Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3CK: $314

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3CK Kit Black 12.1-megapixel Digital Camera with interchangeable 14mm Pancake Lens

Longtime readers know I am a big fan of Panasonic’s Lumix line of cameras with their Leica lenses. The Lumix DMC-GF3CK is a serious DSLR for the enthusiast, and it addresses the biggest single complaint about the small point and shoot digital cams: Interchangeable lens.

Here are the details:

12 Megapixel Ultra Compact System Camera
Micro Four Thirds 14mm F2.5 ASPH Lens
3.0″ Free Angle Touch Enabled LCD
1080/60i High Definition video using the AVCHD format
Multiple Lens Options including 3D Still Lens
Innovative mode thumb wheel
6400 ISO for low light photos (even without a flash)
Built-in Popup Flash
Light Speed Auto Focus technology (no shutter lag)
12 high performance fixed focal length & variable aperture G Vario zooms
3D lens capable of simultaneous capture of 2D and 3D images
Optical Image Stabilization
new mirror-free camera technology

If you want a high quality camera beyond the usual point & shoot, but don’t want to drop a sm all fortune on a Nikon D5, have a look at the Lumix.

Review:

With the arrival of the GF3CK, Panasonic further solidifies the distinctions between its existing G-series lineup. The enthusiast-targeted rangefinder aesthetic heralded by the introduction of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 appears for the moment to have given way to a new directive; producing the smallest, lightest G-series camera possible. The move towards smaller, lighter large-sensor cameras with fewer external controls is not limited to Panasonic of course, as both Olympus and Sony are also courting the mass market aggressively.

Announced just eight months after the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, the GF3 is as much about omission as addition. With the removal of the EVF port and hotshoe, the GF3 stands as the only G-series camera on which neither an electronic nor optical viewfinder can be used. Other prominent changes include the loss of the signature Panasonic rear click-dial and the camera body’s sleeker, more rounded edges. These alterations give the GF3 an appearance more in line with that of a high-end compact camera than of its predecessor, the GF2.

Indeed, with the GF3, Panasonic offers a seamless upgrade path for compact camera users seeking higher image quality and more advanced shooting options. And perhaps for these users, the lack of a flash hotshoe and the downgrade from a stereo to mono microphone for video recording are sacrifices easily made in exchange for a smaller, lower-priced camera. In terms of features and performance, there is precious little in the GF3 that was not seen in either the GF2 or the more recently released Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3.

–DP Review