Lumix G7 User manual

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 1
Stills Photography with the Lumix G7
Modern digital cameras are marvellous pieces of technology that are capable of capturing wonderful
images. However, most are needlessly complex. We typically face four exposure modes, three metering
modes, at least three focus modes and several auto-focus modes. And that is before considering ISO
(sensitivity), white balance, exposure compensation, drive mode and a host of other settings!
Lumix G cameras are highly configurable, have a relatively user-friendly interface and most have a
number of programmable buttons and other controls. However, this adds yet another level of complexity.
It has taken me years of use to find effective ways of using and configuring Lumix G cameras. Having
done so, I find them a delight to use. Features and capabilities hidden in the menus and documentation
can be programmed onto buttons and the QUICK MENU (Q.MENU) and made directly accessible and
highly usable.
This manual attempts to distil this experience into a relatively short document. It is directed at stills
photographers who mainly use RAW format. It does not cover many JPEG-only features, intelligent auto
mode or taking video. Don’t let this put you off using intelligent auto mode: it does work well. Howev er,
the techniques in this manual let you make full use of your camera’s capabilities and are no harder, once
mastered.
Please refer to the official Panasonic manuals, which can be downloaded from Panasonic’s web site, for
the basic details of camera operation and for full details of features such as 4K PHOTO.
The manual is organised as follows:
•The first chapter gives an overview of the controls, so you can follow the rest of the manual.
•The second chapter covers taking photos, using recommended custom modes. The setup of the
custom modes in described in chapter 4.
•The third chapter summarises the technical capabilities of the camera. It provides details of additional
capabilities for you to refer to as needed.
•Chapter four summarises the functions and settings of the cameras and describes how to set up
(program) your camera. This should be the first thing you do.
I hope you enjoy using your camera.
1. Controls on the G7
This chapter provides a brief overview of the controls: see the photographs on page 2. Note the name or
function of each control. Some buttons have the function embossed on or by them. The functions
programmed on other buttons, which only have an icon or Fn number on them, are shown on the
photographs.
Insert a charged battery and memory card, following the instructions in the camera manual. Turn on your
camera using the ON / OFF switch. It’s obvious how to turn it off again.
Before proceeding further with this manual, please set up your camera as instructed in chapter 4, which
also describes the functions in the menu system. The setup makes the frequently-used features of your
camera readily accessible. The functions used most frequently are allocated to the dials, programmable
function buttons and screen function icons
1
. For example, the FOCUS AREA SET button lets you enable
use of the touch screen and cursor keys to position the AF (auto-focus) area. The use of the other buttons
and dials is discussed below.
The next most frequently-used functions are allocated to the Q.MENU, where they can be quickly
accessed. You have to access other functions through the full MENU system.
Use the dioptre adjustment, beside the viewfinder, to focus the viewfinder image.
1
The screen function icons are accessed (and hidden) by touching the small tabs to the right of the screen. They
are not available using the viewfinder.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 2
When using the viewfinder, use the buttons and dials to control most functionality, including using the
cursor keys tomove the AF area after pressing the FOCUS AREA SET button.When viewing the screen,
you can use either the buttons and dials or the touch screen.
Withthe LCD screen open, press the LVF buttonto toggle through the MONITOR SWITCH settings: LVF
on; LCD screen on; and automatic switching between the two
2
. When you turn the camera on it will use
the setting you were using when you last switched it off.
Press the DISP button to cycle through alternative displays on the screen or viewfinder (whichever is in
use): with info; no info; level and info; level and no info; control screen; and off. The last two only apply
to the screen. The control screen shows a number of function settings and allows you to change them.
The Mode dial lets you choose an exposure mode (Panasonic calls them ‘shooting’ modes, but I find this
confusing). The four exposure modes are Program (P) mode, Aperture priority (A) mode, Shutter speed
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If you leave MONITOR SWITCH on AUTO, so you could free up the Fn5 button for another use.
Q.MENU
LVF
Rear
dial
METERING MODE
DELETE / BACK
DISP
Cursor
keys
Playback
AF LOCK and
AF/MF switch
Dioptre
adjustment
FOCUS AREA
SET
AF MODE
Flash release
Mode dial
On / Off
switch
Shutter
button
Front
dial
Movie
button
Drive
mode dial
ONE
PUSH AE
AUTO BRACKET

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 3
priority (S) mode and Manual (M) mode. It also lets you access 4 custom modes (stored sets of camera
settings), an ‘intelligent auto’ mode, a movie mode and a number of scene and filter modes.
Switching between shooting and playback
•Press the playback button () to view photographs and videos you have taken, in playback mode.
•Half-press the shutter button, or press the playback button again, to return to shooting mode.
The Q.MENU
Other important functions for stills photography are programmed on the Q.MENU, I recommend
programming the functions shown in Table 1 on the Q.MENU, following the instructions in chapter 4,
section 3.
Each row in Table 1 appears on a separate page at the bottom of the Q.MENU. Scroll beyond the end of
the row to access the other page.
STABILIZER
AFS/AFF
ZEBRA PATTERN
QUALITY
ELECT. SHUTTER
BURST RATE
4K PHOTO
SELF-TIMER
FLASH MODE
FLASH ADJUST
Table 1: Setup of the Q.MENU
To change one of these function settings:
•Press the Q.MENU button.
•Select the function to change, using the front dial, left/right-cursor keys or touch screen.
•Change the setting for the function using the rear dial or touch screen. Alternatively, press the up-
cursor key to change the function setting with the left/right-cursor keys.
•Half-press the shutter button (or press SET, Q.MENU or BACK) to save the setting and exit.
Using the front dial, rear dial and shutter button means you don’t have to change your grip on the camera.
The MENU system
All functions (except for some with dedicated controls) can be accessed by pressing MENU. The menu
system has tabs for REC (still photographs), MOTION PICTURE, CUSTOM, SETUP and PLAYBACK.
•Use the front dial or touch screen to move between tabs.
•Press DISP to move to the next page on a tab.
•Use the rear dial, cursor keys or touch screen to move between functions on a tab.
•Press SET (or the right-cursor key) to edit a function.
•Change the function setting with the rear dial, cursor keys or touch screen.
•Press SET to accept an edit. Press BACK (or the left-cursor key) to leave the setting unchanged.
•Press BACK (or half-press the shutter button at any time) to exit the menu system.
Function icons on the screen
You can allocate functions to function icons on
the screen, which are accessed through the tabs
to the right of the screen.
I use Fn6 for the Wi-Fi function, which can’t be
put on the Q.MENU and I don’t want to allocate
to a physical button.
I use the other four function icons for WIRELESS
SETUP, HDR, HISTOGRAM and
MONOCHROME LIVE VIEW.
I’d have liked to be able to turn wireless flash on
and off from here.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 4
2. Taking stills photographs
Custom Modes
Those of you who have used my earlier manuals for Lumix G cameras will find that I’ve changed approach
in this manual. I used to base a custom mode on each useful combination of AF mode and
metering mode, and that worked well.
But for some time, I’ve allocated FOCUS AREA SET to a button
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and started using the fact that, whilst in
FACE DETECTION AF mode, pressing FOCUS AREA SET switches to 1-AREA AF mode. This avoids
the need for a separate custom mode for 1-AREA AF mode. For stationary subjects I now use only
FACE DETECTION AFmode. This automatically switches to 49-AREA AF mode if no faces are detected
and I get immediate access to 1-AREA AF mode simply by pressing the FOCUS AREA SET button. A
single custom mode supports all three AF modes.
This helps, as the G7 only supports 3 custom modes (the GX7 and G80 both support 4). I recommend
setting up two custom modes for stationary subjects, with C1using either P or A exposure mode,
according to your preference, and C2using M exposure mode, as shown in Table 2. I set up the third
custom mode, C3, for moving subjects.
Custom
mode
Description
Exposure
mode
Metering
mode
Quality
AF
mode
AF/MF
switch (2)
Drive
mode
dial
C1
Stationary
subjects
P
MULTI
RAW
FACE
(49-AREA
or
1-AREA)
AFS / MF
SINGLE
A
AFS /
MF (3)
C2
M
C3
Moving
subjects
S
SPOT
JPEG
Fine
1-AREA
AFC / MF
BURST
(1)
Table 2: Key settings for the three custom modes
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Note (1): If you need it, select BURST mode on the DRIVE MODE dial when switching to the C3custom mode.
Remember to switch back to SINGLE on leaving the custom mode.
Note (2): Set FOCUS MODE on the AF/MF switch.
Note (3): If you are using a fully manual lens (without electronic contacts) there is no need to set the AF/MF switch
to MF as the camera will operate in MF mode. SHOOT W/O LENS is set to ON for these two custom
modes.
I like to have program mode available because it is so good on Lumix cameras. On some other cameras
you have to lock the exposure before you can adjust the balance between aperture and shutter speed,
so I prefer aperture priority. But on Lumix G cameras you just turn the front dial to adjust the balance
between aperture and shutter speed.
I use program or aperture priority exposure mode when depth of field is key (such as for portrait
photography). If I use aperture priority, I set SHOOT W/O LENS to ON, so I can use fully manual lenses.
Finally, I use manual exposure mode for specific situations (such as stitching panoramas for
astrophotography, often with a fully manual lens) so I set up a second custom mode for that, also with
SHOOT W/O LENS set to ON.
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So that pressing FOCUS AREA SET enables the cursor keys (and touch screen) to move the AF area.
4
See Table 11 in chapter 4 for the full set of programmed settings for each custom mode.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 5
Stationary subjects using electronically-controlled lenses
The custom modes for stationary subjects work identically to each other when using electronically-
controlled lenses, except for how you control the exposure. All use FACE DETECTION AF mode, which
is very flexible as 49-AREA AF mode is used if no faces are detected and you can switch to 1-AREA AF
mode if you want to specify the location of your subject.
Proceed as follows:
1. Select the C1(P or A) or C2 (M) stationary subject custom mode
Also ensure that the MF/AF switch is set to AFS/AFF.
The C1 custom mode used either program or aperture priority exposure mode (as you have
programmed following chapter 4) with MULTI metering mode. Automatic exposure takes into account
where focus is taken. I use C1 (Program or Aperture priority mode) for opportunistic photography and
for portraits and when I am concerned about depth of field.
The C2custom mode uses Manual exposure mode with exposure being measured in the same
locations as for the automatic exposure modes. I use this custom mode when I want to maintain a
specific exposure, such as when taking a set of images to be stitched into a panorama in post.
2. Compose the image and consider focus
Even before you half-press the shutter button, any face detected in the scene will be outlined with a
frame. The face on which exposure will be taken will be outlined in yellow with a white cross over the
(nearest) eye on which focus will be taken. Other faces at the same distance will be outlined in white.
If there are no faces detected the camera will use 49-AREA AF mode.
If you want to specify where the camera should focus, press the FOCUS AREA SET button. The
camera will switch to 1-AREA AF mode and a yellow AF frame will appear. Move this over your
subject (using the cursor keys or touch screen) and adjust its size with the front and rear dials.
Half-press the shutter button or press SET to accept the position. The camera will remain in
1-AREA AF mode (even after you have taken a photograph) until you press the SET button again,
when it will revert to FACE DETECTION AF mode.
3. Half-press the shutter button to lock focus and exposure
•If a face is outlined in yellow the frame will turn green if focus has been achieved.
•If no face is detected, then 49-AREA AF mode will be used and green AF frames will indicate if
and where focus has been achieved.
•If you have switched to 1-AREA AF mode, the yellow AF frame will turn green if focus has been
achieved.
In each case, exposure will be taken in or around the area in focus.
4. Check (and adjust) the focus
If focus has not been achieved where you want it, then you can simply try again and, if you have not
done so already, press the FOCUS AREA SET button and tell the camera where to focus, as
described above.
If this fails, press and release the AF LOCK button and focus manually: see ‘Focusing, focus lock
and manual focusing’ on page 12.
5. Check (and adjust) the exposure
Adjust the exposure as necessary, as described in the section ‘Exposure modes‘ on page 9. Also see
the box ‘Exposure: depth of field, image sharpness and noise’ on page 6.
6. Fully-press the shutter button to take the photo
Review the photo - if you don’t want to keep it, press DELETE. Half-press the shutter button to return
to shooting mode.
The built-in flash or a hot-shoe mounted flash can be used, for a subject in range: see the section on
‘Flash photography’ on page 14.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 6
Stationary subjects using fully-manual lenses
Only the Aperture priority (if programmed on C1) and Manual (C2) custom modes can be used with fully
manual lenses (with no electronic contacts). The camera cannot control the lens aperture, so program
and shutter-speed priority exposure modes cannot work. The two custom modes work identically to each
other except that you control the exposure differently.They bothuse MULTImeteringmode around where
focus is taken. Obviously, you have to focus manually.
Proceed as follows:
1. Select the C1(if programmed for aperture priority) or C2custom mode
Thereis no needto set the AF/MF switch asthe camerawill operateas though MF hasbeen selected.
The two custom modes use aperture priority and manual exposure mode respectively.
2. Compose the image
Exposure: depth of field, image sharpness and noise
You should be asking the following questions as you take a photo:
•Do I want to influence the depth of field? Use a larger aperture (smaller f number) to obtain a
shallower depth of field, typically to blur the background in a portrait and make the subject stand
out. Use a smaller aperture (larger f number) for a larger depth of field.
Digital cameras operate with the aperture fully open (to makefocusing easier and to optimise the
display). As a result, you cannot see the final depth of field of the captured image in the display.
Simply take the photo and review it. If necessary, adjust the aperture and take the photograph
again. (The G80 provides a depth-of-field preview function, but just review the photo!)
•What aperture will give the sharpest image? Most lenses are not at their sharpest when at
their widest aperture, especially at the edgesof the frame. They are often sharpest when stopped
down a stop or two. However, too small an aperture will reduce sharpness, due to diffraction.
When sharpness really matters, refer to reviews of your lenses, or obtain MTF (Modulation
Transfer Function) charts, to find the aperture which gives the best sharpness for each lens.
For many tasks ultimate sharpness may not matter, and softer edges may even be an advantage.
For example, in portrait photography you often want a shallow depth of field and softer edgescan
enhance the effect of a blurred background. For other tasks, such as landscape photography,
you will want a sharp image and should probably avoid the widest apertures on your lens.
•Are any bright areas of the scene being over-exposed? This would result in the brightest
areas being recorded as fully white and you would lose detail in the bright areas of the scene. If
so, turn the rear dial to apply exposure compensation to darken the image somewhat. The
exposure histogram will help you judge this. As a rule, it is easier in post-processing an image to
retrieve detail from underexposed areas than from fully saturated areas of an image.
•Is my subject a dark one, against a bright background? In this case, you may wish to use
exposure compensation to brighten the image and reveal the detail in your subject. The
background may be over-exposed, but this may be acceptable or even desirable.
•Do I need to minimise noise in the image? If you are working in dim light, at small apertures
or at fast shutter speeds (or a combination of the three) the camera will increase the ISO of the
sensor (its sensitivity) to compensate; but this may result in noise in the image. To control noise,
you may want to set the ISO value by pressing the ISO button and adjusting the setting. You can
adjust the ISOLIMITfor AUTO ISO andiISO withthe front dial whilst in the ISOmenu. Of course,
a slower ISO will require a wider aperture and / or a slower shutter speed, possibly to the point
where your need a tripod or other support.
•Is there any movement in the scene and, if so, is my shutter speed fast enough to avoid motion
blur, or slow enough to create blur if it is wanted? See the section on ‘Moving subjects’ on page 8.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 7
3. Focus
Focus using the focus ring on the lens. Edges in focus will be highlighted in blue by focus peaking. If
necessary, press the AF MODE button to enlarge the centre of the image to assist focusing. You can
move the enlarged AF ASSIST area around with the cursor buttons (or touch screen) and change the
magnification using the front and rear dials.
4. Adjust and lock the exposure
Adjust the exposure as necessary, as described in the section ‘Exposure modes‘ on page 9. See the
box ‘Exposure: depth of field, image sharpness and noise’ on page 6.
Half-press the shutter button, which will lock the exposure.
5. Fully-press the shutter button to take the photo
Review the photo - if you don’t want to keep it, press DELETE. Half-press the shutter button to return
to shooting mode.
The built-in flash or a hot-shoemountedflash can be used, for a subjectin range. Using flash with manual
exposure is beyond the scope of this manual.
Taking panoramas
You can use one of two approaches to taking panoramas and ‘grids’ of images:
Using manual exposure and stitching in post
For the highest quality panoramas, I use MANUAL (C2)custom mode and set the exposure for the centre
of the area to be covered (pressing ONE PUSH AE locks the exposure automatically). I then capture a
number of overlapping images that can be stitched together in post (I use Lightroom). I find that this
approach gives very good results and produces a high-resolution output.
Using the in-camera Panorama Shot scene mode
Turn the mode dial to the panorama symbol ( ). Access the settings for the Panorama mode through
the PANORAMA SETTINGS sub menu on the REC menu or through the panorama tab that appears on
the right of the screen. You can set the direction to scan though both routes. For some reason, the
panorama sub menu (but not the tab) lets you apply an effects filter and the panorama tab (but not the
sub menu) lets you apply exposure compensation.
To take a panorama, aim the camera at one end of the scene, press and hold the shutter button, and
scan the scene slowly and steadily in the intended direction. If you are having problems, try moving to a
shorter focal length, slowing down your scan rate, and / or using a lens that focuses more quickly.
Astrophotography
Astrophotography requires you to use manual focus as you need to fix the lens focus at infinity. You will
also be using manual exposure, so this is a perfect situation in which to use a fully manual lens. Use a
lens with a wide maximum aperture, say f/2 to f/2.8. I find that the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 rectilinear lens fits
the bill for an ultra-wide prime lens, as well as being a good landscape and architectural lens.
•Mount the camera on a tripod.
•Select the MANUAL (C2) custom mode. If using an automatic lens then set the AF/MF switch to MF.
•Press ISO and turn the front dial to increase or remove the ISO LIMIT and switch off image
stabilisation. (I suggest that you overwrite the MANUAL custom mode with these settings for your
astrophotography session and change them back later for normal manual operation.)
•Set the widest aperture on the lens and focus on infinity.
•Take a series of photos, experimenting with the trade-off between shutter speed, ISO setting, image
brightness and noise. Start with an exposure of about 20 seconds.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 8
Moving subjects (custom mode C3)
A different approach is required to photograph moving subjects. This requires a fast shutter speed to
avoid motion blur (enabled by a wide aperture lens and/or higher ISO) and you (and your camera) need
the ability to track the motion of your subject. The wider aperture implies a shallower depth of field, which
can make focusing harder. You usually don’t have time to manually adjust focus or exposure whilst taking
the shot or burst of shots. You either have to set up focus in advance or rely on automatic focus, both of
which are supported in the following process:
1. Select the C3custom mode
This uses:
oShutter speed exposure mode.
o1-AREA AF
5
mode and SPOT metering, taking exposure in the AF frame.
oAF/AE LOCK is set to AF-ON and SHUTTER AF is set to OFF so that AF is only activated
whilst the AF/AE LOCK button is pressed (referred to as ‘back button AF’).
oImage stabilisation is set to OFF, as you usually want to freeze motion with a fast shutter speed
6
.
oISO LIMIT is set to OFF to allow faster shutter speeds, at the expense of more image noise.
oISO is set to AUTO. You may want to set it explicitly for the lighting conditions and subject.
oQUALITY is set to JPEG FINE resolution, to enable longer bursts of images to be captured.
2. Select AFC and BURST mode
Set the AF/MF switch to continuous auto-focus (AFC). If you want to use it, turn the drive mode dial
to BURST mode. Burst rate is set to M, leaving the display active to allow you to track your subject
7
.
3. Set the shutter speed using the front dial
The rule ofthumb, with noimage stabilisation, isthat your shutter speed should be atleast the inverse
of the (35mm sensor equivalent) focal length. For example, for a 300mm lens on a micro four thirds
camera (a 600mm equivalent focal length) you would aim for a shutter speed of 1/600 second or
faster. The camera will set the aperture and, if on AUTO, the ISO for correct exposure.
4. Position the AF frame
You might often leave the AF frame in the centre of the scene. To move it, press FOCUS AREA SET
and use the cursor keys or touch screen. Change its size with the front and rear dials. Half-press the
shutter button or press SET to accept.
5. Take a burst of photos with focus locked or tracking focus
Centre the subject (or something at the distance the subject will be at) in the AF frame and either:
•Lock focus: Press and release the AF-ON (AF/AE LOCK) button to lock the focus. Fully depress
and hold the shutter button to take a burst of photos with the focus locked at the set distance.
You will obtain a higher frame rate, as the camera is not continually checking for focus, and there
is no risk of the focus jumping to another object. Of course, your subject must remain at, or pass
through, the focused distance.
•Track focus: Press and hold the AF-ON (AF/AE LOCK) button to start focus tracking. Fully
depress and hold the shutter button to take a sequence of photos, keeping the subject in the AF
frame. The camera will (attempt to) continually adjust focus on the subject.
5
The G7 also has a TRACKING AF mode. I’ve not had a lot of success with it. Do try it!
6
If you are tracking a fast-moving object, try settingimage stabilisationto PANNING and use a somewhat slower
shutter speed. This will blur the background, giving a sense of speed.
7
You can use higher burst rates, but (the camera says) you lose live view.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 9
3. Summary of camera controls and capabilities
Exposure (Metering) Controls
Exposure modes
The exposure (PASM or ‘shooting’) modes on the Mode dial determine how the exposure is controlled.
Panasonic refers to them as ‘shooting’ modes, which I find confusing. Turn the Mode dial to select an
exposure mode:
•In program (P) exposure mode the camera selectsa combination of aperture and shutter speed. Turn
the front dial to adjust the balance between them: the aperture and shutter speed values will change
in the display and ayellowindicator will appear totheleftof the aperturevalue.Adjustingthe exposure
in this way is referred to as ‘Program Shift’.
Any Program Shift will be retained and applied to the next photograph. To cancel Program Shift,
press the ONE PUSH AE button and the yellow indicator will disappear.
•In aperture priority (A) exposure mode, set the aperture using the front dial. The camera will set the
shutter speed for correct exposure.
•In shutter-speed priority (S) exposure mode, set the shutter speed using the front dial. The camera
will set the aperture for correct exposure.
•In manual exposure (M) mode, set the aperture and shutter speed (and ISO setting) to obtain correct
exposure on the exposure indicator (in the location of the exposure compensation indicator) or the
larger exposure meter (which you can enable via the CUSTOM menu). Change the aperture with the
front dial and the shutter speed with the rear dial.
•One of the three Custom modes (C1, C2, and C3). See ‘Custom Modes’ on page 4.
•The Mode dial also has Intelligent Auto (iA), SCENE and CREATIVE exposure modes, which are not
covered in this manual.
ISO value
Press the ISO (cursor up) button and select AUTO ISO, intelligent ISO (iISO) or an ISO value. Intelligent
ISO increases the ISO setting when movement is detected in the scene. Adjust the ISO LIMIT for AUTO
ISO and iISO with the front dial whilst in the ISO menu. The ISO setting being used is displayed when
the shutter button is half depressed
8
.
In manual exposuremode,youcan either set an ISO value or selectAUTO ISO,in which case the camera
will set ISO (up to the ISO LIMIT
9
) to obtain correct exposure for the selected aperture and shutter speed.
The camera will produce images with the least noise if operated at as low an ISO as possible. A higher
ISO speed will allow a faster shutter speed (with less motion blur) or operation in lower light.
A lens with a wider maximum aperture will let you use a lower ISO speed, with less noise. Rather than
using high ISO settings, use a tripod or other means of supporting the camera if you can.
Metering modes
The metering modes specify where the camera measures the exposure. Access these via the
METERING MODE button:
Multi-metering: The camera sets the exposure, taking into account the variation in brightness over the
whole scene, the focus mode and where focus is obtained.
Centre-weighted metering: Takes an averaged meter reading, around the centre of the image.
Spot metering: Setsexposure at a point –a blue cross is shown at the point where exposure is metered.
The location of the exposure point depends on the focus mode in use.
8
Except in Intelligent ISO, when the ISO setting is selected dynamically.
9
Beware: If ISO LIMIT is set to OFF in manual exposure mode then Auto ISO will only use ISO values up to
3200!

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 10
Exposure compensation
If your intended subject appears to be over- or under-exposed look at the exposure histogram to see if
values are all to one side or the other. One option is to adjust the exposure compensation so that your
subject appears correctly exposed in the display and the histogram is more ‘balanced’.
Rotate the rear dial to adjust the exposure compensation, increasing or decreasing the light reaching the
sensor. Note that exposure compensation is not available in manual exposure mode.
Exposure lock
When using auto-metering and AFS focusing mode, the exposure is taken and locked when you half-
press the shutter button
10
. It is not locked using AFF and AFC focusing modes, except when using the
higher-speed burst modes.
Beware, as once the exposure is locked the brightness of the display will vary as you recompose the
image. The brightness of the display is continually set for the whole of the image. So don’t be confused:
the exposure really has been locked!
Exposure bracketing
You can take a series of photos with a range of exposures. Turn the DRIVE MODE dial to AUTO
BRACKET. Press the AUTO BRACKET button to select the number of shots to take, and the EV
separation to use, the sequence in which the exposures are taken.
White balance and colour
Our eyes adjust to what we see depending on the light source illuminating the scene. Film is terrible at
this but digital cameras are now pretty good at determining the light source.
Press the WB (cursor right) button and select the white balance setting you require. Leaveit onauto white
balance (AWB) unless it fails to cope with specific lighting. If necessary, specify the type of lighting or
program one of the four custom white balance options by:
•Selecting one of WHITE SET 1 to WHITE SET 4 and then pressing WHITE SET.
•Fill the frame in the display with something white (such as a test card or sheet of paper) and then
press SET.
You can also adjust the colour balance via the PHOTO STYLE menu entry. STANDARD should be fine
for most purposes. There is also a Custom photo style.
10
You could program the AF/AE LOCK button to function as AE LOCK and press it to lock exposure. You would
then half-press the shutter button to lock focus before recomposing the image and taking the photo. However,
I recommend using AF LOCK to lock the focus and the shutter button to lock the exposure.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 11
Focusing Controls
Focus modes
You specify when auto-focus is obtained using the AF/MF switch and the AFS/AFF setting on the
Q.MENU. The focus modes are:
AFS: (single) focuses when the shutter button is half-depressed. In AFS focus mode, the camera will
switch to manual focusing if you press AF LOCK (or turn the focus ring with the shutter button half
depressed), so you may never need to turn on manual focusing.
AFF: (flexible) focuses when the shutter button is half-depressed and refocuses if the subject then
moves, with no prediction. Higher power consumption than AFS.
AFC: (continuous) focuses continually whilst the shutter button is half-depressed. Predicts where a
moving object will be when the shutter opens. The highest power consumption focus mode.
There are also QUICK AF and EYE SENSOR AF functions, which enable focusing prior to the shutter
being pressed or when you put your eye to the viewfinder respectively. I leave these disabled.
Auto-Focus modes and specifying where to focus
Press the AF MODE (left-cursor) button to select which auto-focus (AF) mode to use:
FACE DETECTION: Detects faces in the scene. If no faces are present 49-AREA mode is used.
AF TRACKING: Allows you to specify a (potentially moving) object to track and then maintains focus on
it. Usually used with continuous auto focus (AFC). Centre the target in the centre of the screen on
the object to track and half press the shutter button. The target should turn green when the object
is accepted and you can release the shutter button. The target will turn yellow and track the object.
49-AREA: The camera chooses where to focus from among 49 areas across the scene.
CUSTOM: You can define which of the 49 areas will be used for focusing.
1-AREA: The camera focuses on a specific area, which is initially located at the centre of the scene, and
which you can move and resize.
PINPOINT: The camera focuses on a specific point, which is initially located at the centre of the scene,
and which you can move. When you half depress the shutter, an area around the focus point is
enlarged for a short period to allow you to check focus. Not available with AFC.
You can tell the AF system where to look for focus. Press FOCUS AREA SET and set the position (and
size when relevant) of the AF frame. For:
•FACE DETECTION AF mode: the camera will switch to 1-AREA AF mode. Move the area and use
the rear dial to change its size. See ‘Check (and adjust) the focus’ on page 5.
•AF TRACKING AF mode: select the object to track.
•49-AREA mode: select a region in the image.
•CUSTOM AF mode: select or define a pattern from the 49 AF areas.
•1-AREA AF mode: move the area and use the rear dial to change its size.
•PINPOINT AF mode: move the focus point.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 12
Focusing, focus lock and manual focusing
In AFF and AFCfocus modes, focus is only locked when you fully depress the shutter button. You cannot
adjust focus using the focus ring and AF LOCK has no effect.
In AFS focus mode, focus is locked when you half-press the shutter button
11
. You can adjust the focus,
using the focus ring on the lens, without switching to manual focus, in one of two ways:
1. Press and release the AF LOCK button
12
to take and lock focus. You can then turn the focus ring to
adjust focus without having to hold a button down. Exposure will subsequently be locked when you
half-press the shutter button, thereby separating where (and when) focus and exposure are locked.
2. Half-press the shutter buttonto lockfocus (and exposure) and keepit half pressed. You canthen use
the focus ring to adjust focus.
Edges that are in focus will be highlighted: a capability referred to as focus ‘peaking’. If necessary, enlarge
the focus area by pressing the AF MODE button. The enlarged area can be moved using the cursor keys
and its magnification varied using the rear dial. You could press BACK to close the enlarged area.
Turn the focus ring on the lens to bring your subject into sharp focus. An indicator will appear, showing
roughly at what distance you are focused (there is no distance scale).
Both of the above options use manual focus, without having to switch to MF focus mode explicitly. Of
course, you can always select MF on the MF/AF switch and manual focusing will operate in the same
way.
Where does auto-metering evaluate the exposure?
Where exposure is taken depends on the AF mode and the metering mode used, as shown in Table 3.
Note that the combinationsshaded in green in Table 3 explicitly link where focus and exposure are taken.
AF mode
Metering mode
Multi-metering
Centre-weighted
Spot metering
49-Area
Evaluative.
Average over the
scene, weighted
to the centre of
the frame.
At the centre of the AF region.
Face Detection
On detected face.
At the centre of the image.
Tracking
On tracked object.
At the centre of the image.
1-Area
Evaluative.
At the centre of the AF area.
Pinpoint
Evaluative.
At the AF point.
Manual
Evaluative.
At the centre of the MF Assist region.
Table 3: Where exposure is taken for each combination of AF and metering modes
In practice, I find FACE DETECTION AF mode with MULTI metering mode are an excellent combination
for stationary subjects, because it switches to 49-AREA AF mode if no faces are detected and pressing
FOCUS AREA SET switches to 1-AREA AF mode with a form of spot metering.
1-AREA AF mode and SPOT metering are a good combination for moving subjects.
11
Unless SHUTTER AF is OFF or you have already pressed AF LOCK to lock focus.
12
Programmed in the setup to function as AF LOCK. AF/AE LOCK HOLD is set to ON, so that you don’t have to
keep the AF/AE LOCK button depressed.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 13
Other controls and settings
JPEG / RAW formats and image resolution
Access QUALITY on the Q.MENU to specify whether to capture in RAW and / or JPEG formats and the
amount of compression to apply to JPEG files. For stationary subjects, I usually use RAW format and
post-process images on a computer, and thismanual is written from that perspective. However, capturing
in JPEG lets you applymanyin-camera processing options (or you might say that the processing requires
you to capture in JPEG). In addition, you may want to share photographs directly from your camera, in
which case JPEG files are smaller. You can choose to capture both RAW and JPEG at the same time.
The PICTURESIZE setting onthe RECmenu (JPEGonly) sets the resolution used.The ASPECT RATIO
setting on the REC menu controls the aspect ratio of your images. I always use the native aspect ratio
(4:3) and crop images in post.
Drive mode
Turn the DRIVE MODE dial and select one of:
SINGLE: Takes one photograph when the shutter is fully depressed.
BURST: Takes a series of photographs. Access BURST RATE via the Q.MENU. Choose from super-
high (SH), high (H), medium (M) or low (L). The last two continue to display the scene between
shots but the first two do not. Super high is only available using JPEG. I set the default burst rate
to M in the custom modes.
4K PHOTO:. Access 4K PHOTO via the REC menu and select 4K BURST, 4K BURST S/S or 4K PRE-
BURST. See the Panasonic manual for details. All produce 8M pixel JPEG images.
AUTO BRACKET: Access AUTO BRACKET via the Q.MENU. Select the number of shots and the EV
separation.
SELF TIMER: Set the timer delay on the SELF TIMER menu entry on the Q.MENU: 10 seconds (one
shot); 10 seconds (3 shots); or 2 seconds.
TIME LAPSE / ANIMATION: Turn the DRIVE MODE dial toTIME LAPSE/ ANIMATION andimmediately
press MENU twice or touch the icon on the screen. The TIME LAPSE / ANIMATION menu will be
displayed. Choose time lapse or stop motion animation. The menu entries are self-explanatory.
Image Stabilisation
The G7 does not have in-body image stabilisation (IBIS).
If a lens that has optical image stabilisation (OIS) is attached, then OIS can be set to NORMAL or
PANNING through the STABILIZER menu entry on the Q.MENU.
If a lens has an OIS switch then image stabilisation is turned on and off using the switch. If a lens does
not have an OIS switch then the STABILIZER menu entry on the Q.MENU will have an OFF option.
Electronic shutter
Select ELECTRONIC SHUTTER on the Q.MENU to control the electronic shutter. When you switch it ON
the mechanical shutter is disabled, eliminating shutter noise as well as any risk of shutter shock. You can
also set it to AUTO and the camera will use the electronic shutter if there is a risk of shutter shock.
The ‘electronic shutter’ exposes rows of the image sequentially. Each row is exposed for the same length
of time but not at thesametime. Asa result, images of moving objectscan bedistorted.On somecameras
the electronic shutter readout is faster than on others (leading to less distortion) but has fewer bits of
dynamic range. I believe that the G7 has a ‘’fast’ electronic shutter (taking about 1/25 second to scan the
image) and only provides 10-bit readout, compared to the 12-bit readout with the mechanical shutter, so
I use the mechanical shutter by default.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 14
Touch shutter
You can fire the shutter by touching your subject on the screen. To do so:
•Display the screen icon buttons, if not already visible, by touching the <tab.
•Enable TOUCH SHUTTER by touching the icon. The cross on the icon will disappear and the
icon will turn yellow.
•Compose the photograph and touch the position on the screen where you want to take focus and
exposure. The camera will take the photograph.
•When you don’t need the icon buttons, close the tab by touching >on the tab.
Previewing depth of field and motion blur
The simplest way to preview depth of field and motion blur on a digital camera is to take a photograph
and then look at the image in the viewfinder or on the screen. You can even zoom in to check.
If necessary, you can then change the aperture and/or shutter speed and try again. I use this approach.
Alternatively, you could program a function button or screen icon to act as a PREVIEW button, which lets
you see the effects of aperture and shutter speed on depth of field and motion blur before taking a
photograph. This used to be useful on a film camera, as otherwise you could only see the depth of field
when the prints came back. But at small apertures, with the aperture stopped down, the viewfinder
became dark and it was hard to see the depth of field. My advice it not to waste a button on PREVIEW!
Flash photography
The built-in flash can be raised and switched on using the release button. Alternatively, attach an external
flash to the hot shoe. The settings for the flash are shown in Table 9 in chapter 4. I recommend setting
FIRING MODE to TTL
13
(through the lens) and enabling AUTO EXPOSURE COMPENSATION. The
camera will control the flash output to (try to) obtain the correct exposure. The remaining settings for
using the flash are:
•FLASH MODE (via the Q. MENU): NORMAL or SYNCHRO. The latter uses a long exposure to
expose a dark background and the flash to illuminate a foreground object. You may need OIS or a
tripod.
•FLASH SYNCHRO: 1st or2nd curtain.That is, at thestartof the exposure orat theend of the exposure.
A classic use of 2nd curtain is to use a long exposure to capture the trails of moving lights and then
for the flash to fire to freeze moving objects (such as cars) at the end of the exposure.
•FLASH ADJUST (via the Q. MENU): This allows you to over- or under-expose the flash by up to
3 EV.
Wireless flash
Note that, unfortunately, ‘wireless’ flash on the G7 uses infra-red communications rather than radio
frequency communications. The remote flash therefore needs to be able to ‘see’ the camera’s flash, either
directly or by the camera’s flash being reflected to the remote flash.
Using a wireless flash or group of flashes is similar to using the internal flash, but more complex to set
up. Select FLASH on the REC menu and then, in the sub-menu, set WIRELESS FLASH to ON. This will
disable some options the built-in flash and enable some wireless options. See the Panasonic G7 manual
and your flash gun manual for more details.
13
If you set FIRING MODE to MANUAL you have to vary the flash output using MANUAL FLASH ADJUST and
experiment to get the correct exposure.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 15
4. Configuring your camera
1. Configure the Menu Settings
Set the mode dial to P exposure mode. Press MENU and open each of the following menus in turn.
Configure each setting, using the suggested default (you can change settings later). Settings on the
SETUP menu rarely need changing. Those on the CUSTOM menu are accessed more and those on the
REC menu are accessed most frequently. Settings are shaded as follows:
Dedicated buttons, dials, Fn buttons or Fn icons.
Q.MENU (see below).
Needed –access via full MENU.
Rarely changed after setup.
The SETUP Menu
Options
Comments / instructions
CLOCK SET
Set the time, data and format.
WORLD TIME
Set home and destination time zones.
TRAVEL DATE
TRAVEL SETUP:
LOCATION:
Off, or departure and return dates.
Off, or location in text.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi settings.
LIVE VIEW MODE
30 / 60 fps
Frame rate of display.
BEEP
OFF and levels
Volume of the beep and electronic shutter sound.
MONITOR / VIEWFINDER
Adjusts brightness / colour of the display in use.
MONITOR LUMINANCE
A/ 1 / 2 / 3
Auto adjust / bright / standard / dark.
ECONOMY (1): SLEEP MODE:
AUTO LCD OFF:
OFF, 1, 2, 5, 10min.
OFF, 15, 30sec
Half press shutter button to wake.
If not OFF then SLEEP MODE is set to 2 min.
USB MODE
PC / Pictbridge / choose
Connect USB to PC or printer.
TV CONNECTION
NTSC / PAL, 16:9 / 4:3 aspect ratio, AUTO HDMI
VIERA Link: OFF/ON
Panasonic’s HDMI CEC implementation.
3D/2D
Play 3D images in 3D or 2D.
MENU RESUME
OFF / ON
Opens each menu at last-used item.
MENU BACKGROUND
Set background colour for menus.
MENU INFORMATION
OFF / ON
Short help displayed.
LANGUAGE
Choose language.
VERSION DISP.
Displays firmware version of camera and lens.
EXPOSURE COMP. RESET
OFF / ON
Resets EC on mode change and power off.
NO. RESET
Resets file no. to 1 and increments folder no.
RESET
Resets REC/SETUP/CUSTOM menu settings.
RESET Wi-Fi SETTINGS
PIXEL REFRESH
See the Panasonic manual.
SENSOR CLEANING
See the Panasonic manual.
FORMAT
Formats the memory card, deleting all contents.
Table 4: The SETUP menu –recommended settings in BOLD
Note (1): The ECONOMY function allows you to set the camera to switch off the display and/or enter standby after
a period. It can greatly extend battery life. Press any button to switch on the display again. To return from
standby half press the shutter button.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 16
The CUSTOM Menu
Options
Comments / instructions
CUST. SET MEM
Stores current setting to one of the custom modes.
SILENT MODE
OFF / ON
Disables all sounds and light output.
AF/AE LOCK
AE/AF/AF+AE/AF-ON
AF/AE LOCK locks exposure, focus, both or engages AF.
AF/AE LOCK HOLD
OFF / ON
Off: Lock only held whilst AF LOCK pressed.
On: Pressing AF/AE LOCK engages / disengages lock.
SHUTTER AF
OFF / ON
On: Pressing shutter button halfway locks focus.
HALF PRESS RELEASE
OFF / ON
Shutter fires when button pressed halfway.
QUICK AF
OFF / ON
Focus continually at all times (before shutter pressed).
EYE SENSOR AF
OFF / ON
Focus continually when eye sensor activated.
PINPOINT AF TIME
SHORT / MID / LONG
Time enlarged when in pinpoint AF mode.
PINPOINT AF DISPLAY
PIP / FULL
Window or full AF assist screen in pinpoint AF mode.
AF ASSIST LAMP
OFF / ON
On: Lamp assists AF in low light conditions.
DIRECT FOCUS AREA
OFF / ON
Cursor buttons move (and rear dial adjusts size of) the AF area.
FOCUS/RELEASE PRIORITY
FOCUS/RELEASE
Picture taken once in focus / even if not in focus.
AF+MF
OFF / ON
On: Allows manual focus after AF (AFS mode only).
MF ASSIST
OFF / AF button /
focus ring / either
Enlarges part of image when AF mode button pressed, focus ring
turned, or either.
MF ASSIST DISPLAY
FULL / PIP
Full screen or window MF assist.
MF GUIDE
OFF / ON
Enables a guide bar showing relative zoom.
PEAKING
OFF / ON
In focus regions highlighted during MF.
HISTOGRAM
OFF / ON
Display of the histogram. Position it after turning on.
GUIDE LINE
OFF / grid choice
Sets the pattern of guide lines displayed when shooting.
CENTER MARKER
OFF / ON
Displays a cross in the centre of the screen.
HIGHLIGHT
OFF / ON
Clipped areas blink during review and playback.
ZEBRA PATTERN
Zebra pattern shows overexposed areas. (On Q.MENU)
MONOCHROME LV
OFF / ON
Black and white monitor display.
CONSTANT PREVIEW
OFF / ON
Shows effect of aperture / exposure (in manual exposure mode).
EXPO.METER
OFF / ON
Displays the large exposure meter –underexposed in red.
LVF DISP.STYLE
Border on/off
Select no black border and a row of dots at the top and bottom.
MONITOR DISP.STYLE
MONITOR INFO. DISP
OFF / ON
Adds an info screen to those toggled by the DISP button.
REC AREA
Still / Video
Crops display to 4:3 for still and 16:9 for video.
REMAINING DISP.
Shots / Time
Which to display as remaining on memory card.
AUTO REVIEW
Off / time / HOLD
Time that picture is displayed for review.
Fn BUTTON SET
Assign functions to Fn buttons.
Q.MENU
PRESET / CUSTOM
Enables customisation of Q.MENU.
DIAL SET
Sub-menu
See Table 6.
VIDEO BUTTON
OFF / ON
Enables video button. Use movie mode & shutter button.
POWER ZOOM LENS
See Panasonic manual on power zoom lenses.
EYE SENSOR
LOW/HIGH, Man/Auto
TOUCH SETTINGS
Sub-menu
See Table 7.
TOUCH SCROLL
H / L
High or Low speed scroll in playback.
MENU GUIDE
OFF / ON
Selection screen on switch to SCN/CUSTOM modes.
SHOOT W/O LENS
OFF / ON
Switch on with lenses / lens adaptors that have no contacts.
Table 5: The CUSTOM menu –recommended settings in BOLD

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 17
Options
Comments / instructions
ASSIGN DIAL
Front F / Rear SS
Set front dial to F and rear dial to SS. (Manual exposure mode.)
ROTATION
Direction
Change if you don’t like the standard direction.
EXPOSURE COMP.
Rear dial.
F or SS on front dial in P, A and S exposure modes.
DIAL OP SWITCH SETUP
Not used, as DIAL OP not allocated to a button.
Table 6: The Dial Set sub-menu –recommended settings in BOLD
Options
Comments / instructions
TOUCH SCREEN
OFF / ON
Enables or disables the touch screen.
TOUCH TAB
OFF / ON
Enables or disables to tabs to the right of the touch screen.
TOUCH AF
OFF / AF+AE / AF
AF point or AF and AE points can be set by touching the screen.
TOUCH PAD AF
OFF / OFFSET / EXACT
Enables touch on screen to move AF point whilst using the viewfinder.
Table 7: The Touch Settings sub-menu –recommended settings in BOLD
The REC (still photography) menu
Options
Comments / instructions
PHOTO STYLE (2)
STANDARD, VIVID …
Six plus custom to choose from. Use STD and post process.
FILTER SETTINGS
Settings for image effects (filters).
ASPECT RATIO (1)
4:3, 3:2,16:9, 1:1
Set to 4:3 and post process.
PICTURE SIZE (1)
L, M, S 4:3:
L: 4592x3448, M: 3232x2424, S: 2272x1704 pixels. (JPEG only)
QUALITY
FINE, STD, RAW
FINE and STD are JPEG. Can save both JPEG and RAW.
AFS / AFF
AFS / AFF
Standard or fast AF mode.
METERING MODE (2)
Multiple / Centre-w / Spot:
See Metering modes on page 9.
BURST RATE
SH / H / M/ L
SH uses JPEG S picture size. M and L refresh the display.
4K PHOTO
See Drive Mode dial description.
AUTO BRACKET
SETTINGS/STEP/SEQ.
Bracket or not / how many shots –EV step / order of exposures.
SELF-TIMER
10s, 10s x3, 2sec
10s x3 takes 3 shots after a 10 second delay.
TIME LAPSE / ANIM.
Sub menu
Program time-lapse photography and stop motion animation.
HIGHLIGHT SHADOW
Allows adjustment of highlights and shadows
I.DYNAMIC (2)
OFF/LOW/STD/HIGH
Adjusts to cope with extreme high / lowlights in the image.
I.RESOLUTION
OFF/LOW/STD/HIGH/EXT.
Varies JPEG compression and sharpening depending on the image.
iHANDHELD NIGHT SHOT
Night scenes composed from a burst of photos. JPEG only.
IHDR
Enable and control automated HDR (iA mode?)
HDR
Sub menu
Enable and control HDR. (JPEG only)
MULTI EXP.
Sub menu
Enables multiple exposures onto one image.
PANORAMA SETTINGS
Sub menu
Only active in Panorama mode –can access settings from tab.
ELECTRONIC SHUTTER
OFF / ON / AUTO
On: Disables the mechanical shutter.
SHUTTER DELAY
0, 1, 2, 4, 8 sec
Delay shutter firing after shutter button pressed.
FLASH
Sub menu
See Table 9.
RED-EYE REMOVAL
OFF / ON
Removes red eye in camera. I do this in post.
ISO LIMIT SET
OFF or value (3200)
Upper ISO limit in ISO AUTO and iISO. (access via ISO button).
ISO INCREMENTS
1/3 EV / 1 EV
User can select ISO in 1/3EV or 1EV steps.
EXTENDED ISO
OFF / ON
Extends ISO up to 25600.
LONG SHTR NR
OFF / ON
Applies more noise reduction at slow shutter speeds.
SHADING COMP.
OFF / ON
Corrects lens vignetting (shading in corners).
DIFFRACTION COMP.
OFF / AUTO
Attempts to correct for diffraction at small apertures.
EX. TELE CONV.
OFF / ZOOM / TELE CONV
Crops pixels from centre of image. (JPEG only)
DIGITAL ZOOM (2)
OFF / 2x / 4x
Uses central pixels and interpolates to upscale. Use ETC.
COLOR SPACE
sRGB / AdobeRGB
Smaller / larger colour space.
STABILIZER
(OFF /) ON / PANNING
PANNING only compensates for vertical movement.
FACE REC. / PROFILE
Neither are covered in this manual.
Table 8: The REC menu –recommended defaults in BOLD

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 18
Note (1): On the Q.MENU, ASPECT RATIO and PICTURE SIZE are combined in PICTURE SETTING.
Note (2): PHOTO STYLE, FOCUS MODE, METERING MODE, I.DYNAMIC and DIGITAL ZOOM are common to
the REC and MOTION PICTURE menus. Changes can be made on either menu.
Options
Comments / instructions
FIRING MODE
TTL / MANUAL
Through the lens metered or manual control (only if wireless off).
FLASH MODE
NORMAL / SYNCHRO /
OFF
Synchro uses a long exposure for any background. Both with and
without red eye reduction. Just close the flash for OFF!
FLASH SYNCHRO
1ST / 2ND CURTAIN
Flash fires at start or end of exposure (only if wireless off).
FLASH ADJUST
-3EV to +3EV
Additional adjustment of flash (only in TTL mode and if wireless off).
AUTO EXPOSURE COMP
OFF / ON
On: flash output linked to exposure compensation.
MANUAL FLASH ADJUST
Fractions of output
Sets flash output to fraction of full output (only in flash manual mode).
WIRELESS
OFF / ON
Disables / enables wireless IR flash control.
WIRELESS CHANNEL
1CH, 2HC, 3CH or 4CH
Set camera and flash to same channel (only if wireless on).
WIRELESS FP
OFF / ON
Disables / enables using FP flash on gun (only if wireless on).
COMMUNICATION LIGHT
LOW/STANDARD/HIGH
Set output power of IR communication light (only if wireless on).
WIRELESS SETUP (1)
Sub menu
Sets operation of flash and wireless flash groups (only if wireless on).
Table 9: The Flash sub-menu –recommended settings in BOLD
Note (1): WIRELESSSETUP allows you to set FIRING MODEand FLASH ADJUST (or MANUALFLASH ADJUST)
for the built-in flash and for each of three wireless groups (A, B and C). See your flash gun manual for
more details.
2. Configure the Function Buttons
The G7 has seven fixed function buttons (video, AF/AE LOCK, PLAYBACK, DISP, ISO, AF MODE and
WHITE BALANCE), an AF/MF switch, six programmable function buttons, three fixed screen function
icons and five programmable screen function icons. To program a function button or function icon:
•Choose FN BUTTON SET from the CUSTOM menu and then ‘Setting in REC mode’. (or press Fn on
the ‘control screen’).
•Select the function button or function icon you wish to program via the touch screen, or by using the
cursor keys and pressing SET.
•Choose the function you wish to allocate to the buttonor icon and press SET.
Program the function buttons and icons as follows:
Button, icon or menu
Function
Comment
Fixed on AE/AF LOCK button
AF LOCK
AF ON for moving subjects –mode C3
Fn1 button.
ONE PUSH AE
Fn2 button (marked Q.MENU)
Q.MENU
Fn3 button (cursor down button)
FOCUS AREA SET
Screen and cursor keys move AF area.
Fn4 button (lower left)
METERING MODE
Fn5 button (marked LVF)
EVF / LCD toggle
Fn6 screen icon
Wi-Fi
Fn7 screen icon
WIRELESS SETUP
Fn8 screen icon
HDR
Fn9 screen icon
HISTOGRAM
Fn10 screen icon
MONOCHROME LIVE VIEW
Fn11 button (centre of rear dial)
AUTO BRACKET
Fixed screen icon 1
TOUCH SHUTTER
Cannot be changed.
Fixed screen icon 2
TOUCH AE
Fixed screen icon 3
PEAKING
Table 10: Setup for function buttons and icons
Set the AF/AE LOCK button to AF LOCK for custom modes C1and C2and to AF ON for custom mode
C3(see below and the section on custom modes).

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 19
Note that you can quickly change the functions allocated to a button (but not an icon) by pressing and
holding the button until the ‘Button Set’ screen appears and then selecting a function.
3. Configure the Q.MENU
I recommend mapping the functions shown in Table 1 to the Q.MENU:
•Ensure that Q.MENU on the REC menu is set to CUSTOM, so you can program the Q.MENU.
•Press the Q.MENU button to display the quick menu.
•Press the down cursor button or touch the EDIT Q icon at the lower left of the display.
•Accept the instructions, if they are displayed, by pressing SET/MENU or half pressing the shutter.
•Drag functionsfrom those available in the top panel to where you want them in the bottom panel. The
top panel has four pages of available functions. The bottom panel has the same three pages as the
Q.MENU. If you drop a function over one already present on the bottom panel then the existing one
will be moved back to the top panel.
•Drag any function you want to deletefrom theQ.MENUfrom thebottom panel and dropit in anywhere
on the top panel.
•Press EXIT or half press the shutter button to complete programming the Q.MENU.
4. Configure the CUSTOM modes
Any changes you make to the function settings for the PASM and iA exposure modes are retained as you
switch between these modes and when you turn the camera off. This has the advantage that you don’t
lose any changes you make. However, it can be hard to remember where you left the settings and you
may have a lot of changes to make for a new situation.
You can store 3 sets of function settings away as custom modes. Changes you make to the function
settings of a custom mode are NOT retained as you switch between modes or switch power off. When
you return to a custom mode the settings will be as you last saved them for that mode.
Note that you cannot, for example, start from a custom mode using aperture priority (A) exposure mode
and change to shutter priority (S) exposure mode. It is therefore worth programming a custom mode for
each of the exposure modes that you use regularly. As the G7 only supports 3 custom modes, I suggest
that you allocate either program (P) or aperture priority (A) exposure mode to custom mode C1; manual
(M) exposure mode to C2; and shutter-speed priority (S) exposure mode to C3, as in Table 11.
Custom mode:
C1(P or A mode)
C2
C3
Mode name:
PROGRAM
APERTURE
MANUAL
MOVING
SUBJECT
EXPOSURE MODE
P
A
M
S
METERING MODE
MULTI
SPOT
ISO
AUTO
AUTO
ISO LIMIT SET
3200
OFF
QUALITY
RAW
JPEG FINE
FOCUS MODE (2)
AFS
AFC
AF MODE
FACE DETECTION (1)
1-AREA
AF/AE LOCK BUTTON
AF LOCK
AF-ON
AF/AE LOCK HOLD
ON
OFF
SHUTTER AF
ON
OFF
DRIVE MODE (3)
SINGLE
BURST
STABILIZER
ON
OFF
SHOOT W/O LENS
OFF
ON
ON
OFF
Table 11: Custom mode settings
Note (1): FACE DETECTION AF mode reverts to 49-AREA mode if a face is not detected. Press FOCUS AREA
SELECT to enter 1-AREA AF mode.
Note (2): Set on the AF/MF switch. Note (3): Set on the DRIVE MODE dial.

Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 20
Table 11 shows the settings that I recommend for the custom modes. Program them onto the custom
modes, as follows:
•Set the mode dial to P (or A) exposure mode and make sure that you have set each function to the
defaults described in ‘Configure the menu settings’. Also check that you have configured the function
buttons and Q.MENU as described above.
•Work through the columns in Table 11 one at a time. For each custom mode, set the mode dial to P,
A, M or S and set each function as shown in the table. Store the setup to the chosen custom mode,
using the CUST SET MEM entry on the CUSTOM menu.
Note that the APERTURE and MANUAL custom modes have SHOOT W/O LENS set to ON so that they
can be used with a fully manual lens. They will work perfectly well with automatic lenses. If you don’t have
any fully manual lenses you can leave SHOOT W/O LENS set to OFF.
Appendix 1: TRACKING AF mode
In TRACKING AF mode, the camera attempts to track a selected moving object and maintain focus on it.
I’ve had more success with the approach described above and this section is included for completeness.
It is not programmed to a custom mode.
TRACKING AF mode should be used in conjunction with MULTI-METERING. Focus and exposure will
then be taken on the subject as it moves.
1. Set the magnification with the zoom ring if using a zoom lens.
2. Either:
•Position the AF tracking frame over the object to be tracked and half press the shutter button to
lock onto it. The AF frame will turn green when the camera has locked on.
•Or touch the object to track on the screen. A yellow AF frame will appear when the camera has
locked on.
For both cases: if lock fails the AF area will flash red; the AF area will remain yellow while the subject
is being tracked; and you can cancel the tracking lock by touching OFF on thescreen or pressing the
SET button.
3. Half press the shutter button. A green frame will be shown where focusing has been achieved and
the frame will track the moving object.
4. Fully press the shutter button totakea burst of photographs with the subject beingtracked tomaintain
focus and exposure.
Appendix 2: Accessing shutter count
1. Insert a fully charged battery and insert a SD memory card.
2. Confirm that the camera is not intelligent auto mode [iA] or intelligent auto plus mode [iA+]. If the unit
is in intelligent automode [iA] orintelligent auto plusmode [iA+], it does not display the initial settings
menu.
3. Select AFS focus mode (not sure this is necessary).
4. Turn the power off.
5. Press the [AF/AE LOCK], [DISP] and [RIGHT CURSOR] buttons simultaneously and turn the power
on. You can check you are in service mode by going to Menu - Setup –if so, page 6 will have a
"ROM BACKUP" option.
6. Press the [AF/AE LOCK], [MENU/SET] and [LEFT CURSOR] buttons simultaneously once. Error
codes will start to scroll down the screen.
7. Press the [AF/AE LOCK], [MENU/SET] and [LEFT CURSOR] buttons simultaneously again. An
information page will appear.
8. Then press [DISPLAY] repeatedly to toggle between two information pages. One shows the shutter
count and the camera number, etc.
9. Press the ([AF/AE LOCK], [MENU/SET]and [LEFT CURSOR]) buttonssimultaneously again to return
to the normal display and turn off the camera.