Panasonic lumix GX7 firmware update (and wifi app)

I suppose you should aware that GX7 is a model of 2 generations old. There are the GX85, and recently the GX9 as its successors.

I suppose some requirement you are expecting have been included to the later models, and you should also agree that if Pany publish certain upgrade by means of firmware, it is going to kill its sales on the successors...

bugabuga wrote:

I hope this message reaches Panasonic and helps make the company better. I'm posting here because their official forum is only tech related.

I have three gx7 bodies, one black and two silver; on the black something broke in the viewfinder and the image is corrupt; banding, patchy, off color, one of the silver ones hot shoe is offline and the other ones front wheel is stuck, turns but no input.

I have very different experience. Indeed I am very impressed by the Pany products.

Used its cameras for 15 years and except one early bridge camera had dust issue on the sensor many years ago, had replaced the rubber sleeves of 14-45 and 45-200 after 4~5 years using, and LCD of GX1 had minor delaminated issue, none of them develop any sort of major problem.

To go extreme, my G1 and 7-14 f/4 had been dropped into a river. Pany Service Center advised me not to repair them because of the cost concerned and issued me a death certificate for insurance purpose. Luckily they were able to keep on shooting without major issue for a few years after the accident. G1 was retired but 7-14 is still one of my major lenses as of today.

Not sure how you use your gear, I have no complaints on my Pany gear at all.

I don't mind all this, the cameras are/were well used and are capable despite this. What I don't understand is:

Why on earth won't you issue an update?! Auto iso in manual,

GX85 has it. GX9 allows EC to make it complete.

more than one stop bracketing (i.e. -2,0,2),

Why not use 5/7 shots (ie., -3,-2,-1,0,+1,+2,+3), and on merging you might skip the unwanted shots. 5 shots is my default setting and sometimes shall use 7 shots.

near eye focus,

Not sure would it be useful to me. Single focus in its smallest size is all what I wanted. I think I shall never use it if it is added. Indeed I even never use face detection.

trippy rainbow colors in the menu...

What is it?

I only own one GX7, not three, but have used it extensively since 2015. The LCD and evf are still working fine. Never noticed your problem. I have set the Menu background color to the traditional black. Not sure would it help?

It would take a reasonably decent coder 2 to 3 nights to port and twice as much to polish for the gp. It's a shame because there is/was potential here. Maybe the fridge will have iris recognition. Rant over.

Adios, b

p.s.: By the way: Your (Panasonic) wifi app is laughable(sh!t).

Comparing to some other brands that I heard from other forums, Image App might not be the best, but never be the poorest... It just does what it suppose to do: operate the camera remotely and transfer files (after testing, I never use it). What more do you wish it to do? GX9 has added Bluetooth...

p.p.s.: firmware updates history for record:

- 2014/05/22, Ver. 1.3: nothing

- 2013/11/21, Ver. 1.2: Improved MF with one lens, flash expo comp. can be assigned to a botton(very good)

- 2013/09/17, Ver. 1.1: nothing

Look at GX85, which has only 2 firmware update before it was succeeded by GX9!

The 2 firmwares of GX85 were for:

• 1) more quiet operation on video shooting, and
• 2) add Focus Stacking for the Post Focus (a new feature after GX85 was released).

Other 2 items are minor improvement like flexibility on selection of sequence on bracketing and add Flash OFF to the Menu (meaningless since Pany cameras use physical switch to activate the integrated flash).

IMHO except for the out of factory fault (like the over sensitive IBIS of G85 and Pany issued an update very quickly), we are hard to expect the manufacturer to keep on refreshing the old gear by any mean, especially the lower end models that are generally regarded as consumer products. That is the life we have to live with it.

My 2 cents.