The Panasonic Lumix GF6 has been officially announced as the successor to last year’s Micro Four Thirds Lumix GF5.
Perhaps the stand-out upgrade of the DSLM Panasonic Lumix GF6 is that it now features a 16-megapixel sensor – where the GF5 uses a 12-megapixel model.
Panasonic did admit during the camera’s launch that part of the reasoning for the decision was to appeal to less-informed buyers who may be lured-in by the pure numbers. The sensor has not increased in size, of course, sticking with the Micro Four Thirds format Live MOS type that is the Panasonic interchangeable lens camera staple.
What may be more important for actual performance than the sensor improvements are the changes made to the Venus image processing engine. The Panasonic Lumix GF6’s ISO range tops off at 25600 in extended mode (twice that of the previous model), and 3200 standard.
Panasonic claims to have improved low-light performance in this year’s GF model too. When shooting in poor lighting conditions, the Lumix GF6’s autofocus slows down in order to reap more light with which to focus – which should result in more reliable focusing. The Venus engine’s noise reduction has also been improved for less grainy low-light shots. However, it’ll almost certainly be out-performed by the APS-C sensor Sony NEX cameras on this front.
Panasonic Lumix GF6 Screen
Changes have also been made to the Lumix GF6’s rear display. Resolution has been upped to 1040k dots, although it’s the same size as its forebear at three inches across, and uses a capacitive touchscreen.
It’s an articulated screen with 180 degrees of motion, letting it flip around over the top of the camera, for self portraits.
The lighter side of photography is important to the Lumix GF6 and, as you’d expect, it’s packed with filters. There are 19 in total, and filters can be applied to panorama shots as well as standard stills.
Panasonic Lumix GF6 Connectivity
To help you share your latest sepia-toned, vignetted creation, the Panasonic Lumix GF6 incorporates both NFC and Wi-Fi. Neither featured in the GF5.
NFC is a short-distance communication standard that lets you share photos with other NFC-capable devices simply by placing them next to each other. Wi-Fi lets you send your photos to a Panasonic TV wirelessly (over DLNA), and control the camera’s shutter through a phone and tablet app, available on iOS and Android devices.
The Panasonic Lumix GF6 packages start at £499.99, with the standard 14-42mm kit lens. We’ll be back with more UK release info as it becomes available.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
