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Author Topic: Panasonic GX7 issues  (Read 5608 times)

ripgriffith

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Panasonic GX7 issues
« on: November 21, 2014, 12:06:15 pm »

I'm a few weeks into shooting with my new GX7 and, although I really  do like the camera, there's one issue that is driving me bonkers: often, not occasionally, not rarely, but often, I grab the camera and instead of seeing the image either on the LCD or in the viewfinder, I see WHITE BALANCE! Obviously the fat part of my thumb pushes the WB button on the back  and there seems to  be no way to disengage this   button or to assign to it something a little less image blocking. 

It's something in the size of the GX7, I think, as I never had this particular problem with my GF1 or G2. Has anyone else had this problem and perhaps discovered a workaround short of radical surgery on my  thumb?
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stever

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2014, 07:01:05 pm »

I don't think it's just your thumb, this and a couple other buttons on the back seem to be easily pushed in normal handling.  I have two bodies radically re-programmed to make them faster for my use and a bit more like Canon - so I've got the 4 quadrant buttons programmed for AF location.  Recently took several thousand image over 3 weeks in Central Asia and my major bitch was finding the focus location in some odd corner location - less frequently there were other surprises, none terribly serious but cumulatively annoying.

I have no complaints about IQ (primarily used the 12-35 and 35-70) and the small size and silent shutter certainly got me shots I couldn't have gotten with a big noisy DSLR.

If Panasonic would just put a serious photographer on their design team they could make great cameras (and maybe even provide consistent software and half-decent manuals).

if anyone else has suggestions I'd like to hear them also.
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ripgriffith

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2014, 01:12:40 am »

How did you program these buttons?  They don't seem to be assignable.
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langier

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2014, 02:47:23 am »

For the first few months I didn't have the fat thumb issue with my GX7 but now I regularly do. I think it is time to reprogram my hand to avoid that issue.

I sometimes manage to change the AF and other times manage to turn on the self timer. Either is annoying, but after a year with one and a couple of months with a second body, I really like ahooting with them and the liberation in size, weight, and operation noise. I use the 7-14 and the 14-140 and that's all I seem to need.

With thousands of images and hours of video, I am very happy with the results.
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stever

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2014, 11:17:41 am »

the quadrant buttons aren't separately assignable, it's done with an autofocus mode buried somewhere in the menu - sorry, but I can't find my setup record.

you need to download the "Owner's Manual for Advanced Features", print it out, then annotate and cross-index it There's a whole lot of garbage, but ultimately after re-reading the sections on custom functions and assigning functions and playing with the camera you can get it to do mostly what you want (except the sensitive/poorly protected buttons).

if I find the setup sheet or remember (less likely as the menu functions aren't logically named and grouped) how to assign AF location and size to the quadrant i'll post

unfortunately it's not just the fat thumb that needs re-programming - an almost - great camera marred by menu/control frustrations
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scooby70

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2014, 11:31:09 am »

I'm a few weeks into shooting with my new GX7 and, although I really  do like the camera, there's one issue that is driving me bonkers: often, not occasionally, not rarely, but often, I grab the camera and instead of seeing the image either on the LCD or in the viewfinder, I see WHITE BALANCE!...

I'm struggling to understand this.

If you accidentally hit one of the rear buttons such as WB don't you still see the scene but with the WB bar at the bottom? That's what happens when I intentionally hit the WB button.

In any event, half pressing the shutter should remove the annoying WB bar from the screen.

No biggie, IMVHO.
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ripgriffith

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2014, 11:49:48 am »

I'm struggling to understand this.

If you accidentally hit one of the rear buttons such as WB don't you still see the scene but with the WB bar at the bottom? That's what happens when I intentionally hit the WB button.

In any event, half pressing the shutter should remove the annoying WB bar from the screen.

No biggie, IMVHO.
What you say is quite true.  howevver, it seems that not only does my fat thumb hit the WB button, it also hits the down, or burst, button a microsecond later, which then triggers the adjustment panel for the white balance.  That's what obscures the screen.  One or the other would be,  as you say, no biggie; it's the sequential combination of the two that's the PITA.  And of course,  the picture of a lifetime always occurs in that brief moment when you are diverted by Panasonic's rainbow.
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Telecaster

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2014, 04:39:34 pm »

The GX7's cramped right rear—too many buttons in too small an area—is my one beef with the camera. I have a similar complaint about my car's steering wheel…I'm forever switching things on/off or changing display setups by mistake in the winter while driving with gloves on. Featuritis degrading ergonomics.

-Dave-
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scooby70

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2014, 07:13:38 pm »

What you say is quite true.  howevver, it seems that not only does my fat thumb hit the WB button, it also hits the down, or burst, button a microsecond later, which then triggers the adjustment panel for the white balance.  That's what obscures the screen.  One or the other would be,  as you say, no biggie; it's the sequential combination of the two that's the PITA.  And of course,  the picture of a lifetime always occurs in that brief moment when you are diverted by Panasonic's rainbow.

Hitting two buttons is indeed bad luck but again this should only obscure part of the display but a larger part and this too is cleared by a half press of the shutter button.

I'm all for reading the manual even if it's something that I rarely do myself :D The button customisation procedure is pretty straight forward and you should be able to figure out how to do it without resorting to the manual but it's there if needed. I don't know what the answer is for anyone having finger trouble, enabling "Direct Focus Area" will change the function of the buttons but instead of calling up WB you'll move the focus point.
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ripgriffith

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2014, 02:47:05 am »

Hitting two buttons is indeed bad luck but again this should only obscure part of the display but a larger part and this too is cleared by a half press of the shutter button.

I'm all for reading the manual even if it's something that I rarely do myself :D The button customisation procedure is pretty straight forward and you should be able to figure out how to do it without resorting to the manual but it's there if needed. I don't know what the answer is for anyone having finger trouble, enabling "Direct Focus Area" will change the function of the buttons but instead of calling up WB you'll move the focus point.
Of course, reading the manual is a good thing, and it is something I do; however, changing the quad button to DFA only changes the problem, not eliminate it.  Ideally, I don't want to have to half-press the button to get rid of something undesirable, I want to have the camera ready to shoot when I am ready to shoot.  Some of you may remember when Sony introduced the a65/a77 and some of the Nex series which had the movie button in a position guaranteed to be actuated at the wrong moment.  Sony, for at least one in their history, did a firmware fix that allowed disabling the movie button until you really wanted to use it.  Seems like Panny could do something similar so that I could, should I choose, disengage the entire quadrant of buttons, perhaps being able to reassign one or more of their functions to other function buttons.  God knows the GX7 has enough  of those.  99% of the time, I just want to shoot and shoot quickly.  The rare instance in which I need to change the WB, I can do via the menu or a function button.
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scooby70

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2014, 09:53:56 am »

One thing you could do is get a little half case, one that covers the buttons you keep hitting. There may not be one available in the shops but I'm sure you could find a little leather working artisan who could knock one up for you as if pressing the buttons accidentally, something that I just haven't found to be a real world issue, is all that's stopping you enjoying the camera it'll be worth it.
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ripgriffith

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2014, 10:18:00 am »

One thing you could do is get a little half case, one that covers the buttons you keep hitting. There may not be one available in the shops but I'm sure you could find a little leather working artisan who could knock one up for you as if pressing the buttons accidentally, something that I just haven't found to be a real world issue, is all that's stopping you enjoying the camera it'll be worth it.
Oddly enough, I have tried something similar, only to have it push all the  buttons simultaneously :)  FWIW, it becomes a real world issue if a design feature of a camera causes you to lose even one photograph, and I do enjoy the camera. 

I posted this not because I am cosmically unhappy with the camera; only because someone out  there might have found a workaround.  Except for this one issue,  I genuinely like this camera (I would love it if it were designed for a left-eyed glasses-wearing photographer) and must admit that I am quite astounded by the image quality.
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David S

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2014, 10:41:51 am »

I continue to have the same fat thumb issue and have taken time to teach my hand and thumb serious lessons about what not to do. I have reduced the fat thumb happenings by enough that I am starting to be surprised when they happen. But we shouldn't have to do that. I could use less buttons on this smallish camera.

Dave S

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stever

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2014, 01:29:34 pm »

speaking fast operation - has anyone found a function to keep the EVF on?  the eye sensor delay is very annoying.  I've put tape over mine to keep the evf on.
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ripgriffith

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2014, 03:57:44 pm »

speaking fast operation - has anyone found a function to keep the EVF on?  the eye sensor delay is very annoying.  I've put tape over mine to keep the evf on.
There are many, many posts on various forums on this topic.  Most  seem to come down where you did, with the  tape.  The disadvantage, of course, is the  greatly diminished life of an already far-too-small battery.
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scooby70

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2014, 07:31:50 pm »

Oddly enough, I have tried something similar, only to have it push all the  buttons simultaneously :) 

Then what you should do is get a piece of suitably thick / slim plastic, I'm sure that something could be found about the home / garage / office / workspace? Actually a plastic 35mm film case looks the perfect size. Cut a slice from top to bottom of the cylinder and either place it strategically over the buttons to form a raised section or build it into the half case thus preventing the buttons from being pressed. You could even put a clip or Velcro on the half case and turn it into a little opening flap so that it can be opened when you want to actually press the buttons.

Honestly, if you have this issue you're probably going to have it with any smallish camera and I think that the application of a little lateral thinking should be able to solve it in one lazy afternoon :D

Good luck with it.
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Mike Raub

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #16 on: November 25, 2014, 02:49:29 pm »

I put an inexpensive thumb grip on my GX 7 which seems to keep my fingers from inadvertently activating a control:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1032640-REG/fotodiox_thumb_grip_b_pro_thumb_grip_for.html?gclid=CLLI--XClsICFQmmaQodDzwA1g
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stever

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Re: Panasonic GX7 issues
« Reply #17 on: November 25, 2014, 04:11:04 pm »

I considered the thumb grip, but it looked like it would interfere with my using the AF/AE Lock button to focus.  Also looked like it would be easy to snag on clothing, camera bag, etc.  What's the reality?



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