Hands on: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Another slight grumble is the continuous mode performance – there’s a 4-megapixel 20fps option but 16-megapixel shooting is at 4.2fps – we measured a shade under 4fps. That’s hardly slow but it doesn’t look too hot compared to the Sony NEX-5N’s 10fps (review coming soon) or the Nikon J1’s 60fps, and is no faster than the GF3.

The collapsible lens pushes up the price, but having a 3x zoom in front of a big sensor in such a slim package is a remarkable achievement

Even so, the superior image quality, ergonomics, features and controls make this a substantially better camera than the GF3, and the £599 including VAT suggested price seems about right. That’s with the basic 3x zoom kit lens. Swapping it for the collapsible power zoom lens (turning the GX1 into the GX1X) brings the price up to £729, but this makes for a much slimmer package. We weren’t entirely convinced by this lens’s motorised zoom function, which is controlled using a rocker switch on the lens barrel or via the touchscreen, but we suspect that we’d find a way to warm to it for the convenience of its slimmer profile. A body-only version is expected to cost £500.

The GX1 should be available in December with the standard kit lens, with stock of the GX1X arriving in January.