"One of the highlights of the movie mode though is its ability to record very long clips, at least for models unconstrained by European tax regulations. Frustratingly those GX1s destined for Europe will be limited to 29:59 clips, but others will enjoy clips lasting just over two hours with a fully-charged battery and empty 16GB card. Indeed I used the GX1 to record entire school events

and found the long uninterrupted recordings coupled with the tap refocusing made for a killer combination.

The ultimate judge of all them cameras has its verdict ready on the GX1, and even though it is not a death sentence, it's not lenient either. 

When the Gf1 its predecessor originally entered the market back in 2009 it pretty much had the playing field al by it self. Now, Sony has the NEX range lined-up with 2 formidable cameras, the current Olympus offerings have also smartened up quite a bit, not to mention the imminent release of the OM-D, a camera that has stirred up very strong feelings in the micro four thirds community;and elsewhere.

"The lens that our unit had, and one many will opt for, is a new compact 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6 with both power zoom and power focus. It’s very compact when the camera is off, but a front element protrudes about an inch when it’s powered on. The on/off process is fairly quick, so it’s no trouble to turn it off when you need the camera to be more portable, though I personally would prefer a nice pancake prime to minimize size. As a

These "short & sharp" reviews are pretty amazing, they reallt live up to their name:

"A short, sharp review of the GX1, Panasonic's mirrorless system camera for the discerning enthusiast. Tested alongside the Sony NEX-5N to see which one comes out on top. View at 1080p to see sample shots at 1:1 pixel ratio."

The GX1 is a sturdy shooter with flexible controls. This is no point-and-shoot camera: It fills up your hands like an old rangefinder. Are you a DSLR snob who loves buttons? It has lots of buttons. ISO, drive, AF mode, and white balance are neatly mapped to the four directional buttons on 

"As is common with many digital cameras these days, the GX1 allows you to choose from a set of predefined processing styles. In keeping with other recent Lumix G-series releases the GX1 offers a choice of: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait and Custom. We

"Both cameras offer high image quality, quick shooting, good value for money and access to the ever increasing Micro Four Thirds lens range, as well as numerous third party lenses and adapters, making either camera a great choice. The features available with each and what is right for

"The Panasonic Lumix GX1 is designed to satisfy the needs of advanced photographers and those wanting a premium compact camera with higher resolution sensor and high quality video. The camera looks great with the new compact 14-42mm X lens that compacts to the size of a

Before we go on to the main dish, here's a reader commentary on the same Engadget page:

"Why does everyone simply forget panasonic G3? It has the same sensor as GX1, marginally bigger body but with EVF builtin, an extremely handy tilted screen with touch focus and same resolution as gx1. It's basically the same or even better than GX1!!

Hands-on video review of the Panasonic Lumix GX1 video review

"One thing I did find with the 5D Mark II is that if you are modifying a colour image to black and white in post, don’t just reduce saturation on all channels. You need to handle the red channel separately and actually I had to resort to Photoshop for the above frame and change the influence

Stuff-Review has made a nice little chart that pits the newcomer against the almost established crowd. That's all pretty theoretical though, since 3 of the 4 cameras are practically not available in the majority of the western world:

 

 

"We were impressed by how fast the GX1 was able to acquire and lock focus on static and moving subjects--with our hit rates also increasing thanks to its AF tracking capabilities. 

This is DigitalRevTV video review. FTA:

"The Panasonic GF series has taken an interesting change of direction ever since the brilliant GF1 was first announced. With the GF2 and GF3 losing admirers of the range thanks to them losing key features. But now the GX1 is here and it's promising to be the successor to the GF1. Is it any good though?"

Vying for the same space as the Sony NEX7  is tough, really tough, but this is the one possible challenger:

From the review: "

Aimed at advanced enthusiasts, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 is designed to fill the void left by the acclaimed Lumix DMC-GF1, which sported a level of manual functionality that photographers missed with the subsequent launches of replacements; the Lumix GF2 and Lumix GF3. Could the flagship model of Panasonic's brand

The GX1 may look a lot like the GF1, but there's a wholly different beast under the hood. From the Review:   "The DMC-GX1 records Full HD video at 60i (though sensor output is 30p), with stereo sound and continuous autofocus.

FTA:  "My sole complaint about the interface is that some of the buttons are flush with the body and hard not only to feel, but to press. This includes the movie record button, which provides little tactile feedback and the Q Menu button, which is simply too important to be so hard to feel. The silver buttons are also etched, rather than labeled, and it's nearly impossible to see the etching in dim light without tilting the camera toward a light source.

FTA:

"Unsurprisingly, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 does indeed produce photos that are on a par with those we created with the G3. Images display a very good level of sharpness, while the GX1′s 16MP sensor is capable of resolving plenty of fine detail. Noise is also well controlled, with clean shots being produced throughout much of the camera’s sensitivity range.

From the preview: "Launched back in 2009, the GF1 was, ironically, Panasonic's attempt to court compact-camera owners looking to upgrade, with what was then billed as, 'the world's smallest, lightest interchangeable lens camera'. Instead, the GF1's high quality Raw output and classic rangefinder aesthetic gained a strong and passionate following in the enthusiast

FTA: "In recent years we've seen manufacturers back off from the megapixel race for the sake of image quality, and now we're seeing Panasonic back off from the race toward miniaturization. Since the Sony NEX-5, we've seen successively smaller designs like the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic's own GF2 and GF3 that moved away from the rangefinder ethos of the GF1 for the sake of fitting into the silhouette of the NEX-5. These smaller cameras worked quite well for the Japanese domestic

FTA: 

"Barney Sykes: I think the entry products like the GF3 are helping to grow the market, whereas products like the G3 are starting to eat away at SLR type cameras. I don’t think SLR can offer that compact style of body at the moment so that’s one of the ways in which that market can grow. Products like the G3, GH2, and G2 will probably take away some sales from