Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

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    Highlights

    • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
    • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
    • 3.0" 460k dot Fully Articulated Screen
    • Electronic Viewfinder
    • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
    • Built-in Flash
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was announced in 2009 and is a Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) Mirrorless camera with 12 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fully Articulated 3.0" screen with 460k dot resolution and built-in Electronic viewfinder.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Successor
    4. Screen and Viewfinder
    5. Sensor
    6. Photography Features
    7. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
    8. Other Features
    9. Physical Parameters
    10. For Different Types of Photography
    11. Evaluation
    12. Specifications  

    Here is the Panasonic -Gx series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Panasonic -Gx series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G9 II
    Compare
    		September
    2023    		 25.21 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,840k dots
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G100
    Compare
    		June
    2020    		 20.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,840k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G95
    Compare
    		April
    2019    		 20.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,240k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G9
    Compare
    		November
    2017    		 20.33 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G85
    Compare
    		September
    2016    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G7
    Compare
    		May
    2015    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G6
    Compare
    		April
    2013    		 16.05 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 12,800 Articulated 3.0"
    1,036k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G5
    Compare
    		July
    2012    		 16.05 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 12,800 Articulated 3.0"
    920k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G3
    Compare
    		July
    2011    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 6,400 Articulated 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G10
    Compare
    		August
    2010    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G2
    Compare
    		July
    2010    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 6,400 Articulated 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic G1 January
    2009    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Articulated 3.0"
    460k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II vs Lumix DC-G100 vs Lumix DC-G95 vs Lumix DC-G9 vs Lumix DMC-G85 vs Lumix DMC-G7.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1.

    PROS

    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Built-in Flash
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)

    CONS

    •   No Video Capture
    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
    •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Low DxO Overall Score - 53
    •   No Built-in Microphone
    •   No Microphone Input
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Successor

    In 2010 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
    Video Capture vs
    Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 1,600
    Touch-to-Focus vs
    Tracking Autofocus vs
    Face Detection vs
    Touch Screen vs
    Higher DxO Low Light ISO 493 vs 463
    Higher DxO Color Depth 21.2 vs 21.1
    Built-in Microphone Stereo vs
    Microphone Input vs
    Longer Battery Life 360 shots vs 330 shots
    DOWNGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
    Lower Max Continuous Shooting 2.6 fps vs 3.0 fps
    Heavier 428 g (0.94 lb / 15.10 oz) vs 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 vs Lumix DMC-G2.

    Screen and Viewfinder

    Fully Articulated screen

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has a 3.0" Fully Articulated screen with 460k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards. Fully articulated screen makes this camera selfie friendly.

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    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 with Fully Articulated screen


    Electronic Viewfinder

    Camera has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage.

    Sensor

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1's Micro Four Thirds sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    Sensor size chart
    Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
    Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
    Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
    Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.3 x 13 mm224.9 mm24:32x
    Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

    Photography Features

    Camera can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 2816 x 2112, 2048 x 1536, 4000 x 2672, 2816 x 1880, 2048 x 1360, 4000 x 2248, 2816 x 1584, 1920 x 1080 with 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


    Lens Mount

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


    No In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

    Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1.

    Panasonic G95
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    20.3 MP

    Panasonic G9 II
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    25.21 MP

    Panasonic G9
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    20.33 MP

    Panasonic G100
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    20.3 MP

    Panasonic G85
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Panasonic G2
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Panasonic G7
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Panasonic G10
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Panasonic G6
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16.05 MP

    Panasonic G5
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16.05 MP

    Panasonic G3
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Hasselblad X1D II 50C
    Image cannot be found

    Medium format

    50 MP

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is an HDMI connector for video signal output.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single SD/SDHC/MMC card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1's shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


    Flash

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 10.50 m and also accepts external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec.

    Physical Parameters

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has dimensions of 124 x 84 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.31 x 1.77"). It weighs 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    124 mm (4.88")

    84 mm (3.31")

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    84 mm (3.31")

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    45 mm (1.77")

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    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 dimensions

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    AVERAGE
    64

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 64 and is AVERAGE choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    AVERAGE
    55

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 55 and is AVERAGE choice for Sports photography.

    •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   No Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Wildlife Photography

    POOR
    54

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 54 and is POOR choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Portrait Photography

    GOOD
    70

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 70 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   No Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Street Photography

    GOOD
    84

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 84 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)

    Travel Photography

    GOOD
    84

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 gets a score of 84 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Evaluation

    We evaluate Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and give score of 57 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


    OVERALL
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    Sensor

    AVERAGE
    63

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 63 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   Low DxO Overall Score - 53

    Photo

    POOR
    53

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 53 for Photo parameters.

    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Video

    BAD
    0

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 0 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization

    Focusing

    AVERAGE
    67

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 67 for Focusing parameters.

    •   No Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    GOOD
    81

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 81 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot

    Connectivity

    AVERAGE
    57

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 57 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   HDMI Output
    •   No Built-in Microphone
    •   No Microphone Input
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth

    Battery, Storage and Physical

    POOR
    42

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 a score of 42 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


    For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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