Panasonic G series remote and live view.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:14 am

Following on from the discussion in this thread:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... c&start=30

g4lab wrote:
Downsides: pesky Panasonic don't have a simple remote release (but that only took me about 5 mins to reverse engineer and adapt to my stack controller),
Will you be sharing those details? Are they easy to implement?

Sure. Most remotes just require you to pull two signal lines to ground - first one focuses, second one shoots. The Panasonic has a 4 pole minijack but only actually uses two poles. Inside the remote is a resistor ladder - you need a specific set of resistances to convince the camera that a) the correct remote is connected b) you want to focus c) shoot. 36k, 3k and 2k if memory serves me well. The paranoid side of me thinks they chose those because they aren't commonly available ! Probably just forms part of a voltage divider inside the camera feeding into an A/D convertor on the CPU. Just need to find five minutes to draw up the circuit diagram then I'll post it, though I'm sure it is already out on the web somewhere

In fact (5secs later) here it is:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Panason ... r-Release/

The simplest way to get there is to buy an eBay cheapy and then adapt it. The 4-pole minijacks can be hard to find. My adaption is to use optoisolators to short out the resistors (remember there is a current path through the ladder and optoisolators are basically diodes so need to be connected the right way round). I then built the switching network into a mini enclosure with a stereo jack which plugs into my controller. I have a similar one for the Nikon interface so I have a modular system which lets my controller drive the Panasonic or Nikon cameras and I could easily adapt to any other camera:

Controller > stereo jack with 5V signals + ground > switching network > camera specific connection (eg 4pole panasonic or Nikon 10 pin). Here's how the Panasonic module looks. There are a couple of leds on the signal lines just so I can see the module is working.

the DMC has live view and an HDMI connection but does not relay the live view to HDMI, gnash

Does it send the live view out a regular video port?
Is the live view delayed?

Panasonic G cameras have instantaneous live view because they have no optical viewfinder - no mirror so physically smaller. Trouble is that they have decided to use the HDMI connection (no other video port) to just display during review. Or I'm missing something which wouldn't be the first time.

Edit: had a quick search /refrsh on the HDMI liveview and waddya know, Panasonic just released a new camera that can do that: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/pana ... ovie-mode/

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:00 pm

Thank you Andrew!
These things are starting to approach realistic pricing.
And how bout that 3d capability?! Very cool!

Doc.Al · Post by **Doc.Al** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:59 am

Hi,

Panasonic G cameras have instantaneous live view because they have no optical viewfinder - no mirror so physically smaller. Trouble is that they have decided to use the HDMI connection (no other video port) to just display during review. Or I'm missing something which wouldn't be the first time

Just thought I would mention this as I came across this thread.

I have a second hand G1 which will be used with my CH-2. It came with a mini HDMI to video RCA lead. I have used this to connect the G1 to a Sony TV and I get the live view on the screen.

I will try and find out if this is a standard part and let you know the product code.

Alex

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:02 am

Doc.Al wrote:Hi,

Panasonic G cameras have instantaneous live view because they have no optical viewfinder - no mirror so physically smaller. Trouble is that they have decided to use the HDMI connection (no other video port) to just display during review. Or I'm missing something which wouldn't be the first time
Just thought I would mention this as I came across this thread.

I have a second hand G1 which will be used with my CH-2. It came with a mini HDMI to video RCA lead. I have used this to connect the G1 to a Sony TV and I get the live view on the screen.

I will try and find out if this is a standard part and let you know the product code.

Alex

Interesting. The mini HDMI out cable is fairly standard but on my GF1 the HDMI out is only active when reviewing images. Panasonic made a big deal that the G2 had full time live view on the HDMI output (and needed a more powerful image processor to do that) so if the G1 does that it is good news as they can be picked up pretty cheap. I was actually thinking of getting one just for the tilt and flip monitor.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:33 am

Doc.Al wrote:Hi,

Panasonic G cameras have instantaneous live view because they have no optical viewfinder - no mirror so physically smaller. Trouble is that they have decided to use the HDMI connection (no other video port) to just display during review. Or I'm missing something which wouldn't be the first time
Just thought I would mention this as I came across this thread.

I have a second hand G1 which will be used with my CH-2. It came with a mini HDMI to video RCA lead. I have used this to connect the G1 to a Sony TV and I get the live view on the screen.

I will try and find out if this is a standard part and let you know the product code.

Alex

Hi, could you check that for me ? I borrowed a G1 and the HDMI output only seems active when reviewing images. if there is a way to get the liveview output to appear on the HDMI interface that would be really useful,

Andrew

Tesselator · Post by **Tesselator** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:59 pm

There's not.

The new GH2 is the first panasonic G-series model that allows you to monitor from the HDMI port. This is according to Panasonic and my experiences with the G1 and the GH1.

Even the custom firmware doesn't provide a solution or workaround for this limitation that I know of.

Bummer huh?!?!?

Panasonic =

Doc.Al · Post by **Doc.Al** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:40 am

Hi Andrew,

Sorry, I have checked and have made a mistake. The cable I have is not a mini HDMI to RCA. It is a small D plug (which I assumed was a mini HDMI) to RCA. It fits the socket next to the mini HDMI, which is marked Digital/V.Out. The cable came with the camera (bought second hand) and believe that it is part no: K1HA08CD0021 (see:http://www.bestbatt.com/Panasonic_K1HA0 ... anc2av.htm)
This does allow a live view on a TV with a simple RCA video in. I am assuming that this is not via a digital signal though.

Sorry for the confusion, but this does seem to work quite well with the camera hand held, but my microscope has been boxed up for a few months due to renovations on the house and I haven't had a chance to use it with the G1 and a TV.

Alex

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:23 pm

Doc.Al wrote:....
This does allow a live view on a TV with a simple RCA video in. I am assuming that this is not via a digital signal though.
...

Very curious, just checked on mine and this only gives an "image review" output. Same as the HDMI.

By "live view" I mean that while focussing / composing you get to see the image normally shown on the rear lcd shown instead on an external monitor. Is that what you mean ?

Andrew

Doc.Al · Post by **Doc.Al** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 1:00 pm

Hi Andrew,

As mentioned before, my microscope is in storage, but I have been trying my G1 out with my 40 inch Sony Bravia LCD TV (as well as an older Sharp Aquos). If I plug my G1 into the Bravia with the cable mentioned, I get a live view on the screen of the TV. That is to say, if I move the camera around, the image on the screen moves to match. The various icons normally seen around the edge of the actual viewfinder of the G1 are shown on the TV (there is a little croping on the TV image).

I have tried this with three different TVs and it works every time.

I will be getting my scope out of "storage" soon (although I have a newly acquired BH-2 that I want to try out) and so will report on using my G1 with my CH-2 soon.

Alex

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:23 am

Bizarre - I'll shall have to dig harder because it doesn't play that way for me

As it is working for you I want to find out why

Andrew

Tesselator · Post by **Tesselator** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:41 pm

Mine neither... nor does it jive with the manual or advertised specifications. I think Doc has a mutant G1.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 2:37 am

Tesselator wrote:Mine neither... nor does it jive with the manual or advertised specifications. I think Doc has a mutant G1.

Rats, I was hoping it was just a jellyware problem on my side

Doc.Al · Post by **Doc.Al** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:50 am

Mine neither... nor does it jive with the manual or advertised specifications. I think Doc has a mutant G1.

Ah! That would explain the strange green colour and the legs.

Andrew, Have you had any luck with the G1? Somehow I think we should be able to work out why it works with mine and not yours, unless of course Tesselator is right and there is something funny about my G1 (although I know it was a standard UK camera and not some odd japanese grey import).

Alex

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 2:52 am

Doc.Al wrote:
Mine neither... nor does it jive with the manual or advertised specifications. I think Doc has a mutant G1.
Ah! That would explain the strange green colour and the legs.

Andrew, Have you had any luck with the G1? Somehow I think we should be able to work out why it works with mine and not yours, unless of course Tesselator is right and there is something funny about my G1 (although I know it was a standard UK camera and not some odd japanese grey import).

Alex

I think yours is the odd one ! Think about it - to render real time on an HDMI output requires different processing than displaying a reduced resolution image real time on the lcd or EVV. Panasonic made a big deal about getting the real time HD output on the latest generation and implied it was because of hardware changes (or that's how I read it). But, it seems the fact remains that yours can do it and others can not. Grump

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:30 am

There seems to be some confusion developing here.

I understood Alex (Doc.Al) to say:

'The cable I have is not a mini HDMI to RCA. It is a small D plug (which I assumed was a mini HDMI) to RCA. It fits the socket next to the mini HDMI, which is marked Digital/V.Out. The cable came with the camera (bought second hand) and believe that it is part no: K1HA08CD0021 (see:http://www.bestbatt.com/Panasonic_K1HA0 ... anc2av.htm)
This does allow a live view on a TV with a simple RCA video in. I am assuming that this is not via a digital signal though'

This seems clear enough. The output signal that Alex is using is not a digital HDMI signal, but a lower resolution analogue video signal displayable on a TV with suitable analogue input sockets.