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Is the GX8 shutter shock a deal breaker?

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jimkahnw

jimkahnw

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I was looking at the DP Review of the Panasonic GX8, thinking I should consider it for it's sensor size and autofocus capabilities. Alas, there's a comment about shutter shock at moderate shutter speeds. What good is accurate focus when the picture is soft due to shutter shock? Seems like a deal breaker to me. Can it be fixed with a firmware update?
 
jimkahnw said:
I was looking at the DP Review of the Panasonic GX8, thinking I should consider it for it's sensor size and autofocus capabilities. Alas, there's a comment about shutter shock at moderate shutter speeds. What good is accurate focus when the picture is soft due to shutter shock? Seems like a deal breaker to me. Can it be fixed with a firmware update?
Click to expand...
 
The latest firmware can automatically switch to the shockless, electronic shutter at the specific shutter speeds that may cause shock with certain lenses.

Shooting at 1/500th a second ? Normal shutter is fine, shooting at say 1/100th ? It can switch to electronic automatically.

Never noticed any issues
 
Greensborophoto said:
The latest firmware can automatically switch to the shockless, electronic shutter at the specific shutter speeds that may cause shock with certain lenses.

Shooting at 1/500th a second ? Normal shutter is fine, shooting at say 1/100th ? It can switch to electronic automatically.

Never noticed any issues
Click to expand...
:-)
 
Greensborophoto said:
The latest firmware can automatically switch to the shockless, electronic shutter at the specific shutter speeds that may cause shock with certain lenses.

Shooting at 1/500th a second ? Normal shutter is fine, shooting at say 1/100th ? It can switch to electronic automatically.

Never noticed any issues
Click to expand...
That works fine until you want to use flash, or shoot indoors (depending on the light source). Unfortunately the E-shutter band aid they implemented has a few drawbacks that, to me, causes frustration. My GX8 is now used exclusively for video work or for shooting in broad daylight because I can't trust it when the shutter speeds dip below 1/200th. It's a real shame too because otherwise its a great camera that can produce really good images.

I wish they'd be able to implement a EFCS into the GX8 like Olympus did with their cameras. Unfortunately it looks like they can't, and because of that I've picked up a second EM1 to be a back-up stills camera.
 
I've never see shutter shock with my gx8. I like to shoot with e-shutter though.
 
jimkahnw said:
I was looking at the DP Review of the Panasonic GX8, thinking I should consider it for it's sensor size and autofocus capabilities. Alas, there's a comment about shutter shock at moderate shutter speeds. What good is accurate focus when the picture is soft due to shutter shock? Seems like a deal breaker to me. Can it be fixed with a firmware update?
Click to expand...
 
…SS is not just the camera , it is the camera+lens. Run the GX8 with the pro f2.8 12-35 lens and you won't see SS I believe. Same applies to various other lenses. I am speaking here from experience with the GX7, and I believe the GX8 has the same shutter or a very similar one. The only lens I get SS with on the GX7 is the little 12-32 -- but it is so handy I use it all the time anyway and just avoid the problem mechanical shutter speeds (1/60-1/250) by either going below or above them or, if appropriate, using the eShutter.

I have seen on this forum references to SS with the 14-140 lens too, I think.

Here is pretty dramatic proof that SS is not a fixed thing that affects all shots:



Check the EXIF data fr the shutter speed for this shot with the 100-300mm on the GX7.

Now if SS was a given for every shot with the GX7, then it would be writ large here. But it is not, because the combination of the GX7+100-300 does not do SS.

Try these two with the 12-35 lens and the 45-150 lens. Both right in the shutter speed zone for SS, but neither showing SS because these lenses are not susceptible.





So that should make it clear -- the GX8, like other m43 cameras, can suffer from SS with a susceptible lens . But with most lenses it is fine as these pix with its close technological relative, the GX7, demonstrate.

SS a deal breaker? No way.

--
Geoffrey Heard
Down and out in Rabaul in the South Pacific
http://rabaulpng.com/we-are-all-traveling-throug/i-waited-51-years-for-tavur.html
 
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How has the camera performed with the Olympus lenses?

(oh, and nice essay on missing the eruption of Tavurvur.)
 
jimkahnw said:
I was looking at the DP Review of the Panasonic GX8, thinking I should consider it for it's sensor size and autofocus capabilities. Alas, there's a comment about shutter shock at moderate shutter speeds. What good is accurate focus when the picture is soft due to shutter shock? Seems like a deal breaker to me. Can it be fixed with a firmware update?

--
JimK
Click to expand...
Dear dPreview reviewer of GX8. Do you see what you did?

Why is this particular camera model being punished for shutter shock out of all m43 models?

Not only it provides electronic shutter, which solves the problem completely (unless you are indoors or must use flash), but the truth is that it suffers from shutter shock equally badly as other m43 cameras (or perhaps other Panasonic cameras), save GX80 - if it is true that the new shutter mechanism improves things a little.

I would trade GX8 for any m43 camera in a millisecond (not being heavily into video).
 
Maybe you have to look carefully what limitation EFCS has - not talking about the fact that it is not completely shock free.
 
dmanthree said:
I have the GX8, and own the 8mm fisheye, 7-14, 12-35, 35-100, 45-150, and 14-140. SS appears on only one lens, and only at a very few shutter speeds; the 14-140 at mid speeds. So no, anyone who claims it's a deal breaker is blowing smoke.
Click to expand...
I think the light construction of some lenses make them more susceptible to SS. Unless I'm shooting FAST moving subjects, I always use Silent Mode. I shut it off when driving and shooting out the window… only when traveling and renting a car or on a train. And that's just to defeat the rolling shutter effect.
 
bahamot said:
I've never see shutter shock with my gx8. I like to shoot with e-shutter though.

--
my filckr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51555031@N06/
Click to expand...
Same here. I use the e-shutter all the time, except when shooting fast moving objects or people. But in those instances, I set the mechanical shutter speed high enough to stop action (1/640 or higher), so shutter shock would never be an issue anyway.

So, no, it's not a deal breaker at all. The GX8 is awesome.
 
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Greensborophoto said:
The latest firmware can automatically switch to the shockless, electronic shutter at the specific shutter speeds that may cause shock with certain lenses.

Shooting at 1/500th a second ? Normal shutter is fine, shooting at say 1/100th ? It can switch to electronic automatically.

Never noticed any issues
Click to expand...
Forgive me but the Engineer in me makes a difference between a "fix" and a "workaround". I'll admit that the automatic switching option does appear elegant - as workarounds go - but, as others pointed out in this post, the e-shutter has its own drawbacks. If the switch to e-shutter happens in situations that are not optimal for it, you might find out only when reviewing later. For me, having to constantly juggle with shutter modes depending on shutter speed, lighting, subject speed, etc. is just one more thing I don't like to deal with while taking a picture. So, workaround: yes, fix: no.

The real fix was implemented in the better shutter design of the GX85.
 
Hen3ry said:
…SS is not just the camera , it is the camera+lens. Run the GX8 with the pro f2.8 12-35 lens and you won't see SS I believe.
Click to expand...
I disagree with you there. I had it happen to me on an indoor shoot at 1/60 sec with the 12-35/2.8 and GX-8. Granted it only happened once, but since then I try to avoid using the mechanical shutter whenever possible.
Hen3ry said:
Same applies to various other lenses. I am speaking here from experience with the GX7, and I believe the GX8 has the same shutter or a very similar one. The only lens I get SS with on the GX7 is the little 12-32 -- but it is so handy I use it all the time anyway and just avoid the problem mechanical shutter speeds (1/60-1/250) by either going below or above them or, if appropriate, using the eShutter.

I have seen on this forum references to SS with the 14-140 lens too, I think.

Here is pretty dramatic proof that SS is not a fixed thing that affects all shots:



Check the EXIF data fr the shutter speed for this shot with the 100-300mm on the GX7.

Now if SS was a given for every shot with the GX7, then it would be writ large here. But it is not, because the combination of the GX7+100-300 does not do SS.

Try these two with the 12-35 lens and the 45-150 lens. Both right in the shutter speed zone for SS, but neither showing SS because these lenses are not susceptible.





So that should make it clear -- the GX8, like other m43 cameras, can suffer from SS with a susceptible lens . But with most lenses it is fine as these pix with its close technological relative, the GX7, demonstrate.

SS a deal breaker? No way.

--
Geoffrey Heard
Down and out in Rabaul in the South Pacific
http://rabaulpng.com/we-are-all-traveling-throug/i-waited-51-years-for-tavur.html
Click to expand...
 
So, my choice is the GX8, with it's flaw, or the GX85, without the flaw, but a less capable camera. Or, wait for the OMD EM1 MkII. In photography, it's all about compromise. Was hoping for a better autofocus system...
 
jimkahnw said:
So, my choice is the GX8, with it's flaw, or the GX85, without the flaw, but a less capable camera. Or, wait for the OMD EM1 MkII. In photography, it's all about compromise. Was hoping for a better autofocus system...
Click to expand...
 
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