Panasonic gets a grip on the G5 (pictures)

The G5 has some design tweaks for better usability, including a much deeper grip than the G3's.

Don't let Josh's big hands fool you -- the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 isn't terribly compact, and in fact is larger than the G3 and is one of the larger full-size ILCs out there. That's partly due to a much deeper grip than its predecessor has.

Here you can see the Panasonic DMC-G5's dSLR-like grip, which I consider an improvement over the earlier model's. It's not a small camera, so trying to shave dimensions off with a shallow grip is kind of silly. You can also see the zoom lever just behind the shutter button, which is designed to work with Panasonic's Power Zoom line of lenses. I think that's another good idea, since I don't like where the zoom lever sits on the lens.

While the mode dial and Intelligent auto buttons remain the same, Panasonic moved the record button from the back to the top, where I don't like it.

The new LCD is a bit higher-resolution than the old, but it's otherwise the same flip-and-twist touch screen, with an interface from more recent models.

Panasonic rearranged the back controls slightly, adding a programmable AE/AF lock button at the top, which is welcome, and giving the thumb rest a more pronounced feel. However, it's also got the etched labels on the four-way-navigation switch, which I find annoyingly invisible.

The new menu design offers helpful interface tips.