The Panasonic G80/85 Menu System Simplified

Well written, even a non expert can understand it.

The Japanese are so much better at making jewel like devices than explaining them in Engish. The Panasonic Lumix G85 is an advanced Micro Four Thirds camera with many capabilities but a rather long learning curve, due to the poorly written instructional materials. There are two manuals, the Basic Manual of 85 pages, and the Advanced Manual of 338 pages (download only). Unfortunately these are not written in grammatical English and are complex and confusing.This little book by David Thorpe is a bit of help. Thorpe is an M43 photographer and all he has done here is go through the menus a bit better than Panasonic. The book itself is simplistic, simply laser printed from Thorpe's manuscript; there are no graphics and it is not a replacement for the manual. But if it clarifies one or two things or saves you a bit of time, it's worth the $12 I paid.Another bit of assistance on learning the G85 - I found a set of two dozen short instructional videos on the Panasonic Canada website. There is nothing comparable on the US website, and Amazon will not let me link directly to the Canadian address here, but you will have no trouble finding it by Googling.I wish these Japanese mfr's spent half the effort on instruction and usability as they do on hardware.

I got the Kindle version but I thought the book helps explain the menu concept of the Panasonic G85. I don't own the camera yet although I am planning to buy within a week or two. But I did find the book informative in all the things that the G85 can do. Of course, there isn't any sort of indepth guide to using the camera to take superior photos but by understanding the menu system and what it does, rest is up to your own skill sets. The explanation of the defocus concept proves to be quite enlightening. Its a good supplemental book to own. I am sure in the near future, there will be a more comprehensive book on this camera.

This book looks like something someone wrote at home and independently published it. Hey, it might have even been printed on the author’s garage printer. It’s a little book with very few photos or diagrams and lots of simple typos (“f” instead of “if, for example). The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the manufacturers manual is horrible. I would never be able to figure out this power little MFT camera if not for this book.

Clear and concise with practicality. In the first half hour of reading I found invaluable information most of it on recording photos , the use of the touchscreen to best advantage, 4k photo bulk saving with suggestions on how to save time picking out individual frames,etc and info on useing the 4k modes for prefocus/post focus,etc. Its evident that the writer has personal experience with this camera. This is one of my better choices to learn how to maximize the terrific features of this camera.

It's an inexpensive, easy to read and understand guide to the Panasonic DMC-G85 (and DMC-G80) Menu System. David Thorpe is well known for his knowledge of Panasonic Cameras, and his ability to explain it to others. You can look up your specific issue from the table of contents, and quickly find the information that you seek. The book is small enough to carry in your camera bag, so it's always there when you need it. This little book is well worth the money!

Mr Thorpe is always good at tis type of book. Data is presented clearly & in the same order it appears in the menue. That makes it east to work with

Makes one of the most important features in ANY digital camera easy to setup and use!!!

I moved up from a Panasonic LUMIX TZ40 to the G80. Although there are some similarities in the menu structure this is a more complex beast for sure. This is the manual which should have come with the camera. It is more than just a run through the menus. The photographic tips are really handy for the keen amateur like myself. I would like to see a follow up from the author with more info on using the camera. You won’t be disappointed.

Having recently followed David Thorpe on YouTube, I've come to the conclusion he has a real passion for photography and has a very good understanding of M43's camera's and lenses. I have recently purchased the Panasonic G80, my 1st M43. I found the owners manual very hard to comprehend as quickly as I wanted. Having flicked through the contents of this book, I have managed the gain an immediate sense that I'm going to understand and customise my new camera's settings for my style of photography with more confidence. I'm sure as I practice with the book and progress through it, it will prove well worth the investment.

Excellent. If you are new to photography or even if you are new to digital, this is an essential. You will learn and understand more about your G80 camera from this book than any general digital photography book or a year of buying digital camera magazines.Just think of it as the BETTER manual and then it becomes an essential part of your kit.

In printed form this guide is very good. However, it just does not lend itself to being on screen. I have purchased the printed version and it is a really useful guide to the GX80 camera.

Very useful addition to the supplied instruction manuals. This definitely is NOT a 'how to' book, but rather an explanation of the menu system. It puts the sometimes rather obscure menu into everyday English and elaborates on it just enough to be helpful.Would definitely recommend it.