Look at picture of the Panasonic Lumix G10 might give you a sense of déjà vu, and it has to be said the package as a whole isn’t especially novel. It’s similar in basic design and features to every other Micro Four Thirds camera before it, from both Panasonic and its rivals. The kit lens is the now-standard 14-42mm (28 – 84mm equivalent) f/3.5 – 5.6 zoom and the body is roughly the same size as all previous Micro Four Thirds models; which is to say, larger than a digital compact but significantly smaller and lighter than the average digital SLR. Features are similar too, although it does bring a few extra tricks to the circus.
All Micro Four Thirds cameras lack an optical viewfinder because of the lack of space between lens and sensor; the G10 attempts to compensate for that with an electronic viewfinder (EVF) to supplement the 3in TFT screen. It’s only a partial success. With it, you can frame a shot in bright sunlight, but its colour rendition is poor, resolution is low at 202kpixels and it presents a very small image to the eye.
The lens doesn’t feel like a professional piece of kit, with matte-plastic construction and a plastic mount. Its low weight does contribute to an all-up weight for camera, lens and battery of just 552g, but that’s heavier than the Olympus PEN E-PL1’s overall 478g with its 14-44mm lens. The lens itself is less compact too, at about 62mm deep to the PEN’s 43mm. And there’s little arguing the Olympus has a lot more going for it in the looks department.
There are other differences between the G10 and its rivals though. The control layout is refreshing; you get a dedicated switch to select between single-shot, burst and bracketing modes, which for the many amateurs dabbling in HDR photography these days, will save a lot of time. Bracketing is flexible too, allowing up to seven shots in a sequence.
On the left shoulder of the body there’s another dedicated switch to choose between single-shot, continuous and manual focus; not so useful for everyday snappers but a boon for action photography. And if capturing fast-moving subjects really is your thing, you’ll be pleased to hear Panasonic has gone a long way to mitigating the Micro Four Thirds system’s Achilles heel: autofocus performance.
That drawback aside, the G10 makes a pretty impressive camcorder. It may “only” record at a maximum of 720p resolution but detail rendition is superb, as is colour reproduction. Set the Film Mode to Vibrant and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the G10 and typical modern broadcast TV footage, skill of the camera person notwithstanding.
Still image quality is as we’ve come to expect of recent Micro Four Thirds models: very good indeed. High-ISO noise is well controlled up to ISO 1600, and just about acceptable at ISO 3200. Chromatic aberrations with the stock lens aren’t entirely absent – tree branches against a bright sky tend towards purple fringing – but are generally few and far between.
Dynamic range isn’t quite at standard DSLR levels; clipping sets in a little earlier but it’s far closer to a DSLR than it is to digital-compact levels of performance. The overall look of shots is natural, open and detailed
It adds up to a competent but very slightly lacklustre package. If the Panasonic Lumix G10 had been released a year or so ago at this price point we’d have been gobsmacked, but things move on. As it is, Panasonic has produced a reasonable addition to the burgeoning ranks of Micro Four Thirds models, at a good price and with some useful features if you need them. It’s not the most exciting camera ever made but it’s a solid choice.
Author: David Fearon
PCPRO