FZ1000 Ergonomics Part 2 Holding

FZ1000.
Ideal placement of rear dial, 4 way controller of desirable rocking saucer design, good positioning of buttons, overall good ergonomic design.  But the right lower corner of the body could be more rounded, the handle a bit fatter and the right side of the handle more rounded. See the cutaway thumb support, not one of Panasonic's best ideas in my view. Note the off axis tripod socket, not a big deal but not ideal either.

 

In the previous post  I looked at Setup, Prepare and Review Phases of use. Now I turn to Capture Phase, when the user is in the process of taking photos.   From an ergonomic perspective this is the most critical phase as many actions must be carried out quickly without disrupting the work flow.

The three ergonomic elements of Capture Phase are Holding, Viewing and Operating.

Holding   Arrangements for holding the FZ1000 are generally very good. I have several times carried and used the camera all day with no problems. However there are aspects of the holding experience which could be improved in a follow up model.

Holding the FZ1000.
This is where my thumb wants to position itself to easily operate the rear dial, AF/AE-L button, Focus Mode lever and other buttons. But to be comfortable in this position my thumb would require major surgery to conform to the cutaway body as shown here.  Compare this with the GH4 below.  There are other unresolved pressure points in my palm from the right lower corner of the body and on the top of my right middle finger from the shape of the front cutaway.  These are not major imperfections but they could easily be designed out in the next model.

 

Things which they got right 

* There is a proper handle which has been shaped to fit an average sized adult right hand.

* There is a distinct notch in the upper part of the handle for the third finger.

* The rear dial is very well positioned. In fact this is the best rear dial implementation which I have yet seen on a Panasonic camera, or come to think of it, on any camera.  The dial is optimally located on the camera body. It projects to the rear just the right amount to allow the thumb to engage with the dial easily without undue risk of accidental operation. The dial itself features sharpish teeth which provide a good grip.

* The rear dial is sitting in the thumb support. My research shows that this is the optimal arrangement. It causes the thumb to angle across the back of the camera. This provides a stable hold with minimal muscle effort.

* In many days of use I have never accidentally pressed a button or moved a dial. This indicates these control modules are all well positioned.

GH4
This handle and thumb support are more comfortable than the FZ100. The thumb support rolls right around to the back of the body with no cutaway, the handle is fatter and more rounded everywhere. But this design has other problems. The Disp button is inconveniently located right in the thumb support. The knurled dial around the 4 way controller is half buried in the roll back handle design. I have been using this for the last two years with no great difficulty but the configuration is not optimal.  I assume the FZ1000 design is an attempt to avoid some of the issues raised by this one. Which it does, at the cost of introducing a few new ones. 

 

Things which could be improved 

* My index finger is forever wanting to find the shutter button about 5mm to the left (as viewed by the user) of it's actual position.

* The thumb support below the rear dial has a cutaway shape. I don't know why Panasonic's designers opted for this shape but it is not a success. With the thumb in normal hold position ready for camera operation there is a pressure point where the right side of the thumb bears on the 5mm of support structure immediately below the rear dial. See the photos for more explanation.

* The handle could usefully be higher, so users with larger hands can gain a 5 finger hold. This could easily be achieved by raising the right side of the body. I suppose the current "sloping shoulders" shape is designed to reduce the appearance of bulk.

* The right lower rear corner of the body could be more softly curved making it more comfortable to hold.

* The right side of the handle is a bit flat.  If this were more curved it would conform more readily to the holding hand.

 

Mockup
This mockup of mine is about the same size as the GH4 and FZ1000.
It seeks to resolve the ergonomic problems posed by both Panasonic cameras. The handle is fat,  rounded and comfortable like the GH3/4. The valley for the thumb feels very comfortable because I whittled and worked at it until the shape felt right. Neither the 4 way controller or the surrounding buttons will be hit accidentally because they are well clear of the thumb and palm as the camera is held and operated. There is a JOG lever  to the right of the EVF housing to provide direct control of AF box position. The AF On button is at the top of the thumb valley.