Panasonic DMC-G1

Size / Portability (8.00)
Yes, the Lumix G1 is smaller than traditional SLRs... but how much smaller? Here's a Tale of the Tape comparison between the G1 and two of the more petite digital SLRs currently on the market.

A glance through these figures reveals an interesting fact: the G1 is indisputably smaller, but not by much. It's only fair to mention that the size of the camera body is only part of the story: Micro Four Thirds lenses are also appreciably smaller than their full-size SLR counterparts, due in part to a narrower diameter. But the portability gap between what's comes before and the new format introduction isn't a chasm, it's a divot. What's more, the shape of the camera pretty much wipes out whatever shlepability benefit you might derive from the new format. With the lens sticking out of the camera body as usual, you're not sticking the G1 in a pants pocket any time soon (unless parachute pants make a comeback, that is), or even a jacket pocket. It's going into a backpack or over your shoulder on a strap, same as a traditional SLR, albeit one at the lighter-weight end of the spectrum.

Handling Ability (8.00)
Beyond pondering portability, we were concerned about the comfort level of a shrunken SLR.  On that score we were pleasantly surprised. This reviewer has great big hands, paws that easily cradle the bulk of a prosumer SLR like the Nikon D700. Full credit to Panasonic, then, for designing a petite package that is nonetheless easy to hold comfortably and manipulate quickly.

Despite it's small size, we found shooting with the G1 comfortable.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (10.25)
The controls for the Lumix G1 are extensive, and generally can be accessed pretty quickly, but there's a significant level of complexity involved in mastering some of them. The mode dial on the top right side, for example, has 14 positions, many of which are identified only by icons that require a trip to the manual to decipher, even for experienced shooters.  On the plus side, all the buttons are large enough, and have enough space surrounding them, to make finding and pushing them simple, and they feel solid and responsive. This includes the shutter button, which has a very definite hold point between half-pressing the shutter to achieve focus and a full press to take a picture.

The control wheel mounted on the front of the handgrip is handy for zipping through photos during playback, moving quickly through menus and particularly for dialing in exposure compensation values, but the placement isn't perfect. The wheel has two axes of movement: it rotates and it can also be pushed in with a click, functioning like a button. In fact, that's the way you engage exposure compensation control, by clicking the wheel. And that's the problem: it's very easy to accidentally click that wheel with the side of your index finger while holding the smallish handgrip, and from that point on every movement of your hand can change the exposure comp setting. The first few days we shot with the camera this happened frequently and, even now, when we're used to its peculiarities, it's still an issue. This behavior can be changed through the custom menu, by moving the exposure compensation trigger function to the LVF/LCD button, but most users will undoubtedly stick with the default rather than ferret out this fairly obscure setting. whose function is unclear from the menu text, and overrides the button's original function.

The Fn button can be set by the
user to one of five controls.

The bottom position on the four-way controller is programmable, with five options: Aspect Ratio, Image Quality, Metering Mode, I. Exposure and Guide Line display.

You can establish three custom control set-ups, including settings for AF / AE Lock mode, auto focus assist lamp, focus priority, noise reduction settings, auto review, and Fn button setting. These are created by setting up the camera the way you want it, then choosing CUST from the mode dial and saving the current configuration into one of three slots. Accessing your stored setup is as simple as returning the mode dial to CUST and choosing from the three stored settings.

The dial icons provide access to groups of image presets.

Custom Menu
There is a lot of power to tweak camera behavior to suit you preferences here, though the likely G1 buyer, stepping up from a simple point-and-shoot camera, will no doubt find the choices bewildering, with their unclear labels and complete lack of explantory text.

Setup Menu
Another lengthy menu, but at least these are settings that are changed only infrequently. Leaving the card format command at the very end of the line is inconvenient, though, since it's the choice from this menu that will probably used most often.

Playback Mode Menu
Given the limited in-camera editing options, the Playback menu is a compact collection of choices.