An Historic Journey of Epic Proportions, or, I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G9!
I am by no means highly competant when it comes to driving computers and electronic devices. In fact when it comes to photography, my mind still travels in along the road which goes, film speed constant but make allowances towards, aperture. shutter speed, focus and compose. See... simple. Then I look at this instrument in my hands which has zillions more settings than those, which has umpteen more settings for style alone than perhaps a choice between Ilford, Kodak or Fuji Film.
That old camera was simple to operate, aperture on the lens, focus on the lens, zoom on the lens, film speed was arbitary to a degree but that is what you set your pocket light meter to to get a range of readings. Yep that's correct, a range from wide open to fully stopped up, from fastest shutter to sloooooooooow. Film wound on with a wee dial or lever, and on even older cameras one had to remember to cock the shutter before you took your photo. To change settings was quick, just click click in most cases. Later cameras set their own film speed, then later they became self focusing then auto exposure settings.
Now to my modern camera. I am getting a manual which has something like 357 (plus or minus) pages of instructions to memorise, hehe. About the only thing it does not do is go out and take its own photos. Shame I cant just give it verbal instructions and it brings home the bacon!
A couple of weeks ago my HP all in one Pavilion 23 caught a bug and died. I now have a desk top no name really but not a bad sett up which I assume can be grown with better mother boards etc. So I lost my software that I was reasonably comfortable with and could navigate. Now Windows looks different, behaves different. Of course, the HP is essentially a large lap top with out the ability to open and shut.
So I have been dealing with not only a new camera but also a new computer. I had cancelled my Adobe account because I was not so very active. Now I have no processing software. I did have On 1 but never really liked that and there is no back up. Ok so we are gunna use the proprietory software until we decide where to go next.
To tell the truth, the proprietory software is to me, virtually unusable. So I download at the moment from the camera via windows and have disabled (in the menu) the ability to recharge the battery from the 'pooter USB.
For PP software I am once again flirting with Luminar (Adobe will cost 16 bucks a month now) who have notified me several times of updates and given me a trial extension again. Yeah I know, they want me to buy.
Luminar is actually working quite well, far more intuitive and easy than On 1 so I may spend the hundy and get it. BTW the new computer as far as I am concerned is performing well and the LG 27 in screen is a delight. I have bought an external optical drive to load some software and am considering a card reader.
The Camera
Oh boy. Size and weight and feel is lovely. It positively bristles with buttons. It has a plethera of settings, and that is just on the dials. It has dials, oh boy it sure does have dials. However, the rumors are not true, it does not whistle Dixie!
First day out
The viewfinder has gone so dark I can barely see outlines. Yet I got 'tree' and 'across the harbour' that day. Then it all turned red. Yep red. Another problem the shutter chirrupped every time I pressed it. Oh yeah, no feel in the shutter button, it is very sensitive and I had to guess at half down. Along with setting up computer, now this and to top it off my van had a flat battery the day prior as well. So stress to eyeballs. Come home sort the downloading problem mentioned before (software flaky) and the instructions are not to good in the camera manual. They miss important bits. Grrrrrrrr eg I tried to charge the battery got a message to turn the power off. What power? Several trips through menus found it.
Next day. Have done my best with set up everything should be fine. Hmmmmm The shutter still chirps why? I dunno and the stress quickly rises. Spent all this money and have a camera that doesn't work? Go through menus and set ups at home again. Try Luminar and post 'Milford'. Cant fix the shutter. Chris gets into a real bad mood. Goes back through menus and settings again. Very thoroughly, had downloaded info and kept checking on the 'net. Could not find the problem. Went to bed last most unhappy. Up early this morning and playing again, before my first coffee even and I could not work out why this camera was firing a burst when most definately set on single shot. (You can do a burst on a film camera if you have a power wind on but it is about a second a shot). Kept checking the out put on its little screen then around a half an hour of shooting, resetting, checking the screen I realised there was a set of numbers (fraction) that changed each shot, then it clicked, the machine was automatically bracketing shots. So on that first day out, I had accidentally hit the night screen button (darkens the screen and next step turns it red, and the viewfinder) and also had pushed the bracketing button which is what made the shutter chirrup.
Now I am much happier with the camera, I love it! 
The End
