Panasonic DMC-GH1

	Canon Rebel T1i Comparison Summary
One of the two sub-$1000 video-enabled SLRs available today, the Canon Rebel T1i does a decent job shooting video, with video color and noise performance roughly equal to the GH1, but at 1080p the Canon only captures 20 frames per second, which doesn't look smooth. The Panasonic offers far more control over video shooting plus an external mic jack, both major advantages. For shooting stills, the GH1 is far superior when it comes to sharpness, though the Canon reproduces color far more accurately. And while there is a price chasm between the $900 T1i and the $1500 GH1, this is largely a result of the longer-zoom, ultra-quiet 10x zoom that ships with the GH1.
	Video Features	Page 16 of 21	Nikon D5000 Comparison

	Comparison Specifications
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
Price	$1499.95 with 14-140mm OIS lens	$899.99 (w/ 18-55mm IS lens)
Dimensions	4.88 x 3.29 x 1.78in/124 x 90 x 45mm 13.6 oz/385g	5.1 x 3.9 x 3.1 in/129.1 x 98.9 x 77.9mm 16.9 oz/ 480g
Resolution	12.1 megapixels	15.1-megapixels
Processor	Venus Engine HD	DIGIC 4
Sensor size/type	17.3mm x 13.0mm Live MOS sensor	22.3mm x 14.9mm (APS-C size)
Kit Lens	14-140mm OIS	18-55mm IS
Viewfinder	Live View electronic viewfinder	Eye-level pentamirror, 95% field of view, 0.87x magnification
LCD	460,000-dot, 3.0 inch articulated screen	920,000-dot, 3 inch LCD
Live View	Contrast Autofocus, 23-area, 1-area,tracking, face detection	Autofocus (One-Shot AF): Live mode, Face Detection Live mode, Quick mode; Manual focus (5x or 10x manually)
Shutter Speed	1/4000 sec to 60 sec, bulb	1/4000 sec. to 30 sec., bulb
Burst Speed	Max 3 shots/sec	Max. 3.4 shots/sec.
Autofocus	Contrast AF	9 AF points (center AF point is cross-type)
Exposure Compensation	±3 EV in 1/3 stop increments	±2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
Noise Reduction	High ISO (5 levels), Long Exposure	High ISO (three levels), Long Exposure
ISO range	100-3200 in 1/3 or 1 EV increments	ISO 100-3200 (12,800 extended) in 1 stop increments
Flash	Built-in, pop-up	Retractable, auto pop-up, E-TTL II flash
Media Format	Still: JPEG, RAW Video: AVCHD and Motion JPEG	Still: JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG Video: MOV
Movie Mode	Yes, maximum resolution 1080p @24fps	Yes, maximum resolution 1920 x 1080 @20 fps
Media Type	SD/SDHC	SD, SDHC (class 6 or faster required for video)
Connections	USB, NTSC, HDMI	USB, Video out, mini-HDMI out
Other Hardware	DC power cable	No

	Video: Comparison Scores
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
Video: Color & Noise	20.73	20.76
Video: Motion & Sharpness	19.77	19.10
Video: Low Light Performance	23.07	18.90
Video Features	27.75	13.65
Exclusive - Video testing on the Panasonic GH1 is provided by CamcorderInfo.com, the world leader in camcorder and video reviewing.

Performance
These two cameras had significant problems in different still image testing categories. The Canon Rebel T1i came up short in sharpness, producing noticeably soft images, while the Panasonic GH1 had difficulty capturing colors accurately, in both our color and white balance testing. The Panasonic had more image noise than the Canon, and that's with the advantage of some noise reduction processing. However, when shooting in Live View mode, the Canon is as hopeless as the other SLRs we've tested when shooting fast action, while Panasonic has created a Live View autofocus system that works quickly and reliably, a major accomplishment. As for video, the Canon is problematic capturing motion at 1080p, since it runs at just 20 frames per second, though 720p video is smooth, and video color, noise and sharpness are comparable between the two cameras.

Components
The Canon may have a higher megapixel count but this spec is deceptive: the Panasonic takes sharper pictures. We do love the 920,000-dot 3-inch LCD on the Rebel T1i, but the 460,000-dot screen on the GH1 is hinged on the left, allowing it to pivot into a variety of shooting positions, which we found particularly helpful when shooting video. The GH1 electronic viewfinder is very good as electronic viewfinders go, but we found it lagged when we moved quickly, particularly in low light, and far prefer the traditional optical viewfinder on the T1i. However, the Canon lacks a dedicated autofocus assist lamp, relying on burst from the built-in flash for low-light focusing, which makes indoor candid shots and baby photography difficult compared to the effective AF assist lamp on the GH1. Both cameras have HDMI ports for connecting directly to a high-def TV, though Panasonic TV owners get the bonus ability to control video and still playback using the TV remote.

While we were very happy with the 14-140mm kit lens provided with the GH1, there's an iincontrovertible advantage to having access to the full array of Canon lenses versus the slim pickings in Micro Four Thirds format.

Handling
The Canon body may be slightly larger but it feels unpleasantly light when shooting, while the Panasonic feels solid and substantial in your hands. The major handling problem with the GH1 comes from the positioning of the movie recording button on the top right thumb rest—it's all too easy to accidentally press it.

Controls
While the official ISO range of the two cameras is the same 100-3200, the Canon T1i can go all the way to ISO 12,800 in extended range shooting, and while that's rarely useful due to noise, ISO 6400 can be a nice option in a low-light pinch. The Canon is also marginally faster, with a 3.4 shot per second tested burst speed versus 3.16 for the Panasonic, though neither is a speed demon. We like both menu systems for their on-screen clarity and logical organization, though Canon does a better job keeping all your options visible on screen by using more tabs, where the Panasonic requires scrolling down through multiple screens. The big Panasonic control advantage is in video shooting, where you get full manual control of aperture and shutter speed plus autofocus while shooting, a major feature missing from the T1i.

	ISO Examples
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 100
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 200
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 400
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 800
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 1600
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 3200
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 6400
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 12800
	Panasonic GH1	Canon Rebel T1i

NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.