Panasonic Camera Settings

[StanGetz]

Hi Lumixers....

Good evening!

Got a qn here....juz wana ask ard if there any "standard" camera settings for Panny DC u guys have set on the camera. Eg, EV compensation, type of metering mode, OSI mode etc.....

erm, i esp interested in the setting for FZ5.....hehe do post ur opinions and share the knlwledge ard! Cheerios!

[unseen]

OIS - mode 2
Metering - Center weighted (almost rarely, but still got spot metering)
Focusing - Spot focus OR high speed focus (try out, they are good for different type of images)
Auto-whitebalance, switch to manual if need.

no other change else needed.
FZ5's VENUS II engine does a great job of patching up your image. You don't need to do auto contrast/colour/balance in photoshop at all.

[karnage]

Hi Stan, I'm using the FZ20 but these are my settings anyways:

OIS - Mode 2, off if using tripod
Metering - Spot most of the time.
Focusing - Spot also.
White Balance - manual
Contrast, Sharpness, Brightness - STD
EV Compensation - 0
Flash Intensity - 0, coz I usually use external flash
ISO - 80

Ermm... is there anything else? Haha!

[unseen]

LOL rite.. ISO..
forgot...
*paiseh*
haha I'm usually on ISO 100, bump to 200 if indoors.

[StanGetz]

hey guys! juz wana say thanks!!! im having fun with my FZ5....thanks alot

[karnage]

ISO200 is usable ah?

I used ISO200 for IR shots, wah lau, damn noisy sia... haha!
Oops... OTed...

[unseen]

Originally Posted by karnage ISO200 is usable ah? I used ISO200 for IR shots, wah lau, damn noisy sia... haha! Oops... OTed...

Er...
strange.. dun see why u need ISO 200...
ISO100 is good enuff..

hmmm were you the one who is after handheld speeds on the FZ5?
If so, last time i tried, in very bright sunlight, using ISO400, also can't get handheld speeds (for a properly exposed photo, not under exposed one).
I'm back to ISO100 and tripod.

*edit*
yesh ISO 200 is usable. if you use a flash.

[codling]

sometimes, if really no choice and you dont have tripod or not convenient, then just have to use ISO200/400...
use Neat Image or other noise removing software to combat the noise...although it gives it a "smooth", heavily processed look...but then again...its more important to have capture the scene then not capture anything at all...
it may not be as technically good, but so long as you managed to capture the "essence" (if i may call it that)... whats the issue?

[karnage]

Originally Posted by unseen Er... strange.. dun see why u need ISO 200... ISO100 is good enuff.. hmmm were you the one who is after handheld speeds on the FZ5? If so, last time i tried, in very bright sunlight, using ISO400, also can't get handheld speeds (for a properly exposed photo, not under exposed one). I'm back to ISO100 and tripod. *edit* yesh ISO 200 is usable. if you use a flash.

Haha! Ya... I think I'm the one after handheld speed for IR but it's on the FZ20. I wa after it coz I read it somewhere that it could be done. Unfortunately, I can't remember where & how...

Hmm... cool. ISO200 + flash = increased flash range, no?

Sorry for the OT Stan, but if I may further OT, unseen, may I now what your settings are when u take IR shots? Like, the ISO, f/stop, shutter speed for starters... more if there're any? Thanks!

[dominator]

Add in to the OT...test shot i took recently.

FZ5.
ISO400 Handheld. Shutter 1/13. Not the best but hit rate is 100% is weather is good.
Photo after PS.

[unseen]

hmmm looked thru my photos,

Aperture: 3.6
Shutter: 1s
ISO100
photo was under exposed by about 1 stop.
This photo posted is after auto colour, bringing the photo up by about 1 stop through leveling, swapping red/blue channel, resized.
*edit: On hind sight, the photo is still a bit dark. still looks under exposed. should haf spent a bit more time on it..

Ermz, the signature is my nick on some other forum ( I post most of my photos there, thus I customized my PS actions to do signature like that. No, it's not a photography orientated forum.)

On the average, a bright sunny day, i need about 1/1.3s or more @ F2.8 for a decently exposed shot on ISO 100.

Any lower that I go, the photos get horribly underexposed, and when I do leveling and stuff like that, noise is so bad even at ISO100 that it becomes tending towards unfixable.
heh initially I was after handheld IR shots on the FZ5 coz I read that IR response is much better than FZ20. Set to like 1/10s etc to do shots. I was wondering why noise so bad until 1 day I accidentally "overexposed" an IR shot, and found that the details are better, MUCH less noise, and looks better.

I rem from somewhere that FZ5 has better response to IR than FZ20, so...

[unseen]

Originally Posted by codling sometimes, if really no choice and you dont have tripod or not convenient, then just have to use ISO200/400... use Neat Image or other noise removing software to combat the noise...although it gives it a "smooth", heavily processed look...but then again...its more important to have capture the scene then not capture anything at all... it may not be as technically good, but so long as you managed to capture the "essence" (if i may call it that)... whats the issue?

Hee yeah.. that I agree..
I don't find noise that much of an issue.
I don't hesitate using ISO400 indoors under v bad lighting with FZ5. Noise is made out to be too big an issue (until it really kills the image of course. Not an issue for me on the FZ5 at all).

However for IR, my experience is that to get an properly exposed shot, can't get handheld speeds at ISO400, muz use tripod even at f2.8, iso 400, so I dun see need for ISO200. Sorry for my crude and short reply earlier.

[unseen]

Originally Posted by dominator Add in to the OT...test shot i took recently. FZ5. ISO400 Handheld. Shutter 1/13. Not the best but hit rate is 100% is weather is good. Photo after PS.

hee this guy is the in-forum IR king for panasonic. LOL. he's da expert.
heh anyway juz to comment lar.. this photo. 1/13 mainly coz of the very bright spot off the ground. if dun look at the bright spot area, the rest of the photo looks under exposed.

There are cases which I've encountered doing IR where i can take at 1/5 for ISO100 => 1/20 for ISO400, but such bright reflective subjects I don't find everywhere.

heh anyway there's no standard setting for photography.
Every photo needs a new set of "settings" to reflect the situation.

[schon]

Hi guys, I would like to know if there's any visible difference when you select between 'Fine' and 'Standard' quality levels?

I've switched mine from 'Fine' to 'Standard' and managed to save a whole lot of space on my SD card, without any visible difference to me. Are there any however? Perhaps a reduction in noise levels for night shots?

Thanks.

[dominator]

Originally Posted by schon Hi guys, I would like to know if there's any visible difference when you select between 'Fine' and 'Standard' quality levels? I've switched mine from 'Fine' to 'Standard' and managed to save a whole lot of space on my SD card, without any visible difference to me. Are there any however? Perhaps a reduction in noise levels for night shots? Thanks.

you can try to mount camera on tripod and shoot with those 2 setting.
to see the difference? you need to zoom more on your browser.

[dts_spawn]

How about the "natural, standard or vivid" setting? Any perference?

btw, how to take IR photos with FZ? filters?

[unseen]

Originally Posted by schon Hi guys, I would like to know if there's any visible difference when you select between 'Fine' and 'Standard' quality levels? I've switched mine from 'Fine' to 'Standard' and managed to save a whole lot of space on my SD card, without any visible difference to me. Are there any however? Perhaps a reduction in noise levels for night shots? Thanks.

normal person won't see much difference.
however if you crop alot, you'll see loss of details.

[unseen]

Originally Posted by dts_spawn How about the "natural, standard or vivid" setting? Any perference? btw, how to take IR photos with FZ? filters?

i prefer standard (i think)
the default setting.

vivid, the red tends to get blown.
natural.. i don't remember

IR-> need R72 filter.