Micro 4/3 Help

Thunderbird010

Thunderbird010

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Andy
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Like a few other people the DSLR is not getting out as much as it should and I am seriously considering selling all my gear and going down the 4/3 route.

I only do this as a hobby and shouldn't want to print anything out bigger than A4 size. I have been looking at loads of different reviews and my head hurts!! I have looked at my flickr and most of the shots I take are mostly portraits and landscapes and wondered what you guys recommend. I don't tend to do any night time photography just mostly at weekends in the day.

I like that look of the G3 but wondered if the G2 would be ok and with the £100 that I save maybe purchase the 20mm lens? Also theres still the £40 cashback on these 2 cameras at the moment with the 14-42 kit lens.

Await your thoughts.
 
If you can do without video maybe a G1 could be an option? They're even cheaper than G2's. I personally prefer the Gx range to the GFx range as I prefer a VF to using the back screen.

I have the 20mm f1.7 and the 14-42mm too. I wouldn't describe the 14-42mm as a lens to set the pulse racing but it is a competent enough kit lens and the combination seems to completely lack any distortion or CA. The 20mm is pretty much a joy to use unless you like to manual focus and then the fly by wire system really does you no favours at all.

Other than the odd gripe I'd thoroughly recommend MFT as they are compact and light and give good image quality although some scenes at or above ISO 1600 may need noise reduction. I use my G1 with the screen folded to the body and despite being able to have an in view histograme it's a very film shooting like experience :D
 
As Alan says it kind of depends a lot if you want a view finder. If you don't need one then the GF range (I have the GF2) is good as they are very compact when used with the pancake lenses like the 14mm. If you want EVF then forget the GF2 range and look at the G2,G3,GH2.

I can't comment on anything other than Panasonic M4/3 camera as they are all I have used.

Have a look in this thread http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=262800&page=89 and my reply number #2658 because I have done some very unscientific testing of the GF2 against my 1DmkIV and it's really surprising how closely they compare. The DSLR would be waaaay better in situations like fast action sports and very very low light but it sounds like for what you shoot an M4/3 camera would be just fine.

In fact I am 99.9% certain I will be selling off all my very high end DSLR gear and going M4/3 only as I just don't need all the pro gear.
 
EMA747 said:
In fact I am 99.9% certain I will be selling off all my very high end DSLR gear and going M4/3 only as I just don't need all the pro gear.
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So you've finally decided then Andy, you're going to sell your 1D4 and lenses?
 
EMA747 said:
The DSLR would be waaaay better in situations like fast action sports and very very low light...
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Actually I'm very probably happier shooting in very low light with my G1 as I have my 25mm f0.95 and the widest aperture I can shoot with with my DSLR's is f1.4.
 
On a similar boat with you, don't want to give up my DSLR kit (my K-5 after all is a brilliant camera and doubt it will be matched by even the best m4/3 especially when paired with my 50-135mm ) but I'd like something a lot more competent than a compact yet something that can slip in a large pocket.

I am split between two cameras : The EP3 and the GX1 . Love the looks and feel of the GX1, and it aesthetically matches better to one of the lenses that I will be buying with it the 20mm 1.7 (shallow but there you go). Also although I do not know how it performs the size of the 14-42 X makes it ideal as an everywhere camera. It helps that it currently with the X lens costs exactly as much as the EP3 alone. It also beats the EP3 hands down for High ISO noise.

On the other hand the EP3 feels even better built though not as nice to hold for me, has built in IS so all the lenses I buy for it are stabilised (BIG thing for me) it seems to produce nicer colours and it matches a lot better to the 45mm 1.8 that is the second lens it is getting paired with...

Keep in mind that if you go with the Olympus Pen series or anything other than the G3/GX1/GH2 the sensors on the older models are quite noise at high ISO so depending on your current kit you might get disappointed on that aspect.
 
woof woof said:
Actually I'm very probably happier shooting in very low light with my G1 as I have my 25mm f0.95 and the widest aperture I can shoot with with my DSLR's is f1.4.
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Ah yes that lens would allow some great low light work. :)
 
I'd keep the DSLR - from my experience I went through the same thought process a while ago and picked up a GF1 + 20mm + 14-45. Great little toy but then picked up the DSLR again and loved it more for what it was :). There are just so many little nice things on a DSLR from a usability point of view that I'd miss sorely on a m4/3.

Oddly enough I picked up a GF3 + 14mm f2.5 & 14-42 @ Jessops because they had a rebate on. Planned to sell the GF3 + 14-42 straight away (I just wanted the 14mm and it worked out cheaper).

Thought I would loathe the GF3's lack of 'manualness' and ergonomics. After using it for a week I genuinely think Panasonic were bang on the money with this model. It's what m4/3 should be - small, light, fun, and easy to use (the touch screen vs twiddly knobs is actually better especially for things such as selecting a focal point).

GF1 is now on it's way to eBay instead :).

GX1 is an interesting camera I thought I wanted but I don't now I've got the GF3...
 
ShrubMonkey said:
So you've finally decided then Andy, you're going to sell your 1D4 and lenses?
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Pretty much decided yeah. I went to visit my friend in Zurich over new year and guess what I took camera wise. Yep the GF2. Just the though of packing the 1D, a couple of lenses, charger, big tripod etc was just too much. :bonk: I can seriously see this being the case every time I want to go anywhere with my camera, especially overseas and to be honest quite a bulk of my photography is done when I am away, so the big pro body doesn't really seem worth keeping.
 
With modern noise reduction (I use CS5) I think that older model Panny's - G1 and GF1 - do ok. Here's a few ISO 1600 shots with basic processing in CS5, no real heroic measures :D

Poor light and rain.
_1040066-1.jpg


Evening in Belgium.
P1020759-1.jpg


100% of the above.
P1020759c-1.jpg
 
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Thanks for that guys the viewfinder and swivel screen would be handy but not totally necessary. Would you say the g3 and gf3 produce more or less the same quality images. Im torn between 2 deals one a gf3 with the 14mm lens then i would purchase the 100-300 at a later date the other the g3 with the 14-42 and 45-200 lenses. Only thing putting me off is the 14-42 reviews arent that good and i would purchase a 14mm or 20mm at a later date.
 
The G3 like the GX1 are using the newer much improved 16mp sensor. The Gf3 AFAIK still uses the ageing 12mp found in the previous models as old as the G1/GF1.
 
vrapan said:
The G3 like the GX1 are using the newer much improved 16mp sensor. The Gf3 AFAIK still uses the ageing 12mp found in the previous models as old as the G1/GF1.
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Spot on - the reason I thought I wanted a GX1 odd as it may sound the ISO performance on the GF3 seems a stop better than the GF1. That's just an impression - I don't test my cameras to death. I shoot is RAW as well so perhaps it's all in my head :). I do know some 'conversion' takes place to the RAW files in the camera to fix things like distortion so perhaps that's been tweaked for noise on the GF3. Who knows.

I actually like the idea of the G3 with it's inbuilt viewfinder etc but wouldn't have a place in my kit.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys I had a look at both the cameras the GF3 was very small and would easily fit in a pocket with the 14mm lens and I was impressed but it just didn't feel right holding it. I couldn't seem to get a grip on it and felt like I was going to drop it!!

The G3 although larger felt right viewfinder was better than expected as I have used bridge cameras before but this was much better and the flip screen is useful although I have never had one before. The sensor was also larger.

Could of got it cheaper but went to Mathers of Lancashire really professional and knowledgable staff showed me some photos as well that they had taken around Bolton with the G3 blown up to A4 with the kit lens and also the 20mm which will be my next purchase in a few months time.

£450 plus the £40 cashback but they also gave me a free copy of lightroom 3 there and then so haven't got to wait for Panasonic to post it to me. Don't know whether to use it as I just got PS Elements 10 for Christmas so may sell it.
 
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