Panasonic introduced a new interchangeable lens; Micro Four Thirds camera today. It’s essentially the G1 with a HD movie mode and new sensor which can take pictures at 12 megapixels, no matter what aspect ratio you choose (instead of cropping downwards from a fixed resolution). Practically, everything else remains the same as the old Lumix G1. For now, there also seems to be just one color – black – available for the Lumix GH1.
Panasonic Lumix GH1
(Interchangeable lens camera)
- 14 megapixel LiveMOS sensor
12 effective megapixels – pictures at any aspect ratio are taken at 12 megapixels - Dust reduction
- 3 inch rotating LCD; super high resolution EVF
- Full manual controls and Intelligent Auto Mode
- 1080p (1920 x 1080 at 24 FPS) movie mode with stereo sound and continuous autofocus
H.264 AVCHD codec, wind filter and external microphone available - Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Availability and price to be decided
Panasonic also announced two new Micro Four Thirds lenses today. The 14 – 140 mm, f4.0 – f5.8 OIS lens is a super-zoom lens which will supposedly come as a kit option with the Lumix GH1. Next is the 7 – 14 mm, f4.0 ultra wide-angle zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds. Finally, an option for landscape and wide-angle lovers.
The best part is that both the new lenses are native Micro Four Thirds lenses… meaning you can use autofocus when attached to the Lumix G1 or GH1.