The Lumix G3 was released back in 2011 (13 years ago as of when I’m writing this). It was the eighth Panasonic camera to use the Micro Four Thirds sensor system — something that’s still being used by a bunch of photographers even today!
Micro Four Thirds (also called MFT or M43) was one of the first mirrorless systems, and it came out in 2008. Now that it’s 2025, sensors have come a long way since the G3 dropped. We’ve got full-frame sensors now that are twice the size of the M43 one!
So, why did I buy a camera that’s old enough to go to high school and has a smaller sensor? Two main reasons: portability and customization.
As a 20-year-old photographer, lugging around a DSLR or a film camera can be a bit much — and sometimes when I’m out, I just want to grab a quick shot of something fast-moving (like a car going past). By the time I get my big camera out, the moment’s gone. The Lumix G3 is small and lightweight, which I really liked. Plus, it has a tiltable screen — something I didn’t know I needed until I started scanning film negatives. (Seriously, if you scan film, get a camera with a tilty screen. Your back will thank you.)
The command dial has two options where you can save your own settings. The C1 feature lets you save things like filters and other camera settings to the dial — so if you're rushing around taking photos, you can quickly flick between colour and black & white. The menus can be confusing at first, and the filters are a bit limited, but it’s still a neat little thing to have.
I know Fuji does something similar with their film simulations, but it’s nice to see something like this on a camera that’s this affordable.
One thing the G3 doesn’t do well with is low light. I’ve gotten very mixed results trying to shoot at night. I tried taking a photo of a blood moon, and all I got was a yellow, grainy semicircle. Not great. The kit lens it came with really isn’t built for low-light situations — which is fair, but still disappointing.
Even indoors or in the evening, you can really see the noise creep in. This is definitely a daylight or well-lit kind of camera.
Another thing I found out pretty quickly — M43 lenses aren’t cheap. I checked MPB and the cheapest ones are still over £80. That’s not great if you’re just getting into the system or hoping to upgrade the kit lens on a budget. If I want to shoot with this camera at night again, I’ll definitely need to get a better lens — but that’s a future problem.
Yep. I paid £100 for it at my local antique shop. It came with the kit lens, a strap, and a charger — though the charger was actually for the GH2, not the G3. I got it to work with a rubber band that was wrapped around the strap. Classic.
I’d been eyeing this camera for a while, even before I got my Nikon D70s, so I’m glad I finally grabbed it. It’s been fun messing around with it and seeing what kind of images I can get out of it.
Yeah, I think so. I really like the smaller size and how easy it is to carry around. But I don’t think it’ll replace my Nikon D70s anytime soon. The Nikon handles low-light way better, especially with my telephoto lens. I might even try to get an adapter so I can use my Nikon lenses on the G3 — who knows. Time will tell.