Remember my "Brief Plea to Apple" from a few weeks ago?
I was asking for a timed "do not disturb" function on the iPhone, for turning my phone off before meetings. So I don't have to remember to turn it back on, which I seem to have a hard time with.
John Rothlisberger, who passed this along, said, "Your wish is Apple’s command. Behold!"
"Now you can set Do Not Disturb just for a meeting or while you're at a location, and it will automatically turn off as soon as your event ends or you leave that place." (Announced at the Apple Developer Conference.)
Perfect! And if anyone believes I could possibly have had anything at all to do with that...why, go right ahead. ;-)
(Although one of our readers who works at Apple did say he would submit the idea to the relevant team. Naw.)
Anyway, I'm happy.
Next Panasonic, then the World
And since I seem to be on a roll with suggestions, an open letter to Panasonic: please don't shut the door on the idea of a "GX8 Mark II" some day. Please please? It's a great basic design for photographers. v.1 just had a few implementation problems, is all. Those could be sorted out. I know you can do it. Refinement is good!
(I'm a big fan of Panasonic.)
To prove that I don't hate video reviews categorically, despite ragging on them the other day, here's a link to David Thorpe's video review of the GX8. He liked the GX8 a lot. I won't give away his conclusion. David T. (I don't know him) does a great job with his videos.
Mike
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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Peter Wright: "Generally upgrades to iOS get me as about enthusiastic as a damp weekend, but this (set-and-forget Do Not Disturb) will get use from me. I regularly set my iPhone to mute when heading out to mass on Sunday morning and then wonder, usually around Tuesday evening, why everyone is ignoring me."
John: "David Thorpe is my favorite YouTube camera reviewer. He always sounds well-reasoned and yet enthusiastic. Minimal gratuitous loud background music."
I am M43, because of David Thorpe
Posted by: Gerard Geradts | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 09:53 AM
I'm into "cheap" m43 cameras and the GX9 might well be my next camera (say if my Olympus E-PL7 dies).
I'll therefore be very interested in your opinion on the current (/future) Panasonic products.
Posted by: Winwalloe | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 09:55 AM
Agree on David Thorpe's videos. He is also a pretty engaging writer when wants to be: http://m43blog.dthorpe.net/2016/09/27/the-gentlemans-lens/
Posted by: Julien | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 10:09 AM
Mr. Thorpe: "Unfortunately, I hated my Leicas and hardly ever used them." Wow.
Posted by: Greg Heins | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 10:13 AM
I hope they're listening.
A GX8II should have the G9 sensor, processor, shutter, IBIS, Hi-Res mode, AF system, custom button layout, top LCD, and stacked program/shutter mode dial.
They can omit the exposure compensation wheel as that gets in the way of remotely setting it using the Lumix Link software.
They can keep the excellent tilting eyepiece of the GX8, and put a bit more of a grip on it to take the GH batteries and two SD slots.
I don't want much. I want everything!
Posted by: mike | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 10:35 AM
I like Thorpe's videos and writing. He actually makes you want to own what he talks about (kind of like that guy Mike Johnston). And the article on "The Gentlemans Lens" that Julien linked to is pretty darn funny. I even found myself wanting that lens.
Posted by: John Krumm | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 12:01 PM
I was really hoping for a GX8 Mark II myself, but the answer to my wishes appeared in the G-form factor and with a price tag unsuited to my means. (I'm referring to the G9.)
Honestly, though, a G80 with the 20MP sensor would do it for me. At the price I bought mine new I got a lot of camera for my money. The only box it failed to tick was the 20MP sensor that I really wanted. But no camera with that sensor ticked other vital boxes or fit my budget so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posted by: Kalli | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 02:42 PM
I'm not convinced you can see any real difference under normal shooting conditions between the G85 and the GX8. The difference between the G85 and the GX7 is considerable in low light however. I know because I have both cameras. The only thing the GX8 has that I miss in the G85 is the flippy EVF.
Posted by: Eric Rose | Tuesday, 05 June 2018 at 06:41 PM
Mike, you might need to switch from the iPhone soon...both the Huawei P20 and the Essential Phone feature dedicated black and white cameras; possibly the solution you've been seeking, viewing on a big clear screen, and shooting dedicated B&W!
Posted by: Josh | Wednesday, 06 June 2018 at 01:11 AM
The recent comments on diglloyd.com about how reluctant Panasonic are to facilitate repairs to their lenses really put me off the idea of ever buying into their system.
Posted by: Murray Lord | Wednesday, 06 June 2018 at 07:34 AM