Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 review

The remaining buttons and dials are still more numerous than on the Sony NEX-5, but for us, these changes are a step in the wrong direction. Fewer controls might make the G3 less intimidating for casual photographers but they’re also less likely to turn them into enthusiasts. We don’t buy the argument that they had to be jettisoned to keep the size down, either. It’s 9mm narrower and 35g lighter than the G2, but that makes little difference in practice.

At least picking an autofocus point remains extremely quick via the touchscreen. A new Pinpoint autofocus mode shows a digital magnification of the part of the preview image as soon as it’s touched, and the focus point can then be fine-tuned by dragging the preview image – an unorthodox approach that works well.

We used the touchscreen to pick the precise focus point in this shot

The G2 recorded 720p video with mono sound, but the G3 records at 25fps, 1080p in stereo using AVCHD compression. The G2’s microphone socket has sadly disappeared, though. The big sensor means that image noise is far less pervasive than in compact cameras’ videos, and it also delivers a film-like shallow depth of field.

Various SLRs share these traits, but their video modes are hampered by clumsy autofocus that spoils both the picture and soundtrack, short clip lengths and moiré interference (see our review of the Canon 600D for details). The G3 is different. Focus is smooth and silent, and the touchscreen spot-focus controls and automatic tracking make it easy to keep moving subjects in focus. Clips are up to 30 minutes long, and there was no moiré interference in our tests.

The articulated LCD makes a welcome return, especially when shooting video

The only disappointment is that exposure control is limited to exposure compensation. We appreciate that Panasonic wants to reserve direct control of the shutter and aperture for the more expensive GH2, but the lack of an AE lock in videos is less excusable.