I really appreciated the chance to hold and play with the GH1 at PMA, and over the last few weeks I have been spending much time thinking about that camera. It was like going on a first date, I played with it enough to get the basic functionality down,

(even was able to show the Panasonic rep's how to control Aperture/Shutter/ and Manual modes in the camera since they are buried in a menu, and they didn't know how to access them.) But just as a first date, you are left wondering what will the future hold with you and the date. Will this camera really be the first major player in the Camera world that includes video. It promising a lot especially when you compare it with video capabilities found in other cameras.

By far the µ4/3 system offers in many respects the best options that I have seen of any to date. Though I doubt that at least now it will replace my top end glass from the 4/3 system, but as a second camera µ4/3 looks perfect, smaller size camera, with very high quality video. Even on the GH1 it had full manual controls - which to me as a photographer are simply missing from other camcorders but those at the very top end. I have over the last couple of months had numerous conversations with Scott Dordick CEO of Acratech as he has been working on creating videos for his company. We have both been very disappointed at consumer level (even very high end consumer) video cameras. They do not work as a normal Camera. You either cannot control Focusing or exposure, or on the LCD is WYSINWYG (What you see IS NOT what you get) or they have zoom creep, or half a dozen other issues always seem present.

With the other Video offerings from SLR cameras leave a lot to be desired, they are simply not designed from the ground up to be video cameras. So all in all I have very high hopes for the GH1. The G1 was a good camera for taking photos and as a version 1 camera, I think that it did deserve Pop Photos award of camera of the year and that is quite promising. The entire µ4/3 seems to be much better received than the original 4/3 system was 6 years ago.



But I have some early concerns as always with Panasonic. I can say whole heartedly I was a very early adopter of their first camera the L1, but was totally turned off by the L-10. The G1 is nice but for a consumer level Non-SLR $800 is expensive. If they price the GH1 at around $1500, I really think that will be enough to turn a lot of people away from the camera, and then the wait begins for what will Olympus do…. But really in terms of video, and even the Electronic Viewfinder, Panasonic should be way a head of anything Olympus can bring out, from their vast video experience. Even the Electronic viewfinder comes straight from their high end video cameras.

I also am not that excited about a 10x zoom lens. It really is a great size, from when I held it, but in my opinion it is at least a stop (f4-5.6) to slow for my taste. I would rather have a 4x or 5x zoom at most. However, we still will have to see what they do. It should be a great lens, built from the ground up for video, with very quiet AF motors, and near silent Aperture control, but the 10x zoom on the first look just naturally turns me off.

So all in all it still is early, but I really hope that Panasonic grabs the Micro 4/3 system by the horns and really tries to turn it into something wonderful.

I personally am still planning on buying the GH1, but I still with those concerns am left wondering, what will Olympus do…. The waiting game continues, and really news from Panasonic USA seems to be at a standstill at least for now. But unfortunately it has always been like pulling teeth to get anything from them in the past. So I guess I am left to wait patiently just as everyone else.