grebeman
Old Codgers Group
- Name
- Barrie
In a recent thread I started I made mention of the fact that I had just started to take photographs with a Panasonic G6 camera and one respondant asked for my thoughts on the handling and ergonomics of the camera, so here are a few initial thoughts.
I won't offer any on the image quality, dynamic range and the like, technical reviewers are better placed to make such observations, nor will I discuss the jpeg output. I started into digital photography many years ago and vowed that as soon as I could I'd get a camera that enabled me to shoot in raw, and so I haven't taken a jpeg image since then (a secondhand Olympus E-10 was my entry into the world of raw with raw shooter essentials as my software).
I've come to the G6 via a G1 and a GH2, both of which I still have.
The grip on the G6 is a little broader than that on the G1 or GH2, so it's a little more comfortable to hold with my big hands and long fingers.
I seem to be able to inadvertantly activate some of the function buttons on the rear of the G6, more so than on either the G1 or GH2. I've noted that the folded LCD screen is virtually flush with the rear of the G6 body whereas it stands rather prouder of the body on either the G1 or GH2 and can't help but wonder if that holds my thumb and hence the ball of the hand just that tiny bit further away from the body and sufficiently clear of the various buttons to lessen the chance of operating them from the action of holding the camera.
The positions of the quick menu and playback buttons have been reversed on the G6 compared to the GH2 which is rather annoying.
There is no “my menu” screen in the menu of the G6 which I regret although each individual menu, i.e “custom”, “set up” etc when called up remembers the last action which might lessen the need to scroll through the menus to find a frequently used one.
I find the menu interface slightly more consumer orientated than on the GH2 which looks a little more professional, but that is just a personal thing really.
There are more function buttons on the G6 and their assignments can be altered although they tend to be engraved with the default assignment so when they are altered that becomes meaningless and might be slightly misleading. The first I reassigned was the WiFi button Fn4. I have no use whatsoever for WiFi and assigned it to focus mode, much more useful than being on the touch screen where it is by default. Likewise I assigned Fn3 to the spirit level, again more useful here than on the touch screen. With my liking for maritime and seascape photographs I can see the spirit level being very useful
I find that being able to assign EV compensation to the zoom rocker switch located just behind the shutter release very convenient, then the f stop can remain on the control wheel full time and there is no need to push in that wheel to change between f stop and EV compensation, it often seems to be the case that the wrong one is selected when you want to alter it.
The G6 also switches automatically to manual focus mode when an adapted lens is fitted.
One thing I was keen on was the provision of focus peaking as an aid to focus adapted manual focus lenses. So far I've found it to be rather variable in its effectiveness, it needs contrasting edges in the subject for the blue shimmering edges to show up well in the viewfinder. Therefore I'm not sure how useful it will be for macro photography where some subjects lack those contrasting edges.
I do wonder if however it might be useful as a means of judging depth of field of a stopped down lens in landscape photography and the like since there is a peak of shimmering at the point of actual focus distance and then a tapering off of its effect either side of that, so for example in a landscape it seems to be possible with the lens focus set so that the distant object contrast edge is just shimmering, somewhere closer to the camera is shimmering fully and then something closer is again just faintly shimmering should be an indication of depth of field. I need to try this out further to determine if it has some value.
I stress that these are my very initial and totally non technical observations made with just a short association with the G6, I hope they might be judged as some value to forum members. This is a totally new venture for me to pass comments of this nature, I usually keep such observations to myself and get on and use what is presented to me, not wishing to influence others in any way whatsoever, so buyer beware.
Barrie
I won't offer any on the image quality, dynamic range and the like, technical reviewers are better placed to make such observations, nor will I discuss the jpeg output. I started into digital photography many years ago and vowed that as soon as I could I'd get a camera that enabled me to shoot in raw, and so I haven't taken a jpeg image since then (a secondhand Olympus E-10 was my entry into the world of raw with raw shooter essentials as my software).
I've come to the G6 via a G1 and a GH2, both of which I still have.
The grip on the G6 is a little broader than that on the G1 or GH2, so it's a little more comfortable to hold with my big hands and long fingers.
I seem to be able to inadvertantly activate some of the function buttons on the rear of the G6, more so than on either the G1 or GH2. I've noted that the folded LCD screen is virtually flush with the rear of the G6 body whereas it stands rather prouder of the body on either the G1 or GH2 and can't help but wonder if that holds my thumb and hence the ball of the hand just that tiny bit further away from the body and sufficiently clear of the various buttons to lessen the chance of operating them from the action of holding the camera.
The positions of the quick menu and playback buttons have been reversed on the G6 compared to the GH2 which is rather annoying.
There is no “my menu” screen in the menu of the G6 which I regret although each individual menu, i.e “custom”, “set up” etc when called up remembers the last action which might lessen the need to scroll through the menus to find a frequently used one.
I find the menu interface slightly more consumer orientated than on the GH2 which looks a little more professional, but that is just a personal thing really.
There are more function buttons on the G6 and their assignments can be altered although they tend to be engraved with the default assignment so when they are altered that becomes meaningless and might be slightly misleading. The first I reassigned was the WiFi button Fn4. I have no use whatsoever for WiFi and assigned it to focus mode, much more useful than being on the touch screen where it is by default. Likewise I assigned Fn3 to the spirit level, again more useful here than on the touch screen. With my liking for maritime and seascape photographs I can see the spirit level being very useful
I find that being able to assign EV compensation to the zoom rocker switch located just behind the shutter release very convenient, then the f stop can remain on the control wheel full time and there is no need to push in that wheel to change between f stop and EV compensation, it often seems to be the case that the wrong one is selected when you want to alter it.
The G6 also switches automatically to manual focus mode when an adapted lens is fitted.
One thing I was keen on was the provision of focus peaking as an aid to focus adapted manual focus lenses. So far I've found it to be rather variable in its effectiveness, it needs contrasting edges in the subject for the blue shimmering edges to show up well in the viewfinder. Therefore I'm not sure how useful it will be for macro photography where some subjects lack those contrasting edges.
I do wonder if however it might be useful as a means of judging depth of field of a stopped down lens in landscape photography and the like since there is a peak of shimmering at the point of actual focus distance and then a tapering off of its effect either side of that, so for example in a landscape it seems to be possible with the lens focus set so that the distant object contrast edge is just shimmering, somewhere closer to the camera is shimmering fully and then something closer is again just faintly shimmering should be an indication of depth of field. I need to try this out further to determine if it has some value.
I stress that these are my very initial and totally non technical observations made with just a short association with the G6, I hope they might be judged as some value to forum members. This is a totally new venture for me to pass comments of this nature, I usually keep such observations to myself and get on and use what is presented to me, not wishing to influence others in any way whatsoever, so buyer beware.
Barrie