"Panasonic G series" Owners Thread

mikew said:
Your thoughts on AFC when you can would be appreciated ;)
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Yes I will do, I'm hoping to get out to Titchwell at the weekend so that should give it a good test.
I'll update the thread hopefully after that.
 
Well my choice to move to micro 4/3rds was made for me today as my Nikon D7000 repair has become too costly for warranty repair by Wex so they are issuing me a refund and I have decided to go for a Panasonic G7. Couldn't stretch to a G80 but the G7 seems to tick all the boxes for me. Just need to wait for it to arrive now.
 
What would people recommend lens wise? decided to start with a 14-45 as it was cheap and seems to be better built in the reviews.

What would people recommend to pair it with 45-150 or the 45-200? both seem to be similar price second hand and not much different in weight too.
 
ian-83 said:
What would people recommend lens wise? decided to start with a 14-45 as it was cheap and seems to be better built in the reviews.

What would people recommend to pair it with 45-150 or the 45-200? both seem to be similar price second hand and not much different in weight too.
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The 14-45mm is a good choice as it's an excellent lens :)
The 45-150mm and 45-200mm are very similar in sharpness/contrast/colour where they overlap, with the 45-200 getting just a little softer towards 200mm. There certainly is a difference in weight (and size), however, with the 45-200mm being almost twice as heavy. The 45-200mm may be slightly slower to focus, too.
 
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gcogger said:
The 14-45mm is a good choice as it's an excellent lens :)
The 45-150mm and 45-200mm are very similar in sharpness/contrast/colour where they overlap, with the 45-200 getting just a little softer towards 200mm. There certainly is a difference in weight (and size), however, with the 45-200mm being almost twice as heavy. The 45-200mm may be slightly slower to focus, too.
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Thank you for the reply. didn't realise the 45-200 was twice the weight of the 45-150. But coming from a Nikon D7000 anything is lighter right now! Dunno if I need to extra reach the 45-200 will give me yet.
 
Never believe a weather forecast, particularly in the Lake District! I should barely have been able to see a hand in front of me Saturday morning at Ullswater, but the reality was very different and what a way to start our last family weekend of the season at the caravan!

The Duke of Portland by Simon Harrison, on Flickr

GX8 + Oly 12-40mm f2.8

Cheers,

Simon.
 
Can someone answer a question about the focusing on my G80 ?

It seems to focus itself without me half pressing the shutter button ? I have turner the Eye Sensor AF off but it still does it ?

I presume this might be effecting battery life ?

thanks
 
justa1972 said:
Can someone answer a question about the focusing on my G80 ?

It seems to focus itself without me half pressing the shutter button ? I have turner the Eye Sensor AF off but it still does it ?

I presume this might be effecting battery life ?

thanks
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You might have pre AF on which is causing to constantly focus before you press the shutter. Option should in custom page 2. And yes it will kill the bettery quicker.
 
woof woof said:
There's a very positive review of the G80 at DPR...

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-g85-g80

I soooooo wish my G7 was a G80 and my GX7 was a GX80 but with the tilting EVF and AF/MF switch. I may just be tempted but some future RF style camera if it has these features and the new shutter mechanism.
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Good to see another positive review and I totally agree about it being a pleasure to use - the handling is just about perfect for me. Even with the relatively heavy 12-40 it feels just right.

I'm a jpeg shooter but I may try RAW if the images are notably better - that is one downside over the fuji.....
 
I took my G80 out at the weekend but the weather wasn't great, misty and dull a lot of the time.
I wanted to see how the continuous AF reacted for birds in flight and have to say that despite the conditions, it locked on pretty well.
I'm sure it would be a lot better in brighter weather but considering I only had the 100-300 lens to try it out with, I was pleasantly surprised.
I have no decent pictures to show as my inexperience with the camera showed but the trial was very satisfactory and looks good for the future.
 
I'm not in the market for one but spotted this in Currys this morning in Southport and thought it might be of use to somebody!
 

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Any of you guys with the G80 noticed the stabilisation problem mentioned in this video:

 
Yes, I saw that and for a camera especially marketed for it's 4K video capability, behaviour that makes video panning movement unusable when image stabilsation is on is a bit of a show stopper for videographers. None of the original reviewers seem to have picked up on this trait, just goes to show how thorough some reviews really are. Let's hope that this can be resolved PDQ with a firmware update, otherwise we have a scenario where Panasonic resolve the G7 shutter issues and introduce a new one with the video issue on the G80. Let's also hope that Panasonic is also not going down the same route as Nikon with product testing on such as the D600/D800/D750 being carried out by the customer!
 
HarveyM said:
Let's hope that this can be resolved PDQ with a firmware update, otherwise we have a scenario where Panasonic resolve the G7 shutter issues and introduce a new one with the video issue on the G80. Let's also hope that Panasonic is also not going down the same route as Nikon with product testing on such as the D600/D800/D750 being carried out by the customer!
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You do have to wonder don't you.

Firstly before the fan boys jump I just want to say that this is not just a Panasonic issue.

We have people spotting problems relatively quickly, sometimes within a day. Good engineers and designers should pick up on relatively basic problems and faults during design and development but I suppose the excuse is that products are too complex these days to see and prevent every issue and interaction within the product but product testing should pick things up and the fact that companies are missing so much that customers are finding relatively quickly and relatively easily make me wonder what product testing is being done. Are the manufacturers using people who even know how to work a camera? It seems not.
 
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We the customer are being used for quality control by most manufactures,its our fault,i notice a generation behind me accept poor quality and poor service as the way it is,just going off topic for a second staff in Tescos walk across in front of me and make me stop for them,in my retail training the customer would have had right of way.
We could make all sorts of excuses for manufactures,some are partly valid most of us want the latest technology yesterday and cheap but they have educated us into that frame of mind,i find the price of the latest Olympus interesting and wonder if they will be able to justify it with a fault free product or will it be the same situation at a higher price. (I dont think it is too expensive for what it may be)
When i buy a new piece of gear and find it doesn't perform as it should it goes back to the dealer,i dont accept it back from him until its 100% as it should be,again though i do have the benefit of dealing with my local camera shop for over 40 years and only buy small items online,we as consumers can vote with our feet,ime a Panasonic fan.i love my GX8 but have to work round its shortcomings (i bought it S/H in full knowledge of them),i am looking for a second body and at the moment and trialing a Olympus E-M10 MK11 as at that price point i feel its better than equivalent Panasonic bodies for still photography.
 
srhmoto said:
Had a walk up Castle Crag in the Borrowdale Valley on Saturday morning for the sunrise and to catch the last of the autumn colours. The views were spectacular, and the light first thing was very special.

Autumn Glow by Simon Harrison, on Flickr

Autumn Glory by Simon Harrison, on Flickr

Both taken with a GX8 + Oly 12-40mm f2.8

Cheers,

Simon.
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Truly great shots Simon, magnificent colours and top class sharp images.
 
Absolutely stunning Simon -you really make that GX8 sing.

Any filters or single raw processed ?
 
srhmoto said:
Wow Chris! Thank you very much for the very kind words :)

Simon.
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No problem, you produce superb images repeatedly and deserve the acclaim. I just hope that I can reach your standard in time with my G80"
I'm going to be looking to get a wide angle lens for it to shoot landscape generally but can't afford a pro lens at the moment, so I'm wondering which would you recommend? I was thinking either the Panasonic 12-32 or maybe a Sigma DN 19 f2.8 prime but have also considered an Olympus 12-50 but I'm not sure which one to go for. I like the idea of the zoom range but wonder if the prime would be better - they all come in at a similar price, obviously secondhand for the 2 zooms and new for the Siggy.
I would appreciate any input from yourself or anyone else come to that.
 
wardy07 said:
I like the idea of the zoom range but wonder if the prime would be better - they all come in at a similar price, obviously secondhand for the 2 zooms and new for the Siggy.
I would appreciate any input from yourself or anyone else come to that.
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IMO primes have the advantages of being smaller (but not always) and having a wider aperture available and also of being able to provide better ultimate image quality but you may have to look very hard to see it.

If shooting landscape (or anything else not requiring f1.4 to f4 or maybe even a bit wider) I'd typically be using apertures in the f4 to f8 range and even a kit zoom can mostly match that requirement and once you stop a kit zoom down a bit they're often good, so good in fact that it may be difficult to tell what lens was used. Also the MFT kit type zooms I have are useable wide open which helps in that they don't need stopping down to overcome a fairly obvious weakness wide open as some SLR/DSLR lenses do.

I've been very impressed with the 14-42mm mega ois I got as a part of a kit. It's useable wide open and it's the size of a prime lens. The only drawback is the f3.5-5.6 aperture range which may well be a non issue for many things including landscape. It's susceptible to shutter shock but that should not be an issue on your G80. I've been so impressed with this lens that I've considered buying a new non shutter shock affected body just to use it on :D

PS.
In fact the 14-42mm mega ois and a fast prime, something like a 17 or 25mm f1.8 and my 50mm macro would probably cover 99% of my needs.
 
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woof woof said:
IMO primes have the advantages of being smaller (but not always) and having a wider aperture available and also of being able to provide better ultimate image quality but you may have to look very hard to see it.

If shooting landscape (or anything else not requiring f1.4 to f4 or maybe even a bit wider) I'd typically be using apertures in the f4 to f8 range and even a kit zoom can mostly match that requirement and once you stop a kit zoom down a bit they're often good, so good in fact that it may be difficult to tell what lens was used. Also the MFT kit type zooms I have are useable wide open which helps in that they don't need stopping down to overcome a fairly obvious weakness wide open as some SLR/DSLR lenses do.

I've been very impressed with the 14-42mm mega ois I got as a part of a kit. It's useable wide open and it's the size of a prime lens. The only drawback is the f3.5-5.6 aperture range which may well be a non issue for many things including landscape. It's susceptible to shutter shock but that should not be an issue on your G80. I've been so impressed with this lens that I've considered buying a new non shutter shock affected body just to use it on :D

PS.
In fact the 14-42mm mega ois and a fast prime, something like a 17 or 25mm f1.8 and my 50mm macro would probably cover 99% of my needs.
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Thank you Alan, I must admit I'd overlooked the 14-42 earlier. Is the Older 14-45 version worth considering as well as it seems to be well thought of from what I've read? I was considering the 12-32 for the extra 2mm at the wide end but I don't really know how valuable that would be.
At present I've only got the 45-150 and an Oly 45 f1.8 so that's my reason for wanting something wider.
 
Sorry, I've never tried the original 14-45mm, but yes I too have read that it's well thought of. I have the slightly newer but less well thought of 14-42mm and to be honest I have no complaints at all and in fact I'd recommend it as it's cheaper than the better thought of 14-45mm :D

The reason I enthuse so much about the 14-42mm mega ois is that it's good but so small.

PS.
A couple of mm's at the wide end makes more difference than a couple at the long end. The difference between 24 and 28mm in FF terms is quite noticeable but you have to balance that against the 32-42 difference at the longer end which is again quite noticeable.
 
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Thank you once again Alan, I know the 'pancake version of the 14-42 is very small but with the G80 I don't see the size being a huge handicap as there's no way it's going in my pocket anyway. Also the longer lens would probably balance better.
I think I'll probably go for the mkii version of the 14-42 which pretty much covers me all the way to 150mm, I can always add a faster prime if the need arises but my ultimate goal is the Oly 12-40 pro which will be added sometime next year hopefully.
 
I think the 14-42mm mega ois makes more sense on the small RF type cameras like my GX7 which is the camera I use it on. I have the Panny 12-35mm f2.8 which is just about permanently on my G7.

Just out of interest, any idea what the difference is between my old 14-42mm (older kit lens) and the mk2?
 
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woof woof said:
I think the 14-42mm mega ois makes more sense on the small RF type cameras like my GX7 which is the camera I use it on. I have the Panny 12-35mm f2.8 which is just about permanently on my G7.
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Lucky man, I'd love that lens but it's out of range at present.
I've just been looking at the Oly 12-50, any opinions on this with Panny bodies?
I quite like the weather sealing and the range plus the macro capability, maybe another option to consider?
 
wardy07 said:
I'm going to be looking to get a wide angle lens for it to shoot landscape generally but can't afford a pro lens at the moment, so I'm wondering which would you recommend? I was thinking either the Panasonic 12-32 or maybe a Sigma DN 19 f2.8 prime but have also considered an Olympus 12-50 but I'm not sure which one to go for. I like the idea of the zoom range but wonder if the prime would be better - they all come in at a similar price, obviously secondhand for the 2 zooms and new for the Siggy.
I would appreciate any input from yourself or anyone else come to that.
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Why not the Olympus 9-18?
It's got a good focal range for landscapes I'd have thought, plus it's not too expensive or large.
 
Llamaman said:
Why not the Olympus 9-18?
It's got a good focal range for landscapes I'd have thought, plus it's not too expensive or large.
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It's certainly another option although I'm looking to cover a bigger range if possible.
I'm on a limited budget for this year so the 9-18 is probably a bit too far at this time given that the other options are around half the price of it.
 
Sootchucker said:
Absolutely stunning Simon -you really make that GX8 sing.

Any filters or single raw processed ?
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Thanks Andrew :-). I used an ND grad to hold back the sky so I could capture the scene in a single raw file.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
wardy07 said:
No problem, you produce superb images repeatedly and deserve the acclaim. I just hope that I can reach your standard in time with my G80"
I'm going to be looking to get a wide angle lens for it to shoot landscape generally but can't afford a pro lens at the moment, so I'm wondering which would you recommend? I was thinking either the Panasonic 12-32 or maybe a Sigma DN 19 f2.8 prime but have also considered an Olympus 12-50 but I'm not sure which one to go for. I like the idea of the zoom range but wonder if the prime would be better - they all come in at a similar price, obviously secondhand for the 2 zooms and new for the Siggy.
I would appreciate any input from yourself or anyone else come to that.
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I've previously owned the Sigma 19mm f2.8 Art lens and found it superb. I only parted with it when I mistakenly sold all my m4/3 gear to go back to a DSLR - I soon learnt the error of my ways.

I much prefer a zoom lens for landscape work. The Panny 12-32mm has a good reputation optically, but is perhaps a little lightweight in terms of build quality. I don't know much about the Oly 12-50mm other than it has a degree of weather protection.

I do agree with Alan that you should look at the Panny 14-42mm mk II. My GX8 came with one and it punches well above its weight, particularly for landscape work around f8. They're extremely good value used too.

Hope this helps.

Simon.
 
srhmoto said:
I've previously owned the Sigma 19mm f2.8 Art lens and found it superb. I only parted with it when I mistakenly sold all my m4/3 gear to go back to a DSLR - I soon learnt the error of my ways.

I much prefer a zoom lens for landscape work. The Panny 12-32mm has a good reputation optically, but is perhaps a little lightweight in terms of build quality. I don't know much about the Oly 12-50mm other than it has a degree of weather protection.

I do agree with Alan that you should look at the Panny 14-42mm mk II. My GX8 came with one and it punches well above its weight, particularly for landscape work around f8. They're extremely good value used too.

Hope this helps.

Simon.
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Thanks Simon, I value both yours and Alan's opinions on this so I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a 14-42 as they are so inexpensive to buy.
In the future it'll be either the Oly 12-40 pro or the Panny 12-35 f2.8 but this kit lens will suffice for now.
 
srhmoto said:
I've previously owned the Sigma 19mm f2.8 Art lens and found it superb. I only parted with it when I mistakenly sold all my m4/3 gear to go back to a DSLR - I soon learnt the error of my ways.

I much prefer a zoom lens for landscape work. The Panny 12-32mm has a good reputation optically, but is perhaps a little lightweight in terms of build quality. I don't know much about the Oly 12-50mm other than it has a degree of weather protection.

I do agree with Alan that you should look at the Panny 14-42mm mk II. My GX8 came with one and it punches well above its weight, particularly for landscape work around f8. They're extremely good value used too.

Hope this helps.

Simon.
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Well I just picked up a new 14-42 HD power iOS PZ at an absolute bargain price (£100) so hopefully that will sort me for the time being.
 
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