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Exactly, the whole point of m4/3 for me is weight saving. Walking around cities etc with just the EM1-II with 12-40mm can feel a bit intrusive let alone carrying another camera and lens.
Olympus OM-D E-M5, E-M1, E-M10 - Mk1, Mk2 & Mk3 Owners Thread
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Have you used their customer service then or is that just anecdotal?
Think i'll give it a miss on here for now, obvious you just want to argue the toss about everything.
Just p***es me off and can't be bothered with that sort of nonsense, life's too short.
RedRobin
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Having two bodies is a luxury not a necessity for amateurs/enthusiasts imo, not everyone has endless money to spend on their hobbies
.... I didn't say it was a necessity did I. I merely gave my reasoned opinion why it's a good idea to have two bodies and which are identical.
Having two bodies is not the exclusive right of professionals and not allowed if you are an amateur/enthusiast/hobbyist is it. You can call it a luxury if you like and I realise that I am lucky to have the choice at all but I have that choice and make other sacrifices to afford it - Do you have a problem with that? Your tone suggests you might or have I misinterpreted your words?
Believe me when I say that I do not have "endless money" - Do you think that I have? I am retired (for 20 years now) and in my 70s and choose to spend what I can on what is a serious hobby which gives me deep enjoyment and which is also good for the soul being out there with wildlife. When I am too old to carry even an Olympus and unable to get out there I shall have very fond rich memories and no regrets - Such is the quality of life.
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I think you have completely misinterpreted my post, it was in no way aggressive or argumentative.
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.... Yes I have used A.J.Johnstone and so I have had direct experience of using them. I can give a full account of that experience if anyone needs. I never offer recommendations without having had personal experience.
It's a shame you think I am wanting to argue - I was merely offering my different reasons to yours in response to your earlier posts on the two-body subject. Hopefully a reader can see which approach suits them best and can gain from the discussion between us to their own benefit.
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RedRobin
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.... Then I apologise. I must have misinterpreted the tone of your words. I expect that if we were having a face-to-face live discussion any ambiguity would not have happened as facial expressions and body language would have played an important part - Such is the hyperinterwebbynet sometimes.
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To put this to bed ,the camera is on its way back ( Portugal I presume) the above posts re turn around time are physiologically helpfull , I was also in the process of selling the Nikon D7000 and lens I bought as back up for the wife and then re.invest in a omd1.mk1 so we could share lenses and/ or use with a macro on in the summer .. .. it will just take longer to put into place now .. hopefully I have lots of friends at my frequent haunts that might be able to lend me a long reach Nikon lens as and when needed .. if I had better health and finances I would seriously consider going back to a DSLR but as neither is a viable option then I have to stick with Olympus
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I was referring to Olympus hence customer service as opposed to repairers.
Done and dusted, have a good one and make the most of he weather before the gales come again on Thursday
RedRobin
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.... Absolutely - That's why I wrote "But of course it depends what kind of photography you do" separately at the end of my post.
You do a lot of city photography amongst people and I do a lot of wildlife away from people. The beauty of the m4/3 system (especially Olympus in my case) is that it caters for both our needs/wishes and for other photographer's needs, both amateur and professional.
Unlike yourself, although I too use many different gadgets I have found that muscle memory has interfered with successfully or easily grabbing the fleeting wildlife shot on too many occasions. Using both a Canon D-SLR and mirrorless EOS-R body didn't suit my albeit limited muscle memory well at all.
I was joking and laughing at myself when I crossed out my "
" comment. However, quite a few friends and acquaintances I have who are in their 20s tell me they think I am very cool. One 22yo even told me so yesterday (in person, not on Facebook). I don't strive to be cool but it is flattering and stops one feeling too old for anything..... I have had many phone chats with Olympus UK Customer Service but never Olympus repairers - Too many to count! And with 4 different people there. All extremely helpful and pro-active.
I am not intending to take any more photographs before my trip to Greece this coming weekend - I hope the gales don't interfere with flights! The 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro I bought from you is going to be invaluable sometimes on my second body and it already has been. Your timing was very lucky for me and I am very grateful even though I may unfortunately sometimes come across as being argumentative - My intention is to be augmenting and hence contribute something to this thread.
Cheers!
RedRobin
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.... That's good news about such a fast turnaround from Olympus. It gives others here faith to hear that too.
Are you serious about wanting in an ideal scenario to go back to a D-SLR Jeff? I know that full-frame quality is fabulous but the m4/3 system has much going for it.
What happened to your Olympus needing repair could just as easily happened to any D-SLR - It happened to my Canon 7D-2.
Bottom line is that there is no such thing as a perfect camera - You have shot with much more variety than many and know that well.
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yeah I do know robin ,and the grass is not always greener .. still in hyped up need to calm down mode ,luckily the weather is crap and the sightings are few and far between at the moment .
RedRobin
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.... Ah yes, I know that hyped up feeling well - For me it was crap weather when I my M1X was delivered and I so wanted to play with my new toy outside and the poor light lasted for days.
Having posted earlier this morning that I wasn't going to shoot any more pics before the weekend I just popped into my kitchen for a cuppa, looked out at the dull-as-dishwater (yes I had washed up the night before!) grey colourless weather but then spotted, not a Short-eared Owl like in your neck of the woods, but a Cormorant perched high in a tall tree in silhouette and then a couple of Crows silhouetted. So I now have 110 more shots to cull and post-process.
Still, another chance to test out my 2x TC again. Equivalent to 1200mm handheld is valuable but gradually begins to feel heavy holding the same position to the eye.
This wildlife photography lark is a bit addictive isn't it!
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.... Absolutely - That's why I wrote "But of course it depends what kind of photography you do" separately at the end of my post.
You do a lot of city photography amongst people and I do a lot of wildlife away from people. The beauty of the m4/3 system (especially Olympus in my case) is that it caters for both our needs/wishes and for other photographer's needs, both amateur and professional.
Unlike yourself, although I too use many different gadgets I have found that muscle memory has interfered with successfully or easily grabbing the fleeting wildlife shot on too many occasions. Using both a Canon D-SLR and mirrorless EOS-R body didn't suit my albeit limited muscle memory well at all.
I was joking and laughing at myself when I crossed out my "...cool...
.... I have had many phone chats with Olympus UK Customer Service but never Olympus repairers - Too many to count! And with 4 different people there. All extremely helpful and pro-active.
I am not intending to take any more photographs before my trip to Greece this coming weekend - I hope the gales don't interfere with flights! The 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro I bought from you is going to be invaluable sometimes on my second body and it already has been. Your timing was very lucky for me and I am very grateful even though I may unfortunately sometimes come across as being argumentative - My intention is to be augmenting and hence contribute something to this thread.
Cheers!
Wasn't me Robin, my 12-40 is firmly attached to the little GX9 or at least it was when I last looked
RedRobin
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.... Oops! Oh yes, it was the green ninja Terry and I have got you two mixed up before, sorry - tijuana vs ninja. I got it wrong, I must be getting old. I thought I was just a dyslexic 27yo.
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.... Just to share/offer my tips for both Olympus ED 40-150mm and 300mm Pro wearing LensCoats. You doubtless have your own preferences Mike but this may also be useful to others reading this.
With reference to this pic :
Firstly I have chosen different LensCoat camo patterns to differentiate between the two lenses at a glance without even thinking about it. When the 300mm lens hood is slid back it is a similar length to the 40-150mm.
On the 40-150mm Pro pictured on the left, the oem lens hood has to be unlocked to then slide it back and therefore the knurled ring section is better exposed for this action. My solution is to roll-tuck the neoprene as shown by rolling it under at the back (camera body end).
On the 300mm Pro pictured on the right, the oem lens hood is turned as a whole to action its travel back towards the camera body. The problem is that unless roll-tucked (as my pic shows) it crunches up against the manual focus ring and this becomes worse if you ever slide the lens in and out of an individual lens bag. Rather than cut it I have roll-tucked it under its whole width with the roll at the front filter end.
On the 40-150mm the lens Fn button and zoom info is hidden (I hadn't planned this pic for this post) and the supplied neoprene section has not been fitted because it partially obscures important info and also it is narrow and slips too easily.
On the 300mm I have v-cut in two places to be able to see the lens marks for the lens collar. I have also punched holes over the switches in the clear window section to facilitate their use (hidden in my pic). I have not removed the whole transparent window material because it would adversely alter the structural integrity of that narrow section of neoprene to then potentially create future problems.
On both lenses I consider it a bad idea to apply the adhesive strip around the actual lens tripod collar as it will inevitably leave a nasty residue when eventually removed. It's not necessary as camouflaging lenses has limitations in hiding you from the target anyway. Camo only works by visually breaking up a view and most wildlife species (including human targets!) will be first alerted by your movement.
On both lenses I have covered the rear section but punched a slightly bigger hole to better see the red dots for mounting alignment. I can also see at a glance whether either of the Pro Teleconverters are mounted because they are left uncovered.
I have only owned Olympus cameras since last November and so don't know how they feel in hot weather but without the neoprene covers they feel much colder than my Canon lenses did and so the neoprene covers are a bonus.
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o.k due to my ongoing repair problem , I have been pondering the purchase of a used om-D E.M1 , has any one had one and should I be looking at anything in particular in the way of faults etc .
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I've had two of them Jeff, first one was returned due to bad shutter shock issues, second one was fine
I believe @snerkler had similar issues with an E-M5ii, strange how some bodies seem worse than others
They do have one other well known problem which has to do with the strap lugs failing.
Didn't experience that myself, but have heard first hand accounts of it happening
I never liked the greenish tint in the EVF, some say they don't notice it, personally found it off putting.
Can't say I particularly liked or disliked the camera, decent enough results, so ok would be my rating
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thanks rich , my main reason for looking is it will also work with my two four thirds lenses via the adaptor I have a 50.200.swd and a 12-60.swd plus a 100mm Samyang macro so I can use any of those on a separate body once the mkii comes back .
any other users ?
any other users ?
RedRobin
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For those of you interested in how the Olympus 2x MC-20 performs - Someone here did specifically ask earlier. I can only offer my experiences with it shooting wildlife on either the ED 40-150mm or 300mm Pro lenses and those are the only two lenses that either the MC-20 or MC-14 will currently fit AFAIK (I stand to be corrected).
As to be expected, AF is definitely slowed and in very poor light with little contrast to lock onto target it is very slooow. Fortunately Olympus's devilishly simple Manual Focus clutch override on all Pro lenses can sometimes come to its aid.
A minimum open aperture of F/8 on the 300mm is not the problem many would assume as its countered by having a greater DoF and this is a benefit when shooting at distant targets. Also, with WYSIWYG in the viewfinder you can easily introduce other aids on the fly in poor light to help your histogram such as ISO settings or Exposure Compensation or both.
To be able to handhold shots at an equivalent 1200mm is mega useful for some wildlife and also for more extreme close-ups. However, the combined weight of the ED 300mm F/4 + MC-20 + M1X can begin to feel heavy without any elbow support if having to maintain the same position in the viewfinder for more than a few minutes. A monopod can solve such circumstances.
So far, I judge the image quality difference between with and without either of the TCs to be non existent - Certainly to the naked eye and I'm not interested in pixel-peeping or studying scientific lab results. I judge photographs as evocative pictures unless of course something obviously lacking is slapping you in the face like a wet fish in a Monty Python sketch.
MY GARDEN WREN by Robin Procter, on Flickr
As to be expected, AF is definitely slowed and in very poor light with little contrast to lock onto target it is very slooow. Fortunately Olympus's devilishly simple Manual Focus clutch override on all Pro lenses can sometimes come to its aid.
A minimum open aperture of F/8 on the 300mm is not the problem many would assume as its countered by having a greater DoF and this is a benefit when shooting at distant targets. Also, with WYSIWYG in the viewfinder you can easily introduce other aids on the fly in poor light to help your histogram such as ISO settings or Exposure Compensation or both.
To be able to handhold shots at an equivalent 1200mm is mega useful for some wildlife and also for more extreme close-ups. However, the combined weight of the ED 300mm F/4 + MC-20 + M1X can begin to feel heavy without any elbow support if having to maintain the same position in the viewfinder for more than a few minutes. A monopod can solve such circumstances.
So far, I judge the image quality difference between with and without either of the TCs to be non existent - Certainly to the naked eye and I'm not interested in pixel-peeping or studying scientific lab results. I judge photographs as evocative pictures unless of course something obviously lacking is slapping you in the face like a wet fish in a Monty Python sketch.
MY GARDEN WREN by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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I had one and thought it was great, however it's a far cry from the mark II for C-AF and anything moving. IMO it's so frustrating I would say not to bother if you intend to shoot wildlife with it.
I did have shutter shock with my first EM5-II yeah, second was fine. I found changing the temp of the EVF helped, although it would be nice to adjust tint too.
RedRobin
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.... Sounds like a good plan. Does that mean you will going out in the field with two cameras at once like either a pro or a rich kid? Or have I "got the wrong end of the stick again"?
Only a crazy man like me would do this with a heavy D-SLR system! :
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I have an OMD EM1 Mk1 which I bought secondhand with minimal use. I use it mainly for studio shoots in manual mode, which meant that the shutter issue I have was not apparent at first. It's not shutter shock, but a lazy shutter at shorter durations from above 1/1250, it over exposes, the shorter the exposure, the worse the over exposure. If I swap to the electronic shutter, it exposes perfectly in the same conditions. I've not seen any reference to this issue elsewhere and perhaps my specific shutter issue is an isolated case. I could get it fixed but just grab a different camera in bright light. Otherwise it's a fine camera readily available for peanuts from all the usual purveyors, provided previous generation focusing can be accepted. It's worth getting the battery grip because battery life isn't great unless light weight is a priority and a user doesn't mind stopping to swap batteries. The latest firmware (4.3 on my camera) added quite a lot of functionality including focus stacking.
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I'll be selling my EM5MK2 soon (shutter count 8193).
As soon as I can be arsed to get some pictures of it.
As soon as I can be arsed to get some pictures of it.
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cheers toby that puts that one to bed I think .. now back to plan B or was it C or D
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So today my new Omd M1 mk2 arrives very happy along with the 12 100 Pro and my 200 400 panny.
Took Jeff's advice and bought a 50 200 ED SWD for 249 from ffordes in very tidy condtion so obviously need a MMF adaptor so naturally went for the MMF 3 to retain weather sealing. After search on the net found stock at Hiltons and duly ordered today had call from Hiltons advising that Olympus have stopped supplying MMF 3 adaptors and the rep for Olympus has been contacted to try and confirm if in fact this is true.
Fortunately I have sourced a new one from HDEW who confirmed stock and will dispatch this week.
This news if correct of the non supply going forward will make me hold onto lens and adaptor and who knows increase its value [emoji848][emoji848] shame if this news is correct as there are still some good 4 thirds lenses in circulation
Took Jeff's advice and bought a 50 200 ED SWD for 249 from ffordes in very tidy condtion so obviously need a MMF adaptor so naturally went for the MMF 3 to retain weather sealing. After search on the net found stock at Hiltons and duly ordered today had call from Hiltons advising that Olympus have stopped supplying MMF 3 adaptors and the rep for Olympus has been contacted to try and confirm if in fact this is true.
Fortunately I have sourced a new one from HDEW who confirmed stock and will dispatch this week.
This news if correct of the non supply going forward will make me hold onto lens and adaptor and who knows increase its value [emoji848][emoji848] shame if this news is correct as there are still some good 4 thirds lenses in circulation
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My OM-D 1 MK2 has similar rubber problems to TBF. I know I’ll need to send it in sometime.
My PenF had the little rubber pad by the shutter button fall off. I just bought some non-OEM new ones, and there’s been no further problem. Replacing the OM-D1 rubber would not be on my DIY list.
My PenF had the little rubber pad by the shutter button fall off. I just bought some non-OEM new ones, and there’s been no further problem. Replacing the OM-D1 rubber would not be on my DIY list.
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my rubber has been getting worse for a few weeks ,I reported it before xmas but didn't want to send it away to a shut down so left it till now , unfortunately it seems to have stretched as well .. annoying after 3 months use though
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you won't go wrong with that lens its as sharp as a needle ,I sold the 1.4tc though as it crossed with my 100-400.. the 12-60mm SWD f2.8 is also a cracking lens giving a effective 24-120 range
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RedRobin
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.... I used Hilton Photographic in Hull for the first time last week to get an 'everywhere-else-out-of-stock' Lowepro lens bag for my Olympus ED 300mm Pro - Graham there was exceptionally helpful and very pro-active - I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again. I have used HDEW for years and rate them very highly too. Shopping from reliable places with excellent customer service makes all the difference doesn't it and helps you get what you need. Am pleased for you.
I guess that as technology advances it is inevitable that some products get dropped from production but perhaps there are third-party MMF-3 adapter manufacturers which will do the job well enough?
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Graham was brilliant could not fault Hilton one of those "out of there hands" situation suppliers can and do caught up in. The reason for obtaining the MMF-3 adapter it provides weather sealing MMF 1-2 do not offer weather sealing i researched to see if there was another 3rd party adapter that could offer weather sealing but could not find one regretfully
Technology as you pointed out moves on all the time we just have to roll with it I guess
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For those of you interested in how the Olympus 2x MC-20 performs - Someone here did specifically ask earlier. I can only offer my experiences with it shooting wildlife on either the ED 40-150mm or 300mm Pro lenses and those are the only two lenses that either the MC-20 or MC-14 will currently fit AFAIK (I stand to be corrected).
As to be expected, AF is definitely slowed and in very poor light with little contrast to lock onto target it is very slooow. Fortunately Olympus's devilishly simple Manual Focus clutch override can sometimes come to its aid.
A minimum open aperture of F/8 on the 300mm is not the problem many would assume as its countered by having a greater DoF and this is a benefit when shooting at distant targets. Also, with WYSIWYG in the viewfinder you can easily introduce other aids on the fly in poor light to help your histogram such as ISO settings or Exposure Compensation or both.
To be able to handhold shots at an equivalent 1200mm is mega useful for some wildlife and also for more extreme close-ups. However, the combined weight of the ED 300mm F/4 + MC-20 + M1X can begin to feel heavy without any elbow support if having to maintain the same position in the viewfinder for more than a few minutes. A monopod can solve such circumstances.
So far, I judge the image quality difference between with and without both TCs to be non existent - Certainly to the naked eye and I'm not interested in pixel-peeping or studying scientific lab results. I judge photographs as evocative pictures unless of course something obviously lacking is slapping you in the face like a wet fish in a Monty Python sketch.
Robin fantastic work proves that despite being told over the years "ooh do not use x2 converters they degrade the image" etc etc your images proves how far photography has come. I agree about your comment regarding judging image quality. Your image today has caused a lively discussion in my office today from a couple of full frame toggers who have been giving me some stick "oh your moving too micro 4/3rds the image quality bla bla" off they go on all the reasons for not moving.
So I have question for you which I will share with doubters in the office, they reckon the image has had lets say a "reasonable amount of post processing" I argued having looked at many of images on Flicker of yours that I did not think that was the case so please help strike a blow for 4/3rds format and share what processing took place on this image for me.
I think the full framers in the office are are in denial. To me all the formats APS-C Full frame etc all have benefits and weaknesses but to deride 4/3rds without ever using the format is ludicrous.
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Terry I have used canon and Nikon cameras of all types over the years from APSC ,to can H sensors, and full frame and now for the last few months MFT . there is a massive record of this history on my Flickr stream all with intact EXIF data ,just link from any photo on here of mine and you can access over 7000 photos covering all genres .most pics are processed in lighroom and photoshop to the same levels and standards so it would simply be a case of selected a photo and asking what format it was taken in .
rest assured without knowing no one can say what was taken with what . In fact if I was the secretive type as some are you wouldn’t have a clue what was used
rest assured without knowing no one can say what was taken with what . In fact if I was the secretive type as some are you wouldn’t have a clue what was used
RedRobin
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.... Hi Terry, it sounds as if there are a lot of photographers in your office! Even when I used Canon D-SLR full-frame (1DX-2 and mirrorless EOS-R and previously 5D-4) many photographers used to say that 2x Converters degraded the image and I believed them for a time and then someone on Flickr showed me their excellent results and so I took the plunge. My 'The 1,000 Collection' Album on Flickr shows my best efforts with Canon 2x on my EF 500mm F/4L II (now sold) : https://www.flickr.com/photos/114775606@N07/albums/72157685377629534
Canon's mk III Converters are specifically designed to work well with their mk II L supertelephoto lenses and it is the same with Olympus specifically designing their Pro Teleconverters to work well with their ED Pro telephoto lenses and including their officially announced but not yet launched ED 150-400mm+1.25x Pro (expected this summer).
I only ever shoot RAW and all my images are converted and post-processed in CaptureOne and third-party plug-ins, some needing more work than others. I have only been shooting Olympus since the beginning of November but shoot on average at least 500 images per week and often more. To my surprise I have found that my images shot on the M1X require less post-processing than from any of my Canon bodies.
I nearly always shoot in Manual-mode nowadays and my attitude is that the camera is a tool to capture a desired image in the best way I can by choosing my own camera settings. Converting the captured RAW data and post-processing are merely ongoing off-camera steps in the whole process of striving to achieve the final image I desire. Post-processing to whatever degree it is done is nothing to be ashamed of. All that matters is the appeal of the final result and not how it was created.
I think it's ridiculous to claim that full-frame is better than m4/3 or that m4/3 is better - They are just different tools and their merits are down to the skills of the photographer. Show them Olympus m4/3 work by Petr Bambousek! I think it is as good as the best of any full-frame wildlife photographer - Not 'better' but equally as good :
https://500px.com/sulasulacom/galleries/olympus
Do let us know their reactions and comments about Petr Bambousek's stunning work.
It is natural for people to want to justify their choices when they have spent significant amounts of money and part of that justification is to heavily criticise the rival brands and systems which they had decided not to choose. I have loved and still have a love for Canon but now I love Olympus ....
Love The One You're With :
[That song brings back fond memories of free love and being a stoner but that's another long story!]
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Morning Jeff
Yep always look forward to your photos being posted as you are master of your craft the two guys in the office I think are a wee bit envious that I have made the move but as I have reminded them a camera is a tool one of the many one uses to create an image. The two lads who I share our interest in photography with suffer from constant GAS and should spend more time actually taking photos instead of knocking a system there are not familiar with
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Hi Robin couldn't agree more with your comments Petr work is fantastic and showcases the 4/3 system. My office colleague's as I pointed out in my previous post think witchcraft had taken place in your image but I assured them by showing them your Flickr account that your quality output on both Canon and Olympus systems is of very high quality and not some freakish fluke.
I have offered both them use of my Olympus over a weekend but so far they are not taking the bait
Good song choice by the way
RedRobin
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Hi Robin couldn't agree more with your comments Petr work is fantastic and showcases the 4/3 system. My office colleague's as I pointed out in my previous post think witchcraft had taken place in your image but I assured them by showing them your Flickr account that your quality output on both Canon and Olympus systems is of very high quality and not some freakish fluke.
I have offered both them use of my Olympus over a weekend but so far they are not taking the bait
.... So they think "witchcraft" has taken place, eh - Smoke and mirrors like the stage show of a 1980s rock band, Pink Floyd did it well. The Dark Art of image post-processing which is open to every photographer and artist should they wish.
I can't criticise them suffering from GAS as you mentioned earlier because perhaps many of us can be accused of that :
Regarding FF vs m4/3, there are a few photographers here (@snerkler and @Chipper immediately come to mind) who use both and recognise that each system is a tool they can use to suit their preference for what they are shooting. I don't think I am misrepresenting their views if I say that neither think that one system is 'better' than the other but that they are just different rather like mirrorless is different from D-SLR which is different from SLR film. Choose your medium for your dark art. I am happy to have left red-lit hours in a darkroom behind though!
EDIT : Btw, I am happy for you to show them any of the posts or comments I have written here.
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You're right, I don't think one is better than the other and if I could only have one I'm not sure which I'd choose. For absolute IQ and rendering then FF trumps m4/3, but in most other aspects I prefer m4/3. TBH I think I would choose m4/3 as the convenience outweighs the small gains in IQ..... So they think "witchcraft" has taken place, eh - Smoke and mirrors like the stage show of a 1980s rock band, Pink Floyd did it well. The Dark Art of image post-processing which is open to every photographer and artist should they wish.
I can't criticise them suffering from GAS as you mentioned earlier because perhaps many of us can be accused of that :
Regarding FF vs m4/3, there are a few photographers here (@snerkler and @Chipper immediately come to mind) who use both and recognise that each system is a tool they can use to suit their preference for what they are shooting. I don't think I am misrepresenting their views if I say that neither think that one system is 'better' than the other but that they are just different rather like mirrorless is different from D-SLR which is different from SLR film. Choose your medium for your dark art. I am happy to have left red-lit hours in a darkroom behind though!
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Went out yesterday with my Nikon Z7 and the 70-300 and also the Panasonic G9 with the Olympus 300mm F4 pro to shoot birds. The light was awful, very dark and dull, and certainly not ideal bird photography weather, but it was to see (for me), how close M4/3 could be to FF or APS-C. I know that in a straight fight for outright quality, the FF Nikon Mirrorless system usually delivers the better quality files (especially at the higher ISO's), but yesterday I was quite surprised.
I shot the Z7 in both FX and DX mode as conditions warranted, and I know that even in DX mode I was still short focal length wise to the 600mm effective of the 300mm F4, but the Panasonic absolutely wee'd all over the Nikon. Both in terms of AF performance (the animal AF of the G9 I must admit I find superb for small birds and mammals), and overall sharpness. Looking at the files back on the computer, certainly against the DX files (so 450mm effective and 20mp), I consistently found the G9 hit the AF target a lot more than the Z7 and the files just looked cleaner and sharper (even before processing).
Now I know what you are all thinking, it's unfair to compare a 70-300 Nikon consumer lens to the Olympus Pro lens, and that's true to a point but the Nikon 70-300 AF-P is a pretty darn fine and sharp lens in it's own right. I was shooting both lenses wide open so if we take equivalence into account, (F5.6 vs F4) then the Olympus lens would have had an approximate 1 stop DOF advantage (i.e. more DOF) than the Nikon which may have helped. The FF images (where the bird was close enough to almost fill the frame) were a little more detailed and with slightly less noise, but there wasn't was much in it as I thought against the G9. Although after downsampling the 45.4mp Z7 files to the 18mp size (in 3:2 aspect ratio that the Olympus and Panasonic M4/3 system shoots at), the advantages for the Z7 became more so.
When I started looking at the ISO's I was shooting at (typically ISO 4000-ISO 5000, I was really impressed how detailed and sharp the G9 images were and how relatively little noise there was. Certainly better looking than the Z7 DX files. To be fair I guess if I had been shooting with one of the Nikon exocit lenses (like a 600mm F4 - which I can't afford), it would have been much closer if not more in the Z7's favour, but that would have been a huge heavy package.
Here's an ISO 4000 example from the G9 in very dull light - not the greatest image but just to prove a point.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my Nikon Z6 and Z7 bodies as much as my M4/3 system, and am certainly not saying that M4/3 beats full frame at everything. Of course not, that would be silly. For Portraits, Landscapes or very fast moving sport or wildlife, as good as the M4./3 system still is at those genres (and they are very good), the FF system is just that bit better again. However for a portable birding system that isn't massive or weighs a ton and doesn't cost the same as a family hatchback, my Olympus and Panasonic systems are very hard to beat.
I shot the Z7 in both FX and DX mode as conditions warranted, and I know that even in DX mode I was still short focal length wise to the 600mm effective of the 300mm F4, but the Panasonic absolutely wee'd all over the Nikon. Both in terms of AF performance (the animal AF of the G9 I must admit I find superb for small birds and mammals), and overall sharpness. Looking at the files back on the computer, certainly against the DX files (so 450mm effective and 20mp), I consistently found the G9 hit the AF target a lot more than the Z7 and the files just looked cleaner and sharper (even before processing).
Now I know what you are all thinking, it's unfair to compare a 70-300 Nikon consumer lens to the Olympus Pro lens, and that's true to a point but the Nikon 70-300 AF-P is a pretty darn fine and sharp lens in it's own right. I was shooting both lenses wide open so if we take equivalence into account, (F5.6 vs F4) then the Olympus lens would have had an approximate 1 stop DOF advantage (i.e. more DOF) than the Nikon which may have helped. The FF images (where the bird was close enough to almost fill the frame) were a little more detailed and with slightly less noise, but there wasn't was much in it as I thought against the G9. Although after downsampling the 45.4mp Z7 files to the 18mp size (in 3:2 aspect ratio that the Olympus and Panasonic M4/3 system shoots at), the advantages for the Z7 became more so.
When I started looking at the ISO's I was shooting at (typically ISO 4000-ISO 5000, I was really impressed how detailed and sharp the G9 images were and how relatively little noise there was. Certainly better looking than the Z7 DX files. To be fair I guess if I had been shooting with one of the Nikon exocit lenses (like a 600mm F4 - which I can't afford), it would have been much closer if not more in the Z7's favour, but that would have been a huge heavy package.
Here's an ISO 4000 example from the G9 in very dull light - not the greatest image but just to prove a point.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my Nikon Z6 and Z7 bodies as much as my M4/3 system, and am certainly not saying that M4/3 beats full frame at everything. Of course not, that would be silly. For Portraits, Landscapes or very fast moving sport or wildlife, as good as the M4./3 system still is at those genres (and they are very good), the FF system is just that bit better again. However for a portable birding system that isn't massive or weighs a ton and doesn't cost the same as a family hatchback, my Olympus and Panasonic systems are very hard to beat.
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I used one before getting my mkii. It was fine not anywhere near as good as the mkii for BIF. Apart from that ok.