View Full Version : Upgrade firmware of japanese model to display english menus??? Is it possible?
salils
08-21-2009, 10:47 PM
Is it possible?
Cassius
08-21-2009, 11:31 PM
No, I'm pretty sure that's been established at this point.
Nighthawk
08-22-2009, 12:18 AM
Is it possible?
Anything's possible but is it probable.? There seems to have been an extremely tight nationalistic approach to the Japanese release of the GH1. If domestic pressures prompt a re-evaluation due to a sales drop you might see something in a firmware update that opens the marketing possibilities but not until then IMHO.
SonicStates
08-23-2009, 12:54 AM
I'm here in Japan and I called Panasonic (not that anything of real value would have been told to little ol' me) BUT I asked the same question and the answer given was 'No. Not now, not ever'
Like Nighthawk says, 'Anything is possible...' but I wouldn't bet on it.
it's not just Panasonic, there's been a move by Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and a couple more other major players here in Japan.
The reasons given are ridiculous "if everyone comes to Japan to buy cheap gear, then why would we spend so much on overseas promotion, shipping etc"
The only way for us in Japan to get english models of these cameras is to buy the tourist models, which have been imported from Singapore and retail for a hugely inflated price (+ import tax. Some places import the body only, but then you have to (as in you must, else no deal) buy it with the kit lense seperately which is already massively expensive). Avoid at all costs!
You are way better off learning Katakana and Hiragana which will allow you to read most of the menus, and then the rest is either useless or can be guessed from the icons.
Car3o
08-24-2009, 01:31 AM
wouldn't a firmware hack be the easiest solution? just add the language into the hack pack?
Cassius
08-24-2009, 09:58 AM
Yeah, that does sound easy. Go for it.
Otherwise, we don't know exactly how it works yet. It's undoubtedly not as easy as one parameter in the base code. I haven't actually looked at the firmware code yet, though, and it takes a long time to sift through the whole thing.
commanderspike
08-24-2009, 10:15 AM
Yeah, that does sound easy. Go for it.
Otherwise, we don't know exactly how it works yet. It's undoubtedly not as easy as one parameter in the base code. I haven't actually looked at the firmware code yet, though, and it takes a long time to sift through the whole thing.
Cassius... You know how to look at the firmware code?
Do you intent to hack it?
Interesting...
solutci
10-03-2011, 02:33 AM
+1 for a GF2 Japanese Language Hack.
I recently was given one as a gift and it's a great little camera minus the fact that I don't speak Japanese.
MR Fanny
10-03-2011, 08:30 AM
this is a really old thread if you didn't notice.