Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

    59
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    Highlights

    • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
    • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
    • 23 Focus Points (23 Cross-type)
    • 3.0" 460k dot Fixed Screen
    • 2.6 fps Continuous Shooting
    • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
    • 30 min Video Recording Limit
    • 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-GF2 was announced in 2011 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 6,400. The camera has a Fixed 3.0" screen with 460k dot resolution.

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.

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

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

    Panasonic -GFx series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF8
    Compare
    		February
    2016    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF7
    Compare
    		February
    2015    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 200 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF6
    Compare
    		April
    2013    		 16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 12,800 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF5
    Compare
    		April
    2012    		 12.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 12,800 Fixed 3.0"
    920k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF3
    Compare
    		August
    2011    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 160 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF2 February
    2011    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GF1
    Compare
    		October
    2009    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 3,200 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 vs Lumix DMC-GF7 vs Lumix DMC-GF6 vs Lumix DMC-GF5 vs Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Lumix DMC-GF2.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2.

    PROS

    •   Video Capture
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Built-in Flash
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Light - 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz)

    CONS

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.6 fps
    •   Low DxO Overall Score - 54
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   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 - 300 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
    •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Predecessor

    Here we are comparing Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 to its predecessor Lumix DMC-GF1 and displaying the major changes.

    UPGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
    Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 3,200
    Touch Screen vs
    Higher Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720
    Built-in Microphone Stereo vs Mono
    Lighter 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz) vs 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)
    DOWNGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
    Viewfinder vs Electronic (Optional)
    Lower Max Continuous Shooting 2.6 fps vs 3.0 fps
    Lower DxO Low Light ISO 506 vs 513
    Shorter Battery Life 300 shots vs 380 shots

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Lumix DMC-GF1.

    Successor

    In 2011 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
    Touch-to-Focus vs
    Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.2 fps vs 2.6 fps
    Lighter 264 g (0.58 lb / 9.31 oz) vs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz)
    DOWNGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
    Higher Native ISO 160 vs 100
    External Flash Connectivity vs
    Lower DxO Low Light ISO 459 vs 506
    Lower DxO Color Depth 20.6 vs 21.2
    Lower DxO Dynamic Range 10.1 vs 10.3
    Lower DxO Overall Score 50 vs 54
    Built-in Microphone Mono vs Stereo

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Lumix DMC-GF3.

    Screen

    Fixed Touchscreen

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 has a 3.0" Fixed touchscreen with 460k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards.

    Sensor

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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 - 6,400.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2'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 is equipped with Venus Engine FHD processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4000 x 3000, 4000 x 2672, 4000 x 2248, 2992 x 2992, 2816 x 2112, 2816 x 1880, 2816 x 1584, 2112 x 2112, 2048 x 1536, 2048 x 1360, 1920 x 1080, 1600 x 1200, 1600 x 1064, 1600 x 904, 1504 x 1504 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


    Lens Mount

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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-GF2.

    Panasonic GF3
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Panasonic GF5
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12.1 MP

    Panasonic GF6
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Panasonic GF7
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Panasonic GF8
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Panasonic GF1
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Olympus OM-D E-M10
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16.1 MP

    Panasonic G3
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    16 MP

    Leica M9
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    18.0 MP

    Olympus PEN E-PL2
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Olympus PEN E-PM1
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12.3 MP

    Sony DSLR-A290
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    14.2 MP

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2's shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 2.6 fps.


    Flash

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 6.00 m and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec.

    Physical Parameters

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 has dimensions of 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.45 x 2.68 x 1.3"). It weighs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    113 mm (4.45")

    68 mm (2.68")

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    68 mm (2.68")

    Image cannot be displayed


    33 mm (1.3")

    Image cannot be displayed

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 dimensions

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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-GF2 is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    AVERAGE
    69

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 69 and is AVERAGE choice for Landscape photography.

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

    Sports Photography

    AVERAGE
    65

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 65 and is AVERAGE choice for Sports photography.

    •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.6 fps
    •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots

    Wildlife Photography

    AVERAGE
    57

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 57 and is AVERAGE choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.6 fps
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots

    Portrait Photography

    GOOD
    76

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 76 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Street Photography

    GOOD
    80

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 80 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz)

    Travel Photography

    GOOD
    83

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 gets a score of 83 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Evaluation

    We evaluate Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 and give score of 59 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
    59

    Sensor

    AVERAGE
    65

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 a score of 65 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
    •   Low DxO Overall Score - 54

    Photo

    POOR
    53

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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 - 2.6 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Video

    BAD
    16

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 a score of 16 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit

    Focusing

    AVERAGE
    66

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 a score of 66 for Focusing parameters.

    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    GOOD
    71

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 a score of 71 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Viewfinder

    Connectivity

    AVERAGE
    65

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 a score of 65 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   HDMI Output
    •   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-GF2 a score of 42 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots


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

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