GF1 to NEX5N Anyone done this?

stevelmx5

stevelmx5

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Steve
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Hi, I'm currently shooting with 2 40d's and a selection of lenses as my workhorse for weddings/portraits/landscapes and a Gf1 as very small unobtrusive 3rd camera for weddings and day to day. The GF1 is excellent as a natural shooter at weddings because nobody feels intimidated by it. I tend to just use a manual 25mm 1.4 cctv lens on the gf1 for weddings to give completely different results to the sometimes 'clinical' shots from the slr which are sharp and colourful! However, as good as the gf1 is, anything above ISO 800-1000 can't even be rescued by b&w so I'm considering swapping to an nex5n after reading some excellent high-iso reports and obviously through larger sensor.

Just wondering if anybody else has moved from m4/3rds to the nex5n and how they found it. I'm already aware of the limitations of the 18-55/16mm lenses but will primarily be using manual lenses.

Cheers
Steve
 
I've owned a G1 and the Nex-5n simply blows it away! In fact it's quite a bit better than the Nex-3 and Nex-5 that I've owned previously. I bought the EVF from a seller here which helps things massively as I only use manual focus lenses (obviously!). High ISO performance is excellent and dynamic range is brilliant also. I've only had it two weeks, but am seriously impressed. It has an electronic shutter first option too which allows me to shoot around a stop slower than normal too i.e. 1/ ((focal length*1.5 / 2)).

For street shooting I have matched the camera up with a Contax Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8, and I managed to find an old Pen-F 38/1.8 for normal shots (just waiting for the adapter). I also picked up a Minotla MD mount Vivitar 28/2 for £15 for low light stuff :)

I own the 35/1.7 TV lens, which is sharp in the middle but soft all round the edges at all apertures, so not recommended unless you like arty shots!

BTW, my main camera is a Canon EOS 5D, so the size and weight of this little Nex is quite different.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. That kind of affirms everything I've read about the 5N!

I was reading a few reviews last night and it does look like an excellent improvement over the original Nex5 (which I originally considered before getting the GF1). Hmm, might be GF1/14-45/14 going in the classifieds soon!

With regards to the CCTV lens, I get the same effect from the GF1 but it's proved popular with my clients so I'll keep using it ;)

Cheers
Steve
 
stevelmx5 said:
However, as good as the gf1 is, anything above ISO 800-1000 can't even be rescued by b&w...
Click to expand...

I suppose it depends on what you are willing to accept... but that just doesn't sound right to me. I originally had problems with higher ISO images until I altered my settings and processing to get the best results and now I'm happy to use my G1 at any ISO up to and including 1600, and even 3200 is usable with care. Even before changing what I do I was happy to use MFT from 800-1200.
 
Yeah, to be fair I do use the gf1 up to 1600 and the noise reduction in LR3/4 is pretty good. I'm probably being overly critical because I've chosen to use it alongside my dslr kit in the weddings to add something different. This is a shot from a wedding last week on the gf1 with cctv lens http://db.tt/nBdUA9em.

To be fair to the gf1, I guess there's a bit of new toy syndrome going on as well ;0)

Cheers
Steve
 
Well, we all like new toys...

Sorry if I'm wrong but if you're getting unusable images at ISO 800 I suspect that you're under exposing when shooting or boosting too much in processing?

I've just been looking through my own high ISO GF1 shots and there are lots taken between 800 and 1200 that look ok with no or just minimal NR and that's on screen at high magnification so once viewed at normal size or printed at a reasonable size noise will be a complete non issue.
 
I bought a Nex5N to replace my GF1. I returned it. I bought a Fuji X100 to replace my GF1. I returned it.

Perhaps people out there have better analysis abilities than me (actually probably most folk!) but frankly doing the stuff that I do I couldn't see a great difference - I mean how high do you want your ISO to go anyway? And when you've shoved your manual focus legacy lens on the front of the exquisitely tiny NEX why not just take your modern DSLR instead-it's probably lighter and smaller!

The Fuji OVF/EVF and general "look" are outstanding but the GUI and AF are just awful.

Yes there are differences and both cameras probably produce better IQ at ISO800 but as an overall package, I'll stick with my GF1/20mm/14mm.:)
 
Thanks again for more feedback and thoughts. I have been a bit harsh on my gf saying higher ISO shots aren't useable but they are really. I'm just being drawn to the crop sensor, higher res optional viewfinder and particularly focus peaking which I really wish Panasonic would introduce.

I agree about my legacy lenses being small. I shoot with a selection of OM lenses which, even with the adaptor, aren't massively different in size/weight to the 20mm pancake.

I think I'll take the gf into Currys one day and put it side by side with a 5n and get a feel for the differences.

Cheers
Steve
 
stevelmx5 said:
Thanks again for more feedback and thoughts. I have been a bit harsh on my gf saying higher ISO shots aren't useable but they are really. I'm just being drawn to the crop sensor, higher res optional viewfinder and particularly focus peaking which I really wish Panasonic would introduce.

I agree about my legacy lenses being small. I shoot with a selection of OM lenses which, even with the adaptor, aren't massively different in size/weight to the 20mm pancake.

I think I'll take the gf into Currys one day and put it side by side with a 5n and get a feel for the differences.

Cheers
Steve
Click to expand...

K-01? :) Some great tiny pancakes, amazing IQ and high ISO performance and built in stabilisation. If I didn't have a K5 I'd bought it in a heartbeat. That is of course unless you absolutely need a viewfinder.
 
Sorry but not a chance. It looks like its been designed by Pentax in partnership with IKEA and the early learning centre ;0)

I've got a few friends who shoot Pentax though who are interested because of the k-mount but I think I'd personally stick to the k5.

Cheers for the idea though.
Steve
 
Just as an update, I've borrowed an X100 off my cousin who's been using it to shoot weddings with me alongside his 5D2 to see if I would use it as an alternative to my GF1 and I'd have to say no. Although the quality of the images out of it are excellent and the high-iso is also fantastic, I couldn't live with the patchy AF speed day to day.

I've read a lot of reviews of the X100 recently and each one marked it as a negative point against the camera and I can see why. In a portrait situation and most of the weddings we've been shooting with it it's been ok because people stand still but having used it to try and capture shots of the kids running round on a 'normal' day out at the Safari Park (not a sporting event but not standing still either!) I've been left frustrated on a number of occassions.

As much as I wanted to love the X100 for its handling and the quality of the output, I don't think I could live with the amount of lost shots due to the leisurely focussing. I don't really understand why it's so slow considering the speed of my GF1 and also the NEX bodies which are also Contrast AF but it seems that its more expensive sibling (XPro-1) also suffers with similar (albeit slightly faster) AF?

Hmmm, that's another option ticked off the list which leaves me with the 5n or a nice new Olympus 45mm 1.8 for the GF1 and live with the higher-ISO noise. :0)

Cheers
Steve
 
Why not a G3 which are pretty cheap right now with the rebate, been chuffed to bits with mine and managed a few A4 prints at 3200 which look great...
 
Thanks. I actually thought the same thing earlier today and noticed they're around £250 used. I like the look of the sensor and would probably prefer the same form factor as the gf1 so would possibly prefer the gx1 instead?

I haven't looked into the gx1 before so am not 100% sure it is the same sensor/processor though?

Cheers
Steve
 
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