Still have many doubts about the G3

colbycheese · #1 June 20th, 2012, 08:35 PM

I still am getting a G3 but i have some more questions. First, is the viewfinder useful at all in burst mode? Are the photos displayed on the viewfinder after being taken? I shoot alot of moving subjects so i would need to be able to track the subject, my cat. If the pictures do appear on the viewfinder after taking them, can you turn it off. If it can not be turned off, i will buy the vf-3 if it does not have the same problems. For quality and options, what viewfinder is better? The g3 or vf-3?

colbycheese · #2 June 20th, 2012, 08:39 PM

Also, how is the burst mode on the camera? I know it has 20fps at 4 megapixels but what are the other options?

frank2 · #3 June 20th, 2012, 10:51 PM

You can select no preview, preview with various amounts of time the image stays, or preview hold until the shutter is half pressed.

frank2 · #4 June 20th, 2012, 10:53 PM

Most of your questions should be answered by downloading the G3 manual on the Panasonic website.

Jonathan F/2 · #5 June 21st, 2012, 12:44 AM

The E-PM1 has a faster burst rate than the G3. The G3 does better high ISO. I'd personally just get a cheap VF-3.

Markb · #6 June 21st, 2012, 03:09 AM

The G3 turns off live view in the higher burst rates. There is a menu setting for high, medium, low and the 20fps reduced resolution setting (super high?). The finder will refresh between frames at low and medium only. I think low is about 1.5fps, high about 4. There is no review during a burst.

Review can also be set from 1 sec up to 8 sec iirc. I usually turn it off so I'm not sure.

Kiwi Paul · #7 June 21st, 2012, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colbycheese

For quality and options, what viewfinder is better? The g3 or vf-3?

The VF-3 is terrible, I had one when I had an EPL3 and it was just horrible, the VF2 is meant to be much better.
The G3 EVF is fine, same as the VF2 I believe but much better than the VF3.

Paul

~tc~ · #8 June 21st, 2012, 05:12 AM

In M and L mode you have live view with very short blackout - not much more than the shutter speed.

In H and SH it does not do live view. In H, mine shows the captured image between shots, so you can somewhat track the subject.

That said "two eye" shooting technique is valuable to learn because ALL cameras black out during exposure. Simply leave both eyes open.

CUB · #9 June 21st, 2012, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colbycheese

I still am getting a G3 but i have some more questions. First, is the viewfinder useful at all in burst mode? Are the photos displayed on the viewfinder after being taken? I shoot alot of moving subjects so i would need to be able to track the subject, my cat.

Before buying a G3, you should try one in the shooting situations you want to use it for. While the G3 has fast, decisive and accurate autofocus with static subjects, and can usually perform reasonably well with slow moving subjects, its ability to track faster moving subjects is a long way behind even entry-level DSLRs.

The reason is that, like most mirrorless cameras, the G3 has only contrast-detect AF. DSLRs have phase-detect AF which is far more able to track moving subjects.

So far, the only mirrorless system to use phase-detect AF is the Nikon 1 system which has phase-detect pixels within the sensor. Canon is due to announce its mirrorless system within the next few weeks and that is also expected to have phase-detect AF in the sensor.

For your intended use, phase-detect AF would be at least desirable and probably essential if you want to avoid a high proportion of out of focus shots of moving subjects, such as your cat.

[I have owned a G3 for eight months and find the AF fast and accurate, but I rarely shoot fast moving subjects.]

meyerweb · #10 June 21st, 2012, 07:46 AM

TC has it right. Here's deal:

Current sensors can only write one thing at a time. So if the sensor is writing to the buffer, it can't simultaneously write to the EVF. At low and medium speed burst modes you can turn in finder review on or off. The frame rate is slow enough the camera can write to the buffer and then write to the EVF before the next shot is taken. But there's still some lag while it writes to the buffer. At high speed (and super high speed) burst mode, you can't turn the in-finder review off. Youlre actually looking at what was shown just before you pushed the shutter release. The camera can't write to the buffer AND the EVF before the next frame is taken. I'd be very, very surprised if the VF-3 doesn't do the same thing.

As for the hybrid focus systems, note that PDAF on the Nikon only works in bright light. In dim light the camera reverts to CDAF only, and based on the DPR review it focuses very slowly in dim light. Canon's system is an unknown, but the hybrid focus mode in the new Rebel 650 apparently performs more slowly than the pure PDAF mode. And PDAF isn't a panacea. It's much better at focus tracking subjects that are moving in a constant direction, but it will struggle with random movement (like herding cats), too.

m43 cameras CAN shoot action. There are some recent shots, either here or on DPR, of bicycle racing shot in burst mode with a OMD that look very good. I don't know that the G3 is as good as the OMD in this regard, though.

How big a hurry are you in? The G5 is due later this year. It might be worth waiting to see if Panasonic has improved AF ability or burst mode performance.