Panasonic GX1 or G3

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theowens

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Hi, only just joined this forum and I'm a complete novice when it comes to photography but I'm looking to buy a new camera primarily to take family orientated photos but a lot will centre around sport - one of my daughters competes in gymnastics competitions and the other horse riding.

A local retailer (not sure if I can mention the name) has the Panasonic GX1 and G3 both on offer at the moment for £299, I've tried to understand the various options but still not sure which would be the best one.

I want to be able to capture fast moving action shots with minimal blur and possibly at relatively high zoom, I would also like to be able to capture decent video.

All help appreciated
 
theowens said:
Hi, only just joined this forum and I'm a complete novice when it comes to photography but I'm looking to buy a new camera primarily to take family orientated photos but a lot will centre around sport - one of my daughters competes in gymnastics competitions and the other horse riding.

A local retailer (not sure if I can mention the name) has the Panasonic GX1 and G3 both on offer at the moment for £299, I've tried to understand the various options but still not sure which would be the best one.

I want to be able to capture fast moving action shots with minimal blur and possibly at relatively high zoom, I would also like to be able to capture decent video.

All help appreciated
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both cameras are much the same i believe boils down to if you want a tilt screen and viewfinder in a larger body G3 or a more compact body without a viewfinder ( can add at extra cost) GX1 ive had both and both a great cameras

if you like a dslr style body also have a look at the nikon d3100 some good deals at moment on that camera + cashback and its great for beginners and more advanced
 
thanks Duncan however I don't think I want the myriad of options and config of a DLSR, I was drawn to the Panasonic as I've read they have a lot of automation that still allows you to produce decent images without having to understand the settings
 
Thanks Alan, useful website that. So do you think the GX1 at £299 is a good price? Would it be suitable for a beginner and be able to do what I need
 
theowens said:
thanks Duncan however I don't think I want the myriad of options and config of a DLSR, I was drawn to the Panasonic as I've read they have a lot of automation that still allows you to produce decent images without having to understand the settings
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the nikon would have intelligent auto mode they all do

if you want decent zoom the 55-200 vr is a good lens for around £100ish

similar for pansanic is probably near double

nikon d3100 not much bigger than g3 both very good cameras though

amazon currently £307 and 99 for 55-200 +30 cash back
 
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Comparing on snapshot, the Nikon comes out better against both

http://http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Panasonic-GX1

http://http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Panasonic-G3

However its my lack of understanding as to the bits that are better on the Panasonics that is worrying me

1. Shoots faster 4.2fps as opposed to 3fps - will this make much of difference when trying to capture fast moving images i.e. gymnastics and horse riding?

2. Optical zoom - 20x as opposed to 3x, yes I could get a bigger lens for the Nikon but £300 is the top of my budget and I'm not sure 3x is enough - saying that I'm not sure how much 3x is - does it mean if I was 30 foot away, the image would appear 10ft away? Sorry it that's a really stupid question.

3. Movie format @30fps as opposed @60fps - again for fast sporting action, 60fps would surely be better?

Thanks again
Rob
 
All cameras have an Auto mode these days. Given a wide enough set of scenes, you will be able to find strengths and weaknesses in each lineup. You really should be deciding on ergonomics, not features you may or may not want (you won't know what your camera misses or does well until you use it for a while).

I have been DSLR and now have sold up for micro 4/3rds. The main benefit to me was availability of small high quality lenses for the micro 4/3rds. Once you get into Nikon/Canon territory, the good lenses are quite a lot bigger and heavier than the micro 4/3rds counterparts. If you only intend using the kit lens, it won't be an issue, but once you have a few larger lenses, believe me, it is ;)

I'd suggest going to a bricks and mortar camera shop and holding the darned things. I choose my body on 2 things now: sensor quality and how the camera feels in the hand.
 
I love the GX1 - something about it keeps drawing me back to it.

I have also had a G3, a D3100 and a bunch of other more exotic stuff.

The D3100 is a decent entry level camera. As Andy says, they all have auto and scene modes these days.
 
The G3 was my first m43 camera. For me and some others the handling can be described as awkward, especially with slightly larger lenses. The dynamic range would be the other limiting factor. But it does produce some nice images. I've not owned the GX1, but I know it's been a successful camera for Panasonic, I'd miss the tilt/swivel screen if had one over the Gx cameras.
 
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theowens said:
Comparing on snapshot, the Nikon comes out better against both

http://http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Panasonic-GX1

http://http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Panasonic-G3

However its my lack of understanding as to the bits that are better on the Panasonics that is worrying me

1. Shoots faster 4.2fps as opposed to 3fps - will this make much of difference when trying to capture fast moving images i.e. gymnastics and horse riding?

2. Optical zoom - 20x as opposed to 3x, yes I could get a bigger lens for the Nikon but £300 is the top of my budget and I'm not sure 3x is enough - saying that I'm not sure how much 3x is - does it mean if I was 30 foot away, the image would appear 10ft away? Sorry it that's a really stupid question.

3. Movie format @30fps as opposed @60fps - again for fast sporting action, 60fps would surely be better?

Thanks again
Rob
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For fast moving sports action a DSLR is still better than a compact system camera due to the focusing.

The lenses are cheaper for what you will need as well and you can always just put the camera in auto mode if that's what you prefer.

I don't understand the optical zoom comparison here. The optical zoom is solely based on the lens you put on the camera.

You are trying to find a camera to shoot one of the most difficult things (fast moving indoor sports) so for that kind of price there will be compromises.

I find the snapshot website confusing sometimes, and also incorrect a lot of times with their information.

The movie mode will be better however on the Panasonic. They do very good movie mode for the price point.

If it was me, I would go for a used DSLR setup for value and easier capture of fast moving objects (or people in this case).
 
arad85 said:
All cameras have an Auto mode these days. Given a wide enough set of scenes, you will be able to find strengths and weaknesses in each lineup. You really should be deciding on ergonomics, not features you may or may not want (you won't know what your camera misses or does well until you use it for a while).

I have been DSLR and now have sold up for micro 4/3rds. The main benefit to me was availability of small high quality lenses for the micro 4/3rds. Once you get into Nikon/Canon territory, the good lenses are quite a lot bigger and heavier than the micro 4/3rds counterparts. If you only intend using the kit lens, it won't be an issue, but once you have a few larger lenses, believe me, it is ;)

I'd suggest going to a bricks and mortar camera shop and holding the darned things. I choose my body on 2 things now: sensor quality and how the camera feels in the hand.
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If the budget is £300, the high quality CSC lenses are out of the question.

In have just swapped from DSLR to an Olympus OM-D and a couple of decent lenses and its great, but it is nowhere near the £300 budget whereas a DSLR setup with a zoom lens could be.
 
Phall82 said:
If the budget is £300, the high quality CSC lenses are out of the question.

In have just swapped from DSLR to an Olympus OM-D and a couple of decent lenses and its great, but it is nowhere near the £300 budget whereas a DSLR setup with a zoom lens could be.
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Having looked at the jessops site, the D3100 with 18-55 and 70-300 would give you all you need for £379. I know this is over budget but it does seem a lot of range for the money and I think they do 6 months interest free at the moment.
 
Phall82 said:
If the budget is £300, the high quality CSC lenses are out of the question.

In have just swapped from DSLR to an Olympus OM-D and a couple of decent lenses and its great, but it is nowhere near the £300 budget whereas a DSLR setup with a zoom lens could be.
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Phall82 said:
Having looked at the jessops site, the D3100 with 18-55 and 70-300 would give you all you need for £379. I know this is over budget but it does seem a lot of range for the money and I think they do 6 months interest free at the moment.
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And £300 isn't going to get you in to decent lenses on DSLRs either. As I said... if you're going to stick with the one kit lens, there's probably not a lot in it (micro 4/3rds is still quite a bit smaller in my books, but others don't think so). When you start moving up the lens lineup or going for much longer focal lengths, there is a LOT of difference in it (try finding a fairly decent and compact 200-600mm equivalent for £400 for a DSLR - oh - hang on, you can't! ;))
 
arad85 said:
And £300 isn't going to get you in to decent lenses on DSLRs either. As I said... if you're going to stick with the one kit lens, there's probably not a lot in it (micro 4/3rds is still quite a bit smaller in my books, but others don't think so). When you start moving up the lens lineup or going for much longer focal lengths, there is a LOT of difference in it (try finding a fairly decent and compact 200-600mm equivalent for £400 for a DSLR - oh - hang on, you can't! ;))
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But why would he want 600mm? I don't have any preferred camera type like most people do, I've had Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax and DSLR, CSC, compact and 35mm film in the last 12 months, and still own most of them but for a beginner looking for a decent zoom range and sports action, there is no comparison to a DSLR for the money.

I can see this going down the route if how great CSC's are and how DSLR's are no better, but for what the OP is looking for a DSLR is the better value option.

£300 won't get the best DSLR lenses but it'll get closer to a 24-450mm range than the CSC's offer and the same price point and this is a very useful range for what he wants.

He could eventually add a 50mm f1.8 prime for around £60 for great family portraits, and CSC can't even nearly compete with that sort of value for a fast prime.

My favorite cameras are mirrorless, not DSLRs but this situation is more suited to an entry level DSLR.
 
Thanks Andy and Colin, your advice is appreciated.

I have no preference on make but do prefer the smaller CSC cameras, I doubt I'll ever buy another lens as I don't plan (but you never know) in taking up photography as a hobby I just want to be able to capture decent family photos and events such as when the kids are competing, I don't want perfection just something simple that produces acceptable results to keep as memories.

Based on all that has been said, I'm going to go and look at and choose one of these

CSC
Canon EOS M (£350) or Panasonic GX1 (£300)

DSLR
Nikon 3100 (£285) or Nikon 5100 (£360) with the std kit lenses
 
theowens said:
Thanks Andy and Colin, your advice is appreciated.

I have no preference on make but do prefer the smaller CSC cameras, I doubt I'll ever buy another lens as I don't plan (but you never know) in taking up photography as a hobby I just want to be able to capture decent family photos and events such as when the kids are competing, I don't want perfection just something simple that produces acceptable results to keep as memories.

Based on all that has been said, I'm going to go and look at and choose one of these

CSC
Canon EOS M (£350) or Panasonic GX1 (£300)

DSLR
Nikon 3100 (£285) or Nikon 5100 (£360) with the std kit lenses
Click to expand...

If CSC is your choice I'd also recommend the Panasonic GF5 with power zoom kit lens for £249.99 new at Wilkinson Cameras. They are based in North west but offer delivery or an eBay store as well. Great price. I've just bought my wife one.
 
Phall82 said:
If CSC is your choice I'd also recommend the Panasonic GF5 with power zoom kit lens for £249.99 new at Wilkinson Cameras. They are based in North west but offer delivery or an eBay store as well. Great price. I've just bought my wife one.
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Just an addition note. That comes with a 3 year guarantee through the shop.

If you aren't changing lenses, also have a look at the Fuji X10. I absolutely love that camera. Can be had new for under £300 or refurbished directly through Fuji for £225.
 
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