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This is a bit of public brainstorming, on me trying to reduce the weight of a long lens/wildlife option in my camera bag.
It isn't an invitation to start a Nikon vs OM war, and if you compare an M43 bag of camera kit with a Nikon bag of camera kit, then M43 clearly wins in terms of weight and size.. Having said that, while looking at sizes and weights, the M43 benefits can depend on what "exactly" you compare.
And, obviously you need to look at the overall capabilities of each system there are lots of other reasons, beyond weight and size, for preferring one over the other, including cost.
However, my plan to add a 300mm f4 to my EM1.3 to replace my D500 with 300mm + 1.4TC combination, primarily to save weight, and to a lesser extent bulk, has floundered.
The D500 combo gives me an equivalent focal length of 630mm at f5.6 and the EM1.3 with the 300mm would be the equivalent focal length of a 600mm at f4. In theory the APS sensor in the d500 should balance out this difference in maximum aperture and give both options the same light gathering capability, by increasing the ISO with the D500.
The D500+300mm+1.4TC+ tripod collar + lenshood weighs 2031g (In fact my setup is a few grams heavier as I have the Kirk tripod collar)
The EM1.3+300mm f4 + tripod collar + built in lenshood (which I have assumed is included in the lens weight) is 2055g. An OM1 adds a few grams to this weight
So the Nikon option is slightly lighter than the OM option, or near enough the same to make no practical difference.
The D500 is obviously a lot bigger than the EM1.3, but the nikon 300mm+1.4TC is a few millimetres narrower and over 30mm shorter than the OM 300mm f4.
Looking at Nikon mirrorless and using the APS. crop on a Z8, to give a 600mm equivalent fom the 400mm f4.5 Z mount lens, brings the Nikon weight up to 2287g, However, going with a Nikon Z7 mk III (once available and assuming it follows the lead of the Zf and Z6 III in terms of improved AF for birds) it should be possible to knock around 200g from this and bring the total weight down to around 2.1kg. The 400mm Nikon lens, although lighter is around 10mm longer and wider than the OM 300mm. Not that I can afford this option, but I thought it useful to compare them as potential longer term options.
So, for this specific use, the weights of a Nikon DSLR, Nikon Mirrorless and M43 mirrorless are all remarkably close to 2.1kg regardless of system, not what I had expected.
An OM1 body and Z6/Z7 body are similar in size ( the Nikons are about 10mm taller but a few millimetres shorter and less deep, the Z6III and Z7 III are going to be slightly bigger the current Z6II and Z7) The D500 and Z8 are substantially bigger than the EM1.3/OM1.
Of course, using only weight and a single lens/body combination comparison isn't, normally, a good way to compare systems, But, in this instance, as the urgent driver was to save weight, and to a lesser extent bulk., this has been a useful exercise to answer a specific question. I'm a lot more content to stick with D500/300mm+14TC for a while longer, than I was yesterday
The EM1.3 with the 12-200 will continue as my EDC. For which, it's hard to come up with anything better.
It isn't an invitation to start a Nikon vs OM war, and if you compare an M43 bag of camera kit with a Nikon bag of camera kit, then M43 clearly wins in terms of weight and size.. Having said that, while looking at sizes and weights, the M43 benefits can depend on what "exactly" you compare.
And, obviously you need to look at the overall capabilities of each system there are lots of other reasons, beyond weight and size, for preferring one over the other, including cost.
However, my plan to add a 300mm f4 to my EM1.3 to replace my D500 with 300mm + 1.4TC combination, primarily to save weight, and to a lesser extent bulk, has floundered.
The D500 combo gives me an equivalent focal length of 630mm at f5.6 and the EM1.3 with the 300mm would be the equivalent focal length of a 600mm at f4. In theory the APS sensor in the d500 should balance out this difference in maximum aperture and give both options the same light gathering capability, by increasing the ISO with the D500.
The D500+300mm+1.4TC+ tripod collar + lenshood weighs 2031g (In fact my setup is a few grams heavier as I have the Kirk tripod collar)
The EM1.3+300mm f4 + tripod collar + built in lenshood (which I have assumed is included in the lens weight) is 2055g. An OM1 adds a few grams to this weight
So the Nikon option is slightly lighter than the OM option, or near enough the same to make no practical difference.
The D500 is obviously a lot bigger than the EM1.3, but the nikon 300mm+1.4TC is a few millimetres narrower and over 30mm shorter than the OM 300mm f4.
Looking at Nikon mirrorless and using the APS. crop on a Z8, to give a 600mm equivalent fom the 400mm f4.5 Z mount lens, brings the Nikon weight up to 2287g, However, going with a Nikon Z7 mk III (once available and assuming it follows the lead of the Zf and Z6 III in terms of improved AF for birds) it should be possible to knock around 200g from this and bring the total weight down to around 2.1kg. The 400mm Nikon lens, although lighter is around 10mm longer and wider than the OM 300mm. Not that I can afford this option, but I thought it useful to compare them as potential longer term options.
So, for this specific use, the weights of a Nikon DSLR, Nikon Mirrorless and M43 mirrorless are all remarkably close to 2.1kg regardless of system, not what I had expected.
An OM1 body and Z6/Z7 body are similar in size ( the Nikons are about 10mm taller but a few millimetres shorter and less deep, the Z6III and Z7 III are going to be slightly bigger the current Z6II and Z7) The D500 and Z8 are substantially bigger than the EM1.3/OM1.
Of course, using only weight and a single lens/body combination comparison isn't, normally, a good way to compare systems, But, in this instance, as the urgent driver was to save weight, and to a lesser extent bulk., this has been a useful exercise to answer a specific question. I'm a lot more content to stick with D500/300mm+14TC for a while longer, than I was yesterday
The EM1.3 with the 12-200 will continue as my EDC. For which, it's hard to come up with anything better.