Panasonic Lumix GM1 – April 2014

It's barely bigger than a pack of cards, but the Lumix GM1 may well be the perfect pocketable CSC.

Panasonic Lumix GM1 Review

Panasonic sought inspiration from its premium GX7 before developing the GM1 and despite being significantly smaller, it inherits many of the GX7's innards, including the same 16MP Live MOS sensor with a 4592 x 3448 pixel output and standard sensitivity range of 200-25,600, which is extendable to an equivalent of ISO 125. Processing power comes from Panasonic's Venus processing engine and it also inherits Panasonic's tried-and-tested Light Speed AF system which has a sensor data read-out time of 240fps and focus speeds of around 0.06sec.

Panasonic Lumix GM1 next to the Panasonic Lumix G6

In addition, those who shoot in low light will appreciate the GM1's -4EV detection range (roughly equivalent to starlight), while there's also the Pin-Point AF mode that allows you to precisely select the area of focus within a magnified view. On the subject of the screen, it has a 3in, 1036k-dot display that supports touch functionality. An impressive shutter speed range (60-16000sec) will appeal, but the feature it lacks is a viewfinder. There is a small pop-up flash and the GM1 can shoot at up to 5fps set to its AF-S mode with its mechanical shutter, or up to a sprightly 40fps once the electronic shutter is enabled. Despite its dinky proportions it also has Wi-fi to enable wireless image transfer to smartphones or tablets, with remote control available. Full HD video (1920 x 1080) is supported but there's no 3.5mm mic port.

The durable magnesium alloy construction and faux-leather frontage puts it in a higher league of finish compared to its Lumix cousin, the GF6. The compromise for it being so small however is the lack of command dials to control aperture and shutter speed independently, but the touchscreen can be used to alter most settings. There's no handgrip to wrap your fingers around, and while this preserves the minimalist styling, it wouldn't have gone amiss.

Whereas most CSCs can shoot more than 300 frames before a recharge is required, the GM1 has a battery life of 220 images. Given that USB charging isn't supported either, this conservative battery life is rather disappointing. It's a camera that really impresses when it comes to focusing, locking onto targets in a blink of an eye and rarely hesitating in low light. Having the option to pin-point, reposition and resize the AF point so intuitively via the touchscreen also means you can focus and shoot incredibly quickly.

The Micro Four Thirds chip can resolve strong levels of detail (24 lpmm) up to ISO 800, beyond which detail starts to tail off. Luminance noise gets progressively pronounced at ISO 1600 and 3200, with finer detail becoming harder to distinguish at ISO 6400 and beyond. Straight out of the camera, images appear vibrant, but there is the option to enhance saturation and vibrancy with up to seven photo styles and in scenes where there's stark contrast, the GM1's i. Dynamic mode is handy for retaining a little extra detail in the shadows.

Battery life is rated at 230 shots according to Panasonic / CIPA test results

 Verdict

The way such impressive features have been squeezed into such a small body goes to show what is possible, and as well as the GM1 being a great technological achievement in its own right, Panasonic has put its own stamp on what we define as compact in Compact System Camera. The limited battery life is the only underlying concern.