Ergonomic evolution of the Panasonic G cameras 2015

G7 in hand. The best Panasonic G cam to date.

The original G1 model of 2008 was a trailblazer in the photographic world.

It was the first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.  With no predecessor the designers had to go boldly  where none had gone before.

They co-designed with Olympus and others a completely new sensor size, lens mount and internal workings.  They got an entirely new camera system up and running from a standing start.

That was quite an achievement.

But with so much emphasis on the complex technology inside the camera it seemed there was not much  R&D energy left for the all important  Human Machine Interface (HMI).

When the G1 appeared I immediately saw that it was the first model of a type of camera which would one day displace the DSLR as the dominant type of interchangeable lens camera (ILC).

There have been some considerable technological barriers to surmount. The main ones  are  predictive/continuous AF on moving subjects, EVF refresh rate/blackout and shutter shock. The MILC makers are still working on these and I believe are close to achieving resolution of the main issues.

The other impediment to market acceptance was the poor ergonomics of the early models. I am pleased to report that this too, is improving although there is still work to be done.

I came to the G1 from  Canon SLRs and DSLRs. I got fed up with these because they refused to focus reliably and were anyway too bulky and heavy for my liking.

My last Canon DSLRs were the EOS 40D, 450D and 60D. 

The 450D had a cramped, uncomfortable handle and poorly implemented rear button haptics.

The 40D had a row of buttons below the monitor which is a most unsatisfactory place for them.

The 60D had decent ergonomics with a comfortable handle, shutter button and control dial in basically the right places, fully articulated monitor, big rear dial and mostly decent buttons. But I could see the 60D could easily be improved especially in way of the control dial and the row of buttons behind the dial. 
I posted my ideas about the 60D on this bloghere.  Canon continues to make DSLRs with the same layout as the 60D showing they are not advancing in the ergonomic aspect of design.

Moving to the G1 was a bit of a shock. Sure it was smaller but the problem was the poorly designed HMI. The camera was very awkward to use.

So, what do I believe Panasonic got right and wrong with the G1 ?

All my work on ergonomics to date indicates they got the basic concept right.

That is, small DSLR shaped camera with a handle, shutter button forward on the handle, Mode Dial and Control Dial,  fully articulated monitor, EVF on the lens axis and plenty of controls for the expert use but an Auto [iA] Mode for the novice.

But they got the user interface wrong in several different ways as described below.

The G1 appears to be a scaled down L10 which was a  DSLR using the 4/3 system,  abandoned by Panasonic after a short time.

The problem is that cameras do not scale up and down for the simple reason that the hands which use them do not change size.

Simon Joinson’s 2007 Digital Photography Review of 2007 described the L10 as having “excellent handling and ergonomics”. I have never held an L10 in my hands but knowing what I now do about the elements of camera ergonomics I am a bit sceptical of that assessment, given the placement and detailing of some of the controls.

Anyway whether the L10 is excellent or not the scaled down G1 is decidedly not.

Mockup of the thin projecting handle used on early model Panasonic G cameras. If the pad of the distal phalanx of the index finger is on the shutter button the palm of the hand is forced away from the right side of the handle, leading to a weak grip and suboptimal stability.

The first problem is the handle. This is of the “thin projecting” type with shutter button perched on the top/front.  A larger camera can get away with this as the deeper handle opens up the fingers of the right hand.

Same mockup as above. If I hold it in the strongest and most comfortable position as shown here the index finger is nowhere near the shutter button.

But a smaller camera exposes the weakness of the handle type. It is not shaped to conform to the anatomy of the hand and fingers. If the user’s index finger is to get onto the shutter button, as it must, the palm of the right hand is forced away from the right side of the camera leading to a weak and uncomfortable grip.

If the user holds the camera in something approximating a “best fit” grip, the index finger falls nowhere near the shutter button.

The middle finger of the right hand lays directly over the front control dial. In order to operate the dial the right hand must be released,  camera support transferred to the left hand, the dial operated  then the right hand returned to holding position.

The 4Way controller (cursor buttons in Panasonic speak) is difficult to use as the buttons are low and flat on top, almost impossible to feel with the thumb.

After the G1 I took an excursion into Samsung land with the NX10 which is almost exactly the same size as the G1 but much nicer to hold and operate. I learned a lot from comparing the two and discovered that the details of the HMI can make a very big difference to the user experience.

I missed the G2 which is basically a G1 with the control dial moved to the back, in much the same position as the GH2 which I had for a while.

Then came the G3 which I rate the worst Panasonic G cam ever. It hardly seems possible but they replaced the poorly designed handle of the previous models with an even worse one, this time not even a proper handle but a little protrusion such as you might find on a compact camera.

This model seems to have been an attempt by Panasonic to explore the “smallness” concept even further than before.

It is an ergonomic failure.

The shutter button is in the ergonomically suboptimal top/rear position on the body.

The rear dial of the G3 is so buried in the back of the camera the only way to turn it is to push the very tip of the thumb, just beneath the nail, into the dial. This is very awkward and uncomfortable, requiring a big change in the position of the right hand. Worse, the dial is the push/click type and I usually pushed it in too far when I tried to turn it.

The Cursor buttons are still the same old…same old…flat tops….not good.

My copy had a gap between misaligned body panels at the right lower rear corner so every time I tried to use the camera  the sharp edge of one of the panels cut into my hand.

Picture quality is quite good. Pity about the hideous ergonomics.

There was no G4 presumably for superstitious reasons. But then along came the GH4. Go figure.

The G5 goes some way to getting the G line back on track with the original and I believe optimal concept. 

It has a larger, more curved, more anatomical handle.  It is more comfortable to hold. The shutter button has moved closer to the optimal position. The thumb support is well shaped and angled. The cursor buttons are of rocking type, unfortunately not the same as that on current FZ cameras and unfortunately with a smooth chrome style finish when the module really should have a highly textured rough finish so it is easy to locate by feel.

The rear dial has moved into the thumb support which would be the optimal position if the thumb support was large enough, which it is not. So the dial has to move right around to the right side of the rear of the camera. In addition it has the rounded, soft lands which make it difficult to operate smoothly.

So the G5 is a modest step forward ergonomically.

The G6 is a mild upgrade of the G5 with minor styling changes. Ergonomically they are almost identical. Both have sufficient space for a front dial just behind or around the shutter button but both have instead a toggle type lever with limited functionality.

G7  A compact, well designed very functional ILC that is a pleasure to use. This camera packs a lot of capability into a small package.

Now we come to the G7. This is the current model and represents a big ergonomic upgrade for the G series, making it easily the best ergonomic G cam thus far. It returns to the original concept of a small DSLR style camera. It is only 1mm wider and 2mm taller than the G1 but better designed all round.

Handle shape and shutter button position are significantly improved. The handle is fatter, deeper, more rounded and better shaped to fit the hand than previously. The shutter button has moved further inboard (to the left as viewed by the user) to allow a more natural position for the right index finger on the shutter button with the hand wrapped comfortably around the handle.

A full twin dial design is now provided for the first time in the G line. The dials are very well designed, shaped and positioned for easy operation by the right index finger and thumb. Dial haptics have improved markedly. It appears Panasonic is finally getting the message that dials should have sharp serrations with sufficient projection for smooth reliable operation. The front dial is concentric with the shutter button for easy access and operation by the index finger. One click gives 1/3 EV step value change. Nice. I would have continued the serrations up onto the top of the dial a bit further but I quibble.

Rear dial position and implementation is quite clever. There is not enough width in the thumb support to embed the dial GH3/4 style, so the designers have put it just above a thumb support with cutaway top to enable the thumb to rotate the dial without having to shift grip with the hand. Dial haptics are good. The dial is easy to rotate but doesn’t get bumped inadvertently. Serrations and resistance are just right for smooth operation.

There is a little ridge down the right side of the control panel (to the right of the 4Way controller) to prevent inadvertent pressing of the Disp and WB buttons. Nice. It works too.

The G7 also acquires Panasonic’s Focus Mode lever seen on several cameras from the L10 onwards, and a proper Drive Mode dial to the left of the EVF hump. These features permit efficient operation in Prepare and Capture phases of use.

Altogether I rate the G7 as almost perfect. But not quite…………….

The Cursor buttons have reverted to the old flat type which are not so easy to locate by feel. They are usable but I switch between the G7 and the FZ1000 often and I can say the “rocking saucer” type cursor button module on the FZ1000 is much easier to locate and operate by feel.

The same comment applies to the Disp button which is required in Capture Phase of use to re-center the AF box. It needs to be elevated slightly more. Maybe 0.5mm would do the trick.

Panasonic could fix these problems in production.  They would make many friend in the process.

So there you have it.

Evolution of the G line has been a bumpy ride with many hitches, glitches, backward moves and ergonomic mistakes along the way.

But the G7 is almost there. With some minor  haptic modifications  it could become one of the top ergonomic performers on the ILC market and I include all  ILCs of all sizes and types in that group.