Первый обзор Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

Specifications Panasonic G7 vs Panasonic G9

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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Conclusion

The Lumix G7 is small, lightweight, powerful and while not perfect, it gives you good 4K video for an incredibly low price. AF is a real asset in most situations but low light video quality is lacking. The Lumix G7 has lots of features which results in lots of menus — perhaps too many particularly if this camera is designed for the casual user. For less than $800, the Lumix G7 is a great camera to take on your next vacation. Plus it’s a snap to make your friends envious by instantly sharing your shots.

Panasonicwww.panasonic.com

Price: $799

Strengths:

• Good looking 4K in a compact design for less than $800.
• Decent autofocus.
• Wi-Fi control
• Lots of video and still options.

Weaknesses:

• No headphone jack for monitoring audio.
• Amount of options may be confusing for casual users.

Tech Specs

Format: Mirrorless Interchangeable Micro Four ThirdsSensor Type: MOSSize of Sensor: Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13.0 mm)Pixels on Sensor: Approx. 16.84 actual, 16 effective megapixelsFile Formats (video): MP4, AVCHDMaximum Video Resolution: 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160)Focus: 49-point contrast detection system AF, continuous/single servo, «flexible,» manualShutter Speed (still): 60 -1/4000 secShutter Speed (video): 1/25-1/16000th secSensitivity: ISO 200-25600 (100-25600 in extended mode)Program Exposure Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual, Programmed Auto, Shutter Priority Lens Mount: Micro Four ThirdsLens f Stop: f/3.5 – 5.6 on included 14 – 42mm kit lensImage Stabilization:  opticalWhite Balance: Manual/preset/automaticViewfinder: 2,360k dot  OLED EVFLCD Monitor Size: 3-inchLCD Monitor Resolution: 1040k dotFrame Rates: in MP4; 4K-24p/30p, 1920×1080-30p/60p, 1280×720-30p, 640×480-30p; In AVCHD; 1920×1080-60p/60i/30p/24pVideo Out: HDMI Type D Micro / VIERA LinkUSB Terminal: Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0)Mono/Stereo Recording: YesAudio Input(s): 3.5 mm Stereo mini jackAudio formats: AVCHD- Dolby Digital 2ch, MP4- AAC 2chVU Meters:  YesManual Audio Level Controls: YesHeadphone Jack: noSpeaker: YesRecording Media: SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-II compatibleMemory Card Included: noFlash: YesWireless Remote: WiFi control optionsExternal Battery Charger Provided: YesBattery Type: Lithium-ion 7.2V, 1200mAh, 8.7Wh, includedOnboard Video Light: NoneAccessory Shoe: Yes

Other Cool Features

The smartphone/tablet Wi-Fi control option is very useful, especially if you want to avoid touching the monitor when controlling focus — or power zoom with capable lenses. It does require either an iPhone or Android with a relatively current OS and you have to download the Panasonic Image App. Once installed the G7/smartphone connection sync is easy and we were remotely controlling our G7 in just a few minutes. Other reviewers have noted the process can be buggy or complex, but this was not our experience. The smartphone image lags the G7 monitor a little, but unless you are watching both at the same time, you probably won’t notice.

The Lumix G7 includes an automated diffraction compensation setting that attempts to counteract the image softening that happens with small apertures. While it applies to movie mode we could not detect any improvement in sharpness shooting at f22.

Snap Movie lets you quickly shoot a short 1920 x 1080 MP4 clip between two and eight seconds. You can easily transfer these clip via Wi-Fi to a Smartphone or tablet for sharing online. The G7 comes bundled with basic video editing software called PHOTOfunSTUDIO and Silkypix, a RAW photo editor. PHOTOfunSTUDIO is very basic, guiding you from transferring images to your hard drive to simple clip joining or «retouching» that lets you do clip trimming and simple image manipulation. Remember, if you are planning on shooting a lot of 4K, be sure your computer is up to the task.

Quality 4K and More

We used the Standard photo style for most of our tests and recorded clips in each resolution of the MP4 and AVCHD formats. The 4K image quality is very good but a bit contrasty. It was easy, however, to add an in-camera Highlight/Shadow adjustment curve, use the Intelligent Dynamic setting or add the High Dynamic filter to greatly improve the detail in both the light and dark areas.

The color, sharpness and resolution of the 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 and 640 x 480 files in both types looked very good for their respective resolutions but also a bit contrasty without adjustment. We noticed some color banding in gradients that is usual with color sample ratios of 4:2:0 in 8-bit. Auto white balance worked very well even in mixed light conditions except skin tones seemed a bit too saturated. We could not see any strong moiré patterns when shooting horizontal lines. The leaning effects of rolling shutter are moderately evident when quickly panning. Overall, we were impressed with how good the daylight video looked for a sub-$1000 camera.

We really liked the shooting assistance of the zebra pattern that is selectable between 50 and 105 percent, the real-time histogram, three guideline patterns, the highlight display and the horizon level gauge. The only thing we felt was missing were 4:3 safe area guidelines.

Viewing our setups and reviewing our shots on the articulating three-inch 1040K pixel monitor was a joy. The monitor is very touch responsive and accurate, and we loved the ability to reposition many display elements such as the focus area weighting and live histogram by a simple finger drag. You can position the monitor at just about any angle and we found it easier to view images outside in sunlight than many other cameras we’ve reviewed. Direct sun will still require you to provide some shading or, with Eye Sensor AF, you can choose to auto switch from the monitor to LVF when your eye is positioned near the LVF.

Zooming is only possible with power zoom lenses and the kit lens we used for this review was not one of them. The zoom ring moves smoothly, but it has a fair bit of resistance so we could not get any usable zooms while handheld and only marginally usable ones on a solid tripod. If you only have the kit lens we used, you’ll have to do your zooming the old fashioned way; by moving the camera closer with dollies, jibs, sliders or Steadicams.

You do need to be careful that you don’t forget to adjust some menu settings when in Movie Mode. Some features, such as the optical stabilization, are only accessible in photo modes but are not available to select when in movie mode. To add to the confusion, page 222 of the manual indicates OIS is not even available in movie mode. Don’t worry it is, and it does a good job at smoothing out minor jitters.

We found the audio quality very good testing with our wireless Sennheiser EW-100 lavaliere microphone system. There was no apparent mechanical or internal processing noise from the Lumix G7. The built-in stereo mic works well for simply documenting sound but quality drops dramatically with distance from the subject.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

• Fujifilm X20 vs Panasonic G7
• Leica M10 vs Panasonic G7
• Leica M9 vs Panasonic G7
• Nikon D1X vs Panasonic G9
• Nikon D4S vs Panasonic G7
• Nikon D810 vs Panasonic G7
• Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic G9
• Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic G9
• Panasonic G1 vs Panasonic G9
• Panasonic G7 vs Panasonic GX7
• Panasonic G7 vs Panasonic TZ200
• Panasonic G9 vs Panasonic GH5

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder.
However, the one in the G9 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the G7 (3680k vs 2360k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Panasonic G7 and Panasonic G9 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The G7 has one, while the G9 does not.
While the built-in flash of the G7 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

screen that can be turned to be front-facing

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while
others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature
an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of ) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of ).

The Panasonic G7 and the Panasonic G9 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the G7 and the G9 write their files to SDXC cards. The G9 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the G7
only has one slot. Moreover, both cameras support UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s).

Особенности камеры

Пожалуй, главная особенность фотоаппарата – съёмка видео с разрешением 4K. В принципе, это умеют уже и многие смартфоны, но по качеству получаемого материала до Panasonic G7 им очень далеко. Разумеется, поддержка 4K есть только при съёмке в формате MP4, тогда как при использовании кодека AVCHD разрешение ограничено привычным Full HD с прогрессивной развёрткой при частоте 50 кадров в секунду; при записи 4K-видео приходится довольствоваться режимом 25p. Впрочем, и в данном режиме поток данных столь велик, что его переварит не каждая карта памяти, – 100 Мбит/с.

Разумеется, современная камера не может обойтись без функции HDR, которая позволяет расширить динамический диапазон путём склейки нескольких кадров с различной экспозицией. Она не вынесена в меню сюжетных программ, её можно использовать как в программном, так и в ручных режимах. Кроме того, предусмотрена возможность ручной установки шага экспозиции (1, 2 и 3 EV), а также автоматическое выравнивание, которое позволяет минимизировать негативный эффект от сдвига камеры во время съёмки. Конечно, определённые ограничения всё же есть. Например, с включенным HDR невозможно использование вспышки, а также формата сохранения RAW.

G7 умеет автоматически склеивать множественную экспозицию. Вот тут уже возможно использование и формата RAW, и вспышки, а количество наложений фактически не ограничено. Есть и интервальная съёмка, которая позволяет делать кадры с шагом от 1 секунды до 99 минут 59 секунд, а количество кадров при этом может достигать 9999. Особенность режима: при больших паузах между кадрами камера попросту засыпает и автоматически просыпается только тогда, когда нужно сделать следующий кадр. Это позволяет автоматически производить интервальную съёмку довольно длительных процессов без необходимости подзарядки аккумулятора. Стоит отметить и режим покадровой анимации с последующим преобразованием в видео. В настройках предусмотрена как ручная, так и автоматическая съёмка с шагом от 1 до 60 секунд. Примечательно, что кадры можно добавлять к проекту позже, после чего инициировать их преобразование в видеоряд.

Также стоит отметить функции интеллектуального выбора сюжетной программы, чувствительности и экспозиции. Режим интеллектуальной экспозиции требует небольшого разъяснения: он оптимизирует экспозицию для каждой из частей кадра, предотвращая появление затенений и бликов, также он дополнен функцией автоматической компенсации контрового освещения.

Ещё одна важная особенность – наличие модулей Wi-Fi и NFC с весьма широкой функциональностью. Камера способна воспроизводить изображение на ТВ, отправлять изображение на ПК, смартфон, в облачную службу Panasonic, а также на различные веб-сервисы (Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, Flickr). Причём это касается как изображений, уже хранящихся на карте памяти, так и тех, которые вы только что сняли. При отправке на компьютер не требуется наличие специального софта, как в случае камер Sony, да и сетевую папку можно выбрать любую – лишь бы было разрешение на запись. Стоит оговориться, что отправлять снимки во время съёмки можно только при установленной карте памяти, потому как сначала происходит запись снимка из буфера на карту памяти, и только потом пересылка. При передаче изображений, хранимых на карте памяти, также доступна возможность отправки на печать. Файлы можно отправлять в любом формате: JPEG, RAW или JPEG+RAW. Более того, перед отправкой прямо на камере можно изменить размер снимка. В G7 заложена функция подсчёта оставшегося времени передачи данных, однако показания данной функции зачастую заметно расходятся с реальностью – аппарат сильно преувеличивает оставшееся время. Управление съёмкой на смартфоне осуществляется с помощью бесплатного приложения Panasonic Image App.

Технические характеристики Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

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Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Panasonic G7 and the Panasonic G9. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The G7 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the G9 is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic G9 is notably larger (24 percent) than the Panasonic G7. Moreover, the G9 is substantially heavier (60 percent) than the G7. It is noteworthy in this context that the G9 is splash and dust-proof, while the G7 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the G7 gets 350 shots out of its DMW-BLC12 battery,
while the G9 can take 400 images on a single charge of its DMW-BLF19 power pack. The power pack in the G9 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The G7 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 62 percent) than the G9, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Direct Control

Most of us like having as much direct control as possible over our camera’s main functions such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation. While the Lumix G7 excels in providing very intelligent fully automatic modes, the basics are only a fingertip away. In fully manual mode, the front dial controls the aperture, the rear dial the shutter speed and function buttons one and three control exposure compensation and ISO respectively.

The Lumix G7 gives you additional direct control of dozens of features with six assignable function buttons on the camera body and another five nested in a pop out window on the right side of the touch screen. Depress the Disp button a few times and you’ll have all the key camera operations at your fingertips. Touching on Fn launches an intuitive drawing of the camera and all the assignable function buttons letting you program each with most of the camera’s features. Yes, you are still digging a few levels down to make things happen, but Panasonic has made this process as intuitive as possible, even providing a description crawl at the top of the screen which is painfully slow but still helpful.

The layout on the top includes the on/off switch, drive and shooting mode dials, front and rear control dials, function buttons one and six, a stereo microphone and the movie record button. This record button is a bit too small and lacks enough travel when you press it, making it hard to know if you really started recording by feel alone. We liked the placement of the stereo mic on top of the hot shoe as it reduces the chance of your fingers accidentally covering the inputs.

Controls on the back of the Lumix G7 are well laid out and easy to reach with your thumbs. At the top is function button five, the flash release, the LVF diopter adjustment wheel and the AF/AE lock button surrounded by the AF type selection lever. The layout on the right side of the back include function buttons two, three and four, playback, display and menu buttons, four cursor controls and the small speaker.

The Lumix G7’s connections for wired remote control, HDMI and AV/Digital outputs are on the right and the mic jack is on the left side placed above where the articulating monitor can swing out. With no cable locking accessory, you’ll need to be careful when moving the monitor. The only thing missing to make the Lumix G7 a full-featured video camera is a headphone jack for monitoring audio. The battery and SD card slips into the bottom of the Lumix G7. It is a minor annoyance, but the door does not self lock; you have to slide the locking switch back into place unlike what we find on most other camera models.

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 is a new Micro Four Thirds compact system camera that integrates 4K video recording capability with a variety of 4K Photo functions. The G7 can record 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video with either 30p or 24p frames rates at 100Mbps in the MP4 format. The Panasonic G7 features a 16 megapixel Digital Live MOS image sensor, high-speed dual OLED Live View Finder, 3-inch 1040K-dot Free-Angle touch screen display, 8fps continuous shooting, ISO 100-25,600, ultra-high speed AF of just 0.07 sec, mechanical and silent electronic shutters, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 is available in black or silver in three kit options: body-only (£599), in a kit with the 14-42mm II lens (£679 / $799), or with the 14-150mm super-zoom lens (£849 / $1099).

Auto Focus for Real

The G7 has four AF types: Single, Flexible, Continuous and Manual along with six modes; Face/Eye Detection,Tracking,49-Area, Custom Multi, 1-Area and Pinpoint. The G7 focus uses contrast rather than phase detection but Panasonic improves the responsiveness and accuracy with their Depth-from-Defocus technology that senses changing distances from the subject. It still may not be quite as quick or accurate as phase detection found in more expensive cameras, but it works surprisingly well under bright conditions. It will slow and hunt a little as light dims. To help us out in low light, we liked the ability to manually touch up focus after using the AF.

We used the touch screen to pull focus using AFF but got mixed results. We focused between two high contrast test charts that each filled about half of the screen. It took differing amounts of time to focus from near to far even when focus area confirmation blocks confirmed we were touching only on the target areas. Speed and consistency improved by selecting Quick AF in the menu.

The Continuous AF type tracked moving subjects well using both the Tracking and 49-point modes if they were following a predictable path. On one dolly shot where the camera approached a coffee cup, the G7 slipped out of focus momentarily but quickly reacquired the target. We found it odd that Continuous focus only operates when recording so you can’t preview the AF response in advance of recording. AFS/AFF modes, however, do work while not recording. Face Detection worked very well and we really loved how, in manual mode, as soon as you turn the focus ring, the G7 enlarges a user definable center area. You can also adjust the amount of magnification of the focus area by using the front and rear dials. This is one of the best implementations of focus assist that we’ve seen.

Внешний вид и удобство использования

Отличия G7 от предшественника довольно сильно бросаются в глаза. При почти сохранившихся габаритах и массе дизайн изменился очень серьезно. С субъективной точки зрения, G7 удобнее держать в руках, да и органы управления изменились в лучшую сторону. Качество сборки традиционно отличное, при попытках скручивания и сдавливания корпус разве что потрескивает клавишами. В общем, всё безупречно, надпись «Made in China» не вызывает никаких отрицательных эмоций.

На фронтальной панели никаких изменений относительно G6, да и элементов тут всего ничего – байонет объектива и лампа подсветки автофокуса. А вот сзади изменений немало – конечно, поворотный дисплей никуда не делся, но поменялся набор клавиш: левее видоискателя, как и прежде, две кнопки – переключения между видоискателем и дисплеем и активации вспышки, но последняя выступает теперь значительно сильнее, поэтому работать с ней проще.

Правее видоискателя — клавиша быстрого меню, перебравшаяся ближе к правому краю, кнопки перехода в режим просмотра, смены режима отображения, удаления или возврата на один уровень в меню, а также кольцо из пяти многофункциональных клавиш навигации.

Сверху больше всего новшеств. Уже при беглом осмотре заметно, что производитель стремился сделать фотоаппарат не только удобнее, но и дороже на вид. В частности, появился диск выбора режима протяжки, ранее встречавшийся на том же GH4. У G7 данный диск крупнее, а его ход гораздо жёстче. По центру находится подъёмная вспышка с «горячим башмаком» и парой встроенных микрофонов в основании. Правее — диск выбора режимов работы, дополненный рычажком питания. К слову, на диске появился режим «интеллектуальный авто», который ранее был вынесен на отдельную клавишу — её место теперь занимает программируемая кнопка. Рядом находится кнопка пуска видеозаписи.

Но главные отличия – это диски управления. У G6 роль переднего диска играла клавиша-качели, а тыльный был вмонтирован в корпус, как у классической зеркалки. В новинке тыльный диск хоть и утоплен в корпус, но его верхняя сторона открыта. Место же клавиши-качелей заняло кольцо, окружающее кнопку спуска. Примечательно то, что внешне G6 был больше похож на классическую зеркальную камеру, но более серьезное впечатление оставляет именно G7. Правда, это все субъективное восприятие.

На нижней грани расположены разъём установки на штатив и крышка объединённого отсека для аккумулятора и карты памяти.

Стоит отметить, что у старшей модели, GH4, карточка памяти устанавливается в индивидуальный отсек на боковой поверхности, что позволяет быстро извлекать её даже при установке фотоаппарата на штатив. Решение не прибегать к такому способу смены карты памяти на G7 может быть продиктовано только маркетинговыми соображениями – места на корпусе более чем достаточно.

Здесь же, на правой грани, находится резиновая заглушка, под которой скрыты разъёмы подключения USB/TV- и HDMI-кабеля, а также разъём для проводного пульта дистанционного управления. На левой грани установлена крохотная резиновая заглушка, скрывающая разъём mini-jack, предназначенный для подключения внешнего микрофона.