At a glance:
- 12.1-million-pixel, live CMOS sensor
- ISO 160-12,800 (extended)
- 3in TFT LCD with 920,00 dots
- 1080i full HD video, with MP4 and AVCHD
- Street price around £500 with 14-42mm kit lens, around £620 with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 G X PZ Vario power zoom
There was a time when system cameras were replaced or upgraded every two years, or perhaps every 18 months. However, the introduction of compact system cameras has speeded up this process and now yearly upgrades seem to be the norm. Even so, it still came as a surprise when last month Panasonic chose to announce the Lumix DMC-GF5 as the replacement for the DMC-GF3. Since the GF3 was only launched in June 2011, that’s a mere ten months between upgrades.
Although the cameras share largely the same specification, the GF5 carries some very worthwhile improvements. However, with the GF3 and 14-42mm lens currently on sale for as little as £199 (including £50 cashback from Panasonic), are the changes enough to justify buying the new model with equivalent lens for a street price of around £500?
