Camera Menus
The GF2's menus have been given a cosmetic makeover, and reordered and rearranged in a more logical fashion. On first pressing 'Menu' you reach a new opening screen (again with a strangely familiar look to it) that gives button-driven access to the mode selection window. The not-much-loved 'My Menu' of most-recently used items has been discarded, presumably because it wouldn't fit on that initial screen.
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The first press of the menu button brings you to this opening screen. Five buttons correspond to Panasonic's standard menu tabs (with My Menu removed), the other brings up the Exposure Mode selection screen. You can tap these buttons to enter the respective menu section, but after that you have to use the 4-way controller to change settings. |
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The menus proper will look familiar to existing Panasonic owners, just a bit more colourful. Compared to the GF1 they're re-ordered and rationalized, with a few additional options thrown in relating to the camera's touch screen controls. There are 22 pages in all, divided into five categories: Record, Motion Picture, Custom Menu, Setup, and Playback. |
Record menu
The record menu is very similar ito the GF1. There are a couple of additions - the GF2 gains Panasonic's Intelligent Resolution feature, and the 'M' 2.6fps with Live View first seen on the G2. Notable by their absence, though, are Flash Sync (first / second curtain) and Flash Adjust options; the GF2 also loses the GF1's ability to add voice notes to (JPEG) images. In this table and all those that follow the * indicates a material change over the last generation (we haven't marked all the menu items that have moved).
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| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Aspect Ratio | • 4:3 • 3:2 • 16:9 • 1:1 |
- 4000 x 3000/2816 x 2112/2048 x 153 - 4000 x 2652/2816 x 1880/2048 x 1360 - 4000 x 2248/2816 x 1584/1920 x 1080 - 2992 x 2992/2112 x 2112/1504 x 1504 |
| Picture Size | • Large • Medium • Small |
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| Quality | • Fine • Standard • RAW + Fine • RAW + Standard • RAW |
RAW mode stores only the maximum number of pixels of your chosen aspect ratio, not necessarily the entire sensor. |
| Face Recognition | • Off • On • Memory • Set |
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| Focus Mode * | • AFS • AFC • MF |
Newly-added to menu (controlled by external button on GF1) |
| Quick AF | • Off • On |
Quick AF will try to achieve focus when it detects the camera is being held steadily |
| Metering Mode | • Multiple • Center weighted • Spot |
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| Flash | • Auto • Auto + Red-eye correction • On • On + Red-eye correction • Slow sync • Slow sync + Red-eye correction |
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| Red-eye removal | • Off • On |
Only functions when flash is set to a 'Red-eye correction' mode |
| I.Resolution * | • Off • Low • Standard • High • Extended |
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| I.Dynamic * | • Off • Low • Standard • High |
Exposure and contrast are adjusted to compensate for scenes requiring a wide dynamic range. Replaces I. Exposure. |
| ISO Limit Set | • Off • 200 • 400 • 800 • 1600 |
Sets the maximum limit to which Auto or i.ISO settings will set the sensitivity. 'Off' sets Auto ISO limit to 400, and i.ISO limit to 800. |
| ISO Increments |
• 1/3 EV • 1 EV |
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| Long Shtr NR |
• Off • On |
Takes a second, dark-frame to allow subtraction of long exposure noise |
| Ex. Tele Conv. | • On • Off |
Only uses part of the sensor, to simulate additional zoom. Was 'Ex Opt Zoom' |
| Digital Zoom | • Off • 2X • 4X |
Digital Zoom - crops the image to simulate additional zoom |
| Burst Rate | • H • M * • L |
Selects 3.2, 2.6 or 2 fps shooting. Live View is maintained in M and L modes. |
| Auto Bracket | • Steps 3, 5 or 7 frames  1/3 or 2/3 EV steps• Sequence: 0/-/+-/0/+ |
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| Self-Timer | • 10 sec • 10 sec (3 images) • 2 sec |
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| Picture Adjust * |
• Color or B/W • Contrast (-2 to +2) • Sharpness (-2 to +2) • Saturation (-2 to +2) • Noise Reduction (-2 to +2) |
Simplified version of 'Film Mode', with only 'color' or 'B/W' available (i.e. no other variations) |
| Color Space | • sRGB • AdobeRGB |
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| Stabilizer | • Off • Mode 1 • Mode 2 • Mode 3 |
Mode 1 is always active. Mode 2 only when the shutter is pressed. Mode 3 is used when horizontally panning. Off is for lenses without OIS switch (14-42mm) |
Motion picture menu
The movie menu shows several additions over the GF1's, reflecting the GF2's enhanced capabilities. Aside from the 1080i recording option, there's additional options for sound level control and flicker reduction when filming under fluorescent lights. 'Extra Tele Converter' (as seen on the GH2) also makes an appearance, but can only be activated when the camera is set to record JPEG stills (not RAW).
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| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Rec Mode | • AVCHD (1080i) * • AVCHD (720p) • Motion JPEG |
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| Rec Quality | • Rec Mode: AVCHD (1080i) *FSHFH • Rec Mode: AVCHD (720p) SHH• Rec Mode: Motion JPEG HDWVGAVGAQVGA |
Available menu options depend on the 'Rec Mode' setting |
| Focus Mode | • AF-C • AF-S • MF |
Newly-added to menu (controlled by external button on GF1) |
| Continuous AF | • On • Off |
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| Metering Mode | • Multiple • Center weighted • Spot |
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| I.Dynamic | • Off • Low • Standard • High |
Exposure and contrast are adjusted to compensate for scenes requiring a wide dynamic range. Replaces i. Exposure. |
| Ex. Tele * Conv. | • On • Off |
"Extra Tele Converter" - only uses part of the sensor, to simulate additional zoom |
| Digital Zoom | • Off • 2X • 4X |
Digital Zoom - crops the image to simulate additional zoom |
| Wind Cut | • Off • Low • Standard • High |
Reduces wind noise in motion picture recording |
| Mic Level Disp | • On • Off |
Live display of sound level being detected by microphones |
| Mic Level Adj | Level 1 - 4 | Adjusts microphone recording level |
| Flicker Red | • Off • 1/50 • 1/60 • 1/100 • 1/120 |
Reduces flicker effect from fluorescent lighting |
Custom menu
The main differences here reflect the changes to the camera's control layout. Options have been added to define the behaviour of the Q. Menu/Fn button, and turn on or off some of the touchscreen controls.
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| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Cust. Set Mem. | • C1: Set 1 • C2: Set 2 • C3: Set 3 |
Assigns current settings to one of three custom memories |
| Q. Menu/Fn * | • Q. Menu • Fn |
Defines operation of Q. Menu / Fn button |
| Fn Button Set * | • AF / AE Lock • Preview • Aspect Ratio • Quality • Focus Mode • Metering Mode • I. Resolution • I. Dynamic • Ex Tele Conv • Picture Adjust • Guide Line • Movie/stills Rec Area |
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| Histogram | • Off • On |
Provides a histogram on the shooting screen |
| Guide lines | • Off • Thirds • Center • Movable |
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| Highlight | • Off • On |
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| Expo Meter | • Off • On |
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| AF/AE Lock | • AE • AF • AF/AE |
Which parameters are locked by the AL/AE lock button |
| Direct Focus Area | • Off • On |
Allows AF point to be moved using the 4-way controller in single-point AF mode |
| Focus Priority | • Off • On |
Does the camera wait for focus before allowing shutter release |
| AF Assist Lamp | • Off • On |
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| AF + MF | • Off • On |
Allows manual fine-tuning of focus once AF lock has been achieved |
| MF Assist | • Off • On |
Zooms in the view to allow high-precision manual focus |
| MF Guide * | • Off • On |
Displays a rough focus scale when focusing manually |
| iA Button Switch * | • Single Press • Press and Hold |
Defines behaviour for switching to iAuto mode |
| Movie button | • Off • On |
Enables/disables the movie button |
| Rec Area |
• Stills • Movies |
Changes the previewed aspect ratio between motion picture and still picture recording |
| Remaining Disp | • Stills (frames) • Movies (time) |
Switches between number of recordable pictures and available recording time |
| Play on LCD * |
• Off • On |
Defines playback behaviour when using optional LVF-1 |
| Touch Q.Menu * | • Off • On |
Hides or shows the on-screen 'Q. Menu' button |
| Defocus Ctrl * | • Off • On |
Disables / enables iAuto mode Defocus Control touch button |
| Touch Shutter * |
• Off • On |
Hides or shows the on-screen 'Touch Shutter' button |
| Touch Guide * | • Off • On |
Hides / shows explanations about how to use touch controls |
| Touch Scroll * | • H • L |
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| Dial Guide | • Off • On |
Gives cues to the dial's function in the viewfinder after a change |
| Menu Resume | • Off • On |
Menus return to last-used position |
| Pixel Refresh | Start processing Yes No |
Checks the sensor for malfunctioning pixels |
| Sensor cleaning | Start processing Yes No |
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| Shoot W/O Lens | • Off • On |
Set this to 'on' to allow the use of adapted lenses |
