Panasonic boosts its entry-level mirrorless, the Lumix GF7

Panasonic's update to its entry-level interchangeable-lens camera, the Lumix GF6, incorporates most of the newer tech that's in the tiny GM5 . This year's GF7 should have better performance and a more streamlined design, though it loses a couple of things in the process.

The primary kit is priced at $600, £430, or AU$700 and should be available in February in the US and Australia, and in March in the UK.

What's new

• Better burst performance. Its 5 frames per second with autofocus brings it into parity with the better-specced competitors.
• Enhanced autofocus. It now incorporates Panasonic's fast Light Speed AF system.
• Selfie-friendly. It has a couple of new features targeting selfie-takers -- face shutter (triggered by a hand wave in front of your face) and buddy shutter (when it detects two faces in proximity to each other).
• Updated video. It now supports MPEG-4, not just AVCHD.
• Streamlined design. Panasonic swapped the locations of the mode dial and the iA (one-touch auto) button, and added a programmable function button to the left shoulder. The back buttons are also shuffled around a bit. It's also gone from curved to a little more retro boxy on the top. The record button has been relocated as well. Unfortunately, Panasonic also jettisoned the grip; that tends to make cameras look a little sleeker but harder to hold. And the two custom settings mode are no longer on the mode dial.
• More compact. Part of the smaller footprint also includes switching to the smaller lenses designed for the GM series: to the 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 (24-64mm equivalent) kit lens from the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (28mm - 84mm equivalent). The wider angle 12-32mm lens is more conducive to selfies and groupies, but it's just a little less broad of a focal range -- 2.7x vs. 3x. Australians will also be able to purchase a two-lens kit for AU$1,000 (denoted with WGN in the model name) with the other GM-designed lens, the 35-100mm f4-5.6 (70 - 200mm equivalent).

My take

There's just enough updated here that it doesn't feed like a complete retread of the GF6, and improved performance is never a bad thing. I hate it when manufacturers drop the grip, though.

Comparative specs