Panasonic released the new firmware 1.1 for the GM5. The only improvements is:
Improved the stability of using Pinpoint AF.
Just recently the GM5 got a $100 off at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Panasonic released the new firmware 1.1 for the GM5. The only improvements is:
Improved the stability of using Pinpoint AF.
Just recently the GM5 got a $100 off at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
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13 Responses
Hard to improve upon perfection 🙂
While the GM1 and the GM5 are good and nice, both are far from a perfection. More like a above a average by a notch.
Great if needing ultra small cameras.
I handled the GM5 at a store and it was very impressive, so small and still feels very solid and has an evf. I would be very tempted if it had IBIS, I think this is the direction Oly should go with the Pen E-PX line. There was one thing that really bugged me in it though, why on earth does it have a af-mode selection wheel and no exposure correction/2nd wheel? Seems like an idiotic design in that regard…
Panasonic bodies have some idiotic designs. Like its difficulty get on so small camera the aperture and shutter control via single wheel. Should be just that press OK center of the wheel to swap between those two.
S-AF, C-AF and MF should be behind a menu instead own dedicated switch as you say. Menus are terrible, you need to memorize where is what as you cant just easily go to menus and find what choices you have.
Some settings gets reseted every time you turn off camera, like tap to shoot!
The zoom ring goes totally wrong way. When you are swapping lens, you want to collaps lens to travel position. Then you grab from the lens and unlock the mount and turn and you easily extend the zoom because you can’t get good grip from root of the mount (Olympus makes it otherway around and is way better).
Physical aperture rings or missing focus rings even on the kit lenses like 12-35mm OIS. f/3.5-5.6!
Panasonic cameras are the only ones that I need to read manuals, a side from Canon or Nikon too.
“…the aperture and shutter control via single wheel” = this is not the case with the GM5, which has a thumbwheel for aperture control and a dedicated shutter button.
“S-AF, C-AF and MF should be behind a menu instead own dedicated switch” = Why? Surely it’s easier to change settings with a dedicated switch than it is to menu-dive?
“Menus are terrible” = They’re not perfect, but they’re much better than Olympus’s.
“The zoom ring goes totally wrong way. When you are swapping lens, you want to collaps lens to travel position. Then you grab from the lens and unlock the mount and turn and you easily extend the zoom because you can’t get good grip from root of the mount (Olympus makes it otherway around and is way better).” = While it’s true that it’s possible to accidentally extend the 12-32 zoom when removing it from the GM5’s body, I prefer the design of this lens to Olympus’s collapsing 14-42 IIR, which requires the user to extend it by rotating in the opposite direction to the natural zoom motion and which has a locking button to complicate matters.
It does have exposure compensation.
The thumb wheel compensates for exposure. In A-Priority mode, it toggles between adjusting aperture and exposure compensation.
You toggle the thumbwheel simply by pressing it.
It’s clever and fast.
They must have sold one then
They should add the “DFD” AF system – Just a question of the software / firmware.
It would make it WAY more interesting (especially at it´s still quite high price point).
It’s not just a question of the software. The DFD system needs the complete bokeh profiles for every Panasonic lens. Future lenses will have that information stored in the lens itself, but the information for all the old lenses will have to be stored in the camera, as it is in the GH4. We don’t know if the hardware in the GM5 has the capability of storing that much extra data.
Sure – Takes it´s space. Though: Even the LX100 has DFD – It seems (at least to me), that Panasonic just wants to keep the DFD feature for the upcoming (possible) GX8 (and / or G7) bodies – Which is a shame.
The GM5 is quite expensive for what it´s delivering (especially compared to the GM1 and GF7). No 4K video for example – Not that of a problem / con for most people (also not for me) – But the missing DFD system is really a dealbreaker (as it helps you in general while shooting – Not just stills – Also in video mode. Btw.: The LX100 is now even cheaper than the GM5 (at least here in Europe) – But delivers 4K, the DFD AF system, an exposure compensation dial, way more direct control options and the even better EVF. Also the lens is a great performer – Also better than the 12-32mm)
Panasonic really need to react here. Otherwise the GM5 sales will drop even further (with the upcoming options at the CP+ in a few days).
Yes, but the LX100 (and the FZ1000) had the DFD system from the start, so obviously it can store the information. Also, being a fixed-lens camera, it only needs the profile for one lens. That’s a lot less data than the GM5 would need.
I completely agree with your point that the GM5 should have DFD, considering the price Panasonic are asking for it. But we don’t know if the camera can store the information required for that. Panasonic may have ruled that out already in the design phase.
I don’t think Panasonic “needs to react” to one person who’s concerned about one feature.
The DFD feature has hardly been been mentioned at all in camera forums where the merits or otherwise of the GM5 are being discussed. It’s really not on most people’s radar.
Most lenses focus very quickly on the GM5 in any case – particularly the kit lens. And it’s easy to forget that the DFD feature is far from perfect. It doesn’t work with third-party lenses (including Olympus’s), for instance.
Aha! I knew the GM5 was crippled from the start!