Changing the Lumix GH1 firmware (DSLR camcorder build - Part 2)

To modify the Lumix GH1 firmware, I've downloaded the Ptool utility.

It's a Windows exe, so I've had to run it in a Parallels session on the iMac (I'd forgotten just how quickly Windows 8 Parallels boots as a session on my iMac).

The basic approach is to take the standard firmware image for the camera and the use Ptool to edit appropriate settings. There's a wide variety available (with handy hints) as well as some pre-defined sets contributed by other people.

I've defined my own set, which at this stage are fairly conservative. The (at your own risk) process steps are:

1. Download Ptool to a PC.
2. Download a copy of the latest Panasonic Firmware to the same PC.
3. Use Ptool to modify the firmware image on the PC.
4. Create a new firmware image, which must then be copied to an SDHC card in the root directory.
5. Put the SDHC card into the Lumix GH1.
6. Start the camera and then press the play button.
7. Follow the prompts to update the firmware.

The update takes about a couple of minutes and then the new version is ready.

My next step is to try the change with some video recording...