Panasonic LUMIX G5, FZ200 And LX7 Hands-On
Not everybody wants a full DSLR and not everybody is content with the camera on their smartphone. That's a difficult segment to fill, but Panasonic believes it has the line-up necessary with its latest range of cameras. The LUMIX G5, FZ200 and LX7 each target different users with different needs, but they also all share a commonality of feel and function that we've come to expect from Panasonic. Read on for our hands-on first impressions.
Promising most flexibility is the Panasonic LUMIX G5, the company's latest Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera. The G5 debuts a new 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor hooked up to Panasonic's reworked Venus Engine, in a chunkier chassis than the smaller GF-Series we're big fans of here at SlashGear. That mini-DSLR styling makes for a camera that's easy to hold in both regular and portrait orientations, and there's a new function lever that falls neatly under your shutter finger and allows easy zoom, exposure or aperture control during shooting.
Panasonic LUMIX G5
Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: the new Daredevil show on Netflix is awesome. It’s 13 episodes of well-written, well-acted comic book crime noir, with some of the best fight choreography we’ve seen in a long, long while. While it’s not perfect, Daredevil is still one of the most exciting new shows to grace our screens in quite some time. And that’s why the final costume the titular character wears in the last episode’s final scenes is so disappointing. Because it sucks. A lot. Spoilers ahead.
Even before you dive into the show, Netflix offers up a glimpse of Daredevil’s eventual costume choice. It’s easy to see from the outset that it has elements of what should work—specifically the dark eyes and the devil horns. But then you look at the rest and it starts to look...not great. The helmet looks kind of like a bike helmet. There are weird lines on the chest and rivets on what looks like the shoulder pads. It sure looks like it’s two different colors—and neither of them appear to be red. If anything, this costume looks black and...purple? Magenta? Still, without context, it’s hard to say for certain what’s going on in that costume, so when you start to watch the show, you forget all about it. A big part of that is because Daredevil’s season one costume has nothing in common with this image—and that only makes it worse when we finally see it at episode 13.
Throughout all 13 episodes of Daredevil, Matt Murdock has worn a black ninja suit when he’s out busting heads. The look is fairly non-descript, except for the black mask that covers the entire top half of his head, including his eyes and nose. It’s an extremely simple look that emphasizes the character’s blindness as well as his inner-darkness. It doesn’t hurt that it looks cool as hell when he’s beating up ninjas, and that it looks practically ripped from the pages of The Man Without Fear comics. It’s simple, it’s streamlined, and it’s amazing. If it weren’t so impractical in terms of withstanding bullets and knives, we’d want to see it stick around forever. But sadly, it only makes the eventual costume reveal look that much worse by comparison.
The 2003 film of the same name, which starred Ben Affleck, earned some pretty bad (and well-deserved) reviews. But even with all of its problems, the movie got one thing pretty right on the money: the costume. In terms of looks alone, Affleck’s Daredevil suit looks just like it came out of the comics. Sure, that doesn’t need to be the only criteria for a costume’s success or failure. After all, there have been countless versions of Batman’s suit, not to mention lots of different interpretations for all of Marvel’s big screen heroes. But even if fidelity isn’t your first priority, one thing should be: make the dude whose superhero identity is based on the devil have a red friggin’ suit. It’s not that complicated.
By the time episode 13 of the Daredevil show rolls around, we know the Kevlar-woven suit is on the way. Murdock has already talked with Melvin Potter and asked him to design him something stronger for when he goes up against the Kingpin one final time. It’s definitely got an emphasis on function over form. In that regard, we can excuse it. But it’s tough. When we finally see the full shot of Daredevil standing on a rooftop in his purple-black-biker suit, full of incomprehensibly placed straps and pads and rivets and whatnot, it’s tough not to feel disappointed. It’s the visual equivalent of a deflating balloon. It’s a major distraction when we should be pumped about the climactic battle that’s about to take place. It sucks.
The good news is that Daredevil’s reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, despite his poor fashion choice by the end of the series. That means that there will almost certainly be a second season, and the excuse for a new set of duds. That gives Marvel and its production team enough time to redesign Daredevil’s costume so it’s less horrifically ugly. We also know Hornhead will show up in the Defenders series set to debut on Netflix before too long. Hopefully Marvel will have intervened and come up with something a little slicker by then. If the producers decide to respond to the costume criticism, here are two great tips for them to follow in the redesign: make it red, and make it simple. We know Daredevil is blind. Don’t let his enemies figure it out based on his inability to pick out a costume that doesn’t make us want to puke.It also comes into play when you're navigating through the menus or reviewing shots, though there's also a turn-and-push dial on the back panel next to the tilting, swiveling 920k dot LCD display. The bigger-than-GF-Series body also leaves room for a live viewfinder, though, which increases the resolution to 1.44m dots and almost 100-percent field of view. It's a great addition to a Micro Four Thirds model, and helps the G5 feel like a "grown-up" DSLR when framing shots, but Panasonic also uses it for its clever Eye Sensor Auto Focus system.
Panasonic LUMIX G5 sample shots
reportedly motivated parent company Warner Bros. to shake up its comic-to-film business. Geoff Johns, who's been DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer since 2010, has been tapped to co-run DC Films to try and right the ship. But there's ample evidence that this move might be too little, too late." data-image-id="26506" > 
Even though Marvel and DC are both in the business of bringing superheroes to movies and TV, they couldn't be more different. One company has changed the landscape of superhero adaptations with its enviable string of successes at the box office and on the small screen...and the other company is DC. The bad reviews 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received have reportedly motivated parent company Warner Bros. to shake up its comic-to-film business. Geoff Johns, who's been DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer since 2010, has been tapped to co-run DC Films to try and right the ship. But there's ample evidence that this move might be too little, too late.
Even though Marvel and DC are both in the business of bringing superheroes to movies and TV, they couldn't be more different. One company has changed the landscape of superhero adaptations with its enviable string of successes at the box office and on the small screen...and the other company is DC. The bad reviews 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received have reportedly motivated parent company Warner Bros. to shake up its comic-to-film business. Geoff Johns, who's been DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer since 2010, has been tapped to co-run DC Films to try and right the ship. But there's ample evidence that this move might be too little, too late.
Tim Burton's original Batman flick is a classic in large part because it went dark despite years of Adam West's campy Batman reruns on our TVs. Christopher Nolan's hugely successful Batman trilogy, likewise, embraced a dark realism that worked out pretty well. But when Man of Steel went that route too, the movie just didn't work like it should've. Superman is all about hope and optimism—so why does it end with the villain having his neck snapped and Metropolis being completely leveled? It's not a smart way to reintroduce one of fiction's most iconic characters to the movies. And on that note...
Many have pointed out that Ben Affleck's performance as the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman was one of the movie's best bits. Maybe that's true! But the need to shoehorn Batman into this movie was also one of its biggest problems. The conceit of the entire film—that Batman and Superman needed to throw down—didn't actually make any sense when all was said and done. On paper, Batman's motivation to kill Superman because he perceives him as a threat to the Earth, is a plot point worth exploring. But the story of the film manipulated Batman's character in such a way as to make him seem kind of like an ignorant doofus, one who's easily duped by the likes of Lex Luthor. Even worse, the resolution of that plot—that Batman would realize he shouldn't kill Superman because their moms are both named Martha—is so stupid, it hurts to type this sentence. This is the new Batman we're supposed to care about going forward?
There are more Bat-problems on TV, too. The fact that Batman has had more movies than any other DC character is one bit of proof that he's the company's most important character. The fact that he's got top billing in what was supposed to be a Man of Steel sequel is another. And then there's Arrow, which is ostensibly a television adaptation of Green Arrow—but who has far more in common with Batman than he should. For proof, look no further than the inclusion of classic Batman villains like Deadshot and Ra's al Ghul as the hero's antagonists. Moreover, Green Arrow started out in the comics as little more than a Batman rip-off anyway, complete with a sidekick/ward, an Arrow Cave, and an Arrow Car. Shouldn't his TV show find ways to emphasize Green Arrow's strengths, rather than his similarities to a better character? Why not just make a Batman TV show at this rate?Krypton, a show that is literally about Superman's grandpa." data-image-id="26510" > 
Oh, that's right, DC did make a Batman TV show—only Batman isn't even in it. Gotham is all about Batman's city and the cops who try to keep it safe. But it takes place before Bruce Wayne puts on his costume and starts to fight crime, which is literally one of the least interesting parts of the character or the mythos. Between Gotham and the Superman prequel series Smallville, DC seems to have an unexplainable need to dive deep into its characters' origins, while ignoring what makes its characters actually good. Even Arrow spends half its time each episode showing flashbacks to fill in Oliver Queen's backstory. What's the point? And let's not even get started with the fact that Warner Bros. is still pushing forward with developing the ultimate pointless prequel: Krypton, a show that is literally about Superman's grandpa.
Oh, that's right, DC did make a Batman TV show—only Batman isn't even in it. Gotham is all about Batman's city and the cops who try to keep it safe. But it takes place before Bruce Wayne puts on his costume and starts to fight crime, which is literally one of the least interesting parts of the character or the mythos. Between Gotham and the Superman prequel series Smallville, DC seems to have an unexplainable need to dive deep into its characters' origins, while ignoring what makes its characters actually good. Even Arrow spends half its time each episode showing flashbacks to fill in Oliver Queen's backstory. What's the point? And let's not even get started with the fact that Warner Bros. is still pushing forward with developing the ultimate pointless prequel: Krypton, a show that is literally about Superman's grandpa.
This is where DC's live action efforts get really aggravating. While its Flash TV show gets great ratings and fan response, DC and Warner Bros. decided it'd be a good time to make a Flash movie. Makes sense, right? Until you realize that the Flash movie will star a different actor, with a different story, that has nothing to do with the continuity of the show that's currently airing. The movies and the TV shows will have nothing to do with each other despite their concurrent productions. Additionally, Ben Affleck is running around as Batman on the big screen while his little kid counterpart is running around Gotham on TV. Doesn't anyone at DC realize this is a hugely missed opportunity—and will only serve to confuse fans of its properties?after Batman v Superman earned a 27 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A short while later, Seth Grahame-Smith decided he wanted out, so he left his gig of directing the Flash movie. The question of whether or not DC Films can produce a movie that pleases critics and theatergoers alike remains unanswered, and will probably remain that way for a while. Meanwhile, the new co-head of DC Films, Geoff Johns, has a lot of credit among the fan community for his popular work as a writer for DC Comics. He's also written several episodes of Arrow and The Flash, two shows that are hits in the ratings and in the hearts of fans. But he also worked as the co-producer on 2011's disastrous Green Lantern movie. His executive producer credit on Batman v Superman doesn't speak much better to his cinematic talents, either. Of course, it's totally possible that those credits weren't really reflective of his influence or ideas. Getting a producer credit in Hollywood doesn't mean much in the way of actually working on a movie—just ask Stan Lee, a nonagenarian who's been listed as an executive producer on every single Marvel movie and TV show, despite doing no real work on any of those projects. Can DC turn things around and find a way to match Marvel at its own game? Maybe. But it's probably going to take a lot more than shifting around personnel to fix some of these problems." data-image-id="26512" > 
Zack Snyder, the man who made an incoherent mess out of a movie starring two of the world's most popular characters, is still in charge of directing the two-part Justice League movie. The first of that pair began filming only a few weeks after Batman v Superman earned a 27 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A short while later, Seth Grahame-Smith decided he wanted out, so he left his gig of directing the Flash movie. The question of whether or not DC Films can produce a movie that pleases critics and theatergoers alike remains unanswered, and will probably remain that way for a while. Meanwhile, the new co-head of DC Films, Geoff Johns, has a lot of credit among the fan community for his popular work as a writer for DC Comics. He's also written several episodes of Arrow and The Flash, two shows that are hits in the ratings and in the hearts of fans. But he also worked as the co-producer on 2011's disastrous Green Lantern movie. His executive producer credit on Batman v Superman doesn't speak much better to his cinematic talents, either. Of course, it's totally possible that those credits weren't really reflective of his influence or ideas. Getting a producer credit in Hollywood doesn't mean much in the way of actually working on a movie—just ask Stan Lee, a nonagenarian who's been listed as an executive producer on every single Marvel movie and TV show, despite doing no real work on any of those projects. Can DC turn things around and find a way to match Marvel at its own game? Maybe. But it's probably going to take a lot more than shifting around personnel to fix some of these problems.
Zack Snyder, the man who made an incoherent mess out of a movie starring two of the world's most popular characters, is still in charge of directing the two-part Justice League movie. The first of that pair began filming only a few weeks after Batman v Superman earned a 27 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A short while later, Seth Grahame-Smith decided he wanted out, so he left his gig of directing the Flash movie. The question of whether or not DC Films can produce a movie that pleases critics and theatergoers alike remains unanswered, and will probably remain that way for a while. Meanwhile, the new co-head of DC Films, Geoff Johns, has a lot of credit among the fan community for his popular work as a writer for DC Comics. He's also written several episodes of Arrow and The Flash, two shows that are hits in the ratings and in the hearts of fans. But he also worked as the co-producer on 2011's disastrous Green Lantern movie. His executive producer credit on Batman v Superman doesn't speak much better to his cinematic talents, either. Of course, it's totally possible that those credits weren't really reflective of his influence or ideas. Getting a producer credit in Hollywood doesn't mean much in the way of actually working on a movie—just ask Stan Lee, a nonagenarian who's been listed as an executive producer on every single Marvel movie and TV show, despite doing no real work on any of those projects. Can DC turn things around and find a way to match Marvel at its own game? Maybe. But it's probably going to take a lot more than shifting around personnel to fix some of these problems.We had no real problems getting the G5 to lock focus swiftly, but in Eye Sensor AF mode the camera automatically starts focusing on likely subjects when it senses your eye is at the viewfinder. It's a quiet shooter, too, thanks to a new Electronic Shutter mode borrowed from some regular DSLRs, though unlike the majority of those cameras there's a range of integrated effects and even help tutorials for the more advanced features.
You lose a little of the pocketable convenience to fit all that in – along with a stereo microphone and Full HD video recording, no less – and the G5 probably isn't the camera to take along on a night out, but it's already shaping up to be an excellent compromise between the size (and sizable price) of a full DSLR and the sort of performance you'd only hope to coax out of a compact camera.
Still, while the G5 is the obvious photographer's choice, that's not to say we weren't swayed some by the Panasonic LUMIX FZ200. At first glance, the two look surprisingly similar, but where the G5 allows for some lens swapping, the FX200 settles on a single lens with a huge 24x optical zoom. It's paired up with a 12.1-megapixel High-Sensitivity MOS sensor and can deliver a consistent f2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range.
Panasonic LUMIX FZ200
Netflix has officially confirmed that a second season of Daredevil has gotten the green light. Now that we know for sure that Matt Murdock and the rest of his friends (and foes) will be coming back for another round, here, in no particular order, is a list of things we want to see happen in season two. Spoilers for season one ahead...
This should be a no-brainer. The final reveal of Daredevil’s superhero costume at the end of the final episode of season one was less than stellar. Simply put, it looks weird as hell, and almost derailed the entire final confrontation with the Kingpin because of how distracting it looked. Let’s bring it just a little closer to how it looked in the comics, okay?
For everyone who thinks of the Kingpin as Daredevil’s number one nemesis, Bullseye is usually right up there in the top spot alongside him. Season one teased him in the form of the cop-killing sharp shooter who carried a deck of playing cards—one of Bullseye’s favorite weapons—but his absence was definitely noticeable otherwise. Bullseye is a sadist who never misses, whose special abilities should be no problem for the special effects folks to pull off believably. As both an evil foil for Daredevil and a villain with the power to terrify, Bullseye is a must-have addition to season two.
We caught a glimpse of these guys in season one, represented by Nobu, one of the Kingpin’s former partners in crime. The gang of ninjas that goes by the name The Hand makes frequent appearances in Daredevil’s comic book adventures, so it seems like a logical next step for his next televised adventures. Seeing as how Matt Murdock is basically a ninja himself, The Hand is a natural fit—especially if they’re looking to avenge Nobu’s death.
One of Daredevil’s greatest strengths was the fact that the show took place in the larger Marvel Universe, but still managed to carve out its own independent place within that continuity. By the time season two rolls around, however, Netflix will have aired the other exclusive Marvel series it has in the works: Iron Fist, Luke Cage, AKA Jessica Jones, and The Defenders. Those smaller scale Marvel heroes could fit right into Daredevil’s world—especially Iron Fist, whose nemesis, the Steel Serpent, was teased in Daredevil season one already in the form of Madame Gao and her heroin operation. Bring all those guys into Daredevil’s world!
Again, Elektra earned a tease in season one, when Foggy brings up “that Greek girl” that Matt dated while in law school. Just like the Kingpin and Bullseye, Elektra is one of the most important supporting characters in Daredevil’s long history. Moreover, she’s got solid name recognition, having appeared in Marvel’s earlier (lousy) Daredevil movie and starring in her own (also lousy) feature film. Despite those flops, Elektra is important, and she’s a natural fit for season two.
This is a lesser known villain compared to the Kingpin and Bullseye, but she looms large in Daredevil’s overall continuity. Matt’s bad luck with the ladies is pretty legendary, so bringing Typhoid Mary into the mix next season could provide some interesting results.
I know what you’re probably thinking: Leland Owlsley, the Kingpin’s criminal accountant, was killed when Fisk pushed him down an elevator shaft. But the late Mr. Owlsley made a few mentions of his son, Lee. A younger, angry Owlsley could easily move into Hell’s Kitchen to try and take vengeance for his father’s death.
Some of the best moments of season one saw Matt Murdock out of costume and in the courtroom (or at least working as a lawyer). His defense of John Healy, one of the Kingpin’s assassins, was compelling, and provided a fascinating look into how Daredevil works for justice both in and out of the legal system. For the conflict between these two sides to really come through, we need to see more of Nelson and Murdock being, well, Nelson and Murdock.
On the subject of Healy, he was one of the cooler new characters to show up in the series—and then he died. And then there was Ben Urich, a legendary Marvel character—and then he died. The point we’re trying to make here is that while death is certainly an important part of telling gripping crime stories, as well as action adventure stories, there’s something to be said for keeping good characters alive and kicking. The loss of Healy isn’t quite as bad as losing Urich, since the latter has tons of potential for great stories—not to mention being one of a small handful of important characters of color in the live action Marvel Universe. Did he really have to die? Couldn’t the Kingpin have been stopped somehow before Urich died to accomplish the same thing for the plot? While death in comics is a revolving door, it’s a bit more final in live action television (usually). Let’s only pull that trigger when we really need to.
Okay, we’re mostly kidding with this one. But Stilt Man’s stilts definitely showed up in Melvin Potter’s workshop! Who wouldn’t want to watch Daredevil fight Stilt Man over the streets of New York? Let’s make #stiltman2016 trend on Twitter, shall we?Now, the FZ200's Live View Finder is – at 1.312m dots – slightly lower resolution than that of the G5 (though still near 100-percent coverage) it does still have a folding, twisting display, and the creative potential of the optical zoom is not to be underestimated. The unit we were testing was pre-production, so we won't take too much from the (already excellent) sample shots, but it's clear to see that Panasonic's engineers have been working particularly hard on cutting down camera shake when you're at the higher limits of the zoom.
Panasonic LUMIX FZ200 sample shots
Growing up, parents taught us to think before we speak. Now, modern-day moms and dads might want to tell their kids to think before they tweet. Just ask celebrities like Alec Baldwin, Jason Biggs and, most recently, comedian Trevor Noah, all of whom were the subject of intense media fire for offending the public with comments they made on social media. We've pulled together some of the most awkward, offensive, and cringe-worthy social media moments made by Hollywood's most famous players. Check them out, below. (Just remember not to tweet about it, after.)
In the aftermath of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 300, 'Orange Is the New Black' star Jason Biggs tweeted an insensitive joke that immediately sparked outrage on the Internet. "Anyone wanna buy my Malaysian Airlines frequent flier miles?" He tweeted. Biggs subsequently apologized during an appearance on 'The View,' calling the tweet "stupid" and "poorly timed." You don't say!
Shortly after he was announced as Jon Stewart's successor to 'The Daily Show,' comedian Trevor Noah was accused of anti-Semitism and sexism, among other things, for offensive tweets he had written in the past. Among the many: "'Oh yeah the weekend. People are gonna get drunk & think that I'm sexy!' - fat chicks everywhere"; and "South Africans know how to recycle like israel [sic] knows how to be peaceful." Where's our Moment of Zen when we need it?
Troubled actress Amanda Bynes insulted nearly everyone in her path in 2013; she called Rihanna, Jay-Z, and a slew of others "ugly," and later revealed she wanted Drake to "murder" her vagina. But perhaps her most offensive tweet of all came in July of that year, when she wrote to her millions of followers that "not having hair makes me feel like a cancer patient." Bynes later tried to clear the air in a bizarre statement to Vanity Fair, saying, "What I intended to say was ‘not having hair makes me feel like a cancer: patient.’ That is, waiting for my hair to grow has made me a more patient person — a trait, in the astrological community, typically associated with those born under the Cancer sign. I’m actually an Aries." Um, okay.
Patricia Heaton got into some pretty hot water for tweeting offensive comments about Sandra Fluke, the then-Georgetown Law student who was blocked from testifying before Congress about the importance of contraception coverage. Among her choice insults: "Hey G-Town: stop buying toothpaste, soap, and shampoo! You'll save money, and no one will want to sleep with you!" Naturally, she apologized.
In 2014, singer and then-'Voice' mentor CeeLo Green took to Twitter to defend himself against charges that he had supplied a woman with ecstasy, which included some pretty choice words about rape. "If someone is passed out they’re not even WITH you consciously! so WITH Implies consent," he wrote in one tweet. Green quickly issued an apology, then completely disappeared from Twitter altogether.
Internet target Gwyneth Paltrow didn't do herself any favors in 2012 when she replied to a photo tweeted out by The-Dream that showed the Oscar-winning actress dancing on stage at the Paris stop of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne tour. "Ni**as in paris for real," she wrote. Paltrow later came to her own defense by tweeting, "Hold up. It's the title of the song." Technically, yes. But...
Michael Buble, your mother's favorite singer, was the subject of an intense internet backlash in April of 2015 when he posted on Instagram a photo of himself standing behind a woman whose, uh, own behind was peeking out of her shorts. "There was something about this photo lu took ,that seemed worthy of instagram. #myhumps #babygotback #hungryshorts #onlyinmiami #picoftheday #beautifulbum," he said of the photo, which was taken by his wife, Luisana Lopilato. The 39-year-old singer issued a lengthy apology, saying, "I realize that a photo that was meant to be complimentary and lighthearted has turned into a questionable issue. For the record, it hurts me deeply that anyone would think that I would disrespect women or be insulting to any human being. I was not brought up that way and it is not in my character."
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried was fired by insurance company Aflac in 2011 over tweets Gottfried sent about the devastating Tsunami and earthquake that killed thousands of people in Japan. "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now,'" was just one of the "jokes" Gottfried wrote.
Actor Alec Baldwin has been the subject of controversy throughout his career, but things really heated up in 2013 when a reporter for MailOnline accused Baldwin's wife, Hilaria, of tweeting during the late actor James Gandolfini's funeral. Baldwin fired a number of insults at the reporter, at one point calling him a "toxic little queen."
Donald Trump went after Huffington Post creator Arianna Huffington in 2012 after reportedly being unhappy with their coverage of the real estate mogul. At one point, he called her "unattractive both inside and out," before adding: "I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man- he made a good decision." Ouch.These photos were taken using a pre-production camera model and does not reflect final picture quality
There's both optical and digital image stabilization, and they do an impressive job of keeping things level even when you're super-close to your subject. In the two shots of the Audi TT, for instance, each of which were taken at full 24x zoom, the crispness of the images belie the fact that we were some distance away. It's easy to fit a huge zoom to a camera and call it a day; it's far harder to deliver a finessed balance of zoom and picture stability, and we're already hugely excited to get our hands on a final production FZ200 to see just what sort of shots we can coax out.
Finally, there's the Panasonic LUMIX LX7, looking for all the world like the original LUMIX GF1 but with a fixed 3.8x optical zoom lens. The most pocketable of the three – both in terms of bulk and price – it's also our favorite design; we were big fans of the GF1 (and were a little disappointed that Panasonic gradually diluted the industrial aesthetic down for subsequent models) and a lot of that appeal has been carried over.
Panasonic LUMIX LX7
For years, amid media speculation that he is transitioning to a woman, millions of people around the world have wondered: Just what is going on with Bruce Jenner? Finally, in an emotional interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, aptly titled "In His Words," the former Olympic champion set the record straight on everything from his gender, to his sexuality and what he's planning to do next. Below, check out 11 highlights from the interview that everyone will be talking about.
Right off the bat, Bruce made it clear to Diane: He is now a woman. "For all intensive purposes, I am a woman," he said. "People look at me differently," he continued. "They see you as this 'macho male.' But my heart and my soul and everything I do in my life, it is part of me; that female side is part of me. It's who I am. I was not genetically born that way," he added. "As of now, I have all the male parts and all that kind of stuff. So, in a lot of ways we're different. But we still identify as female."
When news started to leak about Bruce's transition, many wondered whether this was just a publicity stunt, given his ties to the media-friendly Kardashian family. Bruce quickly shot down those allegations. "Are you telling me I'm gonna go through a complete gender change, okay, and go through everything you need to do that for the show?" He asked. "Sorry, Diane. It ain't happening, okay?" In fact, he thinks any publicity he's getting for his transition will ultimately change the world. "I really, firmly believe that we're going to make a difference in the world with what we're doing," he told Diane. "And if the whole Kardashian show and reality television gave me that foothold into that world, to be able to go out there and really do something good, I'm all for it. I've got no problem with that."
"I just can’t pull the curtain any longer," Bruce said, when asked why it took him this long to speak out about his transition. "Bruce lives a lie. She is not a lie. I just can’t do it anymore." Later on in the interview, he added: "If I die -- which, I could be diagnosed next week with cancer, and boom you’re gone -- I would be so mad at myself that I didn’t explore that side of me. You know? And I don’t want that to happen."
During a car ride to his old childhood apartment, in Tarrytown, NY, Bruce told Diane his first memory of wearing women's clothing dates back to age eight or nine, when he put on either his mother or sister's dress. (He couldn't remember whose dress it was.) "I marked the closet, so when I put [the dress] back I could put everything back in the exact same spot so I wouldn't get caught," he said. "And in that time, I didn't know why I was doing it besides it just made me feel good."
"I'm not gay," Bruce said adamantly. "As far as I know, [I'm] heterosexual... As far as I know, I've never been with a guy. I've always been married, raising kids. I never was attracted to the guys or any of that kind of stuff, okay?" Bruce added during a separate portion of the interview. "Because sexuality was totally different from what my issues were. And I always felt heterosexual." For now, Bruce considers himself asexual. "Let’s go with ‘asexual’ for now,” he clarified. “I’m going to learn a lot in the next year."
"I didn't go heavily into it back then," Bruce said of the initial conversation he had with Chrystie, to whom he was married from 1972 to 1981. "I said these are my issues; this is what I deal with. I [thought], oh, I do a little cross-dressing; I do a little of this, I do a little of that... It's gonna be fine," he continued. "We'll work all that stuff out."
Bruce says he first started taking estrogen in the late-'80s, and continued taking hormones for almost five years. He also had a nose job and had electrolysis to remove his beard and the hair on his chest.
One of the more shocking moments of Bruce's interview came when he discussed his now ex-wife, Kris Jenner, to whom he was married for decades. "Honestly, if she would have been really good with [my transitioning] and understanding, we'd probably still be together," Bruce revealed. Bruce added that Kris was aware of the situation, including that he liked to cross-dress, up to a certain point. "I had been on hormones for five years and I was a really solid 36B something," he said of the early stages of their relationship, "and you really can't hide those things." Still, Bruce admitted he downplayed what was really going on. "When you love somebody, you have a tendency -- you don’t want to hurt them," he said. "I probably was not as good as saying, hey, this is really down deep in my soul and I don't know if I can go any farther like this. I loved Kris," he continued. "I had a wonderful life with her. I learned a lot from her." Oh, and for the record: He said their sex life was "pretty good."
Bruce said one of his darkest moments occurred on the day that the press found out he had made a doctors appointment for a tracheal shave. "That night, I thought, oh, it's like, over," he confessed. "I thought, wouldn't the easiest thing to [do] right now -- and I can see where people get to that [point] -- is go in the room, get a gun... boom! Pain's over. It's done. Go to a better place. And [then] I thought, I can't do something like that. I mean, I want to know how this story ends."
Bruce says that his step-daughter, Kim Kardashian, was able to get clarity on Bruce's transitioning with the help of a little wisdom from her husband, rapper Kanye West. "[Kanye] said to Kim, look, I could be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am. I could have the most beautiful daughter in the world. I have that. But I'm nothing if I can't be me. If I can't be true to myself, they don't mean anything." Since then, Bruce says Kim has been incredibly accepting, and has even offered Bruce advice on his transition. "[She says to me], girl, you gotta rock it, baby! You gotta look good. If you're doing this thing, I'm helping you. You're representing the family. You gotta look good."
On the topic of Sexual Reassignment Surgery, Bruce -- who has been back on hormones for a year and a half -- told Diane that he's taking things slowly. "There's no rush for that," he said. "And I would do it so quietly, nobody in the world would ever know. I'm not shooting any of this; I'm not filming anything. To me, it's very degrading. At this point, as far as the term 'SRS' -- Sexual Reassignment Surgery -- [that] would be down the line."There are a sizable number of physical controls and dedicated buttons, given this is a compact camera. You get a proper mode wheel (when even the current GF3 uses a virtual selection carousel) and an AF/AE Lock key on the back as well as shortcuts for ISO and white balance. The camera as a whole nestles neatly into the hand; it's easy to keep stable and, while there's no Live View Finder, the 3-inch 920k dot LCD is bright enough for outdoor use. You don't get a tilt/swivel hinge, but we're content to trade that given how easy it is to slip the LX7 into a pocket; more missed is the touchscreen introduced on the GF2, which makes for very easy touch-to-focus control.
Sample video (make sure to select and watch 1080p HD)
In practice, it's a great camera to pull out and grab an impromptu frame, though it does have its foibles. As with most compacts it loves light, and low-light shots – especially when there's a section of brighter light, such as through an open door or window – can end up murky and grainy. Scenes with less disparity in lighting, though, are captured with good color accuracy, though whites could sometimes come out with a slight blueish tinge.
Panasonic LUMIX LX7 sample shots
Anyone who says that celebrities are stupid, vapid people hasn't actually done their homework. Indeed, some of the biggest names in Hollywood and beyond got their start at colleges you only wish you could have attended. We're talking Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Below, check out 17 famous faces who are way smarter than you might have originally thought.
Okay, so everyone knows this one by now, but here's a refresher: Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones graduated from Harvard in 1969 with a degree in English. During that time, he also roomed with future Vice President of the United States, Al Gore. Not bad.
Tami Taylor of 'Friday Night Lights' was one of the wisest characters to hit television in quite some time. The actress who played her, Connie Britton, is equally brilliant, having graduated from Dartmouth with a major in Asian Studies.
Before she was a three-time Oscar nominee, Laura Linney was studying acting at Brown, from where she graduated in 1986. She continued to study acting at New York City's prestigious Julliard School, because she's just that good.
Only a singer as whip-smart as John Legend could co-write songs like 'Ordinary People' and 'All of Me.' But did you know the now 39-year-old Grammy winner graduated high school at age 16? If that wasn't impressive enough, he was also admitted to prestigious colleges like Georgetown and Harvard before ultimately enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania. We bet you wish you had paid better attention in Math class now...
'Breaking Bad' alum Dean Norris graduated from Harvard College in 1985 with a degree in social studies. No wonder he was so good at following Walter White's trail.
Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett graduated twice from Yale: first, in 1980 with a Bachelor's in African-American studies; and again in 1983 with a Masters in Fine Arts from Yale's prestigious School of Drama.
Well, duh. Anderson Cooper is one of the most revered and well-respected anchors in network news, and he's got the credentials to prove it. He graduated from Yale in 1989 with a degree in political science.
Child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas ('Home Improvement') got a grown-up education at Harvard, where he studied philosophy and history. He later completed his degree in 2010 at New York's Columbia University, which, come on, is just as good.
'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Scandal' creator Shonda Rhimes honed her craft at Dartmouth University, where she studied English and film studies before graduating in 1991.
Speaking of 'Grey's Anatomy': One of Shonda's muses, Jessica Capshaw, graduated from Brown in 1998 with a degree in English. Which, you know, probably made pronouncing all that medical jargon all the easier.
Controversial talk show host Bill Maher is one of many famous graduates of Cornell University; he received a B.A. in English in 1978.
Comedians are often some of the smartest people on Earth, as Whitney Cummings can testify with her degree from UPenn, which she received in 2004.
'Harry Potter' alum Emma Watson made headlines when she enrolled at Brown University in 2009. She took a brief hiatus in 2011 when she found it "impossible" to juggle school and acting, before completing her education in 2014.
Unbreakable, indeed: 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' star Ellie Kemper studied English at Princeton. She also played field hockey, studied improv comedy, and was a member of Princeton's famous theater trope, the Princeton Triangle Club, whose alumni includes everyone from Brooke Shields to James Stewart.
Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, better known as the woman behind the one-hit wonder, 'Stay,' studied comparative literature at Brown.
'Royal Pains' star Mark Feuerstein didn't experience any pain, so to speak, in academia; he graduated from Princeton University in 1993, and even won a Fulbright scholarship.
The 'Togetherness' star studied history at Columbia University, which is also where she reportedly fell in love with acting after taking a class with famed teacher Uta Hagen.Outdoors, the LX7 is in its element, and we particularly appreciated its macro abilities, with some beautifully delicate focusing possible on close-up subjects like flowers. The optical zoom obviously falls well short of the capabilities of the FZ200, but it's a solid compromise between bulk and ability, and it shifts swiftly in response to the toggle that surrounds the shutter release. Interestingly, Panasonic's iAuto mode doesn't earn itself a dedicated button on the top panel; we're pleased to see the LX7 prioritizes a dedicated video recording trigger. Footage is recorded at up to 1080p Full HD, and we were impressed by the quality the LX7 could pump out.
So, three very different cameras, for three relatively distinct segments of the marketplace. The LUMIX G5 is undoubtedly the most flexible option, but it's tough to argue with the optical zoom capabilities of the LZ200 – outfitting the G5 with a Micro Four Thirds zoom of similar capabilities would make for an expensive package overall. Then there's the LX7, which we could easily see those with regular DSLRs opting to drop into a pocket for more casual photography.