G80 / G85 Woes

[Delb0y]

Picked up the G85 this morning and switched it on and then the on-off lever went all floppy. Closer look and the little tab that you move to switch the camera on / off is sheared. This tiny bit of plastic sits in the little recess below the mode dial and I have no idea how it could have become distressed enough to break. The camera's not been dropped, or mistreated, or subject to freezing, or anything. Luckily (!) the camera is now permanently on, so I can continue to use it. Under the circumstances, I don't think there's any mileage in trying to take it apart and fix it - but just in case: has anyone else has had this issue, found a replacement on-off lever, and fixed it? If so, any details would be appreciated.

To be honest this is just the latest in a series of issues on this camera that have made me a little sad, and wary of what the replacement (come the time) might be. I've had a GF1, G3, GM1, GX80 and this G80, and this is the first Panasonic that I've not been satisfied with. Not long after I got the camera (secondhand in 2019, so I guess it was a few years old, but it was low shutter count) the lower hinge on the articulating screen broke. I often (usually several times in any given session) get a Please Turn The Camera Off and On Again message - irrespective of what lens, or battery, I'm using. Usually this happens just when I'm lining up a time-dependant shot or am halfway through a successful video. And lastly there's often a "stutter" when I'm videoing and I have the camera on a tripod (with stabilisation off) - the image sort of twitches on the screen and I have to switch the camera on and off a few times before it settles and I can film.

Maybe it's all that forced switching on and off that has done for the on-off switch!

I think I will be temporarily(*) reverting to the GX80 for my day to day use and just keep the G80 for videos at home. But it's all a little depressing really as I was so pleased to eventually get this camera, and have always been happy with my Pansonics previously. The early one especially seemed bullet-proof.

(*) Not really keen on the EVF for serious use.

Derek

 

[994]

I know you said it’s not been dropped etc but as you got it second hand you can’t be sure, I think.

I’ve not had any of these issues with my g85 which I’ve had for 3 years. I think you either have a lemon or the previous owner didn’t baby it like you did.

Sorry to hear about your negative experiences. This is really an excellent camera for the most part, though clearly not that specific unit

 

[Delb0y]

Alas, just found another issue - I'm still getting the please turn camera off and then on again message (three times in the last fifteen minutes!) and of course, I can't do that any more... I have to take the battery out. I can still use it for my home videos (one of the reasons I bought this in addition to the GX80 was for the fully articulating screen so I can do guitar videos), but I wonder how much of a pain it's going to be. C'est la vie...

 

[BosseBe]

Alas, just found another issue - I'm still getting the please turn camera off and then on again message (three times in the last fifteen minutes!) and of course, I can't do that any more... I have to take the battery out. I can still use it for my home videos (one of the reasons I bought this in addition to the GX80 was for the fully articulating screen so I can do guitar videos), but I wonder how much of a pain it's going to be. C'est la vie...

Sad to hear about your experience with the G80, I have not had any problems with mine.
If you want to use it as video camera in house, a solution might be to get a dummy battery with DC/DC converter to replace the battery, put an ON/OFF switch on the mains and you can turn it off and on quickly.
I got a dummy battery with DC/DC converter and a USB wall wart from Amazon.de for about €15. (IIRC.)

 

[Danny_SWE]

Mine works fine too! Sorry to hear about yours

 

[Delb0y]

Sad to hear about your experience with the G80, I have not had any problems with mine.
If you want to use it as video camera in house, a solution might be to get a dummy battery with DC/DC converter to replace the battery, put an ON/OFF switch on the mains and you can turn it off and on quickly.
I got a dummy battery with DC/DC converter and a USB wall wart from Amazon.de for about €15. (IIRC.)

Thanks BosseBe, that's a good idea. I didn't even know such things existed. I've been trying to use the camera as a stills camera today - just allowing it to go to sleep instead of turning it off. But the other issue (the " Please Turn The Camera Off and On Again" issue) is getting so bad that it was unusable. I shall try and molly-coddle it as a video camera, but I have a feeling it's days may be numbered. I did notice that the GX8 has a fully articulating screen, but then so does the G9...

 

[Brownie]

I have to agree with WT21. If you bought it second hand it's almost impossible to say it had never been dropped or mistreated. Since this camera appears to be an anomaly when it comes to problems, I'd say just the opposite were true. Too many issues to be the camera itself. I wouldn't wary of buying another Panny, but I'd sure as heck be wary of another used without a warranty, and I would be done with that seller. Did you buy it from an individual or a shop? Do you have any recourse?

KEH provides a 180 day warranty on their used gear. Something to keep in mind.

 

[Delb0y]

I have to agree with WT21. If you bought it second hand it's almost impossible to say it had never been dropped or mistreated. Since this camera appears to be an anomaly when it comes to problems, I'd say just the opposite were true. Too many issues to be the camera itself. I wouldn't wary of buying another Panny, but I'd sure as heck be wary of another used without a warranty, and I would be done with that seller. Did you buy it from an individual or a shop? Do you have any recourse?

KEH provides a 180 day warranty on their used gear. Something to keep in mind.

I bought it secondhand from Camera Jungle a year or so ago. So out of warranty.

It's definitely the camera I want, insofar as if I was to buy another camera today I probably get the same again. I mean, I'd like a G9, but I think I'm about three years away... There's some good deals on the G80 about at the moment, and I was thinking about keeping an eye on Amazon for "Prime Day" which is approaching.. Alas, the washing machine has just gone kaput so any chance of a replacement G80 has disappeared for now.

Interestingly, I used it (the G80, not the washing machine) for some photos yesterday and it was fine (no on-off switch and screen hinge held together with tape, aside) and I used it today for some guitar videos and again it was fine... until I turned it sideways on the tripod when I started getting the "Please turn camera off and on again message". But that aside, and all fingers crossed, I reckon I shall be able to keep using it for the time-being. I've set sleep to 1 minute so the battery isn't getting drained too quickly either. Who knows, it yet may last for years

 

[Brownie]

I bought it secondhand from Camera Jungle a year or so ago. So out of warranty.

It's definitely the camera I want, insofar as if I was to buy another camera today I probably get the same again. I mean, I'd like a G9, but I think I'm about three years away... There's some good deals on the G80 about at the moment, and I was thinking about keeping an eye on Amazon for "Prime Day" which is approaching.. Alas, the washing machine has just gone kaput so any chance of a replacement G80 has disappeared for now.

Interestingly, I used it (the G80, not the washing machine) for some photos yesterday and it was fine (no on-off switch and screen hinge held together with tape, aside) and I used it today for some guitar videos and again it was fine... until I turned it sideways on the tripod when I started getting the "Please turn camera off and on again message". But that aside, and all fingers crossed, I reckon I shall be able to keep using it for the time-being. I've set sleep to 1 minute so the battery isn't getting drained too quickly either. Who knows, it yet may last for years

Best of luck with it.

 

[mumu]

Sorry to hear of your problems with your G80/85. I bought mine used as well and it has been problem-free. I've been very happy with it.

 

[CyVan]

Sorry to hear, but I have to agree with everyone here. I got mine 2nd hand as well and other than having to do a wet sensor cleaning to get crud off it when I first got it , its been the perfect companion to my GX8 and now G9.

On a related note, I was having some serious issues with my G9 and its 3rd party batteries. The batteries in their charger would be finicky and in the middle of a shoot I'd swap out a battery and close the door and the G9 wouldn't start up. I'd have to wiggle the battery in the compartment for it to start up as if it was shorting. Camera would also sometimes shut off if I bounced it. One day , when I was just about ready to toss yet ANOTHER G9 battery that the camera wouldn't recognise or didn't charge properly, I looked at it closely and saw that the terminals were not shiny, oxidation perhaps. So I gave them a thorough cleaning until they were and voila. It worked! I noticed the same thing on most of the other G9 batteries and once I cleaned them all no more issues whatsoever. Instant turn-ons, trouble-free charging and not unexpected turn-offs.
Now I keep my spare batteries in a sealed spare case.
I'm not saying this is what's happening in your case but its something others should look out for. At one point I swore somethign was wrong with my G9.

 

[Delb0y]

I've been using the G80 a lot over the last few days and it's actually been okay. I've noticed that the on-off issue tends to happen mostly (although not only) when I'm turning the camera on its side to take shots in portrait mode. I wonder if there is a semi-bad connection somewhere inside. I will keep on keeping on for the moment...

 

[Delb0y]

... and today I couldn't even get it onto the tripod to take a shot. Every time I clicked it into the tripod I got the error message, had to unclip it, open the battery compartment, let the battery out thereby turning the camera off, and reverse all the steps. Must have done this a dozen times getting the error message every time. I did notice each time the error message occurs it's preceded by a quiet "clunk" as if something's loose inside, or maybe it's too do with the IB stabilisation. But I couldn't find a way to turn this off so in the end I dug out my old Fuji xPro1 and used that.

The problem is now one of confidence. If I'm going somewhere for a bit of photography I have to take another camera as well just in case the G80 decides to have an off-day.

 

[994]

Not sure where you are based, but here's a cheap on for sale https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1671245 (that is not my camera, and I don't know the seller, so this is not a recommendation!)

 

[Delb0y]

Thanks WT21, but I'm in the UK. I have a GX85 which I like aside from the EVF being too small. For now I shall use that, and keep the G80 for my very occasional - and getting ever more occasional - guitar videos, for which I need the articulating screen.

 

[Seahawk]

Can I suggest Johnstones of Glasgow for repairs. I have always found them very helpful and they advise you of the possible cost of repair before going ahead with it.

 

[Delb0y]

Can I suggest Johnstones of Glasgow for repairs. I have always found them very helpful and they advise you of the possible cost of repair before going ahead with it.

Hi Seahawk. Thanks for the suggestion, it's appreciated. The G80 only cost me a little over £200, so I think any repair would be throwing good money after bad. I've currently reached the "intrigued" stage with the camera - trying to find what it is that's causing it to be unusable one day and fine the next. There must be something, but I haven't found it yet, although at the moment I'm considering the tripod factor, as the last few days when it's gone bad have all been when I've been trying to use it on a tripod. Maybe when I screw in the tripos head plate it's moving something inside the body?