I dropped by an electronics store at Vivo City today after church to see if I couldn't find a Panasonic Lumix G1 to play with again (I got a chance to try one out at the IT Show earlier this year). Unfortunately, the assortment of G1's present (black, red and blue) were all behind glass. There was a small platform which bore the name "Lumix G1" which was situated between other similar platforms upon which sat DSLR cameras from other brands. But unfortunately, the G1 stand was empty.

So no chance to try it out again, but what I was able to do this time was get a rough idea of the size difference between the G1 and other DSLR cameras (when I was at the IT show, the G1 was only situated beside other Panasonic cameras, as Panasonic had their own area, as did Olympus, Nikon and Canon).

While I couldn't do any side by side comparisons, what I could do was take a good look at the G1, behind the glass, and then quickly run over to the Olympus display case, which had the new E-620 DSLR.

In some reviews I've read about the G1, people were rather critical of the size, citing that it's actually not that much smaller than some of the entry-level Canon Rebel DSLRs, and even less so when compared to Olympus' DSLRs.

To an extent, when I roughly tried to compare the size of the G1 versus the E-620 (very unscientifically), there wasn't too much of a size difference when you look at the camera head on - the width and height of the cameras are for all practical purposes the same, as many reviewers would be quick to point out.

But what did really catch my eye was the thickness of the cameras as well as the size of the lenses. I had already known that the new m4/3 system allows for significantly thinner cameras when compared to the old SLR design, but this was the first time that I could actually see the difference. And it was quite noticeable. Secondly, the lens. THe m4/3 system also promises smaller lenses. And to be honest, this was the most outstanding difference that I noted. Of course, maybe this isn't a completely fair comparison as I did not actually check what the focal length of the lens attached to the E-620 was. But I might assume that it would be the kit lens (as was mounted on the G1). While the body sizes were somewhat similar, the lens size really made a difference. I didn't realize how small the G1's kit lens was.

A good rundown of the G1's size is available through this video here. (Those guys are even based in Toronto!)

So at that, I find that I'm increasingly being drawn to the G1, and slowly drifting away from the E-620, or any other DSLR for that matter. For one, the G1 is now cheaper than the E-620. And when compared to other entry-level DSLRs, one of the aspects of the G1 that I'm beginning to find an attractive selling point is the EVF. While some reviewers have commented on some of the draw backs of the EVF, one of the thing that no one has denied is how generously large it is. You apparently can't find such a bright and sizable view finder on any entry-level DSLR on the market. The other side effect of having an electronic view finder that I'm beginning to like the sound of as well is the fact that the camera is able to give you a relatively accurate representation of the exposure in the view finder even before you take the shot. This is something you'll see in most consumer point and shoots, but on a DSLR with an optical view finder, this is impossible.

The DSLR user will have to take the shot, and then review the image on the screen afterwards. Obviously not a deal breaker for someone looking to not pick up the G1, but I feel that it's a useful feature for someone who's upgrading from the point and shoot world. Not to mention the other benefits of actually being able to properly compose shots taken at aspect ratios other than that of the view finder.

A lot of people complain about the lack of lenses for the m4/3 system at the moment. And that is one concern. But at the same time, one of the things that I find interesting about the m4/3 system is that due to its design, the m4/3 user actually has at their disposal a large amount of old and outdated lenses. The physics behind the design of the m4/3 system allows for this, whereas current DSLR systems do not. Adapters are somewhat pricey, but it's a nice option to have.

I've gone back and forth on my thoughts about the G1 a couple times. But the more I read and think about it, the more I think it might be the first interchangeable lens camera I purchase.

The question is just when. The price of the G1 has already dropped by quite a bit, considering that it's already been out for half a year or more now. Moreover, with the recent release of the GH1 (the updated version of the G1 sporting HD video recording), I'm hoping that the price of the G1 will be driven down even further.

I'm debating if I should pick it up before I leave Singapore in August, or if I should wait till I get back home. Cheapest street prices I've seen in Canada recently were in the order of $700 to $800 CAD for the single lens kit.

I'm curious to see how my dad might like the camera too, as I know he's been missing his old film SLR camera since he traded it away for one of the earlier point-and-shoot digital cameras some nine years ago. Maybe he'll enjoy taking photos again. And maybe I'll enjoy taking photos even more.

Join the ranks of DSLR touting UWCCF members haha. (Only, don't tell anyone that the G1 technically isn't a DSLR).