"Panasonic G series" Owners Thread

michael23 said:
Alan, the pics of the rokkor look really good, some nice colour reproduction there.
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It's my 6th Rokkor and they've all been pretty much faultless on MFT. This 35mm f2.8 cost me £40, I'd have liked the f1.8 but there don't seem to be any about.
 
Simon

Just tested the wi-fi connection by setting the camera up in our dining room and moving into the living room - they phone and camera were about 25ft apart with an internal wall between them and it worked perfectly

srhmoto said:
Dave,

Out of interest, how far away can you move from the camera and still use your phobe to control the camera?

Cheers,

Simon.
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daveproctor said:
Simon

Just tested the wi-fi connection by setting the camera up in our dining room and moving into the living room - they phone and camera were about 25ft apart with an internal wall between them and it worked perfectly
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Cheers for that Dave :)

Simon.
 
Nice to hear you thoughts, Dave.
I'm heading into Chelmsford next week so I'm going to pop into Camera World and see if they have one to play with. I'm not looking to upgrade as I've only just switched from the GF3 to the GF5, but I want to see it in the flesh anyway.
I've still got the GF3 as I'm trying to sell it, but not getting any interest anywhere. I may see what CW will offer in PX for it against a lens or something.
 
Hello

I am thinking of swapping my Dslr for a compact system - I was tempted before but really do fancy the smaller lighter system offered by the Panasonic range.

A viewfinder is a must and I will be selling my d5100 to fund it - I don't want to lose much in picture quality either.

The G6 looks ideal but is still a bit pricey so have been looking at the G3 and G5 - can anyone advise which is the best to go for ?

Thanks
 
Well, my G6 arrived from Wex Photographic today. I ordered the body only kit, and think I got in just in time as they are now showing it as being out of stock again. I won't have access to a PC until tomorrow evening (its away being repaired), and I won't have any photos to share until Friday but I thought I would give some initial impressions.

To start with, it's a handsome thing! That might seem a strange thing to say, but it just looks right and I think Panasonic really have done a good job with the cameras design. It feels lighter in the hand than you might expect looking at it, but it still feels very well constructed with very tight seams and shut lines. The grip fits my hand like a glove and felt very comfortable, much like the G5s that I've handled.

The EVF is excellent. I have been using an NEX-7 lately and from my initial 'playing' it doesn't lose out on anything compared to that cameras higher resolution EVF. More on this when I have used it in anger, but first impressions are favourable. Colours appear accurate, and I am not aware of any smearing when using it. It is a huge step forward compared to my GH2.

The new touchscreen is a joy to use. High resolution, and easily as responsive as the screens on my Samsung Smartphone and iPad. I can only imagine how good the viewing of captured images will be using it compared to my GH2.

I've had a brief skim through the menus and put a basic set up on to the camera. There is a huge amount of customisation available which is a good thing :) . I imagine I will continue to tweak this as I use the camera more.

So far, focus peaking seems to be implemented at least as well as the NEX-7. It lacks some of the options of the NEX (peaking colour, intensity), but it is extremely easy to see and so far I've not had to do too much fine tuning once I've focused using peaking. This I need to explore more. It could be down to the much better CDAF that the G series has compared to Sony. If it is, then peaking just got a whole more usable for us legacy lens users. More experimentation needed over the weekend.

Finally, the WiFi functionality is a doddle to use. I was shooting remotely from my iPad in under 30 seconds, and at close range the response time to changes happening on the camera but made on the iPad was pretty much instantaneous. It took a little longer to set my Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone up, and it was a bit more laggy in operation, but still very usable.

So far so good :D . You'll have to bear with my for photos, as I'll be re setting up my repaired computer after work tomorrow but I am off on Friday so I'll put it through its paces properly then. In the meantime, fire away with any questions and I'll try to answer them the best I can.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
I have a quick question for you please.
When using the evf can you use the rear screen to display shooting info. I can do this on my g2 and find it quite handy.
Thanks
Matt.
 
srhmoto said:
Well, my G6 arrived from Wex Photographic today............In the meantime, fire away with any questions and I'll try to answer them the best I can.

Cheers,

Simon.
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I've an evf question too. Using old glass on my g1 I can't see anything through the evf at all if im doing strobust stuff I have to use another light source to focus, switch it off and shoot and hope! How does he G6 cope in this situation? I realise that they have come along way since the arrival of the G1 but does it really work in low light? Does focus peakung work in low light with legacy lenses?
 
Focus peaking needs contrast to work. It is therefore very lens, light and subject depending. It is not a magic bullet and if you want to be sure of critical focus you will need to zoom in. To that end, its almost impossible to answer your question. However, in my experience focus peaking is most useful and accurate when using high quality telephoto lenses.

I also don't do any strobist work or shoot in the conditions you describe so I can't really help you or have any reference point to compare against.

As a point of note, I'm not into testing this or that. I'll happily feedback how I find the camera under the real world conditions I shoot in, but I'm not interested and nor do I have the time to stage specific tests or conditions. Sorry.

Simon.
 
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srhmoto said:
As a point of note, I'm not into testing this or that. I'll happily feedback how I find the camera under the real world conditions I shoot in, but I'm not interested and nor do I have the time to stage specific tests or conditions. Sorry.

Simon.
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I was only asking what it was like in low light!

Thanks for the peaking feedback
 
Your viewfinder will be dark because it's simulating exposure according to your settings and isn't aware of your off-camera flash. If you're shooting at say Iso 100, F11 and 1/125 the camera will simulate an under-exposed image but the flash will fire and control the light.

I believe some of the Sony DSLRs will compensate the viewfinder to show an image whatever settings you use but my NEX won't.

Cheers
Steve
 
rugeyes said:
I was only asking what it was like in low light!

Thanks for the peaking feedback
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And I was only saying I don't do testing :)

Focus peaking is good but what it highlights is areas of high contrast not necessarily what isin focus. Now more often than not high contrast goes hand in hand with focus but not always. Hence for critical focus you really do need to zoom in to check and adjust as necessary.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
I use focus peaking on my Nex and find it pretty accurate. Mirrorless bodies use Contrast Detect AF (CDAF) to focus automatically hence rely on contrast edges to identify focus areas. When the body highlights an edge using peaking, that should be the focus point.

Steve
 
stevelmx5 said:
I use focus peaking on my Nex and find it pretty accurate. Mirrorless bodies use Contrast Detect AF (CDAF) to focus automatically hence rely on contrast edges to identify focus areas. When the body highlights an edge using peaking, that should be the focus point.

Steve
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Pretty accurate describes it well, but pretty accurate is not accurate. I've been using peaking on an NEX-7 and just couldn't trust peaking to give me critical focus what and how I shoot. Gets you very nearly there but not always all the way there.
 
I obviously don't know what you're shooting but I tend to shoot with an OM 50/1.4 so dof is thin and have no issues? I also shoot macro using it and get good results so maybe I've just been lucky.

Steve
 
Very nice set Simon, what lens did you use on them? Also how did the af perform during tracking.

Also I e-mailed panasonic the other day asking why I couldn't find the new 14-42 listed anywhere and that I couldn't find a price either. A reply this morning stated it is out of stock on our online shops for the time being and they will get back to me when they know more.
 
michael23 said:
Very nice set Simon, what lens did you use on them? Also how did the af perform during tracking.
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Can't comment on the AF tracking, as these were all taken with an old manual focus Tokina 300mm f2.8 lens in Canon FD mount.

Glad you like the photos :)

Simon.
 
Guys, is there anyone here with G5?
I have GF1 and I'm planning to sell it and buy G5 with 45-150 (already have 20mm).

Any issues? Is it worth changing from GF1?
Please let me know your opinion on G5...
 
Any guesses when the price of the G6 will come down ?

I'm really tempted to spend the extra over a G5 but don't want them to reduce the price massively afte I've bought one !
 
G5 is great value right now (best selling camera on amazon.com), the G6 is not a huge step up, with the same sensor (I'd hope the G6 is the last body to use that sensor now is its getting old). My G5 has served me well since getting it at release last year.
 
ShrubMonkey said:
G5 is great value right now (best selling camera on amazon.com), the G6 is not a huge step up, with the same sensor (I'd hope the G6 is the last body to use that sensor now is its getting old). My G5 has served me well since getting it at release last year.
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Yup, and that's why I'll be missing this latest "upgrade." Panasonic seem to be asleep and whilst other CSC manufacturers seem to be striving for cutting edge and while Oly puts the "Sony" chip in more cameras the G6 gets yet another warmed over spec. Not good enough :thumbsdown: and will be due for a bargan price in a few months.
 
woof woof said:
Yup, and that's why I'll be missing this latest "upgrade." Panasonic seem to be asleep and whilst other CSC manufacturers seem to be striving for cutting edge and while Oly puts the "Sony" chip in more cameras the G6 gets yet another warmed over spec. Not good enough :thumbsdown: and will be due for a bargan price in a few months.
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I accept those points but the G6 has a couple of features I really want - panoramic mode and wifi for starters.

But it's so much more than the G5 :(
 
It's a shame that the features don't come in a package that aims for the top.

Ignoring Samsung, as many do... Fuji, Sony and Olympus all market products which seem to be vying for the cutting edge whilst Panasonic to date only have one model which can, the GH3, and that camera isn't my idea of what I bought into with Micro Four Thirds.

There's a place in the market for ho-hum me too products at a good price and for me that's what everything Panasonic market at the moment except for the GH3 is but what I've been waiting for is a cutting edge small form product from Panasonic and it just isn't available :thumbsdown:
 
I've just got myself a G6 and thought long and hard about whether to get it or a G5. In the end, I went for the G6 due to the improved OLED EVF, the improved rear screen (both resolution and touchscreen implementation), WiFi / NFC capability, focus peaking and the design / size that just fits my hand perfectly.

The fact that it doesn't have the latest and greatest sensor doesn't really bother me, as the output is more than good enough for how and what I photograph. Heck, my GH2 output is still plenty good enough. Other peoples requirements will vary, but I would rather take the much improved functionality and usability at this price point than pay a premium for the latest sensor that would be way beyond my needs.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
Sorry for being hard on the camera and Panasonic.

What I've been waiting for is a CSC system capable of replacing my 5D and it's frustrating for me that Panasonic are so far behind the curve now, in fact they seem to have exited the top end CSC market. Perhaps they just don't have the finances to compete.

Looks like for my wants and needs I just bought into the wrong manufacturer system (Panasonic.)
 
srhmoto said:
but I would rather take the much improved functionality and usability at this price point than pay a premium for the latest sensor that would be way beyond my needs.
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An interesting way of thinking about it. What the new sensor gives is more dynamic range - I'd have thought we'd all find that useful. I know you do a lot of car shots where maybe the sky isn't in shot, but do you not find blown highlights in any shots (it's the reason I'm thinking of getting a GH3...)

I agree with others sentiments that Panasonic missed an opportunity to put the GH3 sensor in a lower priced body though.
 
woof woof said:
Sorry for being hard on the camera and Panasonic.

What I've been waiting for is a CSC system capable of replacing my 5D and it's frustrating for me that Panasonic are so far behind the curve now, in fact they seem to have exited the top end CSC market. Perhaps they just don't have the finances to compete.

Looks like for my wants and needs I just bought into the wrong manufacturer system (Panasonic.)
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so far behind the curve ?

why what other camera does what the G6 does at that weight and size ?

I'm interested as I'm about to buy one !
 
Well...

Make a list of CSC's and place them in order of potential still image quality and where will it come? My guess is that it'll come near the bottom of releases in the last year or so and even be behind some that have been out longer.

I appreciate that it's a nice package and it has nice features and all that does count but what I find hard to forgive is the lack of ambition. It's just not aiming to be one of the top runners... it's aiming to be nearly there... but with no intention of genuinely fighting for a top spot as far as I can see.

It'll be better than my G1, but if buying purely on potential still image quality I doubt that anyone would place the G6 top would they? Personally if pursuing my goal of finding a CSC to replace my 5D offerings from Sony, Fuji and Olympus would be higher on the list.
 
arad85 said:
An interesting way of thinking about it. What the new sensor gives is more dynamic range - I'd have thought we'd all find that useful. I know you do a lot of car shots where maybe the sky isn't in shot, but do you not find blown highlights in any shots (it's the reason I'm thinking of getting a GH3...)

I agree with others sentiments that Panasonic missed an opportunity to put the GH3 sensor in a lower priced body though.
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Hi Andy,

If I expose correctly, I have very few issues with blown highlights much as any camera I've ever owned. For sure, you'll lose specular highlights, but other than that no, I've never found my Panasonic cameras wanting in that area for what I shoot.

For sure additional dynamic range will always be welcome, but I wouldn't sacrifice the other functionality of the G6 for it, nor be prepared to pay a premium price which it absolutely would command.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
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woof woof said:
Well...

Make a list of CSC's and place them in order of potential still image quality and where will it come? My guess is that it'll come near the bottom of releases in the last year or so and even be behind some that have been out longer.

I appreciate that it's a nice package and it has nice features and all that does count but what I find hard to forgive is the lack of ambition. It's just not aiming to be one of the top runners... it's aiming to be nearly there... but with no intention of genuinely fighting for a top spot as far as I can see.

It'll be better than my G1, but if buying purely on potential still image quality I doubt that anyone would place the G6 top would they? Personally if pursuing my goal of finding a CSC to replace my 5D offerings from Sony, Fuji and Olympus would be higher on the list.
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As with everything in life, its a compromise. I've just sold an NEX-7 to move to the G6. The IQ out of the NEX-7 was superb, but ergonomically it was awful and to be honest felt more like an electronic gadget then a camera. While their lens selection is growing, they just can't live with m4/3 for the depth of quality that's available now. Fuji has amazing IQ, but a terrible AF system in anything but good light. Given its rangefinder design I could well imagine its ergonomics for me anyway would be no good. Olympus have some nice cameras, but as I want a built in EVF, that gives me a choice of one. I don't like the handling of the OMD without the grip, and factoring in the cost of that on to an already more expensive camera, then the increase in real world IQ for what I shoot makes it too expensive to justify. The GH3 is just a little too big and a whole pile too expensive for me as well.

So balancing that with what I said above makes the G6 the best camera for me at this point in time. I'm prepared to compromise on not having the latest and greatest sensor to get the right design, packaging and functionality.

Cheers,

Simon.
 
woof woof - please suggest a camera with better image quality than the G6 that has the following - I'm not being funny but as Ive said earlier I'm looking to buy a G6

1) Must be small and lighter than a DSLR
2) Must have an EVF
3) Must have similar handling properties to an DSLR
4) Must be able to take high quality images
5) Must have a good range of lightweight lens
6) Must be around £500

Also the following are very desirable for me

1) Variable angle screen
2) Panoramic mode
3) wi-fi connection

thanks
 
I can see your logic. I just have the two priorities, I'm looking for the best mix of image quality in a small form package. Handling is quite far down the list as I only shoot for fun and can take my time and even focus performance may not matter too much as I mostly shoot static things with manual lenses.

I'm leaning more towards the Nex 6 the only downside for me being not being able to turn the screen to the body, that's a feature than no RF style camera has (except the RD1.) I may give Panasonic another year wake up and show some ambition or I may give up and go back to SLR's.
 
justa1972 said:
woof woof - please suggest a camera with better image quality than the G6...
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Just about anything from Sony, Fuji or Olympus and maybe Samsung too.

We've each got to make our own choices and although I've been on a few rants lately about the direction CSC's and Panasonic in particular are going in I think I've always made clear that it's all IMVHO and others are free to make their own choices, including you :D
 
I have no idea.

I haven't looked at Samsung as they don't appear to be on sale with 200 miles of me. Neither do Fuji's for that matter.

If you're interested you should read a few reviews, study the spec and maybe download some files to look at. What I have spotted is that some Samsung bodies and lenses seem to be able to be had for a bargain on line.
 
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