The Lumix G100 is Panasonic’s answer to Sony’s ZV-1

Panasonic has announced the new Lumix G100 mirrorless camera (known as the G110 outside the US) that is compatible with the full set of Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lenses. It will be out in late July and, like the recently launched Sony ZV-1, it has several features specifically geared toward people who want to create video vlog content. With a pre-order price of $ 749.99 (until August 1, it will cost $ 50 more after that), this could be a solid choice, depending on your needs.

The G100 has an electronic viewfinder that Panasonic says is 2.8 times brighter than that of the Lumix G90. Sony’s ZV-1 does not have this feature, but both the G100 and ZV-1 have an articulated display. In the new Lumix, the screen automatically activates a selfie video recording mode when it turns to the side and adjusts depth of field instantly once it finds your face. (Note: If you like the idea of ​​the ZV-1’s “Product Presentation” mode that doesn’t automatically adjust depth of field relative to a face, there isn’t such a fast tool here. You just have to hide your face behind the product you’re holding it up or completely out of the frame for the G100 to automatically adjust focus.)

The G100’s video feature will outline the screen in red to let you know when you’re recording. If you want to upload to multiple platforms, like YouTube or Instagram, you can change the aspect ratio of the recording on the fly (indicated by another color-coded border) without the need for further processing.

Another interesting feature is an option on the mode dial called “S&Q”, which stands for slow and fast. When S&Q is enabled, the G100 can record 4x slow motion FHD images at up to 120 frames per second at 30p, or it can double the speed of FHD images at 30 frames per second at 60p. It’s nice to have this feature available on the camera so you don’t have to adjust the speed in the post.

Panasonic

You can divide the video recordings into smaller clips from the camera; It also comes with Panasonic’s V-Log L feature to give the footage a wider dynamic range so it has more flexibility when grading color in post-processing. When you’re ready to send your images to your phone, you can do so with the “Send Image” button on the body, which pairs the camera with your phone or tablet via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection via a companion app .

Most vloggers probably don’t rely heavily on built-in microphones, but Panasonic is working hard on Nokia’s OZO spatial audio to power the three-microphone array in the G100. When the camera detects a face, it will focus the microphones on the face wherever it is in the frame, all while using active noise cancellation to block out other sounds that might otherwise reach your recording. If the camera detects more than one face, it will use different microphones in the array to capture all the voices. If there are no faces in view, it will switch to surround sound audio recording.

If you don’t want to worry about built-in microphones, the G100 has a 3.5mm jack for external microphones (although, unfortunately, not for headphones).

The G100 has a 20.3-megapixel sensor that can record videos with 4K resolution at 30p and 25p in 10-minute sessions, or FHD at 60p in 20-minute sessions. It is charged through a Micro USB port and has an HDMI port that can send a signal to a capture card. Panasonic says it won’t be usable as a webcam at launch.

Panasonic has sacrificed some features, both to get its price point and to end up with a lightweight build. The G100 is not weather sealed, so it is not a great option for vlogging during adverse weather conditions. And for video, the G100 is based on a hybrid of electronic body image stabilization and support for lens-based OIS through its Micro Four Thirds compatibility. It relies solely on the OIS lens for taking photos. Panasonic showed a demo of the G100’s more stabilized setup while shooting video, and while everything was a little choppy with our virtual briefing, it seemed smoother than the Canon EOS M50 that Panasonic compared it to.

The Panasonic Lumix G100 launches in late July in the United States. It is coming in two different configurations. What’s called the K-Kit contains the camera body and a 12-32mm lens for a pre-order price of $ 749.99. Kit V is pre-ordered at $ 799.99 and contains the camera, aforementioned lens, and tripod (priced at $ 99.99 separately) that can trigger recording or shutter without having to touch a button on the camera. Panasonic will also include a second battery and a wall charger during this period. The advance order lasts until August 1; after that they will both go up in price by $ 50 (and the extra battery and wall charger will be lost).