Panasonic at Photokina

Panasonic was my first – and longest – visit to any booth while at Photokina. I've invested in their Micro Four Thirds system and already own 3 superb lenses. So it makes sense to continue to build that system rather than starting again from scratch. I did that once, and the economic implications were not favourable, to say the least. But I see no reason to switch systems anyway: Panasonic continues to develop cameras that by and large fit well with my shooting style. Cameras seem to be designed by people who actually use them; the user interface and ergonomics are good. Their cameras tend to be responsive and technically on the cutting edge. The system as a whole is also light and compact and suited to my mobile life style. So, as far as I'm concerned it's a good system to continue investing in. And if all else fails, there's always Olympus who also design lenses and camera bodies for the Micro Four Thirds system

GH2 │ GF1 + Lumix 20mm F1.7 │ 20mm F5.6 1/8s ISO100Most of all I wanted to get my hands on the new GH2. I arrived at the stand and had a talk with one of Panasonic's representatives who turned out to be a photo journalist. I guess he decided I knew what I was talking about and immediately gave me an untethered GH2 as well as inviting me into a roped off area at the front of the stage. So I got to try out the improved autofocus modes. They're quite impressive: the autofocus is not only much quicker but also able to better track moving subjects.

I need a camera that has both a high quality electronic viewfinder and an articulated screen. Both are incredibly useful. Being able to rotate the screen so it faces a different direction gives me the flexibility of framing shots from unusual angles. That way I won't have to lie sprawled in the mud to capture a low to the ground perspective. I'll go to great lengths to get a good photo, but that's a little too far. A good viewfinder has the usual advantages of allowing you to immerse yourself in the composition and providing added stability at low shutter speeds. You can also review photos in an electronic viewfinder when glare makes it difficult to see the rear screen.

Focus of Attention │ GF1 + Leica 45mm F2.8 │ 45mm F4.0 1/80s ISO100The GH2 and its predecessors are somewhat controversial for their conservative DSLR styling. I've never liked literal copies of historical designs and luckily Panasonic manages not to go that far (for that you had to walk over to the Fuji stand). While I would prefer a more innovative design, the body at least works well ergonomically. It adds a little bulk, but the grip affords a more secure and comfortable hold on the camera. This is especially true with any lenses larger than the pancakes. The grip is now covered in a slip resistant elastomer. The body itself seems to have a more durable textured finish. Previous models were covered in a thin, rubberised coating which started to peel off on my G1. While only cosmetic it didn't instil a lot of confidence in the overall durability of the camera.

The central positioning of the viewfinder and flash housing, while not strictly necessary, also works well. The viewfinder eye piece protrudes sufficiently from the rear of the camera that you don't need to press your face into the rear screen (you could also turn the LCD to face the camera if you wanted to). It's a lot better than on my former Nikon D300 where oily smears from my face obstructed the LCD. Nikon's viewfinder is almost flush with the screen.

Overall, I really liked the GH2. Performance has been improved and image quality promises to be better than its immediate predecessor (by how much remains to be seen). Numerous tweaks have been made to the user interface. For example, there are now 3 function buttons to which you can assign settings. Really useful is the ability to assign single shot spot metering: pressing the Fn button calls up spot metering for the next shot. After releasing the shutter, the camera returns you to your normal metering mode. That's much quicker than scrolling through menus.

Curving Curves │ GF1 + Lumix 8mm F3.5 Fisheye │ 8mm F6.3 1/60s ISO125

While Micro Four Thirds partner Olympus did not have their new M.Zuiko 75-300 lens ready at the show for visitors to try out, Panasonic had all 3 new MFT lenses available for testing. To show how serious Panasonic is taking Micro Four Thirds, they had a nice lens catalogue available. It featured representative photographs taken with each lens, product shots, specifications and MTF diagrams for each of the current 11 lenses. While I tried out the 100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 tele zoom, the exhibition hall was really too dark for what is essentially an outdoor lens. I think it'll make a good special use lens, for times when getting closer to your subject isn't possible. The 14mm f/2.5 pancake is astonishingly compact; it'll make a great companion to the 20mm f/1.7 as part of a compact kit with the GF1 (or an even smaller successor camera). From what I could tell, image quality is very good, right into the corners despite automatic distortion correction.

But I was most surprised by how much I liked the new 8mm f/3.5 fisheye lens. The extreme curved, wide angle shots create the potential for wonderful abstracts. I'll be scraping my pennies together to be able to afford one of these. In addition to a GH2 – that goes without saying...

Lecture │ GF1 + Leica 45mm F2.8 │ 45mm F2.8 1/80s ISO1250