Changing to mirrorless? Em1, gh3

pete 1

pete 1

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Robin
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I'm seriously considering changing to or at least replacing some gear for a smaller system, been doing some research and was wondering if the gh3 is still worth buying? Is the em1 a better option for stills or maybe the newer G7/GX8, video not important 1080 is fine for the few times I do use it, I do prefer better built bodies but it's not essential, iq for stills the priority, no idea if there's any real difference between them.
 
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They're very similar for pure image quality.
The EM1 has very effective image stabilisation built into the body, whereas the GH3 relies on lens stabilisation.
The EM1 would be better for moving targets and continuous AF.
The EM1 works better with legacy 4/3 lenses.
The EM1 (I think!) has a better viewfinder.
The GH3 does better video, but you say that's not important.
The GH3 has better ergonomics according to most people (the body fits the hand better, the controls and menus are more intuitive).
The GH3 has the option for silent shooting using the electronic shutter.

I'd seriously consider the Panasonic G7. It's probably cheaper than the EM1, still has great ergonomics and electronic shutter, has continuous AF close to the EM1 and just as good a viewfinder. The image quality is again pretty much the same, plus it can do '4k photo', which is a nice option. The GX8 is probably even better, but more expensive and with a very different feel - I'd try one in a shop if you're considering it.
 
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I think I'd prefer Panasonic as I find the the menu system far better, had an earlier Olympus and sold it as I found menu awful lol, I currently have an fz300 as a walkaround so know the menu. Seen nothing but good reviews on the G7 and I suppose it's a bit more future proof if I wanted to dip into 4k or something
 
The G7 was my own choice, with similar criteria as yourself :) I just love the ergonomics. It's too personal a decision, though, to give a universal answer!
 
The e-m1 does have silent shutter mode with current firmware, which also brings 1/16000s. I don't know what lenses you have / will have but 1/16000 creeps up on you at f1.4 on a bright day..

I've had my e-m1 for more than a year - still can't find things in the bloody menu :bat:
 
No lenses nothing at the moment researching what's best for me, love wildlife photography but time is limited, for that I use a nikon afs 300f4 and tc but as much as it's wonderful lens I feel smaller would get used more for my purposes, it's still too big to take around other than for a specific purpose.
 
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I have no issues with the E-M1 or its menus but those canikon things just seem stupid to work.
 
alfbranch said:
I have no issues with the E-M1 or its menus but those canikon things just seem stupid to work.
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I'm sure I'd adapt to a different menu, there's certainly nothing stupid about nikon or canon menus they're simple and uncomplicated,which makes makes shooting easier, you don't want to spend time ploughing through menus. sorry buts rather more of a stupid comment, not particularly helpful either
 
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I bought a G7 not so long ago and I think it's a very good camera and the one caveat is shutter shock. It'd never affected me until I got a 14-42mm mega ois but if you can avoid that issue the only other quibbles I have are that exposure compensation isn't available in manual exposure mode and I find the handgrip extremely uncomfortable.
 
EM1 for stills, GH4 for videos.

Not really any difference in IQ but the EM1 has IBIS, which is really effective, and the GH4 doesn't.
 
What wildlife are you shooting ? If it's BiF then you may not get good results with m43, anything else you should be fine. There's the o300 f4 ( + TC if required ) or p100-400 depending on how much reach you want and whether you want a zoom or not. Not small in terms of m43 but smaller than your current 300f4

For small primes, there is so much choice it's bonkers. The Olympus 45 1.8 is awesome for around £110 used, Panny 25 1.4 is great if the 45 is too long but brings a little extra size. The sigma 30 1.4 is brilliant too for around £240 new - I bought one to replace my o25 1.8 - similar in size to the o12-40 pro. The p20 1.7 is a great, small lens but can hunt in low light

The only restrictions are budget, needs and how much you want to carry I guess :snaphappy:
 
damianmkv said:
What wildlife are you shooting ? If it's BiF then you may not get good results with m43, anything else you should be fine. There's the o300 f4 ( + TC if required ) or p100-400 depending on how much reach you want and whether you want a zoom or not. Not small in terms of m43 but smaller than your current 300f4

For small primes, there is so much choice it's bonkers. The Olympus 45 1.8 is awesome for around £110 used, Panny 25 1.4 is great if the 45 is too long but brings a little extra size. The sigma 30 1.4 is brilliant too for around £240 new - I bought one to replace my o25 1.8 - similar in size to the o12-40 pro. The p20 1.7 is a great, small lens but can hunt in low light

The only restrictions are budget, needs and how much you want to carry I guess :snaphappy:
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One of the 300mm would be sufficient for wildlife, or maybe even 200mm as it's double on MFT, and maybe the 14-140 for a walkaround, I'll add a prime and probably keep the d7100 and sigma 18-35. It's mainly local bird life as I don't get much time for anything else.
 
Plenty of lenses to choose from, just need to decide on the body, I think I'm leaning towards the em1 or GX8, I do prefer weather resistant heavier bodies, I think in the UK it's becoming essential [emoji2]
 
I have a lot of m4/3rds cameras, but not the E-M1.
For long lenses I find this cheapo GH3 best for me, and like the IQ in RAW while it has decent Jpegs.
I prefer Olympus Jpegs but my longest lenses just seem to do better on this GH3.
For all other stuff my e-P2 (and siblings) has the best coloured Jpegs, and e-pL7 for low-light and stabilisation.
I bought my GH3 for £250 and doubt I could find an E-M1 body for that!
 
I've had the GX-7 and then moved onto an E-M1. Image quality was much the same, and I'm sure the GH3 would be similar. The menu system on the Panasonic bodies is better laid out, and you can use the touch screen to navigate through it. If you're used to using a DSLR body you may get on better with the GH3.
I always found the E-M1 a bit "fiddly" to use - the buttons are dials are customisable, but I prefer dedicated, labelled controls, rather than having to remember how I've set the camera up if I haven't used it for a while. One advantage of the E-M1 is you can use older 4/3 like the 50-200 mentioned above with decent AF performance. The 50-200 is a very sharp lens, but the size and weight negates the advantage of the smaller body - in the end I sold mine and got the Panny 100-300.
 
Gh3 is pretty cheap now, food for thought, it's a difficult one might wait till I can see a few, the G7 sounds perfect but I do like a bit of weight to a camera, the em1 sounds right to but have my reservations about the menu system but then I'd get used to it. The GX8 has both, but do I want to spend that amount on a system to begin with? [emoji24] [emoji31] [emoji1]
 
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Purchased a mint em1 today from a fellow member any recommended lenses just to start with
 
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Robin the Olympus 45mm is the zenith of price/results in m4/3rds,
but there are a lot of excellent lenses for this system.
 
Yes so many have said that lens, I think it's a must, I might go with the 14-150 as a walkaround, that will cover me till I get to know the system better
 
Robintaylor said:
Purchased a mint em1 today from a fellow member any recommended lenses just to start with
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I like primes mostly. 14/17/25/45mm.

I like all my primes but the Oly 17mm f1.8 is a favorite at the moment.
 
A superzoom and a fast prime is an ideal travel kit.

Personally I would go with the newer Oly 14-150 as it is weather resistant which will go well with the EM1, they sometimes come up cheap on MPB and eBay or HDEW often have them at a great price too (they split them from kits).

The 45mm is fantastic bang for buck if you have use for that focal range, however I've not used mine at all since getting the 12-40 pro zoom.
 
Nawty said:
A superzoom and a fast prime is an ideal travel kit.

Personally I would go with the newer Oly 14-150 as it is weather resistant which will go well with the EM1, they sometimes come up cheap on MPB and eBay or HDEW often have them at a great price too (they split them from kits).

The 45mm is fantastic bang for buck if you have use for that focal range, however I've not used mine at all since getting the 12-40 pro zoom.
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Just ordered the 14-150, need at least one weather sealed lens, will add the 45 which will do me for the time being.

Or maybe the 12-40??
 
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