Pre-Photokina: Panasonic has unveiled what it is calling the World’s First Full-time Live View Digital Interchangeable Lens Camera - the Lumix DMC-G1. Utilizing the Micro Four Thirds standard announced last month, the G1 drops the mirror / prism optical viewfinder that has been standard in SLR cameras for over half a century in favor of a newly developed high resolution electronic viewfinder. Squeezed into the diminutive body are a new 12MP Four Thirds Live MOS sensor with SSWF, new processor (Venus Engine HD) and a comprehensive combination of DSLR and compact camera features (though surprisingly, no movie mode). We've had a prototype G1 in the office for a week or so and have produced a detailed hands-on preview to whet your appetite whilst we wait for reviewable sample.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091202...onic_DMC_G1.asp

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Don't you just love this headline about one of this camera's new features?

4. Great Photography Is Not Only from Professional Photographers Anymore -- Intelligent Auto Mode

When you don't know which mode will give you the best shooting results, or when a sudden photo opportunity pops up and you don't have time to make any settings, simply choose iA (Intelligent Auto) mode and let the camera do it all for you. This advanced mode includes MEGA O.I.S. to detect hand-shake, Intelligent ISO Control to detect subject movement, Face Detection to detect faces in the frame, Intelligent Scene Selector to detect scene conditions, Light Detection to detect the brightness level, and AF Tracking to continually track a moving subject and keep it in focus. These six functions work automatically and simultaneously in iA Mode to optimize your settings, making it easier than ever to take beautiful photos every time.

Looks pretty neat really. The problem is where the aperture button is located. It only has one front dial and you need to contort your thumb to the bottom right corner and hit the aperture button and twist the wheel.

The manual focus seems darn promising.

The 20mm 1.7 lens looks pretty neat to. Would definately make a sweet point and shoot instead of something like a G9 or something like that.

I do also have a soft spot for Panasonic as it was a FZ-30 that brought me into the digital world.