GX85 setup tweaks

I just got my GX85 yesterday and I'm mostly impressed with its focusing ability; far superior than my E-PL6.  The AWB seems to be far inferior.  You can't win 'em all I guess.

I spent several hours with it yesterday wrapping my mind around its menu system, which I cannot say is any better than Olympus'.  All that said, how about a single thread to share customization/setting tweaks so as to get the most out out of the camera?

Very strange your problems with the AWB. To me it's excellent, at least as good as the one on my E-M5 II.

That being said I am a Raw shooter and like to post process my photos anyway.

I only tend to worry more about WB or picture profiles when shooting video.

As for settings, I disabled all the idynamics and other auto features. Also turned continuous autofocus in video off and set the q menu to custom.

It's an awesome little cam!

What things do you have in your custom Q menu?  The i-dynamic feature automatically dials back highlights and lift shadows?  That wouldn't be a bad thing for most shots.  
I've dialed back the highlights in the curves by -1.  Seems to cure blowing out the highlights a good bit.
I've also seen some people suggest tweaking the AWB to +1A +1M to warm the colors a bit.  I don't know if that's necessary for this generation of Panasonic cameras.

jsaras wrote:

What things do you have in your custom Q menu?

The 15 items in 3 pages would highly depend on your type of shooting. As I prefer a faster operation, I would keep the number of option minimum and have fewer pages the best (faster scrolling). I would also put the options of similar usage close to each other and the most frequently using options in the both ends of each page.

I suppose you know it already that each of the 3 C modes can have their own Q.Menu i.e. together with the usual shooting mode, total 4 sets of Q.Menus.

As for my general traveling use, my Q.Menu is:

Page 1

1. Photo Style
2. Quality
3. Picture Setting
4. ETC
5. Digital Zoom
6. Metering Mode
7. AF Mode
8. Stabilization
9. Histogram
10. HDR

1 frequently used. 2~5 for in-camera cropping, 6~9 rarely used but would be handy if needed (so in the middle of the page), 10 used quite a lot.

My tab Menu:

• fn5: wifi
• fn6: Post Focus
• fn7: Shadow/Highlight
• fn8: Bracketing
• fn9: Shutter Type

My physical fn keys:

• fn1: Q.Menu (originally Post Focus, making it same as my other Pany bodies)
• fn2: Preview (originally Q.Menu)
• fn3: Dial Operation Switch (originally 4K Photo)
• fn4: Evf/LCD (unchanged)

The Dual wheels (on normal):

• Front wheel: P/S/A = EC; M=f/stop
• Back wheel: P= Program shift, A/S= parameter adjustment, M=Shutter speed
• Clicked Back wheel: P/S/A = EC (a redundant ), M=no function. Up/Down cursor or touch the icon on upper left corner = AEB, Back wheel=Flash Adjust

Dual wheels (Enable Dial Operation switch)

• Front wheel = ISO <assignable>
• Back wheel = 4K Photo (a slot for anything, nothing more urgent for me to put there only )
• Back wheel on click = same as under "normal" above.

A total of 7 features to be controlled by the two wheels.

My C Modes:

• C1: S mode, AFC, Single focus has a large focus box, Burst=M <for AF tracking>
• C2: A mode, AFS, Single focus in its smallest size, Quality=M ,<for ETC=1.4x>

Have Quality/Picture Setting/ETC/Digital zoom in the first page of Q.Menu for easier change of the in-camera zoom.

• C3: M Mode, Constant Preview=OFF <low light M shooting>

The i-dynamic feature automatically dials back highlights and lift shadows?

Not really, just like a sort of DR expansion by software. Not as obvious as doing recovery in PP that normal jpg can allow. No affect to Raw. I let it on default just because it doesn't give obvious negative effect so far.

That wouldn't be a bad thing for most shots.
I've dialed back the highlights in the curves by -1. Seems to cure blowing out the highlights a good bit.

Do you mean the Shadow/highlight as per P.195 of user menaul? It would not change the total amount of exposure, more similar to PP, a manipulation to the contrast for the SOOC jpg only. We can do the same in PP, and it does not affect raw. Since it won't affect the actual amount of light, the amount of shadow (if total dark) and highlight (if overblown) won't be affected. i.e. no affect on DR. I would do HDR instead if you wish to expand DR.

I expected that -1 in highlight to the shadow/highlight should have reduced the value to the zone between mid tone to highlight, so should result a dimmer highlight (if overblown there, still same amount of overblown) and a reduction in overall contrast. Can't think of the reason of your finding.

A general observation of mine (on the zebra blinkies vs histriogram vs comparing the shot in PS), GX85 trends to put priority on highlight preservation. When Zebra appears on screen (at 105%), usually I can still have +2/3ev to go before highlight actually overblown.

I've also seen some people suggest tweaking the AWB to +1A +1M to warm the colors a bit.

A personal preference. You should experience it out to reflect your own taste.

I am more than happy to keep it Standard on default for a more natural looking (more headroom to PP IMO). In case if you wish to have more saturated color, might try the Vivid mode. It's saturated color is very good (IMHO) for landscape under a sunny day.

I don't know if that's necessary for this generation of Panasonic cameras.

Not for me. Not even vivid mode to my taste especially for portrait shots. But my wife love the striking color.

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Things have never been more like today than they are right now.

Wishing the above might help.

THAT should be the GX85 manual!!  Thank you so much!