Panasonic Lumix DMC G3

The Lumix DMC G3 is a compact mirrorless camera from 2011 built around the Micro Four Thirds system. At 336 g and 115 x 84 x 47 mm, it slips into a small bag, which suits travel and everyday photographers who want interchangeable lenses without the weight.

A Live MOS sensor feeds both an electronic viewfinder and a 3-inch flip-out touch screen, so you can frame at eye level or shoot from the waist and overhead without guessing.

Owning one today means accepting its era: there is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, a single SD card slot, and a battery rated at 270 shots. There is also no GPS for automatic location tagging.

The 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor and Venus Engine FHD processor were part of the G3's 2011 specification, and the modest optics score of 42/100 reflects partial points for megapixels, burst rate, ISO range and shutter speed, plus none for in-body stabilisation. The G3 sits in the bottom 9% of cameras in our database for Optics.

Continuous shooting reaches a maximum of 4 fps, and the shutter tops out at 1/4000 of a second. Sensitivity spans ISO 160 to 6400.

Autofocus provides 23 points for placing on your subject. There is no stabilisation built into the body, so the camera itself does not reduce shake from handheld shooting.

The Micro Four Thirds mount keeps lens choices open within the system, and the 1,440,000-dot electronic viewfinder gives an eye-level view of your framing before the shot.

Video recording tops out at Full HD, with a maximum frame rate of 60 fps. Clips save as AVCHD or Motion JPEG files, and Full HD suits typical web and home viewing.

The modest video score of 56/100 draws its largest share of points from the 60 fps maximum frame rate, with partial credit for the Full HD resolution cap and none for built-in time-lapse.

The flip-out screen helps you frame yourself or shoot from low and high angles, and the touch screen speeds setting changes during setup.

Absences shape the video experience: with no in-body stabilisation, the camera does not reduce shake in handheld footage, and steadier clips call for careful holding or a support.

Handling centres on the 3-inch TFT LCD. The touch panel lets you change settings with a tap, and the flip screen supports waist-level and overhead shooting. The 460,000-dot panel carries the live view for framing.

The built-in flash covers casual fill light indoors, and external flash support allows a larger add-on unit when you need more power.

There is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so images leave the camera by card or cable rather than any wireless link, and there is no phone-based remote. GPS is also absent, so the camera does not tag locations itself.

With no weather sealing, ordinary care in rain or dust is the rule. The modest features score of 49/100 reflects full points for the touch screen, live view and screen size, with none for weather sealing or Bluetooth.

The G3 takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards in a single slot, so a spare card, if you carry one, lives in your pocket rather than the camera.

The DMW-BLD10 battery is rated at 270 shots, a figure without stated test conditions, so it is not a promise of real-world endurance. A charged spare belongs in the bag for longer sessions.

There is no USB charging, so you cannot top the battery up from a laptop or power bank.

The limited storage and battery score of 16/100 reflects partial credit for battery life and no points for a second card slot or USB charging. Planning around spare cards and a charged spare battery keeps a shoot moving.