G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 01 of 27

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 20 of 27 - PROS

EXTERNAL FLASH (OLYMPUS FL-36R, PANASONIC FL3600) - - I chose the Oly flash as it is way cheaper and offers the additional benefit of a built in optical slave mode as well as wireless remote mode, which isn’t yet compatible with Panny cameras (other than that they are identical)l.

Before going into a little detail regarding this flash, I would just like to say WOW! Prior to getting the Olympus flash I really loved the design of the Nikon SB-800 which I thought was lovely, curvaceous and petite. Boy, was I in for a shock; this Oly/Panny flashgun has got to be the cutest flashgun on the planet! Why can’t all flashguns look so good?! Why do they nearly all have to be so ugly and angular. Also, if I was a conspiracy theorist, I would say that when this Oly/Panny was made they already knew they was gonna be a G1 camera. Why? The flashgun looks as if it was designed specifically for the G1,it is just such a perfect match in size and weight. As for weight, if you have the 45-200mm telephoto kit lens, and stand the camera up on the lens with lens hood attached whilst having the flashgun attached, you will find that the whole kit stands up without tipping over; I wouldn’t even dream of trying that stunt with my Metz 54 flashguns.

I liked the Sony HVL-32X’s shape and size, except for the fact that it doesn’t have a swivel head. And the flash look like a perfect match for the R1, and I often keep it on the hotshoe rather than one of the Metz guns, but it now resides on a bracket. But the Oly/Panny flash is so gorgeous that it hasn’t come off of the G1 for more than a few minute since I bought it.

It is also quite remarkable, when you compare it to other flashguns, what you get for your money when buying the Olympus branded gun (the Panny gun is a lot more expensive). It has now become my favourite flashgun even though my Metz guns are more versatile and feature rich.

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 21 of 27 – PROS (FL-36R, FL3600 FLASH Contd 01 of 03)

But as usual there are pros and cons with anything so here they are as I see them:

Cons 01 - Distance readout is not available in Slave Manual Mode

Cons 02 – You can’t set 1/3EV steps (just full stops) in off camera Slave Mode (although you can get 1/3EV control by use of the aperture setting in Slave Auto Mode)

Cons 03 – Bad ergonomics – The buttons are difficult to use/feel for in the dark because they are very small and recessed. They should have at least had one button raised, either the MODE button or the LIGHT button

Cons 04 – No stroboscopic flash mode. But then again, many view this as a frivolous feature (I don’t) and it is after all the lower end flash of the two flashes available. So perhaps it’s not a con at all.

Cons 05 – No Modeling Light Mode.

Cons 06 – Only able to set f2.0 up to ISO200 and f1.4 up to ISO100.

Cons 08 - It’s possible to rattle off loads of shots even though the flash isn’t in a ready state (recycled), thus producing shots that aren’t exposed correctly. Now I am not sure whether this a fault of the flash (not telling the camera it’s ready), or whether the camera is at fault for firing irrespective of whether the flash is ready to go or not.

The problem is partly due to the slowish (it seems faster than the Sony HVL-F32X flash I have) recycle time. If the recycle time was much faster then it wouldn’t be such a problem, but I guess to have faster recycle times would require four batteries (this camera takes just two) and four batteries would mean that the flash wouldn’t be so gorgeously small and cute

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 22 of 27 – PROS (FL-36R, FL3600 FLASH Contd 02 of 03)

Cons 09 – Rapid Fire – I did a test whereby at ISO100 I only managed two shots with the Oly flash. I then set the flash to ISO640, and here the flashgun only managed 5 shots, whilst my Metz 54 shot 20 frames and was still going strong. (Now, I am reading from my hand written notes and can’t remember the EXACT settings, but I suspect that I had the 14-45 lens on the camera set at its widest angle and maybe the smaller head of the Oly flash couldn’t cope with the heat build up with the flash bulb up close to the flash head diffuser/screen)

Cons 10 – FEC and distance readout – When you set Flash Exposure Compensation on the flashgun (and this is even noted in the manual) the distance readout doesn’t change as it should. God only knows why it behaves like that; it seems intentional as it’s mentioned in the manual. My only guess is that they were thinking that as this is an entry level flashgun the kind of user using this gun might get confused when they saw that when they entered negative FEC the distance on the readout increased and vice versa. Anyway, there is a workaround: simply set FEC from the camera body and the distance readout correctly changes.

Cons 11 – Bad Ergonomics - Swivel – Now this is the one thing about this flash that ABSOLUTELY p!sses me off!! (the other cons listed above I can live with). On this flash gun, like others, you depress a button on the flash head and that releases the lock which enables you to tilt the head. On other flashes you can simultaneously swivel the head too. Well, not so on these Oly/Panny flashguns. Rather stupidly, you have to depress one button for tilt, and another button for swivel. It irritates me no end!! Grrrrr! If it wasn’t for the fact the gun is so cute and has so many features for the price I would have taken it back just because of that irritating swivel nonsense.

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 23 of 27 – PROS (FL-36R, FL3600 FLASH Contd 03 of 03)

Pros 01 – Good Ergonomics – The three buttons that you will need to use the most (the dial, MODE and ZOOM buttons) are clustered together on the left had side. Thus you can keep your right hand on the camera grip and trigger and comfortably (notwithstanding the tiny recessed buttons) use your left hand to change settings on the flash.

Pros 02 – FEC – The flashgun body allows for 3 stops of FEC. It’s just a pity that I much prefer to use the FEC setting on the camera body (which, understandably only provides 2 stops).

Pros 03 – Everything else really : )
It has lots of features, and is cute/curvaceous and not too expensive.

Tip – Download both the Panny and the Oly manual for these flashguns as some things are explained better in the Oly manual whilst other things are explained better in the Panny manual.

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 24 of 27 – OBSERVATIONS

OBSERVATIONS:
==============
==============

PASM – The Panny G1 has the exposure mode arranged as PASM and so does Olympus. Sony use PSAM on their Cybershots (well, the two I have in front of me now) and PASM on their Alphas. You may say “So? Big deal”. Well, I just thought I would mention it; and it is useful to know for training yourself to turn the dial from one mode to another instinctively and/or with your eyes to the the viewfinder.

FEATURE RICH CAMERA – I would love Panny to produce an out-and-out pro spec/high end version of this camera. The camera is so feature rich as it is that there really isn’t much that they would have to add, and my list would consist of the following (in no particular order):

• Weather seals
• Battery grip

• Flash enabled in burst mode ( I actually think it’s daft that this feature isn’t already on the G1)
• Remote control via computer
• 5 fps (any more, I think is overkill)

• Saving of personalized settings to a file for transport to other cameras and/or for back up

• Dual memory card slots (with options for backup, overflow, JPG to one and raw to the other etc)
• Voice memo
• Wireless file transfer
• File authentication
• Wireless flash commander mode with built-in flash
• Manual flash mode with built-in flash
• Sexy glass (top quality fast zooms and primes)
• White lenses ……………….. only joking! : )

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 25 of 27 – Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS Volume II
=====================

What I say here supplements what I said in my previous Conclusion and UPDATE & FURTHER COMMENTS sections in the originally posted Review.

The out of box experience for me wasn’t good but in hindsight I now see why. It was set up for beginners and I suspect that such folks wouldn’t delve too deeply beyond what Panny had provided by way of default settings, but still, it is obvious advanced camera users were gonna use it (by virtue of some of the features) so they should have made the menu system better.

And for me, the straw that nearly broke the camel’s back was the horrid soft images that the camera was producing, but this was fixed by a firmware update (an update that more experienced Panny camera users advised me to wait for as there would definitely be an update on its way because Panny have a good track record of providing updates for their system cameras).

Many of my gripes with the camera were met with a VERY frosty fanboy reception. In fact, amazingly, two individuals in particular were running up their gums long and hard even though they didn’t even have the camera. Wow! The little G1, is an amazing little cam in many respects but for it to garner such fanaticism is incredible. After such encounters I can take smug satisfaction in knowing, after having read numerous Reviews by professional reviewers, that others have noted a number of the issues that I too drew attention too (though they didn’t express themselves as tersely as I did, and have).

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 26 of 27 – Conclusions Contd.

Some subscribe to the view that no company is gonna make the “perfect” product otherwise they can’t get you to buy the “upgrade”. Well, my dream G1 would be “perfect” for 2009. But what of 2011?

It is inevitable that next year, or the year thereafter, some bright engineer will think of a genuinely new way of making that car, microwave, washing machine better. So in that respect no product is perfect, human ingenuity is such that every great product will be followed by something better.

The problem with the G1, is that it is not as good AS IT CAN BE. And to achieve that all Panny have to do is to provide an extensive firmware update. The good news story is that rather speedily they have provided one update, and from what I can gather they are keeping a close eye on this and other Forums and are receptive to users advising them directly of things that need improvement.

And even if Panny were to address EVERY one of my gripes, the camera would not be perfect and they could still sell me another one with improved features e.g. a faster shutter, no focal plane shutter, smaller LCD thus giving more room for the cursor pad, built-in infrared shooting capabilities like the Sony F series cameras etc etc etc.

G1 Review (User Report) – Vol II – Part 27 of 27 – Conclusions Contd.

One thing, as I have said before, I would like Panny to do is to make a pro spec/high end version of the G1. I have already laid out what features I think such a camera should have. And why do I think they should make such a camera (other than to make me VERY happy : )? Well, it’s all to do with prestige. It’s the prestige models that bring people in to the brand, and it often doesn’t matter much such prestige models lose money. Take a look at Canon and Nikon, people often buy their cams (the lower end models) not because they are any better than others but of the kudos associated with that brand. And look at Sony, the new prestige brand on the block. Even up until they made Alpha 700, you would come across numerous sniping comments along th elins of “Sony should stick to making stereos” and “Ah, OK, the a700 is nice but …….” But now that Sony have done an excellent job with the 24.6Mp a900 35mm full frame cam, one hardly hears such comments and the Sony Alpha brand is now being spoken of in the same breath as Canon and Nikon.

Panny have been daring and have changed the face of photography with this one camera (even if the change was coming, they have just speeded it up dramatically). It would be nice to see them dare to do it again by forcing people to rethink what it is that is a “pro” camera.

Well, that’s all from me folks on the Review front. I am now gonna sit back and learn from others, as I have already been doing, in terms of imaging and lens use with this camera.

By the way, you may have noted that I have not gone over the minutiae of how the various Scene Modes work. That’s coz I am exhausted now! : ) I will leave that to someone else to do (share the workload). : )

Regards,

And have a Photographically Prosperous New Year

Have you considered posting all of this to a blog, and then just posting a link here?

It would be a lot more readable than posting it on the state-of-the-art-in-1998 DPReview forums.

Card said:

Have you considered posting all of this to a blog, and then just
posting a link here?

It would be a lot more readable than posting it on the
state-of-the-art-in-1998 DPReview forums.

Click to expand...

That's actually a good idea.

I would like to complement plevyadophy for his new improved and amended review. I was among the persons who criticized him for his seemingly biased original report, but I don't know whether he actually considered me as one of the fanboys dissing him. I think it's courageous to post several amendments to his previous preview. Again, his remarks are very thorough and the way he is presenting his opinion is far more balanced and credible, in my humble opinion. Kudos to plevyadophy

Regards

kikl

By the way, I posted to your rant on no EV compensation when in Manual mode on the Review thread that is now closed.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

TEBnewyork said:

TEBnewyork wrote:
By the way, I posted to your rant on no EV compensation when in
Manual mode on the Review thread that is now closed.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

Yes, I noticed.

I said:

TEBnewyork said:

You didn't seem to notice that the live histogram doesn't work in
manual exposure mode i.e. it doesn't respond to any exposure settings
you make.

Nor did you notice that in Status Panel Mode, the EV dial (i.e. the
EV indicator to the right of the display) doesn't work in Manual
Exposure Mode

Click to expand...

And then you siad:

TEBnewyork said:

I think that is because you are using the camera wrong. When in manual mode > the EV at the bottom is telling you how far off your exposure is. So, look at the > EV scale and see how far off and adjust from there.

Click to expand...

TEBnewyork said:

I guess I don't understand why you would use EV comp when in manual mode. > The last thing I want to adjust through EV is the ISO. So, if I tell the camera > the shutter speed and I tell it the Aperture and I try and dial in EV, isn't the > only adjustment the camera can make to get the right amount of light an > adjustment to ISO?

Click to expand...

But your whole post is founded on an error.

Here's what you do:

1. Place the camera in either LCD View or Viewfinder View

2. The EV scale at the bottom centre of the LCD/EVF has two functions. It either acts as the Exposure Compensation (EC) adjustment scale or when in Manual Exposure Mode it indicates to you how much over or under exposed you are, based on what the camera thinks is the optimum exposure.

3. Now place the camera in "status panel display mode", this it what it looks like: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg1/page9.asp

4. Instead of an EV scale you now have an EV dial, which appears to the right of the LCD.

5. Logic would dictate that the EV dial would work in the same way as the EV scale does. Namely, to provide adjustment from the recomened exposure in Program, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes AND to indicate how much over or under exposed you are in Manual Exposure Mode.

But rather, what happens is that if you go over or under exposed in Manual Exposure Mode, the aperture and shutter speed display at ther very top of the "status panel display" simply turn red with no indication as to how much over or under exposed you are (and it only turns red after you have half-pressed the shutter and only if you are more than 2 stops over/under exposed).

So contrary to your thought that I am using the camera wrong, it is clear that there is an issue with the way the "status panel display" mode works in manual exposure mode and made worse by the fact that you can't access flash exposure compensation when you clearly could on the L1 and L10.

.

But if you are in the status display you can't see the image and I assume that they think you will actually then look through the viewfinder. In the view finder it shows you exactly how much over or under you are. Even in Aperture priority the status only tells you what YOU have dialed in. So, on manual mode it works the same way there is NOTHING dialed in because EV isn't working.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

TEBnewyork said:

TEBnewyork wrote:
But if you are in the status display you can't see the image and I
assume that they think you will actually then look through the
viewfinder. In the view finder it shows you exactly how much over or
under you are. Even in Aperture priority the status only tells you
what YOU have dialed in. So, on manual mode it works the same way
there is NOTHING dialed in because EV isn't working.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

Your logic is unsound because, quoting myself:

"But rather, what happens is that if you go over or under exposed in Manual Exposure Mode, the aperture and shutter speed display at ther very top of the "status panel display" simply turn red with no indication as to how much over or under exposed you are (and it only turns red after you have half-pressed the shutter and only if you are more than 2 stops over/under exposed). "

Now do you notice the qualifier in there within brackets?

If your logic was correct then they shouldn't bother to give ANY indication as to over or under exposure. But they do, by way of the red shutter and aperture readout. So instead of that red nonsense, what they should just do is allow the EV dial to work in the same way as the EV scale.

Furthermore, if one had one's camera mounted on a tripod and wanted to have quick glimpse as to what the state of play was vis-a-vis exposure then one can't because you have nothing reliable to go on; you are forced to stick your eye up to the viewfinder. Having to touch the shutter and then only being given a warning when you are WAAAY over/under exposed (by more than two stops) ain't exactly helpful.

.

TEBnewyork said:

But if you are in the status display you can't see the image and I
assume that they think you will actually then look through the
viewfinder. In the view finder it shows you exactly how much over or
under you are. Even in Aperture priority the status only tells you
what YOU have dialed in. So, on manual mode it works the same way
there is NOTHING dialed in because EV isn't working.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

I dont see the point of needing EV adjustment whilst you are in "Manual" mode.....Its just not necessary......Coz you just alter your apeture or shutter speed to get the exposure you require....(exposure is either over/under or spot on)
--
Cheers

Rik

KIWI Rik said:

TEBnewyork said:

But if you are in the status display you can't see the image and I
assume that they think you will actually then look through the
viewfinder. In the view finder it shows you exactly how much over or
under you are. Even in Aperture priority the status only tells you
what YOU have dialed in. So, on manual mode it works the same way
there is NOTHING dialed in because EV isn't working.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

I dont see the point of needing EV adjustment whilst you are in
"Manual" mode.....Its just not necessary......Coz you just alter your
apeture or shutter speed to get the exposure you require....(exposure
is either over/under or spot on)
--

Click to expand...

Rik,

Read my first response...that is exactly what I was saying. If you are in manual and try to dial in EV you are then telling the camera to change your ISO because you've set the shutter and aperture. I thought the whole point was mute but the poster is talking about the status display.

--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

Here was your post to Simon....

plevyadophy said:

or did you notice that in Status Panel Mode, the EV dial (i.e. the EV indicator to the > right of the display) doesn't work in Manual Exposure Mode

Click to expand...

I would contend it works as designed. You haven't set the setting so nothing is on the EV scale. It doesn't work as YOU want it to. Doesn't mean it is broken.

--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

TEBnewyork said:

TEBnewyork wrote:
Here was your post to Simon....

TEBnewyork said:

or did you notice that in Status Panel Mode, the EV dial (i.e. the EV indicator to the > right of the display) doesn't work in Manual Exposure Mode

Click to expand...

I would contend it works as designed. You haven't set the setting so
nothing is on the EV scale. It doesn't work as YOU want it to.
Doesn't mean it is broken.

Click to expand...

Eh?

Do you actually own this camera?

If so, go sit down with it do as I outlined and you will see the flaw (whether they did it by accident or design)

I noticed you "cleverly" skipped around the issue of how it is your "logic" can't account for why the aperture and f-stop reading turn red

I am not a fool and would not sit here and have this conversation if I wasn't sitting here with the camera at my side.

When the camera is sitting there idle it isn't taking a meter reading the half press gets you the meter reading (this happens on A and S mode as well if you haven't done a half press in a bit). So, you half press and it is going to red and telling you HELLO there is a problem. If I am working on a tripod and using the LCD, all of the information is on a regular shooting screen where I can actually see the image at the same time so there is no reason to use the status panel display. If I am using the viewfinder the information about about how far off you are is also there.
--
terry
http://tbanet.zenfolio.com/

--
John
FZ1v2...FZ30 + 3T/4T FS3 LX3 G1
http://picasaweb.google.com/john.boyzo