Panasonic GF2 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was officially introduced in November 2010 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 12 megapixel.

Is the Panasonic GF2 a good camera? The GF2 has a Camera Elo of 1333. This rating puts the GF2 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the GF2 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Panasonic GF2 is more than 14 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2010.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Panasonic GF2 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic GF2 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GF2	113 mm	68 mm	33 mm	310 g	300	n	Nov 2010	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-PL2	114 mm	72 mm	42 mm	362 g	280	n	Jan 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-PL3	110 mm	64 mm	37 mm	313 g	300	n	Jun 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-PM1	110 mm	64 mm	34 mm	265 g	330	n	Jun 2011	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic G1	124 mm	84 mm	45 mm	360 g	410	n	Sep 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G2	124 mm	84 mm	74 mm	428 g	360	n	Mar 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic G3	115 mm	84 mm	47 mm	336 g	270	n	May 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic G10	124 mm	84 mm	74 mm	388 g	380	n	Mar 2010	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GF1	119 mm	71 mm	36 mm	385 g	380	n	Sep 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GF3	108 mm	67 mm	32 mm	264 g	300	n	Jun 2011	US$ 549	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GF5	108 mm	67 mm	37 mm	267 g	360	n	Apr 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Panasonic GF2 was launched in the US market at a price of $549. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check GF2 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Panasonic GF2 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Panasonic GF2 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic GF2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	21.2	10.3	506	54
2.		Olympus E-PL2	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.4	10.2	573	55
3.		Olympus E-PL3	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	20.9	10.3	499	52
4.		Olympus E-PM1	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	21.0	10.3	499	52
5.		Panasonic G1	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	none	21.1	10.3	463	53
6.		Panasonic G2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.3	493	53
7.		Panasonic G3	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	21.0	10.6	667	56
8.		Panasonic G10	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.1	411	52
9.		Panasonic GF1	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.3	513	54
10.		Panasonic GF3	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.6	10.1	459	50
11.		Panasonic GF5	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.5	10.0	573	50

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The GF2 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the GF2 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Panasonic GF2 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic GF2	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
2.		Olympus E-PL2	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-PL3	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	n	Y
4.		Olympus E-PM1	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	n	Y
5.		Panasonic G1	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Panasonic G2	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	Y	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
7.		Panasonic G3	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
8.		Panasonic G10	202	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
9.		Panasonic GF1	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Panasonic GF3	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	3.2/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic GF5	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the GF2 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic GF2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-PL2	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Olympus E-PL3	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Olympus E-PM1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Panasonic G1	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Panasonic G2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Panasonic G3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Panasonic G10	Y	mono / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Panasonic GF1	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Panasonic GF3	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Panasonic GF5	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Further information on the features and operation of the GF2 can be found in the free online Panasonic GF2 Manual or on the Panasonic support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the GF2 handle or perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GF2	3/5	82/100	..	70/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2010	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-PL2	3/5	83/100	..	71/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-PL3	3/5	+ +	..	72/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-PM1	..	86/100	..	71/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2011	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic G1	..	+ +	..	70/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G2	..	..	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic G3	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic G10	3/5	..	..	70/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2010	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GF1	..	85/100	..	69/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GF3	3/5	82/100	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	US$ 549	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GF5	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check GF2 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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