Why Panasonic needs the G7, Part 2, The Mockup



On the left, the G7 mockup, made of plywood. This is slightly smaller in all dimensions than the G6 on the right. But the shape is designed to "fill the box" more with higher shoulders and a taller handle with inverted L shape providing a much larger top plate for the quad control group of UIMs. The mockup is more of a handful allowing a full five finger grip with the right hand.  You can see the [alt] button on the mockup just to the right of the bottom of the handle.    To the casual eye, these two cameras might look very similar but the mockup has a substantial ergonomic advantage.

Rear view. You can see that the monitor housing of the mockup is smaller horizontally so although the mockup is a few millimetres narrower, the control panel on the right side of the mockup is considerably larger. The right rear of the body is more softly curved, the buttons are well clear of the edge of the body, the control dial has moved to the front where it has more room, and a Jog lever has been added just to the right of the viewfinder. Even though the lens axis has moved to the left, the shape of the mockup provides space for a set and see dial on the left side of the hump.

 

 

Like many bloggers I have formed views about various matters photographic. In the case of camera ergonomics and the user experience , these views have evolved over 60 years of using many different types of camera and in the last four years from my camera mockups. The mockups in particular have taught me a great deal about those aspects of camera design which enhance the user experience and those which diminish it.

In the last post I put forward a consumer's case for Panasonic to retain the G series of cameras.

In this post I present a mockup illustrating the form which the G7 could take.

I believe that one reason the G5 and G6 have not sold as well as Panasonic hoped has been a lack of assertive marketing .

But there is another reason. The G6 is a nice camera but it doesn't really make a strong case for the MILC in the way that the GH4 does. There is a lack of "Wow !" factor.

The G7 needs to step up several levels in order to make a persuasive case to would be buyers. it needs to improve specifications, picture quality, performance, ergonomics and the user experience.


My contribution in the form of the mockup described here is about ergonomics and the user experience.

In what way could the G6 ergonomics be improved ?

The G5/6 are a great improvement over previous G models such that I rate them as quite good ergonomically. The size is just right for a small fully featured MILC and the hump top form with EVF, flash and hotshoe on the lens axis has some advantages over the flat top shape. There is a decent handle on which the right hand can get a grip.

But there are some grumbles which I have noted and users have reported on forums. Those of which I am aware include:

* The Disp and Fn4 buttons are often pressed inadvertently. Fn4 is too close to the edge of the body. Disp is right under the lie of the thumb.

* Playback and Disp which operate in Review and/or Prepare Phase are located in a higher priority (more easily reached by the thumb) position on the control panel than Fn3 and Fn4 buttons which could be used for Capture Phase adjustments.

* The rear dial is located far over to the right side and is not as easy to operate as that on, say the GH3/4.

* The toggle lever behind the shutter button is (a) too easy to activate inadvertently and (b) has been allocated a very limited number of functions. If this was a mode dependent front dial it could be much more useful.

* Neither the iA button or the Video button allow user assignable function.

* The matte black finish picks up dirt and face makeup very easily. The rubberised finish on the lens side of the handle is easily scuffed by the fingertips.

 

You can see that although the mockup is a few millimetres smaller than the G6 it provides much more space on the top deck. This allows for a more natural position to be adopted by the right index finger on the shutter button and reduces crowding even though there are more UIM's on top of the mockup.  The quad control layout of shutter button, front dial and two buttons (1 and 2) allows the user to drive the camera with just one finger most of the time.

 

In designing the mockup some of the matters which I considered are described below:

* Monitor/control panel ratio on the camera back. G cameras have a fully articulated monitor, which is the most versatile type and should be retained. But the monitor is 91mm wide, forcing the control panel (the area on the right side of the back which houses the cursor and other buttons) into the remaining 28mm on the right side. Only 55mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio) of that 91mm is actually occupied by the review image. Other cameras manage a higher image: housing ratio. So the horizontal dimension of the monitor could be reduced without substantial deficit. This frees up space for the control panel. This in turn allows buttons to be moved away from the right side and a more curved, hand friendly shape to be built into the rear part of the handle.

* Even with the change described above, when I got into building the mockup I discovered that there is still not enough space for an easily operated rear dial. I tried various arrangements but none of them worked well with a rear dial. However the redesigned handle described below provides plenty of space for a front dial.

* Still on the back of the camera, I have given the G7 mockup a JOG lever. One of the great benefits of the MILC is its ability to place the active AF area almost anywhere on the frame. But to maximise this benefit there has to be a way to move that area quickly and efficiently while continuing to look through the viewfinder. Many MILCs and DSLRs use the cursor (4 way) buttons for this. That works but requires the right hand grip to be released in order to allow the thumb to drop 50mm down from its rest position in order to operate the 4 way buttons. One solution to this problem is the JOG lever which I have located just to the right of the viewfinder where it can be easily reached by the thumb without having to shift grip with the right hand. The JOG lever has a very textured surface so it can be pushed up/down, left/right with the thumb to instantly move the AF area.

* I have spent much time and many trial mockups on handle design. The one shown in the mockup has the following features:
* Raised height. This allows an adult male with average or even slightly above average hand size to get a full five finger grip with the right hand. That is a substantial achievement on such a small camera.
* The inverted L shape creates
* The opportunity to locate the shutter button where the index finger wants to find it. This is somewhat further to the left (as viewed by the user) than is the case on the G6 and many other cameras.
* A notch beneath the overhanging part of the inverted L which fits the middle finger nicely and allows the right hand to support th camera's weight without strain.
* A platform on top of the handle which allows placement of the Quad Control set. This consists of the shutter button located forward in the most relaxed position for the index finger, the front dial 12mm behind the center of the shutter button, and buttons 1 and 2 both with user assignable function. This is a highly efficient way to gain control of primary and secondary exposure and focus parameters with just the right index finger.
* There is a balance of set and see dials with fixed functions, and buttons with user assignable functions allowing the camera to be configured to individual preference, or simply left in Auto mode for snapshooters.

* On the front, easily accessible to the tip of the right 5th finger is an [Alt] button. This is a way to achieve two dial function with just one dial. Pressing the [Alt] button+ Front Dial causes the dial to perform a second, user allocated function. Or it could evoke an alternate function from button 1 or 2.

Overall the mockup is extremely comfortable to hold. It provides simple operation for the novice and highly configurable, controllable operation for the expert. All the buttons are larger than those on the G6 so they are easiler to find by feel, but none is placed where it wil be bumped inadvertently.

Styling All my mockups are designed to feel good and operate really well. So all the components and user interface modules are located where my fingers tell me to put them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.