Panasonic's answer to the Olympus Pen leaks: GF1

Not content to let Olympus take all the glory with the Micro Four Thirds Pen E-P1, Panasonic has come out with a camera of its own. Known as the GF1, it takes the compact form factor and interchangeable lens goodness of Panasonic's other two cameras, the G1 and GH1.

The GF1 (Credit: xitek.com)

From the leaked pictures and specifications that appeared on camera site Digital Photography Review overnight, the GF1 (does it stand for good friend 1? Or girlfriend 1?) looks like it will come in a similar configuration with two lenses, a pancake 20mm f/1.7 and a 45mm f/2.8 macro lens. Unlike the E-P1, however, the GF1 doesn't look like it features in-body image stabilisation.

In terms of style, it looks like a combination between the popular Lumix DMC-LX3 and the G1, eschewing the extreme retro aesthetic that Olympus decided to go with. It's also smaller than the E-P1, as the comparison below shows.

(Credit: v-angle.com)

An astute reader on the original thread also pointed out the similarity between the slot that sits directly underneath the hotshoe attachment, comparing it to a similar configuration that appears on the Ricoh GR Digital II camera, for a viewfinder. Unlike the Pen E-P1, the GF1 seems to have a pop-up flash built into the body if the pictures are anything to go by.