Frequently Asked Questions

Possible cause: The 'Power Save' function has been set. When in power save mode the display is completely turned off unless a timer recording has been set

Remedy: Switch off the 'Power Save' function from the set-up Menu.

If you have erased files in error do not use the card as you may be able to retrieve these photos. Panasonic don't specialise in retrieving erased or lost data, neither do we, regrettably, have a specific company name to provide. 

To do this please try the following:

1. Set the mode dial to P and ensure your camera is not in iA mode
2. Press the menu/set button
3. Select the setup option
4. Scroll through the setup listings until you get to 'reset'
5. Select the reset option to reset your camera.

The supplied software is not Mac compatible.

Connect the camera to the Mac via USB, selecting PC on the cameras connection options. The camera will install using drivers built into the Mac and appear on the desktop.

iPhoto should start up automatically when the camera is connected to the Mac, and give you the option to import your Photos and Motion JPEG Video. We recommend using OSX 10.4 onwards and iPhoto 08 onwards.

To download your AVCHD video should that option be available on your camera you will need to use the iMovie 09 package from Apple. iMovie will not automatically open. You will need to open iMovie and then click on the Import button on the left hand side of the software.

Please note that iMovie 08 will detect the AVCHD videos on the camera but may crash when importing. There is advice on the Apple website regarding this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3481

For further help using the Mac applications please refer to the Apple website, contact Mac by phone or visit your nearest Mac store.

You are not able to delete using the PC. The cameras USB connection is read only. To delete Photos disconnect from the PC and use the delete all or format Option (Format being the quicker and easier). Another option is to use a third party SDHC USB card reader/writer.

The same procedure would also apply for copying & pasting photos to your computer.

If the camera is in manual focus mode and the focus ring is moved then the LCD image will change to a zoomed area of the centre of the image. This function is called manual focus assist and is only to enable correct focussing of the image. When the shutter is pressed the LCD will show the whole of the image to be taken.

The software operates on a system of registered folders. When the software is installed it indexes the images that are held in the default registered folders - My Documents and Desktop. Any images that are in JPEG format and are in these folders will show in the right hand window of the software. Please note that the software does not create a duplicate of the image and is operating as a gallery of the images that it has indexed.

To alter the registered folders, within the PHOTOfun STUDIO software, select Tools->Settings->Registration folder. The registered folders can now be altered. To stop a folder being registered you can delete it. This does not delete the images but just removes the folder from the registered folders list. If you wish to only have photographs from the camera showing in the software you can then create a new folder specifically for the images and upload them to this folder.

You can not register a folder which is already contained within a registered folder. For example if the My Pictures folder is registered and has a folder called 'Holiday' in it you can not register the 'Holiday' folder as it is already contained within the registered My Pictures folder.

If the distance to the subject is close when taking a picture using a flash, part of the recorded image becomes dark because the light of flash is blocked by the lens or it becomes out of flash range. Check the distance to the subject when taking a picture. Distance to the subject where the light of the flash is blocked depends on the lens being used.

Using a lens hood or a longer lens will add to this. The only advice we can offer is to remove the lens hood. It is not a fault with the camera.

Firstly ensure the .BIN file is on the Root directory of the card. Also note that the camera will not update unless the battery is fully charged (Showing 3 bars of battery).
Downloading to a PC.

AVCHD which is found on HD camcorders and the Lumix GH1 have the capability of filming in full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution.
AVCHD Lite records at 1280 x 720 resolution.

This is a limitation brought about by the fact that it is a digital stills camera and not a camcorder.

Possible cause: The flash may be closed or disabled.
Remedy: Ensure that the flash is open (for fold away flash models) and ensure that the flash has been activated (set to auto).

Possible cause: This can occur when taking moving images in a brightly lit situation and is a characteristic of CCD sensors and not a malfunction. This phenomenon does not occur when taking still images.
Remedy: Avoid shooting moving images into the direction of bright sources of light such as sunshine coming through the window.

Possible cause: There is not enough free space on the SD card to take 3 pictures.
Remedy: Delete some of the existing pictures from the SD card to free up some more space or use another SD card.

Possible cause: The LCD brightness is adjustable.

Remedy: Adjust the LCD to the required setting. On very bright sunny days it may not be possible to adjust the LCD brightness high enough to see the image. In this case use your hand to create some shade over the LCD Screen.

Possible cause: Check that the mode dial is correctly set to take photographs.
Remedy: Ensure that the mode dial has not been set to playback mode or to the printer mode.

Possible cause: There may not be enough memory left on the SD card.
Remedy: Delete some of the existing photographs from the SD card to make space for new ones or replace the SD Card.

Many of our cameras have a Clipboard feature. This is for taking pictures of something that you want to refer to later, for example: a train timetable, a map, a phone number etc. This can be recalled even if the card is taken out of the camera because it is stored in the cameras built in memory.

For this reason if the camera is in Clipboard mode, it will always display "Pictures will be recorded to the Internal memory". Switch to another mode to use the SD card.

Possible cause: The image or file name may have been changed when the SD card is played on a PC. Sometimes the PC may have rotated the image for best viewing on the PC screen and save the image when exiting the file.
Remedy: The camera may not replay images that have been taken on other devices or have been edited or renamed by other devices. In order to preserve the original files in tact, copy the image files from the SD card to the PC or other device and view the copy of the image file, leave the original on the SD card.

Possible cause: The camera may be set to manual shutter speed or manual aperture.
Remedy: Use IA mode (automatic exposure) in order for the camera to set the correct exposure level or adjust the shutter speed or aperture for the correct light setting in manual mode.

Possible Cause: The battery(s) is exhausted.
Remedy: Fit new battery(s) if not rechargeable battery(s), or charge the rechargeable battery(s) and try again.

Please try the disc that comes supplied with your camera in your Mac again, and using 'finder' on your Mac please double click on the PDF file and open the file in a PDF viewer.

If you open the file in a PDF editor by mistake you will be prompted for a password, please click cancel and open the file in a PDF viewer instead.

Possible cause: The battery(s) may have run down.
Remedy: Replace or recharge the battery(s).

Yes, the noise you can hear when the camera is switched off is part of the lens unit. It makes this noise due to the image stabilisation function on the camera. The way in which the image stabiliser works is that part of the lens is mounted on runners. When the unit is powered on, there are coils which create a magnetic field. The magnetic field then holds this lens piece still and moves it to counteract hand shake when taking a picture. When the power is off, there is no magnetic field so the lens piece can move freely. This is not a fault with the camera and will not effect it's operation.

Possible cause: The temperature could be outside the recommended charging temperature.
Remedy: The battery may take longer to charge of may not fully charge if the battery is outside the recommended temperature range.

Possible cause: The battery terminals may be dirty.
Remedy: Clean the battery terminals with a soft dry cloth and try again.

Possible cause: The battery may need replacing.
Remedy: Replace the battery and try again.

Possible cause: The camera may not be correctly connected to one of the TV's AV inputs.

Remedy: Check the connections from the camera to the TV. Check that the plugs are pushed fully into the sockets.

Possible cause: The correct AV input on the TV may not have been selected.

Remedy: Make sure that the correct AV input (to which the camera is connected) has been selected on the TV.

Possible cause: The component output on the camera is disabled when the camera is also connected to a PC or to a printer.

Remedy: Disconnect the printer and the PC when using the component output of the camera to display your pictures on a TV.

The Language option can be found in the set-up menu of the camera. This is the spanner icon in the record mode menu.

Make sure that the camera is not in IA mode when accessing the set-up menu as not all the options are displayed.

Please also note that depending on which market the camera was designed for, some language options may not be available. E.G. A camera purchased from Japan may not have an option for English.

There is no way to add or change which Language options are available on the camera.

The depth of field describes how much of your picture is in focus. A narrow depth of field gives your subject in sharp focus and the background heavily blurred. A wide depth of field has both near and far objects in focus. Depth of field is controlled by the aperture but light levels and positioning of the camera relative to the subject also have an effect on the perceived depth of field. Interchangeable lenses have different focal lengths and therefore also affect the depth of field.

f-stop (aperture setting):- The manual settings of the aperture is measured in f-stops. Each lens has its own focal length and range of available f-stops but as a general rule, the lower the f-stop number used the wider open the aperture will become and therefore the narrower the depth of field will be. In summary, the lower the f number, the narrower the depth of field becomes.

Compact cameras have smaller sensors than film cameras. This produces a wider depth of field compared to the same aperture setting on a film camera. This means that the difference between in focus subjects and blurred background is less noticeable than it would be using a film (or indeed digital) SLR camera.

Camera to subject distance:- The closer you get to a subject with the camera, the shallower the depth of field becomes. In fact when taking a picture very close to the subject the area in which crisp focus is achieved can be reduced down to a few millimetres in front or behind the subject. This will make the subject appear to jump out of the background in the final image.

Panasonic digital cameras offer an 'Optical Zoom' (for example 10x, 5x etc.), a 'Digital Zoom' (for example, 40x etc) and on the most recent models an 'Extra Optical Zoom' function. Optical zoom is achieved by moving lenses within the camera to magnify the image. Image quality is maintained throughout the zoom. Digital zoom extends the range of the optical zoom. It enlarges the centre of the image to fill more of the captured area . The digital stretching of the image causes a deterioration in the picture quality. The more digital zoom that is applied the greater the pixilation effect becomes.

Extra optical zoom uses a reduced area of the image sensor (in the lower megapixel modes) to in effect crop the subject before the image is saved to the SD Card. There is no loss of quality when using extra optical zoom.

A digital camera can take pictures smaller than the maximum size of the image sensor. For example, an 8 megapixels camera can also capture images in 5 megapixels or even 3 megapixels. In the lower resolution modes (lower megapixels).

Panasonic digital SLR cameras, the Micro-G cameras and some high-end bridge cameras, are equipped with a hot shoe for attaching a flash unit. A large flash gun may be used when a more powerful or directional flash is required. A flash can be bounced off a ceiling or other surface to diffuse the flash. A dedicated' flash, (a flash specifically designed for use with a particular camera) has additional pins that use the camera's light metering to fire the flash at the right time with the correct intensity. The additional pin contacts can be seen in the illustration above.

A general purpose flash uses its own light metering. The settings on the camera would therefore have to be set to the flash manufacturer's recommended settings. The pins for the dedicated flash are not used in this case. A general purpose flash with a trigger voltage complying to ISO 10330 can be used. The trigger voltage must not exceed 24 Volts.

The flash unit will be triggered directly from the terminals in the camera shoe when the shutter button is pressed. Please consult the camera instruction book as the optional accessories list will provide details of a suitable external flash unit (where one is available).

MC Protector (Multi-coat Lens Protector): protects lens from dust, fingerprints scratches, etc.

All Panasonic cameras have an optical image stabiliser or OIS. The OIS compensates for hand shake and camera movement in all four directions, up, down, left and right. A gyro-sensor detects tiny movements of the camera and moves the OIS lens in the opposite direction to steer the image onto the image sensor. This reduces blurred images that would normally occur as a result of camera movement.

The Optical Image stabiliser is particularly effective when taking pictures where you are zoomed in, at a distance from the subject. Using a high magnification (zoom) exaggerates the effect of camera movement causing increased image blurring. OIS compensates for this movement producing a clear picture.

Panasonic were the first to introduce two optical image stabiliser modes into our digital cameras. Mode1 continually tracks the camera movement, even when framing up the shot (before taking the picture). Mode2 only compensates for camera movement when the shutter button is pressed (as the image is captured).

OIS Mode1 will continually compensate for camera movement, even when framing up the subject. This is useful if you have shaky hands and when using high zoom levels. It is easier to see the subject in the viewfinder or on the LCD Screen. Mode1 does have the disadvantage that the OIS lens may not be able to move from one extreme direction to the other in time to compensate as the photograph is taken. In this respect it can be less effective than Mode2

OIS Mode2 keeps the OIS lens in the centre when framing up the subject. When the shutter button is pressed the OIS calculates the movement and compensates. Because the OIS lens is in the central position it has less distance to move to any of the extremes of the picture and will be better able to compensate for any camera movement. The is the most effective mode for image stabilisation but the OIS is not available to assist with framing up the subject.

A way to make the background appear softer is to use the zoom on the camera. You need to stand further away from your subject and then zoom in.

1. When Taking Portrait photos there are some key things to consider:- 1. Composition. 2. Depth of field. 3. Lighting.

Check out our video guide below, to help you take great portrait photos!

Exposure, in photography, is the amount of light that enters the camera and hits the image sensor. Light reflects off the subject and enters the camera through the lens and is focussed on to the film or image sensor. There are 3 variable settings on cameras that will affect the exposure, or the light levels reaching the image sensor.

These are:-

• ISO: The sensitivity setting of the image sensor.
• Aperture: The variable opening through which light enters the camera.
• Shutter Speed: The time for which the shutter is held open, during the taking of a photograph, to allow light to reach the sensor (The exposure time).
• ISO: The sensitivity setting of the image sensor.

The ISO number, traditionally referred to the sensitivity of film in a camera. Films are available in ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800 etc. The higher the number the more sensitive the film was to light. The down side to using more sensitive film is that the images become more grainy. There is a setting on film cameras on which you should select the ISO number for the film. There is an equivalent setting on Digital cameras for adjusting the light sensitivity of the image sensor. Aperture: The variable opening through which light enters the camera. The aperture is a variable opening behind the lens that is adjusted to control the amount of light that reaches the image sensor. The aperture is used in conjunction with the shutter speed and the ISO setting to control the overall light level of the image. The aperture setting also affects the depth of field. Shutter Speed: The time for which the shutter is held open, to allow light to reach the sensor (the exposure time). The shutter speed is also used to control the amount of light that reaches the sensor. It works by holding out the light until the shutter button is pressed. The shutter then opens for a fraction of a second allowing light that has passed through the lens, then through the aperture, to reach the sensor. The longer the shutter stays open for, the longer that the image sensor receives light from the image and therefore the brighter the image. You also need to consider any movement of the subject and the camera when choosing the correct shutter speed because if the subject or camera moves while the shutter is open, the image will blur. The blurring is proportional to the shutter speed the longer the shutter is open the more blurring that could occur. A long shutter speed is sometimes used to deliberately cause blurring for creative shots.

Many Panasonic cameras offer a burst shooting mode. Burst will shoot several images in close succession. Simply press and hold down the shutter button and capture a stream of pictures rather than a single shot. Burst can be very useful when shooting moving subjects, particularly when the subject may be hard to predict such as a child playing or a moving animal. Burst can also be useful for capturing the desired shot when photographing sports events. The principle is simple, but effective. You shoot many images in a short burst, and select your best shot(s) afterwards and discard those not wanted. Unlike film photography, there is no cost involved because you are saving images onto a memory card which can be reused. There are two ways to use burst mode, normal or unlimited burst. Normal burst will take a limited number of shots, for example 3 to 5 pictures, when the shutter button is held down. Unlimited will continue to take pictures while the shutter button is held down. The unlimited burst will slow down after a few shots as the camera is writing the pictures taken to the SD card. Using Burst Mode:-

• Press the burst mode button. (Please consult the instruction book for the camera as the controls may differ from the illustration).
• Scroll to select Normal or Unlimited.
• Press Menu/Set to activate the setting.
• Press and hold the shutter button to take pictures.

Panasonic digital stills cameras let you take photographs in three different aspect ratios. The aspect ratio is the shape of the rectangle that the image fills. The three aspect ratios are: 16:9, 3:2 and 4:3. The ratio comes from the number of units of width compared to the number of same sized units of height.

16:9 is the best aspect ratio to use to take photographs that you intend to show on a widescreen TV or a wide screen projector. (Most Plasma and LCD TVs are 16:9).

3:2 is the aspect ratio used in traditional photographic prints. Use this mode when you intend to have your photographs printed by a professional printer (printed on Kodak paper for example).

4:3 is the aspect ratio of the older style (non-widescreen) TV screens. Use 4:3 when your photographs are going to be shown on an older style TV.

Of course, it is possible to take photographs in any of the three aspect ratios and display them on almost any TV but if you use the ratio that matches your TV type there will be no black bars appearing at the top and bottom or at the sides of the screen. For example, a 3:2 ratio photograph can be displayed on a 16:9 TV but black bars will appear at the left and right of the picture as the original is not wide enough to fill the whole screen. The same picture taken in 16:9 aspect would fill the whole screen without any black bars. Likewise if you take photographs in 16:9 aspect and have them printed on 3:2 paper some of the edges will have to be cropped off, or the picture will have to be shrunk down to fit on the paper with blank spaces at the top and bottom of the print.

If you are experiencing a fault with your camera please use our Service Dealer Locator to find details of your nearest Panasonic authorised service centre.

They will be happy to help and advise you what you need to do to get your camera repaired.

For warranty repairs you will need to present the service centre with a copy of your reciept (warranty terms and conditions apply).

Some of the Olympic SDHC cards have a promotional video pre loaded onto the card, that is not intended for the UK. This may result in your camera not being able to record new videos. To rectify this please perform the following:-

1. Download any photos, data or videos that you wish to keep to your computer. 2. Format the SD card within the camera you are using. NOTE:- When you format the card all data will be erased, please ensure you have downloaded any content you wish to keep onto your computer, before formatting the card in the camera.

Motion Jpeg = /DCIM/100_PANA/

The number in front of PANA may increase; this is the same location as the still images. The file extension of the videos is .MOV

MOV files

AVCHD = /PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/

AVCHD Files

The file extension of the video files is .MTS

We would recommend a Panasonic Class 6 card for Video recording.

The SD class speeds on SD cards are the guaranteed continuous write speed capabilities of the card. E.G class 4 card has a guaranteed continuous write speed of 4 MB/s

Class 6: 6MB/s Class 10: 10MB/s We would recommend a Class 4 card as an optimum speed card to use considering price verses performance for Lumix cameras for taking photos. For HD video mode we recommend a Class 6 card. Class 6 cards can also be beneficial for high mega pixel digital stills cameras shooting in RAW, as the files are very large the difference between class 4 and 6 becomes more noticeable. E.G Panasonic SLR or G series cameras.

The quickest way to format your SD/SDHC memory card is in the device that you have purchased the card for. Please refer to your operating instructions for your product for the procedure to format an SD/SDHC card. If you have a card reader on your computer compatible with SD/SDHC cards you can also download a free formatting application from HERE

This can be caused by 2 reasons:-

1. The camera flash is forced off. This will mean that the yellow colour cast from the household lighting will be recorded. You can try using different white balance settings to improve this, or turn the flash on.
2. The camera is in IA mode and it has selected a slow sync flash setting. If you do not like this effect please use the normal auto mode for indoor shots.

The ISO setting may be high causing noisy pictures in lower light situations.

Try to Decrease the ISO sensitivity setting minimising the picture noise. This will however reduce the light levels that the camera can take correctly exposed picture at, without using the flash. Use a flash or more light (where possible).

This could be caused by a narrow depth of field as a result of taking the picture with a wide aperture. Use a higher f stop number if there is sufficient light. Use a flash in low light situations. The parts of the subject may have moved causing motion blur. Keep the subject perfectly still where possible. Use a fast shutter speed if there is sufficient light. Use a flash when in low light situations.

A lens tends to show distortions at wide angle. A camera which uses a wide-angle lens will have a certain amount of distortion, this is called barrel distortion. To try and reduce this effect please arrange people towards the centre part of the picture, and try ensure that you are at the same height as the subject. When you would like to take a portrait photo of someone's face, Please try standing back and using the cameras zoom. This will reduce barrel distortion in the picture. Shooting pictures at wide angle Shooting pictures at tele Photo. The wide angle function can be used for creative perspective Photos. So you will need to decide what sort of effect you are trying to create.

Please check that exposure compensation is not set.

When the flash setting is either AUTO/Red-eye reduction or slow sync./Red-eye reduction and an object whose colour is close to that of people's skins is taken, red colours in the object such as patterns may be modified to black due to the work of digital red-eye reduction function. In case of shooting such objects it is strongly recommended to set the flash setting other than AUTO/Red-eye reduction E.G:

Forced flash off
AUTO
Forced flash on

 

This could be due to the ISO (sensitivity) that the camera had to use. You could manually set the ISO to a lower value to minimise noise (grain) in the picture. However you will find images might be blurred and the flash distance will be reduced so images may appear darker, depending on available light.

This may be due to white balance. Please ensure that the camera is set to auto white balance.

Also when taking photos you will need to wait for the colours to look correct on the screen before you take the picture. It may take a short while for the white balance to set correctly.

Please check that exposure compensation is not set.

This may be caused by particles of dust in the air reflecting back the light from the flash. The more dark background included in the picture the more noticeable the dust specs become.

This is not a malfunction of the camera. The number of round spots and their position and brightness will vary in each picture. To minimise the effect, move closer to the subject or zoom into the subject to leave the minimum of dark background in the picture.

There could be fingerprints or other marks on the lens. Please check and clean the lens if nessesary with a soft lens cleaning cloth.

There are 2 factors that will result in images being more prone to blur than others:- 1. Available Light. 2. Subject Movement. So ensure for indoor shots that the flash is turned on. In outdoor low light situations it may not be possible to get a sharp photo of a moving object. You can increase the ISO sensitivity to try and increase the cameras shutter speed, but this can also lead to digital noise being recorded on the image. This may result in the image looking soft and grainy. If the camera is in IA mode it may select slow sync flash setting, to try and capture background detail. However because using a slow sync flash reduces the shutter speed if the subject moves it will become blurred. If this is the case please try the normal auto mode instead of IA.

Click here for a step by step guide to connecting your FX90 to your wireless network and setting up the Lumix ID on your camera. For the Lumix Club Global site please click here

Auto Bracketing is a function that will take 3 photos in total. 1 photo at the automatic exposure, then 2 more images. 1 with a longer exposure (brighter) and 1 with a shorter exposure (darker). This is useful when taking pictures of subjects with bright highlights, but can help with all types of subjects.

This symbol indicates that exposure compensation is set to overexpose the image by 1/3.

<img alt="Exposure Comp Icon" src="http://tda.panasonic-europe-service.com/GetDoc.aspx?did=187162&src=1&lang=en&fmt=text" />

Please ensure that you select the ‘TRIMMING’ mode in the playback menu before zooming in on the image. To select the TRIMMING mode you need to press the right hand cursor key. If you press the Menu/Set button it will exit the menu. Then follow the procedure within the operating instructions. For example

Press The Menu/Set button

There is an option on Lumix cameras to turn of the screen display icons. To turn them back on you will need to cycle through the different display modes. You do this by pressing the display button.

RAW
JPEG (Fine quality)
JPEG(Normal quality)
RAW+JPEG

This symbol indicates that Bracketing mode is turned on:-

This symbol indicates that Burst mode is turned on:-

<img alt="" src="http://tda.panasonic-europe-service.com/GetDoc.aspx?did=187185&src=1&lang=en&fmt=text" />

Firmware updates that are available for our cameras can be found on our global support site here.

A Firmware update has been released to add the following features to the DMC-LX5 camera:-

1. Auto Focus speed-up.
2. [HIGH ISO NR] has been added to the [REC] menu.
3. Improved auto white balance performance.
4. [ACTIVE MODE] has been added to the [MOTION PICTURE] menu.
5. The AF/AE Lock operated by half-pressing the shutter button has been improved.
6. When [MF] is set, you can make fine adjustments to the focus using a simpler operation than before.
7. The position and size of the AF area you have set are now stored.
8. The upper limit of the shutter speed in Manual Exposure Mode has been raised. (Max 250 seconds approximately)
9. MINIATURE EFFECT] has been added to My Colour Mode.
10. [MONITOR] / [VIEWFINDER] has been added to the [SETUP] menu.

You can download the update from our global site here.

If using a Panasonic Viera TV, with Viera Link enabled please ensure that you select the Video tab. If the All tab is selected you will not hear sound from video files.

You would need to ensure the model you have supports the type of video you are taking with your Lumix camera.

Many 2009 Viera TVs support AVCHD. To see if your model will accept this file type please refer to the operating instructions that came with the TV.

Motion JPEG files are not currently supported on Viera TVs.

Some versions of PhotoFun Studio are able to upload directly to Facebook.

If this function is not working and it is giving the message "Success", we have found that if HTTPS is enabled in your Facebook account settings the software may not be able to upload.

To turn off HTTPS within Facebook, at the time of posting this setting is found in 'Account Settings' under the heading 'Account Security'. For further help in disabling this setting please use the 'Help Centre' option within Facebook and search for HTTPS

Once HTTPS is disabled you should then be able to upload to Facebook using Photofun Studio.

The Panasonic Lumix camera installs on a PC system as a Mass Storage device. Mass Storage devices install using drivers provided by Microsoft built into the Windows Operating system. This means you camera is compatible with Windows 7. You may need to update the included software. Please check the following website to see if there are any updates for the software that came with your camera. http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/info/windows7.html

In PhotoFun Studio you can access a network storage drive, however you cannot set the network drive as the default location for copying images to the PC.

You have to download to a local drive and then copy the images over to the network drive.

As a default PhotoFun Studio registers the images within the my documents and my pictures folders when it is installed. If the images you already have are not stored in these folders then they will not be registered. You can register other folders by selecting Tools->settings within the PhotoFun Studio software.

The PhotoFun Studio will not register images on a DVD. We would recommend backing up images on a hard drive rather than disc.

PhotoFun Studio will import images from the SD card but for viewing it is recommended that the images are in a registered folder on a hard drive and not other media.

We may not be able to provide Windows 7 software updates for the software included with your camera.

We do not supply drivers for installing the camera as it installs as a 'Mass Storage' device using drivers built into Windows.

You will find the camera listed as a 'Removable Disc' within 'Computer'. You can then view or copy your pictures and video to your PC, using windows Explorer.

For Videos in the AVCHD format you can use Windows media player 12 which comes pre-installed on Windows 7.

You can also use third party software to download your pictures and videos.

Examples of software that can be used are:- Windows Live Gallery software available from Microsoft, Picasa from Google.

The Anti virus software may be incorrectly identifying part of the software as a threat to your computer. To confirm the software disc will not contain any virsus's or adware so our advise is to temporally turn off your anti virus to install the software. Please follow the procedure below: 1.Uninstall the software 2. Re-boot the PC 3. Disconnect the PC from an Internet connection. 4. Turn off Antivirus 5. Re-Install the software 6. Re-boot the computer 7. Try and Run the software again

The Panasonic Lumix camera install on a PC system as a Mass Storage device. Mass Storage devices install using drivers provided by Microsoft built into the Windows Operating system. This means you camera is compatible with Windows Vista. You may need to update the included software. Please check the following website to see if there are any updates for the software that came with your camera.http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/info/vista.html

1. First of all if you are using USB connections on the Front of a desktop computer system please try using a USB port on the back. If you are using an external USB HUB or Multi adaptor please try disconnecting the External HUB and plug the camcorder directly to the computer system. 2. If using the USB connections on the back of the computer and the camcorder still does not install you will need to see if the camera appears in device manager. It may appear under Other Devices or Unknown devices with an exclamation mark.

To try and re-install the camera you will need to do the following:- 1. Right click on the camera in device manager and select Uninstall. 2. On the confirmation message box click on OK. 3. Once the camera has been removed from the list you will need to re-scan for new hardware. 4. Right click on any other heading E.G Keyboards, and select Scan for hardware changes. 5. The computer should then find the camera and install it. If the camera does not install Windows should give you a reason why. This might be because it cannot find drivers or. See other topic regarding Drivers for Lumix cameras. A way to confirm that the camera or cable is not faulty is to try and connect the camera to another computer system.

Panasonic do not specialise in retrieving erased or lost data, neither do we, regrettably, have a specific company name to provide.

Please be advised to contact a local retailer for assistance or search the internet for data/photo recovery.

This may be caused by the communication between the camera and computer being slowed down by other software on the computer.

The most common type of software to cause this is Antivirus software.

To see if this is the case, please disconnect your computer from an internet connection, then turn of your protection software. Close the Panasonic software. Re-open the software and try and download from the camera.

Some of our cameras came with a free copy of Serif photo software. Unfortunately some of these discs do not include the installation key in order to install the software. Please use the following key to install the software: FS01U-PAN01-11922-38273-02584 Support for this software is provided from serif, so if you need any further help please contact serif using the following webform: http://www.serif.com/ContactUs.asp

Here are some key things to try:- 1. Please disconnect your computer from an internet connection. 2. Turn off any antivirus or spyware detection programs. 3. Uninstall the software from the computer. 4. Re-boot the computer. 5. If your protection systems re-activate please turn them off again. 6. Re-install the software from the CD ROM. 7. Re-boot the computer. 8. If your protection systems re-activate turn them off again. 9. Try running the software. If the software runs correctly you can then re-enable your protection software to see whether it continues to operate correctly. Once re-connected to the internet you can also see whether there are any updates for your software on our global support site. http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/soft/index.html

Panasonic Lumix cameras install on a computer as a Mass Storage device. Drivers for installing this type of device are provided by Microsoft built into Windows ME onwards.

If this driver is missing or not working correctly you will need to contact the PC manufacturer regarding restoring the Operating system to correct operation.

In order to open the RAW files within third party applications, the third party application must support the RAW format for your specific camera. Please check with the manufacturer of the software you are using to see if the model of camera you have is supported.

You will need to install the Silkypix developer software onto the computer. This software can open the RAW files and process them. You can then save the images as JPEG or TIFF files. The file extension for the RAW files will be either .RAW or .RW2

You are not able to delete using the PC. The camera's USB connection is read only. To delete photos disconnect from the PC and use the delete all or format Option (format being the quicker and easier). Another option is to use a third party SDHC USB card reader/writer.

Motion JPEG Videos
Use the included software to download the MOV files from the SD card. In order to play these files in the Panasonic software you will need to install a version of Apple Quicktime player.

AVCHD Videos
Using the supplied PhotoFun software you can download the video files from the SD card. These files will then play in the PhotoFun software.

To copy the photos from your camera to your computer please ensure that you have installed the supplied software:-

• Connect the camera to your computer via USB.
• The copy to PC option will be displayed so click 'yes'.
• If the windows automatic playback window appears just click 'x' to shut it down.
• The selection window for the location to copy from will be displayed.
• Select the camera & click 'next'. If the camera does not appear click 'refresh'.
• Select the photos you want to copy and click 'next'.
• Select the destination folder that you want to copy the videos to.
• Click 'execute' and when the confirmation screen is displayed click 'yes'.
• When the copying completion message is displayed click 'ok'.
• When the completion window is displayed after copying click 'close'.

If this does not work for you please contact our customer support team on 0844 844 3899. If you would like to send us an email please use the option below.

We do not provide support for using Linux based operating systems.

However a Panasonic camera installs as a 'Mass Storage' device. Drivers for installing a 'Mass Storage' device are usually provided and built into popular variants of Linux such as Ubuntu.

When you plug the camera in it should automatically install.

Please note that some of the file types that the camera produces may not open.

If the camera does not install please contact the manufacturer of the PC if Linux was preloaded.

Yes, your camera will automatically install on a MAC OSX system, in the same way it installs on Windows. There are no additional drivers required. For photos you can use the MAC Iphoto program. For Videos in AVCHD you will need to have Imovie 09 installed on the MAC. For RAW files you will need to install the included Silkypix developer software. For specific advise with using you Lumix with your MAC we would advise searching on the Apple website or contacting Apple.

Compact creative cameras are still physically small, but they also offer manual control of most of the functions to give the user greater flexibility over the picture being taken. The focus, shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings can be manually set. Many of the creative compact range of cameras often have greater zoom capabilities than the simple compact range.

Most compact creative cameras have the iA system making them very simple to use and combined with their small size, this makes the compact range the ideal travelling camera for inexperienced users. In addition, manual control allows the more experienced photographer to take more creative photographs. This makes the compact creative camera an ideal choice for families where the users have different levels of experience and skills.

Bridge cameras are often purchased by serious enthusiasts for their high performance and flexible manual functions. They offer much of the creativity of a Digital SLR but they are smaller, lighter and in many cases much simpler to understand and use than the more expensive Digital SLR. Controls are laid out to provide ease of use in manual modes and they include features used by enthusiasts such as a viewfinder for framing shots in all conditions.

Most of the current range of Panasonic bridge cameras have the Intelligent Auto function which can produce stunning photography in a simple point and press mode. Even a novice can take brilliant photographs with the minimum of instruction.

The G Micro system uses the Micro 4/3 lens system, which is significantly smaller and lighter than a Digital SLR. It offers features normally found on Digital SLR cameras such as interchangeable lenses, shoe fitting, and large MOS sensor for high quality image capture. The layout of the controls is designed for easy access to manual settings.

The G Micro system is aimed towards the more experienced photographer who wants the feel and facilities of a Digital SLR in a lighter and smaller kit, that is usually only found in the compact bridge cameras. The G Micro cameras can out perform the range of compact and bridge models.

Camcorders including Digital camcorders are very dependant on getting enough light for a clear picture. When filming indoors please ensure that you have as much light as you can in the room that you are recording in. If there is not enough light the camcorder tries to compensate by increasing the sensitivity, which can lead to a slightly grainy picture or a loss of fine detail.

Light and quality of recording are linked, the better the subject is lit the better the quality of the recording.

This is usually due to a clogged/dirty video head. Panasonic suggest using a DV head cleaning tape. After cleaning, record a fresh video and check playback. If this plays back correctly and previous footage does not then unfortunately the record head was clogged when the original footage was recorded.

The available Windows Vista updates can be found on our global website: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/soft/index.html

The available Windows 7 updates can be found on our global website: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/soft/index.html Please note that not all software is compatible with Windows 7 64Bit, below are the versions of software that will work with Windows 7 64Bit For HDC camcorders - HD Writer AE 2.1 onwards For SDR camcorders - Videocam Suite 3.0 onwards If you have an earlier version of either of these 2 programs and you want to install the software onto Windows 7 you will need to obtain a copy of the newer software. Click the contact us button at the bottom of this page to request a software disc, and we will send a copy in the post free of charge. Please include your model number and serial number in the email. Please note that we are not able to offer Windows 7 64bit software for the following models, for these models you will need to use either the Microsoft Live Movie Maker or another 3rd party AVHCD compatiable piece of software. HDC-SD1 HDC-DX1 HDC-SD5 HDC-SX5 HDC-SD9 HDC-HS9 HDC-SD100 HDC-HS100

AVCHD 50P is a newer HD recording format so some models of TV may not be able to playback this format. Please check the operating instructions of your TV to determine whether it supports AVCHD 50P

We recommend using the software supplied with the camcorder to play the video back. If it plays back in the supplied software correctly then please contact your software vendor for further assistance, in using their software in conjunction with our camcorders.

Our HD camcorders record in AVCHD recording format, you will need to ask the third party manufacturer if and how you can use the software you have with an AVCHD camcorder.

Apple produce software called iMovie for video editing on Mac computers.

iMovie 08 or Final Cut express 4.0 onwards are needed for SD-Video and AVCHD camcorder footage. The latest version of iMovie comes pre-installed on new Mac computers. For compatibility with older Mac computers or more information about editing on Mac computers please seek advise from Apple.

To check if there is an output from the cameras firewire terminal, connect the camcorder and switch the power on, at this point the mouse cursor should change to the egg timer for a short time. If this happens then the output of the camera is working fine. If the egg timer does not come up then there may be a problem with the firewire output. If this is the case then try and connect on another PC to find out whether the fault is on the camcorder or the PC hardware.

If the hour glass does not appear then it might suggest that there is a fault with the camcorder. Please try the camcorder on another computer system with firewire to see whether the problem is with the computer or camcorder.

If you suspect that the camcorder is faulty then it can be checked and repaired by calling the camcorder service hotline number on: 0844 844 3869.

If the egg timer does appear but the camcorder does not install then there could be a incompatibility with the capture card being used or a problem with the operating system. Make sure that the firewire card you are using supports IEEE 1394 and OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface). Please also try downloading the latest updates for your version of widows and the firewire capture card being used.

Please try the following:-

1. Ensure that the camcorder is powered.
2. Try with another USB input on the computer and ensure a USB hub is not being used.
3. If possible try on another computer.
4. If possible try another USB cable
5. If after trying all the above steps the camcorder is still not detected by a computer then please contact you retailer regarding camcorder repair.

To install the software a minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels is required. An error usually occurs when trying to install the software on a computer such as a 'netbook'. These types of computers usually have smaller screens with lower resolutions.

If it is not possible to set the resolution to the correct level Panasonic suggest contacting the laptop manufacturer to see if they have an updated graphics driver, to allow higher resolutions to be used.

This error may also occur when using Windows 7 and the icon size of the PC is set to over 100% even when the screen resolution is 1024x768 pixels or better. In this case please set the icon size to 100%.

On some of our camcorders such as the HX series the maximum zoom is different for video and stills. This means if you press the photo button the camcorder will zoom out to the maximum zoom range for photos.

You can find details of the maximum zoom range for photos and video in the specification section towards the back of the operating instructions.

Camcorders are tested with, and can be used with Panasonic class 4 or higher cards. If using another manufacturer's card a class 6 or higher is recommended. There will be no improvement by using a SD card higher than class 6 apart from a faster upload speed to a computer when using an SD card reader rather than uploading via USB from the camcorder.

Panasonic camcorder Video recording formats:-

Please note that this list shows all the formats, to see which format your model supports please refer to your operating instructions.

HDC Range: AVCHD or 50P H.264
SDR Range: SD video or MPEG4
HM Range: Mpeg4 or Apple Iframe

We may not be able to provide Windows 7 software updates for the software included with your camera or camcorder.

We do not supply drivers for installing the camcorder as it installs as a 'Mass Storage' device using drivers built into Windows.

You will find the camcorder listed as a 'Removable Disc' within 'Computer'. You can then view or copy your pictures and video to your PC, using windows Explorer.

For Videos in the AVCHD format you can use Windows media player 12 which comes pre-installed on Windows 7.

You can also use third party software to download your pictures and videos.

Examples of software that can be used are:- Windows Live Gallery software available from Microsoft, Picasa from Google.

For video editing the camcorder can be connected via the camcorders 4 pin firewire connection, labelled DV, to a firewire connection on the computer. If your Mac does not have a firewire connection conforming to IEEE 1394 standards then this will need to be added, you will need to seek advise from Apple to see whether this is possible..

If the firewire socket on the Mac is the same as the DV socket on the camcorder then you will need a 4 pin to 4 pin firewire cable, Panasonic part number VW-CD1E.

If the firewire socket on the Mac is larger than the DV socket on the camcorder then you will need either a 6 pin to 4 pin or 4 pin to 9 pin firewire cable, these should be available from a PC retailer.

If the connection on your Mac is not a standard firewire connection then you will need to contact Apple regarding an adaptor.

To capture the footage into the Mac you can use the iMovie program which usually comes pre-installed on the Mac. For further help and support in using the software on your Mac please visit the Apple website

For video editing the camcorder can be connected via the camcorders 4 pin firewire connection, labelled DV, to a firewire connection on the computer. If your PC does not have a firewire connection conforming to IEEE 1394 standards then this will need to be added to your PC. Your PC manufacture should be able to assist you in this case.

If you have Windows XP/Windows Vista. You will have Windows Movie Maker editing software built in, This is a basic editing package but can capture from the camcorder.

Alternatively, if you do not have Windows XP or would like more features, you will also need to use DV video editing software, for example Adobe, Pinnacle etc. These can be purchased from a PC retailer.

If the firewire socket on the PC is the same as the DV socket on the camcorder then you will need a 4 pin to 4 pin firewire cable, Panasonic part number VW-CD1.

If the firewire socket on the PC is larger than the DV socket on the camcorder then you will need either a 6 pin to 4 pin or 4 pin to 9 pin firewire cable, these should be available from a PC retailer.

If the connection on your laptop is not a standard firewire connection then you will need to contact the manufacture of the PC regarding an adaptor.

This can be due to a number of reasons.

The first is to check that you have a UK camera/camcorder. On the box that the camera/ camcorder was shipped in there will be a barcode label. On this label will be the model number. If the model ends with for example 'EB-K', 'EB' denotes that you have a UK camera/camcorder.

Next check that you have installed the software for the UK video system. To do this open the software on your computer & select help > about and after the version number should be (PAL). If the software is installed as (NTSC) and you have a UK camera/camcorder you will have to uninstall the software and reinstall making sure that you select UK (PAL) on the country area selection screen.

If the above are both correct we would advise plugging the camera/camcorder into a USB socket on the rear of the computer if it is a desktop machine. Sometimes the USB sockets at the front are run from a hub and this can cause this problem.

If the above does not solve your problem please call us on 0844 844 3899 when you are at your computer with your camera/camcorder, and one of our product specialists will assist you.

Windows XP on it's own does not support playback of the AVCHD files created by your camcorder. You can download a free media player such as VLC media player that will allow playback on a computer running Windows XP.

The edited videos when output as a file from the included software will also be in AVCHD format. These videos will appear in the HD writer library. You can also convert the AVCHD to MPEG2 by using the conversion process in the software. This is found under Tools>Movie>MPEG2 conversion.

The'Create Media' function within the software will down convert the high definition to standard definition DVD quality.

If you should have any further queries on this, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email using the option below.

For Windows users who have installed Service Pack 1, knowledge base entry 810032 covers and issue titled " Panasonic DV Camera may not enumerate on Windows XP running SP1", users can download an update for this from Microsoft at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;810032. If you have not upgraded to service pack1 you will need to do so before installing the above patch. If SP2 has been installed this fix is included in the service pack. If the camcorder will still not install you could try turning off the Windows Firewall as this can sometimes cause a problem. For any further help regarding this please contact Microsoft. We do not provide drivers for the Firewire connection as this is provided by Microsoft built into Windows.

The software you use to capture from a Mini DV camcorder on a Mac is the iMovie program. This comes installed on most Mac's. If you do not have the iMovie program installed on your Mac or you are having problems using it, please look on the Apple website or contact Apple for advice.

Drivers for installing Mini DV camcorders are provided by Apple built into the operating system. There are no Drivers that Panasonic can provide for installing a Mini DV camcorder onto a computer using firewire.

The HM series camcorders are designed to charge for a USB port/Socket on a computer.

Universal USB mains chargers are not recomended and may not charge the unit.

In order to capture (Download) your video footage to a Windows 7 PC, you will need to connect your camcorder to the PC using it's 'DV' Connection. The 'DV' connection on Panasonic camcorders is a IEEE 1394 connection, but is often refered to as a Firewire connection.

Windows Live movie maker is a free application that you can download from the Microsoft website. When the camcorder is connected to the PC via firewire, you can use the Windows Live movie maker software to capture your footage into the PC.

Your PC will need to have a IEEE1394 (Firewire) connection.

HD Writer AE 3.0 Installation Guide DOWNLOAD

HD Writer AE2.1 Installation Guide

Download

Panasonic do not supply a more advanced editing suite and would suggest looking for a package that supports the video format that is used by your camcorder.

No. Panasonic do not currently manufacture underwater cases or housings for camcorders.

Panasonic do not currently supply model specific cases. See what cases we have available to purchase direct please visit our on-line shop

No. High def camcorders record in high definition only. You can convert the footage to standard definition using the editing software supplied with the camcorder.

Some models can also convert footage to Standard definition when using one of our external DVD burners such as the VW-BN1, VW-BN2 or VW-BN01. To see if your model has this feature please refer to your operating instructions.

No. Some older Panasonic camcorders are DV in enabled and this will be stated in the operating instructions.

The VW-BN01 external DVD burner will not work with all camcorders that could use the VW-BN1 and VW-BN2. You can find a compatibility list of the camcorders that can use the VW-BN01 HERE

No. The Panasonic HDC and SDR range camcorders do not have a webcam feature.

1080/50p is not currently supported by Apple. For further help and advice on importing 1080/50p footage onto a Mac computer please seek advice from the Mac website or contact their support teams. For compatibility with Mac's built-in movie software we recommend using the AVCHD 1080i mode. You could also look into third party software to convert the 50p format into a Quicktime format which would be compatible with Apple, some examples of third party software are Roxio Toast 10 Titanium, VoltaicHD from Shedworx and Handbrake which is a free download.

The license agreement for the software states that the software is for use only on one computer. When installing the software there is no need to enter a serial number or any online activation of the software.