The new "Auto" shutter type setting for the G7 and GX8

Just some additional observations to add to the ones previously made by others.

The Auto option that's been added as a third choice (alongside On and Off) for the electronic shutter facility on the G7 and GX8 with the recent firmware updates does indeed seem to function differently to the straightforward behaviour of the Auto shutter setting on the GM1, GM5 and GF7 (where it simply takes over at the shutter speeds that the mechanical shutter cannot reach) - though sometimes it acts the same way as those, according to the lens in use.

Lenses I've tried it with, where the behaviour is totally "standard", like the GM1/5/GF7, are the 14-42 II (or A - the current, small manual zoom), the 25mm f1.7, the 45-150 - all Panasonic lenses with the latest firmware.  However, the petite 35-100mm behaves very weirdly - the electronic shutter symbol flashes erratically on and off, apparently between 1/60 and 1/320, and totally at random - it even flutters if the shutter speed is manually set, so it's a complete lottery as to which mode the shutter will fire in, even on the same speed, from shot to shot, and the fluttering has no regularity or pattern at all.  That's been the same on both G7 and GX8, and pre- and post-updating the lens firmware.  So either my (not very old at all) 35-100 has something weird going on, or they're all that way.  It would actually benefit from switching to e-shutter consistently at those speeds, as it does suffer when the shutter's on mechanical in my experience - mind you, so can the 45-150 occasionally, and it doesn't seem to trigger the e-shutter at all in the normal mechanical range.

I also tried the 12-32 which several have reported is vulnerable to shutter vibration issues on the G7, GX8 etc., but mine shows no tendency to switch them to E shutter at any point inside the mechanical speed range.

Since I don't have a 14-140 II to test, I was beginning to think the reports of observable auto-switching to E-shutter in the speed range that could be affected by shutter vibrations for that lens were perhaps wishful thinking, but then I remembered the 14-42 X PZ sitting in a corner of a camera bag of mine.  It's one of the other lenses that has a pretty widespread reputation for double images caused by shutter vibration in the otherwise normal shutter speed range, and yes - it consistently switches automatically to E-shutter from 1/60 to 1/320, whether the speed is automatically or manually set, on both the G7 and GX8.  That's a relief, since mine behaves badly on Panasonic bodies in that speed range unless they are in E-shutter (though of course the GM1 is OK with it, even in mechanical shutter mode).

Hi Helen,

I just did a quick test with GX8 version 2.0 and the small 35-100 version 1.0 and mine pretty much acts as yours does.  It's heavy overcast here so aiming various points off and on my roof window shows mechanical shutter at 1/80 and slower then eshutter 1/80-about 1/200 when flickering of the eshutter indicator may or may not occur, mostly not.  Moving the window scene to brighter area and flickering becomes more prevalent as 1/320 is approached and reached, then moving further brighter shows the flickering to continue until the camera is about to transition to 1/400th where it stops flickering although still showing 1/320.  Further movement and 1/400th is indicated at which point mechanical shutter takes over.  So, in my long winded way I'm saying our lenses seem to be acting the same.

Very interesting, if a little bizarre on the part of the 35-100.

I have a GX8 on the latest firmware. So far I've only really used it with the Nocticron with the electronic shutter set to auto. It has always used the mechanical shutter whatever the shutter speed. I have the 14-140 II so will test with that at some point.

Initially when using my Nocticron I had only been shooting inside so I'd speculated that e-shutter could be linked to WB to avoid banding, but I've now used the Nocticron outside and with that lens there's no difference.

The small 35-100mm got a firmware update to V1.1 on the 8th of December.

I'll try my G7 (FM V2.0) with my 35-100 before and after upgrading it to V1.1 this week and report back.

Seeing exactly the same behaviour with my 14 month old Petite 35-100mm before and after firmware upgrade on my G7 (FM V2.0).

It does indeed look like movement inside the focus area appears to be the trigger for the camera to switch between shutter types when the shutter speed is in the dreaded shutter shock zone.

Worth noting that I only see this happening in A, S, and P modes. Shutter type only switches to Electronic when you select a shutter speed faster than the mechanical shutter can support.