Setting up the GH4, Part 4, Switching Setups

Picture Gardens,  Broome, Western Australia

One of the advantages  of a highly configurable camera like the GH4 is that it can be quickly transformed from a deliberative low light landscape recorder into a high speed sport/action shooter. The challenge is to make the switch from one setup to the next with the least number of actions and a high degree of reliability, so that one does not forget some vital setting in the heat of the moment.

Every photographer will have his or her favourite subject types and therefore different requirements for camera setups.

In this post I provide by way of example the way I set up my GH4 for the capture scenarios which I usually encounter. These are General hand held photography, Hand held sport/action, Tripod-good light and Tripod low light.

The most efficient way to switch the camera from settings optimal for one circumstance to those which best suit a different circumstance is to use the Custom Modes.

The GH4 also has hard, labelled controls for OIS (on lenses with an OIS switch on the barrel), Drive Mode (dial) and Focus Mode (lever).  These cannot be included in a Custom Mode, but everything else can.

The procedure for setting a Custom Mode is described on Page 321 of the Manual. It is quite straightforward. You do need to be careful that every Menu, Q Menu and Button is set exactly as you want it before committing to a Custom Mode AND just before capture, remember to set the Drive Mode and Focus Mode to the positions required for the new circumstance.

Lumix GH4 Custom Mode Settings (Example)

		Standard Hand--held General photography	C-1 Hand-held Sport/action	C-2 Tripod Good Light SS < 1 sec	C-3-1 Tripod Low Light SS > 1 sec
Labelled Hard Controls	Main Mode Dial	A	S>C1 SS-- 1/1600	A>C2 Apert--f5.6	A>C3 Apert--f5.6
	Drive Mode Dial	Single	Burst	Timer 2 sec	Single
	Focus Mode lever	AFS	AFC	AFS	AFS
	Lens OIS lever	On	On	Off	Off
Top Buttons	WB	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
	ISO	Auto	Auto	200	200
	Exp.Comp	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Q Menu/Fn2	OIS	OIS-Normal	OIS-Normal	OIS-Off	OIS-Off
Fn buttons	Fn1	RAW	RAW or JPG	RAW	RAW
	Fn3/AF Mode	1-Area	1-Area	1-Area	1-Area
	Fn4/Level	Off	Off	On	On
	Fn5/E-Shutter	On	Off	On	Off
Rec Menu	Shutter Delay 4s	Off	Off	Off	On

 The table above  summarises essential details of the Custom Menus which I have set for the GH4.  This stuff is inclined to be a strain on the brain at first but once mastered enables very streamlined use of the camera.  I have this printed out as a small card which lives in my camera bag to remind me of the settings.