Ergonomic Logic of the Lumix GH3

ERGONOMIC LOGIC OF THE LUMIX GH3

Author AndrewS  April 2013

Introduction My interest in ergonomics was sparked several years ago by encounters with several cameras which featured truly awful holding, viewing and operating characteristics. Their user interface was ill conceived, clumsy and inefficient. It  seems to me that camera designers are struggling to make the transition from film based analogue cameras to the  much more complex electronic devices of the current era. To make life even more difficult for camera designers, the market for photo capture devices has undergone radical change over the last few years, with most snapshots being made by smart phones, not dedicated cameras.

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras [MILC] in general and the Micro Four Thirds System [M43]  in particular, were born in the midst of  this confusing mix of technological and market forces.

Regardless of technology, it seems to me that there are two basic types of photographer, the snapshooter and the controller. Snapshooters don't want to be bothered by the technical details of image capture. They just want to push the button to get the shot. Controllers, a.k.a. enthusiast, advanced, professional,  photographers want to take control of the image capture process in the quest for  better results.

The first round of  M43 camera designs appeared to be trying to appeal to both groups. But as the format has matured, the difference between model lines has become more distinct. So, the Lumix GF line is clearly aimed at the  snapshooter wanting to upgrade from a smart phone or compact camera but retain compact size and ease of use. At the other end of the M43 spectrum the  GH3  is clearly aimed at the advanced  user who would previously have bought a DSLR. 

By the way, I am well aware and obviously so are the manufacturers, that plenty of snapshooters buy DSLR's, perhaps in the belief that a DSLR will make better photos than a compact camera. In fact the GH3 has an iA Mode in which is ideal for snapshooters.  However the discussion which follows refers to use of the camera in the P,A,S,M modes.

Setup Phase    As requested by many users, the GH3 is a highly configurable device. This means that the operation of many user interface modules [UIM] can be user assigned. This is a wonderful thing but the inevitable consequence is a high level of complexity at the setup phase where you not only can but must make many decisions about the function of buttons, dials, menu presets...etc.

I think it is reasonable that the expert user would expect an advanced camera like the GH3 to have certain key performance capabilities. In Setup Phase these would include: A comprehensive, logical, clearly presented menu system, with excellent graphical qualities, and  user friendly navigation.

Over the years and successive models the Lumix team has improved Setup implementation. This includes menu content, layout and navigation. Compared to the GH2 the GH3 has clearer graphical presentation of items,  more intuitive navigation and an improved physical UIM.  Gone is the old  "5 little buttons"  type 4 way controller, which I never learned despite diligent practice to reliably operate by touch. The GH3 has the "Rocking saucer" type UIM.  It is larger and is surrounded by a knurled ring which is easy to locate and operate by feel.

Lumix cameras also have the "Menu Resume" feature. This remembers the last used item in each menu allowing the user to return directly to that item when the Menu is next opened.

There are really only two  items on  my wish list for the menu system.

First is the return of a My Menu tab, but better implemented next time round. Some previous model Lumix cameras such as the GH2 do have a My Menu tab which automatically places the last five menu items accessed onto  the My Menu  list. I find this unsatisfactory because if  I access an infrequently used menu item it automatically bumps a more frequently used item off  the My Menu list.  My Menu would be much more useful with user assignable content.

The second is about access to the  new and useful feature called "Shutter Delay" which unfortunately can only be reached from the Rec Menu.  I would appreciate being able to allocate this to the Q Menu.

Prepare Phase    This is the period of a few minutes just before making photos. The camera is not being held to the eye so the operator can look at the camera, not the subject, and make adjustments while looking at UIMs and the Monitor.

The expert user will expect to be able to adjust Main Mode [P,A,S,M] Drive Mode, Focus Mode, Autofocus Mode, OIS, Burst Mode, E-Shutter, preview screen appearance and  any of a range of other items determined by individual preference.

The GH3 manages Prepare Phase very well.  The On/Off switch, Main Mode, Drive Mode and Focus Mode are on  "set and see" modules.  On premium lenses, the OIS  On/Off switch is also a "set and see" type on the lens barrel. The  user configurable Q Menu is easily and quickly accessible. There are several Fn buttons each of which provides user assignable function.  In addition there are 5 Custom Modes each of which allows full user assignable function.  An expert can configure the camera so it does just what the user wants with a wide range of options available. The only downside to this is that the option for user assignment of UIM function is also an imperative. The user who wants to take control of camera operation must make many decisions in the quest for individualisation of camera function.

The physical arrangement of the UIMs  often used in Prepare phase is very good.  They are all well located and easy to operate.  

Capture Phase   This is the Phase of camera use when the user is in the process of capturing images.  It presents the greatest number of ergonomic challenges.  But every challenge is also an opportunity: to design well or design badly.  In the M43 system, I have bought, used and evaluated the Olympus EM-5, Lumix G1, G3, G5, GH2 and now the GH3.  I have published my ergonomic findings about the EM-5, G5 and GH2 on this blog.  The GH3 delivers a very substantial improvement in ergonomic capability over all those cameras. Over the last 50 years I have used many cameras from many makers. I rate the GH3 to have the best Capture Phase ergonomics of the lot. It's not quite perfect and in my view could be even better with some design modifications which I will describe in a future blog article.

The expert/controller type user is likely to have high expectations for a camera's capability in the Capture Phase. These relate to Holding, Viewing and Operating.

Holding  A camera like the GH3 which is expected to operate with wide aperture and telephoto lenses, must be designed so it can be held in a very stable yet comfortable grip. The GH3 designers have re-invented the shape of the entire right side of the camera in order to make this possible. The handle at the front, thumb rest on the back and the curved shape of the whole right side of the camera all work together to make for a comfortable, stable hold on the camera. The lower right corner of the body is gently rounded. The thumb does not press accidentally on a UIM in basic hold position. Size is in the "Goldilocks zone", large enough for large adult hands but small enough for those with small hands including women and children.

Viewing   An advanced modern camera is expected to provide  very comprehensive viewing arrangements.  The expert user wants to be able to view the subject on the Monitor or through an eye level Viewfinder.  That view needs to be clear and sharp, with 100% coverage of the actual frame and with seamless transition from one to the other. In addition  comprehensive and user selectable camera data needs  to be seen in both viewing places, presented in the same way. Ideally the Monitor will be of the fully articulated type for maximum versatility.

The GH3 meets all these criteria.  There has been much discussion in user forums about perceived faults with the GH3 EVF. I have discussed my findings about this matter in this blog. In short, some users see one or other problems, many users see no problems at all. The mystery continues................

Operating  The expert user might wish to carry out  any one or more of several actions  in the Capture Phase. The list of items which might require adjustment is quite long, posing a substantial ergonomic challenge for designers. 

These are:

* Framing: Zoom.

* Primary Exposure parameters: Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO.

* Secondary exposure parameters: Exposure Compensation, White Balance.

* Primary Focus actions: Start/achieve Autofocus, Manual Focus.

* Secondary Focus actions: Change position/size of active AF/MF area.

In this discussion I will assume the user is viewing through the EVF.  This is not always the case, of course, but this viewing option does place the greatest demand on the camera's ergonomic design with particular emphasis on the location and function of UIM's so the camera can be operated smoothly with the eye to the viewfinder, with both hands continuously  holding the camera and without needing to interrupt the capture process to make an adjustment.

In the past, there has been a tendency for camera designers to locate control modules in a fashion which appears to have been inspired by the scatter of confetti at a wedding. In other words, all over the place without much evidence of coherent logic. Here are a few examples to illustrate the point:

* Several Fuji models locate the AF button on the left side of the monitor in a vertical row with several other buttons the same size and shape. This button activates the process by which the position of the AF area can be changed.  But to lay a finger on the button the camera has to be taken down from the eye, the left hand grip released completely, the button pressed then the right hand grip released to operate the cursor buttons to move the AF area.  On the X20 and and X100s  they moved the AF button over to the 4 way controller on the right side where it can be operated with the right thumb. But the X-E1 still has it on the left side, go figure.

* Many Canon DSLR's have a row of buttons behind the top front scroll wheel.  For instance the EOS 6D and 60D each  have 5 of them, with the ISO button [which is the one likely to be required in Capture Phase]  stuck in the middle of the row, distinguished only by a tiny little nipple on top.  In my time with the 60D I never, despite much practice, learned to reliably hit the ISO button without taking the camera down from my eye so I could see the top plate.  It would be so very easy to redesign these buttons so the ISO could be reliably found by touch, but they don't do it.  Strange........

* Many Nikon DSLR's  [eg 7000, 7100, 600] put the ISO button on the left side of the monitor, with the same problems as the Fuji example above. To make matters more confusing some models place the button second from the bottom, others right at the bottom. Other models [eg. 5200] have no dedicated ISO button at all but you can program a Fn button on the left side of the lens mount at the front of the camera to ISO.  There appears to be no recognition at Nikon, of all places, that

a) ISO is a primary exposure control variable, and

b) ISO control should be allocated to a dedicated UIM in a high priority location on the camera.......hint.......right near the shutter button.  Instead Nikon  puts other stuff  up  there, like "Info" which is a Setup or at most, Prepare Phase item. On the 5200 they also put close to the shutter button Exposure Compensation which is a secondary exposure variable, and Drive Mode which is a Prepare Phase setting.

It almost seems the designers at Nikon are stuck in the film era where ISO was determined  by the film in use and therefore required only a rudimentary level of control. 

* Lumix camera designers have also had their share of ergonomically wayward moments, some of which I have detailed in previous articles on this blog. By way of brief summary, the G1 had the mini projecting handle with shutter button top front, an arrangement which did not conform to any known human hand. Then they put the front dial where it is obstructed by the right middle finger, so to operate the dial the user had to change grip with the right hand then change back again to resume holding the camera. The G3 had no proper handle at all and it's rear dial was extremely awkward to operate, requiring acute flexion of the thumb leading to  complete disruption of the already tenuous right hand grip on the camera. Things improved with the GH2 which had lots of useful set and see dials. But the mini projecting handle was still present and incorrect, as was the "5 buttons" type 4 way controller, which required the user to look at the device [and therefore away from the subject] to be sure of hitting the right button. The G5 design and layout showed definite signs of increased ergonomic awareness. The handle has a much improved shape and the 4 way controller is of the "rocking saucer" type which is easier to locate and operate by feel. The G6, announced as I write this, appears to be a mild refresh of the G5.

The GH3 represents a big step up in all aspects of ergonomic operation.

Exposure  The main Capture Phase exposure controls are grouped together just behind the shutter button and front dial.  Auto Exposure is started by half press of the shutter button, as usual. Aperture in A-Prio Mode is controlled by the Front Dial [or the Rear Dial if you prefer]. White Balance, ISO and Exposure Compensation are controlled by the buttons behind the Front Dial.  This arrangement groups primary and secondary exposure controls together in a coherent fashion.

Focus  The Focus Mode Lever surrounds the AF/AEL button to which AF start can be allocated, separately from AF Start/Lock. This groups several of the principal focus controls where they are naturally operated by the right thumb without having to alter grip with the right hand.

Function of the [lower rear] Control Dial can  be allocated  exclusively to AF Area position/size control, [Direct AF Area] using the right thumb. This is not quite as convenient as a JOG lever would be but it does put focus operations onto the right thumb which can soon learn which actions are required to achieve what outcomes. With a little practice, these can be carried out by feel without having to look at any of the control modules.

User Interface Modules [UIM]  I use this term to encompass buttons, dials, levers and similar hard points of user input to camera operation. The GH3 does a good job with them all. The Front, Rear and Control Dials are well located and shaped for easy operation while maintaining grip on the camera. The set and seedials/lever are well placed for instant visual reference just by looking at the camera in Prepare Phase. The buttons are mostly well positioned and easy to find and operate by feel.  The WB, ISO and +/- buttons could usefully be a little closer to the Front Dial, but are workable as is. Some early reviewers complained that the Control Dial was a difficult to operate. I  found that a little practice soon resolved that issue. The Fn buttons work well enough as found but I would probably prefer them to have about 1 mm more diameter and to project about 0.5 mm more.

Some users have complained about several control points having moved from locations found on previous model G cams. The Playback button has moved to the top left.  Playback is a Review Phase function, carried out with the camera held, usually in both hands,  down and away from the eye. So the button does not need to be close to the right thumb. The only problem with the top left location of the Playback button comes when the Monitor is swung out, when the button is a bit awkward to reach. I would still not want it back on the right side however as it would displace a UIM required for Capture Phase operation. I notice that with the G6  the Lumix designers left Playback on the right side,  possibly in the belief that G5/6 users might be  less experienced than GH3 users and therefore more likely to review their images in camera. Another complaint I have read on user forums is that the UIMs for ISO, WB, AF Mode and Drive Mode have departed from the Control Dial/4Way Controller and been relocated elsewhere. In fact the new locations are  better ergonomically as they are up on or near the top of the camera for operation by the index finger and thumb and they free up the Control Dial for Direct Focus Area operation.  

Q Menu, Fn buttons  The physical and operational aspects of the Q Menu and Fn buttons are well designed and implemented. They are easy to use and with a little practice become second nature.

Review Phase  This is well designed, well executed and easy to use.  Press Playback button to start the review process.  Front Dial scrolls through images on the card, one by one. Rear Dial zooms in or out, then to multiple image view, with scrolling by the Control Dial. Control dial on a single image moves the zoomed in view around the frame.  With just a little practice this system is fast and friendly.  The only improvement I can think of would be to implement "Jump to active focus area" when the review image is zoomed in. The Olympus EM5  has this feature which is a nice way to speed up the image review process.

Other Things, which make camera use enjoyable  

* Battery:  The BLF19PP battery is much larger than any previously seen on a M43 camera. The 1860 mah power supply is good for about 1000 shots in my hands, using a mix of EVF and monitor view. The ergonomic benefit is that I rarely have to change battery during even the heaviest day's shooting.

* The tripod socket is 20 mm back from the front edge of the baseplate and on the lens axis. This makes it suitable for telephoto and other heavy lenses.

* The battery compartment is far enough from the tripod socket that a battery could be changed on tripod.

* The Memory Card slot is on the right side of the handle, separate from the battery compartment.

Quirks, Foibles, Glitches, Messups and Kludges.  The GH3 is blessed with remarkably few bad, annoying or dysfunctional characteristics. Overall it provides one of the most coherent  user interfaces I have ever encountered in a camera. 

My wishlist for firmware upgrades    My wish list is quite short. Some contributors to user forums have posted much longer lists, but I think most of the suggestions which I have read are in the service of highly specific and individual preferences which don't really lead to improved operation, just different.

1.  Add [Shutter Delay] to the list of items which can be assigned to either the Q Menu or a Fn Button.

2.  Enable Automatic  [Jump to AF Area] with zoom into the Playback image.

3. When changing position of  AF area,  allow [Re Center AF Area]  with Menu/Set Button.  As presently configured the user must press the Disp Button to recenter the active AF Area. This works but means that after activating [Direct Focus Area] and moving the AF Area with the Control Dial/Cursor Buttons  the right thumb has to go find a different button by feel in order to recenter the active AF Area. I have trained myself to do this however it would be faster if  the "recenter" action stayed on the Control Dial/Cursor.

MF Mode uses either the Menu/Set Buttton or the Fn3 Button to enlarge the preview image. This means the camera has two UIM's doing the same thing.    With MF you still need to hit the Disp Button to recenter the active MF Area.   

It seems to me there would be no impediment to assigning [Re Center AF Area] in AF or MF to the Menu/Set Button.

4. Bring back [My Menu] but this time make all items user selectable.

 

Photoshop Replaces Tilt Shift Lenses

PHOTOSHOP REPLACES TILT SHIFT LENSES

New tech beats old tech, costs less and takes up zero space in a camera bag.

Author AndrewS

Introduction  My interest in writing this piece was stimulated by several threads on the  dpreview.com  Micro Four Thirds forum, asking about or lamenting the lack of tilt shift lenses for the M43 system.

Some History  Many years ago, way back when an imaging sensor was called "film", I spent considerable time with large format 4x5 inch cameras, used mainly for landscape photos. I became adept at managing tilt, shift and swing to move the plane of focus  in three dimensional space. Using large format was fun but the task of  hauling all that equipment to landscape photo opportunities was a complete pain in the back so I downsized to 35mm film SLR's with tilt shift lenses.  When I "went digital" all the film cameras and full frame lenses were sold off  in the quest for an even more compact, lightweight kit.

Film vs Digital sensor  These two light sensitive device types have some very different characteristics. Film can readily accept light coming from an acute angle. This regularly happens when a tilt shift lens is moved to full shift position. Digital sensors have a completely different arrangement of  light sensitive elements, each fronted by a microlens. Sensors of this type work best with light falling perpendicular to the surface of the sensor. They become increasingly inefficient as the incident light varies away from the perpendicular.  This is one reason that shift movement in a lens is not well suited to  digital imaging.

Digital sensors probably cope better with tilt which may explain the proliferation of third party tilt optics from makers such as LensBaby, which also makes tilt/shift versions. Many of these lenses fall into the "fun" category without serious pretension to being high grade landscape/architecture instruments.

About tilt shift lenses Serious tilt shift lenses intended for high quality photographs are large, heavy and very expensive. They are all manual focus single focal length types. Evaluating exposure with in camera meter systems can be difficult.  Judging correct focus with tilt and shift applied can be difficult. Strange as it may seem I found working with lens shift and tilt easier with 4x5" large format. One learned to use an external light meter. Fine focus was much easier to evaluate on all parts of the frame with a magnifying loupe placed directly on the focussing screen.

Photoshop  For many years Adobe Photoshop has provided some means for correcting vertical perspective in architectural photos taken with a standard lens pointed up or down. Increasingly sophisticated versions of this capability have now migrated to Adobe Camera Raw. This has made shift lens action unnecessary.

In more recent versions Photoshop has acquired a Focus Stacking feature. Initially this did not work terribly well but the version in Photoshop 13 [PsCS6]  is very good and easy to use.    Focus Stacking can do everything possible with tilt and in addition can achieve results which tilt cannot, making this technology now very useful.

Town Hall Original Photo

Town Hall after changes in Adobe Camera Raw

Perspective Correction in Adobe Camera Raw

Hints for Image Capture

* Always use RAW capture.

* Use a tripod where possible for accurate framing. Having said that I often hand hold the camera when perspective correction will be required later in ACR.

* Leave space all around the main subject especially at the top, assuming a lens pointed up. More correction means more cropping.

* Try to identify  a vertical line in the middle of the image and line this up with a vertical center guide line in the Monitor or EVF.

* If you are front on to a building and want to represent verticals and horizontals at right angles to each other, try to place the camera perpendicular to the center line of the planned final image.

 Hints for using Adobe Camera Raw

* In ACR 7.4 go to Lens Corrections>Manual>Transform....

Check the Show Grid box.

If you know from previous experience that the lens needs distortion correction apply this, then apply vertical correction. Nudge the Rotate angle as required to keep the centerline verticals upright. Sometimes the Horizontal slider is required to adjust horizontal lines until they have the desired alignment.

The process is very sophisticated, easy to use and gives excellent results.

This focus stack is a composite of five images

Focus Stacking in Photoshop

While the Lens Corrections feature in ACR is readily understandable as the  digital equivalent of shift in large format or a tilt shift lens, focus stacking is nothing like lens tilt at all.  If a tilt/shift lens is tilted forward far enough the focal plane can be rotated from vertical (assuming the camera to be level) to horizontal, lying parallel to the ground. In this situation depth of focus occupies the vertical dimension, increasing with distance from the camera. For those who have never used a large format camera this might be difficult to imagine but that is how it works.

Hints for Image Capture

* Before starting do some research into the depth of focus available with your chosen lens at each focal length and aperture. You can find this at  dofmaster.com   I find it useful to commit this data to a small printed card which goes in the camera bag.

* Always use RAW capture.

* Always use a tripod. The process requires several  photos of the subject each with exactly the same framing and exposure, changing only focus. Select a co-operative subject which needs to remain still during the multi exposure capture process.

* Use Manual Exposure. Use the same (low, there is no hurry) ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed for each exposure. There is no need to stop down for depth of focus so use the lens at it's optimum aperture.

* Focus manually. This is essential for accurate control of the process.

* Make a series of exposures, starting with focus on the nearest part of the subject.  Focus a little deeper into the scene for the next frame, and so on until you reach the background.

* Leave space for some cropping later. 

Same location as the photo above, looking in the opposite direction. You can see here the focus stacking process has not delivered a perfect result.  Some of the leaves near the left edge of the frame and on the right mid section are not sharp although they were so in one of the component images.

Hints for using Photoshop 

* Load your 3 to 8  (or thereabouts)  images onto a separate folder so they are easy to manage. The number of frames is not critical but more frames will require more time and processing power to analyse.

* In  Adobe Bridge, select the frames you want, then go to  Tools>Photoshop>Photomerge.  

* Up comes the Photomerge window.  Select Layout, Auto. Uncheck the "Blend Images Together" box.  Click OK.  The program thinks for a while, message reads  "align selected layers based on content"  then an image appears on screen with the same number of layers as the number of frames selected.

* Select all layers.

* Go to Edit>Auto Blend Layers.  Blend Method = Stack Images. Check the "Seamless tones and colors" box. Click OK.  More computing takes place, after which the almost final composite image appears on screen.

* Inspect the image carefully at 100%, trim off any fuzzy edges, flatten layers and save the photo as a TIFF.

What just happened ?  Manifestly, a miracle. Photoshop selected the sharp bits from each frame and blended just those sharp parts into a composite image with  endless depth of focus in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. This is impossible to achieve with a single exposure using large format or a tilt/shift lens.

For further information on focus stacking see

"Focus Stacking in Macro Photography" by Erez Marom, dpreview.com  11 April 2013, in Articles>Photo Techniques.

 

 

 

Lens Test Lumix 35-100 mm f2.8 Premium Tele Zoom for M43

LENS TEST

Lumix GX Vario 35-100mm f2.8 Power O.I.S.

Premium mid range zoom lens for the Micro Four Thirds System

Author AndrewS  April 2013

Lumix 35-100 mm lens on Lumix GH3 body

Introduction  This constant f2.8 lens completes a trio of premium zooms for the M43 System. The first was the 7-14mm f4, the second was the 12-35mm f2.8. I have reported on my experience with the 7-14mm and the 12-35mm on this blog.

Lumix 12-35 mm lens on GH3 body with Lumix 7-14 mm on the left and Lumix 35-100 mm lens on the right.

Test Procedure    I bought my 35-100 mm lens in February and have been using it on a Lumix GH3 over the last 2 months in a wide variety of photographic situations, allowing me to test it thoroughly in real world use involving several thousand exposures. I have photographed a test chart, a grove of casuarina trees with fine foliage, landscapes on and off  tripod, portraits indoors and out, sport/action, day and  night shots, OIS tests, AF tests and shutter shock tests. I gave the lens a thorough workout. I shoot RAW and inspect the images post capture in Adobe Camera RAW.  Both the GH3 and 35-100 mm were  running firmware version 1.1

The three lenses and body illustrated above plus puffer, lens cloths, spare batteries, memory cards etc in a Lowe Pro Adventura 160 shoulder bag.

Place in the M43 System  For many years professional photographers using DSLR's with a 24x36 mm sensor [a.k.a. Full Frame] have relied on two constant f2.8 zooms for much of their work. These are the 24-70 mm f2.8 and the 70-200 mm f2.8.  Canon regards the 70-200 mm focal length as sufficiently important to offer 4 versions; f2.8 with and without OIS and f4 with and without OIS.       If  the  M43 System is  to seriously challenge CaNikon's hegemony of the interchangeable lens camera market there needs to be a M43 version of  the fast mid range pro level zoom.

The 35-100 mm f2.8 is that lens.

Photo courtesy of camerasize.com
On the left Canon EOS 5D with EF 70-200 mm f2.8 lens.   In the center Canon EOS 60D with EF 70-200 mm f4 lens.
 On the right  Lumix GH3 with Lumix 35-100 mm f2.8 lens.

Rear element of 35-100 mm f2.8

Features  The most obvious visible feature of this lens is it's compact size. When the M43 system was inroduced much of the marketing message emphasized how losing the DSLR mirror and prism could reduce camera body size.   All this is still true of course, but the greatest opportunity for size reduction is to be found with the lenses.  Moreover, longer focal lengths mean more opportunity for size reduction. The difference between the M43  35-100 mm f2.8  and the full frame 70-200 mm f2.8  is dramatic, as you can see in the photographs.

35-100 mm on m43 provides the same diagonal angle of view [34-12 degrees] as 70-200 mm on full frame, although the native aspect ratio of M43 [4:3]  is different from that of DSLR's [3:2].

The Lumix 35-100 mm is weather sealed with a thin gasket around the mount. The lens does not extend  with zoom or focus, both  actions taking place internally.   This feature makes the lens a pleasure to handle.

The front element  does not rotate with zoom or focus.  There is an OIS ON/OFF switch on the lens barrel, but no distance or depth of  focus marks and no AF/MF switch. The lens is of varifocal type, which means that it has to be refocussed after zooming.

As with the 12-35mm,  the rear element is as far back in the optical pathway as possible. It is a fixed double element about 21 mm in diameter, almost that of the sensor diagonal measurement. Care is required when handling the lens as the rear element is very close to the outside world. If you try, as I have done several times, to quickly mount a body cap on the lens instead of the correct lens cap, damage to the rear element is possible.

A reversible hood is supplied with the lens. I use it all the time.

Diagram courtesy of Panasonic
Optical construction diagram for Lumix 35-100 mm

MTF Diagram courtesy of Panasonic

Specifications

Measured length with UV  filter, front and rear lens caps is 120 mm.

Measured diameter with the lens hood reversed on the lens is 78 mm.

The bare lens without filter, caps or hood is 103 mm long and 67 mm in diameter.

Mass is  350 grams bare, 440 grams with front and rear caps, filter and hood.

Price

Prices vary with country, vendor and time. However for comparison I checked prices listed at the time of writing by a Sydney vendor, Digi Direct.

Lumix 35-100 mm f2.8 OIS                     $1459

Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS 2                  $2375

AF- S Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 ED VR 2  $2868

In most markets the 35-100 mm is the most expensive M43 lens, leading to  adverse comment from some contributors to M43 user forums.  However when compared to the full frame equivalents it looks quite a bargain. I bought mine from the camera shop mentioned above together with the GH3 body for a significant discount on the listed price for both. I expect that over time the price will come down a bit.

When reviewing models and prices I noticed that Canon does not offer an EFS 46.6-133 mm f2.8 lens and Nikon does not offer a 44-125 mm f2.8, either. These would be the equivalent lenses for the Canon EFS and Nikon DX camera lines. It would appear that neither Canon nor Nikon is supporting their APS-C model lines as alternatives for the professional photographer.

Panasonic, having no other line of interchangeable lens camera to support, can offer the 35-100 mm without taking sales from itself.

Sydney, evening. Lumix GH3 with 35-100 mm lens, tripod

Performance, Mechanical 

Like other M43 lenses with OIS, the unpowered 35-100 mm rattles when shaken side to side, due to movement of the OIS unit. 

With one's ear right on a powered lens noises can be heard from the OIS unit, AF motor and aperture diaphragm operation.

The zoom action is very smooth.

Single autofocus is very fast and accurate on the GH3.  Continuous AF also works well making the lens quite suitable for many types of moving subject.

If pointed at a bright light source, the lens sometimes behaves like the 12-35 mm in that the aperture diaphragm can open and close without user input. This makes a  noise which is audible in a quiet place. Some contributors to user forums have reported this as a fault, but it appears to be the normal behaviour of the lens. It may possibly serve the function of protecting the sensor from excessive light, I don't know.  

Manual focus operates the usual way,  by rotating the focus ring which triggers an electronic mechanism. This works without problem however I personally would prefer a little more drag on the focus ring for more feel.

The Optical Image Stabiliser works well to stabilise the preview image in the EVF, an effect most noticeable at the long end of the zoom range. Some reviewers have stated the OIS allows sharp handheld photos up to 4 shutter speed steps slower than without OIS.   My tests found the difference to be about 1.5 steps. The difference may lie in the test procedure. Many reviewers measure the percentage of unsharp shots with OIS on vs OIS off.  But I want to know the shutter speed at which every shot is sharp which may be a more stringent test.

Note that one reviewer, Jordan Steele (Admiring Light),  found that photos with OIS  On,  were less sharp at very fast shutter speeds [1/3200, 1/4000]  than at more frequently used shutter speeds.  I have not observed this issue but that may be because I rarely use such fast shutter speeds.

Shutter Shock  This is a well known potential source of unsharpness in photos made with M43 equipment, about which I have written elsewhere on this blog. I ran formal tests using a test chart and tripod, then many hundreds of real world photos in the shutter speed range 1/80 -1/100 sec with E-Shutter on and off.  My conclusion is that I could not find any convincing evidence of softness or blurring which might be attributable to shutter shock with the 35-100 mm lens on a GH3 body.

Boatyard. GH3 with 35-100 mm lens, handheld

Performance, Optical

Sharpness/resolution  For comparison I used the Lumix 12-35 mm, 14-45 mm, 45-150 mm and 100-300 mm lenses.

At 35mm focal length, the 35-100 mm and 12-35 mm gave the same level of sharpness/resolution. Without the EXIF data I could not distinguish one from the other on any test.

At the longer focal lengths the 35-100 mm was better at f2.8 than any of the other zooms at any aperture.

Image definition in a broad area covering most of the frame is excellent from f2.8 at all focal lengths, with excellent resolution of fine surface texture and faithful  rendition of all skin blemishes in people pictures.  Ladies will hate portraits made with this lens. Stopping down to f4 sharpens the corners perceptibly. My copy delivers very even performance right across the focal length and aperture range. Best overall aperture appears to be in the f4-5.6 range but f2.8 gives really excellent results except for slight softness in the corners.

Roger Cicala of Lens Rentals reported his tests on  7 copies of this lens in October 2012. He found generally excellent results but resolution below expectations at the 100 mmm focal length and f2.8 on all 7 copies. My experience with a lens presumably from a later production run has been that I did not notice this issue at all even though  I was looking for it having read Roger's review prior to doing my own tests. In fact my copy is notable for it's ability to deliver excellent resolution at all focal lengths and aperures.

Chromatic aberration  This is corrected in camera in Panasonic RW2 files and was not evident in any of my photos. It may be an issue on Olympus cameras which do not correct for CA.

Some Corner shading  is  present at f2.8 but not to a degree which I thought required correction on any of the thousands of photos I have made with this lens.

Distortion  is corrected in camera such that it is not evident in general photography, even where this includes buildings. Some reviewers have  examined uncorrected RAW files and discovered substantial barrel distortion at the short end of the zoom range.

Bokeh  Out of focus rendition is generally pleasing and smooth, without tramlining or other jarring intrusions into the viewer's awareness.

Contrast/microcontrast  is excellent.

Lumix 35-100 mm sun in frame.

Flare  The lens is supplied with a deep hood, which I use for all outdoor photographs. This prevents the sun 's direct rays falling onto the protective filter and as a result flare is an infrequently encountered issue with this lens. If the lens is pointed directly at the sun flares of various types are readily induced, to the detriment of image integrity.

Close focussing capability  appears not to have been a priority for the designers of this lens.   Minimum focus distances, measured from the subject to the sensor plane are

At 35 mm focal length,   630 mm

At 100 mm focal length,  780 mm

At 100 mm with +2 diopter Close Up lens,  420 mm.  Horizontal subject field at this distance is 70 mm.

Comparison with other M43 telephoto zooms 

The main advantage of the 35-100 mm is the constant f2.8 aperture, which does not reduce with zooming out. This allows the lens to be used at wider apertures in all conditions than the more consumer oriented optics. This in turn allows for lower ISO settings or faster shutter speeds or both. The consequence is better potential image quality.

The absolute resolution available with the 35-100 mm is slightly better than the less expensive zooms but I had to look hard at 100% and 200% enlargement of test photos to see the difference.

Up a gum tree. GH3 with Lumix 35-100 mm. Hand held. prefocussed manually on the log.

Value for money  I would have to rate lenses like the Olympus 40-150 mm [occasionally on sale for the astoundingly low price of $99] and the Lumix 45-150 mm [at around $300] as the best value tele zooms in the M43 system. Their performance to price ratio is remarkable. The extra 1-2 stops of aperture available in the 35-100 mm comes at a premium price. For M43 users who prioritise small size and low cost, the 35-100 mm is overkill. But for those who want the best performing tele zoom lens and can afford it, the 35-100 mm is perfect.

Comparison with Canon EF 70-200 mm f4 L IS USM      I bought  this lens for use on a Canon EOS 60D two years ago and at the time rated it the sharpest lens I had ever used. I sold off the Canon gear mainly because the camera would not reliably focus the 70-200 or the 15-85 mm lenses which I was using at the time. The size and weight of the Canon kit didn't help much either. I did not have the opportunity to test the Lumix and Canon lenses side by side but I shot several favourite scenes with both and was able to make a reasonably useful comparison based on viewing the photos. My impression is that the Lumix 35-100 mm lens gives slightly better sharpness and resolution across the frame.  This should be no surprise, by the way. The Canon lens is designed for full frame so cannot deliver it's best performance on the reduced frame of the 60D. The Lumix lens is being used on the imaging sensor for which it was specifically designed.

Hints and tips for best results with this lens

Focussing   Depth of focus at f2.8 is quite shallow. In consequence the user needs to tell the lens exactly where to focus. If the camera is left to select a focus point, results are out of the user's control and may not be as intended.   Please refer to my discussion about this with illustrative photographs in "Lumix GH3 Review Part 4, Single Shot Focus" on this blog. The user needs to make a conscious decision as to the best point of focus. The size and position of the active AF area need to be precisely specified.

Camera movement  There is nothing new here. However the lens is capable of very high sharpness if the camera is held perfectly still at the point of exposure or the shutter speed is high enough to negate the ill effects of camera shake. Some users  might think the lens' performance is nothing special when the problem is lack of attention to optimal technique. For more discussion about this please see "Lumix GH3 Review Part 9, Stop the Shakes" on this blog.

Summary  The Lumix 35-100 mm f2.8  and the  12-35 mm f2.8  are the best zooms available for the M43 system and in my experience two of the best zoom lenses I have ever used for any camera system. Used with care the 35-100 is capable of excellent results in a wide variety of photographic situations.     

Lumix GH3 Review Part 10, Setting Up the Camera

LUMIX GH3 REVIEW PART 10  SETTING UP THE CAMERA

It's complicated but mostly logical

Author AndrewS  April 2013

Port Botany. GH3, Lumix 100-300mm lens.

Introduction  Since the advent of digital photography, cameras have been getting increasingly complicated with each new model. Users like me have asked manufacturers for cameras which are highly Configurable which means that the device can be set up to suit an individual's likes and preferences. 

The GH3 is such a camera. Many of it's functions can be user selected to suit personal preference. This is wonderful but the ability to set user preference for so many camera operations brings with it the necessityto do so.  The new GH3 user could just leave everything at factory default while learning how to use the camera. But sooner or later they will have to brave the menu system and make a large number of choices in order to  best use  the camera's many capabilities.

Owner's Manual  I very strongly recommend that readers download and print out the entire 319 page GH3  "Owner's Manual For Advanced Features".  You can find it on any of the Panasonic National websites. Just follow the prompts for the GH3 camera. The Lumix team has been gradually improving their owner's manuals such that the GH3 manual is more coherently laid out than those for previous model cameras.  It is still very complex however, which unavoidably comes with the territory of a modern electronic camera. The reader is constantly being directed to jump back and forth from one page to another which is tedious with the PDF on screen. Page numbers in this article refer to the Owner's Manual (Advanced).  I have found it useful to stick physical tabs on key pages of the Manual so I can quickly go to one of the Menus or Fn button selections, for instance.

Setup advice  Each individual photographer has his or her own ideas about how a camera should operate and what it should be able to do. In this article I will try to indicate the possibilities available at each choice point. I will indicate my own selections with reasons. Yours will be different because you will have different ideas and expectations about how  you want a camera to work.

The emphasis of this article will be on Still Photo Capture, Expert User. I have nothing to say about Motion Picture, iA Mode, Scene Guide Mode or Creative Control Mode.

Setup Menu [Pages 45-52]

* Clock Set, World Time, Travel Date.  Set as required.

* Wi-Fi.  This could be the subject of a separate article. Setting up Wi- Fi is beyond the scope of this one.

* Beep.  You can set Beep Volume and E-Shutter Volume. For silent operation set Beep and E-Shutter Vol to OFF.

* Speaker Volume, Headphone Volume. Adjust to preference.

* Monitor/Viewfinder Display. Note that Monitor Display becomes Viewfinder when you look in the viewfinder.  Please see Part 2 of my GH3 review for a full discussion about this.

* Monitor Luminance. Mine is set to Auto, which appears to work well. You might want to experiment with Mode 1 or Mode 2 if more direct control of Monitor brightness is required.

* Economy.  You get plenty of choices here. I have Sleep Mode set to commence in 5 Minutes and Auto LVF/Monitor Off to activate in 1 Minute. You will likely want to experiment with this.

* Battery Use Priority. This applies when the accessory battery grip is fitted, see Page 268.

* USB Mode, Output, Viera Link, 3D Playback.  All these options are a matter of personal preference or are guided by equipment requirements.

* Menu Resume. This is useful. When set to ON the item highlighted when a Menu is selected is the one you last accessed. If you use something frequently, for instance I frequently format memory cards, it is handy to have that option appear first when I select Setup Menu.

* Menu Background. Plenty of choice here.

* Menu Information. when ON, displays a horizontal scrolling description along the top of the screen, of the current Menu setting. It is somewhat useful especially in the learning phase.

* Language.

* Version Disp. Go here to display the current firmware version of the body and lens attached if any.

* No. Reset, Reset and Reset Wi-Fi Settings. The Manual provides a comprehensive explanation of these items.

* Pixel Refresh. This initiates a software solution for hot pixels should any develop.

* Sensor Cleaning. This is performed automatically when you turn the camera on but can also be done on command.

* Format.  Formats the memory card.

Custom Menu  [Pages 53-63]

* Cust.Set.Mem.  Here you make Custom Mode settings. The process is well described on page 115. Just remember that a Custom Mode duplicates EVERYTHING in the camera's operating system except Set and See Module settings (Drive Mode and Focus Mode). It will duplicate whatever Shooting Mode was in use at the time the Custom Mode was set. Make sure you trawl carefully through all the Main Menus, Q Menu and  Fn button settings before committing to a Custom Mode. Once in a Custom Mode you can use the camera normally, altering any settings. Rotating the dial off the Custom Mode then back onto it will reset all parameters to the original Custom Mode selections.  You can, of course Re-Set a Custom Mode with different parameters at any time.  Custom Modes are very useful when you want to allocate a group of settings for a specific purpose, for instance, Tripod/Landscape or Sport/Action. They are easy to set, and you can see at a glance which Custom Mode if any, is currently active.

* AF/AE Lock. The options are described in Page 151. The fourth option, AF-ON is new to the GH3. You might want to spend some time experimenting with the options on this button to discover which suits you best. I like to use back button AF start, DSLR style,  so I have AF-ON set. In AFS this activates AF start then lock while the button is held down. It also starts AE but ISO is not displayed until the shutter button is half pressed. In AFC it activates and continues AFC. 

* AF/AE Lock Hold.  This option is greyed out if AF-ON is set in the panel above. If one of the other options is set this decides whether AF or AE Lock or both is held by pressing the button once or by continuing to hold it down.

* Shutter AF.  Set to ON.  The camera acquires and locks focus and exposure with half press.  This is the usual way most people would expect the shutter button to operate.

* Half Press Release. When set to ON, the shutter will fire with half press of the shutter button, as soon as focus is acquired and exposure is set. I find this somewhat alarming, in that the camera fires before I am ready,  and don't quite understand why the option is provided. But hey, modern cameras have lots of options which don't make much sense to me.

* AFS/AFF.  AF Flexible Focus Mode was introduced with the G5 with selection between AFS, AFF, AFC and MF via the Q Menu. But on the GH3 Focus Mode is selected with the set and see lever around the AFL button which only allows for three positions. So you have to tell the camera here in the Custom Menu whether you want the AFS/AFF position to activate AFS or AFF.  AFF is like Ai-Focus on Canon DSLR's. It works like AFS until the subject moves then it turns itself into AFC to follow focus on the moving subject. It might even work, I don't know.  I prefer to have direct control of the Focus Mode so I set AFS. But give AFF a try, it might work just fine. Be aware that AFF disables the ability to have AF + MF. You can't have MF if the camera is liable to switch to AFC at any time.

* Quick AF. When set to ON, this has the camera continuously attempting to find focus on the active AF area, without touching the shutter button. But the active AF area is not displayed until you do half press the shutter button or the back button for  AF. This is one of those functions which some users might like, but it does use up battery power. I set it to OFF.

* Eye Sensor AF. This is another one of those "Helper" functions which some people might find are actually helpful but others might find unhelpful or even irritating.  I am one of the latter because as with many of  these helper functions I would prefer to feeel as though I am in control of the camera. It does not work in low light. Sometimes it operates even when I have it switched off.  Strange...............

* Pinpoint AF time. This will start to make sense when you have the camera in hand and experiment with Pinpoint AF Mode. In Pinpoint Mode the preview image is automatically enlarged for a short time with half press shutter button. You can chose 1.5, 1.0 or 0.5 seconds. As use of Pinpoint Mode implies a deliberative photographic process I use and recommend the Long Time, 1.5 seconds. This is the mode for focussing on a small bird in a large tree,  an insect in a flower or something like that.

* AF Assist Lamp.  AF on the GH3 is so good I just switch the assist lamp off. This avoids startling your subjects with the red ray beam.

* Direct Focus Area. If you look at a G5 you can see the 4 Way controller is home to ISO, WB, AF Mode and Drive Mode. On the GH2 it hosts ISO, WB, Fn2 and Fn3.  The GH3 has moved all these functions elsewhere. This frees up the Control Dial/4Way Controller (aka Cursor Buttons) for AF area control duty.  You can allocate [Focus Area Set] to a Fn button, so the process of changing AF area is activated by pressing that button.  Or you can save that Fn button for some other function and set [Direct Focus Area ON]. Now the process of changing AF area position and size is activated by pressing anywhere on the knurled Control Dial.  Press the up/down/left/right cursor regions on the Control Dial to move the AF area. Rotate the Control Dial, Front Dial or Rear Dial to change the size. Confirm with half press shutter button or press Menu/Set.  With the AF area active, indicated by a yellow bounding box and 4 way arrows, press the Disp Button to return the AF area to the center.

In 1-Area Autofocus Mode the AF area can be positioned anywhere on the frame. In Pinpoint and MF Modes a reduced area of the frame is available.

* Focus/Release Priority. I fail to comprehend why one would want the camera to make the shot until the subject is in focus,  so I set this to Focus Priority. It still allows plenty of not in focus frames anyway especially in AFC.

* AF+MF. This allows focus to be adjusted manually while Autofocus is active. Definitely set to ON.

* MF Assist. This is linked to the item above. It enlarges the preview image when the MF Assist method is activated. The degree of enlargement can be cycled through 4x, 5x, 10x by rotating the Rear Dial with the right thumb, while half pressing the shutter button with the right index finger, while gently turning the focus ring on the lens ( if that is the MF assist method selected)  with the fingers of the left hand.  Some practice and dexterity is required.

For dedicated M43 lenses select [Enlarge by rotating the lens focus ring/lever]

For MF lenses with no electrical contacts select [Enlarge by pressing the AF Mode/Fn3 Button]

* MF Guide. This feature brings up a horizontal analogue focus distance bar on the lower part of the preview image. There is a mountain symbol at the left end and a flower symbol at the right end. If there were proper distance markings and even better, distance plus depth of focus indications, this feature might be genuinely useful. Fuji can do it with their compact X10/ X20 cameras. As it stands there is no way for the user to preset a focus distance by scale on the Lumix cameras. Were this feature available I would find it extremely useful for aerial (set at infinity) landscape (set at the hyperfocal distance) and street ( set at a mid distance, say 5 meters) photo assignments.

* Histogram. A  Live View histogram is another one of those features which one imagines would be useful but in practice is of limited value. When set to ON it appears on the preview screen in one of the options which is cycled with the Disp Button. It can be located anywhere on the frame except the edges. There are two problems with the preview histogram. The first is that it clutters up the image preview. The second is that the GH3 has such a reliable auto exposure capability that the histogram is infrequently useful. I have it set to ON but mostly use the preview screen with no camera data overlaid on the preview image.  I can bring up the histogram along with other data on screen if desired, by cycling the Disp Button.

* Guide Line. I find this very useful as I often want to know if a vertical line in my composition will be vertical in the photo. For this I use the Type 3 style [one vertical and one horizontal line]  The lines can be set anywhere in the frame. To set them both passing through the frame center, press the Disp Button when the lines are active [yellow]. This setup is good for buildings where I want the vertical lines in the building to be vertical in the center of the resulting photo. This allows easy post capture perspective correction in Adobe Camera Raw.

* Highlight. This operates in Auto Review or Playback.  Overexposed highlights are indicated by "blinkies". These can sometimes be fully or partly  recovered from RAW files in Adobe Camera Raw. Set to ON.

* Constant Preview. When set to ON, the Preview Image brightness responds to changes in Aperture or Shutter Speed in Manual Exposure Mode. When using external flash with a separate  meter to judge exposure, set to OFF so the preview image stays the same as you alter aperture and shutter speed.

* Expo Meter.  If you like your preview screen absolutely totally cluttered up with information set this ON.   Even with it on, only two of the Disp selectable screens display it, so if you think it might be useful one day you can set it ON then make it come and go by cycling the Disp Button.

* LVF Disp.Style/Monitor Disp.Style. Both can be set to the same style, which aids seamless transition from one to the other.  You get to choose between "Monitor Style" with basic camera data overlaid on the preview image or "Viewfinder Style" with a smaller preview image but the camera data is easier to read in all conditions, being located on a black strip beneath the image. Take your pick. I find Viewfinder style much more ergonomically effective as the camera data is always clearly visible and does not impair view of the subject.

* Monitor Info.Disp.  If this is set to ON, then cycling the Disp Button [Page 72] includes the (E) screen, "On monitor Recording Information". If the touch screen is active settings can be adjusted by touching an item on the screen. It provides yet another way for users to alter camera settings. I have it OFF in an attempt to simplify camera control operations.

* Rec. Area. If set to Motion Picture the preview screen will show a 16:9 image regardless of the still photo aspect ratio being captured. 

* Remaining Disp. Can be set to indicate remaining shots for still photo or remaining time for motion picture.

* Auto Review. The camera can automatically display a review of each photo taken. The review can be set to 1-5 seconds or Hold, which holds the review until you half press the shutter button. I notice some photographers at tourist destinations habitually looking at their auto review screen. More experienced photographers accept that it is a camera and yes, it does indeed make photos. They switch Auto Review OFF. This greatly facilitates shot to shot framing and capture. You want Auto Review OFF for sport/action work with AFC.

* Fn Button Set. See Below.

* Q Menu. See Below.

* Dial Set. [Page 60] Please read Page 60 carefully. I would suggest leaving dial operation  at factory settings until you are very familiar with the camera. The factory settings provide the action and rotation which I think many photographers would expect to find on a camera like this one. You can change these, but there is nothing quite so ergonomically disorienting as a control dial that works the opposite way to that which you expected.

You can assign Aperture/Shutter Speed, Rotation Direction and Exposure Compensation.

I did try assigning exposure compensation to the rear dial directly but it kept getting bumped accidentally so I sent EC back to the top button.

The dial options are extensive but not quite as over-the-top as those available on the EM5 which allows you to configure the dials differently in each of the P,A,S and M modes.

Note that after pressing the WB, ISO or [+/-] buttons you can switch function of the Front and Rear dials by pressing the Disp. Button. This means you can decide if you prefer to make the most common adjustment with the Front or Rear dial.

* Video Button. For those of us who do not  use video, this option allows the button to be diabled so it will not be pressed in error.

* Power Zoom Lens. If you have a PZ lens, the options on Page 61 are for you.

* Eye Sensor.  The Auto setting automatically switches the preview display to the EVF when the camera is brought to the eye. Judging from the negative user feedback when the Lumix team removed this feature from the G3, it would appear most users prefer the Auto switching feature ON. But some prefer to use manual switching with the LVF/Fn5 button which is also possible. The eye sensor sensitivity can be adjusted. The LOW setting works well for me.

* Touch Settings/Touch Scroll. Lots of options here. The main one is to decide if you are going to drive the camera with the touch screen or the direct  controls. Judging from comments I read in user forums, the camera community appears to be divided on this with some saying they  love the touch screen controls while others like me, just find them an impediment to the photographic process. The GH3 lets you try both and decide for yourself.

* Menu Guide. This refers to the Scene Guide and Creative Control Modes. ON activates the Mode Menu when the Mode Dial is switched.

* Shoot W/O Lens. Set this to ON so you can operate the camera without a lens or with a lens having  no electronic contacts.

Record Menu [Pages 158-175]

* Photo Style. This only applies to JPG capture. Setttings here do not affect RAW files. You can cycle through style presets with the right cursor button, or use the down button to select then alter Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation and Noise Reduction. The selections thus made can be regisered as a Custom Style which overwrites a previous setting. Those who use JPG frequently may need to spend some time investigating the options here as individual preferences will vary.

* Aspect Ratio. The most disappointing feature of the GH3 is that it no longer has the Multi Aspect Ratio Sensor which was a key feature of the GH2 and which I used frequently. So although you can still change aspect ratio, 3:2 and 16:9 are just crops of the native 4:3 frame. For RAW capture I always use 4:3 and crop later in ACR if required. JPG shooters might get more benefit from setting other aspect ratios at capture. But do so in the Q Menu or via a Fn Button, not here in the Rec. Menu.

* Picture Size. In 4:3 AR you can set L=16Mpx, M=8Mpx or S=4Mpx. The main reason one might use anything smaller than L is to set the camera up for Ex.Tele.Conv. In still photography, M enables 1.4x and S enables 2x. (JPG only).

 * Quality. You get 5 choices here from RAW, through 2 JPG quality levels and RAW+JPG at two levels. Note the list of effects listed on Page 161 which are available with JPG but not RAW capture.

Exclusive to the Q Menu there is a feature called "Picture Setting" which is an amalgam of Picture Size and Quality.

* Metering Mode. The choices are Multiple, Center Weighted and Spot.  Probably the most useful for general photography is Multiple. Spot is the most difficult to use but could be useful in specific situations.

* Burst Rate. The details are on Page 153. Use M or L if autofocus and live preview are required on each frame.

* Auto (Exposure) Bracket. Here you enter your preferred Auto Bracketing settings. Auto Bracketing will be activated when set on the Drive Mode Dial. 

Single/Surst Settings. Single means you have to press the shutter for each of the 3, 5 or 7 frames in the sequence. Burst means that if you hold down the shutter the camera will quickly fire all frames in the sequence. Unfortunately there is no setting for Timer+AEB on the Drive Mode Dial. So a cable remote is required. I have not yet checked if the Wi-Fi system can operate AEB with Burst. AEB is compatible with E-Shutter.

Step  Gives you many choices, maybe there is some overkill here but some might find a 7 step bracket is occasionally useful.

Sequence You get another lot of choices here also.

* Self Timer. I find 2 seconds is enough to settle the camera after pressing the shutter button. 10 seconds if  the photographer wants to get in the photo. Or fire the camera with a smartphone. There is an intermediate setting which fires 3 pictures after a 10 second delay. Unfortunately I can't find any way of linking this to AEB.

Note that you can assign Auto Bracket and Self Timer to the Q Menu and/or Fn buttons but only for the setup steps as per the Rec. Menu.  There appears to be no way, at least not that I have yet found,  to fire the camera with the Timer linked to AEB.  They are separate on the Drive Mode Dial and I guess the principle is that a hard module setting cannot be over ridden by a soft selection.

* i.Dynamic.  You can select High, Standard, Low and OFF.  With JPG capture and Standard setting i.Dynamic reduces exposure by 1/3 stop from that which would normally be given, then lifts shadow brightness in camera. The result is better detail in both highlights and shadows. The penalty is a bit more noise in the dark tones. With RAW capture, i.Dynamic just reduces the exposure 1/3 stop from normal with no further processing in camera.

* i.Resolution. The Owner's Manual is vague about the claimed benefits of this feature and after testing it, so am I. With  JPG and RAW files I couldn't convince myself that photos with  i.Resolution On were different from those with i.Resolution Off.

* HDR.  Page 164. This feature is available only with  JPG capture. You can select the Dynamic Range and also select Auto Align.  Having tested this feature, I can say it works as advertised but is not, in my experience, very useful. There are several reasond for this. First, it is not available with RAW capture. Second, with RAW capture not many subjects are beyond the Dynamic Range of the GH3+Adobe Camera Raw. Third, the pictures which result from the HDR process have an un-natural, processed appearance. There is often also evidence of movement of leaves, foliage etc between one frame and the next.

* Multi Exp.  Page 165. This feature also works as advertised and may have application in special circumstances. Exposition of the feature probably requires a separate discussion.

* Time Lapse Shot.  Page 166. This feature could be useful in many applications, such as wildlife, scientific, commercial etc. Setting the Start Time, Shooting Interval and Image Count are all quite straightforward. With longer time intervals, the camera will power down between shots to save battery and will re start before the next frame as required. Some cameras with Firmware Version 1.0 had uneven time sequencing, reported to have been fixed with the 1.1 upgrade. Time Lapse is compatible with E-Shutter but not with Timer Delay. The camera adjusts exposure and focus for each frame in the sequence.

 * Electronic Shutter. 

Advantages:  No blur from shutter shock, Silent operation if beeps set to Off. [Page 46]

Disadvantages. Not compatible with flash, Max ISO 1600, Slowest shutter speed, 1 sec, Distortion with subjects moving laterally in relation to the camera, Horizontal alternating light/dark broad lines across the photo with some light sources, eg fluorescent, and possibly others.

* Shutter Delay.  This feature is new to the GH3.  It operates with the mechanical shutter as follows:

Press Shutter Button>Shutter Closes>.....Nominated Delay Occurs....Shutter Opens>....Exposure Occurs....Shutter Closes>Shutter Opens.   The delay between the first shutter closing action and the exposure allows vibrations to dissipate, reducing the likelihood of shutter shock blur using the mechanical shutter.  You can set 1-8 seconds delay. It would also be another way for the photographer to get in the photo. Shutter Delay can be used with Timer Delay if required, although there would appear to be little purpose in doing so.

Note that Shutter Delay also works with  E-Shutter. In this case the effect is to delay the exposure by the the time nominated, after pressing the shutter button.

Shutter Delay cannot be accessed via the Q Menu or a Fn Button, only via the Rec Menu. You can allocate it with a group of settings to a Custom Mode.   I would like the the Lumix Team to add Shutter Delay to the list of features which can be allocated to the Q Menu or a Fn Button.

* Flash. The GH3 has extensive options for on and off camera flash operation. One or many DMWFL360L flash units can be controlled by the inbuilt, pop up flash unit. Pages 125-132. This is properly the subject of a separate discussion. However it is desirable to set Auto Exposure Comp ON in the Flash submenu. This enables flash and non flash  exposure comp to be controlled from the +/_ button on the camera top in association with the front and rear control dials.

* Red Eye Removal. Only available in Face Detect AF Mode.

* ISO Increments. The GH2 only allows 1/3 EV  ISO increments which I found irritating every time I changed ISO on  that camera. Fortunately the GH3 allows 1 EV increments which is much faster. The camera provides 1/3 EV increments with Aperure and Shutter Speed so 1/3 steps for ISO is redundant. However for those who want it you can still set  ISO in 1/3 EV steps.

* Extended ISO. Set this to ON.  I can't think of a reason to set this option OFF. Auto ISO will still use the standard ISO setting range.

* Long Shtr NR (Long exposure noise reduction) The shutter speed at which this is triggered varies with ISO.  On my tests from ISO 125-400 it comes in at 8 seconds. At ISO 1600 it is applied to shutter speeds from 2 seconds. The only disadvantage I can see with long exposure noise reduction is that each exposure is made twice, once with the shutter open and once with it closed. This could slow proceedings substantially with very long exposures.

* Shading Comp, Page 170. This is to automatically reduce image darkening in the corners. It displays as active with both RAW and JPG capture. The extra processing work might slow down the frame rate in Burst Mode.

* Ex. Tele Conv, Page 120. This feature works well on Lumix cameras.  JPG only. For still photography, M Image size gives 1.4x zoom, S image size gives 2x zoom. My tests show that the final image quality obtained by cropping a RAW image (via ACR) then converting to JPG is the same as that achieved by original capture with  Ex. Tele Conv. Position and size of the active AF Area can be changed normally.

* Digital Zoom, Page 119. This is probably more useful with Motion Picture. Normal control of the AF Area is lost.

*  Color Space. Set this to Adobe RGB. There is no reason to set sRGB. The color space will automatically revert to sRGB when JPG capture is used.

* Stabiliser, Page 117. This is where you set Normal or Panning OIS. Otherwise set OIS on the lens for those lenses fitted with an OIS switch,  or assign OIS to the Q Menu or a Fn Button.

* Face Recog.  Page 172-175.  This is several computing steps up from Face Detect and a feature one might expect to find on surveillance equipment.

* Profile Setup. Page 176. This feature might seem more at home on a snapshot compact.

Brief summary of functional ergonomics.

Before delving into Q Menu options, it might be useful to review the four stages of camera use. These are Setup, Pepare, Capture and Review.

Setup includes the tasks one might perform at home, prior to a photography outing, and largely involves making selections in the Setup, Custom and Record Menus as detailed above. It might also involve charging batteries, formatting memory cards, cleaning equipment etc.  As far as possible, assign to the Main Menus  items which you will not need to access when out and about.

Prepare Phase generally occurs in the few minutes prior to image capture, when the photographer decides specific settings for the coming photographic task, be it landscape on tripod, sport/action high speed, or whatever.

Capture is the Phase when one is in the process of taking photos, making any necessary adjustments to primary and secondary exposure and focussing parameters along the way.

The items which might need to be adjusted in Capture Phase are the Primary Exposure [Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO], Secondary Exposure [Exposure Compensation, White Balance], Primary Focussing [AF, MF, Zoom] and Secondary Focussing [AF area position and size] Parameters. Control of these items is best allocated to hard modules directly accessible to the right index finger, right thumb and fingers of the left hand, preferably with all adjustments being enabled without having to change grip with either hand. That is potentially a lot of adjusting in a very short time span, while also taking photos. Which is the reason good ergonomic design is crucial especially in Capture Phase. You can see that the GH3 is better designed than many other cameras in this regard.  A,SS,ISO,EC,WB, Capture are all allocated to the right index finger. [with the thumb as alternate for some of these, for those who prefer it]  AF can be initiated by the right index finger or the right thumb. MF and zoom are assigned to the fingers of the left hand. AF area position and size is controlled by the right thumb, in a somewhat less than perfect ergonomic process as the right hand grip is disrupted. The GH3 needs a JOG lever.

This leaves a group of parameters which could usefully be adjusted in Prepare Phase. Some of these are allocated with fixed function to the Set and See Dials/lever [Mode Dial, Drive Mode, Focus Mode] . Others can be assigned with user selectable function to the Q Menu and the Fn Buttons.

Q Menu,  Pages  39-41.

While the parameters which might require adjustment in Capture Phase are more or less the same for any photographer or image capture task, the same cannot be said for Prepare Phase adjustments. Here we might find individual photographers with very different ideas about the items to which which they require ready access. Therefore there are many items from the Rec, Motion Picture and Custom Menus which can be allocated to the Q Menu.

Best use of the Q Menu is gained by setting a Custom list of items. Start by setting Q Menu to Custom in Custom Menu Page 6/8.  The process is well described on Page 41 of the Manual. Up to 15 items can be set but only 5 appear at any time. 5 is therefore the optimum number of items to allocate to the Q Menu, so they are all visible on the startup screen.

I would expect that many GH3 users will need to experiment with several versions of their preferred Custom Q Menu before settling on one long term. Also it might take considerable time and experiemce with the camera to decide which items go best on the Q menu and which on a Fn Button. Note that there is an item called Picture Setting available to the Q Menu but not to any of the Main Menus. This is an amalgam of Aspect ratio and Picture Size, the displayed screen dependent on Image Quality. For what it is worth, which is not much as individual preferences will vary widely, I have Burst Rate, Ex.Tele Conv, Stabiliser and Picture Setting on the Q Menu.

Function Buttons,  Pages 42-44.

There is quite a bit of overlap between the Fn button list and the Q Menu list but there are several items not common to both. Also note there are less options for Fn4 than the other hard Fn buttons. To set up the Fn buttons go to the Custom Menu, Page 6/8 and scroll to Fn Button Set. Follow the prompts. No two individuals will select the same options here and a final selection might take quite some time to settle on. Bear in mind that the easiest Fn buttons to operate while using the camera are, in order, Fn2, Fn3, Fn4, Fn1, Fn5. Also recall that the Fn2 button is also the Q Menu button, so if you want Q Menu, that takes Fn2 out of the Fn button list.  For what it is worth, which, as for the Q Menu selections is likely not much, I have the Fn buttons allocated  thus:  Fn1>Image quality, Fn2>Q Menu, Fn3>AutoFocus Mode, Fn4>Level gauge, Fn5>E-Shutter. I have the touch screen disabled, so Fn6 and Fn7 soft tabs are not available.

Custom Menus, see Cust. Set Mem. page 115.

If you want still more customisation here it is. You can register current camera settings  to one of the 5 custom Mode positions on the Main Mode Dial [three of the settings branch off C3]  Thus you can make a group of settings for Landscape, Sport/Action, Macro or whatever you choose.  Just remember you can't allocate Drive Mode or Focus Mode settings to a Custom Mode (but you can easily see the setting in use simply by looking at the camera) and you do assign everything else to the Custom Mode. You can use the camera normally in a Custom Mode changing any parameters as desired. These changes are not remembered by the camera so if you switch the camera off or leave a Custom Mode then return to it the settings will be as you registered them in the first place.  You can, of course overwrite a custom Menu with a new group of settings.

The last Word  The Lumix GH3 provides a user interface which can be extensively configured to suit individual preference. This opportunity brings with it the necessity to make many decisions in the quest for optimal setup. This article is an attempt to help GH3 users manage the challenge.