Panasonic Lumix G1 pictures and review (updated)

For the hundreds of fans (or at least one) who have been clamoring for pictures taken with the Panasonic Lumix G1, here they are.
All with the standard, very compact zoom (about 28mm-90mm). (I haven't tested the long zoom yet, I think I'll wait for a bit more light than today, it's a dull day.)
Everything on auto.
Minor play with Photoshop has been done.
The sharpness is certainly good.
The white balance was too blue, I just now found out I'd accidentally changed it from "AWB" (which they call it instead of just "auto") onto something else. Some of the pictures it fit, others I had to change.
I am still finding out how wonderful a hinged screen is, once you get used to the fact that the camera does not have to be at the level of your head, a whole new freedom appears. (The top picture (window) could not have been composed with a normal viewfinder, the camera was held high above my head.)

(I could pull more some detail from the enterior, but I like the dark frame-like effect it has.)

(Full file from camera, unedited, here.)

I really like the two lowest pictures, if you click and view in full size (preferably on a big screen). Lots of tones and details.
The chair I have given lots more contrast than it had, and I think it gained a lot from that. Almost makes me want to do more BW.

My early impression with this camera is that both in handling and image quality, it is in the same league as the typical DSLR. It is not an amateur camera, it is an enthusiast camera, and would surely be good enough for a backup camera for a pro.
High-ISO is good too. Look at this 1600-ISO sample, and 3200 here. That's better than my Canon 5D (Mark 1)! (The 5D, full-frame, was king in this area for a couple of years.) [Update: See this page (the "Melinda's" bottle 4/5 down the page) for how excellent an image quality you can get from 1600 ISO if you use RAW and careful post-processing. Outstanding. And this method can even make quite a difference at lower ISO settings as seen below that.]
One should not expect the viewfinder to be as clear and detailed as a DSLR viewfinder, but it is leaps and bounds beyond earlier generations of Electronic Viewfinders (you are looking at a little LCD screen instead of out through the lens). I find it good enough for almost all use, except the most demanding professional use.

Update:
A hinged screen is also great for candid pictures. These were taken a couple years ago in a cafe with my Nikon 2400 (outdated now, no stabilization and grain at 200 ISO) down near my table, like I was just reviewing images. See the man look directly at the camera! If he'd found out I was photographing the girl, I'd probably have had the police on me. (It's sickening that you have to be afraid of such things in a supposed civilized country, UK.)


Note: don't think you can buy one of the new DSLRs with hinged screens, like the Olympus 620 or the Nikon D5000, and get the same results, the autofocus is so slow it's basically unusable when those cameras are used in Live View. Why it is like that is complicated. But right now the G1 and GH1 are the only cameras with exchangeable lenses and hinged screens which have usable autofocus when using the screen.
(Stephen points out the Sonys, they use a special system: review, review.)