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Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GF7 continues the company's line of compact, mirrorless designs aimed at straddling the line between lightweight and simple point-and-shoot and more powerful micro 4/3 features like interchangeable lens and full manual controls.
The GF7's is a little different than recent GF offerings with a blocky style that has more in common with Panasonic's GM line of ultra compact m4/3s than with recent GF offerings. The GF7 eschews the anonymous black body with round corners of its predecessors in favor of a cleaner, almost retro look that's reminiscent of one of my all time favorite cameras, the original GF1.
However, where the GF1 was very much a photo enthusiast camera, aimed at those who wanted DSLR features in a more portable body, the GF7 is targeted at those looking to step up from point-and-shoot and cellphone cameras.
The design is retro and quite handsome, but the blocky, solid-looking design you see in the image above makes it easy to overlook what a diminutive thing the GF7 is -- it fits in my palm with room to spare. It is slightly larger than the GM5, which remains the smallest 4/3 body out there, but not by much. It's so tiny that if you swap the kit lens for a telephoto like Panasonic's 45-200mm things start to look comical.
The tiny footprint is nice with compact lenses -- especially Panasonic's 20mm 4/3 lens, which remains my favorite prime in the 4/3 range -- but the GF7 gets tough to hold when you put something larger on the front. That's not to say you can't, just that it's undeniably awkward both physically and aesthetically.
To be fair Panasonic is positioning the GF7 as a social-media friendly step up from smart phones. A way to step out of the vast point-and-shoot sea to something more serious. In other words the target audience Panasonic has in mind is unlikely to strapping a giant zoom on the front right off the bat.
Instead they'll be taking advantage of the selfie-friendly vertical rotating screen and face detection software, both of which perform admirably.
In terms of image quality the GF7 sports a 16MP Four Thirds sensor that's roughly equal to what you'll find in the GX7 and GM5, which is to say it delivers great results for everyone except those who still hang around photo forums arguing about megapixels and sensor sizes. The GF7 can shoot in 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 and the Instagram-friendly 1:1 image ratio. The GF7 can shoot 5.8 frames per second, but lacks the Depth from Defocus technology that makes higher-end models like GH4 much faster.
The retro style body offers quite a few physical dials including a couple you can customize --though sadly, not the very handy thumb wheel you'll find on the GM5 or GF1 -- as well as a touch screen interface.
The touchscreen components can also be used in compose mode. Touching to focus is sometimes awkward, but gets interesting in conjunction with Panasonic's Intelligent Auto setting (which can be toggled with a dedicated button). In iA mode the GF7 will change scene modes based on touch. For example, it will automatically select portrait mode when touch a face on the screen or switch to macro when you tap a frame-filling flower. Even as someone who generally frowns on automatic composition tools, I have to admit this one was handy in situations where I didn't have time to set everything up the way I wanted. Sure you can probably compose something better than the algorithms, but can you do it before the subject moves or the light disappears?
There's also a couple of scene modes aimed at selfies, the "Face" and "Buddy" modes. The Buddy mode will automatically snap an image when it detects two faces in the viewfinder.
In short the GF7 has a ton of tools aimed at making sure you get the shot you want every time even if and when you don't want to (or have) a lot of time to get it right on your own. It retains all the beginner-friendly features found in point-and-shoots, but offers all the manual controls photographers will be looking for.
I'll confess to pitching this review primarily because I've been itching to upgrade my GF1. From that angle the GF7 is indeed a worthy upgrade provided the size works for you. I strongly suggest visiting your local camera shop to hold it before laying down your hard earned cash.
The GF7 stacks up well against the GX7, which is another option for those looking for a solid micro 4/3 body. In fact the two are so close I had to pull out the spec sheets to figure out how the GF7 differed from the GX7. It's also worth considering the (albeit much more expensive) GX8 which just arrived and seems positioned as the bulkier heir to the GF1, freeing the GF7 to become the lightweight, point-and-shoot friendly option for those looking to take their selfies to the next level.
Wired:
Small light design with included lens makes the GF7 a suitable replacement for point-and-shoot cameras. Intelligent auto and other scene modes make it simple to use for beginners. Bright, crisp display makes composing easy even in direct sunlight.
Tired:
Small light design can be awkward with larger lenses (or if you have large hands). Tiny size means a small battery, buy an extra if you plan to shoot all day. Encourages selfies.
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