the first solid stuff to appear in October. Announcement is in three days, Photokina will bring us the first hands-on material in September, and then in early October we'll see reviews.
10 years ago I had a cheap Canon Powershot. 6 Megapixels. It lasted me up until 2013 and I finally replaced it. Mirrorless cameras are cool, but like you mentioned, there hasn't been a lot of thoughtful design going into them.
Thanks for a great video.......Canon and Nikon had it all their own way but once Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) and Sony got involved in this market with their abundant resources, R & D and their ability to take sustained losses to break into the market, it was only a matter of time before the pendulum started turning........also aided by the fact that Canon and to lesser extent Nikon were asleep at the wheel in an era of touch screens, smart phones, instant sharing and advanced oled technology.......
I had upgraded my nikon to the D90 back then. I liked being able to see directly through the lens in the viewfinder without any digital screens. (this also saved on battery power) I was confused about the M43 mount back then. The D90 was the first dslr I owned with a video mode. It did 720p but it was horrible. No 29.97 as an option. lol I still had a separate HD camcorder. I had to wrap a scarf around my D90 when shooting concerts as the shutter is loud. It always annoyed me back then all the canon shooters that left the default beep sounds on in the setting every time an auto focus was complete.
This vid reminds why I still keep around my Canon G15. Its such a handy little camera that has good controls, is super easy to use and still takes superior pics to my phone. It goes with me every where. I have been thinking about getting a G5X or G7x M2 to replace it but I think I will wait to see if Canon does any updates to those cameras at the end of the year......then it will be a decision between picking up the older camera on the cheap on ebay or the new cameras being that much better to deserve the plunge. That or I will just keep plugin along with my little G15. :).........I really want USB charging and Wifi though....Great features on my Sony A6000 which I don't carry around with me all the time because lens add weight/complexity and now that I walk around with a cane weight and ease of use is everything.
Hi, great video. I was one of the early adopters and bought the G1 almost as soon as it was available in Europe (I lived in Finland then). I had wanted something to replace my EOS 20D and this seemed like the camera that would do that; and it was. As you observe the G1 had very few lenses available as native for it (while today the m43 mount is perhaps one of the richest) which provoked me to explore a range of (then new) adapters for legacy lenses. All this before the Olympus camera even came on the market. You mention the GF1 (which I also bought) and I think I disagree with your reasons for why it outsold the G1. To me it was that while DPReview was still lambasting the G1 as having its "faux prisim" they were somehow unable to get that Panasonics choices were pretty spot on with the G1. Stuff like their writings made the public eye turn to it being a mistake and waited for the Pen (which I never liked from the first time I held one). The G1 EVF was a quantum leap over everything EVF at the time, I'd say class leading, but as it was the only one in the class its a bit obvious. You mention "family looks" and yes, that's right; however its also true to look at it after 10 years of evolution and see that they got 99% of their physical design right directly from the get go (even Oly now uses tilt swivel screens). Glad to see you're over at DPReview now ... Jordan, the criticism that it had no microphone was a bit pointless (as was the reviewing of Video) as it just didn't have video ... duh ... you had the camera in your hand and didn't know that? In depth man ... wow ... oh and Jordan, can you identify which cameras AT THAT TIME had a touch functionality? best wishes
that was my first camera. I only had the kit lens so it wasn't the best experience. Upgraded later to a Canon T3i with a 50 mm 1.4f and finally to a Sony RX1 full-frame
I still have my GF1 and 20mm lens, I was shooting the 20mm yesterday, although on a GH5 as the sensor in the G1/GF1 was very poor as soon as you cranked the ISO up by even a small amount. Also DSLRs are still outselling mirrorless by nearly 2:1, so I think they'll be around for a number of years to come.
Had one of these cameras when they were new, not bad for an early mirrorless camera. Proved to be a nice travel camera, but I only had kit lenses so image quality was not great (lots of CA). Also wasn’t a big fan of the 4/3s image format, still prefer 3:2 for framing.
Can you introduce the D1 again? Or 5DII? Or make lens revolution visible? I recently bought the Nikkor AF-S 80-200/2.8 ED, which is absolutely the thing I need on my D800, despite being 17 years old.
I bought 2 year back GX80 So impressive camera with so many features but... but they was impresive for little while Now I dont need that 30 fps burst 4k all that stuff, end of Last year I bought Second hand Panasonic G2 with no any scuff Just 1400 shots was done so far and cost me 60 pound, just 60 pound for such a amazing camera , great handling Old evf But much bigger than that one from GX80 Only one thing what I missing is Focus peaking :) If I could hold that camera 2 years ago I will never spend that money to get GX80 :)
The kit lens that came with the G1 was so much better than the one from the G2, I actually bought a G1 kit lens just for the G2 body ! I now use a G85 and an Oly EM10 II, still like my G2 though.
The mirrorless revolution started when Sony and little later Fujifilm introduced their APS-C mirrorless cameras and it became phenomenal with the first full frame mirrorless cameras by Sony in 2013. After 2013 it was certain that mirrorless cameras came to stay. Actually Samsung introduced the first APS-C mirrorless camera in 2010 little earlier than Sony. Samsung, Nikon and Pentax weren't successful with their first mirrorless cameras because were oriented more to the common amateur with a poor variety of prime lenses. Canon with its mirrorless APS-C EF-M mount camera wasn't very successful either but still survives.
I always loved the more subtle design and good ergonomics of the panasonic cameras. Interesting that my g3 seems to have lost a lot of the dials and buttons of the g1. I love the colours of the g3 and am struggling with these of my current g85... Battery life however improved drastically. I never had a problem with the viewfinder of the g3 but now looking through it after the g85 it feels toyish. Photos still look great in 2018!
I used to have a camera and camcorder, now I have an fz2500, I can take 4k30p video and 20mp stills at the same time. I hope Panny gets better AF, if they do I will consider an ILC camera for my next upgrade.
Back in 2010 I considered the GF1 but I was just getting into photography and went for the LX5 instead. Some of the controls of that era are the same and my LX5 works fine even today. Moving the focus point is the same and it isn't difficult with the directional pad. Not having a touch screen was ok. But when you think that Panasonic was one of the first to use touch screens, I think the GF2 was first, they really are a pioneer. Nikon is late to the party.
That camera does looks pretty solid given it was a first attempt, nice video! I've been thinking of buying one of the early micro 4/3rds cameras and get those two body cap lenses from Olympus. Those two lenses sound like fun to mess around with.
The only thing stopping me going to m43 is the expensive lenses. They cost more than Fuji and Sony APS-C. Plus I don’t trust the iso gain noise to supplement a bigger sensor. I’d like to have more depth of field for equivalent focal lengths though. I had full frame and I like fast 50s, but getting the eye in focus and the nose out of focus on a 50 bothers me when all I want is more light.
I still have my G2 - it does 720p video. 😉 It's surprisingly robust. My E-PL1 is dead from an accidental drop. Oh, I have a GF-3, it's a camera I don't bond much to.
If only Olympus had made full frame, they would've been the first to bring the mirrorless and ruled the industry. I loved using their 4/3 systems but had to move on to Nikon.
I still use my GF2 which is like 1.5 generations up from G1. Still 12mp but with a touchscreen. Not very good in low light but just fine in good light. And who really needs more than 12 megapixels?
Mirrorless reviews soon? So when will your Z6/Z7 review come in? Most important: THE adapter. Please test it with all kind of ages of lenses: E series 50/1.8 pancake, push-pull-zooms, AF-D lenses, new ones like the 300/4.0 PF, etc.
The first camera i got, i traded my iphone 4 with it in 2011. Well worth it, still a useful device till today unlike the iphone 4, the 12Mp raw images are still good, i can make nice picture with it.
I still use the G2. Thought the only difference to the G2 was video. Now get aware that a decent touchscreen & mic port were added. Totally agree after some 9 years experience, very well designed camera. Still use it to travel in poor countries and with kids, particularly with the beautiful 720p video Compared to Sony A7 and A6100 far better menu system. More natural looking jpegs. Of course AF lags behind. However the contrast AF is more accurate
I have GF1, G5 and G80. GF1 is the camera i liked the most, despite it has lot of "flaws" compared to G80. It's very well build, screen is still ok, it's relatively small and image quality was great with 20mm/f1.7. Problem is that out of camera JPEGs have somewhat pale colors. G5 feels more like plastic toy, but it has better color rendering with somewhat orange tint in incandescent light. Color rendering in EVF is far from final result and touch screen does not feel good compared to cell phones. But ergonomy is definitely better especially with bigger and heavier lenses. G80 has again great build quality (appreciated when I visited US in rainy weather), in-body image stabilization, better touch screen, better color rendering in EVF, pretty silent shutter, larger buffer for RAW images and only drawback compared to G5 is weight. It addresses all G5's issue except battery life. However it feels like completely different beast than GF1 with 20mm which is much smaller. But ergonomy and performance for static low light scenes is way, way better. And stock 12-60mm lenses are surprisingly good. I guess it's the best camera per price that i ever had, it lacks only battery capacity and optinal USB charging.
