Panasonic (Click here) just issued a new firmware update for the Panasonic GX7. It fix an issues with the power stability that provoces the camera to shut down. FW download:
Windows: https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/support/en/dsc/fts/win/GX7__V11.exe
Mac: https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/support/en/dsc/fts/mac/GX7__V11.zip
New GX7 review:
Digitalversus (Click here) posted the full GX7 review and writes:
Thanks to the sensor’s two-axis stabilisation system, its built-in viewfinder, and handling similar to a little rangefinder, it’s the ideal candidate for users looking to shoot with lenses other than those from Panasonic’s Lumix range.
GX7 preorder list (Click on store name to open the GX7 price, specs and preorder page):
Silver GX7 body at Amazon US, BHphoto, Adorama, Samys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK , Amazon JP.
Silver GX7 with 14-42mm lens at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Samys, Henrys, Wex Deutschland, WexUK, Amazon UK.
Black GX7 body at Henrys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.
Black GX7 with 14-42mm lens at Henrys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK, Amazon UK.
Black GX7 with 20mm lens at Henrys, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.
Silver GX7 with 20mm lens at Henrys, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.
25 Responses
Panasonic is making the record of fastest firmware update release!! Duh!
I’ll got mine next week, hope it will have this new firmware though…
shut down issue, well thats bad. This seems to be an improvement in stability, but not a fix?
I think you’re mistakenly taking the notion that an update means it was broken. The power stability module wasn’t necessarily considered broken in software terms, it may have been working well in the context of what it is meant to do, just that it was perhaps too sensitive. Therefore an update may just improve it’s efficiency and operation – it still does the same thing, just in an improved manner.
You are not Fool Frame! He is still attending English classes!
Well it’s better than “Improvement of stability of operation when power off”.
Pana, give as such frequent updates to be happy customers of GX7 🙂
This review of digitalversus is silly. They list the high number of Fn Buttons under Cons. Serously, this guy should stay with their Point’n’Shoots.
Other cons he lists are interesting:
‘Viewfinder image is over-saturated and can be prone to rainbow effects’
Hmm, every other write-up says the EVF renders extremely accurate colors.
‘LCD rather than OLED viewfinder’
Don’t know how to respond to that – OLED is newer but never has been claimed to be more accurate or more reliable, and sometimes specifically criticized for reduced color gamut (less accurate reproduction).
‘Eye sensor is too sensitive’
I thought there is a menu setting for that – I’ll have to check the online manual.
‘A little complex to get the hang of using properly’
Wow. Set it to IA and fire away. Otherwise, complexity means options. Most users kind of like the Panasonic menu system vs. others.
‘Excessive number of Fn buttons’
See above. Don’t use them, makes it less complex if you ignore them.
‘No stabilisation in video mode’
Legitimate observation.
‘No mic socket’
Legitimate observation
‘No GPS’
True, but hardly unique among 2013 system cameras. This camera is highly connectable to smartphones/tablets that can supply GPS.
‘No weatherproofing’
Legitimate observation.
‘Mechanical stabilisation only over two axes’
Legitimate, especially since they gave a Pro for presence of stabilization.
‘Kit zoom lens limits the camera’s potential’
This kit zoom has very high ratings, better that any other M43 kit zoom with the possible exception of the original 14-45, and better than most DSLR kit zooms. Otherwise, any kit zoom limits its camera’s potential – that’s what interchangeable lenses are offered to solve.
Just checked online – indeed there is a sensitivity setting in the menu for the eye sensor. Also, you can control whether the eye sensor automatically triggers AF.
When wearing the GX7 I just tilt the LVF up and not worry about the auto switching. The kit zoom is actually quite sharp but the fstop is not as fast as say the 12-35 X. That said the difference between the body and the kit is $100 so it makes sense to get the kit. Plus the kit lens IBIS works great as a video lens too.
Well if that is the sum total of the criticisms, there is not a lot wrong with it, is there?
Early comparative reviews are saying that the GX7 IS is about half a stop worse than the Olympus 5-axis so if that pans out, no problem there.
The only eal downside is no mic for video users, but as I don’t do video it doesnt matter to me.
NO IS FOR VIDEO IS THE MAIN DRAWBACK!
Well, that can, and certainly should be remedied in a future firmware update. Remember, the OMD EM5 also didn’t provide IS for third party lenses in video mode until fw 1.5 or whatever it was.
I agree that it is a huge mistake to not have included it from the get, but it should show up once the griping gets loud enough.
Panasonic, how about giving the GH3 peaking, you bloody idiots!?
Because focus peaking in GH3 is not a simple firmware update. You bloody idiot.
Any chances that a future firmware update will enable ibis in video mode?
Unless I’m mistaken, 2-Axis IBIS isn’t at all helpful in video…which is supposedly one of the reasons Olympus cameras before E-M5 never had IBIS in video. Course, I only read this on forums so whether or not that’s technically correct, I haven’t a clue.
That doesn’t really make a lot of sense, since (except for macro photography) the only other axis that matters is rotational, and that can’t be corrected for by optical stabilization either. So I see no reason that IBIS should be any less effective than OIS for video.
The usual reason to disable IBIS for video is because it generates noise that gets picked up on the soundtrack by the camera’s internal mic and the manufacturers don’t want to field complaints about that. Unfortunately, that removes it as an option for those of us willing to record our audio on external mics or recorders.
Aside from motor noise, another possible issue with video IBIS is power dissipation. It is possible that full-time use of the IS transducers generates more heat than the body can sink away, and/or that the battery would drain unacceptably fast.
Do you know if the sensor-IS is engaged while viewing and composing, or only during exposure? If it is always on anyway, then my suggestion is probably wrong. But if it is activated only during the exposure, that’s a good clue regarding its limitations for video.
Heat was most certainly an issue in the days of the E-P1. It has a 2 sec restriction on IS for this reason, and intensive use of IS can result in the camera temporary refusing to work, showing an overheating warning. Turn off IS and that ‘issue’ is gone.
yes you are totally mistaken – video IBIS in the EM5 is superb, genius, lovely.
Not sure that’s as easy to be implemented via FW update. You can easily use Panasonic OIS lenses to achieve stabilized video.
Got mine today in Germany. Due to logistical issues, I couldn’t take it out. (And also weather is pretty bad right now.)
Otherwise, immediately noticed a problem with mine: the EVF isn’t properly aligned; the image (or the (movable) EVF itself) is off by something like 2-3 degrees clock-wise. A bummer. Right out of the box.
that sounds like something to return, bad alignment/assembly, etc. 2-3D will drive you nuts and certainly can’t be acceptable as new.
it will fix the electronic shutter issue. in fw 1.0 when you shot under room light it will caused a zebra effect.