Category: Tutorials

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to develop and implement an Age Verification form for use in your websites or applications. Read on to find out more!

Final Result Preview

Let’s take a look at the final result we will be working towards:

Step 1: Overview

Making use of the Date class we’ll compare the user birthdate to the current date. Firstly though, we’ll pull together a nice looking interface using Flash CS5 and the drawing tools.

Step 2: Document Settings

Launch Flash and create a new document. Set the stage size to 600x300px, and the frame rate to 24fps.

Step 3: Interface

This is the interface we’ll use, a gradient background with a semi-transparent black panel. This panel contains a series of TextFields that will display feedback to the user and will capture the user input.

There is also a button to perform the age verification.

Step 4: Background

Select the Rectangle Tool (R) and create a 600×300 px rectangle. Place it on the center of the stage and fill with this radial gradient: #F2DC57 to #E9B31B.

Step 5: Panel Background

Select the Rectangle Primitive Tool (R) then create a 350×180 px rounded rectangle with a 7px corner radius and fill it with #111111 60% alpha. Center it in stage.

Convert the shape to MovieClip and add the following filter:

You should end with something like this:

Step 6: Static TextFields

We’ll create a series of static Textfields that will tell the user where to enter the data. Nothing too difficult. The format used is: DIN Bold, 17px, #DDDDDD.

Step 7: Dynamic and Input TextFields

Four more TextFields are needed in the interface, the first one is a Dynamic TextField that will display different messages, it has “Date of Birth” written by default, name this field messages.

The other three are Input TextFields, needed to capture the user birthdate, the instance names are: monthField, dayField, yearField.

Step 8: Action Button

A button will be used to call the function that will verify the user age.

Use the Text Tool to create a basic character-based button and name it enterButton.

Step 9: New ActionScript Class

Create a new (Cmd + N) ActionScript 3.0 Class and save it as Main.as in your class folder.

Step 10: Package

The package keyword allows you to organize your code into groups that can be imported by other scripts, it’s recommended to name them starting with a lowercase letter and use intercaps for subsequent words for example: myClasses. It’s also common to name them using your company’s website: com.mycompany.classesType.myClass.

In this example, we’re using a single class, so there isn’t really a need to create a classes folder.

package
{

Step 11: Import Directive

These are the classes we’ll need to import for our class to work, the import directive makes externally defined classes and packages available to your code.

import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import fl.transitions.Tween;
import fl.transitions.easing.Strong;
import fl.transitions.easing.Back;
import flash.net.URLRequest;

Step 12: Declare and Extend the Class

Here we declare the class using the class definition keyword followed by the name that we want for the class, remember that you have to save the file using this name.

The extends keyword defines a class that is a subclass of another class. The subclass inherits all the methods, properties and functions, that way we can use them in our class.

public class Main extends Sprite
{

Step 13: Variables

These are the variables we’ll use, read the comments in the code to find out more about them.

private var tween:Tween; //A tween object to perform animations

private var minimumAge:int = 21; //The minimum age required to display the content
private var tooOldAge:int = 130; //A person can't be this old (and if it is it probably will not be using an app like this 
private var months:Array = ["Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"]; //An array of the abbreviations of the months
private var currentDate:Date = new Date(); //The current date
private var userBirth:Date; //Will store the user birthdate
private var userAge:Number; //Will store the user age

Step 14: Constructor

The constructor is a function that runs when an object is created from a class, this code is the first to execute when you make an instance of an object or runs using the Document Class.

public function Main():void
{
	//Tweens the panel from up to the center
	tween = new Tween(panel,"y",Strong.easeOut, -  panel.height,stage.stageHeight / 2,0.5,true);
	//Adds an event listener to the Enter button and calls the verifyAge function when activated
	panel.enterButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, verifyAge);
}

Step 15: Handle Months

The following function converts the month string written by the user to the month number, this way it can be used in the Date class.

private function monthToNumber(month:String):int //A string of the month abbreviation is needed
{
	var monthNumber:int; //Will store the month number

	//The next for will loop through the array comparing the array months to the one written by the user

	for (var i:int = 0; i < months.length; i++)
	{
		if (panel.monthField.text == months[i])
		{
			monthNumber = i; //If the month matches is stored
		}
	}

	return monthNumber; //And then returned as the function value
}

Step 16: Verify Age

The next function will be executed when the user clicks the Enter button, it contains most of the main code so it will be analyzed in parts.

private function verifyAge(e:MouseEvent):void
{

Step 17: Convert Strings to Date

This line converts the strings written in the Input TextFields to a valid date object, this way we can compare the dates later.

Notice the use of the monthToNumber function here.

userBirth = new Date(int(panel.yearField.text),monthToNumber(panel.monthField.text),int(panel.dayField.text));

Step 18: Calculate User Age

Another important part, the next line calculates the user age by subtracting the Dates and dividing the result.

userAge = Math.floor((Number(currentDate) - Number(userBirth)) / (1000*60*60*24) / 365);

You’re probably wondering why we are dividing using (1000*60*60*24) / 365, this is (milliseconds*seconds*minutes*hours) / days. That’s why we get the years.

Step 19: Check for Too Old People

Time to check user age, but first let’s add some error testing.

The next lines will check the tooOldAge to see if the user input is a realistic age.

if (userAge > tooOldAge)
{
	panel.messages.textColor = 0xAA0000;
	panel.messages.text = "You can't be " + userAge + " years";
}

Step 20: Let User Pass

If the user age is over the minimum age (in this case 21), display a welcome message and load the actual app content.

else if (userAge >= minimumAge)
{
	panel.messages.textColor = 0xF2DC57;
	panel.messages.text = "WELCOME";
	tween = new Tween(panel,"x",Back.easeIn,panel.x,stage.stageWidth + panel.width / 2 + 10,0.3,true); //Animates the panel
	loadContent();
}

Step 21: Check for People from the Future

Another error test, this time for people claiming to be from the future.

else if (userBirth.getFullYear() > currentDate.getFullYear())
{
	panel.messages.textColor = 0xAA0000;
	panel.messages.text = "Are you from the future?";
}

Step 22: Under Required Age

And lastly, a message to the user that hasn’t the required age to enter the site.

else
{
	panel.messages.textColor = 0xAA0000;
	panel.messages.text = "You must be " + minimumAge + " or over";
	redirect();
}

Step 23: Load Actual Content

This function is called when the user passes the age verification, it’s the place to start loading the actual site content.

private function loadContent():void
{
	//Content goes here
}

Step 24: Redirect

If the user fails the age verification (is under age) it will be redirected to another site.

private function redirect():void
{
	//navigateToURL(new URLRequest("http://www.tutsplus.com"));
}

Conclusion

Try modifying the parameters of the file, the minimum age, the maximum age and add some real content, use it in your projects!

Thanks for reading this tutorial, I hope you’ve found it useful!

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In the first of several tutorials looking at the different aspects of Cinema 4D, Aleksey Voznesenski begins by giving a fast-paced, quick-start overview of the interface, basic primitive objects and lighting/HDR maps. If you’ve always wanted to try C4D, or even if you’ve got a good amount of experience using it, this tutorial will help get everyone up to speed for the amazing Xpresso and Rigging tutorials we have coming up!

Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.

Don’t miss more CG tutorials and guides, published daily – subscribe to Cgtuts+ by RSS.

In the second part of this 2-day, narrated timelapse tutorial, Sebastian Kim adds the final touches to the Luger P08 model. Created using Maya’s basic polygonal toolset, this model allows us to take a look at different hard surface subdivision modeling techniques – all of which play a huge part in today’s production environment.

This tutorial is Day 2 in a series – Go to Day 1.

Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.

Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.

This tutorial is Day 2 in a series – Go to Day 1.

Don’t miss more CG tutorials and guides, published daily – subscribe to Cgtuts+ by RSS.

I’m surprised when I hear people say that they are not suffering from information overload. With so much of information all around, it’d be tough to ignore the temptation of consuming more and more of it.

The important thing is to manage the flow of information in your life. Information is power, and you can’t do without it. Managing the flow is the key.

1. What are the Information Sources?

The first step towards managing and reducing information overload would be to clearly identify the information sources. It could be your cellphone, your TV, your RSS feeds — knowing how exactly you consume information everyday and how you start.

2. What’s Your Priority?

Once you’ve identified the sources, you need to identify your priorities. And accordingly, you could decide what are the sources you could do away with and which ones are essential to use everyday.

3. Manage Email

Most of you would agree that email is one of the biggest sources of information overload. Hence, keeping it in check in necessary. How? Have a look at our tips for managing email overload.

4. Manage RSS Feeds

Next in the list is RSS feeds. Being productive with RSS feeds is something which I’ve covered in detail some time ago in my tips for productive RSS news feed reading.

5. Disconnect Often

Finally, disconnecting often from the information sources, be it the computer, PC, mobile phone, iPod or any other such device, is a recommended step if you are serious about taming this beast called information.

According to a recent article on CBS MoneyWatch, office romances are becoming increasingly common. In a way, it makes sense, because if you’re working crazy hours trying to keep your boss happy, it’s tough to find time to meet people outside the office.

Of course, dating a coworker can seriously backfire because if you break up, you’ll still have to see them every single day. And if you’re dating a superior (or your company has a strict anti-fraternization policy), that introduces a whole other can of worms!

I’ve never dated someone in my office, and it’s unlikely that I will in the future; I now work from home at an office of one (even when I reported to an office, I didn’t have much exposure to potential boyfriends, my coworkers were predominantly female). But I’d be interested in your take on this topic.

Have you had an office romance? Or are you strictly against it?

PowerPoint is awesome. It can help you create some quick and easy presentation and make you look more professional. It is really a tool that can enhance your message. I’ve put together a “how-to” on making your own PowerPoint template in little to no time.

Step 1

Open up PowerPoint 7. Automatically you will have a new PowerPoint document with one slide. Remove all text boxes on the main slide. The click on the Insert Tap, then Picture and choose a nice background image. I downloaded a funky swirl background here.

Step 2

Insert the picture and position it. This will be our main background image.

Step 3

Now click again on the Insert Tap and choose Shapes. You will have a ton of options from the dropdown menu. I went ahead and chose a rounded rectangle from the menu.

Step 4

Draw the rounded rectangle onto the main slide. The default color is blue in this case. Let’s change that.

Step 5

Right click on the shape and choose Format Shape on the bottom of the pop up window. You will be presented with a new window called Format Shape. From there you can choose almost any style you’d like. I changed the background fill to gradient with some transparency, the line color and style, added a drop shadow and changed the size of the corner radius. If you have a look at the outline of the shape when selected, you will see a small yellow diamand shape. You can slide this shape towards the left or right, depending if you’d like to increase the corner radius or decrease it.

Step 6

We are still in the Format Shape window. Let’s have a closer look at the gradient option. You can play around with the Stops, add them or remove them, change the position and transparency and the color of the gradient stops.

Step 7

Here is a screenshot of the rounded corner box.

Step 8

I added another rounded shape. Just repeat the previous steps, change colors and size. When right-clicking on the shape, you can send it to the back or to the front in the drop down menu.

Step 9

Click on the left hand side where all your slides will appear and when you right-click on, you can choose to either delete or duplicate it, or add a totally new slide to your presentation.

Step 10

Now a neat feature of PowerPoint is that you can select the elements you created and when you right-click on them, you can choose Save as Picture from the dropdown. You can then place them again into your presentation or have them on file. In this case, just add more buttons. You can also add Actions to it. Click on the shape and go to the tap Insert. There choose Action. You’ll get a pop up windows with options which let’s you choose various actions.

Conclusion

This is it. It is a simple and fast template. Save it as a .potx (template file) and you’ll have it handy again for another presentation. Of course you’ll need to add some text, pictures, graphs etc.

This post is for all you workaholics who use a Mac for your full-time career. From to-do lists and digital clutter organizers to word processors and time trackers, we’ve compiled a list of all the applications you’ll need to stay productive and efficient at work.

Below you’ll find over 100 free and premium applications that will either fit right into your current workflow or revolutionize the way you get things done. Let’s take a look!

The Ultimate Collection of Productivity & Office Software for Mac

I don’t need to tell you how challenging it is to balance work and life. In this economy, it’s hard to say no to working more hours. You want to spend more time with your family but need to make enough money to pay the bills.

What works for many people may not work for you. Luckily you have an extremely powerful ally – your partner. No, not the person who works with you or co-owns your business. I’m talking about your spouse/significant other/family member. Who do you share your life with?

Your partner can play a huge part in achieving work-life balance. Here are some ways to help each other make the most of your time:

Define balance

First you need to decide what a balanced life looks like. I can’t tell you that. It’s your call.

Basically, if it feels good it’s balance. Some people have no problem working 50 hours per week. It’s what they love to do. And that may be fine with your partner.

Some people hate working 10 hours in a job or profession. They have more than balance problems. They need to find a career that feeds their soul before they can worry about dedicating time to their family.

Involve your partner

A friend sums it up beautifully. “If she ain’t happy, you ain’t happy.” You need to make your partner happy. That person may not be a legal part of your business or profession, but you need to consider him or her part of the team. Don’t expect to make them work or invest money in your work. But they need to buy into what you’re doing.

And if they understand what you’re doing, they will be willing to cut you some slack when you can’t devote more time to them.

My fiancee is supportive of my time working because she was part of the decision making when I became a freelancer. And I continue to keep her informed of how things are going. Her counsel is valuable, and she understands the decisions I need to make. I also use my flexible schedule to help around the house when needed.

Decide what is truly needed

That question cuts to the core of balancing business and family requirements. It may be possible to pay someone else to do some of the more time consuming tasks like bookkeeping. At home, maybe your partner will welcome the idea of hiring someone to clean or do yard work. If the money isn’t there, then maybe you need to raise rates.

Also be skeptical of what may be considered important. Will your business or company fail if you don’t pick up the phone or answer e-mail at all hours? Many of those “important” tasks could be given less priority in favor of spending time with family.

Put your heads together

If you’re still having trouble fitting it all in, ask your partner. There are a few reasons this can lead to a great solution:

• Your partner may be willing to let you sacrifice some family time to do what you need to do. Again, this is can be a direct result of open communication.
• There’s a reason why you’re in this relationship. Your partner might have an idea or two that helps figure it out. I doubt you’re with a clone of yourself. So your partner’s perspective and unique talents may lead to a solution that you can’t see.

Decide when to turn it off

The dinner table in my house is a phone-free zone. No texts, e-mails, calls, updates, newspapers, video, TV or radio. It’s just us. There are other moments when I turn off all my devices. It’s a clear signal that I’m clearly available and dedicated to the family.

But there are other times when we’re together that I pull out the laptop to finish a column or write e-mails. It allows me to enjoy her company but get some work done. Usually she’s multitasking at the same time. But I also know when it’s time to turn the computer off so she has my full attention.

This is up to you and your family. Having time completely offline can really help you. Blending the two parts of your life can help free up offline time. It’s your call. Just make it together.

Work together – literally

Sometimes it’s advantageous for the two of you to work in the same business. Note that your mileage may vary. This could be the best or worst idea ever for your family.

Schedule a family business meeting

Here’s something that will help keep things running smoothly at home. Schedule a business meeting with your family every week. We try to do it over Monday dinner since that’s a constant time we’re together. And it’s a natural time to talk about the week ahead. We discuss what’s on all our schedules – which is important when you have a non-driving child in the house – and make sure there are no conflicts.

Why it matters

If you’re not achieving balance, you may not be able to take proper care of yourself – physically or mentally. This can lead to health issues that will prevent you from working and/or being with your family. Any unhappiness can make it hard for your family to be with you even when you make the time. So taking care of yourself is important to taking care of your work and family.

How do you maintain work-life balance?

Picking your lunch can seem like an inconsequential choice in your workday that has no bearing on your productivity. In actuality, it could be the most important daily decision you make. Choosing proper fuel can sustain a strong work ethic to the end of your workday and beyond. On the other hand. Picking the wrong food can sap your strength and leave you struggling against exhaustion for hours. A nutritious power lunch can give you sustained energy for the rest of the workday.

“Glycemic index” is a measure of how fast your food is digested for energy. Sugary foods like danishes, candy and soda have sky-high glycemic indexes. Proteins and complex carbohydrates like yogurt, apples or peanuts are much slower-burning fuels, and thus have much lower glycemic indexes. At first, high glycemic indexes might seem like the sign of ideal fuel, but they can leave you exhausted when they burn out too quickly. Quick-burning fuel is great for a rocketship doing a 30-second burst, but you’re dealing with an 8-hour workday it just won’t work.

So if you can’t seem to find a full workday’s worth of energy and focus in your food, consider different fuel sources. And think twice before picking “hi-octane” fuel – it just won’t go the distance.

The alarm rings on Monday morning and you groan. It doesn’t matter whether or not you love your job—waking up and getting a move on at the beginning of a new work week after two days off is no small feat. But one thing that can help get us geared up to return to the office is music. (Just be mindful when it comes to actually playing it in the office.)

What songs do you find yourself turning up in the car or on your iPod as you head into the office to start the week? Maybe Elvis Costello’s “Welcome to the Working Week”, “Let’s Go” by the Cars or “Manic Monday” by the Bangles? How about the classic R.E.M. tunes “Get Up” or “Finest Worksong”? Does Iggy Pop help you rock out and find a “Lust for Life”?

Maybe you need to throw yourself a dance party to really get motivated—a little Lady Gaga, M.I.A. or Justin Timberlake, perhaps? Or maybe you seek productivity inspiration from that inveterate hustler, Jay-Z.

(By the way, we already know you listen to MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” to get pumped for a big presentation. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.)

What songs get you motivated for the workweek?

We’ve talked about increasing email productivity and managing email overload in the past. But what about email habits? Do you think your message composing style could irritate some of your recipients?

Well, it looks like it could. At least that’s what Lifehacker’s readers mentioned when they were asked about the email habits they loathe. You’d be surprised to know that even innocuous words like “Cheers” in the email signature offends some people.

The post is definitely an interesting read if you care about the human psyche. And if you have any comments and thoughts on what you think are bad email habits and annoyances, let us know.

The Worst Email Habits and Annoyances You Should Avoid (or At Least Be Aware Of)

The Lumix G10 is Panasonic’s new, affordable micro four thirds hybrid, but has there been too much cost-cutting to make this a viable alternative to an SLR? In our in-depth review, we’ll delve into the look and feel, picture quality, lens choice, and how the Panasonic Lumix G10 stacks up against the ever-growing micro four thirds competition!

Background

Panasonic has split its original G1 D-SLR hybrid into two models – the G10 reviewed here and the more sophisticated G2. Both cameras use the same 12-megapixel Live MOS sensor, basic body shape and lenses, but the G2 has an articulating LCD, touch-screen autofocus and other enhancements. The G10 is designed as a basic, low-cost companion, and the ideal introduction to Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds range.

The other two models, the GH1 and the GF1, introduced after the orginal G1, continue. The GH1 is designed for movies, with full 1920 x 1080 HD movie capability and a 10x kit lens. The GF1 is styled more like a rangefinder compact rather than a D-SLR, drawing parallels with Olympus’s Pen cameras.

Look and Feel

The G10 is styled like a digital SLR, but it’s significantly smaller and lighter. The body is made of plastic, but it has a smooth, matt finish which gives it an air of quality. The 14-42mm lens is a little narrower than a digital SLR’s kit lens but about the same length. The zoom movement is smooth but firm and there’s no play in the barrel as it extends. The focussing ring has a nice, smooth movement too, though there’s no distance scale – that’s only displayed on the LCD in manual focus mode. The front element of the lens doesn’t rotate when you focus, so you can use filters without any problem.

With the 14-42mm kit lens fitted, the G10 is a little lighter and smaller than an entry-level digital SLR, but it’s still not the sort of camera you could put in a coat pocket. For that you’d really need a compact hybrid like the Lumix GF1 and maybe Panasonic’s 20mm pancake lens. It feels well made for the money, though, and stacks up well against other cameras in this price bracket.

Controls and Layout

The G10 uses a pretty standard control layout for a D-SLR/hybrid. There’s a mode dial on the top, a control dial at the rear and four-way navigational buttons which also act as shortcuts to common settings, including ISO, white balance and metering pattern.

The fourth button can be configured to set the Film Mode, aspect ratio, quality, metering mode, Panasonics new ‘Intelligent Resolution’ mode, Intelligent Exposure, ‘Extra Optical Zoom’ and guideline display -we’ll come back to some of these.

There are a couple of controls on this camera you wouldn’t usually find in a low-cost model, including a drive mode switch around the mode dial, which provides access to bracketing and self timer modes too.

And there’s a focus mode switch on the other side for selecting single-shot AF continuous AF and manual focus.

Many entry level D-SLRs/hybrids rely a bit too heavily on menus and on-screen interfaces, and they can be frustrating to operate when you already know what you’re doing. The G10′s range of external controls, though, makes the majority of everyday settings readily accessible.

And you can adjust even more using the Q.Menu (quick menu) button on the back. This makes the on-screen icons around the display ‘interactive’, so that when you use the left-right navigation buttons to highlight them, they display drop-down menus where you can make changes.

The G10 might be a simplified model aimed at cost-conscious beginners, but the controls are well thought-out and let you make changes to the camera settings very quickly.

Viewing and Focussing

Panasonic has saved a bit of money with the viewing system, and it shows. The original Lumix G1 and the new G2 both have automatic eye sensors which switch the display from the rear LCD to the electronic viewfinder when you put the camera to your eye.

The G10, doesn’t and it is a nuisance. While you’re out shooting, you often want to swap from the LCD to the EFV, depending on the subject and the light (the LCD isn’t always easy to make out in bright light), and it’s a real nuisance having to keep pressing the button next to the eyepiece to do it. It’s also the most natural thing in the world to want to shoot with the EVF and then take the camera from your eye to see the result on the LCD – again, with the G10 you have to press the button to switch the display.

That’s not the only area where cost savings have had a big impact. The EVF on the original G1 and the new G2 has 1.4 million pixels. You need this kind of resolution to get anywhere near the clarity and sharpness of a digital SLR’s optical viewfinder, and these cameras are competing with D-SLRs, after all.

But the EVF in the G10 has only 202,000 pixels, and that’s low by any standards. The display looks coarse and pixellated, and doesn’t have much contrast or saturation either.

The other thing about the G10 is that Panasonic has gone for a fixed LCD display rather than one which folds out and swivels. Again, this is a step backwards compared to the G1 and G2. It’s not as serious as the issues with the electronic viewfinder, but it is a disappointment.

All this does have an impact on the focussing. This isn’t a strong point of hybrid cameras in general because electronic viewfinders don’t lend themselves to precise visual adjustments and the lenses don’t carry distance scales (why not?). If you set the G10 to manual focus mode, it automatically magnifies the display to increase accuracy, but it’s a shame it’s necessary at all and it can be a bit visually disconcerting.

On the other hand, the autofocus performance is very good. Unlike a D-SLR, the G10 doesn’t have a separate autofocus sensor and instead it relies on the sensor-based contrast-detection systems used by compacts. Even so, it’s very fast. In fact, it’s at least as good as any digital SLR used normally, and many times faster than a D-SLR in live view mode.

This donkey turned away pretty quickly when it realised it wasn’t going to get any carrots but the G10 was quick enough to focus and shoot in around half a second!

It’s not clear why digital SLR makers struggle to get good performance out of their own contrast-detection autofocus systems, but they do. So even though D-SLR makers may point out that their cameras can compose pictures on the LCD in the same way as hybrids like the G10, it’s just not the same. If you’re a fan of live view operation, hybrids are much slicker at it than D-SLRs.

This also applies to movies. The HD movie mode on the G10 doesn’t have any manual overrides to speak of, but it is very straightforward and effective. You can shoot using the viewfinder or the LCD, and the camera’s autofocus continues to work throughout – two things you don’t get with D-SLRs.

Lens Choice

There’s a lot to be said for hybrids like the G10 as D-SLR alternatives, especially now that the range of lenses is increasing.

As well as the 14-42mm kit zoom, you can get the 7-14mm (14-28mm equivalent) super-wideangle zoom shown here, a 45-200mm (90-400mm) telephoto zoom, 14-140mm (28-280mm) superzoom, 45mm (90mm) macro and a 20mm (40mm equivalent) pancake lens.

The G10 uses the Micro Four Thirds format, so in principle you should be able to use Olympus MFT lenses and, with an optional adaptor, Four Thirds lenses too.

It’s clear by now that the Four Thirds/Micro Four Thirds format isn’t going away, and third-party lens makers are starting to offer support for this format – further increasing the range of lenses available.

No camera format is future-proof, and if you’re planning a career as a professional photographer then you’ll probably want to stick to Canon and Nikon because of their vast lens and accessory ranges and long track record, but beginners and enthusiasts needn’t worry that they’re painting themselves into a corner with Micro Four Thirds. Panasonic’s lens range is already more extensive than most of us are likely to need.

Picture Quality

But how does the picture quality compare with that of a digital SLR? It’s a good question because Micro Four Thirds sensors are smaller than the APS-C sensors used in the majority of D-SLRs. In fact in terms of area they’re about half the size (though they’re still many times larger than the sensors used in compacts).

It’s become clear that sensor size is the major factor in image quality these days, so the G10 and other Micro Four Thirds cameras do have something to prove.

Well, you can consider it proved. This and other shots taken with the G10 demonstrate that the level of detail in the pictures is at least as good as any 12-megapixel D-SLR’s. In fact in some respects it’s better, because Panasonic’s 14-42mm kit lens is remarkably free of aberrations. There’s not much distortion or chromatic aberration, and it holds its sharpness well right up to the edge of the frame. There aren’t many D-SLR kit lenses as good as this, so overall the G10 is right up there with the best of its rivals.

The colour rendition is really good, too, and the ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Vibrant’ film modes add depth and richness without producing artificial-looking over-saturation. The black and white film modes are good too, though the ‘Nostalgic’ mode doesn’t appear to do much except reduce the saturation slightly.

The traditional argument against smaller sensors is that the photosites are necessarily smaller as a result, and that this will mean worse quality at high ISOs and reduced dynamic range.

That’s the theory, anyway, but the G10′s performance in these respects is pretty impressive too. Admittedly, the quality at its maximum ISO of 6400 is pretty poor, and you probably wouldn’t want to go past ISO 1600 if you could avoid it, but these Four Thirds sensors have come a long way since the early days, and while they should technically be at a disadvantage at high ISOs compared to an APS-C sensor, it certainly doesn’t leap out at you.

It’s even harder to spot any differences in the dynamic range. All cameras will clip highlight or shadow detail if the exposure’s not quite right or if the scene has unusually high contrast, and there’s nothing in any of the test shots taken with this camera to suggest it’s worse than a normal D-SLR.

In fact, it has an ‘Intelligent Exposure’ mode which could make it slightly better. This is more sophisticated than the usual ‘shadow enhancement’ technologies of other cameras because it adjusts localised brightness values as the image data is processed. It’s not quite as effective as shooting RAW files and processing them carefully on the computer, but it does noticeably increase the camera’s ability to record extreme highlight and shadow detail.

‘Intelligent’ Technologies

Panasonic makes a big thing of its ‘intelligent’ technologies, but while the ‘Intelligent Exposure’ option is welcome, some of the others are confusing and even unconvincing.

There’s an iA button on the top of the camera, for example, which instantly activates all of the camera’s intelligent technologies for the best-possible fully-automated photos. Now that’s fine in itself, even though it is a bit bizarre to have the camera automatically selecting the best automatic exposure mode, but why not just call it full auto? Presumably, there’s not much marketing value in that.

And the technological fog surrounding all these technologies has just grown thicker with the introduction of Panasonic’s ‘Intelligent Resolution’ option. Here, the processing engine isolates different regions of the image according to whether they contain clearly-defined detail, subtle textures or areas of even tone, and then processes them differently so that you get the best blend of sharpening and noise reduction for each area.

It sounds like a good idea, sure, but the way it’s been implemented is a bit odd. First of all, it’s not activated by default (why not, if it’s such a good idea?). Second, it can be applied at different strengths. Why? Which should you use? How would you know? It’s the sort of thing that looks great in a brochure but is far from straightforward in practice. There doesn’t seem a lot wrong with the G10′s pictures without it.

The G10′s ‘Extended Optical Zoom’ feature is highly dubious, though. It suggests the zoom range is being magically extended in some way, when all that’s happening is that the image is being cropped. So isn’t this just a digital zoom under another name, then? Not quite. The G10 has a separate digital zoom which crops the image but then resamples it to the normal 12-megapixel size. The ‘Extended Optical Zoom’ doesn’t do any resampling and so, the argument goes, there’s no quality loss.

Really, this is just playing with words. The G10 doesn’t have any kind of extended optical zoom at all in the sense that most photographers would be prepared to accept, and this kind of technological double-talk undermines the G10′s credibility rather than enhancing it. It’s a good camera – it doesn’t need it.

The G10 Versus the Competition

The techno-jargon may be a little overpowering and unconvincing in equal measure, but the bottom line is that the G10 is still a very good entry level D-SLR hybrid. The competition has recently got tougher, though. It’s not just regular D-SLRs it’s up against, but hybrid cameras from Olympus, Samsung and now Panasonic.

Olympus doesn’t make a D-SLR hybrid, so its only real alternative to the G10 is the E-PL1, which is styled more like a large compact and has no built-in viewfinder (though you can clip one to the accessory shoe). Sony’s NEX-3 and NEX-5 hybrids are also styled like large compacts. The closest rival to the G10, then, is Samsung’s NX10.

What’s striking is just how compact the Samsung is. It’s no larger than the G10, despite using a bigger APS-C sized sensor. The electronic viewfinder is better, the image qualtiy is as good as the G10′s or better, and while the NX10 doesn’t have quite such a large range of lenses as the Panasonic, there are more to come.

Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of difference in price between the G10 and the NX10 and, for the money, the Samsung is the better camera. In the end, then, it could simply come down to pricing.

Verdict

The G10 is a very good entry-level digital SLR hybrid that’s competes head-on with conventional SLR designs and comes out very well. The picture quality as at least as good as you’d get from a comparably-priced D-SLR, despite the slightly smaller sensor.

But the EVF’s low quality and the lack of an automatic eye sensor are rather obvious cost-cutting measures, as is the fixed LCD on the back. In these respects, the G10 is actually a step backwards from the original G1.

Pros

1. Small, light and well made
2. Very good control layout, perfect for manual adjustments
3. Great kit lens, with low aberrations and good edge-to-edge sharpness
4. Good picture quality generally and match for similarly-priced D-SLRs

Cons

1. Low-quality EVF
2. No automatic eye sensor for switching between the EVF and LCD
3. Rear LCD fixed not articulating
4. Value for money only average – Samsung’s NX10 is better