It is a fact that the best camera is the one that you have with you, but why should you settle for a tiny sensor? That is inherently the problem with mobile phone photography; densely packed megapixels on phones that can send an image around the world in seconds, but gimped by a tiny sensor whose image quality is less than optimal. With the DMC-CM1, Panasonic has taken “your best camera” and turned it into, well, a camera.
Where other phone manufacturers are content with selling users on megapixel counts, the Panasonic DMC-CM1 takes photography part of mobile photography quite seriously. The CM1 isn’t just a megapixel monster attached to a phone, the CM1 borrows very heavily from Panasonic’s proven line of Lumix line of cameras including their popular Micro Four-Thirds models and manages to do what many competitors have tried – make a camera that would appeal to photographers with all the connectivity and ease of use that comes with the Android mobile phone platform.
Beyond just the Panasonic name, the CM1 sports a 1-inch type MOS sensor delivering a full 20-megapixel image in 4.7-inch phone. Unlike your typical smartphone camera sensor, the robust size of the CM1’s sensor allows you to get shots that are simply not possible on any other smartphone. The 1-inch sensor puts CM1’s low light performance in the same arena as more professional-grade point and shoot cameras. Powering the CM1’s sensor is the VENUS image processor that makes for outstanding image quality with low noise even at high ISO levels.
Notlooking to conform to current smartphone standards, Panasonic absolutely shatters the mold by not only offering 1080p video recording but also includes native 4K video at 15fps. It’s no small feat and definitely a testament to the engineering behind both the CM1’s sensor and processor combo.
The Panasonic CM1’s photography chops aren’t limited to high megapixel counts attached to large sensors; on the business end of the phone is a 28mm equivalent fixed-focal lengthLeica DC Elmarit f/2.8 Lens, which automatically compensates for and corrects common lens distortion such ghosting, flaring, chromaticaberrations, andvignetting. The CM1 also features full manual controls that can be easily adjusted with the camera’s lens-mounted manual control ring, giving you quick access to critical camera controls such as exposure, shutter speed, and aperture controls. You can also fine tune your images using the camera’s advanced view options including 3D level gauge, histogram, and focus peaking when in manual focus mode.
Unlike your typical smartphone, the Panasonic CM1 has the ability to shoot in RAW giving you the full range of sensor data that you capture. As most seasoned photographers know, there is an unparalleled amount of control over your final image in RAW over compressed JPEG files; the CM1 gives photographers of all skill levels the tools that work best for them.
It’s almost too easy to forget that the Panasonic CM1 is not a high-end point and shoot camera only, but from powering on the device you’re immediately reminded that this a truly unique Android-powered smartphone. The CM1 is pre-loaded with Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS and brings the entire wealth of apps, options, and customization that you expect from the Android platform. The display is a gorgeous 4.7-inch 1080p Full-HD display that makes taking and viewing your stills and video an absolute delight. The CM1 also comes with a suite of proprietary apps that make it easy to tag, share, and save your images as well as help inspire you wherever your travels may take you with their Photo Search app which uses location data from Google Maps to direct you to nearby points of interest.
Whether you’re a photographer who’s longed for full control of your mobile phone images or Instagrammer that’s looking for professional-grade images without having to constantly transfer images out of your camera, the Panasonic CM1 has a lot to offer. It’s the first smartphone that’s truly made with photographers in mind. We really think it’ll help take your vision to another level.
