# Panasonic GF2 v GF3



## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

So, any of you got one of these?

Whats your thoughts on them? Best Buy have them for sale at good prices.

What can the Pancake lens do that the normal lens can't?

Will I be able to take photos like this with blurred background?


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## DaveDesign (May 6, 2008)

You will probably get a better response in the photography forum my friend.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=85


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Thought I clicked in there to start a new thread.


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

well, the thread's here?


Anyway. What f stop is the pancake? If it's, say f4, then yes, you *could* get backgrounds like that. Having said that, it's not that simple.

What do you want to do and what lenses are they? link?

Pancake, BTW, refers simply to the fact that it's flat and doesn't protrude much. As far as I'm concerned, the original Pancake is from Pentax and it's a 40mm/2.8 with a weight of less than 100g. 

Bret


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

This is the pancake lens - http://www.ukdigital.co.uk/panasonic-lumix-g-14mm-f2-5-asph-lens.html

I'm pretty sure there was a bundle with it.

Whats your thoughts on the GF2 overall?


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

apart from the fact it's been superseded by the GF3, I don't really have an opinion. It's a decent EVIL mirrorless system cam with a decent-size sensor in a small body. Review of the GF2 from someone I trust: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_GF2/

Bret


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

At £199 with the 14-42mm I think it looks like a good buy.


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## pooma (Apr 12, 2008)

No experience of these little cameras but at £199 if it comes with that exact same lens as you linked in post 5 then it would appear to be a good buy seeing as the lens is 299 on its own, 100 quid off the lens and a free camera to boot.


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

The GF2 has a touchscreen drag facility that can blur the background by simply swiping your finger across a bar once you have focused on an image , the GF2 is possiby the best camera i have ever bought with the pancake lense and all my shots on here are done with it , the thing i love although a common feature now is if you want to focus on a subject manually as soon as you move the focus ring it zooms in so that for flake on a car you can focus right on the very specks and as soon as you stop touching the focus dial it zooms back out again to a larger image of just the wing , what this means is that when you take the shot and crop you can guarantee the flake is focused and not on the clearcoat blurring whats underneath.

Ive only sold mine simply because ive ordered the NEX7 although the floods in thailand have put it back 3 months grrrrr...


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Nex7 is going to be stunning and whilst it's been a pain waiting for it, floods did kill people so a delayed camera isn't end of the world. That said I am about to plump for the a65 as whilst I want the nex7 sensor and evf the lens choice and wildlife of the slt's have won me over.


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

is teh A65 using the same sensor range as the d7k, K5 and A55? If so, it should *seriously* kick ass - I was taking some stuff last night at ISO8k and it's more than usable. 

Bret


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## pooma (Apr 12, 2008)

Sorry to hijack the thread but going from your post Bret you would really rate the Sony a55 and 65 if using the same sensor? I'm hoping to upgrade my a230 at the back end of the year and these 2 fall with-in what my expected budget will be.


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

pooma said:


> No experience of these little cameras but at £199 if it comes with that exact same lens as you linked in post 5 then it would appear to be a good buy seeing as the lens is 299 on its own, 100 quid off the lens and a free camera to boot.


For £199 it comes with the 14-42mm lens.

They do a Twin Lens Kit, which has the 14-42mm and the 14mm Pancake lens. Im not entirely sure how much that was.


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

pooma said:


> Sorry to hijack the thread but going from your post Bret you would really rate the Sony a55 and 65 if using the same sensor? I'm hoping to upgrade my a230 at the back end of the year and these 2 fall with-in what my expected budget will be.


The sensor is essentially the same in Nikon's D7000, Pentax' K5 and the Sony A55. Firmware is different, and so the high-ISO behaviour isn't identical in all cases, but... well, the K5 is extremely usable towards ISO6400 and if you expose carefully you can get away with a lot more. Like 25k6 :doublesho

The A55 has the transparent mirror technology and -as said - slightly different firmware, but the base is extremely good. Reading DXOMark, the Nex-7 should be extremely good, even if not quite so extreme as the K5. More here: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/News/DxOMark-news/Sony-NEX-7-comparisons-and-review

- Bret


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

I have a panasonic G1.
I know It's the older model but its basically the same inside. It's brilliant tbh

Sent from my Desire HD


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

According to TP, at Best Buy the GF3 with 14mm pancake is £258!


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

This is just a typical example although not a photo to impress , it just shows when i took it it focused on the flake not the sanding marks alongside it , when i released the focus from the flake it went back to this image , its easy to just manually focus zoomed in i know but how this works impressed me.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

I absolutely love the GF2 that Marc kindly sold to me :thumb:

As a camera noob believe me i am a noob. It is so easy to use and gives cracking shots


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Do you have a case for it Lee?


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

bretti_kivi said:


> is teh A65 using the same sensor range as the d7k, K5 and A55? If so, it should *seriously* kick ass - I was taking some stuff last night at ISO8k and it's more than usable.
> 
> Bret


No it uses Sony's new 24 mp sensor which is also in the nex7. Doesn't have the same high ISO performance as your k5 but it will resolve more detail than any other sensor on market Inc Leica m9 and fullframe dslrs, although the next gen of full frame slrs from Sony should seriously kick ass.


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## NickTB (Feb 4, 2007)

I just bought an A55 and 50mm f1.4 combo. I love it


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Where from Nick?

Did you consider the Panasonic?


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## NickTB (Feb 4, 2007)

Matt. said:


> Where from Nick?
> 
> Did you consider the Panasonic?


Sorry about the thanks, fat fingers and the iPhone lol
I bought it from digitalrev. I had the nex 5 which I liked, sold it and bought a G2 which I just couldn't get on with. It wasn't a dslr or a compact IMHO so I bought the A55 which has totally sparked my interest in photography again.


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## ovolo (Jun 7, 2009)

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/

I always check the prices out on the above website then see what deal I can get in the camera stores in the city centre.

My philosophy is if You don't ask you don't get ;0)

HTH:thumb:


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

NickTB said:


> Sorry about the thanks, fat fingers and the iPhone lol
> I bought it from digitalrev. I had the nex 5 which I liked, sold it and bought a G2 which I just couldn't get on with. It wasn't a dslr or a compact IMHO so I bought the A55 which has totally sparked my interest in photography again.


Is that a Panasonic GF2 Nick?


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Didn't bother in the end.

They had the GF2 with 14-42mm for £190. GF2 Twin Lens kit for £320

Or the GF3 14-42mm for £260.

I really wanted the 14mm lens. I don't fancy going to Derby for the GF3 14mm for £258.


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## NickTB (Feb 4, 2007)

Matt. said:


> Is that a Panasonic GF2 Nick?


That was the Panasonic DMC G2.


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