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Cameras I will not be buying this year Chapter 5 Olympus

Panasonic G7. I noticed on reviewing this image that the message on the pale blue banner mid left reads "A curious world of nostalgia awaits". I thought this vaguely appropriate to head this post. If Olympus was a little less concerned with nostalgia and substantially more concerned with improving ergonomics and the user experience, their cameras might have wider appeal.
By the way this casual indoor snapshot illustrates that the M43 format sensor need no longer be regarded as second best in any way. Both the sensor and the $100 kit lens perform very well indeed.

The main business at Olympus and the source of profitable operations is medical imaging equipment.

However the company has a long and continuing tradition of camera making.

Like other camera makers Olympus has drastically cut its output of compacts to concentrate on the Micro Four Thirds system of ILCs.

This has apparently been successful with the camera division posting a profit recently for the first time in years.

I think it is fair to say that Olympus has long sought to present cameras which have been deliberately “different” in some way to the mainstream CanoNikonPentax SLR style models. In the film days Olympus strove to make its cameras smaller than others with some success particularly from the “Pen” half frame film compacts.

In the digital era Olympus dared to be different with its “Four Thirds” DSLRs which used a smaller sensor than the market leaders. This failed basically because sensor technology at the time made the 21.5mm diagonal sensors uncompetitive with the more popular 27-28mm ones from other DSLR makers.

In 2008 Olympus teamed up with Panasonic to introduce the Micro Four Thirds system. This is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens camera system also using the 21.5mm sensor. This has had more success but the going has been hard for Olympus.

Part of the problem has of course been the burden of introducing a totally new system right at the start of the global financial crisis. But I think part of it is Olympus’ ongoing determination to be different from the opposition yet romantically wedded to the myth of past glories. One manifestation of this was a long string of digital Pen cameras none of which had a built in EVF.

No thanks.

My first foray into the Olympus M43 system was the purchase of an EM-5 when it was released, together with several lenses and the accessory handle which I discovered I needed in order to hold the thing securely.

The EM-5 polarised opinion among those who used it.

It was hailed by some owners as the best camera they had ever used.

Others including myself were less enthusiastic. I found the menus incomprehensible and I have a great deal of experience decoding camera menus. I found the HMI (Human Machine Interface) awkward and un-necessarily fussy to use.

So I sold the EM-5 and have not returned to Olympus since.

I notice from reviews of the latest models that the menu mess is still in place and possibly worse with new items having been added without consolidating previous items. The only model with a handle fully incorporated into the body is the EM-1.

Would I buy an EM-1 ? I have certainly given it some consideration. But almost 2 years after release and presumably near the end of its model cycle, the EM-1 is still more expensive, even with cashbacks, than the new G7 which I did buy and which in my view has better ergonomics together with at least equal image quality and performance.

Olympus also makes the Stylus-1, a fixed zoom lens camera (FZLC) which looks really interesting on the specification sheet with a 10.7x zoom in a very compact yet well appointed body. Unfortunately according to all the reviews I have read, picture quality is not up to expectations for the 9.3mm sensor size.

They also make waterproof/shock proof/tough cameras which would have obvious appeal for users with specific requirements.

So, no Olympus for me this year.

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Exposure Compensation: Optimum control system

Mẹo sử dụng đồ gia dụng 01:01

There was a very large brightness range between direct sunlight on the stained glass windows and the darker parts of the interior. Using the zebras on the windows I applied negative 1.33 stops of exposure compensation then adjusted the darker tones in the RAW file later in Adobe Camera Raw. The little G7 camera has handled the dynamic range decently well.

I think about and experiment with various camera control systems.

Today’s post is an ergonomic analysis of approaches to the control of Exposure Compensation (EC).

I will use some actual cameras to illustrate points and show that there are ways to achieve optimal control of exposure compensation and ways to get it not-quite-right.

I was stimulated to write this piece by the almost simultaneous release of the Panasonic G7 and GX8 ILCs. Although ergonomically similar these two cameras differ in their approach to the control of exposure compensation.

I have no idea why the designers at Panasonic chose to give each of these M43 cameras a slightly different HMI (human machine interface).

My analysis leads me to the view that one of these systems is optimal, the other not-quite-right.

Principles as applied to cameras

There are four phases of camera use: Setup, Prepare, Capture and Review.

Prepare Phase comes in the minute or few in which the user prepares the camera for a new set of circumstances. For instance shifting from “landscape” to “moving subject” or “hand held street “ to “tripod at night” and so forth. Adjustments in this phase are generally made with the camera held down, away from the eye. In this position the user can see the external parts of the camera and its controls.

Set-and-seemodules (engraved dials or other modules with fixed function such that the setting is visible on the module) are ideal for Prepare Phase.

Capture Phase describes the process of image capture. In this phase the operator is viewing through the EVF (or OVF or monitor) and optimally is able to adjust all primary and secondary exposure and focus parameters without having to lower the camera or alter grip with either hand.

Exposure Compensation is a secondary exposure parameter. (Primary exposure parameters are aperture, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity). As such it should be easily adjusted during Capture Phase.

The ideal control module for this phase is a dial with mode dependent function, which can easily be worked as described above. This is usually described as a Control or Command dial.

Set-and-seemodules are not ideal for Capture Phase for four reasons:

1. The dial is invisible in Capture Phase. The parameter controlled by the dial therefore needs an EVF (+ monitor) readout and the dial will be operated as if it was a Control/Command Dial.

The inscriptions on the dial are visible when they are not required (Prepare Phase) but are invisible when they are required (Capture Phase).

This distinction is highlighted (literally) if the camera has Zebras in the EVF for still photo.
Note DSLRs cannot have zebras in the OVF, one reason I no longer use such cameras.

Zebras can give an immediate visual indication of highlight clipping, allowing accurate EC to be applied before exposure. Inscriptions on an EC dial contribute nothing to this process.

2. The opportunity cost of assigning Capture Phase adjustments to Set-and-seedials is that
Prepare Phase adjustments are excluded. The G7 has a Drive Mode Dial which is very useful in Prepare Phase but the GX8 cannot have one as the place which a Drive Mode Dial might have occupied is taken up by the EC dial.

3. A twin dial camera (like the G7) becomes a triple dial camera (like the GX8) with two rear dials. Early reports from GX8 owners are that some are happy with this arrangement, others find it overcomplex and awkward. Regardless of an individual’s likes, the triple dial setup is inevitably more complex than twin dials.

My studies of ergonomics indicate that if the job can be done efficiently with two dials, and it can, then three dials is redundant and imposes un-necessary complexity on the HMI.

4. In some locations such as the top right corner of the camera, the EC dial is forever prone to being bumped inadvertently, thereby applying unwanted + or – exposure.

In “safer” locations such as on the GX8 the dial is less likely to be moved accidentally but there is another problem.

If a Set-and-see EC dial is set to, say, +1/3 then it remains there, whether that is appropriate for the current circumstances or not.

If a Control/Command dial is used to set EC it can be configured to default to zero on changing Mode or switching the camera off. This way you always start a photo sequence with EC at zero.

G7 Well implemented 2 dial system. Exposure Compensation can be directly adjusted with either the front or rear dial.

Twin Dial system, G7

The G7 is a very configurable camera. Function of the buttons and dials can be assigned to the user’s preference.

For instance I have the front dial change Program shift in P Mode, Aperture in A Mode and Shutter Speed in S Mode.

In each of these Modes I have the rear dial assigned to adjust EC directly. If desired I could switch dial functions. This camera also permits one of the buttons to be used like the ‘alt’ key on a computer to assign different functions to the dials.

The HMI is streamlined, efficient and configurable.

GX8 Three dials to change values in Capture Phase but .....oops......... there is no place for the Drive Mode dial.

Triple dial system GX8

On the GX8 the EC dial does EC and that is immutable.

You get more dials and therefore more complexity yet the Drive Mode Dial has gone and you cannot reassign function of the EC dial.

The control system on the GX8 works, no doubt about that, but it uses three dials when two will do the job more efficiently and you lose the Drive Mode dial.

Comparison, FZ1000

This is my regular camera. It has zebras. It has a ‘one rear dial’ system with a front lever around the shutter button which can be used like a front dial for some functions.

I have it configured so the rear dial adjusts aperture in A Mode and Shutter speed in S Mode. I have assigned EC to the front lever. This is a fast, efficient system although it has a front/rear functional relationship which is the opposite of that which I use on the G7.

Summary

The use of Set-and-see dials for Capture Phase functions is not optimal on a modern camera. This applies particularly to Shutter Speed dials and Exposure Compensation dials.

I have discussed Shutter Speed dials elsewhere on the blog.

This post discusses Exposure Compensation dials.

I regard both as manifestations of a design process which preferences style over function.

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Panasonic Lumix G7 Review Part 3 Ergonomic Score

Mẹo sử dụng đồ gia dụng 02:58

G7 Control Panel showing the flat top 4 Way Pad and buttons. The little ridge on the right side of the control panel is easily seen in this photo. The thumb support is adequate for a small light camera and its shape allows the thumb easy operation of the rear dial.

The camera was evaluated with the standard kit 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (2) lens mounted.

This ergonomic score follows my established schedule which you can read about here.

Setup Phase

The G7 uses the same menu system as other current Lumix MILCs and high end FZLCs. It is graphically very clear and for the most part well laid out. Navigation is easy. Access to the menus is easy.

There is a Q Menu for user selectable quick access items. [Menu Resume] is available.

The camera is highly configurable. Dial and button functions can be assigned to user preference from a long list of options.

There are a few negatives which prevent a maximum score.

There is no [My Menu].

There are a few mystery menu items such as [Constant Preview].

I think it is time for Panasonic to revisit the entire menu/submenu system with a view to breaking out some groups and consolidating others to new submenus. There are, for instance, [Focus], [Shutter] and [Display] items spread across several submenus. Various [Image Quality] items are in the Rec menu but would make more sense to me in their own submenu. I think the current Rec, Custom and Setup menus could be replaced with more meaningful groupings.

Score 10/15

Prepare Phase

Current Panasonic G cams including the G7 do Prepare Phase well.

The Q Menu is user configurable as are several buttons and dials.

Set-and-seemodules are optimally used for prepare Phase items. These include the Drive Mode and

Main Mode dials and the Focus Mode lever. The layout designer has a good understanding of the relationship between Prepare Phase and Capture phase tasks and therefore which modules are best suited to each task group.

Score 13/15

Capture Phase: Holding

The G7 has the best size, shape and configuration of handle of the “Just G” cameras. I rate it with the GH3/4 for comfort and conformity to the natural position of the hand. If I were working on the next version I might locate the shutter button a touch to the left (as viewed by the user) and I might put the rear dial in a wider thumb support. But that would entail making the monitor smaller.

As it stands I rate the G7 as having just about the best possible holding arrangements given the overall size of the body.

Score 18/20

Capture Phase: Viewing

The G7 provides excellent viewing via either the EVF or monitor. It really is a pleasure to use.

The monitor is the highly versatile fully articulated type. The EVF provides a large bright, clear and sharp view of the subject. My personal preference would be for a softer rubber material in the eyecup with a more rounded edge for more comfort.

Both EVF and monitor are highly adjustable to personal preference. I find the default EVF contrast too high but minus 5 contrast soon fixes that.

Both the EVF and monitor can be configured to “Monitor style” or “Viewfinder style”. The EVF and monitor display the same information in the same way for a seamless segue between the two.

Extensive data can be displayed (or not if desired) in both the EVF and monitor. This includes peaking (for very accurate manual focus) and zebras (for accurate control of highlight brightness).

Score 18/20

FZ1000. This shows the "rocking saucer" type 4 Way Pad with raised edges, seen on some Panasonic cameras. This type is much easier to locate and operate by feel. In my view Panasonic and other camera makers should standardise on this type.

Capture Phase: Operating

An ideal camera allows the user to adjust all primary and secondary exposure and focussing parameters while looking continuously through the viewfinder and without having to change grip with either hand. Not many cameras fully meet this standard but the G7 comes close.

It is the first ‘Just G” model to utilise a full twin dial design which is well implemented. Both dials are easy to turn with minimal finger action being required.

With [Direct Focus Area] set, moving the AF box and changing its size are quick and easy.

Adjusting AF<>MF, AFC<>AFS, Changing Mode, adjusting aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation are all quickly and reliably performed without impeding the picture taking process.

There is a little ridge on the far right side of the camera back to prevent the palm accidentally pressing on the rear pad and buttons there. This works well and is an example of the way in which subtle changes can have a big effect on ergonomic characteristics.

The only blemish on this otherwise excellent performance is haptic issues on the 4Way Pad and rear buttons.

The 4Way Pad is of the “4 flat buttons” type which I hoped Panasonic might have abandoned by now.

The FZ1000 utilises the much more easily operated “rocking saucer” type, with a raised edge which is easy to feel. In addition the pad on the FZ1000 has a diameter of 17mm whereas that on the G7 is almost 20mm in diameter.

I fail to understand why they used a larger diameter pad on the smaller camera.

The pad on the G7 is usable but when doing so I am constantly a little unsure if my thumb is in the right place whereas with the FZ1000 I never have any concern about this.

It is an abiding mystery to me that different cameras use different rear pads. They are going to be used by the same humans with the same hands so why the difference ?

In addition the buttons in the rear control panel are not as easy to locate by feel as they should be.

They need slightly more projection. This is a guess but maybe an extra 0.2mm would do the trick.

Enough to make them easy to feel but not so much they will get bumped accidentally.

I would also like to feel a rough surface on the buttons with the Playback button having a very different texture from the Q Menu and Disp buttons.

This is another aspect of design detail where small changes can have a big effect on usability.

I scored the G7 down a few points because of these haptic issues which I think Panasonic could and should fix in mid production.

Score 17/25

Review Phase

With its twin dial operation the G7 is easy to use effectively in Review Phase. Scrolling between enlarged frames is easy. The review experience could be improved a bit if Panasonic implemented the “jump to AF point” on zooming in, as seen on some other cameras.

Score 5/5

Overall score 81/100

Comment This is a good score for a small ILC, reflecting the generally very good user experience.

If Panasonic could fix the haptic issues the camera would score even higher.

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Cameras I will not be buying this year Chapter 4 Nikon (Leica)

Mẹo sử dụng đồ gia dụng 19:13

This butcher bird sat uncharacteristically still for more than two seconds so I was able to get a shot with the P900. Pity about no RAW capture though.

Of all the corporations which make cameras, Nikon may be most heavily reliant on cameras for its income. Most of the others make refrigerators, TVs….. etc….etc with cameras forming a minor division.

One might imagine therefore that Nikon would be the R&D leader in camera technologies. Maybe not, that would probably be Sony, however Nikon has produced some interesting cameras this year.

The mainstay of Nikon’s output continues to be DSLRs.

I have no interest in these as I explained in Chapter 1 of this little series.

But Nikon has the 1 Series of MILCs and also its long running Coolpix line of fixed lens cameras, most of which are zooms.

1 Series

The curious name “1” for this series of cameras derives from the same quaint logic which led to the “Micro 4/3” name for MILCs with a somewhat larger sensor.

Way back in the bygone days, cathode ray tubes or something like that were used to capture video.

The diameter of the tube, expressed in inches, determined the effective size of the light receptive sensor at the end of the tube.

So the tube which might have been required to house a 17.3x13mm sensor (found in M43 cameras) would have been about 1.33 (4/3) inches.

The tube which might have been required to house a 13.2x8.8mm sensor (found in Nikon 1 cameras) would have been about 1 inch.

Hence the naming by numbers which appear unrelated to the actual product.

Nikon introduced the “1” series in 2011. Right from the start there was a very strange dichotomy between the internal workings and the external form of these cameras as if the team working on the internals had no connection to the team working on the casing and user interface.

The internals have been characterised by outstanding performance with extremely high frame rates featuring continuous AF and predictive AF on every frame.

The ‘V” versions of the 1 Series could be an enthusiast/professional sport/action/bird/wildlife photographers dream if well implemented.

But the casing and user interface has apparently been aimed at “cute teenage Facebook girl” with

Coolpix style compact camera layout, funky colors and jazzy functions.

It appears Nikon doesn’t know what it wants to do with the 1 Series.

Our family had a V2 with 10-100mm lens for a while but it went as soon as the FZ1000 came along with much better picture quality and performance from the same sized sensor.

The latest 1 series offering from Nikon is the J5. This is not a camera which I would consider buying due to the ongoing internal/external dichotomy.

However I am going to nominate it as the Most Interesting camera of 2015.

Why ? Because it has no mechanical shutter. It operates entirely with the electronic shutter.

Why is this interesting ? Because in my view the mechanical focal plane shutter is the curse of modern interchangeable lens cameras and the sooner it disappears the better.

Mechanical shutters create vibration during the exposure which can lead to degradation of image quality in some, not always predictable, circumstances.

Now it appears we have a camera running entirely on E- Shutter which can shoot 20 frames per second with predictive AF and (maybe) EVF refresh on every frame (not sure about that, the V2 couldn’t do it) shutter speeds from 2 minutes to 1/16000 sec and compatibility with flash.

I don’t know if there is a catch to this. Each of the other cameras which (probably) uses the same sensor namely the Canon G7X, G3X, Sony RX100(3), RX10 (1) and Panasonic FZ1000 has a mechanical shutter so maybe the J5 is missing some capability.

Never mind, the fact that it runs entirely without a mechanical shutter makes the J5 interesting and the 1 Series space definitely worth watching.

Coolpix

Some time back I bought a Coolpix P7800, a not-so-compact camera with an excellent lens and quite good picture quality. Unfortunately its performance in terms of operating speed was tediously slow so it did not last long in my camera drawer.

This year Nikon startled the camera world with the P900 and its amazing 83x zoom lens. One member of our household is very keen to make bird photos for which the P900 seemed ideal so we bought one and gave it a good workout over a period of two months.

But the P900 proved to be a sheep in wolfs clothing. That big lens is attached to a Coolpix body with the slow old C2 processor from the P7800 and other Coolpix cameras.

Our birdwatcher has gone back to the FZ1000. It zooms out to an effective E800mm with i-Zoom, has a better EVF, better picture quality and faster operation .

If Nikon really wants to capture the amateur/budget sport/action/bird/wildlife market they need to improve operating and processing speed. They already have the ability to do this. The J5 mentioned above uses the Expeed 5A processor which runs very fast.

So no more Nikons for me this year but I will keep a close eye on developments in the 1 Series and Coolpix lines which I believe have great potential if only the product development people would agree to roll out fully powered products unrestrained by artificial shackles.

But we can’t have that, can we ? They might compete with the DSLRs.

Addendum: Leica

Leica did not get a separate post from me as the brand is somewhat of a niche-within-a-niche player.

I resolved some time ago to never again buy any camera without a built in EVF.

Not counting rebadged Panasonic Lumix models that excludes all Leicas but the recently released Q which has a single focal length 28mm lens on full frame.

In the film days I used compacts with fixed 28 and 35mm lenses. I found the 28mm too wide for general photography with the 35mm focal length being more versatile.

The other problem for Australian buyers is uncertainty about Leica’s commitment to warranty and servicing.

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LX100 In Amsterdam Part 2

Mẹo sử dụng đồ gia dụng 00:35

LX100

All the photos have been downsized and compressed for the internet. The originals reveal more information.

All made with the LX100 hand held at various apertures and shutter speeds, most with Auto ISO, Aperture ring on A and Shutter Speed Dial on A.

The interiors used f1.7 which gives nice clear, sharp results. I think this weakens the case for fast primes on M43 (or other) bodies for street shooting.

The LX100 is versatile giving good results indoors and out. I do wish it had a fully articulated monitor for waist level and overhead shots in both landscape and portrait orientation.

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Panasonic Lumix G7 Review Part 2 Managing Shutter Shock

Mẹo sử dụng đồ gia dụng 18:06

FZ1000 82 degrees North

I have been using Micro Four thirds (M43) cameras since 2009.

In 2011 I bought a Lumix 45-175mm power zoom lens. When I tested this lens on a Lumix G3 body mounted on a sturdy tripod I discovered severe blurring and double imaging the like of which I had never seen before.

There had been no notice or advice from Panasonic about this problem and to this day Panasonic has not, as far as I am aware, issued any statement or notice, or any acknowledgement of the existence of the problem or any advice for owners on managing the problem.

My unhappy experience with the PZ45-175mm was an introduction to the problem which I call “shutter shock”.

I eventually worked out that the blurring and double imaging which affects some lenses at some focal lengths at some shutter speeds is caused by vibration initiated by the focal plane shutter causing movement of the focus module in the lens during the exposure. I reported the problem on this blog.

Some of the more rigorous camera review websites such as Digital Photography Review and Imaging Resource also reported the problem.

The focal plane shutter of a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) goes through a close>open>exposure>close>open four action cycle every time an exposure is made. The first action immediately prior to exposure shakes the camera and the lens. You can easily feel this with a hand on the camera when the shutter fires.

Modern lenses for MILCs have focussing lens groups which are very small and light to enable fast AF. Unfortunately these small elements being easy to move are……...easy to move.

Shutter vibration can shake these elements and when this does happen the result is blur sometimes with double imaging.

Panasonic lenses well known to be prone to shutter shock are the PZ45-175mm mentioned above and the popular 14-140mm which is often bundled with a camera body.

Other lenses also suffer from the problem to varying degrees. You can read how to test for shutter shock below.

Today I tested the G7 with the kit 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 (II) lens which by the way delivers an excellent optical performance.

My shutter shock test findings for this lens on the G7 are as follows:

* Hand held with OIS ON, there is virtually no difference in sharpness between the test frames with M (Mechanical) shutter and those with E (Electronic) shutter. On intensive pixel peeping at 200% on screen I judged the E Shutter frames to be just ever so slightly sharper in the shutter speed range 1/40 -1/160 second.

* On the tripod with OIS OFF, the M Shutter frames showed definite blurring between 1/40 and 1/200 second, most obviously at focal length 42mm.

The E Shutter frames were all sharp.

Comment: Notice that the M shutter caused easily seen blur on the tripod but not in the hand. I have observed this with other camera/lens combinations. My hypothesis is that the hands act as a shock absorber to dampen the shutter induced vibrations. The phenomenon is real enough and reproducible.

Recommendations: Note: these recommendations apply to the 14-42mm kit lens.

* Hand held: For general photography use either the M Shutter or the E Shutter. I use the E Shutter as it is silent and therefore unobtrusive. I add a bit of electronic noise to reassure me that the picture has been taken. (Setup Menu>Screen1/5>Beep>E-Shutter Vol)

* For moving subjects, sport/action/children/pets and the like use the M Shutter and a speed of 1/320 sec or faster. Set the mode Dial to S to ensure this.

You can use the E-Shutter but with the risk of distortion of subjects which move during the exposure.

* On a tripod at shutter speeds faster than 1 second, use the E-Shutter and some form of remote shutter release or 2 sec timer delay.

Alternatively you can use the M Shutter with [Shutter Delay] as described below.

* On a tripod with shutter speeds longer than 1 second you must use the M Shutter.

Set [Shutter delay] to 2 seconds. Press the shutter button to initiate exposure. There is no need to use the timer delay.

The shutter/exposure sequence with [shutter delay] is:

press shutter button>shutter closes>delay occurs>shutter opens>exposure>shutter closes>shutter opens.

Presumably the initial shutter close action is the main source of the shock.

I create a Custom Mode with the required settings for long exposure times.

* For flash you must use the M Shutter.

Shutter shock test method

* You need to set up a test target which will be exactly the same for every one of several hundred test exposures. I use pages of classified newspaper advertisements taped to a board. The target needs to have plenty of detail so you can detect any sign of unsharpness.

* Set the Mode Dial to S (Shutter priority auto exposure). Let the camera work out aperture and ISO sensitivity setting.

First set:

* Hand Held, OIS ON. For a zoom do three runs, at the wide end, middle and long end of the zoom.

* Do the three runs with E-Shutter and another three with M-Shutter.

* Use shutter speeds from about 1/6 second to about 1/800 second at 1/3 step intervals. AF on each frame.

Note that the sequence of exposures will use small apertures (high f stop numbers) at one end and high ISO settings at the other end. Sharpness declines markedly with small apertures and high ISO settings. Absolute sharpness is not important in the context of this test schedule. The test is to determine whether M Shutter or E Shutter gives better sharpness at each shutter speed.

Second set:

* As above but with the camera on tripod, OIS OFF, 2 second timer delay for each exposure.

This makes a total of about 264 frames for a zoom lens.

Now comes the boring job of looking at each frame at 100% on screen.

If I am not sure whether one frame is sharper than another I open them together in Photoshop and view them side by side (Window>Arrange>Float all in windows).

I realise all this may sound very tedious and it is. However in two hours I can have a definitive answer about the shock/blur characteristics of each body/lens combination.

With that information I can plan a shutter type strategy for any situation.

What about EFCS ? (Electronic First Curtain Shutter)

What about EFCS indeed !

Some cameras enable this hybrid electronic/mechanical shutter technology. Each exposure is started electronically and ended mechanically. There is no shutter shock as no mechanical action takes place before or during exposure.

Several Panasonic MILCs including the GM1, GM5 and GF7 do have EFCS but their fastest speed with the mechanical shutter is 1/500 sec.

The fixed zoom lens FZ1000 does and I think the LX100 does based on my listening to its shutter operation.

The G7 and most M43 cameras do not have EFCS.

Those without EFCS have to use E-Shutter with its attendant problems which include: No shutter speeds longer than 1 second (1/8 at high ISO), banding with fluorescent and some other light sources, no flash, rolling shutter effect with moving subjects and in some cases increased high ISO noise and reduced dynamic range.

As EFCS would appear to be the most versatile current technology for preventing shutter shock I do not understand why Panasonic has it on some cameras but not on others.

Panasonic provides absolutely no explanation about this at all.

Several other camera makers including Olympus do provide EFCS on their MILCs and DSLRs in Live View Mode.

Electronic Shutter

The G7 Owners Manual (page 179) says you can use either the Manual shutter or the E-Shutter but provides no guidance of any description as to WHY you might select one or the other.

In addition there is an absurdly gratuitous warning about the privacy of the subject ending with “Use at your own risk”.

On Page 180 there is a brief note under the heading “Minimising vibration of the shutter”. This refers to the [Shutter Delay] feature.

The text reads “ To reduce the risk of hand shake or shutter vibration shutter is released after the specified time has passed.”

Even allowing for some loss of meaning in translation this provides no help to the user at all.

It is not a means to reduce the effects of hand shake and the instructions give the user no help in deciding when or why [Shutter Delay] should be used.

Even the description is incorrect. The shutter closes at the beginning of the specified time not after the time has passed.

Comment and opinion

I regard Panasonic’s egregiously obscurantist failure to acknowledge shutter shock as secretive, cowardly and disgraceful.

I believe they would better serve their customers and their own reputation by releasing information papers about shutter shock, discuss openly the measures which the company is taking to manage the problem, indicate the direction of research and development and offer recommendations for shutter shock management with various camera/lens combinations.

It is my view that Panasonic needs to find a universal fix for the shutter shock issue, sooner rather than later.

Whether this be EFCS, high speed E-Shutter or something else is probably immaterial to the camera user.

But it needs to be something which works in every circumstance of usage and can thus be a “set and forget” solution.

As things stand you can see from my Recommendations above that avoiding shutter shock blur with the G7 and similar cameras is convoluted. Some circumstances require E-Shutter, some M-Shutter and others M-Shutter +[Shutter Delay].

I have a great deal of experience working MILCs and still I found it quite difficult to figure out the combination of strategies which gives the best result.

I imagine newcomers to MILC photography will likely just use the M-Shutter all the time and wonder why some of their pictures are not sharp.

Or maybe they will use the E-Shutter then wonder why the flash won’t work, strange bands appear on photos under fluorescent light, the camera won’t set a shutter speed slower than 1 second and their grandchildren appear all bent out of shape in photos.

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