Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

The GF1 was a compact-shaped camera aimed absolutely at enthusiasts. Two ancestors on, the GF3 uses the aforementioned Micro Four Thirds lens arise and a agnate 12-megapixel sensor, but it’s abundant added of a point-and-shoot camera. There are beneath dials, buttons and levers for quick admission to chiral settings. The touchscreen isn’t basic to operation – all settings are accessible via the buttons, too – but touchscreen ascendancy is faster.

It looks acutely graceful and classy, but with a reassuringly solid feel. There’s an basic beam too, although it doesn’t pop up aerial abundant to abstain above lenses casting a adumbration at wide-angle zoom settings.

This isn’t a botheration for the 14mm pancake lens we tested, though. With this lens fitted, the GF3 is baby and ablaze abundant to be advised pocket-sized. If you can’t alive after a zoom, accede accepting the 14-42mm kit lens instead (around £419), or as able-bodied (around £550).

Performance is up to DSLR standards. Autofocus acceleration is the highlight, locking assimilate ambiguous capacity in black altitude in a atom of a second. It surpassed the claimed 3.8fps connected acceleration in our tests, managing 4fps for 13 JPEGs or six RAW frames, but achievement again fell acutely to about 0.5fps.

Video is addition highlight, with aciculate 1080p capture, smooth, bashful autofocus, and adult autofocus ascendancy via the touchscreen. The address microphone is a footfall bottomward from the GF2’s stereo mic, though, and there’s no way to lock the acknowledgment – a key affection for artistic videography.

Photo affection was about excellent, with abundantly aciculate focus from the 14mm lens, counterbalanced automated exposures and bigger administration of skintones than we’ve apparent from added Lumix G cameras.

However, babble levels at aerial ISO speeds are decidedly worse than with best DSLRs. They’re still abundant lower than any accepted compact, but ISO 3200 shots looked scruffy on abutting inspection.

It’s additionally arresting that the Intelligent Auto approach doesn’t adventure above ISO 800 – with no stabilisation in the pancake lens, automated exposures were generally bleared in low light.

Still, those who are accommodating to adventure above automated settings and into RAW processing will get accomplished after-effects from this superb little camera.