The Panasonic GX9 Menu System Simplified

Book excerpt: The Panasonic GX9 is a direct descendant of the much loved and still much used GX7. It has all the improvement you would expect, better stabilization, quieter shock free shutter and higher pixel count. As important as all the technological progress is, it wouldn't mean a thing if the camera had lost the charm and sheer usability of the GX7. With its trim and compact rangefinder style body the GX9 remains Panasonic's little Leica.Like all Micro Four Thirds cameras, the GX9 is a highly complex digital imaging machine at heart and for anyone new to the system or upgrading from a smart phone it can seem quite off-putting. It needn't be. If you want a simple life, just put the G9 in iA and it is no more difficult to use than your phone. On the other hand, you don't buy a quality camera just to do selfies for Facebook and snapshots for Instagram. The GX9 is capable of just about any type of work, from 30 frames per second speed burst for the sports photographer to quiet and instant focusing for street work.There's a lot to know about the Panasonic GX9. LVF Display Speed? ESHTR? Some settings are crucial, some just good to know. This book doesn't try to teach you photography. Its aim is to familiarise you with the menu and settings of the GX9, what they do and why you might want to use them. It is true that the camera is a tool but just knowing your scales on a violin makes you a better musician, so mastery of the GX9 menu will make you a better photographer.The menu system and controls of the GX9 are well presented and logically laid out but with 6 main containing around 200 menu items, many of those with sub menus, even the most experienced user will sometimes find themselves scratching their head and wondering what an entry means. This small book goes through every menu choice and control and explains (a) what it does and (b) why you might want to do it. It may not inspire you in a literary sense but with its help you may find a GX9 tailored to your personal taste inspiring to use.