Any "love" for Panasonic m4/3 gear?

[dirk]

:z04_discosmilie:

Make sure that you check the firmware version of the body and both lenses. Otherwise the Dual IS does not work and some other enhancements...


Body version should be 1.2., both zooms version 1.1.

See screenshot

Link to the Panasonic firmware page:

http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index2.html?=

 

[rronaldson]

@dirk

I have checked the firmware versions of the camera and lenses. I had to update the camera's firmware but the lenses were OK. Thanks for that firmware link.

 

[dirk]

I will add some tips in the MFT/ MicroFourThirds forum later on regarding GX80 settings. The common pitfalls I went through....

 

[rronaldson]

I will add some tips in the MFT/ MicroFourThirds forum later on regarding GX80 settings. The common pitfalls I went through....

That will be very useful. I'm afraid that my plans to go out and use the camera have been scuppered for this week but I have the whole of next week free. To change the subject completely, why do Panasonic make the serial numbers on their lenses so difficult to read? I have to use a magnifying glass and a torch (flashlight) to read them and even then I'm not sure that I've read them correctly.

 

[dirk]

why do Panasonic make the serial numbers on their lenses so difficult to read? I have to use a magnifying glass and a torch (flashlight) to read them and even then I'm not sure that I've read them correctly

I do not know. But I agree, it is really annoying. Even worse, the call them so similar H-HS or H-FS etc. Terrible...

Here is the link to the settings-thread of the GX80/GX85:

https://www.camera-info.com/threads/panasonic-lumix-gx80-gx85-settings.11278/

 

[petersm]

That will be very useful. I'm afraid that my plans to go out and use the camera have been scuppered for this week but I have the whole of next week free. To change the subject completely, why do Panasonic make the serial numbers on their lenses so difficult to read? I have to use a magnifying glass and a torch (flashlight) to read them and even then I'm not sure that I've read them correctly.

If you use Adobe Bridge or Lightroom the metadata info tab will give you the lens serial number, camera too. Look for Camera Data (Exif) and scroll down.

 

[afshalders]

Yes !!! I had two Olympus Om-D E-M10 and E-M5. Cute cameras, well made BUT Olympus have the most annoying menu system of the universe, sometimes with uo to five sublevels and nonsense icons. The touch interface (super control panel) is terrible, you need to touch AND use physical controls to set things ! Also, it's very easy to change settings by mistake.

On the other side, Panasonic did very well on its first launch that used touch controls, the G2. It has plenty of good physical buttons, levers and dials for direct access to the most important settings.

In the end, I sold my Olympus and got another MFT Panasonic, a G7.

The Panasonic kit zooms are much better than Oly's. I have the original 14-45 G from the GF1 and a 14-42 G power zoom. I had some other lenses but sold everything else and I'm using some old good manual focus lenses with the Panas and Fujis.

Also have a LX100 and it's superb !

 

[biggles3]

I have little interest in their cameras as my Olympus E-M1 III provides more than I need as a stills photographer (its IS is unbelievably good!) but I am very impressed with my Lumix Leica 10-25 f1.7 zoom lens. Olympus has nothing like it and it's incredibly sharp throughout its range. A truly exceptional piece of glass.

 

[afshalders]

Hello.
The last Panasonic I acquired was a combo from B&H on 2019 black friday, a GX85 with two lenses the 12-32 and 45-150, but I also have a LX100, a GX7 and a venerable G2. Add to this some lenses from Olympus and Panasonic. I also had two Olys E-M10, EMP2, EPL2 and other ones.

What I like from the Olys is the external design and knobs placement, but I sincerely think that the menus asre simply disgusting. They are over complicated without any reason for this. Even the touch interface from Olympus is horrible, sometimes you need to use touch AND keys/dials to set things.

In the other hand, Panasonic menus are clear and intuitive and the touch interface very consistent.
The image quality of both brands are very equivalent, specially if you shoot raw and do the post processing using a decent program, like DxO Photolab.

In the past, when Oly and Pana had only in-lens or in-body stabilization, they were very clore in stabilization performance, but IBIS from Oly had a clear advantage when using old manual focus legacy lenses. Then Oly came with 5 axis IBIS that put Pana well behind it in this aspect. But now Pana's IBIS is equivalent to Oly's.

One thing that Panasonic master is VIDEO. If you make videos, Panasonic 4K is fantastic, specially from GH5.

 

[dirk]

I have also the Lumix Gx80/85 and Im am very satisfied with it. Unfortunately Olympus really missed the opportunity to improve their usermenu. The usability is really subpar in this regard.

This will not improve in the future as the camera part of Olympus will be sold this year and I highly doubt that the new owner will invest any significant money in it.

So I hope that Lumix will think in the future also about a camera style like i.e. the Olympus Pen-F, since Olympus will not do this anymore.