Panasonic GH2 Camera Ergonomic Review

This is a user report after several thousand exposures in general photography settings, mostly hand held, mostly outdoors, with a selection of Panasonic and Olympus M43 lenses.

The mission of this blog is to increase consumer awareness of ergonomic issues in camera design, so most of the report is about ergonomics, however I will touch briefly on features, image quality and performance of the GH2.

Description and Features (highlights)  This is Panasonic's top M43 body clearly aimed at Level 3 (Expert/Controller, occasional use) and Level 4 (Expert/Controller, frequent use)  users. It also has a high level of video capability, not reviewed here, as there are many differences between the still and video user experience. The video button is located in a high priority zone just behind the shutter button and disappointingly, cannot be user tasked to any other function. So if I am not shooting video the button is blocking prime camera real estate which I would like to use for a primary exposure parameter such as ISO.

Some features of the GH2 are worthy of note.  The multi aspect ratio sensor has proven more useful and gets more use than I expected. I have allocated AR selection to the fn1 button on the top plate and raised the height of this button by 1.5 mm by adding a little disc of stainless steel fastened by super glue. Now I can locate and operate this button by feel (which I could not do previously) while looking through the EVF. 
The AF/AE Lock button can be set to start/lock AF. This separates AF from exposure which is often desirable especially when using the focus and recompose technique.
The top plate has two Set and See dials and two Set and See levers allocated to Prepare Phase camera operation. This represents the best use of Set and See UIM's and works very well in practice. I can see  directly and quickly change what shooting mode and drive mode are set and see directly what focus mode and exposure area are set.  Photo 1  shows the set and see UIM's.

Some of the UIM's allow user set functions. This is highly desirable as no camera maker can predict all the permutations of UIM function which an individual photographer might prefer. Panasonic and all other makers would do their customers a big favour by extending user configurability to most UIM's, providing a choice of almost all functions of which the camera is capable. 

Image Quality  I rate IQ as acceptable for the target user group. Matters most needing improvement are (1) Noise, which is present even at ISO 160 in shadows, particularly in the blue channel (2) Dynamic Range which is just acceptable with many subjects but if greater would lead to less (3) Highlight clipping which is a frequent occurrence especially outdoors in Australia where scenes with  high subject brightness range abound.  Otherwise I have some reservations about this camera's color reproduction with several images not quite rendering the subject as I saw it at the time.  Photo 2  illustrates blown highlights on the wheat silo structures.

Performance With one shot still photography performance is very good.  AF is sensitive, fast and very consistently accurate, much better than any of the many SLR and DSLR cameras I have used over the years. Manual focus is well implemented, easy to perform with automatically magnified view and very accurate although the absence of distance scales on the lenses is lamented. It is not possible to preset a specified focus distance.   Shot to shot times  are quick, with good overall responsiveness.

Continuous shooting/AF mode is much less satisfactory. The AF system can keep slowly moving subjects in focus, but  EVF blackout after each frame is significant. As a result tracking a moving subject is difficult.
Exposures are generally excellent. The camera regularly makes auto exposure judgements which make best use of the available dynamic range.

Ergonomics   The three elements of ergonomics are Holding, Viewing and Operating.

Holding  The GH2 has the shape of a DSLR with a hump on top and a projecting handle, but reduced in size.  This camera's existence and identity depend on it being different from a  DSLR so why the product development people at Panasonic gave it a DSLR shape is an abiding mystery to me. Whatever the reason, that decision has a big effect on holding and operating characteristics. The projecting handle design works on larger cameras because the right hand is opened up when gripping the handle. But on the GH2 (and G1,G2,GH1) the projecting handle is much smaller so for adults with average sized hands the handle shape and UIM locations are at odds with the natural half closed holding position of the hand.  The photos tell the story more clearly than words.   One benefit of  the projecting handle design is that it makes the camera easy to carry in the right hand, ready to go.

Photo 3   Shows the natural, relaxed half closed hand position. Best design practice would shape the camera to fit the hand in this position.

Photo 4  Shows an average sized adult male hand holding the GH2 in the nearest possible approximation to a natural grip. You can see the index finger is looking for a shutter release button somewhere in space and the thumb is nowhere near any of the UIM's.

Photo 5  Shows what the same hand is forced to do in order to place the index finger on the shutter release button and the thumb on the AEL/AFL/AF Start button. The whole palm of the hand has to lift away from the camera leaving only the middle finger actually holding the handle.

Photo 6  This shows one of the mockups I have built. This one is the same height as the GH2, a little less deep and 20 mm wider.   It fits easily into the same compartment in my camera bag as the GH2. It is much more comfortable and secure to hold than the GH2. All primary and secondary exposure and focussing parameters can be adjusted in the Capture Phase of use without shifting grip at all.

Viewing   Viewing arrangements on the GH2 are generally very effective.  The monitor is of the swing out type, which is handy in many situations and protects the screen when closed. The EVF is large, bright and clear, with excellent data under and overlays and plenty of user configuration.  There are newer and arguably better EVF's now available but that on the GH2 is still very usable in single shot mode.

Operating   For the photographer who makes occasional pictures the GH2 will very likely be quite satisfactory. But for the user who wants to make several hundred photos per day, the GH2's operating systems may become frustrating.

The shutter button is perched top and front on the projecting handle which is not where the index finger wants to find it.

The Main Control Dial (MCD) is incorporated into the thumb rest and is operated by the right thumb. On the G1 and GH1 it was top and front on the handle where it was completely obstructed by the middle finger of the right hand. So they moved it to the back where at least you can now reach and operate it. However this involves derotating the thumb metacarpal and flexing the thumb interphalangeal joint, so as to bring the tip of the thumb to bear on the dial. All this means the user cannot effectively hold the camera with the right hand and operate it at the same time. This means one has to support the weight of the camera and lens with the left hand while operating it with the right hand.  While not disastrous this does provide a suboptimal user experience which could easily be improved with better ergonomic design. The MCD has a "Push-Push"operation.  Push to change it's function from controlling Aperture or Shutter speed (depending on shooting mode) to Exposure Compensation. Push again to return to the former function.  This is clever and it works.  However my own experience is an exposure error rate of about 5%, rising to 10% when I am working fast, caused by inadvertently activating Exposure Compensation by pressing slightly too hard on the dial while turning it. This problem can be removed with the Custom Menu, Page 5, Top line, Expo Settings > Switch by pressing the LVF/LCD button.

The rear control panel is very small. In consequence all the buttons are tiny and all but the AF/AEL button are either recessed or smoothly rounded.  Despite several month's diligent practice I  cannot reliably locate the buttons on the 4 way controller by feel while looking through the EVF.  This in turn means I often have to look at the buttons to find and operate them. In the case of the ISO and fn2  (to which I have allocated AF area selection) these initiate Capture Phase tasks which should be easy to complete while looking through the EVF but are often not.  The other problem in this part of the camera is that I often bump the WB button by mistake due to it's location very close to the edge of the camera.  I tried to raise the tactile profile of the 4 way controller buttons by placing a drop of clear epoxy on each. This has been partly successful but the basic problem persists.

The ON/OFF switch is acceptably accessible. Having used cameras with O/I switches almost everywhere I find those around the shutter release button can be operated by touch, without having to look at the camera to determine whether it is on or off and to switch from one state to the other.   The Q Menu is a good idea which could have been much better implemented  by allowing the user to choose the items allocated to that button.

Summary  As a stand alone item the Panasonic GH2 is a good, but not outstanding,  product with acceptable features, image quality, performance and ergonomics for a Level 3 user.

The main appeal of the GH2 is that it provides an entry point into the M43 system with a substantial and growing selection of lenses, a thriving on line community and prospects for future development.

The Way Forward   Operation of the  GH2 in it's existing form could be somewhat improved with the following minor changes:  1) Make function of the video button  and all 4 way controller buttons user assignable from a long list of options, 2) Make contents of the Q Menu screen user assignable, 3) Slightly modify the thumbrest and main control dial for easier access and operation, 4) Replace the 4 way controller buttons with a "rocking saucer" type controller which is much easier to locate and operate with the right thumb by feel.  

However if Panasonic wants to become a "First Choice" option for  Level 4 users, then I believe major changes are required.  It is possible to design a camera about the same box size (w x h x d) as the GH2 but with greatly improved ergonomics.  I know this because I have been researching, designing and building camera mockups for the last two years. Details can be found in previous posts on this blog site.  

This work has led me inexorably to the realisation that for any given box size (w x h x d) the best ergonomic result is given by the flat top, "Rangefinder Style" design as shown in the photograph. This puts the viewfinder in the optimum position for the 90% of people who use the right eye and is no worse than the "hump" location for left eye users.  It allows a higher, fully contoured anatomical parallel type handle providing full five finger grip. It allows the shutter button to be located where the index finger wants to find it and the main control dial to be located just in front of or behind the shutter button.  All the other controls can be much larger and easier to operate by feel.   There is no functional or ergonomic downside to the "Rangefinder Style" body design for a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.