Setting up the Panasonic G7 Part 1 Basic decisions

Like other recent Panasonic Micro Four Thirds MILCs, the G7 is a very sophisticated piece of equipment with a multitude of features and capabilities. In addition the function of many of the external controls can be user selected from a long list of options.

This makes the G7 very configurable. Each user can virtually design their own camera and decide what it will do and how it will work.

This is a wonderful thing but it requires many decisions to be made by the user. Experts who are familiar with Panasonic menus and way of doing things can breeze through all this in a few minutes.

But newcomers to the brand may face a steep learning curve.

This little series on setting up the G7 is designed to help those people.

I will refer frequently to the G7 Owners Manual (PDF) for advanced features which should be downloaded from a Panasonic website and open on screen. Fortunately Panasonic’s PDFs are easier to navigate than some with “jump to” and “jump back” capability and a decent layout.

The Owners Manual tells you a lot about what you can do but almost nothing at all about why you would select one of the many options in preference to any other.

I will try to offer some assistance with this. I will explain my understanding of the options available and my selection with reasons. Your requirements will be different from mine and therefore likely to lead to different selections.

I do not use video capture so anyone who wants to use the G7 primarily for video would best seek elsewhere for advice. This series of setup posts is aimed primarily at still photo users.

User groups and basic Mode Dial Settings

The G7 is suitable for the full range of users from complete novices up to professionals.

Novices should set the Mode Dial on the [iA] icon, leave all menu items at default and enjoy the camera’s automatic, point and shoot operation which works very well.

The [Creative Control] (Artists palette) icon on the Mode Dial lets you play about with various in camera JPG effects, just for fun.

The [Scn] Mode is similar with imaging presets like “Appetizing Food” and “Cute Dessert”. I never use or recommend any of these as they give control of imaging parameters to the camera. One of the options is “Clear Sports Shot” but I would never use that for sport/action photos because that is one type of subject where you must have full control of the camera to get good photos.

Those wanting to take a bit more control can try [iA+] but I find iA+ more confusing than helpful.

Users wanting to properly take control of camera operation need to use the P,A,S,M Modes.

Basic ergonomic concepts

The G7 like all recent Panasonic M43 cameras allows you to assign many menu based items to Function buttons and/or the Q Menu button. You can also decide which button is used for the Q Menu. The list of assignable functions is so long as to bewilder the newcomer. So you need a conceptual framework to guide the process.

The framework which I use and recommend is to understand the use of a camera in four phases:

Setup, Prepare, Capture and Review.

Setup Phase decisions are made at home with the Owners Manual to hand. Items which do not need to be adjusted when out and about with the camera can remain in the main menu system, accessed via the Menu/Set button.

Prepare Phase decisions are made in the minutes before taking photos. This might involve, for instance switching from “tripod/landscape” settings to “hand held sport/action” settings.

Some adjustments in this Phase are made with Set-and-seemodules with functions set by the manufacturer. These are the Main Mode Dial to the right of the EVF hump, the Drive Mode Dial to the left of the hump and the Focus Mode Lever below and behind the Mode Dial. These control modules access the adjustments most commonly required in Prepare Phase. On this camera Panasonic has put the Set-and-seemodules to efficient use.

Other adjustments in Prepare Phase can be allocated to the Q Menu and the Q Menu function itself can be allocated to a Fn button. I leave it at the default location which is Fn2.

In Capture Phase you want to quickly adjust primary and secondary exposure and focus parameters without disrupting the picture taking flow. These include Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Exposure Compensation, AF on, Change position and size of AF box.

The best control modules for this phase are the front and rear dials, the programmable Function Buttons and the 4way pad (called Cursor Buttons in Panasonic speak).

Review Phase is accessed via the [Playback] button the function of which cannot be reassigned.

Also the function of the [Motion Picture] button cannot be reassigned although it can be switched off (Manual P 243) to prevent accidental activation.

Touch Screen Operation

The G7 offers many sophisticated touch screen functions and operations (Custom Menu, Manual Page 60)

Someone coming from a smartphone background might think the touch screen would be the obvious way to operate the camera. However the screen on a camera is much smaller than that on a smartphone making all the touch icons smaller and more fiddly to use. In addition the camera is designed to be used with the EVF which makes touch operations very difficult to put it mildly.

I note that cameras designed for professional use generally do not offer touch operation.

The touch options in the Custom Menu are:

1. On/Off

2. Touch Tab. When [On] a line of flyout tabs appears at the right side of the screen like those unloved Charms in Windows 8. You get an extra 5 little Fn button pads and several other functions.

By all means give this a try but I find the tabs too small, too fiddly and the whole process a distraction from the capture flow.

To operate a smartphone you look AT the screen. To operate a camera you look AT the subject THROUGHthe screen or EVF. I find that if I have to look AT the screen to operate the camera it distracts my attention away from the subject.

3. Touch AF. This can be set to activate AF, AE or both at any part of the screen which is touched.

4. Touch Pad AF. The idea here is to allow you to move the AF Area using touch on the monitor, while looking through the EVF.

The options are EXACT and OFFSET. Choose OFFSET which allows you to move the AF area across the whole frame using only half the frame. You can also 'nudge' the AF area.

Some people say they really like this feature. Others of whom I am one find it easier to move AF Area with the cursor buttons.

The problem is that the slightest touch on the screen makes the AF area go walkabout, often to the top right of the frame, which can be irritating.

Try it. You will get finger prints and nose grease all over the monitor. The good news is you can switch it off.

My conclusion after several years is that the touch functions are probably most useful for video work on a tripod when you are viewing on the monitor and do not have to hold the camera.

I don’t do video and infrequently use a tripod so I switch all the touch functions off.

Another use for touch control is setting up the Q Menu which is easier with drag and drop than with the Cursor Buttons.

Direct Focus Area

The next thing which I like to decide is whether or not to use Direct Focus Area (Custom Menu, Manual Page 157) as this influences what functions need to be allocated to the Q menu and Fn buttons.

Novices will be accustomed to the AF system which works in [iA] Mode. The camera uses 49 Area AF Mode and decides where to place the focus using algorithms in the firmware. This often produces multiple small green boxes when the shutter is half pressed.

Users coming from a DSLR background may be familiar with the “focus (in the center) and recompose” procedure, which you can also use with the G7.

But there is a better way, faster and more precise than either of the methods above.

The G7 is a mirrorless camera which allows the user to change position and size of the active AF area at will. This is achieved with the Cursor Buttons. With default settings the direct functions of the

Cursor Buttons are ISO, White Balance, Fn3 and Autofocus Mode.

Note that Autofocus (AF) Mode is different from Focus Mode (AFC/AFF/AFC/MF) which is changed with the Focus Mode Lever.

In order to change position and size of the AF area you first press the left Cursor Button to enter AF Mode, then the down Cursor Button to activate the AF area Setting screen. This is indicated by a yellow bounding box around the AF area with up/down/left/right yellow arrows.

Now pressing a Cursor Button will move the box.

You can put it anywhere. Change the size of the box in 8 big jumps with the rear dial or 68 small increments with the front dial.

Press the Disp Button with the AF box yellow and arrows visible to return the box to center, press twice to restore the box to default size.

Half press the shutter button to restore the AF box to white, indicating readiness for focus operation.

Some users are happy to leave the camera like this and in fact it works fine. But you have to press the left then the down cursor buttons to enter the AF Area Setting Screen.

If you set [Direct Focus Area] in the Custom Menu then pressing any of the cursor buttons causes the camera to enter the AF Area Setting screen immediately and also moves the AF box immediately.

This is faster but you have to find a place to access ISO, WB (if desired) and Autofocus Mode. As it happens this is easy enough.

My practice and recommendation is to set [Direct Focus Area].

I put ISO on Fn1 and Autofocus (AF) Mode on the Q Menu on Fn2. Although Panasonic provides a plethora of AF Mode options I find that [1 Area] gives the most reliable focus in most situations with static and moving subjects. It also gives me the most control.

I don’t bother adjusting White Balance (WB) before capture as I run all my photos including JPGs through Photoshop where I find it much easier to achieve satisfactory white balance. If you shoot RAW then setting WB doesn’t matter.

If you want to shoot JPG and use photos straight out of the camera it may be necessary to adjust WB pre capture. In that case you can allocate WB to a Fn button or the Q Menu.

Dial Operation

The G7 is a full twin dial camera like a professional DSLR but with better dial ergonomics than most of them, enabling the camera to be driven like a sports car. Which is wonderful but like a sports car the driver needs to have sufficient knowledge and skill.

I would advise someone who has never used a twin dial camera to leave Dial Operation at default settings initially then explore what’s available a little later when you are more familiar with the camera. But I put the explanations here because dial settings greatly affect the user experience.

Dial options are found under the [Dial Set] tab in the Custom Menu, Manual Page 49.

1. F=Aperture, SS=Shutter Speed. In Manual Exposure Mode this sets which dial changes Aperture and which changes Shutter Speed. Both dials are easy to use so the choice is by personal preference.

2. Rotation. Ask your self which way you expect to move a control for [value up], in other words higher f number or faster shutter speed . At the default setting rotating the front of the front dial >right (finger moves right) gives value up and rotating the back of the rear dial >right (finger moves right) also gives value up. My brain is wired to expect this so I leave the setting at default. If your brain is wired up differently you can try setting the reverse.

3. Exposure Compensation (EC). You can set up either (or neither) dial to give Exposure Compensation directly. The other dial will adjust aperture in A Mode and Shutter Speed in S Mode.

This is a very fast way to apply EC and it works well. When I set up my GH3/4 for direct EC on the rear dial it got bumped all the time so I had to switch it off. But that has not been a problem with the G7. I prefer to adjust aperture/shutter speed with the front dial and EC with the rear dial. But you can have it the other way around if preferred.

4. Dial Operation Switch Settings. This is a new feature for Panasonic M43 cameras. The idea is to use one of the Fn buttons like an [Alt] key on a Windows computer, to temporarily reassign function of the dials.

By default the Dial Operation Switch button is Fn11 in the middle of the rear dial and the alternative functions are adjustment of WB (front dial) and ISO (rear dial).

Now things get complicated. This is my analysis:

1. Fn11 button is an inappropriate place for adjustments required in Capture Phase because the button can only be reached if grip on the camera with the right hand is completely released.

2. So I mapped [Stabiliser], a Prepare Phase adjustment, to Fn11.

3. There are 14 screens of options for each Fn button………feel faint…dizzy….sit down….have a cup of tea…..back to it…..

You could use one of the Fn buttons for the Dial Operation Switch function. But the opportunity cost of doing that is you cannot use that button for anything else.

4. There are three pages of options for each dial under the [Dial Operation Switch] tab……..feel faint again…………….noisy grumbles……….what genius thought up this lot……...back to it…….

5. I think Panasonic has taken a step too far with the Dial Operation Switch function. It’s all too convoluted both at setup and in operation.

I find that when using a camera that I need to train my nerve/muscle pathways to automatically perform certain movements when I wish to complete specific tasks. Neurologically this process actually involves certain nerve pathways firing preferentially when performing those tasks.

If the camera changes configuration in mid process I will have all the wrong nerves firing. That means I have to stop what I am doing and concentrate on the camera when I should be concentrating on the subject and the picture taking flow.

6. The options numbers don’t add up. There is a finite number of hard Fn buttons. If Dial Operation Switch is allocated to one of them the opportunity cost is that nothing else can be allocated to the same button. So one option is lost and two are created but at the further cost of considerably increased ergonomic complexity. One of those functions temporarily (i.e. for a few minutes or similar) allocated to a dial could be permanently allocated to, say the Q menu where I would at least be able to remember where to find it.

7. My solution to this is to leave Dial Operation Switch function well alone.

Function (Fn) Button Actions Custom Menu, Manual page 70.

Each of the Fn Buttons can be allocated one of 56 possible functions. On first sight the list looks impossibly long and the selection process daunting. But some principles can be usefully applied.

* The Q Menu must be allocated to one button and the default Fn2 is as good as any.

* If Direct Focus Area is set for the Cursor Buttons that leaves just 4 more Fn buttons.

* Fn1 is close behind the front dial/shutter so can be used for a Capture Phase adjustment. I put ISO there. This is actually a better location for ISO than the default Cursor Button as it can be reached with the right index finger without disrupting grip with the right hand.

* Fn 5 is over to the left of the EVF so a Prepare Phase item should find a home there. I chose Quality (RAW/JPG).

* Fn11 in the middle of the rear dial is the most difficult to reach so I put another Prepare Phase item there, Stabiliser.

* I like knowing when my camera is horizontal but I also like having an uncluttered screen/EVF most of the time so I put the Level Gauge on the Fn4 button.

So that is what I do with my reasons. But you will have different ideas about priorities so go through the list and try to work through which functions you want to bring out of the main menu system and onto Fn buttons for ready access.

The best part of this is that you can change your mind at any time. But at some stage you need to settle on a group of settings so you can train your neuro muscular system to function reliably and without having to think about it in the service of making adjustments quickly and smoothly.

AF/AE Lock button Custom Menu, Manual Page 172

This is the button in the middle of the Focus Mode Lever.

You may have read about “back button focus” on some enthusiast and high level cameras. Well this is where you can set up back button focus on the G7. Or not as the case may be. You can choose.

Options for the button are Auto Exposure Lock, Autofocus Lock, Both, and AF-ON.

If AFL is selected the camera will focus and lock focus.

If the next tab down,[AF/AE Lock Hold] is set to ON, focus will stay locked when you release the button.

If AF-ON is set the camera will focus continuously if AFC is set on the Focus Mode lever. This is useful for sport/action where you might want to get the AF system up to speed before initiating a capture sequence with the shutter button.

I find the most useful combination for the way I use the G7 is AFL and AF/AELock Hold ON.

There are plenty of options with which to experiment.

Q Menu Custom Menu, Manual Page 67, 68, 69.

This is the ideal access portal for items which you want to adjust in Prepare Phase of use, in the few minutes before capture. By default there is a preset list of items allocated to the Q Menu but I recommend you make a Custom list, selecting items from the 37 available.

The process for listing items in the Q Menu is reasonably well described on Page 68 of the Manual. I do this with the Cursor Buttons. Sometimes I have a problem persuading the items to line up where I want them and have to experiment a bit with the procedure for moving items from the source lists to the active line.

The active items line can contain 15 items but only 5 are displayed at any time without scrolling across. Therefore I recommend and practice using a maximum of 5 items in the Custom Q menu.

I allocate AF Mode, Stabiliser, E-Shutter, Burst rate and Photo Style to the Q Menu.

I suggest you trawl through the list on Pages 68-69 of the Manual. Decide which items you would be happy to leave in the main menu system and which you want available for ready access on the Q Menu but do not require a dedicated Fn button.

Expect to revise these decisions with experience. Fortunately the camera allows you to change your mind any number of times.

Got in a muddle ?

If you feel you have made a mess of things so far and gotten your settings in a muddle fear not. Go to the Setup Menu>Reset and start over.

Next in this series I will go through the menus item by item.