Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 review

Aside from the improvement in audio recording that brings, however, the difference all the changes make to image quality are minimal, which is to say it’s as good as the G2 but not outstanding. The most impressive aspect is the lens, from which chromatic aberrations and geometric distortions are kept to an absolute minimum.

Elsewhere colours are balanced and dynamic range is almost the equal of what you’d expect from a DSLR of the same resolution. However, with a smaller sensor than its larger DSLR rivals and the new pretenders to the SLD throne, high ISO performance isn’t as impressive as it might have been. Where the Sony NEX-5 was able to produce usable shots up to 3200 ISO, the G2 will only hit the heights at 800 or below. At 1600 ISO noise is noticeable and obtrusive, as you’ll see from the sample photographs in the gallery.

Still, performance is excellent, especially the autofocus, which is very quick for a contrast detection system. We found it locked onto subjects quickly in good light, and although it struggled a little in darker conditions, it’s helped by an assist lamp at close quarters, and with continuous autofocus activated in movie mode we found it tracked subjects quickly, quietly and reliably.

Switch on the G2 and you’ll be taking your first photo in 1.2 seconds. In top quality JPEG mode shot-to-shot time is an impressive 0.8 seconds, while in burst mode the G2 can manage up to 2.7fps in top quality JPEG mode.

And video quality is excellent for a camera at this price, with decent sound recording from the onboard mono microphone, plus silent, continually active autofocus. Most of the time we found we were simply able to switch the camera into its automatic mode, hit record and get good results, but for more creative videographers there’s also a program mode that allows exposure compensation to be applied, plus a depth of field control that allows you to gradually switch between portrait and landscape style shooting.

This coupled with the G2’s good performance and the improvements in handling mean the Lumix DMC-G2 is a pleasure to use, and make it more of a serious photographer’s tool than the Sony NEX-5. The subject tracking and touch focus make a real difference to the way you shoot video, and with that brilliant viewfinder it's a better camera overall than the G10. But with slightly disappointing performance at high ISO, and physicals more bulky and less appealing than its SLD rivals from Olympus and Sony, it’s by no means the perfect camera.

Author: Jonathan Bray