"Panasonic G series" Owners Thread

woof woof said:
No word yet on the features I'd like - auto ISO with exposure compensation in manual mode and a good implementation of constant DoF preview. The former really holds the system back for me for low light and indoor use, I suppose I can just carry on guessing the DoF but these features are just so good on the Sony A7 that using MFT seems like going back to the 1950's, almost :D

I'm not too bothered about lenses as I think I have all I need. I still can't get a sharp shot out of my 45-200mm though.

Actually one lens I'd like is a constant f2.8 the size of the 14-42mm Mega OIS but realistically that's not going to happen :D
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My guess would be that unless those features are important for video capture, then you won't see them. The GH5 is, to my eyes, primarily a video camera that can take photos.

Simon.
 
michael23 said:
It could be useful for wildlife, there are times when I have been on a boat and got sight of a whole and missed timed it, so the extra for could be useful. I keep thinking of ditching my canon kit, but it would be a big outlay to get a wildlife kit in m4/3.
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It definitely depends on what you shoot, and I can see the frame rate and some of the capture modes being very useful in the example you quote.

Simon.
 
srhmoto said:
My guess would be that unless those features are important for video capture, then you won't see them. The GH5 is, to my eyes, primarily a video camera that can take photos.

Simon.
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Indeed but Panasonic do seem to have some pretty basic and even poor still photography features compared to the competition and that's not just my view as some of the usual bloggers/reviewers have raised the same points about Panasonics lack of auto ISO with exp comp. For some this may be a non issue but for anyone who shoots in low and changing light such as social events there are advantages to setting the aperture and shutter and letting the ISO float whilst adjusting the scene brightness with compensation. At the moment all I can do is increase the exposure post capture and take the image quality hit.

I'm not interested in the GH line but I was hoping for it to include these features and for them to trickle down into future models I'd be interested in.

Another concern for me is the residual values of the current and older bodies as there seems to be little to no interest except at giveaway prices.
 
woof woof said:
Indeed but Panasonic do seem to have some pretty basic and even poor still photography features compared to the competition and that's not just my view as some of the usual bloggers/reviewers have raised the same points about Panasonics lack of auto ISO with exp comp. For some this may be a non issue but for anyone who shoots in low and changing light such as social events there are advantages to setting the aperture and shutter and letting the ISO float whilst adjusting the scene brightness with compensation. At the moment all I can do is increase the exposure post capture and take the image quality hit.

I'm not interested in the GH line but I was hoping for it to include these features and for them to trickle down into future models I'd be interested in.

Another concern for me is the residual values of the current and older bodies as there seems to be little to no interest except at giveaway prices.
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I know exactly what you mean. One of the best features of the Pentax K3 I used to shoot with was their TAv mode, where you set shutter speed and aperture along with any +/- EV you wanted, and the camera then automatically varied ISO to suit. It was brilliant, and I'd love to see it on other cameras. I imagine it would work a treat for the example you quote there, but I used to use it a lot shooting motorsport on days when the sun was in and out from behind clouds frequently.

Camera residual values compared to new have always been poor IMHO, regardless of the brand.

Simon.
 
I'm surprised by the GH5's omission of a built in flash... well maybe not actually surprised but more disappointed by this trend. IMO every camera should have a flash and it would be nice if you could tilt it. It isn't exactly difficult and I can't imagine it costs a lot towards the overall price of the camera.

Nice to read that it has a nice EVF.
 
srhmoto said:
I know exactly what you mean. One of the best features of the Pentax K3 I used to shoot with was their TAv mode, where you set shutter speed and aperture along with any +/- EV you wanted, and the camera then automatically varied ISO to suit. It was brilliant, and I'd love to see it on other cameras. I imagine it would work a treat for the example you quote there, but I used to use it a lot shooting motorsport on days when the sun was in and out from behind clouds frequently.

Camera residual values compared to new have always been poor IMHO, regardless of the brand.

Simon.
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It does surprise me that in a sector with falling sales and stiff competition from people selling more cameras Panasonic don't seem to try as hard as they could. I know the Japanese hate to admit they're wrong and loath to take advice but the bottom line could maybe be helped by trying a little harder.

I may be wrong about the ISO/exposure compensation and constant DoF issues as I've assumed these are firmware features but it may be that the electronics just aren't up to it but if that's the case I do wonder why the smaller than some MFT cameras Sony A6000 manages these things.

As to residuals I think other brands do hold up a little better.
 
woof woof said:
No word yet on the features I'd like - auto ISO with exposure compensation in manual mode and a good implementation of constant DoF preview.
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Not sure about constant DoF preview but they have implemented auto ISO with exposure compensation in all modes now.

GH5 looks awesome but I'll hang onto my GH4 for another year before I consider upgrading, give the early adopters a chance iron out any bugs.
 
Well, I've just placed a pre-order for the mk II 100-300mm. I was about to order a mk I, but the improvements make it worthwhile for me. Stock not expected until March, so plenty of time to change my mind LOL

Cheers,

Simon.
 
CSB said:
Not sure about constant DoF preview but they have implemented auto ISO with exposure compensation in all modes now.
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Are you sure? My GX80 can't do it in manual mode. Is there a firmware update I'm not aware of?

DoF preview only works in manual on my later cameras (it worked in all modes on my G1 if I remember correctly) and it's clunky and nowhere near as good as the Sony implementation.
 
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I use my GH3 for 90% of my stills photography, often for studio based work. It's the best camera I own and I love it for the ease of handling, a mostly good menu system and an EVF that is very good for my post operative fixed focal length eyesight. I can make all adjustments using the EVF and the well placed controls. Coupled with the battery grip, it is heavy enough for good stability but still much lighter than my Canon5D2. I don't agree that the GH series isn't good for stills, generation for generation, they are as good as the Olympus models (I alternated between my GH3 and an OMD EM1 Mk 1 at an Olympus event), but the GH Series previously lacked IBIS which is undeniably useful. Then add on the class leading video capabilty for those that use it, the end result is a fully featured stills and video camera, with video features unmatched at the price. I would simply say that the GH5 shouldn't simply be dismissed as a videocentric camera, my GH3 has been great for stills in reasonable light. The GH5 will take 18mp 6K stills at 30 fps, a lot more useful than 4K photo resolution. It will be interesting to see a head to head comparison with the EM 1 Mk 2, especially focus performance. I would buy one once the price is much more affordable, although I note that I could buy almost two GH5 bodies for one Canon 5D4 at launch prices. My other 10% of camera use is a Lumix G7 and a Pen EPL5 as walk arounds. Note that the GH3 cost me a net £275 new after cashback so that I might just be a little biased!

My views on the usual M43 caveats. Anything I've tested so far isn't going to make a great sports and action camera and even ISOs of 3200 and certainly 6400 degrade the image too much on my exising cameras. M43 can't offer anything to compare with my Canon and Sigma 12-24mm combo for wide angle, unless it's a fisheye. I think low light images would be better captured by something like a Sony A7 than any M43 offering, but I have never used a Sony.

Overall, I think both the GH5 and EM1 Mk 2 are very exciting additions to the M43 world, subject to the rather too common quality control by end users. The GH5 makes the 5D4 video capabilities look plain silly, Canon invented the hybrid stills/video genre with the 5D2 and now that link is effectively broken with the disappointing 5D4 for videographers. In Canikon World, the beasts continue to slumber.
 
woof woof said:
Are you sure? My GX80 can't do it in manual mode. Is there a firmware update I'm not aware of?

DoF preview only works in manual on my later cameras (it worked in all modes on my G1 if I remember correctly) and it's clunky and nowhere near as good as the Sony implementation.
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Sorry I should have been clearer, it has been implemented in the GH5.

On a different note, here is one I'm quite pleased with from my GH4 with 45-150 at 150mm & iso 3200

P1040416 copy (Medium).jpg
 
Does anyone have a G80? I have seen the cashback offer and am tempted to swap my RX100 for a G80 and the kit lens and then invest in a prime for portraits. How is the camera for shooting say kids in action and environmental portraits? I was after a small CSC system that was decent in low light and could capture family moments well. The RX100 mk1 isn't too bad but can suffer at higher ISO or when I ramp up the shutter to 1/100+
 
HarveyM said:
My views on the usual M43 caveats. Anything I've tested so far isn't going to make a great sports and action camera and even ISOs of 3200 and certainly 6400 degrade the image too much on my exising cameras. M43 can't offer anything to compare with my Canon and Sigma 12-24mm combo for wide angle, unless it's a fisheye. I think low light images would be better captured by something like a Sony A7 than any M43 offering, but I have never used a Sony.
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It obviously depends on your own standards as to what's useable and what isn't. I use my MFT cameras at any ISO up to and including 25,600 and I usually find the results useable and especially if you give the gear some help by exposing to the right if at all possible or at least not boosting the exposure post capture, resizing for final output helps too as not every image absolutely needs to be full size and I think this is something that people forget - the final output and viewing should be kept in mind when choosing the gear and the settings. Certainly 3,200 and 6,400 should be useable with only routine care. Even my first generation G1 gave clean ISO 3200 final viewable pictures if care was taken when taking the shot.

Yes a Sony A7 is better (I have one) and you'll see the differences if you view the images side by side and most people would probably need to see the images side by side to see the MFT picture as being inferior.

Picking the Sigma for comparison is a difficult one as there are only a very small number of lenses in that range. I had one and loved it on my Canon DSLR bodies but in many instances the still very wide 7 or 8mm starting point of a couple of MFT wide zooms is more than adequate. Yes, I do know that 2 or 4mm at the wide end makes a difference but maybe this is another instance in which a normal person would need to be comparing images side by side to be dissatisfied with the MFT shot.
 
redlion said:
Does anyone have a G80? I have seen the cashback offer and am tempted to swap my RX100 for a G80 and the kit lens and then invest in a prime for portraits. How is the camera for shooting say kids in action and environmental portraits? I was after a small CSC system that was decent in low light and could capture family moments well. The RX100 mk1 isn't too bad but can suffer at higher ISO or when I ramp up the shutter to 1/100+
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Can't help other than say that I have the earlier G7 and it's a real little sports car of a camera and the fastest and most responsive camera I've ever used. Dunno about tracking kids as I'm strictly a one focus point single shot shooter. A couple of things which could help with family moments and environmental portraits are the new shutter and the ability to select the electronic shutter for silent shooting or leave it up to the camera to select between electronic and mechanical shutter. Be aware though that using the electronic shutter in environments with flickering lights can lead to banding which can be pretty much shot ruining. The good news is that you can often actually detect flickering in the EVF when it isn't visible to the unaided eye.
 
@woof woof thanks for that. I was mean to say the GX80 which after cashback is £329. The G80 is a lot more expensive and got the models mixed up. In the past I had the G3 and 20mm 1.7 but found a bit big to have with me always hence got the RX100 but finding some serious limitations with it from time to time.

The video features also seem decent.

The GX80 seems a decent size given the smaller kit lens.

I had also looked into the Fuji XT10 and XT1 but don't really want big lenses.
 
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Ah, Panny model numbers. Gotta love em :D

I have a GX80 and it's a good camera. the EVF could be better though. Which kit lens is it? I have the 14-42mm Mega OIS, it's prime lens small and useable wide open. It also has a quiet shutter and the auto electronic / mechanical shutter option.
 
The kit lens is the Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. This would be poor indoor and for action shots but would suffice on days out with the family. I would need to pick up a decent prime to get something with more pop such as the 15mm 1.7 or Oly 45.

I have heard about the EVF being a bit underpar but it would be a bonus outdoors.

I had considered getting the MK3 RX100 but the GX80 price just seems ridiculous.
 
Is the 12-32mm the one without a focus ring? If it is that would rule it out for me.
 
Indeed it has no focusing ring. It would mainly be used in P&S mode by the Mrs and then I have the prime to tinker with but at moment being suckered in by the cashback offer.
 
It would put me off as sometimes the camera will focus on the wrong thing or maybe fail to focus at all and with no focus ring you can't take over and DIY.
 
Hi All

does the panasonic gx80 have internal storage.
my camera will arrive before the SD card and i want to try it out

thanks
 
No, you need a card.

Can you borrow one from someone until yours arrives? Almost everyone seems to have devices that take cards these days. If all else fails just buy the cheapest one you come across in your local shop.
 
HarveyM said:
I use my GH3 for 90% of my stills photography, often for studio based work. It's the best camera I own and I love it for the ease of handling, a mostly good menu system and an EVF that is very good for my post operative fixed focal length eyesight. I can make all adjustments using the EVF and the well placed controls. Coupled with the battery grip, it is heavy enough for good stability but still much lighter than my Canon5D2. I don't agree that the GH series isn't good for stills,.
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That was interesting Harvey.
I too like the GH3 EVF and I'm very experienced with many different EVFs.
I think my old GH3 is my best Panasonic camera for stills quality, however I suspect that is down to it being the only Panasonic which (probably) uses the sensor found in many contemporary Olympus cameras like the E-M5 etc.
 
It's ok, I will wait until tomorrow for the SD card

Had a quick look at the camera.
Slight mark on the screen, no screen protector film like you get on films for the touch screen. Can you confirm if new ones come with this, as this is new.

Also the lens was attached to the camera already , turned camera on and battery on 2 bar so stuck it on charge.

Anyway to check the shutter counter so I can make sure it's new as slight Mark on screen, no film on it. Charger not sealed. Just want to make sure this wasn't a repacked Job that I have read happen previously
Hopefully my concerns can be put to bed

Thanks
 
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techmob said:
It's ok, I will wait until tomorrow for the SD card

Had a quick look at the camera.
Slight mark on the screen, no screen protector film like you get on films for the touch screen. Can you confirm if new ones come with this, as this is new.

Also the lens was attached to the camera already , turned camera on and battery on 2 bar so stuck it on charge.

Anyway to check the shutter counter so I can make sure it's new as slight Mark on screen, no film on it. Charger not sealed. Just want to make sure this wasn't a repacked Job that I have read happen previously
Hopefully my concerns can be put to bed

Thanks
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Yeah mine came the same way. Where did you buy yours?
 
techmob said:
It's ok, I will wait until tomorrow for the SD card

Had a quick look at the camera.
Slight mark on the screen, no screen protector film like you get on films for the touch screen. Can you confirm if new ones come with this, as this is new.

Also the lens was attached to the camera already , turned camera on and battery on 2 bar so stuck it on charge. It asked me to open the lens so I did.
I can't retract it now, any ideas?

Anyway ti check the shutter counter so I can make sure it's new as slight Mark on screen, no film on it. Charger not sealed. Just want to make sure this wasn't a repacked Job that I have read happen previously
Hopefully my concerns can be put to bed

Thanks
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Did it have tape on the box? Both my Gx80 and G80 did. No screen protector and the lens does come mounted to the camera.

To collapse the lens turn it beyond the 12, there should be a line which aligns to the bottom one.

Google how to find the shutter count, it's not simple and requires quite a few button presses!
 
Hi guys
Park cameras I got it from. I did a google on them prior and on this forum reported used as new etc.
So had that in my mind when inspecting it.
I can live with a little mark on the LCD for the money I paid as long as new but I won't be happy with a used as new

The box did have tape on it. I have see. How to get in to service menu, I will debat it as not a good place to be poking around just yet.

I managed to collapse lens, I was being to delicate and didn't realise the resistance on moving it to the line was ok to go through "feel the force"

Hopefully will be able to take it out for a spin on the weekend. Looks like a bit of a learning curve for me with all the funky settings

Noticed when I used the viewfinder my check was touching the touch screen and making selections. Do you guys use the screen or view finder or both depending on situation
Cheers
 
redlion said:
Does anyone have a G80? I have seen the cashback offer and am tempted to swap my RX100 for a G80 and the kit lens and then invest in a prime for portraits. How is the camera for shooting say kids in action and environmental portraits? I was after a small CSC system that was decent in low light and could capture family moments well. The RX100 mk1 isn't too bad but can suffer at higher ISO or when I ramp up the shutter to 1/100+
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This is a shot from my G7 and 25mm F1.7 lens of my dog running at top speed (about 30 mph Google says). It's a crop, shot at F1.7, 1/1250 sec and ISO 100. The G80 followed the G7.

View attachment 93234
 
I made a mistake and moved away from my Panasonics for a few months. After my 2nd m43 camera in a year decided to stop working I decided to try a Fuji set up. There's no negatives about the Fuji from me but I never felt comfortable with it. So I'm sheepishly coming back to Panasonic. I had my G6/GM1 for years with no issues and one day I decided to upgrade to an Oly e-m5 that's stabilisation stopped working, then a G7 which had a hotshoe failure. Obviously I decided to move back once the Panasonic cashback deals have ended!

Since I've been away I see the GX80 and G80 have came out. I'm thinking the GX80 should be perfect. I'm not worried about autofocus/dynamic range as they've been excellent for awhile now, but I'm just wondering if anyone can say if the newer Panasonics have better auto white balance? I found the G6 to be pretty awful, the G7/Gm1 was slightly nicer. I'm fine with Lightroom and 'shop but I do prefer a good base white balance to work with.

Is anyone using the Oly 14-150 ii with their stabilised Panasonics? Does it provide decent enough stabilisation at 150mm? Infact, a general question - Do you see the effects of the in body stabilisation through the EVF in the GX80?

Thanks.
 
Been stuck in since Christmas but got out yesterday, GX8 100-400mm

P1110451.jpg
 
Just to illustrate some good MFT aspects, GX7 with 12-35mm f2.8 which is a combination I haven't used before but it worked very well.

The light when there was any was dead, flat and just awful...



The tilty screen comes in very handy for some shots as does the tilty EVF...



Vicious attacking beastie! What is it???? I tried to put him in the sea but he kept attacking me.



And to show some file latitude here I exposed for the grey sky...



and then used a lot of fill light...



IMO that's quite an impressive result after such heavy processing, 100% crop...



I didn't get any real keepers as the light was so bad and at times I couldn't tell where the land or sea stopped and the sky began but I like the beastie record shot and some seaweed shots.

An awful day for taking pictures.

 
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Micehorns said:
I made a mistake and moved away from my Panasonics for a few months. After my 2nd m43 camera in a year decided to stop working I decided to try a Fuji set up. There's no negatives about the Fuji from me but I never felt comfortable with it. So I'm sheepishly coming back to Panasonic. I had my G6/GM1 for years with no issues and one day I decided to upgrade to an Oly e-m5 that's stabilisation stopped working, then a G7 which had a hotshoe failure. Obviously I decided to move back once the Panasonic cashback deals have ended!

Since I've been away I see the GX80 and G80 have came out. I'm thinking the GX80 should be perfect. I'm not worried about autofocus/dynamic range as they've been excellent for awhile now, but I'm just wondering if anyone can say if the newer Panasonics have better auto white balance? I found the G6 to be pretty awful, the G7/Gm1 was slightly nicer. I'm fine with Lightroom and 'shop but I do prefer a good base white balance to work with.

Is anyone using the Oly 14-150 ii with their stabilised Panasonics? Does it provide decent enough stabilisation at 150mm? Infact, a general question - Do you see the effects of the in body stabilisation through the EVF in the GX80?

Thanks.
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Did you chose already?
I'm also tempted by the GX80 but even more so by the G80. On the other hand I'm not a videographer but I could see myself using the 4k photo modes. Other than that my old E-M10 is still the perfect fit for me. I'm only missing the electronic shutter unfortunately. And according to benchmarks it has less noise than the Pannys. So maybe I'll just skip that upgrade and stick to my current guns...
 
Beginning to wish I had got a G80 and 12-60 instead of my G7 and 14-140
 
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