MisterJ

Tried a Pana G5 yesterday and am thinking about the system, as focussing and handling seemed good, the camera itself being lightweight, just what I need.

This lens adds a bit more reach to the Pana offerings, so could be interesting, depending on IQ and price.

Good ad for the GH3, though I suspect the vehicles are 1:43 scale diecasts coloured with an aerosol can. Nice though.

As for fetish, well yes, most objects are a combo of use and looks, with varying levels of success.

But, like women (or men if you prefer), other factors being equal or better, it's always nice to have the good looking one.

Interesting comparo with the Pana FZ150/200.

These cameras are very useful if you have weight/size limits (I have a 150) but don't pretend to match the ultimate quality of a high-end DSLR.

Main issues with the 150 are blown highlights and ergonomics.

Even so, incredibly useful for web and modestly sized prints.

This looks rather good, the helmet mount especially neat. Big question is (of course) how does/will it compare to my lovely GoPro, and will a Pana mount hold it firm and tight during +6/-3G manoeuvres?

For the moment, it's a corporate suicide note.

Interesting to see if the suits in charge take a reality check.

Er, quite easily actually - shot same scene this morning with iP4S and FZ150.

Very comparable quality for the sort of thing I do - in the field wide-angle POV stuff, otherwise shot on my trusty GoPro.

I'm not negative on Panasonic, having loved my FZ50, and I'll doubtless give the FZ200 a trial when I can - if ergonomics are better resolved I might spring for one, as I like all-in-one cams for their sheer usability.

True enough I guess, though it came 'free' wrapped in a monthly contract, plus the last one sold at a good price on eBay.

My problem with the FZ150 is that it came after drowning an FZ50, an older design but more of a photographer's tool, with better speed, focus, control and handling.

No mention of ergonomics, a big FZ150 letdown for me.

As for video, on outdoor stuff my iPhone captures more reliably, and having a touch screen I can adjust focus points and aperture quickly.

We're so conditioned to standard formats and panoramas that the good old square tends to be forgotten.

It's a great format for mounted wall-art, managing to look especially 'just so', and so much better in books than attempting to capture a pano across the gutter.

Canon sure seems to be testing the water with this one, especially selling a cam with slow autofocus.

Argh, had that trouble with my Pana FZ150 in anything but perfect conditions.

And no onboard flash? Better off then with my 'always-in-my-pocket' iPhone which at least is quick and sure in all lights, flash or not.

Ah the FZ50 - I loved mine until it got dropped in the sea.

Replaced it with an FZ150, but far too automated for my taste - slower too.

GH3 looks interesting though.

In-my-pocket iPhone with -

1 Olloclip, but built to Zeiss/Leica spec.

2 Bigger sensor.

Add assorted apps and I'm there for many things.

For video, studio, and specialist work, a Panasonic GH3 should be OK.

This is a technically engaging concept, but fixed-lens photography is not really for me, unless it's my 'always in the pocket' iPhone 4S.

The iP - or other similarly equipped smartphone - is so handy for off-the-cuff and surprisingly useable photography.

That said, if the Sony's lens was a 24 or 28 mm I'd look more kindly on it.

Absolutely agree with you, and I too have a range of bigger cams. Performance-wise, iPhone and DSLR aren't in the same ballpark, but then they are not intended to be. Even so, my iP4S grabs a huge number of shots, many of which are saleable - and I have to add some semi-abstracts at A1 print size!

If those examples take good pix, that's fine.

But it doesn't change the fact that the iP has a decent cam, stills and video. My iP4S has earned its keep many times over.

My iP4S is a terrific tool, and I'll certainly add the IOS 6 panoramic function, which looks better than the third-party app I use at present.

But obviously the iPhone (or any mobile) is not a DSLR, and "horses for courses" is the watchword for cameras and how I use them.

Oh dear - not for me then.

Looks like a mod I did to a Petri rangefinder cam I owned way back when - and probably just as unsatisfactory.

I'm betting he will make a better job of it than Marc Newson's Pentax.

This looks good - clean, simple, elegant.

For me, the manual zoom ring is a pleasing must-have.

Hmmm... don't know what you have against the iP.

I shoot plenty of stuff on my 4S, of which a fair amount makes it to print and screen. But if you prefer Nokia or Samsung, that's fine with me - it's the image that counts, not the brand.