Panasonic GF-1, Olympus Pen, or Sony NEX5

I think that they all offer something different.

I like the simple styling and the responsiveness of the GF1. I know someone with a Pen and she likes the retro look and the various picture style thingies.

I dunno what the Sony offers, a bigger chip and possibly all the nice things that that may bring but possibly with the negative of a less helpful user interface?

Ya pay your money and make ya choice... :)
 
I don't have any much experience with all of the camera's you mention but the GF1 thread on here speaks for itself IMO. I have just purchased one and although not perfect in every respect it is a very good choice.

If you can read the 96+ pages of the review it's worth it.

Mark
 
I'm biased, but check out my flickr for lots of examples taken with the GF1 :)

I think it would be a perfect complement to a D700 for the days when you can't be arsed lugging loads of gear around or you want something more discreet.
 
I've been thinking about getting one of these cameras myself and am leaning towards the Olympus Epl-1 mainly because of the price although Nikon have announced that they will be releasing a compact systems camera before the end of the year and Canon are bringing one out soon aswell, so it might be worth a wait.
 
Last edited:
GF1
 
Pete,

I've been piloting a NEX for a few days on demo from Sony and to be honest, I don't think its as good as the GF1 or the Pen. It is a straight up camera, not much fun and worst off all it is a massively hidden menu driven camera that leads to a lack of intuitive shooting as you have to keep entering sub menu after sub menu. That said, PQ is fine and dandy, but I would still take a GF1 or a Pen over it.

Yours,

Diego Hernando Alberto Garica. 110% Spanish.
 
Diego Garcia said:
Pete,

I've been piloting a NEX for a few days on demo from Sony and to be honest, I don't think its as good as the GF1 or the Pen. It is a straight up camera, not much fun and worst off all it is a massively hidden menu driven camera that leads to a lack of intuitive shooting as you have to keep entering sub menu after sub menu. That said, PQ is fine and dandy, but I would still take a GF1 or a Pen over it.

Yours,

Diego Hernando Alberto Garica. 110% Spanish.
Click to expand...

Gracias Diego, pero si tu eres español yo soy un sueco.

;)

Thanks for that Diego it's very valuable to get advice from someone who has tried all three and has no regular brand allegiance.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the advice so far guys. I ordered the NEX5 in a moment of impulsiveness a couple of days ago but it hasn't been dispatched yet. I am now having some doubts!

The shop has a very good returns policy so I may try it for a day and send it back if I don't like it. Or maybe I should contact them and change the order to a GF1? :thinking:

I like Sony stuff, I was a Minolta and Alpha user before I switched to Nikon. The frustrating thing is that from what I can see the Sony has the better hardware, ruined by poor firmware and a lack of physical dials.
 
ShawWellPete said:
Thanks for the advice so far guys. I ordered the NEX5 in a moment of impulsiveness a couple of days ago but it hasn't been dispatched yet. I am now having some doubts!

The shop has a very good returns policy so I may try it for a day and send it back if I don't like it. Or maybe I should contact them and change the order to a GF1? :thinking:

I like Sony stuff, I was a Minolta and Alpha user before I switched to Nikon. The frustrating thing is that from what I can see the Sony has the better hardware, ruined by poor firmware and a lack of physical dials.
Click to expand...

The Sony is aimed at a different market. The gap between compact and SLR - where as the GF1 and Pen are aimed at people with some understanding of the basics of photography. Based on your skill set the 4/3rds cameras would be a better option in my humble opinion. I've yet to see a better camera than the GF1 with a 20mm lens for complete abject brilliance. :thumbs:
 
+1 for the GF1, it's a fantastic package. The IQ with the standard zoom (14-45) is extremely good as well.
 
Diego Garcia said:
The Sony is aimed at a different market. The gap between compact and SLR - where as the GF1 and Pen are aimed at people with some understanding of the basics of photography. Based on your skill set the 4/3rds cameras would be a better option in my humble opinion. I've yet to see a better camera than the GF1 with a 20mm lens for complete abject brilliance. :thumbs:
Click to expand...

I was having doubts about my recent purchase (that exact setup) earlier this morning. Comments like this make me feel much more confident! :thumbs:
 
grum said:
I'm biased, but check out my flickr for lots of examples taken with the GF1 :)

I think it would be a perfect complement to a D700 for the days when you can't be arsed lugging loads of gear around or you want something more discreet.
Click to expand...

I'll go along with Grum.
Bit biased as well, since ive been using a GF1 from November last year after selling off all my D80 gear.
 
E-PL1 and 20mm f1.7.....lovely package. ;)

Got it about 2 weeks ago and although it still shows signs of noise, i find it just as quick as the GF1 and very easy to use, but without the build quality.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top