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| FZ80 |
The Operating Instructions for advanced features are very comprehensive.
In this post I will not try to repeat material which is perfectly well covered in the Instructions.
However while the Instructions have a great deal to say about what you can do when setting up the camera they are less forthcoming about why you might make one choice in preference to another.
I hope this post sheds some light on that question.
By the way the FZ80 uses the standard Panasonic menu system such as you find on an enthusiast ILC. As such it is much more comprehensive than menus usually found on cameras at the FZ80 price point.
In addition the camera itself has many more features and capabilities than others at the same price point especially with regard to focussing.
How to activate autofocus
In [iA] Mode this is simple, just half press the shutter button, confirm the green AF boxes appear then fully depress the shutter. East-peasy. There is nothing wrong with this but considerably more sophisticated options are available.
In the Custom Menu screen 1/9 see the [AF/AE Lock] tab.
Settings here tell the camera what to do when the AF/AE Lock button is pressed.
Options affecting focus are AF Lock and AF-ON.
With AF Lock set you can put the AF area box over the part of the subject desired to be in focus and press the AF/AE Lock button. Focus stays locked while the button is held down. You can recompose and fire the shutter with the shutter button.
To make several shots at the same focussed distance set [AF/AE Lock Hold] (next tab down) to ON and focus will lock with one press of the AF/AE Lock button and stay locked until you press the AF/AE Lock button again.
This is handy for focus-and-recompose situations.
There is another way to use this button for focus.
The FZ80 can follow focus on moving subjects making it suitable for sport/action photography.
For this type of photography you can set up AF operation as described below then register the resulting settings to a Custom Mode. Thus you can switch quickly from settings suitable for still subjects to settings for sport/action with one twist of the Mode Dial.
Set the AF/AE Lock button to AF-ON and [Shutter AF] at the bottom of the same screen OFF.
Now you have back button focus activated. This separates focussing (with the back button) from exposure and shutter release (with the shutter button). Sports photographers use this technique frequently.
It is particularly useful when you have AF Continuous ( I allocate AFS/AFF/AFC to Fn 1 button) and Burst M set ready for moving subjects. I put Drive Mode on Fn 2 so Burst Mode can be brought up quickly.
Note: Burst M provides the fastest frame rate which gives AF, AE and live view on each frame. It is thus optimal for moving subjects.
With AF and shutter release separated like this you can press and hold the AF/AE button to get the
AF rolling and following the subject then fire the shutter when ready using the shutter button.
How to move the active AF area
There are basically two methods:
* Using the cursor buttons (4 Way controller)
* Using the touch screen
Each method has its advocates but in practice I find the cursor buttons much easier.
Why ?
With the camera hand held it is quite a long stretch for the right thumb to reach down and across to swipe across the monitor screen. The cursor buttons module is much closer and easier to reach.
You can try the touch method since so many reviewers go on and on about it.
On screen 8/9 in the Custom Menu see [Touch Settings].
The top option, [Touch Screen] must be ON for any touch features to work.
Next down is [Touch Tab]. This activates the little soft Fn button tabs on the right side of the screen. I avoid this feature like the plague. It is WAY too easy to accidentally bump one of those little tabs, sending the camera off on some unexpected frolic of its own.
[Touch AF] could be useful with the camera on a tripod and while viewing on the monitor.
[Touch Pad AF] is designed for use when eye level viewing through the viewfinder. Select the [Offset] option. Now you can hold the camera up to the eye and move the active AF area around with the right thumb moving around the right side of the screen.
This sound good in theory but in practice I find it much less efficient than using the cursor buttons.
In fact the only real use I have for the touch screen is setting up a Custom Q Menu.
I prefer to move the active AF area with the Cursor buttons.
There are three ways to set this up.
Yes…I know….overchoice…..hence this post
1. Leave the cursor button functions at default.
Press the left cursor button to bring up the AF Mode window
Next press the down button to enter the [Focus Area Set] screen which allows you to move the active AF area around.
This works well enough but requires two button presses to access the [Focus Area Set] screen.
It does however preserve the default functions of the cursor buttons which are AF Mode, ISO, WB and Drive Mode.
2. Allocate [Focus Area Set] to a Fn button. This gets you to the [Focus Area Set] screen with one button press, but the opportunity cost is you have to give up whatever other function you might have allocated to that button.
3. Set [Direct Focus Area] at the top of screen 3/9 in the Custom Menu.
Now the active AF area will move immediately when you press one of the cursor buttons.
This the most efficient way to move the AF area but the opportunity cost is you must find somewhere else for AF Mode, ISO, WB and Drive Mode.
Fortunately this is easily done on the FZ80.
For the record I put
Drive Mode on Fn2, ISO and AF Mode on a Custom Q Menu and I use Auto WB all the time.
So that is all a bit complicated. The simple solution to all this complexity is a Joystick as seen on the GH5 but at present such niceties have not yet trickled down to the lesser orders of camera. One day maybe…
In the meantime any settings you make can be changed at will.
Function buttons Screen 7/9 in the Custom menu.
In addition to the AF/AE Lock button, there are three other buttons the functions of which can be user selected from a mind boggling list of 48 options. Those who have not seen a list like this before may find it quite challenging. Just go through the list and try to identify which functions you think you will use.
One of the three Fn buttons has to be allocated to the Q menu. The best one for this is Fn3 as per default.
For the record I put AFS/AFF/AFC on Fn 1 because I frequently switch from photographing still subjects to moving subjects for which I want AFC.
On Fn2 I put Drive Mode so I can easily access the timer delay or Burst Mode.
Custom Q Menu
By default the camera comes with a preset Q Menu which is handy but a custom one is usually better as it can be tailored to the user’s specific requirements.
The method of creating a Custom Q Menu is well described in the Instructions.
For the record I put Quality (RAW/JPG) AF Mode, Sensitivity (ISO), Stabiliser and Bracketing in the Q Menu.
Photo Style This is Pana-speak for JPG image modifiers. See Rec Menu at the top of screen 1/1.
After much experiment I have more or less settled on:
Contrast +/- 0, Sharpness -5, NR -5, Saturation +/- 0.
I rarely use JPGs straight out of camera. Someone who does so might want to experiment with a higher level of sharpening.
Summary This has been a quick look at some of the many ways in which operation of the FZ80 can be customised to individual preference.
This camera has a very comprehensive feature set and is far more configurable than cameras from other makers at this price point.
This has obvious advantages for setting up the camera to suit individual preference but it does present the user with a learning curve to enable best use of all those options.