Panasonic DMC-GH1

	Nikon D5000 Comparison Summary
While the Nikon D5000 didn't fare as poorly as the Canon Rebel T1i in our resolution testing, sharpness was still a problem when shooting stills with the camera, where the Panasonic GH1 performed well. Both cameras offer articulated displays that pivot for shooting at an angle, but the Nikon's folds down rather than out to the side, which is less practical, especially since we found the extended screen on the GH1 made it easier to shoot steady video. And speaking of video, the Nikon can't shoot at 1080p the way the Panasonic can and lacks the manual controls and continuous autofocus that make the GH1 a video star, albeit an expensive one.
	Canon Rebel T1i Comparison	Page 17 of 21	Nikon D90 Comparison

	Comparison Specifications
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
Price	$1499.95 with 14-140mm OIS lens	$849.95 (w/ 18-55mm VR lens)
Dimensions	4.88 x 3.29 x 1.78in/124 x 90 x 45mm 13.6 oz/385g	5.0 x 4.1 x 3.1 in/127 x 104x 80mm 19.8 oz/560g
Resolution	12.1 megapixels	12.3-megapixels
Processor	Venus Engine HD	EXPEED
Sensor size/type	17.3mm x 13.0mm Live MOS sensor	15.8 x 23.6mm DX format CMOS
Kit Lens	14-140mm OIS	18-55mm VR
Viewfinder	Live View electronic viewfinder	95% field of view, 0.78x magnification
LCD	460,000-dot, 3.0 inch articulated screen	230,000-dot, 2.7 inch, articulated vari-angle unit
Live View	Contrast Autofocus, 23-area, 1-area,tracking, face detection	Face-priority, wide area, normal area and Subject tracking, manual
Shutter Speed	1/4000 sec to 60 sec, bulb	1/4000 sec. to 30 sec., bulb
Burst Speed	Max 3 shots/sec	Max. 4 shots/sec.
Autofocus	Contrast AF	TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including 1 cross-type sensor)
Exposure Compensation	±3 EV in 1/3 stop increments	±5EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 1 stop
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 200-3200 in 1/3 EV, extended to 100-6400
Flash	Built-in, pop-up	Built-in, pop-up
Media Format	Still: JPEG, RAW Video: AVCHD and Motion JPEG	Still: JPEG, RAW (12-bit), RAW+JPEG Video: AVI
Movie Mode	Yes, maximum resolution 1080p @24fps	Yes, maximum resolution 720p @24fps
Media Type	SD/SDHC	SD, SDHC
Connections	USB, NTSC, HDMI	Hi-speed USB, NTSC, HDMI
Other Hardware	DC power cable	No

	Video: Comparison Scores
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
Video: Color & Noise	20.73	21.76
Video: Motion & Sharpness	19.77	15.29
Video: Low Light Performance	23.07	27.05
Video Features	27.75	14.25
Exclusive - Video testing on the Panasonic GH1 is provided by CamcorderInfo.com, the world leader in camcorder and video reviewing.

Performance
The Nikon D5000 disappointed in our resolution testing, while the Panasonic GH1 performed well. If color accuracy is important to you, though, the Nikon proved far superior in our color and noise and tests, and its 4 shot per second burst mode is substantially faster than the 3.16 shots managed by the GH1. When shooting video, on the other hand, the clear advantage goes to the GH1, which produced video that was sharper, smoother and more color-accurate than the Nikon, and shoots at 1080p while the Nikon is limited to 720p.

Components
Both cameras offer articulated screens for added shooting flexibility, but the GH1 has two advantages here. The GH1 screen pivots from the side rather than the bottom-hinged Nikon approach, and the 460,000-dot GH1 screen looks sharper than the 230,000-dot D5000 display, with richer colors while shooting and playing back images. We're not huge fans of the GH1 electronic viewfinder, particularly in low light where it stutters and gets noisy, where the Nikon offers a traditional optical viewfinder that's bright and comfortable to use. Both cameras offer HDMI output for viewing videos and stills on a high-def TV. Panasonic does offer a bonus feature if you own a Panasonic TV, allowing you to control camera playback using the TV remote. Of course, buying a Nikon gives you access to a huge range of available lenses, versus the limited number of fully compatible Micro Four Thirds lenses currently on the market.

Handling
We found both cameras feel solidly buillt and comfortable in your hands, though the Nikon grip felt a bit more substantial. The Nikon also lacks the misplaced button problem we experienced with the GH1, where the movie record button is positioned perilously close to your right thumb while holding the camera. In the head-to-head articulated screen battle, having the hinge on the left side (the Panasonic way) rather than at the bottom (the Nikon approach) is the winner, both for the ability to take a tripod-mounted self portrait and the additional stability the sideways screen extension provides.

Controls
There isn't a world of difference between the two cameras when it comes to still image controls. The Nikon can shoot at ISO 6400 while the Panasonic tops out at ISO 3200, a minor advantage, and the Nikon is substantially faster when shooting in burst mode. The contrasts are stark when it comes to shooting video, though. The Nikon tops out at 720p mode, while the Panasonic offers both 720p and the higher-resolution 1080p format. The GH1 lets video shooters use nearly all the same controls available while shooting stills, including shutter speed and aperture adjustments, many scene modes, color modification and even ISO settings. And potentially most important of all, the GH1 can autofocus while shooting video, a feature notably missing from the Nikon's far more automated and limited video feature set.

	ISO Examples
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 100
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 200
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 400
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 800
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 1600
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 3200
	Panasonic GH1	Nikon D5000
ISO 6400

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.