Perfect Vacation Camera
I’m not a camera geek. I don’t enjoy talking specs. I don’t follow the latest gear. But recently I got another camera that refreshed my interest in photography.
I was really excited when I got the Nikon D70 back in the day. When they say a camera doesn’t make a better photographer it’s usually true, but I felt a visible improvement after I moved from the digital pocket cameras to the amateur DSLR world. I invested considerable cash and I was willing to learn a bit what I’m doing (one disadvantage of Free software is that people don’t feel the need to invest any effort to get familiar with a package when they got it so cheap and effortlessly).
The best camera is the one you have with you, and with the GF1 you get almost all the good from an SLR without the weight and sweaty back from a camera backpack. The controls are great (especially with the latest firmware which adds a few useful hacks), the response quick and the f1.7 20mm pancake lens is surprisingly versatile.
Obviously nothing’s black and white (pun intended) and there are some drawbacks. There’s no landscape/portrait sensor or image stabilisation on the body. The 2x crop factor is not a friend to us wide angle lovers. Although some wide angle options are shaping up (but not cheap). And for a camera that has face detection and recognition (that actually works and is useful with an f1.7 lens) I would have dreamed for a GPS module.
A friend thought I spoke about a new girlfriend when I mentioned GF[1]. I think it is, just don’t tell my wife.
March 21st, 2010 at 1:41 pm
You have to stop posting about this or else I’ll do something dumb like buy one.
March 21st, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Ditto! Great shots btw!
March 21st, 2010 at 2:02 pm
@Luis: Haha, sorry mate. I actually do have one more seduction post planned. One about the death of a camcorder (for me at least).
March 21st, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Face detection is soooo good
but detects garrett as his sister…
March 21st, 2010 at 3:07 pm
I’m trying to at least hold out for the GF2… work with me here
March 21st, 2010 at 3:08 pm
(By the way, I forgot to say, but that foot/sand photo is terrific.)
March 21st, 2010 at 4:23 pm
just one technical note: you write in last sentence about (not telling) your wife, but I guess you have to be married to call her like this; does this means that you have some wedding-announcement coming or I am wrong?
March 21st, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I was looking at the GF1 and the Canon Rebels, but then had the opportunity to buy a used Canon 20D from a friend, so did that instead (1/3 the cost of a GF1). I figured this’d let me play a bit at a low cost and then in 6mo-1yr, I will have a better idea of what I really want in a non-p&s (I got a new p&s recently too, because my Nikon 880 was just too frustrating to even use).
The fact that you, Garrett and Larry all suggested the GF1 seems to be a pretty glowing recommendation
March 21st, 2010 at 8:21 pm
@ursimon: Perhaps not de iure, but a de facto wife.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:33 am
If you tell me the GF1 does fine video too I’ll get one in a jiffy. Almost pulled the trigger on a GH1, but that one’s a bit hefty for a vacation cam, both in size and price.
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:39 pm
@robsta: I will blog about that eventually and most importantly provide sample footage but in short — its flaws for video recording are less apparent than on my D90, but depending on what you need it for you may miss the external microphone jack. In addition, even if the autofocus is close to being flawless for stills, it’s not quite useful for video. You really want to focus manually here as well.
If you’d like to have a film-like f1.7 look to your short movies, this is a godsend. If you want to effortlessly document your vacation in an 80 minute boreyoumentary, pass on this one.