Panasonic released the new firmware update (download here) which adds Post Focus on the GX8,G7 and FZ300 cameras. In case you missed it here is the video showing you what you can do with it:
Panasonic released the new firmware update (download here) which adds Post Focus on the GX8,G7 and FZ300 cameras. In case you missed it here is the video showing you what you can do with it:
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16 Responses
I can not get it , is focus bracketing pattented or something similar , that Panasonic can not use it ? Why simply not use it and get those multiple shoots with different focus distances with all 20 mpx? why make it worse by using only 8 mpx as in that post focus feature ?
Why not? Panasonic kept the best video for themselves! 😉
Sometimes speed is of essence and it’s not always about absolute rich image quality. Except for yun, maybe.
If Post Focus needs DFD, it is obvious, that they are not doing a number of shots with predefined distance steps from picture to picture. They analyze the situation and the focus is set to specific distances. I expect that you will get the focus on each face probably on each eye if you take pictures of people or faces plus things in front or behind if it is possible to set the focus.
I still think that this function is not very helpful because it takes to long. You need a situation where you are sure that you are not able to set the focus by your self and the situation has to be static enough to have time to switch to this function and take all the pictures. I had situations with kids and dogs playing around with a speed, that focusing and concentration on the right moment at the same time is almost impossible. I don’t think that this function would be a great help in those situations. I just take more pictures and sort them out.
If you read the PDF file there is a new AUTO option added to electronic shutter. I cannot figure out how it works. Anyone has any clue after trying it out? For me it has no different with the OFF setting means it will always use mechanical shutter. I supposed it should only use mechanical shutter when electronic shutter cannot be used (i.e. flash, more than 1 second, ISO above 3,200, fast moving subjected detected…).
It’s probably for when you are in situation when a shutter speed higher than the max the mechanical shutter it automatically switches to electronic shutter.
Give it a test outside on a bright day with the lens wide open and see what happens. The gx8 has a max mech shutter speed is 1/8000th while the max the e shutter has is 1/16000th So it should automatically switch to e shutter when needing a shutter speed over 8000. Give it a try.
If that’s what it does then awesome!! And wish my gx7 would get this firmware update 🙁 I want this post focus feature as well as this feature If it turns out to what I think it does lol
The electronic shutter will turn on when the shutter speed is between 1/60s to 1/320s!!! You will see the electronic shutter sign. So it is designed to deal with shutter shock!!!!!
It only works for lenses which support DFD focusing technology?
Don’t all (Panasonic at least) work with DFD?
Whatever…
Gimmicky Post Focus feature I’ll never use.
Couldn’t Panasonic add something meaningful?
I’m hoping this will help where C-AF fails. Stuff moving towards the camera etc.
There is a new feature that is not listed in the firmware page but only in the PDF file. The AUTO option is added to the electronic shutter! In AUTO, electronic shutter is turn on when shutter speed is between 1/60s to 1/320s, other shutter speeds will remain as mechanical shutter. These are the shutter speeds that are most prone to shutter shock so it is a great feature that is better than the post focus!!!
I seem to remember reading there is a DR loss when using the electronic shutter. If that’s true this might not be as useful as I had thought.
Only applicable to GH4 which reduced to 10 bit when using electronic shutter instead of 12 bit. For GX8, it remains at 12 bit.
Apparently, the G7 drops to 10-bit: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_G7/
I assume staying at 12-bit is as a result of the new sensor in the GX8. Alas, I have a G7.
Yes yes, as as far as I know only GH3, GX7 and GX8 are not dropping.
The reason why GH4 is dropping is because they make the readout faster than the GH3 so they have sacrificed the bit rate. I personally prefer slower readout but a 12 bit read out.