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Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 camera review

Lars Rehm | Published: May 27, 2015 at 12:00 UTC

253

Connect smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance and image quality.

Introduction

It's been quite some time since Panasonic was a big name in the smartphone space, but the Lumix DMC-CM1, which was first announced at Photokina 2014, certainly is an appealing mobile device, especially to mobile photographers. That said, despite the CM1 having all the components and features of a smartphone, Panasonic describes it as a 'Communication Camera' in its marketing material. This does, to a degree, make sense. Looking at the CM1 and its spec sheet, it is quite hard to tell if this is a smartphone that puts a lot of emphasis on its camera or a digital camera with some bolted-on communication components.

The camera specification certainly goes way beyond current conventional smartphones. The CM1's 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor has the same dimensions as the chips in premium compact cameras such as Sony's RX100 or Nikon's 1 series, and is around seven times larger than the 1/3"-type sensors that are most common on mobile devices. The large sensor is coupled with an F2.8 Leica lens that offers an equivalent focal length of 28mm. Focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance can all be adjusted manually via a mechanical click-wheel around the lens 'barrel' and the CM1 is also capable of recording 4K-video and Raw images.

With its impressive camera specification and unusual design the Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is the closest thing we have seen to a true hybrid device and a unique product in the current marketplace. Read on to find out how it performed in our comprehensive testing.

Key Photographic / Video Specifications:

20MP 1-inch CMOS sensor
3:2 native aspect ratio
Leica DC ELMARIT lens, 6 elements in 5 groups
F2.8 aperture
28mm equivalent focal length
ISO 100-25,600 (in extended ISO mode)
4K-video at 15fps
Raw capture
1.1MP front camera

Other Specifications:

4.7-inch 1080p display
Android 4.4
Qualcomm Snapdragon S801 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16GB built-in memory
microSD cards up to 128GB
2600mAh batttery

Our 10-page review

We've considered every aspect of the Panasonic CM1 camera with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes. Click any of the links below for more information of specific functions and continue to our conclusion for a final summary of our findings.

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Next page: Design & Hardware

Comments

Total comments: 253

it looks good but its not pro

0 upvotes

The CM1 is an excellent "communications camera", as Panasonic put it. The camera part is equal to a high-end compact, and the phone part is refreshingly free from junk apps - basically Android plus Panasonic's photo apps.

I wish somebody would produce a phone in this style but with a lens mount for interchangeable lenses. Then the phone could come with a simple default lens that needn't even cover the whole sensor, to be replaced as needed. A Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Phone, or MILPh.

1 upvote

All serious "photo" smartphones should nowadays at least a 1/1.7" BSI sensor, just like enthusiast compact digicams before 2012, or better like here a 1" sensor..but with BSI tech. 35mm equal focal length would be more universal then the 28mm equivalent focal length. RAW mode, too. Then smartphones would be considered more serious for photography, the ordinary stuff is just good for snapshots. RX100 III quality into a smartphone or like the CM1 here, same sensor size...but the lens is not perfect.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Longer focal length would also mean larger physical size, and the lens part already protrudes enough on the CM1.

0 upvotes

Not really. 50mm equivalent will be the smallest one, and 35mm will be smaller than 28mm.

0 upvotes

Panasonic should eliminate the bad frontcam and put a second little screen (2"?) on the front side of the device, so you could use the good camera für selfies.

0 upvotes

Correction: The second screen should be in the rear side (next to the lens), not in the front side :).

0 upvotes

I really like the old-fashioned design. Otherwise, its specs look good compared to its direct opponents.

0 upvotes

When a phone can offer shallow DOF, I think I'll consider one. It doesn't really offer much more than a Note 4 which is sharper at the edges in bright light. I'd like to see it compared to a LG G4.

0 upvotes

Are you seriously arguing a 1" sensor won't mean shallower DOF than the 1/2.6" sensor of Note 4?

Comment edited 37 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

I've seen the samples...it's not encouraging. The only sample with some blurring of the background is of a small object up close. And the blur is minimal. Reminiscent of any smartphone. Maybe it's the lens. Get one and let me know how well it works out for ya.

0 upvotes

There are non-camera aspects to blur like distance to subject and background. I can create a photo with more blur using a 1/2.6" sensor than a photo from a medium format sensor. The only way such a comparison is meaningful is if you capture the same scene using the same settings and compare.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

1 upvote

In the end, the difference is barely noticeable. If you are looking for any kind of DOF shots, you will be seriously disappointed with either of the 2 cameras. The larger sensor gives it the potential, but the lens is the limiting factor. You'd need something like a Leica Noticron 42.5 f1.2 on a 1" sensor with the current technology available today. The only real benefit of the Panasonic is the slight improvement of image quality in low light. But as you can see in this review, the improvement is slight. The 1/2.6" sensor on the Note 4 is pretty amazing for its size.

0 upvotes

When I used compact cameras, I found you have to be more creative and mindful to achieve DOF separation. My sense is that for a 1/2.6" sensor, it's that much more out of reach. And more in reach for a sensor more than twice the size, though you still have to be creative to achieve it.

I didn't calculate it, but guessing there's a 1-2 stop improvement in high ISO shooting, just like there is when you step up from m4/3 to APS-C to FF. That diff might not matter to some but it does to a lot of ppl.

1 upvote

Meh. Very shallow DOF wastes the compositing potential of this focal length anyways. It's ok for what it is.

0 upvotes

Is anyone using the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom w 20MP BSI sensor? It seems to only be selling in the UK http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/smartphones/android/SM-C1150ZKABTU#

0 upvotes

I'm using this phone. Actually called Galaxy K zoom.
It's available in a different countries, but not in the US. I'm using Canadian model, which supports US LTE bands.
http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/mobile-devices/smartphones/others/SM-C115WZKARWC

0 upvotes

Did I miss the IQ rating somewhere? Other cell cameras get an IQ rating. I didn't see one for the CM1.

0 upvotes

nice poston on Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 camera.

0 upvotes

great post on Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 camera. Thank you

0 upvotes

I put a flickr gallery up if anyone is interested to see. Some images are processed in camera from raw with Lightroom Mobile others with Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3.

Super fun camera that's also a phone - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsciorio/sets/72157653962676700

4 upvotes

How is the antenna reception? Voice pickup on the phone OK? Sound quality on the earpiece? In other words, it is a phone as well as a camera?

0 upvotes

As good as anything I used before. Speaker phone is not as loud as my iPhone 6+ though.

1 upvote

I've been using it with no problems on T-Mobile here in the USA since March with LTE support. It's been a better phone than my Xperia Z3 Compact which has not seen use since.

1 upvote

But AFAIK the CM1 doesn't support LTE Band 12, so is not good for indoor data reception.
In contrast the Sony Z3 does support T-Mo Band 12.
http://www.spectrumgateway.com/compatible-phones

Comment edited 48 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Do you own both phones? I do. I can tell you which has been better for me - the CM1. I used the Z3C for months and the CM1 for a few now. Not even a contest. Sony has always had weak radios (I should know, I've owned many due to form factor, but most were not great outside of a few like the Ray and some of the really old Ericsson co brands). So until you have owned both phones like I have, I suggest you stop looking at specs to say what's better.

1 upvote

Are any US carriers offering it yet?

0 upvotes

Just showed up on B&H website as available for pre-order for estimated June 15. It works on GSM, so AT&T and T-mobile?

Comment edited 27 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Yes both.

0 upvotes

You can also use Straight Talk and Cricket Wireless among others.

0 upvotes

nice one

0 upvotes

Question- how exactly does ISO affect DR?

0 upvotes

Yep, higher the ISO lower your recorded DR, pretty much exponentially decreases with ISO.

0 upvotes

Not good enough to replace my Lumia 1020 but nice try.

0 upvotes

Not enough MPs? How many do you need?

0 upvotes

This phone is far better than Lumia 1020 and infinitely better than iPhone so what is not good enough?

0 upvotes

while the sensor is better than the one on the Lumia (of course, it is larger). I'm not convinced the lens Panasonic used is up to par with Zeiss used by the Lumia. But my biggest problem with the Panasonic would be that I'd lose the advantage of Windows Phone.

Comment edited 34 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

eh, The lens on the CM1 is indeed very capable and is no worst than the Zeiss on the Lumia. Infact the 1020's Zeiss lens suffers more from corner softness than the Leica in the CM1. At least with the CM1, there is the ability to close the aperture down to sharpen up corners for landscapes, whereas on the 1020, there is no option for a variable aperture.

Windows phone OS is a nice OS, but sadly, there still seems a lacking in app support compared to Android and iOS.

1 upvote

"Leica" is not on par with "Zeiss"? That's news to me!

1 upvote

I'm not comparing Leica and Zeiss companies, just sharing my personal impression on lens clarity. But I should probably compare RAW files, not relying on the comparison tool here on dpreview.
The variable aperture is indeed a great advantage, I missed that.
Regarding the app support, that's not really a problem anymore. I have close to 300 apps installed on Lumia and never had a problem finding suitable app or working alternative.

0 upvotes

I always said that when they made a camera with a phone in it I'd buy one.

This is a move in the right direction. The desire to make the package small though, forces compromise. If I have to carry around a separate camera anyway, why bother with this.

A bold move would be to put a phone into a proper camera, with the decent sensor, proper flash, optical zoom, manual control... Etc.

Take a DMC-LX 100, enlarge the body so it can accommodate a really decent touch LCD and (maybe) a flash.

Why, ditch a proper carry around camera for the dubious merits of a phone with a camera in it, when we could have the proper camera without compromise and ditch the crappy throw away phone that needs updating every year and breaks if you look at it sideways?

What is the most hateful thing about a smartphone?

The fact that it has to be charged every five minutes.

Miniturisation means tiny batteries. A decent camera can accommodate a bigger battery, and one can carry extra batteries as well.

1 upvote

Thinking about this some more, I realise that my real problem is I hate the tyranny of the mobile phone.

1 upvote

I have a Ricoh GR, which is incredibly small, and yet I often just don't bring it out. And I suspect I'm not the only one here who ends up not bringing any camera at all b/c it's an extra device.

2 upvotes

EM,

This is far from a crappy sensor.

Right, mobile phones are a way of tracking and control.

0 upvotes

So, you're suggesting putting an APS-C sensor and a phone into something like the Galaxy Camera? Not sure it would be a great seller. 99% of people buying smartphones don't even know what APS-C is, and probably wouldn't even be able to appreciate the higher IQ.

While far from perfect, the CM-1 is the closest thing I've seen to a smartphone designed for serious camera lovers.

1 upvote

I just had a look at a new private photo sharing app sherish.com, any one else tried it out?

0 upvotes

I wish they would just limit the megapixels and concentrate on low light performance. But then many people think 6 megapixels isn't enough.

0 upvotes

With a fixed length lens, cropping is the zoom, having the megapixels gives them some flexibility. Compromises are what you get when portability is a design aim.

2 upvotes

It'd be neat to see cameras start being built with less pixels, especially on larger sensors.

1 upvote

The next step is implementation of mobile functionality in a full frame dslr camera. I already see myself speaking on Canon 5d with 70-200mm f2.8 :D

1 upvote

I'd prefer talking on a smartphone with at least a 400mm prime lens ;p

1 upvote

Well, it will happen - how big is cell phone chip-set not to fit in? What about a few years later? It will be very convenient to have a map assist on the same screen, be able to instantly share, and not just to Facebook...

0 upvotes

was kind of joking...the phones can get smaller, but long lenses bump up against the laws of physics and have to be large.

0 upvotes

The smartphones are moving to the right direction I think, with such phones like Galaxy Note 4, S6, K zoom, LG G4, HTC One M9, and CM1.
CM1 seems to be a good phone, but some things I don't like:
1. 28mm equivalent lens is too wide.
2. non-removable battery
3. no OIS
4. no Xenon flash
5. 1" sensor is too big for a phone.
Ideally I'd like to have a phone as follows:
1. 1/1.7" - 2/3" sensor size
2. 30-35mm fixed focal f/2.0 or faster lens, or 24-1XX zoom similar to the ones on Canon S120 or Fuji XQ2.
3. Xenon flash
4. OIS
5. removable battery.

I currently own Samsung Galaxy K zoom and I'm very pleased with it, the quality of the photos is much better than my previous phone Galaxy Note 3, which was not bad as well, but the sensor size is a bit small at 1/2.3", and the zoom is bit too long (24-240mm). All other features are present on this phone. I hope that the next iteration will reach my expectations.

Comment edited 4 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting

4 upvotes

Would love it if they could cram the 24-90mm f/1.4 from the LX5, with the 1/1.7" sensor

0 upvotes

BTW, Samsung has 24-80mm f/1.4-2.7 on their EX2F, with OIS and 1/1.7" sensor, but I'm afraid it's too big for a phone.

0 upvotes

Totally agree!

0 upvotes

I am a very happy user of Lumix DMC-CM1 and I think it's absolutely the best Phone camera today. Despite the general negative low light comments here, I also think it performed very well in low light. At least better than any other phone I know (And I am one phone freak trying out most high end phones in the market). Do note that I am NOT comparing this to NON-PHONE cameras.

3 upvotes

The negative low light comments stem frim a misunderstanding. The cm1 in low light is at iso 3200. The other phones are at iso 800 or less.

0 upvotes

yup agree, the tests are based on automatic settings. But, on saying that, the Panasonic does need to use higher ISO to compensate for the lack of optical stabilization in the other phones.

If the scene could be captured with the aid of a tripod, there is without a doubt the CM1 and the 808 would trump the competition.

0 upvotes

Sutjahjo, are you on the CM1 flickr group or do you post your photos to the Panasonic forum here? Would love to see your photos on this phone

0 upvotes

very nice .... now come on sony, put a mobile screen on the back of a rx100 ......

1 upvote

The RX100 only has a 3" LCD compared to my 6.44" Sony Xperia smartphone.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8615/15947075285_4f58229370_b.jpg

0 upvotes

Wait - in the low light studio scene - are we really comparing the CM1 at ISO 3200 vs everyone else at a much lower ISO? Even so, it holds up pretty well. After seeing this, I am sure the CM1 would destroy all other phone cameras if compared at the same ISO.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Disappointing low-light performance for a 1" sensor! Even the old and venerable Nokia 808 shows a substantially better image quality in the low light-simulation of the studio comparison scene.

0 upvotes

Yes, the CM1 was at ISO 3200 - everyone else, either ISO 640 or ISO 800, or lower.

6 upvotes

true, also the CM1 is able to do long exposures up to 30 seconds, the 808 can only do max 2.7 seconds.

1 upvote

Lovely sample images.

2 upvotes

4K video @15fps ? Really ? Is that Charlie Chaplin mode ?

7 upvotes

Same limitations as the Nikon 1 j5. Probably useful for a casual scenic pan, but don't shoot your next Hollywood epic with it.

0 upvotes

Seeing as you can grab 8MP stills from 4K video, think of it as a 15fps continuous burst mode?

Then that feature becomes truly useful.

Comment edited 28 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

It's 4K Photo mode not video. I'd like the CM1 to shoot at 30P and perhaps in an update it could but would be limited to heat. It gets toasty at 15FPS and while out shooting all day in NYC I had to stop a couple times to let the CM1 cooled down (while in 4K Photo all day mind you)

0 upvotes

Why does it have a Motorola badge?

0 upvotes

As it states, the picture is a comparison of the Lumix to the Motorola device that bears the M logo.

1 upvote

Oops! Silly me.

2 upvotes

Any word on Lens and Camera Profiles for Lightroom? Will Adobe be providing them or will Panasonic make their own and offer them for download?

Surely any optical system THAT compact must need a little bit of help in the distortion department in Post...

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Apple Digital Camera Raw 6.04 support http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7259064404/apple-digital-camera-raw-6-04-extends-support-to-canon-eos-5ds-r-and-panasonic-cm1

Haven't heard about LR yet

Comment edited 12 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

OK, not quite there yet. No OIS, garbage flash. Sure, it'll come in gen 2. Had it had it now, Pana would have gotten my money.

Can external flashes be used, or triggered by the internal one?

I'm dreaming of the Google Ara; a chassis/motherboard and exchangeable modules for rear screen, cameras, flashes, processor etc.

0 upvotes

And what about lens protection?

2 upvotes

Agreed; add OIS an I'm in for one. Xenon flash would be a nice addition too.

0 upvotes

Founds a cool extension ring that you can put a filter or lens cap on http://turtleback.hk/en/177-37mm-mount-extension-for-panasonic-cm-1.html

1 upvote

So Lars, if I'm a multi-media journalist on deadline, know how to use a tripod, and have good camera skills, would this camera phone be the best choice to shoot and upload stills and video for use by newspapers and television stations?

1 upvote

This is a nice device to use if you have good camera skills because it actually lets you apply them. However, there are a couple of issues. Like all smartphones the CM1 does not have a tripod mount, so you'll need some sort of smartphone support. Also, other phones offer better video quality. I'd say if your focus is on stills go for it. If you shoot a lot of video and possibly 4K footage I'd probably look somewhere else.

2 upvotes

Thanks! Great way to balance pluses and minuses.

0 upvotes

Quite a coincidence: you published your review the same day that the update (to Android 5 Lollipop) was made available by Panasonic.

Another thing: I noticed quite terrible .JPG compression when shooting in Manual setting (see http://smartcam.club/node/3291). Wonder if that hasn't bothered you or it didn't appear to be the case on your device?

2 upvotes

Android 5.0 is now available for the CM1.

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.ca&sl=ja&u=http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/dsc/download/cm1/index.html&usg=ALkJrhiRzYrGElUzN8J-3fxb8vV7Ce_5_Q

3 upvotes

Don't need to use a translated page to get to the Lollipop update:
http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/CM1/index.html

0 upvotes

Seems to me that this would necessitate a review update.

0 upvotes

I think it is about time to change those iPhone scores to somewhat 50 or 60-ish?

Compared to this camera, iPhones cameras are like $10 Walmart camera. Seriously, your scoring system is messed up now.

I would rate this camera to 90+, Pureview 808 to 80+, Galaxy S6/Note4/5/Nexus6 to 70+ and iPhones to 60+.

Comment edited 52 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

Hi Mister Roboto, missed your trolling for a month.

You seem to have conviently forgot scores on based on same-category competitors at time of review. CM1 wasn't available until March as far as I know so all the phones review before will retain its score. In addition, it may or may not be considered to be in the same category as "normal" smartphone.

0 upvotes

DPR/Connect is a photography site so they should focus on the camera capabilities alone and in that regard, iPhone is 3 generations behind so it makes sense to give it 50-60-ish score not 80+.

0 upvotes

wow the low light abilities are really bad, just about every single other high end device hammers the CM1 in the low light scene, very disappointing... In daylight the CM1 results look awesome, but the lack of OIS and horrid low light results means the CM1 is another 'almost' great package, pity.

0 upvotes

are you sure you are looking at the same pictures as everybody else? :)

12 upvotes

Maybe you should brighten up your screen at least turn it on

0 upvotes

sorry Lars, I missed the whole iso dropdown, so while the CM1 was on 3200 the others were on 50/125 etc. apologies, my fault.

The flash results are poor though imho.

2 upvotes

Jostian:

Here are more CM1 samples, both raw and jpeg:

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_dmc_cm1_review/sample_images/

0 upvotes

Close, but not yet there. Adding even a very limited optical zoom would be welcome. A bit of additional size is OK IMHO.

0 upvotes

it won't be a 'bit of additional size'. It'll be a lot and a much slower lens.

4 upvotes

Compared to the rest with fast lens but microscopic sensor, I would take this with slower lens anytime of the day or night.

0 upvotes

The world is waiting for someone to create an adapter for this phone that would let you attach converter lenses like Panasonic's VW-T4314H Tele Conversion Lens. Maybe it could be you?

0 upvotes

Lars, that is fine - the alternative is to carry both cell phone and the camera. Also I am talking about a limited zoom, e.g. 24-50mm equivalent. After all how big is the Sony rx100 mk3 with 24-70?

0 upvotes

This is definitely not the FZ1000 sensor. Or if it is, then the lens makes it visibly softer and less contrasty. I drew this conclusions after carefully analyzing the studio scene test shots provided by DPR right here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/image-comparison?attr18=daylight&attr13_0=panasonic_lumixdmccm1&attr13_1=panasonic_dmcfz1000&attr13_2=nikon_j4&attr13_3=canon_g7x&attr15_0=jpeg&attr15_1=jpeg&attr15_2=jpeg&attr15_3=jpeg&attr16_0=125&attr16_1=125&attr16_2=160&attr16_3=125&normalization=full&widget=1&x=0.8754346182917614&y=-0.14390859956363752

Not only the FZ1000 shots have substantially more detail, but they seem to have better color balance and a punchier contrast. The Canon Powershot G7 X also shows considerably better IQ.

2 upvotes

maybe they did but they didn't use the same processor to process the image. its strange to use another 1". The FZ1000 1" is one of the best sensor ever period.

0 upvotes

true but so is the
RX100 mk3
RX100 mk2
RX10
Canon G7X
Samsung NX mini

They all seem to use the same 1 inch sensor that is kicking above it's weight

Now the (Cr)aptina 1 inch sensors on the other hand............

0 upvotes

Panasonic's camera team might have nothing to do with its smartphone team and therefore couldn't share their experience in processing. SONY seems to be suffering from this disconnect as well with camera processing much better than smartphone processing.

0 upvotes

I have CM1 and have been using it for the last one month . If Photography is important for someone then there is no better choice . I don't feel it has aged specs , actually I find it very snappy and with a nice screen

I wish it had Xenon Flash and may be OIS than it would have been very close to perfect . Most of the people here probably have not used this excellent combination of a phone and a camera and I believe if/once they use it and mobile photography is important to them , probably will change there opinion in a very positive way

I am very impressed with the images developed from RAW as default jpeg processing is very mediocre . I currently own a Sony RX 100 MkIII , Sony RX 1 , Nikon D800 and a Sigma DP2M and I feel comfortable taking CM 1 out as my only camera on many day to day shooting opportunities . It is not just increased resolution but also much better dynamic range and less digital feel to the image when compared to other camera phones like iPhone 6+ etc

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

7 upvotes

What kind of battery life are you getting?

0 upvotes

I am not a heavy phone user and by the end of the day still have 30% or more battery life left ( 7 Am to 9 PM) , this includes taking 10-15 pictures on average ..

2 upvotes

The good thing is that this is a phone (i.e. charges via micro-USB), so you can plug in a portable charger / powerbank and you can shoot as it charges.

0 upvotes

Can the LED flash trigger an external flash?

0 upvotes

@Gadgety

I doubt it, since LED flashes don't have the intensity and reach of a Xenon flash. Really depends on the slave sensor's sensitivity.

Unfortunately there are no Bluetooth flash triggers (yet). http://www.triggertrap.com/news/triggertrap-mobile-bluetooth

1 upvote

Although I often find a good smartphone to be a great substitute for a camera, I doubt this good camera makes a great substitute for a smartphone.

For the size and battery-life alone, I wager NO ONE will (or will manage to) use this as their single smartphone. Thus the single device argument falls flat. This is a large sensor compact camera trying to look and act like a smartphone. In the end, it’s an expensive, moderately powered device, with average handling and speed, designed for a handful of pixel-peeping RAW and resolution enthusiasts.

The smartphone which will come closest to conquering photography will come from Apple or Samsung; not from a camera maker. Apparently they’re taking their time. In a few years we’ll look back at the CM1 as a kludge.

2 upvotes

Most likely it will come from Samsung. Apple will wait a couple of years until the component is dirt cheap to adopt it, and then claim they invented it...

4 upvotes

What Papi means to say is Samsung will fear that Apple has some idea in that regard and will try what it can to do its usual low-class first to market product and hope somebody will like it.
As usual then, Apple will come up with a solution that its customers can actually use.

3 upvotes

@Papi61
Assuming Samsung isn't #3 or 4 behind Apple, Lenovo and Xiaomi in a few years.

0 upvotes

Dream on, fanboy. Let me guess, you believe your church is #1 in smartphones and computers all over the world, right?

2 upvotes

I use Galaxy K zoom as my only smartphone, and I'm pretty happy with it. I has OIS, removable battery, xenon flash, and 24-240 zoom lens, which is pretty good for a phone. The only downsize is that the sensor size is a bit small at 1/2.3", which is not bad compared to other smartphones, but I'd prefer 1/1.7" or larger. I don't think that I'd like to have more that 2/3" sensor size on a phone.

0 upvotes

@fanboy EricWN

Right, because Apple invented the small tablet, did not copy it from Samsung after claiming tablets smaller than 10" make no sense (low-class, right?) Apple invented the 5" phone, did not copy it from Samsung, after claiming any phone larger than 4" is ridiculous (low-class, right?) Apple invented the phablet, did not copy it from Samsung, after claiming that phablets are ridiculous and only low-class people would buy them. Because, you know, Asians are known for not being as smart as the white Americans who make 100% of Apple's executive board (funny how no one noticed that...)

Oh yeah, and of course you Apple fanboys aren't elitist, classist, racist and xenophobic, right?

Comment edited 51 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

@Papi - wow, what a low class statement, shame on you. I have in no way hinted at anything you claim. I am not discussing what is first on the market. I am simply looking at well thought out products. Looking at Samsung's watches and Apple's watches tells me all I need to know in that regard. One will be a well thought out product, and sell in millions, one won't. And sure, Casio had a digital watch before, just so to stop your next claim of copying.
How can you even seriously believe that screen size is an invention? That's just the way components develop and the market currently has a demand for bigger phones than before. Again, the best one will most likely sell the most, so just look at the most successful product. If you think the iPhone is only successful because it has a bigger screen, then let's meet again in a year and see how successful it has been then. Whatever else you speculate about you should better keep to yourself, nobody else will want that level of discussion.

0 upvotes

"what a low class statement"

Wow, you're really doing your best to refute my claim of you stupid Apple cultists being classist, elitist, racist and xenophobic, thank you.

0 upvotes

Actually 2 of the 7 members of Apple's board are women and the first widely commercially available tablet computer was (scarily) made by AT&T (before the breakup).

0 upvotes

"Actually 2 of the 7 members of Apple's board are women"

Since only a few months ago, when Apple was exposed for being a men-only club...

0 upvotes

Please spend 5 minutes researching before making your claims. Andrea Jung was on the board since Jan 2008. The other one since 2014.

0 upvotes

http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/06/critics-take-issue-with-lack-of-diversity-on-apple-board-of-directors

0 upvotes

Why bother talking to papi61 who is probably one of Kim Jong-un fanboys? Anyone using Apple products will be labeled as a racist, hypocrite, etc etc etc ... right Papi?

0 upvotes

I know, I forgot to read the sign "Do Not Feed The Trolls".
Sigh!

0 upvotes

LOL Apple fanboys accusing sane people of being trolls. The chutzpah...

0 upvotes

I agree with Rapi. Apple users are usually insane. They can't accept anything that is not produced by Apple. It's a selective "Apple syndrome".

1 upvote

I have a Macbook Air, iMac, iPhone 6+ and iPad... I would't buy an Apple watch because it is useless and I consider it an scam -money wise- , I would rather have a Samsung Gear 2, but unfortunately both Samsung and Apple are greddy enough to be closed systems with zero compatibility so I cannot use it as a stand alone device... So my point is, I am
Not an Apple fanboy but the equipment I have gives me service that's all.

0 upvotes

I am hardly an apple fanboi, (galaxy nexus, nexus 5, LG G2, LG Flex, Nexus 6, Nexus 7..) but my comment to Rapi was that if you are going to trash someone at least make some tiny effort to have the facts. That is all I said. Anti-Apple fanbois are every bit as insane as their counterparts. To sh*t on apple's board which has 2 women when you consider that Samsung's board has always and will always be all korean males is a bit hypocritical.
So, please troll with facts! Thanks.

0 upvotes

It looks a lot like those $50 video cameras sold a few years back.

0 upvotes

Brilliant concept, though already showing signs of 2014 aging specs. Bring the screen, ram and storage up to modern spec and I'd strongly consider it. I don't care about 4k video, years off practical use yet.

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

All of the above + make it into phablet size. And since I have 4K on my Note 4, I know it's something desirable and useful, at least for me.

Panasonic could still sell it for less than the ridiculously overpriced iPhone 6+. But I don't know if the general public would care.

1 upvote

If I am going to carry around a phablet/tablet, I may as well carry a dedicated camera.

2 upvotes

Then you would have to carry a camera + a smartphone. I use a phablet as my phone, I would never go back to any screen smaller than 5.7". Oh, and BTW, I don't need to carry pen and paper, because the Note 4 is just perfect for taking notes. So yeah, my ideal phone would be something like the Note 4 with this phone's camera.

1 upvote

I have a Note 4. Love it! Second what you say.

1 upvote

Funny that some Samsung fanboys use this one again for some anti-Apple blabla. Totally uncalled for.

3 upvotes

He missed out buying AAPL when it was cheaper and now going around giving out misinformation. Quite sad really his life is reduced to going around the internet linking everything to Apple.

0 upvotes

Uh, Eric, the apple babble you spuketh of was mentioned once.

0 upvotes

I wonder if a 6" screen might be a bit too much bulk for this concept, my HTC One M8 is fine for size (for me).

0 upvotes

There are no Samsung fanboys. I can buy another brand any time, if I like the product better. Can you buy anything other than Apple? Didn't think so. So, who's the fanboy?

0 upvotes

There is something called Brand Loyalty... There is nothing emotional about Samsung products. A commy would never understand that. (Posted from my iPhone 6+)

Comment edited 36 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

With Google about to release M (Muffin? Macadamia Nut Cookie?), a new phone with KitKat does sound a little weird. Hopefully Panasonic will provide updates, at least to Lollipop.

I wonder if this phone uses the same sensor as the FZ1000. If that were the case, wow, definitely something very desirable...

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

And hopefully the L or M upgrade won't break the phone like so many people reported when their KitKat optimized phone break after upgrading to L because the OEM didn't bother to optimize well.

0 upvotes

Can you make/receive phone calls with this device? Yes. Then it's a smartphone, end of discussion.

Phone spec-wise, it's a mid-range Android (same screen resolution as iPhone but not even close to 2015 Android flagships), and nowadays 16gb of storage is definitely low-end. But that 1" sensor and Panasonic's camera know-how still make this product appealing. At least on paper.

4K @15fps is completely useless. Why did they even bother?

1 upvote

This is more a camera that can make/receive calls. So this is a smartcamera. End of discussion... ;-)

2 upvotes

Except that cameras don't make/receive calls. ;)

0 upvotes

and a mere phone does not take pictures too...

1 upvote

The truth is that "smartphone" is for long an inappropriate term, IMHO. People spend a lot of time with their smartphone doing anything else than making/receiving voice calls. The "phone" (or voice call) interface is just a feature among many others like computing, gaming, camera, GPS, FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, compass, internet access, portable data storage, media player, etc...
In fact, the smartphone is the 21st century reincarnation of the old PDA or Pocket PC...

3 upvotes

Yes 4K@15fps = useless. Basically it's only included to be able to claim it is 4K = marketing purposes.

0 upvotes

4K in 15 fps only? IMO, might as well not put 4K...

8 upvotes

COMPLETELY agree.

0 upvotes

You are undermining its usefulness. Think of it as 8mp 15fps mode.

0 upvotes

Hmm, you've got a point actually...
I guess I was just speaking from a filmmaker's perspective. :)

0 upvotes

Not that's one camera I see being difficult to design a slide out keyboard for ha. It's too bad they don't make it in 5.5 to 6.0 size.

Comment edited 23 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

i wonder how long before the iPhone gets this?

1 upvote

Never. It's too much of a compromise for the form factor, and too much of a compromise for Apple's margins. Apple has thus far dedicated their photographic efforts to software image processing, not leading with camera hardware quality.

3 upvotes

Whenever these components get dirt cheap (i.e. probably never.) Apple has to make an obscene profit and their users don't really care about state-of-the-art components... All they have to tell them is that the iPhone camera is the best in the world and they'll buy it hook, line and sinker...

2 upvotes

Apple Sheeple...... I have nothing against their products just the attitude of the company. Competition benefits us all but they want to monopolize the smartphone world. Then there's the lawsuits and their attitude that it's OK if they copy somebody else's idea but by damn don't copy theirs or even get close. Even if it's their copy of somebody else's idea. And what has Apple ever gave to charity? However I think Tim Cook is taking Apple in the right direction. He seems to be a good man ,is charitable and doesn't have a reality distortion field. OH yeah, that Panasonic camera looks pretty cool. Needs optical IS though....

1 upvote

Right direction? You've got to be kidding...

http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/4/8540935/apple-labels-spotify-streaming

They're really an evil empire. They can't compete, so they threaten, push, sue, bribe etc. Just like a crime syndicate.

3 upvotes

OK, well I was trying to be nice about it. No argument with your reply, I like the evil empire part tho.

0 upvotes

I sincerely hope this mafia-like behavior will backfire on Cupertino. I'm pretty sure that millions of kids won't be happy never being able to stream free music again thanks to Apple. But then again, Apple unfortunately control the media, so they will definitely try to blame it on someone else... (record companies maybe?)

0 upvotes

iPhone won't get this. The camera on this phone is old way thinking....bigger/more = better for spec whores.

Reportly Apple is working with SONY on curve sensor and inhouse with lens-shift super resolution. Might be a few years before smartphones have such features but when it arrive, it won't weight 200g and 3 times as thick as regular phones.

0 upvotes

@Peiasdf - so what you're saying is, this is a camera that lets you get dramatically better photos than an iPhone, now in the real world...

...whereas with an iPhone, they might find a way to deliver equivalent image quality tot his, but a few years down the line and in a much smaller package.

Got it.

0 upvotes

@Pediasff

Like all fanboys, you just buy every piece of Apple propaganda hook, line and sinker. Apple is about buying the cheapest components on the market. That's why iPhones have a 2012 8mp Sony camera module, the same used by budget Androids.
Apple isn't interested in giving you quality, just in fooling you into believing you bought the best phone on the market.

0 upvotes

Never gonna happen yet their Marketing team and diehard fanbois always claim BS things that they (Apple) are developing DSLR-like camera. How? What? With nano size sensor and lens module? lol...

0 upvotes

The ISO 125 studio photo seems to be out of focus. The ISO 3200 looks sharper in comparison.

0 upvotes

Swtich to RAW, and you'll see the text aliasing, which is a strong indication of accurate focus. Also, the CM1 is in the studio scene comparison with all ISOs shot, in case you want to take a deeper look at IQ.

2 upvotes

I'm not seeing what you are seeing. Take a look at the "Queen" card (default for low light test) at ISO 125. The Queen is clearly blurrier than the Galaxy Note 4.

0 upvotes

too much sharpening.

0 upvotes

Wow! Panasonic is starting to figure this out.

1 upvote

An impressive camera phone I would really quite like - the only thing that really puts me off ( price apart) is the complete lack of any lens protection - I can see it getting damaged and messed up too easily.

3 upvotes

Maybe it comes with a lens cap?

0 upvotes

It needs OIS, xenon flash, lens protection.

0 upvotes

No, there is no lens cap.

0 upvotes

Been eagerly scanning every CM1 review for mention of lens protection, it's definitely the Elephant In The Room when you start thinking about a 1"-sensor camera rattling around in your pocket without it. Did Panasonic really entirely punt on this issue? No lens cap, no moveable doors, no sapphire cover glass? They have to be offereing SOMETHING or this becomes just a novelty like a concept car.

1 upvote

Turns out lens protection is easily resolved and made a non issue: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56152023

0 upvotes

I don't know about the phone but pictures are very nice. Colorful, varied, and interesting. Better than many dpr galleries.

3 upvotes

Total comments: 253