Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/02/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Feb 2, 2010, at 9:11 AM, Jim Laurel wrote: > Totally agree with you, Mark. I took one of these little beasts with me to > Burma as an M9 backup, but it ended up logging as many frames as the M9! > Truly a delightful little camera with great lenses. > > http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/3708140154/photos a series of wonderful images, whatever the camera... proves again it's the photographer who makes the photo, it's great Jim, certainly impressive that these are out of the GF1... Steve > > I always loved the CL and the Olympus Pen, and the GF-1 is very much a CL > + Pen hybrid brought into the 21st century. One of the most intriguing > things to me is the concept of the lenses carrying around optical > corrections in firmware. I've already gotten some firmware updates for my > M4/3 lenses. I wonder what Barnack would have thought of being able to > update lens designs with software? > > I used the Voigtlander adapter to mount M lenses, and it worked very well. > Stick to 35mm and longer, though. I did not have very good results with > 28mm and wider. > > -Jim > > > On Feb 2, 2010, at 8:43 AM, Mark Pope wrote: > >> Having just taken delivery of a GF1 with 20 Pancake lens, my initial >> thoughts are that I am going to get along famously with this camera. >> Likes: >> >> - overall build quality >> >> - size - not too big, not too small. Perfect for Goldilocks :-) >> >> - ergonomics - it didn't take too long to suss out where everything was. >> Why though does a camera need a 196-page manual (see below...) >> >> - optical quality - which is what really matters isn't it? The first few >> prints that I have made are nice an sharp and the colour rendition is >> excellent (according to Karin, whose colour vision is much, much better >> than mine). >> >> - autofocus - the face-detection and follow-focus features work very well >> indeed. >> >> Dislikes: >> >> - the battery/SD card door feels a bit flimsy. It spoils an otherwise >> very nicely made camera. >> >> - vertical pictures are not auto-rotated when imported to Lightroom. I >> subsequently discovered that this feature which is known as the >> 'direction detection feature', isn't supported with the 20mm pancake >> lens. Not a deal-breaker, but as I like to shoot portrait format quite a >> lot, it's an annoyance. >> >> - more modes than you can shake a stick at. I think the camera was >> dipped in Complicatonite. There are scene modes: 17 of them, plus the >> usual Program, Aperture priority, Shutter Priority, manual, movie, >> intelligent auto, two custom modes and one with an artist's pallette, >> which I have no idea about. Then there are the flash modes (which I >> haven't looked at yet). This little camera is very a la mode! In >> short, I think it, like many other cameras of Japanese origin, is too >> complicated. Features have been added for three reasons: first because >> the marketers think it's a good idea, second because the opposition do it >> and third because they can. >> >> In terms of physical size, the body is roughly the same size as a Ricoh >> GR1 (film compact) with the lens retracted. The 20mm lens is quite a big >> lens and does add considerably to the bulk of the camera (it's not really >> pocketable) but the balance is nice. >> >> For me, the biggest advantage of the GF1 is definitely the 4/3 sensor. >> I've used it up to ISO 800 and produced some pleasing prints. Yes, they >> are noisy, but whether the noise is acceptable is a personal thing. >> >> Overall, then I think it's a smashing piece of kit. I haven't tried an >> optical finder yet: that's on its way thanks to Nathan. >> Is it better than the GRD III? Probably. Whilst the Ricoh is now in its >> third generation, I feel that the small sensor will still be a limiting >> factor in its overall image quality. I have heard that Panasonic are due >> to bring out a 14mm pancake lens, giving a field of view equivalent to a >> 28mm. Now that will be an interesting combination! >> >> I hope you find this useful. Pictures to follow, probably when I post my >> PAW on Friday. >> >> Best wishes >> >> >> Mark >> >> Mark Pope, >> Swindon, Wilts >> UK >> >> Homepage http://www.monomagic.co.uk >> Blog http://www.monomagic.co.uk/blog >> Picture a week (2010) >> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2010 >> Picture a week (2009) >> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2009 >> (2008) http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2008 >> >> >> Steve Barbour wrote: >>> I'm wondering with the recent interest in the Panasonic GF1 with the >>> 20mm pancake lens and an external optical VF, has any used/compared this >>> to the Ricoh GRD-III with its 28mm lens and the optional external >>> viewfinder... >>> I 'd be very interested to hear your thoughts, reactions, comparisons, >>> appreciated, >>> Steve >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information