challenging my theory

My former gear is now crawling cross-country to be evaluated. In a week I shall know if I am wealthier or claiming a used GX7 - or an ultrabargain GX85? As usual, time will tell.

I recently railed about how complex cameras are messing with my brain. To restate: the most recent µ43 cameras can do a lot but mostly they do things I do not need on a camera. Many have pointed out "so don't use those features" - but when they invade and complexicate the menus it isn't that easy. I cannot expect them to revamp their menus by putting "4k" as a separate tab for video and photo tricks - but I sure wish that could happen.

During that complaint I encountered another issue: I have uniformly disliked the large µ43 bodies. Despite all their advantages (splash seals, better viewfinders, more space for more Fn buttons), nearly all of which I like! I have failed to get along with G7, G85, EM5/10/10ii despite their being about the same size as my well-liked Pentax K-5/50 cameras! I have no explanation for this; my tip-not-flip screen preference downgrades the G7/80 .. but it's more than just that. And the OM-D bodies use a tip screen - so is it the menus wrecking my experience? No, since the eP5 felt nice. That one was still not quite right for me though.

This led me to conclude that the GX7 is where I should stop.
Is that reasonable though? The GX85 loses 2-3 items on the outside that I'd miss (AF switch, tilt VF), but updates the GX7 inside in many valuable ways (usb charging /microUSB plug, no AA filter, ISx2, updated shutter) even without the 4k features. I owned it before and the complexity did not strike me as a big deal. 
Hmm /grrr.

So does my avoidance-of-complexity model break down here?
We'll find out when soon, when prices for used GX7/85 compete for my attention.

the GX trio

the GX1, GX7 and GX85 (henceforth aka GX7,ii)

Not shown (as I cannot afford more) - GX8, GX9

Image taken with the still-present K∙50

reconnecting with GX7

The GX7 has found its way back into my kit.

taken with GX1 and Sigma 30/2.8

Having done the GX7-GX1-GX7 return loop, I now understand better what an improvement the Seven really is. The rather primitive GX1 touchscreen took a major step forward in usability, using stabilized primes is wonderful, and internal features like time-lapse and EV-4 focus are not always needed but really great to have.

I've been rereading the books and e-books about using the GX7 and re-watching videos about the feature set. It sure was a well-liked camera when it came out! Although the silver/chrome combo with the 14-42 is a poor match in good light, I do like the camera's satin chrome finish over the all-black that I had before.

aftermath of the Shadow's passing

cropped and re-leveled but not really processed.. yet!

Since the eclipse on 21.August, several changes have occurred in many types of gear.

• Our largest telescope has sold, 
• an eyepiece and the Canon A720is sold at the star-party swap meet - and 
• the K-5 that took the photo above (and many others) has moved to Carolina.

In some ways this was ideal! I got to use the 'scope before it sold and the K-5 was the superior imaging system to have on-site. The GX1 isn't bad by any means, but the K-5 has the better sensor for dynamic range and pixel size - so no complaints here.

and I have the silver 14-42mm lens!
from imaging-resource.com review

These changes allowed me to pick up another bargain GX7. The GX85 and GX8 are tempting in different ways, and I even considered the current deal on the YI-M1 + 12-40mm lens - but for now the familiar and lower-priced GX7 will serve very nicely while other debts are paid down. I enjoyed the GX7 in black but prefer the look of the silver model.

What next for my µ43 kit?
I'd like the set of 7.5/14/20/30 for primes, meaning that a 7.5mm fisheye and 20mm f/1.7 Lumix might be sought in the near future. I've learned of the 7Artisans f/2.8 fisheye which is competitive with the Samyang in many ways for a somewhat lower price, so when the time comes we'll see what prices look like. Also there's no denying the appeal of the 60mm Sigma and even the 100-300 Lumix.. but the 45-150 is both talented and tiny so it will be sufficient for now. I still have a K-mount copy of the Quantaray 100-300, which is less convenient than the Lumix version but somewhat stabilized on the GX7 so that's fine too.
Also: focus peaking is back, how nice!

in praise of RESET

I had changed nearly every GX7 setting possible, and 'fixing' it was beyond my skill. Thankfully there's a menu setting just for times like this: RESET. It asks two questions, for basic and custom settings - I said Yes to both and the camera is back to its happy original self. 

I can now dive back into my guide-books and menu settings and take my sweet time fiddling with things that really don't need my intervention. For example - I found the Q.Menu could be customized so I did that immediately, without any thought as to what had been set up automatically! This time I'll try what the GX7 offers first, then toy with it as seems best.

I shall need to reset my Custom C1-5 settings - but those were not as I thought I had set them in any case!

I downloaded an e-copy of David Thorpe's 'GX7 menus simplified' book. It definitely helps to have a translation of the Lumix system (any system, really - even for a US product) so with that in mind perhaps I'll walk myself into fewer times where the camera's actions completely mystify me!

learning the GX7

After a few weeks and too little use, the GX7 still feels unusual to me. I'm hoping to change that, and also change a few settings to make it more precisely mine!

Once the basics were fleshed out (date & time, focus preference, image size/quality and such) it was time to toy with the function buttons. I've tried a few choices already but time needs to be spent before deciding which items stay or go. I've set the eye-sensor to High in the hopes that the main screen will go blank less often when my thumb passes near the viewfinder, and that custom button has returned to its original spot rather than shifting WiFi there. My custom Q-Menu is now mostly set as well. With four hard buttons and five more on the touchscreen, plus Q-Menu and 4-way pad presets, it's incredible how many settings can be accessed!

from review at cameralabs.com

I've discovered one new interactive item that I like very much - I can pop into and out of spot metering at the touch of a button! It's a touchscreen feature that you can select to change the exposure point for an image. Point to a bright object and watch the screen darken, then point elsewhere (or turn off) to return to matrix or center-weight metering. Very cool!
On is set to Fn2, reset at Fn3!

And finally - at last! - on to the Custom settings. Three positions on the mode dial can be preset to however you choose. I've owned many cameras with this feature, but have almost never put them in play - so it's time, and well past time, to make sensible use of them!

again from cameralabs

For now at least, here are my settings:

1. Aperture priority, auto ISO to 3200, AF via rear button not shutter, standard image type
2. Shutter priority, auto ISO 800-6400, AF on shutter (birds and other action setting)
3. Aperture setup similar to #1, shoots RAW plus jpeg monochrome

The third position actually has two other options that are accessed via C3+touchscreen; I'll contemplate the possibilities later on those.

So far I'm holding strong on the 2-zoom, 2-prime kit. It fits quite snugly in my Tamrac Jazz 36 bag, though any additions will put me over the top. That might not stop me from buying more, but it does provide some incentive at least!
It has two compartments plus the center section for cam+attached lens; when a prime is attached the 2nd prime goes below it, otherwise the primes stack in one of the side compartments. The side pockets hold lens hoods while the front pocket has extension tube and spare batteries with a USB charger. I need to determine which filters need to come along; if many are needed I'll have to reassess my pocket uses for a safe place. 

Fun fact: GX7 plus the four lenses rounds nicely to 1 kilogram!

impatience rewarded

The twice-lost GX7 has arrived! I feel no gratitude for the USPS tracking site, which could not locate the camera even as the truck drove up to our mailbox. What a waste of good disk space.

the new all-Black team (taken with GM1 and smcA 50/1.7)

I am surprised by the fine match between the 12-60mm Lumix and 30mm gen-1 Sigma. Black with silver text and fine-ribbed rings look very similar. That's nice.

First images look very nice, as expected.
First handling impressions are great: this body is far easier to hold than the pinch-grip required by the GM1, and plenty of controls at hand. I also like the balance of the 12-60 far better now, as it felt very over-sized on the GM1. Guess that's why the 12-32 and small primes exist!My wife loves tiny though, so we'll both be happy with our GM1/GX7 team!

Now to mess with menus and button assignments, and make it truly mine!

a two-horse race.. and a winner

It appears that for a similar amount of money I could pick one of two µ43 cameras: the Lumix GX7 or Olympus EM5 'classic'. Which to choose?

Neither is a poor choice in any circumstance. Their common  strengths are many: lenses, battery life, two control dials, tilting touch-screens, decent e-viewfinders and many control options. In-body IS debuts in the Lumix line with the GX7, and it's less sophisticated than the EM5 - yet it works really well* in some tests.

However, the differences can drive one nuts! Many websites have comparison pages between these two. Quite convenient to have websites to consult, but each user must decide what is most important to their shooting style:

• weather seals? choose the EM5
• more sophisticated 5-axis stabilization = EM5*
• longer and more versatile time exposures? definitely EM5!
• feature set and imaging pipeline that matches my wife's GM1 = GX7
• stabilized video with any lens= EM5; lens-IS only (but touchscreen AF) with GX7
• WiFi, NFC, tilt EVF = GX7
• focus peaking, also GX7
• best implementation of touchscreen that I've tried = any Lumix, ergo GX7
• Menu system and phraseology that gives me fewer headaches? GX7 for sure

Having tried both Lumix and Olympus in several forms I find that I'm partial to the Panasonic method of setting up a camera and taking pictures. Even with the cool live-bulb feature, I let go of my previous EM5. The ability to touch the screen for AF in videos is quite handy to me and I'd miss that; the WiFi is handy now and then but it isn't enough to sway me to GX7 by itself - same with the tilting EVF, which I don't doubt I would use but I cannot say it's a Big Deal.

Yes the ending has now been written. 
I found two very nice used bodies for the same price - and I chose the GX7.

I really wanted weather seals and would like to explore the Olympus live-bulb capabilities, but for 98% of what I do the GX7 feels like the better choice for me. I felt the same way once about the Pentax K-3ii and its Pixel Shift abilities.. but in the end the other controls for everyday shooting just weren't a great fit, and when a budget crises took it away (just like the EM5) I found I missed it less than I expected. I'd love to live in a world where I did not have to spend money to learn which camera is the Right One, but that isn't the case.

image from comparison page at
https://www.ephotozine.com/article/panasonic-lumix-gx7-vs-olympus-om-d-e-m5-comparison-review-22646

* it should be noted that one website tested both and found to its surprise that the 2-axis stabilization on the GX7 often worked better!