Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Image-stabilized 10X zoom lens. Video mode has autofocus to track fast action. Offers 1080p HD video resolution at 24 frames per second for the most detail, or 720p at 30 fps for smoother motion. Swiveling 3-inch LCD is great for setting up shots

Menus with 1980s arcade-type graphics can be hard to navigate — six clicks just to delete all the pictures. Pricey

Smooth, vibrant HD video ; Beginner-friendly menus and controls

Expensive, with proprietary lenses ; Disappointing low-light performance

If shooting HD video is a priority, the beginner-friendly GH1 is a great option. But it's pricey, and it's not quite a DSLR.

If you're not looking for video recording capabilities, there's no good reason to choose the Panasonic Lumix GH1 over the far less expensive G1 introduced last year. The two cameras are nearly identical in feature set, and while the GH1 has a new image...

JPEG output shows impressive detail at base ISO ; Good resolution, even slightly more in RAW ; Good balance between noise reduction and detail retention at higher ISOs ; Good control over high ISO noise reduction ; Smaller dimensions and lighter than...

Comparatively steep tone curve (JPEG) can lead to highlight clipping ; Relatively small amount of RAW headroom ; Fairly low powered flash (but good flash metering) ; Electronic viewfinder difficult to use in low light (noisy image and greatly reduced...

Expensive compared to most comparable SLRs, the key to the GH1's appeal is its class-leading HD movie capture. The fact that it has the best sensor of any Micro Four Thirds camera is just the icing on the cake. Somewhat niche? Sure, but it makes most...

Simple to use. Comfortable. Produces high-quality still images and HD video in well-lit conditions. Best implementation of video recording in a D-SLR to date. Supports a wide variety of HD recording formats. Numerous buttons allow quick access to features

Expensive. Images and video are noticeably noisy in low-light conditions. Electronic viewfinder. Noticeable shutter lag. Limited number of lenses available. LCD and EVF show heavy motion blur ; Watch the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 in action

You can find less-expensive D-SLRs that take better photos in any lighting condition, but the Panasonic DMC-GH1 is the only one that both is easy to use and offers a full-featured HD camcorder.

We were very impressed with Panasonic's original Micro Four Thirds format camera, the Lumix G1 — in fact, we awarded it our 2008 Select award for Most Innovative Camera. The Lumix GH1 offers nearly the same basic feature set plus the video recording...

I'll be upfront and note that I am not a fan of EVFs. I find the response and resolution to be lacking, and when faced with this as my option, I'll almost always opt for the larger LCD. The GH1 is no different in this regard. While the EVF is better...

The DMC-GH1 is smaller than traditional digital SLRs, but not by much. Its size, friendly menus, and simplified interface boost its appeal to not-quite-novice photographers who want more than a point-and-shoot but are still intimidated by a true...