Panasonic Lumix GF1

There have been many attempts over the years to squeeze DSLR-like power and flexibility into a smaller, lighter and more manageable package. It was kick-started with cameras such as the half-frame Olympus Pen in 1959, and has culminated recently in the emergence of a new breed of compact digitals with high-end pretensions. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is the latest to hit the shops.

It is without doubt a very compact camera for one with DSLR pretensions. In fact it's a similar size to the Olympus PEN EP-1, the body measuring a mere 74mm deep at its thickest point, 127mm wide and 38mm tall.

It's larger than most digital compacts, but considerably more wieldy than most DSLRs. It's a less obviously retro design than the PEN, however, all square-shouldered with a metal body adding to a solid all-round feel, and it's available in three colours - red, silver and black.

Its size isn't the only thing it shares with the Olympus, though. Both cameras boast the same sensor and lens mount system, known as Micro Four Thirds. And it is this system that allows the GF1 to combine high quality with near-pocketable dimensions. Unlike a DSLR there's no bulky mirror mechanism between the lens and sensor in a Micro Four Thirds camera - which unfortunately means the GF1 suffers from the same drawbacks as the PEN too.

Remove the lens and the sensor is right there in front of you, with nothing to protect it, leaving it worryingly exposed to the elements and the ruinous prod of stray fingers. The lack of mirror also means no optical viewfinder: you have to frame all your shots using the 3in LCD on the rear.

The latter similarity also highlights one of the major differences between the two cameras: the screen, which at 460k is double the resolution of that on the Olympus PEN EP-1, and makes the job of manual focusing far less of a chore. Meanwhile the optional viewfinder, for those who prefer to shoot at eye level, is of the electronic variety, where Olympus PEN owners only have an optical viewfinder available to them.

Look to the left-hand side and you'll see another advantage - a built-in flash, which pops up on a complicated-looking hinge mechanism. It's not particularly powerful, with a guide number of just six a lot lower than most DSLRs of equivalent price, but it's better than nothing at all.

The GF1's contrast-based autofocus is also much faster than its Olympus rival, contributing to a more DSLR-like feel, and in another coup for Panasonic, the GF1 also boasts autofocus tracking. Simply point the crosshairs at the subject you want to focus on, and the camera will endeavour to follow that subject around as you recompose your shot. The burst mode is good too, allowing you to reel off up to six frames in RAW mode at just under three frames per second.