Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Sharpness

The Panasonic G2 had incredibly impressive scores in the sharpness department, outstripping the Canon T2i, the Nikon D5000, and all of the Micro Four Thirds cameras in this comparison set. The best sharpness result was measured in the center of the lens when shooting at the widest focal length. At these settings, the sharpness was measured as 1888 lw/ph horizontally and 2033 lw/ph vertically. More on how we test sharpness.

Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration

Focal Length:

14.0mm

28.0mm

42.0mm

Click blue squares to change sample crops below
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS f/9 f/22
f/4.8 f/10 f/22
f/5.6 f/11 f/22

Image Stabilization (0.95)

Image stabilization on the Panasonic G2 was very poor, boasting only minor improvements at a couple of shutter speeds and having a negative impact on sharpness under most conditions. Both the GF1 and the GH1 turned in superior performance in this test—as did every other Micro Four Thirds camera we’ve tested.

The G2, like the other Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras before it, uses lens-based stabilization. The 14–42mm kit lens we used offers OIS, but there are other lenses in the G-series that do not. If you do opt to use a lens with a built-in stabilizer, you can choose from three image stabilization modes. Mode 1 employs the stabilization system at all times when the camera in in Record mode. Mode 2 only uses the system when the shutter button is pressed. Mode 3 only impacts up and down movements—allowing you to to enact a smooth horizontal pan without the stabilization system trying to interfere. While shooting video, Mode 1 is the only option available.

Our high shake test gave the camera considerable problems: sharpness was worse with the stabilization system turned on no matter which stabilization mode we used. Of course, we don’t expect most people to shoot photos under ‘high shake’ situations, so this only constitutes a small part of our final stabilization score.

Image Stabilization Comparison Table			Expand
	Low Shake IS Off	Low Shake IS On	High Shake IS Off	High Shake IS On
1/500
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
1/8

During the low shake test, the G2 fared better, with the stabilization improving sharpness at 1/60, 1/30, and 1/15 shutter speeds. This is exactly the performance we’ve come to expect from most DSLR stabilization systems. Unfortunately, the improvement at these thre shutter speeds was minor compared to most cameras. The Olympus E-P1, in particular, showed phenomenal improvement at lower shutter speeds. In that case, it seems that in-camera stabilization is more effective than lens-based systems.