Less really can be more!

Not too long ago I bought the Panasonic GF-1, with the 20mm f/1.7 lens. I wanted something smaller than my conventional D-SLR to take on vacations with me, and I have to say that I am nothing short of impressed with this amazing micro four-thirds camera. I took it with me to Australia and loved every minute of it! Had it not been for the fact that I only had the fixed focal length lens for it at that time, I may very well have left my Pentax at home. So. Being the gear nerd that I am... a few weeks back, I purchased the 14-45mm lens, which pretty much completes what is sure to be a stellar travel kit! The 20mm is fast and sharp, awesome for landscape... and the 14-45mm is a more useful range than I ever could have imagined. I've been out in a variety of settings as of late, trying the new lens and many of the fun, different functions the GF-1 has to offer. The things I've enjoyed the most are:

High ISO - these pics were shot at 1600...

and this one at 800...

Not bad, hey! The noise is certainly acceptable, in my opinion anyhow. I like that I can get usable photos, handheld, in low light.

"Nostalgia" in-camera film setting...

I'm loving the washed-out, old-photograph feel! I'm now on the lookout for run down buildings, etc. to see what else I can do with it.

"Black and White - Dynamic" in-camera film setting...

I can't wait until I can try this one on a blue-sky, puffy cloud day.

And, the setting I've used the most - "Dynamic" color in-camera film setting...

The contrast and color saturation are unreal!

As well, so far I have not taken the little guy off of Auto White Balance. It seems to reproduce all lighting situations in the proper tones. Very convenient. The auto focus has several choices of settings, from face detection (which I have not tried yet) to manually selecting a focal point. Handy. And the selection of aperture, shutter, or sensitivity priority (and full manual of course) make it seem like I'm using a full-tilt D-SLR... except at about two-thirds the size and weight!

Anyway, this is just scratching the surface of the capabilities of the GF-1. I've barely looked at the user's manual... it is so comprehensive! Although I find it more exciting to learn by trial and error anyhow... and doesn't the saying go something like, "to err is human"...?? Well, I'm definitely human!

Cheers!