INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Panasonic has now made more Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera models that we can count, but the one that started it all of was the Lumix
DMC-G1 back in 2008.We take mirrorless cameras for granted now, but this was a major technological leap back then, when DSLRs ruled the
interchangeable lens cameras had been niche products like the Epson R-D1 and Leica M8 rangefinder cameras, but here was a small, affordable
interchangeable lens camera for enthusiasts that ditched the DSLR mirror mechanism and with it a good deal of weight and bulk of DSLRs of
The Lumix G1 was the very first modern-day mirrorless camera.But while the design was new, the sensor actually wasn't
The original Four Thirds format was introduced jointly by Panasonic and Olympus way back in 2002, but it was used as part of mirror-based
camera designs that made little headway against established brands, not least because of the smaller sensor format.But 2008 marked an
inspired design and marketing shift
The Four Thirds system was rebranded as Micro Four Thirds and was now mirrorless
And perhaps by virtue of hitting the market first, Panasonic and Olympus have maintained a strong position in the mirrorless market ever
since.What were the specsBy today's standards, the Panasonic G1's specifications look pretty tame
up from the tiny sensors used in smartphones and most compacts.The G1's resolution of 12.1MP would be greeted with howls of laughter
today, but actually that was pretty good in 2008
In the same year, Canon introduced the 12.2MP EOS Rebel XSi / EOS 450D and Nikon brought out the 12.2MP D90
In 2008, 12 megapixels was where it was at.You could get higher megapixel counts from full frame cameras like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II,
Nikon D3X and Sony A900, but in the affordable enthusiasts market, the G1's resolution was very competitive.The EVF had a resolution of
contrast-based with 23 AF zones but, possibly as a result of the smaller sensor size and lighter lenses, it felt very snappy even in direct
comparison with DSLRs of the time.With an ISO range of 100-3200, the G1 was never a low-light specialist, though, and the smaller sensor
size put it at a disadvantage compared to APS-C cameras, and that high-ISO performance difference persists to this day.The rear 3-inch
design brought big savings in size and weight
The G1's body measured 124 x 84 x 45mm and weighed just 380g, while its 14-45mm f/3.6-5.6 kit lens (28-90mm equivalent) weighed just 195g
Panasonic's cameras have brought huge increases in speed and performance since then!You also got lumbered with a battery life of 330
shots, which we now realise is pretty much what we must expect from the average mirrorless camera, but back then it caused some
grumbling.What made it so specialWe can look back now and think that the Lumix G1's specs look pretty tame, and back then it was such a
new idea that photographers raised on a diet of clunky, lumpy DSLRs and little else hardly knew what to make of it, so the reaction was more
muted than perhaps the camera deserved.But with the hindsight of history we can see that the Panasonic Lumix G1 was a breakthrough
Here was a mirrorless camera that did what a DSLR did and more, thanks to that articulating rear screen and permanent live view
mirrorless cameras that have followed.It's the camera that made photographers and camera makers realise what a mirrorless camera system
could do, and even though the G1 was long gone by the time mirrorless photography gained proper momentum, it deserves to be remembered as
the camera that made us all sit up and taken notice of mirrorless technology.e73y6zFsMYptnihGmXr7dX.jpg#
