GF1 (i need advice)

In terms of actual photography, I would HIGHLY recommend the book "understanding exposure" by Bryan Petersen. It will explain what ISO, shutter speed, and aperture are, what they mean, and when to use A mode or S mode.

In terms of the operation of the camera, RTFM or the David Busch guide. IMHO, the Busch guide was a waste of money, as it didn't explain anything much more than the manual, however, it was easier to read, and I understand some of the translations of the Panny manual are REALLY bad, so if you can read English OK, then the Busch guide may be the way to go.

 

hi Keeds - as you have been using an EP-2, you should not find the GF1 much different, don't worry too much about learning what all the buttons do for now, there is a lot to take in. I'm a relatively old hand at photography, and have been through the manual for the GF1 quite a few times, to get my head around what it can and can't do (some things depend on which lens you have on).
Read as much as you can as has been advised already, but meanwhile, set it to IAuto or P mode, (if P mode, make sure auto focus is set to AFS, ISO to auto, the rest doesn't really matter at this stage) and go take some photo's, 'Anything' it doesn't really matter. Get used to handling you GF1 first, then start going through the menu system (via the manual), but take it in small chunks at a time and try and digest each chunk before moving on to the next.
You have a super camera with the GF1, the 20mm f1.7 is an absolute star of a lens, I can't get over how good it is, for me it was the camera + lens combo that sold it.

Give yourself some time to familiarize yourself with the GF1 and get back to the forum if you have more questions (I'm sure you will have!). Don't be afraid to ask ANYTHING, no matter how trivial it may seem, there are plenty on here more than willing to help you get the most out of your GF1.

Good shooting and have FUN.....

 

Keeds, these guys above.....listen to them....they have it down....
Don

 

And Keeds, check out the Image Works forum, too. There are some really great threads in there and be sure to check out this sticky.

Oh yes, and please stop by our Welcomes and Introductions forum when you can.

 

Just thinking out loud here, .... but, a nice addition to this site (mu-43.com) would be a few "getting started" videos, or at least a collection of higher quality links.

I'm not thinking in terms of anything elaborate or trying to replace the manual, just tips and tricks. I'm thinking 1 to 2 minute videos that cover one topic, things that will make reading the manual a little easier to understand. For example, after reading the manual for 2 days, I just now realized how the Quick Menu works, and it's pretty sweet. I might do one for that. Any topic that when you figured it out, you thought to yourself, "well, damn, that was easy" would be a good topic.

What do you think?

I am inching my way through the manual of the GH2 right now. It's like reading a dictionary.

EDIT: I put my money where my mouth was. I did a two minute video on the "Quick Menu". I already see 50 things I'd change. But, maybe it gets my point across. Here's the link: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfrasymEQ4M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfrasymEQ4M[/ame]