Is there a law in Japan that camera 'manuals' must be total crap? I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual is tiny spindly sans serif unreadable type, often fractured...

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual is tiny spindly sans serif unreadable type, often fractured 'English.' It is incomplete with many things not listed at all and others not explained. The first 8 pages and much throughout are idiotic safety warnings like 'don't let baby eat accessories' or don't pour gasoline on camera. The table of contents is crap and incomplete, many illustrations are too tiny and poorly-printed to be useful. There is NO index. The manual says a more detailed manual is available as a PDF on the website, but the link doesn't work!

Is there a law? Is the crappiness deliberate? Or is gypping us this way, their much-delayed revenge for the plutonium firecrackers?

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:

I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual ... (show quote)

The Japanese actually make pretty good manuals these days. It's the Chinese and some of the other eastern cultures that don't do it very well. But the Japanese people have taken to the english language like they've taken to American manufacturing practices. They do a very good job.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

jeep_daddy wrote:

The Japanese actually make pretty good manuals these days. It's the Chinese and some of the other eastern cultures that don't do it very well. But the Japanese people have taken to the english language like they've taken to American manufacturing practices. They do a very good job.

The Chinese are far worse. But that's like saying one pile of s..t stinks worse than another. The manual that came with the G85 is utter garbage. And it seems that unlike the situation with more populous cameras, no one has seen fit to produce an after market book.

lonedog Loc: DC area

Manual??? You actually call those things that come with any kind of electronics, or for anything else “manuals”? It seems those days are over. I don’t find a pdf useful at all. And don’t give me started on the crappy pictorial “directions” that come with most stuff that requires putting together. For my cameras, and also for LR, I always order 3rd party books. I think I would be nice if companies would at least provide a contact phone number in their literature or website, and not buried some place where it takes hours to find it. I just bought an asus all in one. No manual whatsoever.

lonedog Loc: DC area

Manual??? You actually call those things that come with any kind of electronics, or for anything else “manuals”? It seems those days are over. I don’t find a pdf useful at all. And don’t give me started on the crappy pictorial “directions” that come with most stuff that requires putting together. For my cameras, and also for LR, I always order 3rd party books. I think I would be nice if companies would at least provide a contact phone number in their literature or website, and not buried some place where it takes hours to find it. I just bought an asus all in one. No manual whatsoever.

awesome14 Loc: UK

Just google the camera model and 'manual'. I've seen many times where the manufacturer just wants to include something on paper, but it terrible, and the keep much more complete documentation on the website. I even had a written manual tell me the product would make me 'satifying' (sic) if I refrain from pounding nails through it, and keep away from 'grim orifice'.

I don't know what that is, so I figure I'm safe!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:

I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual ... (show quote)

The warnings are required. I've bought products that had an entire booklet devoted to safety alone.

As for the writing, I could never understand why foreign countries can't write in proper English and produce a better quality manual - with an index. People in most countries speak English very well, especially people in international business, so writing shouldn't be such a challenge. Many business people were educated here. As someone implied, the better the company, the better the writing.

spywayman Loc: Bridport -Dorset-UK

My Toyota, bought in the UK ten years ago, has pen and ink drawings, some showing RHD and some LHD. Surely it would be simple enough to get a native English speaker to write these manuals.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

[quote=Los-Angeles-Shooter]I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual is tiny spindly sans serif unreadable type, often fractured 'English.' It is incomplete with many things not listed at all and others not explained. The first 8 pages and much throughout are idiotic safety warnings like 'don't let baby eat accessories' or don't pour gasoline on camera. The table of contents is crap and incomplete, many illustrations are too tiny and poorly-printed to be useful. There is NO index. The manual says a more detailed manual is available as a PDF on the website, but the link doesn't work!

Depends on the camera manufacture. I have owned Canon and Nikon for years and find little wrong in there very helpful, very professionally designed manuals.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:

I am learning the Panasonic Lumix G85. The manual ... (show quote)

Never had a problem like that with any of my Canon camera manuals.

rogerl Loc: UK (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)

I've just bought a Panasonic Lumix TZ80. The "manual" is useless although it does contain a link to Panasonic where you can download a pdf. The pdf for mine ran to 300+ pages (!) but I perservered with it & did manage to find some useful info which enabled me to tweak camera settings. As there's no third party book for my camera (I don't know about yours) it was the only option; if you have the patience, it might be worth a try.

eadler

I don't think any manufacturer prints real manuals anymore just a quick start that typically are not that goods. That goes for the Sony as well as the Leica that I have. You have to go on-line to get the real manual.
In the case of the Sony the on line manual was pretty poor. The Leica manual was good

BebuLamar

I must agree that the manuals from Chinese manufacturers are quite bad. Manuals from Japanese manufacturers are good in general. Sony is bad. I don't know about Panasonic as I don't own a Panasonic camera or any Panasonic electronics.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

Did you see this? Took me all of 30 secs. to google it:

https://archive.org/details/DMC-G85

Bill_de Loc: US

I think Nikon manuals have improved from years back. Out of necessity there is a lot of repetition since some things pertain to more than one operation. The choice is to repeat something or continually use "See page x". In a book designed to be read cover to cover that's less of an issue. The manuals have to be aimed at the lowest common denominator.

Online Nikon does update manuals as they did recently with the Z bodies. They also have guides for menu setting. For the D500 they have one for Sports and one for Movies.

Although some manufacturers have gone primarily digital, even companies that provide full printed manuals may provide even more information online. You just have to look for it.

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