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Can you TOTALLY turn off the screen on the Panasonic GF1?

J

juz

Guest
I went to check out the Panasonic GF1 yesterday at J&R Music World in NY. While I could turn off the LCD screen during shooting, the screen flashed back on after each shot. Can this be shut off? No one in the store knew how/if it could be done. Isn't there a way to change the "review" details?

I want to use the camera with a brightline finder, no LCD distraction at all. Thanks!
 

Terry

New member
I just tried it. I had the display set to off and the screen did not come back on. I thought it would have to be combined with Preview being set to off but on/off it didn't change anything it still stayed off. With auto review set it still stayed off. So, they must have had some weird setting that was affecting it. My settings keep the LCD off.

I gather you will still need to leave the audible focus lock sound on to know that the camera got focus.
 

trisberg

New member
I gather you will still need to leave the audible focus lock sound on to know that the camera got focus.
Does this mean that there is no visual focus confirmation at all other than on the LCD? If you shoot with an external finder, it would be nice if they had a light that indicates focus like they do on Ricoh GRD and Sigma DP1/DP2.

Also, since there is no focusing scale, it sounds as if it would be impractical to shoot with both the screen and audible feedback turned off. Is that your experience?

-Thomas
 

Diane B

New member
That's the thing that bothers me. I shot today with teh Voigtlander 35mm finder on the GF1 with 20 f/1.7--a good fit. But---getting AF if you shoot wide open is more difficult--how do you know you nailed it?? That's more difficult. I really couldn't tell with the LCD, of course I 'got' focus with a low audible beep--but was it the one I wanted?? I'll know when I load them up to LR in a minute LOL. If I'm stopped down more I can use mulit focus points and be careful of composition and be reasonably sure I will get it--and I can shoot more wide open and 'guesstimate' the center AF button and place it where I want, get focus and recompose--but--I'd just rather have the EVF. The finder is big, bright--fine for many situations, but I like shooting more wide open and that's more iffy--at least for me. I'd be glad to hear of anyone else's suggestions for using the finder in those circumstances. Probably I just have not thought of the better way--I'm a longtime OVF shooter, so only used the finder on my G9 and now on the GF1.

BTW--I was carrying both the G1 and GF1 so was fine--but wanted to shoot with the GF1 just for the experience with the finder (or using the LCD in those situations where I could).

Ah, you posted just before me so I can answer about no visual confirmation. You have to remember that these finders have no connection to the camera in any way-they are slipped into the hot shoe and you use the bright lines for composition only. The accessory EVF of course has visual confirmation. You may be confused by the 2 finders. The OP is talking about an external VF that has bright lines to aid in composition and parallax error lines to help in that for closer than 10 feet shooting and not the EVF that can be added to the GF1--which will work just like the EVF on the G1 but with less resolution, size.

Diane
 
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Terry

New member
The is no visible "green light" confirmation like the GRD. You would need the audible confirm (volume can be adjusted).
The only way I can see to turn everything off (LCD and sound), would be either with a legacy lens were you can use the scale to figure out hyperfocal or to shoot more stopped down and lock the focus on the lens (with AE/AF lock button) in such a way as to get a deep enough DOF to ensure what you want is in focus (would take some practice).
 

Diane B

New member
(would take some practice).
That's what I think...I'd rather deal with the EVF. I like the finder for composition--but realized that unless you deal with a deeper DOF or don't want the focus in the center, you run into issues--or at least I did.
 

kevinparis

Member
how about just listening to the lens... if you are on S-AF when it stops making a noise its decided that it has something in focus... whether its the right thing is another issue.. but this works for me on the e-p1

K
 

Diane B

New member
how about just listening to the lens... if you are on S-AF when it stops making a noise its decided that it has something in focus... whether its the right thing is another issue.. but this works for me on the e-p1

K
I don't mind hearing the audible beep but guessing this was the answer for the OP. Your idea would work--I normally shoot S-AF--but, using that today with the finder, I'll see what I have in focus LOL. Something was.....
 

kevinparis

Member
I have my e-p1 set up in a streetshooter mode... i use the AEL button programmed to the actual focus with lens reset to OFF. This means i press that button to focus... and the foucus remains set at that until i press it again. The shutter button then only has to do the exposure and fire the shutter. For doing street stuff this seems to work quite well

your milage may vary

K
 

Terry

New member
how about just listening to the lens... if you are on S-AF when it stops making a noise its decided that it has something in focus... whether its the right thing is another issue.. but this works for me on the e-p1

K
Are you sure when it stops that focus is locked on anything? Also the Panny lenses are pretty fast and quiet :D

I have my e-p1 set up in a streetshooter mode... i use the AEL button programmed to the actual focus with lens reset to OFF. This means i press that button to focus... and the foucus remains set at that until i press it again. The shutter button then only has to do the exposure and fire the shutter. For doing street stuff this seems to work quite well

your milage may vary

K
You can set the GF1 up the same way. For some reason I was using it wrong before but with the Panny even when you have it set this way you can still use the shutter for focus on demand. As long as you are "unlocked" the shutter works for focus and if you are locked the shutter won't refocus. I now like this better!
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I went to check out the Panasonic GF1 yesterday at J&R Music World in NY. While I could turn off the LCD screen during shooting, the screen flashed back on after each shot. Can this be shut off? No one in the store knew how/if it could be done. Isn't there a way to change the "review" details?

I want to use the camera with a brightline finder, no LCD distraction at all. Thanks!
You've asked this same question on three forums.

Turn off the screen, turn off Auto-Review. Done.
 

pellicle

New member
You've asked this same question on three forums.
bouncing betty syndrome ... closely associated with the intar-uneto-byou

if you don't get an answer in the time it takes to load a page you hammer somewhere else.

an alternative diagnosis is that of "multiple ice-hole fishing" ... drop a net down enough holes and you'll get a fish from one of them

we will now return to the regular programming ;-)
 
J

juz

Guest
Godfrey and Pellicle,

Yes, I did ... and now we've got three different compelling discussions out of it, didn't we? This forum answered a lot of other questions I had about people's experiences with finders.
Three different forums, three different sets of answers = more information.

Now, did that hurt?

:lecture:
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Godfrey and Pellicle,

Yes, I did ... and now we've got three different compelling discussions out of it, didn't we? This forum answered a lot of other questions I had about people's experiences with finders.
Three different forums, three different sets of answers = more information.
So you want to replicate every question on every forum so that there are replicated brilliant discussions about the use of one freekin' function setting.

You must be from the government.
 
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