Give the Panasonic Lumix GF5 a shot

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5.
PHOTO COURTESY PANASONIC

SINGAPORE - Panasonic last week launched its latest mirrorless camera, the Lumix DMC-GF5, an upgrade over the GF3 that was only released last year.

Casting an eye over it, the GF5 seems only slightly thicker, taller and heavier than the GF3. But when I cradled the camera, the expanded grip and slightly bigger size is noticeably more comfortable.

For lensmen with larger hands like myself, the grip feels more secure while shooting but is not quite as snug as with larger cameras such as the Lumix GF1 or the GX1.

However, the real difference shows when you switch the camera on.

Sporting a new high-resolution screen, images on the Lumix GF5 look great, and having a sharper display comes in handy when you are composing or reviewing shots.

But the biggest upgrade of all is its new sensor: While the megapixel count remains the same as the GF3, the new sensor is more sensitive and produces less grainy shots even in low light.

The image-processing Venus Engine also helps with the noise reduction. While not comparable with a high-end full-sized DSLR, the GF5 is very impressive in its small package.

The GF5 also tries to keep things simple with its "Intelligent Auto" option, which senses the ambient surroundings to shoot the perfect picture. It works great in all circumstances I tried it in.

However, if you wish to go into manual mode, the options are nested deep in the touchscreen, which became too much of a hassle.

All the incremental upgrades may not appear to be a big deal if you already own a GF3 or another entry-level mirrorless camera, but if you are looking to move on from your compact cameras or even your smartphone, the Panasonic GF5 is a good place to start.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 is available now and is priced at S$1,099 for either the GF5X with the power zoom 14-42mm LUMIX G X lens, or the GF5W with 14mm F2.5 pancake lens and 14-42mm standard kit lens. Alvin Chong

 Source:  todayonline.com