What a card

One of your letter writers ( Inbox, AP 23 June) related a tale of woe, concerning his three Panasonic cameras, that all suffered the same fault, that is, the message ‘Please reinsert the card’ came up. Apparently, this message forced the writer to throw his cameras away. Andy Westlake (AP’s Technical Editor) asked if anyone else had suffered similar faults.

I currently have a G1, GF3, G5, and GX8, all of which are reliable. I also had one of the first TZ or Panasonic Travel Zoom cameras, which was used for work. During the typical working week, it took several hundred photos, and most weeks would need to be recharged at least twice. After four years of hard work, I recall that the zoom control malfunctioned occasionally, but the fault could be cleared by switching the camera off and on.

I do occasionally experience the ‘Please reinsert the card’ message/fault with my Panasonics. Normally, the fault is caused by my failure to fully insert the card, that is, operator error. Sometimes, it is caused by the contacts on the card needing to be given a quick clean. On just one occasion, a card actually failed, and I had to buy a replacement. Never have I needed to send any of my Panasonic cameras away to be repaired. In my experience, they are impressively well built and reliable. To underscore my comments, thanks to an attempted theft, my G5 was dropped onto a concrete floor. There was some cosmetic damage to the body, but the camera still works perfectly well.

Another letter writer (in the same edition) commented on the ‘news’ that both Nikon and Canon are might launch mirrorless cameras. (On the internet it is also rumoured that they will soon consign their current DSLRs to history. But, then most internet news turns out to be not quite accurate?) Yes, both firms would be very unwise to disenfranchise their current loyal users. But if the camera companies are to get the best out of mirrorless designs, then they must launch new lenses. Yet this may not, in the end, be a traumatic experience. Think back to when Olympus replaced its Four Thirds DSLRs, with Micro

Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Fit a Four Thirds lens directly onto a Micro Four Thirds body, and the lens cannot focus – because a Micro Four Thirds body does not have a mirror box, and the back of the Four Thirds lens is therefore too close to the sensor. So Olympus sold an adapter, which positioned the Four Thirds lens at the correct distance from the Micro Four Thirds sensor. A simple, cheap solution, that enabled users to keep using their old lenses. I suspect that Canon and Nikon will find ways to allow the current crop of DSLR lenses to be used on the new mirrorless/CSC bodies. David Price

Thanks, David. These fullframe mirrorless rumours are gathering steam, and we suspect there is no smoke without fire (apologies for mixing the metaphors!). As you say, it’s highly unlikely that whatever they bring out, Canon and Nikon will sabotage their highly lucrative DSLR and accessory range. See AP for the latest news and analysis, as always – Nigel Atherton, editor