Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Focal length: 22mm
Aperture: f/10
Shutter: 1/640
ISO: 200

This was shot in program mode on a bright afternoon, using 23-point metering. We boosted the brightness of the Live View screen two notches and had no problem working in the sunshine.

The GH1 did a nice job capturing detail, including the fine lines of the boat rigging. And there are no signs of color fringing even in the corners.

Focal length: 48mm
Aperture: f/11
Shutter: 1/640
ISO: 200

Shot as part of the same sequence as the landscape above. The lens doesn’t allow focusing at close distances, but zooming in while standing above this slip number produced a nice sharp image with good reproduction of detail and texture.

The lens is a big factor in the high GH1 kit price, but at least you’re getting quality for your money, as shown in the fine details and hard edges in these crops.

Focal length: 25mm
Aperture: f/4.7
Shutter: 1/10 second
ISO: 1600

We found these artistic tiles at a dimly lit subway stop (about 40 lux) and planned to grab a tripod, but decided to try shooting handheld first. To our surprise, these very nice results emerged. Holding the camera at a low angle with arms straight and the screen tilted upward helped keep the camera steady. Noise reduction is at the default middle setting.

Yes, there’s a bit of noise (noticeable in the purple house close-up), but we’re impressed with this available light result.

Focal length: 54mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/2 second
ISO: 1600

To explore the relationship between noise reduction setting and image detail, we shot these shelves with the camera on a tripod, with dim daylight filtered through window shades, at a consistent ISO 1600. The image at left was shot with the default middle noise reduction setting, and can be clicked to load a full-sized version. As shown in the close-ups below, raising the noise reduction setting helps significantly, and not much fine line detail is lost in the process.

Focal length: 54mm
Aperture: f/5.3
Shutter: 1/25 second
ISO: 200

We test colors using an industry-standard chart, but we experience them in the familiar products we see every day. That’s why we shot this tableau in smooth film mode (the most accurate in our testing), under a combination of incandescent and fluorescent lights, using program mode and a manual white balance reading.

The colors here are all a bit off, The final two crops were taken in Smooth (left) and Standard mode, which boosts the red in the KitKat wrapper noticeably.