Panasonic GF7 review

IMAGE QUALITY

Image quality showed a small improvement over the GF6 for noise levels at ISO speeds above 3200, but the GF7 still trailed behind CSCs from Sony, Samsung and Fujifilm that use physically larger sensors. The difference between them all wasn’t massive though. The GF7 did an excellent job of retaining details in dimly lit shots but skin tones tended to look a little scruffy.

It excelled in brighter conditions. The JPEG engine extracted every last drop of detail from the 16-megapixel sensor, and with an impressively sharp kit lens, it was more than able to hold its own against 24-megapixel rival CSCs. Colours were balanced and natural, and selecting the Intelligent ISO setting meant the camera automatically raised the shutter and ISO speeds to avoid motion blur in moving subjects.

^ Focus is pin sharp here. We’d normally expect to have to process RAW files to see this level of fine detail. (1/200s, f/8, ISO 200, 60mm equivalent)

^ There’s a slight deterioration in sharpness towards the edges of this wide-angle shot but it’s still a superb result. (1/500s, f/7.1, ISO 200, 24mm equivalent)

^ The definition to these skin textures is outstanding, and colours are spot on too. (1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 200, 64mm equivalent)

^ The JPEG engine has picked out the vivid colours and delicate details superbly here. (1/200s, f/6.3, ISO 200, 64mm equivalent)

^ Image quality is holding together well at ISO 640 but subtle textures are beginning to lose their definition. (1/60s, f/3.5, ISO 640, 24mm equivalent)

^ The camera has automatically increased the shutter and ISO speeds when it detected a moving subject. Details still look great at ISO 1000 but skin and hair textures are beginning to look scruffy. (1/125s, f/5.1, ISO 1000, 50mm equivalent)

^ This indoor shot at ISO 3200 qualifies as snapshot quality, and doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny. (1/60s, f/4.2, ISO 3200, 36mm equivalent)

CONCLUSION

There’s not much to fault about the GF7. It’s petite, responsive and straightforward to use, includes some fun shooting modes and takes excellent photos and videos. The poor battery life is disappointing, but our biggest issue is the price. Rival entry-level CSCs cost significantly less, such as the Sony A5000 at £250 and the Samsung NX3000 currently available for just £200 at Argos. Both of these cameras display less noise in low light compared to the GF7.

The GF7 isn’t a huge upgrade to the GF6, which is still available for £219 from Jessops. It’s not always fair to compare new models to discounted previous ones, but it becomes more pertinent when the older model is better is some ways – in this case with its longer battery life, mechanical shutter and more versatile screen articulation. It’s worth keeping an eye on the GF7’s price but we wouldn’t spend £400 on it.