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Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/160, F5.6, ISO 640, Photo by T.Takahashi

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF7 / SHOOTING REPORT

This is the 6th generation of the GF series and it came with a new design, which reminds us the elegant taste of the GM-5 and the GM-1. In addition, it has a 3-inch 1,040,000-dot tilting touch screen LCD which rotates upwards up to 180 degree to enable selfies. And, the body became thinner by more than 5mm (from 38.4 to 33.3mm) and it's a bit shorter and narrower as well. So, I feel it's slightly more compact than the predecessor. Of course, it becomes bigger when a micro four-thirds lens is mounted, I can still say that it's just as small as conventional compact digital cameras. The kit lenses include a standard and telephoto zooms covering 24-64mm and 70-200mm respectively in 35mm format. They are both compact and collapsible, so they match the body very well and make a highly mobile and casual system. So, for this report, I shot everyday scenes with this kit.

( Photography : T.Takahashi / Text : KIMURAX )

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 12-32mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/13, F5.6, ISO 3200, Photo by T.Takahashi

I shot at the tele-end of the standard zoom lens. Dogs do move when they are being shot and I kept producing blurry shots. So, I raised the ISO to 3200 to get faster shutter speed. Focusing on the tip of the nose, I could get this shot. Despite the high sensitivity, it's not noisy. The nose tip looks sharp and there's no problem for general viewing. The mode dial has "child mode" which automatically increases the shutter speed according to subject's movement and switches to burst mode. This convenient feature is too good to ignore, too.

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/320, F5.6, ISO 200, Photo by T.Takahashi

I switched to the telephoto zoom lens and zoomed in to 200mm to take this snapshot. It's hard to get a big bokeh with this sensor size, but it's big enough to emphasize the subject. The resolution and the 3D quality are great.

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/160, F4.5, ISO 200, Photo by T.Takahashi

Despite the distance, the texture reproduction of the eave's chemical fiber sheet and the rusted bicycle is sweet.

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/160, F5.6, ISO 640, Photo by T.Takahashi

The color is so vivid that it reminds me of the tasty scent when they were served. The tone is nice, too. You can transfer images to your smartphone with the built-in Wi-Fi and now can do it without entering password. Also, it supports the initial authentication via QR code and it definitely facilitates the Wi-Fi connection, too.

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/80, F4, ISO 640, Photo by T.Takahashi

Shot at the 70mm wide-end. It has a good balance between highlight and shadow, and reproduced the subtle color tones. And, I think you can use the ISO640 sensitivity regularly. Another nice feature using the Wi-Fi is the long exposure up to 60 seconds by setting the shutter speed dial to T (Time) position. You can open and close the shutter remotely by smartphone and this prevents camera shake.


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This is how it looks when shooting selfies. On your right, you can see the Wi-Fi button and this will function as a shutter button when the LCD is tilted. So, even when the camera is facing toward you, you can still press the shutter with your right finger. Furthermore, it has another function applying the "face detection" - it shoots selfies even without pressing the shutter button!

Panasonic DMC-GF7W, LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S., 1/160, F5.6, ISO 3200, Photo by T.Takahashi

The sand beach and the work piece in focus look crisp and speak about the cold sea breeze. Try shooting under in lowlight condition as it better expresses the mood.


With a new design, this friendly mirrorless is ready for selfies, too.

The elegant leatherette and the color variation is a trend of Panasonic's compact mirrorless cameras. This minimum and fashionable model with a tilting LCD comes in 3 colors and will attract a variety of users. And, it's more compact and lighter than the predecessor. In addition, it has faster burst speed and more convenient Wi-Fi. This camera is great for those who are looking for a stylish camera. Or, it's a great substitute camera to a compact camera because of the excellent image quality and additional lenses, which are privileges of interchangeable-lens camera users.

( 06.04.2015 )