Panasonic Lumix GX1 Digital Camera Review

Speed and Timing

The GX1 has an above-average set of drive modes, including burst shooting, a self-timer, and a versatile exposure bracketing system.

Four burst modes are available. The H (high) setting can churn out about 4.1 full-resolution frames per second according to our tests, but the LCD does not display a live view at this speed. We could grab about two-dozen shots before the buffer completely clogged up.

The M (medium) and L (low) settings are slower, but both offer live view. There's also an SH (super-high) setting, which can crank out 20fps for 2 seconds,

The GX1's 4.1 fps top speed is respectable for a mirrorless system camera. It's faster than either of its main Micro Four Thirds brethren, the Panasonic G3 and Olympus PEN E-P3, though it's notably slower than the Samsung NX200 or Sony NEX-5N. More speed certainly doesn't hurt, and it's never a bad thing. But 4.1fps is a suitable amount for most situations, even shooting sports.

The timer offers standard 2 second and 10 second settings, plus a 10 second, 3-shot interval setting. The timer is not customizable.

Focus Speed

The chief complaint about mirrorless systems for the first few years of their existence was the sluggish autofocus. But contrast AF systems have come a long way recently, and the GX1 is almost as fast as any camera with a mirror in decent lighting, thanks to Panasonic's so-called Light Speed AF. It slows down and loses accuracy in dim lighting, but we have very few complaints.