Just a heads up on a New York Times article about the Panasonic DMC-G1, which is the result of an attempt "to put the photographic quality of an S.L.R. into a compact body."
Pro Quality Without Reflex Lens
Most people -- about 92 percent of us -- buy little pocket cameras that take so-so photos. Only about 8 percent buy those big, black, heavy S.L.R. (single-lens reflex) cameras that take magazine-worthy photos.
It's not that people don't want better pictures. It's just that they're not willing to hang an anvil around their necks to get them.
Next month, however, Panasonic will offer the first camera in a new format called Micro Four Thirds. Its mission: to put the photographic quality of an S.L.R. into a compact body. If it works, then these cameras will surely earn adjectives like "revolutionary," "important" and "popular."
Mmmmm... looks good. My partner and I use Panasonic Lumix digital cameras almost exclusively. They are fantastic cameras with great Leica-designed lenses.
I'm very interested in the micro 4/3 system -- the only problem is that the smaller the sensor size, the more low-light noise, deeper the depth of field, and poorer resolution.