Panasonic Lumix G6 Camera Review

 

Lumix G6 with Lumix 14-45mm lens. A versatile walk around combination. This scene with quite high subject brightness range required only a small amount of highlight and shadow adjustment in Adobe Camera Raw. I held the camera at waist level with the articulating monitor swung out for easy image preview.

More than a list of specifications

Stealth Marketing ?  Last year Canon  introduced it's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera [MILC] the EOS M, with a high profile, all media campaign. Billboards on bus stops exhorted consumers to  ...Be a Play-Fessional!!....whatever that might have been, nobody seemed to know. The EOS M proved to be one of the most underwhelming new product releases in camera history. Those consumers demonstrated that they understand cameras better than Canon's product development people and avoided the EOS-M in large numbers.  Maybe not many of them were Play-Fessionals.  

Lumix G6 without lens. I don't know why the sensor glows ruby red like this in some lighting conditions.

With the Lumix G6, Panasonic appears to have adopted the opposite strategy. They built an excellent, well designed product, then introduced it into the market almost by stealth, with no apparent marketing at all [in Australia anyway]. I almost felt that I had to belong to some kind of informal quasi secret society to track down a G6 and persuade someone to sell it to me. It is difficult to find any Lumix M43 camera on the shelves of most camera shops I have visited.

It seems to me that if Canon and Panasonic keep up their respective strategies both will fail, one for lack of a MILC that anybody would want to buy, the other for lack of  effective marketing of a very nice camera.

G6 with 14-45mm lens

So, What is the Lumix G6 anyway ?  Panasonic currently targets it's Lumix G Micro MILC's  at four levels. At the top is the GH series of professional still/video high performance cameras. Next down is the enthusiast category, the sole occupant of which is the just released GX7. Then we have the mid range G5/G6 and last the entry level GF series.

Most reviewers and camera commentators have billed the G6 as a slightly spiced and reheated Lumix G5. Which it is, if you just look at the specifications list and general appearance. I have summarised the differences between the G5 and G6 here.

But a camera is more than a specifications and features list. The many upgrades built into the G6 make it a very appealing and functional photographic tool.

G6 with Lumix 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 lens (the new one) A very compact one lens travel/holiday kit which is a pleasure to use and makes excellent pictures. No DSLR can offer a kit with body plus 10x zoom this compact.

User Experience  The M43 system in general and the G6 in particular are large enough to provide good ergonomics yet small enough to make a light, compact kit. The G6 is unobtrusive. It doesn't shout "look at me". It doesn't have the most pixels or highest technical image quality scores in it's market sector. But it integrates picture quality, performance, user interface, ergonomics, stills and video, eye level view and monitor view in a coherent fashion which few other cameras can match.   The G6 works very well for the beginner or snapshooter, just press the [iA] button and you have a high quality point and shoot camera.

For the user who is or wants to become an expert the G6 has a much to offer. The user interface is highly configurable. This means many of the control modules (buttons, dials etc) can be tasked to user preference by selection from an extensive options list.

G6 Twin lens kit with 14-45mm and 45-150mm. Another compact kit with excellent performance. The new 14-42mm lens is even more compact than the 14-45mm shown here. 

Picture Quality  Several online test sites publish data about camera image quality. These include dpreview.comand dxo.com.  Tests are carried out in controlled conditions using specially designed test targets. This provides useful information which I call, for want of a better terminology, Technical Image Quality.  Real world picture quality is influenced by lens quality, user skill, camera shake and many other factors.

I recently completed a 3 way test comparing a Nikon D5200, Nikon V2 and Lumix G6, each with a 10x superzoom lens. If real world picture quality was determined by technical image quality, the D5200 should have easily bested the other two cameras. But it did not. In fact over hundreds of matched test photos in a variety of conditions the G6 most often came up with the most appealing photos.

So, the G6 consistently produces very good picture quality in a wide variety of conditions.

 

This is a test of the G6's ability to cope with extreme subject brightness range. Direct bright sun was falling on the newspaper. The lady's dark garments are in shade. The upper photo is the unmodified result. The lower one is the outcome after a few minutes in Adobe Camera Raw. The only penalty for this is increased grain in the dark tones.

 

Performance  Autofocus speed and accuracy are excellent in bright or poor light. Shot to shot times are so brief they hardly ever impede the image capture process. With a suitable lens the G6 is very effective at predictive AF on moving subjects. Manual focus is well implemented.

Holding  The G6 has a well shaped handle and thumb support making it easy to hold and carry.

The G6 is large enough to be held comfortably but small enough to be compact. The user can look straight ahead and view the subject with either eye

Viewing  The EVF and monitor both provide a good image preview/review. The monitor is of the very useful fully articulating type. Both EVF and monitor can be configured to display the same information in the same way for a seamless segue form one to the other.

Operating  All the adjustments which the expert user might want to make during capture phase of use can be made by feel with the eye to the EVF, without  disrupting the image capture flow.

Features  Many cameras these days come burdened by a heavy weight of multifarious features, the purpose of which, I have to confess, often eludes me.  But the G6 has several which are actually useful for the task of making pictures, still or moving type. To mention just a few, there is  focus peaking, silent operation, touch screen control, Wi-Fi connection, auto exposure bracketing, multi exposure, time lapse shot, quick AF, pinpoint AF, easily variable position and size of active focus area, manual focus simultaneous with auto focus, back button AF, Custom Modes, user set tasking for Fn buttons, many EVF/monitor displays (same for each) such as histogram, highlight warning, electronic level, and many more, the list goes on.

G6 with 14-45mm. The M43 system can readily deliver extensive depth of field if required

Negatives and Faults  The G6 is distinguished by having very few serious faults or deal breaking negatives. Some things could be improved however. The rear dial is a little stiff to operate. It does free up with use but the rear dial on the GH3 is easier to operate because it has sharper teeth and protrudes from the body about 1mm more. The Fn4 button is a bit too easy to activate, as is the Disp button. When I started using the G6 I frequently hit the Fn4 button by mistake but with practice this happens much less often. The Function Lever (behind the shutter button) is a bit too easy to move. In a subsequent model, I would like to see this converted to a front dial as on the GH3 and enabled for a wider range of tasks than the present options.

The only other thing I would mention is that with it's long list of user selectable options and user interface, the G6 presents quite a learning curve for the novice user who wants to move off the [iA] button and explore the camera's full range of capabilities. The Owner's manual (all 355 pages of it) is a genuinely helpful guide for navigating this journey.

Conclusion  The G6 is Panasonic's 16th Lumix G series M43 camera and the 11th with built in EVF. Early models like the G1 were unable to make a convincing case for DSLR buyers to change camps. But in the last two years Lumix cameras have gained much improved picture quality, performance and ergonomics. Panasonic is learning to make really good cameras which are a pleasure to use. Us consumers are the beneficiaries. The G6 is a more engaging and competent camera than it's specifications might suggest, due to well integrated picture quality, performance and ergonomics in a compact, moderately priced product. Access to a wide selection of excellent compact prime and zoom lenses for the M43 system adds greatly to this camera's appeal.

If the M43 system was as well known and promoted as CanoNikon DSLR's, the G6 and other recent Lumix G cameras from Panasonic, would sell like hotcakes.

 

Spring Has Sprung

On the northern outskirts of Sydney lies Muogamarra Nature Reserve. This is open to the public only 6 weekends per year. Today being a fine warm first day of spring there were masses of wildflowers and hordes of visitors.
All photos Panasonic Lumix GH3 with Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 lens, hand held.

 

M43 Practice, Diffraction, Unsharpness caused by reducing lens aperture

 

Why post about this ?  I am moved to write this by a post which is running currently on the DP Review M43 Forum, titled "Diffraction Limit". It has generated 142 responses thus far. Some contain such deep questions as ..."are you inebriated with the exuberance of your own verbosity ?"

I have to confess that I could not bring myself to read all the erudite contributions and further have to confess that I did not understand several of them. There is a lot of material about Airy disks and pixel dimensions and all kinds of technical and theoretical stuff.

Numerous contestable assertions are offered.  Much of the "discussion" would, I think be described by Australia's former Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard as "Argy Bargy".

The Test  My own approach to the evaluation of contestable assertions is to test them. In this case a useful test can easily be designed and carried out in a few minutes.

I set up a simple test chart and photographed it at f2.8 - 22 in 1/3 stop increments. I made all the usual precautions to prevent camera shake: tripod, E-Shutter to 1 second then Shutter delay, 2 sec timer delay, manual focus, ISO 125. I used a Lumix GH3 with Lumix 35-100mm f2.8  lens at 42mm.

The Test Chart. This photo has been reduced and compressed for the net so it is difficult to appreciate the detail. Many Lumix zoom lenses, even some of the budget ones can resolve all the words all over the frame at their optimum aperture.

 The Results  I enlarged a small part of the frame, near the center, 330x343 pixels [0.11 Mpx] from each exposure and viewed these on screen at 200%.

On this particular test with this particular lens I found sharpness/resolution was the same from f2.8 through to about f8, with the first sign of slight softening becoming evident from f9. The image gets progressively softer from there to f22.

F2.8

F4

F5.6

F8

F11

F16

F22

Comment on the test photos  These have suffered somewhat from their compression for publication. The originals appeared sharper. Despite this I think you can see things are definitely softer at f11.

Conclusion  On this test closing down the lens aperture smaller than f8 did have a deleterious effect on image sharpness. I estimate the effect would be apparent in ordinary photographs by f10. By the way, with this particular lens, image sharpness in a large central area (not the corners, which sharpened up by f4) was just as good at f2.8 as f4 or F5.6 or f8.

It has certainly been my experience when photographing out and about that image sharpness/resolution is adversely affected in M43 camera/lens systems when the aperture reaches the f9-f10 range.  

Note on close ups, 30 August  I made some flower photos this morning, trying various apertures. The ones at f11 were the best. The gain in depth of field achieved by stopping down outweighed the slight loss of sharpness from diffraction.

Lumix GH3, 12-35mm f2.8 lens at 35mm and f11, tripod.

 

3 Way Shootout Part 9, Final Comments and Predictions for the Future



On the left, Nikon 1, V2, Center, Nikon D5200, Right Panasonic Lumix G6

 

The questions At the beginning of this 9 part 3 Way shootout, I put several questions.  Let us come back to these, with the results of testing in hand.

Q.  Do DSLR's make better pictures than MILC's ?

A. No. Picture quality is determined by many things, the distinction between DSLR and MILC not being one of them.

Q. Do larger/more expensive cameras make better pictures than smaller cameras ? This question goes to the selling message long promoted by CanoNikon in particular.

A. Sometimes but it depends on many things. Some large cameras make great photos in certain circumstances but, for instance, long distance hiking would not be the best circumstance for a large heavy camera. Even with large and small cameras on location together, you cannot always expect the larger one to make better pictures.

Q. Do larger sensor make better pictures than smaller sensors ?

A. Sometimes, but again it depends on many other attributes of the imaging system.

Q. Does Phase Detect AF work faster or better in some way  than Contrast Detect AF ?

A. In some cases.  However not all PD or CD autofocus systems are made equal. In fact the performance of each varies markedly with manufacturer, system and model of camera and lens. Even with the demands of predictive autofocus on moving subjects, recent advances in CD autofocus have brought CDAF up to or even in some cases surpassing the performance of some PDAF systems.

Best kit of the three on test ?

Taking into account all the findings of the previous 8 posts, my pick for the one which best fulfilled the brief for a family/holiday/all-in-one/beginner to enthusiast camera kit is:

1. G6/14-140mm, followed by

2. V2/10-100mm, and

3. D5200/18-200mm

Best Camera type ?

When mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras were first introduced they were a distinctly underwhelming, overpriced, underperforming bunch which DSLR users generally ignored.

But in the last two years or so, the balance of capabilities between the two types has changed.

In the mid range, upper entry,  consumer level of the market which has been explored in this 3 Way shootout, MILC's now have the upper hand.

Future Prospects

DSLR    My considered view, with which others are free to differ, is that the DSLR as a camera type has no future at all. I am not alone in this view. Panasonic and  Fuji are no longer in the DSLR business. Olympus' latest, the EM-1 is likely to be a mirrorless offering with on chip PDAF which can effectively drive lenses originally designed for the 4/3 DSLR system. Sony is strongly rumored to be exiting DSLR and SLT technologies altogether.

While the makers of DSLR's were engaged in making small, incremental improvements with each "new" but actually not very new, model, the makers of MILC's were re-inventing the camera with a series of disruptive innovations.

Research and development in the MILC world is racing along at a great pace while that in the DSLR world has almost come to a halt. The main reason for this is that the DSLR as a type of device is nearly at the end of it's evolutionary journey.

MILC  I believe that in a few years MILC's will be the dominant interchangeable lens camera type.

M43  If the makers of M43 camera can eliminate the problem of shutter shock, perhaps by developing a global shutter and speed up their EVF refresh rate, then I believe M43 is best placed to become  the dominant interchangeable lens system. M43 sits in the sweet spot between larger and smaller formats. The sensor is large enough to deliver excellent picture quality, but small enough to allow the design of very compact lenses.

Nikon 1 SystemWhen Nikon introduced it's oddly named "1" system it was greeted with derision by reviewers and commentators alike.

Nikon's engineers developed a photographic rocket, with the fastest still and continuous frame rates, fastest EVF refresh rate and biggest RAW buffer ever seen. The V1 and now the V2  have the guts of a product line capable of outperforming every other camera in existence and transforming the entire  industry.

In the event, Nikon's product development people slipped this potential industry hero  operating system  inside a series of small, point-and -shoot style compact ILC's with atrocious ergonomics and childish gimmicks like Motion Snapshot Mode. The critics were rightly critical.

BUT.  Watch this space. IF Nikon's execs wake from their current torpor and stop trying to make dumb cameras aimed at a possibly non existent target buyer group (one blogger has coined the phrase "teenage facebook girl"), give the 1 series a better sensor and improved ergonomics, then watch out camera world.   Of course Nikon and all the others will have to completely restructure their entire product line and I guess they don't want to do that. But I believe it is just a matter of time before they are pushed into doing so, ironically by the invention of their own engineers. The genie will not go back in the bottle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Way Holiday Camera Shootout Part 8, Video User Experience

D5200 with 18-200mm lens at 200mm

 

Brief Report    My interest is in still photos. I rarely make a video.  However each of the three cameras in this 3 Way shootout is capable of motion picture capture.  So I made some videos with the purpose of comparing the user experience provided by each. I make no comment about the technical details or output quality of the video. There are numerous websites which cover this aspect of camera function in great detail.

I was interested to discover how each kit managed inexpert hand held panning in varied light plus moving from near to far subjects to test the autofocus.

I made the video clips indoors, in reasonably bright light, with some parts of the room in sunlight, others in deep shade. I panned slowly from people to furniture in the room. I set each camera to it's fully auto mode then pressed the motion picture start button. Each camera has one of these located behind the shutter button.

Holding and Viewing  When the operator is standing,  a convenient camera height for video is about waist level. This usually allows the camera to be held level to prevent distortion.  This camera position is greatly facilitated by a fully articulated monitor, which the D5200 and G6 have but the V2 does not have.

Both the MILC's enable viewing with motion picture capture via either the EVF (useful in sunny conditions) or the monitor. The D5200 can only use the monitor.

Panning  My subjective impression is that the V2 was smoother but they each managed well enough.

Continuous Focussing  The D5200/18-200mm  exercised itself with much whirring and clicking but was slow to catch up when the camera was required to focus from near to far or vice versa.  The MILC's were smoother and quieter. They managed near-far-near-far focus transitions more quickly and smoothly.

As was the case with still photos in monitor view, I wondered if the D5200 might work better with manual focus set by scale for motion picture capture.  

Face Detect  Each has face detect. That on the G6 and V2 were more reliable. The D5200 picked up a plate (plate detect, anyone ?) near the edge of the frame then kept focus at that location for many seconds after the camera was panned to a different part of the room.

Summary The G6 has been designed for fully integrated stills and motion picture capture and it shows in the user experience.

Ranking

1. G6/14-140mm

2. V2/10-100mm

3. D5200/18-200mm

Next, and last: Summary and final ranking

 

 

3 Way Holiday Camera Shootout Part 7, Ergonomics

Lumix G6 with 14-140mm lens

 

Summary of ergonomic concepts applicable to cameras   Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, it's movements and it's cognitive abilities.

Camera operation can be considered in four Phases, Setup,  Prepare, Capture and Review. Ergonomics devolves to Holding, Viewing and Operating in each of these Phases but particularly Capture Phase in which there is the highest requirement to carry out specific actions in a limited time.

General Observations  Each of these cameras offers at least acceptable ergonomics and none is without fault.

Holding  The lighter cameras are easier to hold than the D5200.  They require less constant support under the lens by the left hand and less gripping force by the right hand.  The D5200 and V2 each have a reasonable handle but a poorly located and shaped thumb support. The G6 allows the right hand to adopt a holding posture which is closer to the ideal "half closed, relaxed" position which I described in the post on functional anatomy of the human hand. There is enough space on the D5200 for a better thumb support which could be like that typically seen on Canon DSLR's. This would mean re-arranging control modules but that would not be difficult. I have also designed and built a mockup with the same dimensions as the V2 but with a much more user friendly layout.
Overall the most comfortable and secure kit to hold is the G6 followed by the V2 then the D5200.

Viewing  The modern electronic camera has complex viewing requirements. The user has to preview/review the image in the eye level viewfinder and also on the Monitor. In addition a user selectable menu of camera data must be visible on or beneath the eye level and monitor image. It is desirable that the viewfinder and monitor be configured to look the same and present the same data in the same format. This makes for a seamless segue from one to the other. In this regard, the mirrorless cameras have an advantage.

In my experience a fully articulating monitor (as found on the G6 and D5200) can be very useful. But performance with D5200 monitor view is sluggish.

In bright sunny conditions the D5200 optical viewfinder (OVF) provides the most appealing subject preview with the best shadow detail but the camera data can be almost invisible. Image playback is not available on an OVF.

In bright sun the G6 EVF is rather contrasty with blocked up shadows but the camera data are always easy to read.

The V2 EVF presents a slightly soft blue tinted image which is adjustable for brightness but nothing else. The V2 eyecup is a bit small, allowing light to impinge on the viewing eye, making clear preview difficult.

In Low light levels  The D5200 OVF gets quite dark. The EVF's on the two MILC's gain up in low ambient light to present a steady bright view in all conditions. In extremely dark conditions the G6 EVF is subject to jitter when panning but that is uncommonly seen in regular photographic practice.

In any conditions the very functional and fully articulated monitor of the G6 is  useful and practical. I have found that having become accustomed to this type of monitor on several Lumix cameras over the last two years I do not want to go back to a camera with less functional monitor live view or a non articulated or just pivoting monitor.

So the D5200 and V2 each have their viewing strengths but overall the G6 provides the best viewing experience, followed by the V2 then the D5200.

On the left, Nikon 1 V2. On the right my wooden mockup with the same dimensions.  This has raised shoulders and a completely revised user interface with JOG lever, providing excellent ergonomics.

Operating  Modern electronic or hybrid mechanical/electronic cameras (like DSLR's) are very complex machines. This poses a challenge to designers. How can they pack into the device the multitude of functions and capabilities which are expected these days while maintaining a user interface which ordinary humans can understand and operate efficiently ?

I will just mention some of the highlights and problems with each camera as a full discussion of operating characteristics would be too complex for this blog post. I have posted detailed discussion about analysis of camera operation in early posts on this blog.

 D5200  In eye level view operates reasonably efficiently.

ISO can be adjustable via the Fn button if it is so tasked. But the Fn button is difficult to locate by feel. The D5200 implements ISO/Auto ISO in a fashion which I find strange and frustrating. In the Shooting Menu, or My Menu if so allocated, you can select to switch Auto ISO On or Off.  If  set  On then you cannot set a specific ISO via the Fn button or the menu.  You have to switch Auto ISO Off.

In the other two cameras the Auto ISO setting is contiguous with specific ISO settings which is a much more coherent arrangement.

Exposure Compensation is available via the +/- button behind the shutter button. With some practice this is easy enough to find by feel.

Direct Focus Area control is available on the Multi Selector. This is easily accessible to the right thumb and this function works well, except that the active AF area is confined to the central part of the frame. MILC's can use the whole frame.

AF start can be allocated to the AE-L/AF-L back button in proper DSLR fashion. But this capability is oddly implemented. If AF start is allocated to the back button, it is disabled from the shutter button. I can more or less see the logic of this but in practice I find it irritating and I don't like cameras which irritate me.

If you want to adjust Image Quality, AEB, WB, Focus Mode, AF Area Mode, Meter Pattern or Flash Mode you have to stop using the OVF, lower the camera, open the monitor (if it was closed) press the [i] button, press the [i] button again then scroll around to your desired setting with the Multi Selector, make the adjustment then return to eye level viewing. This workaround is partly a consequence of operational constraints built into the basic SLR design and partly a result of the "semi-beginner-style" user interface of the D5200.

 Compare this to the G6  which can be user configured to be able to make a comprehensive list of adjustments by feel, while continuously viewing through the EVF.

Nikon 1 "V3" mockup being held in the right hand. I needed my left hand to make the photo. I rate this as being the smallest camera size which can accommodate a fully ergonomic shape and control module layout.

V2  The designers of the V2 have deliberately restricted the number and range of features, functions and adjustments available. This is not such a bad approach as it makes the camera the easiest of the three to set up and learn to operate effectively. It can manage most of the requirements of most beginner to enthusiast users. The dials are well designed and turn with the right amount of  resistance and clicky feel. The V2 is a vast improvement over the incomprehensibly crippled V1. The F button could be implemented much better if it was configured like the Q Menu on current Lumix cameras.

I have designed and built a wooden mockup camera having the same dimensions as the V2. This is a proof of concept exercise which shows that within the dimensional envelope of the V2 it is possible to design a fully featured pro style camera with excellent ergonomic efficiency.

G6  My interest in ergonomics was provoked by Panasonic's first "G-Micro" camera, the G1, which superficially looks like and is aimed at the same user demographic as the G6.  But I found the G1 to be a really frustrating thing to operate with many ergonomic deficiencies. The G6 shows that the details of user interface implementation are of the utmost importance. The G1 was, in my view, an ergonomic kludge while the G6 is a pleasure to use for the snapshooter or expert alike. Press the [iA]  button for  a simple point-and-shoot user experience. Or switch to one of the user control modes, access the Fn button options and build a camera with a sophisticated user interface designed to individual requirements.

All the functions which need to be adjusted in Capture Phase can be made with the eye to the viewfinder, by feel, without breaking the flow of image capture activity.

The downside of this sophistication is that the G6 is more daunting for the novice at the Setup phase of use.

So the G6 is the most efficient camera to operate, followed by the V2 then the D5200.

Comment about ergonomics, DSLR-vs-MILC  A well designed and implemented MILC can provide a streamlined, integrated user interface which no DSLR can match due to the presence of the flipping mirror. This was one of the very best ideas of mid 20th century mechanical camera design but it is unable to seamlessly integrate the complex requirements of a modern, multi view, multi function electronic camera device.

Sony tried to deal with this problem with it's SLT (Single Lens Translucent) range of DSLR style cameras. These cameras have a fixed mirror which allows about 60% of the incoming light to reach the sensor and the remainder to reflect up to the PDAF module in the hump. This technology does provide operational and ergonomic benefits over the standard DSLR type. However these cameras are forever stuck with a mirror sitting between the lens and sensor, blocking a substantial part of the light, gathering dust and preventing reduction of the flangeback distance. It appears from rumor sites that Sony will probably move it's entire interchangeable lens camera lineup to MILC type quite soon.

Ergonomics, ranking

1. G6/14-140mm

2. V2/10-100mm

3. D5200/18-200mm

Next, Video User Experience

 

3 Way Holiday Camera Shootout Part 6, Performance and Speed

D5200, 18-200mm lens. You can see the orange in this photo is bolder than in the photo below. The one below is probably more accurate.

G6, 14-140mm lens. Different aspect ratio from the M43 camera. Apart from this and the different color rendition I see little substantial difference between these photos.

 

Published Camera Tests  Many published camera tests just regurgitate manufacturer specifications and present this as an evaluation of camera performance. For instance I was recently reading a comparison between two cameras, one of which could shoot continuously at 9 fps, the other at 5.3 fps. The faster one was declared "better". But the reviewer just got this information from the spec sheets without testing to discover if 9 fps actually delivered any benefit over 5.3 fps.  Delving further in to the specs, it appears that both cameras claim to be able to do continuous AF, Continuous Drive at 4.2 fps. But again we have no idea how effective either camera might be in terms of the data which really matters, namely the percentage of frames in sharp focus.

Real World Performance Testing  I subjected all three kits to a series of tests, evaluating the relevant ones by checking the resulting photos at 100% on screen.

General remarks  All three cameras (Except the D5200 in Live View Mode)  delivered very good performance. I think most users would be well pleased with any of them. They each switch on and operate in a brisk and responsive fashion. A missed shot will rarely be due to any deficiency in the equipment.

Autofocus Speed  For this test I focussed back and forth between a near object and a far object, acquiring focus with a half press of the shutter button and waiting for the beep plus green AF area. I used the central area in each case. I did not fire the shutter.

Camera	Outdoors, dull overcast focus actions per second	Indoors low light Focus actions per second
D5200, OVF View	1.5	1.1
D5200, Monitor (Live) View	0.3	0.2
G6	2.2	1.3
V2	2.5	1.0

 Comment on Autofocus Speed   Outdoors the V2 is the AF speed champ, just beating the G6 by a small margin. The D5200 is by no means slow and will please most users but it can't keep up with the two MILC's.

Each camera slowed indoors but the V2 was slowed the most by low light. I believe this is because it switches from PDAF to CDAF in low light and Nikon CDAF is slower than Nikon PDAF.

Of the three the G6 was almost fastest outdoors and was the fastest indoors.

Turning to the D5200 in Monitor (Live) view mode we discover that the word "speed" does not apply in any sense at all. The camera switches from Phase Detect (PD) to Contrast Detect (CD) which does the "5 step dance" on every shot even when the subject distance has not altered. It goes eee...errr...eee...errr...beep (Yay! look at me, I did it !!) Presumably exhausted by this effort, the screen goes black for 2-4 seconds before the camera is finally ready to make the next shot. That might be just acceptable for landscape and similar work but the Monitor AF is error prone as well as slow. If this sounds bad it is better than the last DSLR which I owned which was a Canon EOS 60D. This thing did an eight step dance to achieve Live View focus and still made mistakes. I suspect that in most cases pre-setting focus distance by scale would be more satisfactory for Live View photography.

You may read opinions on the net by various photo sages that DSLR's focus faster than MILC's as if this were a statement of indisputable fact. My testing shows this is not so.

You may also read that CD autofocus is slower than PD autofocus. This is only true to the extent that CD AF in current model DSLR's  is slower than PDAF in those same cameras. CDAF in current model M43 cameras is very fast indeed, faster in fact than the PDAF in many DSLR's. It is also in my experience and testing, more consistently accurate.

D5200 with 18-200mm lens

G6 with 14-140mm lens

 

Shot to Shot Times  For this test I pointed the camera at a fixed target and in Single AF, Single Drive Mode, center AF Area, repeatedly pressed the shutter to make an exposure. The camera did not have to refocus between shots but it did have to confirm correct focus.

Camera	Shot to Shot time, seconds
D5200, OVF View	0.65
D5200, Live View	4.1
G6	0.5
V2	0.25

 

Comment on Shot to Shot Times  Like it's namesake in Peenemunde in 1944, the V2 goes like a rocket.  The G6 and D5200 in OVF Mode are by no means disgraced however and will suit most purposes just fine. The D5200 in Live View Mode is best suited to subjects firmly bolted down and immobile.

Continuous AF, Continuous Drive, Predictive Autofocus  For this round of tests I used cars driving along a suburban road and a person walking towards the camera at close range. The cars were in mixed light varying from sunny to shaded. The walker was in partly open shade  requiring a high ISO for adequate shutter speed.

The task for each camera/lens kit was to hold focus on the moving subject at 4 or 5 frames per second, and in the case of the V2, 15 frames per second.  The V2 has a huge buffer of 72 RAW frames at 5 fps. The G6 can manage 6 RAW frames before slowing, the D5200, 4 frames. So I used Fine JPG capture for all tests. With JPG files the G6 and D5200 could run off 50+ frames per run, more than enough for my purposes. I used single center AF Area, AF Continuous and a 95 MB/Sec card.  The D5200 and V2 were set at 5 fps, the G6 at M Burst which gave 4 fps. I ran the V2 at 15 fps in a separate test. The V2 is as far as I am aware the only camera at any price which can do predictive AF at 15 fps.

I set each lens at or near it's longest zoom position. I used the eye level viewfinder for all shots.

I used cars and the walker to be reasonably sure that each camera had the same task to perform in the same conditions, making the test fair. I did not test sports as this would introduce many uncontrolled variables.

I downloaded the resulting many hundreds of files and inspected each at 100% on the computer screen. I rated each as being Sharply in focus, Just out or Unsharp.

The User Experience  In reasonably bright light outdoors, the most pleasing camera to use in Continuous AF is the V2.  It has a muted shutter sound. The EVF appearance is that of continuous streaming video even though the camera is actually making stills. There is no perceptible EVF blackout. The image preview appears steady in the EVF.   The RAW buffer is huge. If you want, the camera can run silently at 5 or 15 fps with AF on every frame.

Next best to use is the D5200 which operates just like other DSLR's with a short blackout between each shot as the mirror flips up and down.

The G6 has the longest viewfinder blackout after each frame. It is usable and with practice the subject can be maintained in frame easily enough. It would be nice however if the Panasonic guys got the system in the V2.

Results 

Camera	Cars, Frames sharply in focus average over several runs	Walker, Frames sharply in focus. Average over several runs
D5200, 5fps	86%	95%
G6, 4fps	85%	93%
V2, 5fps	66%	76%
V2, 15 fps	65%	Not tested

 Comment on Predictive AF Results  Each of these consumer level cameras performed surprisingly well at predictive AF. All three cameras got a majority of frames in sharp focus.

The V2 is the absolute speed king however when we look at the percentage of frames in focus the other two perform a little better.

I found no significant difference between the D5200 and the G6 both of which performed at a level which would have been considered excellent in an expensive professional DSLR just a few years ago, and maybe even today.

You may read in the online photographic commentariat that

a) DSLR's do predictive AF better  than MILC's

b) MILC's are useless for predictive AF

c) Phase Detect AF is better for predictive AF than Contrast Detect AF

Each of these assertions is incorrect as to fact.

I think what is correct is that

a) Contrast Detect AF in DSLR's with PDAF optimised lenses is unsatisfactory for predictive AF. These lenses have  helical focussing mechanisms which were once considered fast but are really very slow compared to the direct drive AF mechanisms in modern M43 lenses.

b) The latest MILC cameras and lenses, particularly those for the M43 system can do predictive AF very well indeed. However M43  EVF refresh technology needs to be upgraded  to match that of the Nikon 1 system.

Performance Ranking  This is a bit difficult to determine due to the mixed results achieved.

The V2 is the nicest to use and is capable of the fastest shot to shot times and frame rates in good light outdoors where most predictive AF work will be done. But the percentage of sharp frames is not up to the other two.  In addition its speed drops substantially in low light indoors.

The D5200 works well and delivers a good result in all the test conditions (with eye level viewing).

The G6 does predictive AF  much better than some commentators and testers would have you believe. Some of these testers may have set the Autofocus  Mode on M43 cameras to "AF Tracking" which does NOT produce effective predictive AF.  Continuous AF is available with the monitor swung out, a handy feature not available on the other two.

In the end I have decided not to call a winner of the Performance /Speed criterion. Each does a good job but each has a different spectrum of capabilities.

The very fact that I am not able to call a winner with any confidence is actually very significant. Two years ago any mid range DSLR from Canon or Nikon would have easily outperformed any MILC.  It is intriguing to see how the march of technology has altered the balance between DSLR's and MILC's, or at least the Nikon 1 and M43 systems.

I have little doubt that MILC technology and performance/speed will continue to advance. But the DSLR has just about come to the end of it's evolutionary journey.  The main arena for performance advances in DSLR's lies in the Live View side of their operation. But any advances in that direction will potentially be of even more use to MILC's. I am thinking of Canon's incorporation of PDAF on every pixel of the imaging sensor, being introduced in Australia as I write on the EOS 70D. Canon wants it to improve smooth continuous AF during motion picture recording. But if the idea really works well why bother with all the mechanical paraphenalia of a DSLR ?  It might be even more suitable for a MILC.  

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