Panasonic Lumix G100 is the first Micro Four Thirds camera created for vloggers

Panasonic has been known for years for the production of cameras that can replace cameras in many film productions - especially those on the internet. However, the Japanese offer lacked a camera for beginners. Here it is: Panasonic Lumix G100 tailored specifically for vloggers.

A neat, ergonomic design

Panasonic Lumix G100 is small and light (422 g). Despite this, it has a clearly defined grip at the front and a hump on top, which houses the electronic viewfinder, really good for such a small camera (3.69 million points). On the back there is a 3-inch, touch LCD screen with a resolution of 1.84 million points. The display is attached to the side, so you can tilt it 180 degrees to record vlogs or take selfies. The whole looks solid and elegant.

The heart of the Panasonic Lumix G100 camera is the 20-megapixel Four Thirds matrix, which we can know from other models of this manufacturer. Unfortunately, the matrix was deprived of a system of mechanical stabilization, which was replaced by an electronic system. A simplified shutter mechanism was also used. It was equipped with one curtain, covering the matrix at the end of the exhibition. The camera therefore uses the first shutter curtain in shooting mode. Unfortunately, this limits the synchronization time with the flash, which is only 1/50 s. We also do not go crazy without the flash: the maximum is 1/500 s for mechanical shutter and 1/16000 s with electronic shutter.

Panasonic Lumix G100 is undoubtedly a camera tailored for recording movies.

The camera allows recording videos in 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) up to 30 fps, but with a time limit of 10 min. For this we have Full HD (1920 x 1080) 24/25/30 fps with a limit of 29 min 59 s and 50/60 fps up to 20 min. We can also use the slow motion recordings of 100/120 fps, but then we also have a limit of 10 min.

Unfortunately, 4K movies are recorded with a crop, in addition to various. Choosing shots without digital stabilization, we have a 1.26x crop. When this system is turned on, the crop ranges between 1.37x and 1.79x at maximum stabilization power. For Full HD movies it is 1.09x - 1.43x respectively. There is no crop stabilization.

The microphone system was made by ... Nokia!

The younger part of you may no longer associate what kind of company this is, so let me remind you: Nokia was once a giant in the production of classic mobile phones. The brand still exists and deals with various businesses, often unrelated to their original direction. Here is a good example.

Panasonic Lumix G100 uses the "OZO" directional audio system, made under Nokia license, which allows you to choose the direction in which the sound is recorded, even using face detection. This intelligent system of spatial sound filtration is based on three microphones located in different places of the body. As we read in the press release:

"G100 also tracks the voice of the detected person, automatically switching to the most appropriate mode for the situation. Thanks to this versatile audio technology, the sound will be so good that you will no longer need to invest in a separate external microphone. "

The system is designed to better isolate the voice of the person speaking in the background or behind the camera, as well as tracking the moving person who is speaking. It sounds interesting, but as always, you have to see how it works in practice.

An interesting new feature is also the new mode of operation, which starts when you turn the screen forward, i.e. when you want to record a vlog or take a selfie. The camera then turns on a slightly different menu layout, with elements useful for vlogging, such as beauty modes or the background blur switch. Therefore, these functions are addressed rather to beginners, which is of course nothing bad.

It is worth noting that the new Lumix G100 also received a microphone jack, but the headphone jack is missing. On the other hand, there was support for a flat image profile with extended V-Log dynamics, the option of displaying LUT tables or the peak focus function.

It promises to be good, but the G100 has huge limitations that undermine the sense of its existence.

A big downside of this construction is the large crop in 4K video mode. The Micro Four Thirds matrixes are designed by crop 2x. When recording 4K movies and using the stabilization system, the crop will almost double. Using a lens with a focal length of 7 mm, we get an equivalent of approx. 26 mm. With putty glass we have 12 mm, so about 45 mm!

In practice, therefore, if we want to log in with this camera without investing in a very wide glass, we must turn off the electronic matrix stabilization system or record in FHD. In both cases it is no solution. So under the cover of a small, well-tuned body and quite a nice audio system, Panasonic carefully conceals a huge disadvantage of this equipment. Let's add equipment for beginners, which is to be a cheap but advanced camera to start with. No one who reaches for such equipment will be willing to spend over 5000 PLN on a M.Zuiko 7-14 mm f.2.8 lens.

To make matters worse, the Panasonic Lumix G100 doesn't have a matrix stabilization system. This is a big minus on the vlogging camera. The Micro Four Thirds system is famous for its efficient IS systems. Probably the designers' priority was the compact size of the camera, but on the other hand it is not a full frame. The example of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III shows that in a tiny and inexpensive body you can fit such a system. In addition, the camera can be charged via USB, but not the USB-C port, which is currently a standard, but archaic USB 2.0.

Panasonic Lumix G100 - price and availability

Panasonic Lumix G100 is expected to hit store shelves at the end of July at a price of $ 750, which is probably around PLN 3000-3500 for a kit with 12-32 mm f / 3.5-5.6 kit lens. This is not a bad price for a new model. But is G100 worth it with such large restrictions?

Panasonic Lumix G100 is the first Micro Four Thirds camera created for vloggers