[Toad]

Yeah that must be frustrating although I wonder whether it was just short-sighted implementation on the original camera, and not implementing enough bandwith on the port to support a high res display, or whether it was a planned money grab.

I think that the lack of internal EVF was supposed to be a differentiator between their product lines (GF, G, GH). It would cannibalize their G line to provide identical features in a smaller body.

Problem is, that strategy is backfiring. The success of the original GF1, and its adaption by enthusiasts caught Panasonic by surprise, IMO. I think they thought that the GF1 would appeal to entry level photographers and the enthusiasts would flock to the G and GH series, and now they have to rethink. The GX1 is an attempt to get back in the same game that the GF1 was winning at. Unfortunately for Panasonic, the game has changed, and cameras like the NEX-7 and X100 are raising the bar.

I like what I see in the GX1 (and the new X zoom). Its the first *real* successor to the GF1 - unlike the GF2 and GF3. They are missing the boat with this external viewfinder thing though. The NEX-7 and X100 have already shown that it doesn't have to be that way.