Panasonic GM1 review - another pocket cinema camera

[SteveR]

Asking again. Was hoping Andrew would answer, but please, anyone with a GM1:

 

1) How is rolling shutter (as compared to other recent cams)

 

2) Does the GM1 have any exposure tools? (e.g. histogram)

 

3) Does the GM1 have clean HDMI out?

 

Thank you for your help,

 

Steve

[nac]

"Does the GM1 have any exposure tools? (e.g. histogram)"     YEP it sure does.

 

Actually the menus and options are very similar to the GH3.

I suggest that you download the manual in pdf  :)

[SteveR]

Thank you.

 

I tried downloading the manual in PDF, but last time I searched it was not yet available on Panasonic's site. That's exactly why I'm asking here.

 

If anyone can speak to the HDMI out (clean?) or comment on rolling shutter, I'd really appreciate it.

[Quirky]

The PDF's are there, in multiple languages. I downloaded one several days ago. Although it's merely a quick manual rather than comprehensive, but it helps.

 

I believe the HDMI out is the only detail that we can't figure out from the manual, so we might as well resort to guesswork, for the time being. My guess is that it doesn't have a clean HDMI out, as the camera is "just" a CSC aimed at mere mortals, rather than prosumers. I don't think the GX7 has that feature, either. Only GH3 does, so far.

 

As for the rolling shutter, the GM1 is not a global shutter camera, so I think it's safe to assume it does suffer from the usual rolling shutter problem. How severely, well, I'm sure there are plenty of sample videos online by now, and one of Blunty's videos in YouTube you can see the shaking test done side by side with GX7 and GH3. As we've established, the GX7 is using the same sensor, so the GM1 should behave the same. So yes, no doubt the same old wibbly-wobbly wabble is there, but suppose it's not as bad as it could. See for yourself in YouTube.

 

PS.

Thanks for the Hoodman picture, nac. Looks quite doable, then, at least with the Hoodman.  :)

 

For some reason I didn't see the photo when I hit the post button. That post being my first one here, there was the screening delay between my hitting the post button and the message appearing on the stream. No biggie, but I just thought it may look a bit weird, as I was asking for photos seemingly after someone had already done just that. 

 

If I end up buying a G1, I think I'd like to go for the Swivi one, though, and amplify the quirkiness of the setup. If someone has already done that, please feel free to post a photo of your rig. Just for the heck of it.

 

I've been beating about the bush and pacing around the idea of buing a GM1 for several days now. I'm not sure if the GM1 is the most practical of choices in my case, but I can't help feeling very tempted. Decisions, decisions... :)

[nac]

I am really liking mine, I am so glad I purchased it.  :D

 

PS Actually I think I may have added the hoodman pic a little later.

 

 

I have been comparing it to my GH3 both indoors and outdoors, and I'm going to take both cameras with me on outings over the next few weeks. If it performs as well as the GH3, I may just sell the GH3 and use the cash to buy some lens's.

 

So far the avchd 24p 24Mbs mode seems to perform the best. The avchd 25p is wrapped in 50i and i am getting artifacts (yuk), I like the MP4 25p but the bit rate is a bit lower 20Mbs.

[Rolf Silber]

HDMI out only in playback? If true: Ouch!

[SteveR]

Rolf - where are you getting this info?

 

Can anyone who owns a GM1 confirm this?

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

I feel so outdated using Canon rebels. Maybe time to give up on them... They served me as well as the entire filmmaking community thus extremely sad Canon is lagging that much behind the pack... 

[Rolf Silber]

Rolf - where are you getting this info?

 

Can anyone who owns a GM1 confirm this?

I own it and it seems to be true - unless I do something very wrong here. Have to check it with other menu settings.

 

Probably they thought wlan-link is good enough. Which it is for me in most of the cases. But: Hold you horses unless somebody else confirms this.

 

I understand that somewhere size and price will demand sacrifices. For me no deal breaker - most negative thing for the moment is that I have no time to shoot with it.

[Rolf Silber]

Ah .... TGV needs 3.5 hours from my home town to Paris ... I should take it. Thanx, Pier-Yves.

[Quirky]

Merci for the clip. The GM1 can indeed make ze Paris look tres good, even in the dull December weather. Almost wakes up my wanderlust. :)

 

I've read two different GM1 reviews online recently, and in both of them the reviewers complain about the oversensitive dial on the back of the camera, and the difficulty of using it. They both mention how sometimes they would end up adjusting something else they tried to adjust, because the ring takes a click way too eagerly.

I wonder if the reviewers have been using the same press demo unit, or is that indeed a common feature in it. I hope those who already own one could confirm or bust that. A feature like that sounds annoying indeed, but suppose the footage it's capable of almost makes for it. 

 

After all, be it any HDSLR, a GM1, BMPCC, BMCC or even D16, quality video and annoyances seem to go hand in hand. One simply doesn't come without the other. :D

 

For some unknown reason I haven't had nearly as much interest for the GX7, which wouldn't have such issues. What a strange little camera. :)

[Rolf Silber]

As I see it: This is not really your camera if you have hands & fingers more of the Mike Tyson class. You do on the other hand not need to have fine sensored tentacles of an elf to operate it. But yes: At times your thumb may press the wrong symbol on the touch screen or the wheel may react to soft. But you wanted to have a camera really very, very small, haven't you? And small it is.

Btw it goes extremy well together with a wrist strap. The main thing for me - this one can be with me nearly all the time I go out. I think I will call it Henry in commemeration of Cartier Bresson..... :-)

[Quirky]

Well, the small size is indeed one of the main attractions for sure. But again, with the aforementioned Video Quality vs. Annoyance Ratio apparently being a constant, they made the otherwise interesting pocket cinema camera a bit too "girly," with the good movie part being a mere accident, and aimed it more towards the female photo shooters with smaller and more delicate hands, rather than towards the male video shooters with big tubby hands. :)

 

As for naming the camera, well, if I end up getting one, I think such a girly, petite camera should have a female name. If it was an orange one, who would be the cute gingerhead to name it after? Lindsay, perhaps? B)

[fuzzynormal]

I definitely covet this cam.  My only hope would be that the 60p capability could eventually be opened up via a hack.  Having that "slo-mo" ability would be perfection.  Holy smokes Panasonic is really putting together some great cameras.  This stuff is getting ridiculous.  Can you imagine shooting with a camera like this @4K?  

 

Soon.  So soon...

[nigelbb]

I had a GM1 in my hands today. It really is tiny but still usable. The little zoom lens is neat too. This might be an ideal camera to use locked off in situations where previously I would have used a GoPro not because I wanted an action camera but just because the GoPro is small & discreet. The GM1 image quality & low light performance is far better than the GoPro for not much more money.

How good is the battery life?

[jbCinC_12]

Wow, I hope it can work with the lenses (Panny 14-42mm zoom lens) that I have when I purchased GF2 and since it's a 16MP sensor M43.  I would like to get the body for less.  Interesting.

[Rolf Silber]

How good is the battery life?

 

Just an estimation .... obviously not as good as GH3 (which is really good imho), but probably on par with GH2. Which is quite good for such a small cam.

[jonpais]

Just an estimation .... obviously not as good as GH3 (which is really good imho), but probably on par with GH2. Which is quite good for such a small cam.

I believe the manual says 40 minutes actual recording time in video. I was fortunate - when I purchased mine in HK over the weekend, the salesman threw in an extra battery, two 16GB SD cards and a leather case (which will give it the room I'll need to mount on a tripod with some of my faster lenses). Now, bring on the Sailfish stabilizer (my excuse for purchasing the GM1 in the first place).

[salesdelgado]

Nice low-light comparison and GM1 really seems to shine on low-light, now why not doing a day light comparison also?

It seems that RX100 still has better dynamic range...

 

http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GM1-versus-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100-II-versus-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-RX100___920_896_812

[nac]

I'm really impressed with the iso3200 performance, so little noise!

 

Here is a silly little test video of my cat indoors in lowish light.

 

Another simple video with lots of movement and panning around following a RC plane.

 

I have been doing lots of comparisons with my GH3. I feel that in low light there is much less noise with the GM1. But where the GH3 wins is with scenes having lots of movement (e.g. water). The GH3 also seems to be a little more sharp than the GM1 although i haven't tried increasing the sharpness settings in the GM1.