PANASONIC G100
THE VERDICT
fastest, but it is very compact and of decent quality. Besides, you can always stick a different lens on. In terms of the video, it records 4:2:0 8-bit MP4 in 4K/30p at 100Mbps and, in HD, it shoots up to 60p at a maximum of 28Mbps, which is quite disappointing. It will output 4:2:2 8-bit HD when recorded externally, but very few people will go to the lengths to bother with that. However, it does offer fast frame rates in 1080p, up to 120fps for some super slow motion, which is a useful addition. There’s also 8-bit V-Log L gamma to maximise dynamic range, but this isn’t that useful on a camera that has such compressed video files. If you shoot MFT and are looking for a small and light B or C camera to be used for BTS work, vlogging or even time- lapse, then the new Panasonic G100 makes a lot of sense for not much money. Good-quality footage, especially in HD, makes it an ideal camera for a different viewpoint, or even giving to an inexperienced assistant to shoot a bit of B-roll. And with the clever audio system it has, you could even get away with some sound for a bit of scratch audio. In line with all the other Panasonic mirrorless cameras, its AF system consists of a more basic contrast-detect system, but it works decently enough for most users, especially when using face detection. It’s the sort of camera that takes up no room in your kitbag and you will find lots of uses for it while shooting, especially as you can take full manual control.
More information
panasonic.com
HOW IT RATES
With the heavily cropped 4K and 10-minute maximum record time, the G100 is actually better as a 1080p HD camera, where it can record up to 30 minutes. And in HD, where those frame rates of up to 120fps are possible, the crop is less severe. As such, the results are decent: sharp, with bright colours and decent ISO performance of up to 6400. The G100 has all the modern vlogger, selfie or social media features, such as selfie mode when you flip the screen around, frame vertical shooting – an easy transfer button to send the footage to your smartphone and the bundled selfie- grip tripod. There are even Skin Smoothing and Slimming modes. Real filmers will appreciate the large and bright viewfinder, the ergonomics of a proper camera – rather than a dumbed- down compact-style – the large sensor and the ability to take all MFT-mount lenses. There are also time-lapse and stop motion settings thanks to the built-in intervalometer. Though, there’s no headphone jack or USB-C charging port. All in all, as a carry-all camera that can get good results quickly, and by each type of user, it’s a decent buy. guides for all the social media channels – including one for Features: 8 Lots of features for vloggers who are the obvious target market Performance: 8 The 4K footage is hampered, but it’s decent in 1080p Handling: 8 Its small sizemakes it a bit fiddly to operate Value formoney: 9 AnMFT-fit camera that can be a useful tool Good price, small size and decent performance when shootingHD Pros: One of the best vlogging cameras Cons: Big crop and time limits in 4K PROMOVIEMAKER OVERALL RATING: 8/10
tracking to customise the sound. It’s an interesting concept, and Panasonic’s G100 leads the way. Indeed, the spec of the G100 looks good on paper, but, in some ways, the implementation of the tech has been compromised to get the price and size of the camera down. For example, image stabilisation is crucial for vlogger cameras, and the G100 has it. Yet, this is only five- axis when recording video in 1080p HD, and four-axis in 4K. There are also significant crops to the footage. That’s because instead of the sensor actually moving to correct for shake, as in most in-body image stabilisation systems, the area of the sensor that’s recorded is moved around. If you’re shooting in HD, there’s a 1.09x crop when using the standard IS setting that increases to 1.43x when using the high setting. In 4K, it’s 1.37x as standard and 1.79x in the high setting. That’s a big crop, and not ideal for a camera that is built to be used close-up as a selfie cam. If you want to vlog and use 4K with maximum image stabilisation, the standard 12-32mm kit lens is not really wide enough, so you’d need something like a 7-14mm lens. Even then, this would give the equivalent field of view of a 27mm lens in full-frame terms, which is not really that wide at all. In fact, it makes the standard lens more of a useful all-purpose lens that’s more suited to general filmmaking than vlogging – this actually makes it better for professional moviemakers. With a maximum aperture of f3.5-5.6, it’s not the
ABOVE The top plate is simple, with the obvious red record button and the Fn4 key for transferring images
BELOW The Panasonic G100 breaks new ground in terms of its audio capture that’s linked to face detection
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