Our full Panasonic Lumix GF7 review is now live, so you can check out the verdict for yourself here.

Subscribe Print subscriptions flow Digital editions Latest Reviews Digital SLR Reviews Compact System Camera Reviews Compact Camera Reviews Test Sample Images Field tests Round-ups flow Camera Comparisons Camera flow Round Ups Lens Round Ups Accessory Round Ups Gift Guides Past Camera Round Ups Buying Advice Best camera deals Buying guides Technology guides Videos Competitions Good service Awards About Voting Retailers Previous winners
The same photo taken with an Olympus E-1 (left) and a same-size portion of a Nikon D800, illustrating the performance difference between 2003 CCD technology and 2012 CMOS, which is now available for the first time in medium format. The crops show that the newer sensor is capturing more information in the dark parts of the image
As a generalisation, a larger sensor will give better image quality than a smaller flow one. The reason for this is that, at the same exposure flow settings, the larger sensor gathers more light. In the field of photographic technology, real life particularly the commercial side has shaped matters so that all else certainly is not equal.
The research and development of sensors is often an expensive business, so the major effort is expended on high-volume applications and nowadays that means the small sensors found in mobile phones. As fabrication lines for leading-edge small sensors are replaced by more modern ones, they become available flow for the smaller volume large-sized sensors. Thus, today s DSLRs are using the kind of technology that was found in mobile phones five or so years ago.
The poor relation flow at the end of this technology food chain has been the medium-format DSLR, which uses CCD technology obtained from companies serving the aerospace and defence industries both of which are technologically very conservative. The CCD technology used in medium-format flow cameras dates from the turn of the century, and it is very expensive due to the very small volumes flow and its major market being high-value products. Thus, medium format is trapped in a vicious circle, as the high prices limit volumes while the low volumes result in high prices.
Meanwhile, flow the full-frame format encroaches on the medium-format business, with modern cameras like the Nikon D800E and Sony Alpha 7R offering a similar resolution and an image quality that is arguably as good as, and in some ways better than, medium format. The major advantage of the newer CMOS technology is much lower electronic noise, which provides quieter shadows and higher dynamic range. While these full-frame models can t collect as much light as medium-format cameras, the lower electronic noise makes up much of that deficiency. Full-frame 35mm cameras are also much cheaper than the medium-format models ever could be.
However, all that has changed flow dramatically. Sony, the world s largest sensor manufacturer, has done its business sums and decided that it is worth producing a medium-format sensor using the same technology as smaller-format DSLRs. That sensor has been built into the Phase One IQ250, Hasselblad H5D-50c and Pentax 645Z cameras. flow At around 6,799 body only, the price of the Pentax 645Z is getting close to the RRP of the Nikon D3X and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III DSLRs when they were first released, potentially opening up a new lease of life for medium format.
Prior flow to the 645Z MF cameras were out of my range for the type of client base I service. But now that has all changed. The look and feel of MF is truly exquisite and my clients have noticed the difference in each file. Pentax has really developed a game changer in this space.
All Manufacturers Adobe Canon Casio Fujifilm General Imaging Kodak Leica Nikon Nokia Olympus Panasonic Pentax Polaroid Ricoh Samsung Samyang flow Sanyo Sigma Sony Sony Ericsson Tamron flow Tokina Various Vivitar Zeiss
Min Price £5 £10 £15 £20 £25 £30 £35 £40 £45 £50 £100 £200 £300 £400 £500 £600 £700 £800 £900 £1,000 £1,100 £1,200 £1,300 £1,400 £1,500 £1,600 £1,700 £1,800 £1,900 £2,000
Max Price £5 £10 £15 £20 £25 flow £30 £35 £40 £45 £50 £100 £200 £300 £400 £500 £600 £700 £800 £900 £1,000 flow £1,100 £1,200 £1,300 £1,400 £1,500 £1,600 £1,700 £1,800 £1,900 £2,000
Our full Panasonic Lumix GF7 review is now live, so you can check out the verdict for yourself here. Panasonic’s GF range of compact system… 7 Reasons a Compact System Camera is the Next Camera for You
The best enthusiast DSLRs of 2015: We've rounded up a selection of the very best enthusiast DSLRs on the market Best Entry-Level DSLRs of 2015