The first thing that strikes you about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is that it isn’t quite as small or light as Panasonic’s marketing literature might lead you to believe. Measuring 124 x 83.6x 45.2mm and weighing 385g without a lens attached, it’s a little smaller than an Olympus E-420 Four Thirds DSLR (which measures 129.5 x 91 x 53mm), but actually weighs 5g more. Compared to Panasonic’s current 20x ultra-zoom compact, the DMC-FZ28 (which measures 117.6 x 75.2 x 88.9 and weighs 370g), the G1 is both bigger and slightly heavier. All of this number-crunching ultimately reveals that Panasonic seem to have resisted the temptation to make the DMC-G1 as small as possible, in order to ensure that users with average-sized hands can still operate it comfortably. I found that I naturally gripped the camera with the thumb, middle and fourth finger of my right hand, whilst operating the shutter button with my fore-finger and supporting either the lens or camera body with my left hand. Available in a choice of red, blue or more serious black, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is a handsome yet understated camera, with the biggest surprise becoming quickly apparent when you first pick it up. The majority of the body is covered in a tactile rubber compound which I haven’t seen used on a camera before.
It adds a hard-wearing, protective coating to the G1 and also makes it easy to grip, even with one hand. Overall the DMC-G1 is extremely well-built, with a high quality metal body, lens mount and tripod socket. The only literal weak-point is the memory-card slot door, which I imagine could be easily snapped off.
