The interface of the GE G1 seems
to have been inspired by a number of other compact cameras.
The scene modes, for example, bear a striking resemblance
to those found on Nikon compacts and some terminology, such
as AIAF, is similar to terms used on Canon cameras. The resulting
interface is not unpleasant, and is not too disorienting.
The primary user interface, the information superimposed
on the monitor, is limited and unobtrusive. Regrettably, even
with the histogram option selected, the camera never indicates
the shutter speed or aperture.
The menus are clearly laid out, and the function menu, albeit
that its use is only fully implemented in the Manual mode,
allows a reasonably quick access to sensitivity, white balance,
image size and quality, and colour mode. The other menus are
simple, and their options are clearly understandable. All
the menus displayed by the menu button contain
an access to the Setup menu, making adjustments to the camera's
basic settings easy:
Format Memory: serves to format the internal memory,
or a memory card.
Beep: controls the volume of the sounds
produced by the camera, and allows selecting sounds for
the shutter, key tone (operation), self-timer tone, and
the power tone (the start up sound).
LCD Brightness: serves to adjust the brightness
of the monitor over 12 steps.
Power Saver: allows selecting the idle time after
which the camera turns of the monitor (30 seconds, 1 or
2 minutes, or always On), and the idle time after which
the camera turns itself off (3, 5 or 10 minutes, or always
On).
Date/Time: serves to set the internal clock and
calendar.
World Time: allows selecting a local
time zone and a destination time zone.
File Numbering: Yes or No, offers the option of
creating a new folder and resetting the file numbering to
one.
Language decides the interface language: Traditional
Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English,
French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian.
Video System: allows selecting the video
signal produced by the camera, NTSC or PAL.
Copy to Card: serves to copy the contents
of the internal memory to an SD memory card.
Reset Settings: returns all camera settings to
their factory defaults.
Firmware Version: displays the version number of
the firmware currently installed on the camera (Vers. 1.01
B6)
USB Mode offers three options:
PC: (Mass Storage) makes the camera's memory
appear as a removable hard disk when connected to a
computer
PC (PTP): uses the Picture Transfer Protocol.
Printer: (PictBridge) serves to connect the
camera to a PictBridge compliant printer so photos can
be printed directly.
The GE G1 is supplied with a printed manual. The manual is
simple and glosses over a number of details about the camera,
and is non-specific about the various modes, omitting, for
instance, more than just a passing reference to the Portrait
mode. Moreover, it lacks a clear organization, and while it
offers pages identifying the various camera controls, it does
not reference the page numbers.
Software
As sold in North America, the GE G1 includes a single CD
called GE Digital Camera software CD. The disc contains:
ArcSoft PhotoImpression 6 (Windows and
Mac)
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows and Mac)
Quicktime (Windows and Mac)
Of these, the image editing program is ArcSoft's PhotoImpression.
PhotoImpression
is an image organizer and viewer with a advanced slide show
capability that also serves for printing, e-mailing and editing.
The Edit menu is composed of three options: the Easy-Fix
Wizard, which provides fully automatic tools to improve an
image by straightening it, cropping, fixing red-eye, adjusting
brightness and contrast, sharpening, adjusting the colour,
or even making the subject stand out.
The next option of the Edit
menu is called Photo Editing Tools, and many of the tools
offered in this section of PhotoImpression are comparable
to tools available in high-end image editors. It contains
advanced tools that affect the entire image as well and a
selection of discrete tools that affect small sections of
an image. Cloning, lighten and darken, sharpen and soften
and smudge tools are provided, as is a healing brush that
can be used to eliminate imperfections totally. Brush (tool)
sizes can be selected, and parts of an image can be selected
using various lasso tools that can be used to place boundaries
in the image past which the tools have no effect.
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
also included on the disc, serves to view the PDF manuals
that support the software.
Finally, Quicktime, from Apple, is intended
to view the movies captured with the G1.
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Interface & Software
