Review Panasonic DMC G2K K

I am returning my second replacement of Panasonic Lumix G2

. Although I love the camera, I am extremely disappointed with the quality of the provided kit lens. I had hoped that the replacement cameras would come with the lens from possibly another production butch and would perform better. As it turned out the second and third lens was equally bad as the first one. As much as I am satisfied with the camera's performance for still photography, the kit lens is totally unusable for video recording because of the noise generated while zooming, which is clearly detectible in the audio of the recording. In my case the noise was not generated by the focus motor, as some people seem to have experienced, but it appears to be caused by mechanical internal rubbing of the lens body tubes and it is much louder than the focus motor noise. Adding to the problem is the jerkiness of the lens operation when zooming, especially after 32mm, which results in uneven video recordings and makes them look worse then amateurish. I am very disappointed that Panasonic chose to insist to sell an otherwise superior camera with such an inferior lens. My hours of phone consultation with Panasonic customer service did not offer any solution whatever. I wish it was possible to purchase the camera body only and then obtain a better lens separately. My recommendation is if you intend to use the camera also for video recording, be prepared to dish out some more money for a better lens.

This is my first system camera, I've owned it for about two months. I'm a young mom with a young baby, and a point and shoot doesn't do it for me anymore, especially while taking photos of my little one who likes to run around and hide in dark spaces. This camera is just the ticket. It's lighter and smaller than my hubby's Olympus DSLR, so I am able to lug it around with a diaper bag and a toddler in tow. I love tweaking the manual settings, and this camera is packed with it. The touch screen (and the dedicated quick menu button) is awesome. Very useful for making quick adjustments, and with a subject that doesn't stay still, this comes in pretty handy. And I'm really loving the swivel screen, perfect for self portraits and odd angle photography. And when the camera isn't being used, just turn the screen inward so it's protected from scratches. The dedicated iA and movie buttons are really helpful too (although I never use iA myself, the rest of my family don't know how to use this camera and that's where the iA button comes in). I'm very satisfied with the images this camera produces. I've just recently learned to tweak it enough to produce sharp, crisp, bright and vibrant images that sometimes I hardly need to do any post processing.

I don't mind it not having an in-camera stabilization.. aside from the kit lens, the only other lens I use it with is the Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Pancake Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras that lacks image stabilization, but I hardly get any blurred photos because that particular lens is very fast. I'm not so sure how this camera performs with other lenses.

Two things that I think may be improved:

1. The lens mount does feel plasticky, compared to other DSLRs I've borrowed, but it seems pretty sturdy.

2. Above ISO 800, I see a lot of noise.

If you are a mom like me looking to take great pictures of your kids, and like to mess around with manual settings (because this camera is complicated -- at least from a beginner's perspective), I'm pretty sure this camera will suit your needs, and I highly recommend it.

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Review Panasonic DMC G2K K

By: ShellSort

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