A Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera that treated video as seriously as stills years before that was standard — it won TIPA's 2011 "Compact System Camera Expert" award, praised as "a true hybrid photo and video camera."
A favorite among early hybrid shooters for a reason: this was one of the first cameras to treat video as a real, first-class feature instead of an afterthought bolted onto a photo camera. That still holds up for a school AV club or student filmmaker who wants real manual control over exposure and focus — something a phone or basic point-and-shoot won't give them — without the price tag of newer gear.
Full HD Hybrid Video. Records Full HD 1080 video up to 60p/60i, with full manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and focus while recording — the reason this camera became a favorite for anyone shooting more than casual clips.
16MP Multi-Aspect Sensor. An 18-megapixel sensor with a multi-aspect design outputs a full 16 effective megapixels regardless of aspect ratio, so switching between 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 doesn't cost field of view the way it does on most cameras.
Fast Contrast-Detect Autofocus. Panasonic rated this camera's autofocus at around 0.1 seconds with compatible lenses — competitive with phase-detection SLRs of the time — and it's still quick enough for casual action and street shooting today.
High-Resolution Electronic Viewfinder. A 1.53M-dot equivalent EVF with 100% field of view was considered one of the best viewfinders on any camera at launch, and still holds up well for framing in bright daylight.
Free-Angle Articulating LCD. The 3-inch screen swings out and rotates to almost any angle, useful for low shots, high shots, or filming yourself directly — well ahead of the fixed and simple-tilt screens common on cameras from this era.
Full Manual Video Control. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are all adjustable mid-recording, not locked to an automatic mode the way many hybrid cameras of this era treated video.
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 16MP Live MOS Four Thirds |
| ISO Range | 160-12800 |
| Max Shutter Speed | 1/4000s (mechanical) |
| Video | Full HD 1080 up to 60p/60i |
| Weight | 392g (body only) |
| Viewfinder | 1.53M-dot EVF |
Not sure what to pair this with? These are already sorted for you.
Beginner Photography and Videography
Moving up from phone photos and videos · Campus journalism and school multimedia work · Learning manual controls
View Details →
Everyday Photography
Barkada hangouts and spontaneous plans · Day trips and errands you didn't plan on documenting · Candid shots of people who tense up around big cameras
View Details →
Travel Photography
Island hopping and beach trips · Whale shark or wildlife encounters · Any weather, not just the sunny days
View Details →
Beauty Portraiture, Events Photography
Debuts and birthdays · Graduation and recognition day · Portrait sessions
View Details →