Micro 4/3 Is the GF5 really that bad?

Chrispynutt

New Member
The GF series post GF1 don't seem to get much love these days.

However I can get a brand new GF5 with the PZX 14-42 for £230, considering the lens is usually £170, is the GF5 really that bad of a M43 body?
 
It can take great photos like any of the G series of any type could. However, it has few controls on the body and requires menus to change common settings. The lack of love is primarily based on "handling". If you want something modern/new and very inexpensive and don't mind the lack of user controls it's a steal. You can make great photos with it if you know how.

But if you can afford some more consider a GX1 instead. Lot more camera there.
 
I think that the GF5 has suffered because of how early after the initial release the GX1 with more controls, features, hotshoe, and newer, higher resolution sensor went to bargain basement territory (in the USA, anyway).
 
I think that the GF5 has suffered because of how early after the initial release the GX1 with more controls, features, hotshoe, and newer, higher resolution sensor went to bargain basement territory (in the USA, anyway).
Why?
Sorry to be more specific, why did the GX1 plummet in price with such pace and so little grace?
 
Bought a brown GF5 for the wife, and love at first sight. Used as a P&S on I-auto, she gets great snapshots, which is her intent. But at times she gets serious about some flower or some such, and does that very well also. It's a serious little camera, that can.
 
I think there were a number of factors in the drop in retail value of the GX1:

- It seems to be a common practise for Panasonic to drop the price of their low to mid-range cameras from hero to zero reasonably quickly
- At release it was priced well above the G3 which had an eye-level viewfinder and articulated screen, albeit the GX1 probably has a nicer build
- The E-M5 stole a lot of the Micro 4/3 thunder not long after it's release, and the E-PL5 and E-PM2 (with the E-M5 sensor) put more pressure on the GX1 at the lower end of the market
- It probably should have had the GH2 sensor rather than the one from the G3
 
I think there were a number of factors in the drop in retail value of the GX1:

- It seems to be a common practise for Panasonic to drop the price of their low to mid-range cameras from hero to zero reasonably quickly
- At release it was priced well above the G3 which had an eye-level viewfinder and articulated screen, albeit the GX1 probably has a nicer build
- The E-M5 stole a lot of the Micro 4/3 thunder not long after it's release, and the E-PL5 and E-PM2 (with the E-M5 sensor) put more pressure on the GX1 at the lower end of the market
- It probably should have had the GH2 sensor rather than the one from the G3

That all makes sense. But, at the bargain basement prices it's still a heck of a camera. I love mine and it's a good complement to my G5. I've gone DOWN in the camera hierarchy lately and enjoying photography more. Go figure.
 
Point #4 was the only real reason that I didn't consider buying a GX1 for myself (I'm particularly partial to the GH sensors). Other than that I really enjoyed the camera when I got a chance to try one and loved the handling controls despite the fact that it is a very small camera body.
 
I had a GX1 very briefly. Main things I didn't get on with were the screen (I found it very hard to see in bright light) and the kit 14-42 lens which felt really cheap and nasty. I didn't want to spend loads on new lenses, VF etc so I sold it quite quickly.
 
I bought my GX1 as a body only -- heavily discounted -- since I have lenses. All LCD's suck in daylight as far as I'm concerned, lol.

And I have a G5 with the GH2 sensor for when I need it. Usually though, the GX1 is indistinguishable from it execpt in extreme light IMO.
 
Wise move mate and I always thought it would marry well with the PL25 - the GF1 certainly did!
I reckon the OMD might the culprit here! There's a little too much of the "Look at me, Look at me!" about it. ;)

Yeah, but even after you look really hard at at the E-M5, you end up with one hell of a camera.
 
Yeah, but even after you look really hard at at the E-M5, you end up with one hell of a camera.
Got to say I've seen some amazing images come out of this little Oly's innards. I, like many, had fallen for the spell of the OMD's good looks, but just didn't like the feel of it in hand.

Honestly 'feel' is now ranked in my top three prerequisites for a camera purchase - 'looks' have dropped out of the top ten...still a sucker for 'charm' though which sits at about no. 8 ;) Hey, what can I say I've matured....and my eyesight is failing.
 
Got to say I've seen some amazing images come out of this little Oly's innards. I, like many, had fallen for the spell of the OMD's good looks, but just didn't like the feel of it in hand.

Honestly 'feel' is now ranked in my top three prerequisites for a camera purchase - 'looks' have dropped out of the top ten...still a sucker for 'charm' though which sits at about no. 8 ;) Hey, what can I say I've matured....and my eyesight is failing.

I understand perfectly. For me the feel is perfect, the controls are natural (once customized to my liking), and it's the best digital shooter I have. In fact it's the first digital camera I was able to say that about. But these things are very personal. Right now, if the E-PM2 gets too "fiddly" feeling for me, I'll give up on tiny bodies and get a second E-M5. At the moment, thought, The mini with the Panasonic 14-42 power zoom pancake or the bodycap lens is a lot of fun.
 
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