Review on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3KW 12 MP Micro 4/3 Compact System Camera With 3-Inch Touch-Screen LCD And 14-42Mm Zoom Lens (White) by Todd Stovall

After my last vacation I got tired of lugging around my Canon T2i with a few lenses. I chose the Micro 4/3 camera because of its compact size. I didn't have very high expectations as photography websites didn't rate it very highly, but the price was great. Boy was I surprised by the pictures I took with the 14-42 set lens. Photos are clear and colors are vibrant. The camera is light and small, making it easy to carry. I've read people complain about the lack of manual controls, but personally I like to just use the dial and touchscreen to access all functions. This allows me to keep an eye on the screen without having to search for different buttons. It also has PASM/ISO modes that give me all the controls I need to shoot. It even has a function key that I can program. The best thing about this camera is the ability to use the touchscreen to focus and adjust the depth of field. Some people have also complained that the camera is difficult to hold because it's too small, but I hold it with two hands just like I hold a Canon. T2i and found no size problems. Low light performance doesn't compare very well to my Canon, but I bought a 20mm F1.7 pancake lens and it was a big improvement over the kit lens. Since this is an entry-level camera, I didn't expect it to have all the bells and whistles. However, I wish they hadn't forgotten the stereo microphone. I will get a better Lumix or Olympus body in the future to get the tilt/EVF/HDR capabilities, but for now I really like the GF3's compactness and simple UI. In summary, I recommend this camera as a small portable camera. a camera that takes decent pictures. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles compared to more expensive models, but for the price it's great. I uploaded three images named "GF3 with 14-42 kit lens". These are JPG images straight from the camera so you can judge for yourself.