Bridging from Pro Film/dslr to m43rds difficulty

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dlynch

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My favourite camera was my M3. My least liked? M4P. but that is just me...

I have an Olympus OMD, and I find myself treating it like my old cameras...

My wish is to have a lightweight system.
How do you carry/use your m43rds gear differently than dslr's?

I want to simplify my life, yet I added the Oly grip, have 2 zooms, and use a sling strap. And I'm a bagaholic, with large bags intended to carry bulky gear.

Look forward to learning from you!

DaveL
Toronto
 
I originally purchased a Tamron/Domke labeled version of the Domke F-5XB at a closeout price from a local store. I am able to carry a GH3 body, two lenses, memory cards and an extra battery. I use a wrist strap from Gordy on my camera bodies. This is my typical kit when shooting locally. I often do carry more gear in a Pelican 1510 case in the car so I am able to access additional lenses if needed. I find that nothing will dampen the enjoyment of a museum, airshow or any other event quicker than having to carry around a heavy bag of gear. Enjoy that OMD kit!

Mike
 
dave if you really wanna simplify, as i did, and you have a love for leica rf, and you want SMALL but great IQ, consider selling the omd kit/zooms, buying a ricoh gxr m mount/evf + cv 21/4 and some leica 50mm. the cam is matched perfectly for the lenses, the 30-75mm FLs is your tiny 'zoom', youre back into rf/leica for zero out of pocket dollars, and you wont need a bag as you can carry the second lens in your pocket. in total, thats exactly what i did! ):
tony
 
Thanks for your response.
I have recently covered Solo racing with our chapter of the Porsche club.
First day, the Oly OMD with two lenses. Backup? My N1V1 with two lenses.
Second day, my D300s with grip and two lenses. Had my N1V1 as backup.

Reflection? I wonder if I could set the OMD up better. After years of working with Nikon I don't feel comfortable working with Olympus menus and settings.

Bag? Domke F3x. I'll check out yours. Hard to find here in Canada.

Strap? I shall try a Peak Design.

An aside...when I do travel light, I use a Billingham Hadley Digital. Cheaper than Think Tank Retro 5 or 7 where I live. More gear? B. Hadley Pro.

Old habits die hard.
 
rbelyell said:
dave if you really wanna simplify, as i did, and you have a love for leica rf, and you want SMALL but great IQ, consider selling the omd kit/zooms, buying a ricoh gxr m mount/evf + cv 21/4 and some leica 50mm. the cam is matched perfectly for the lenses, the 30-75mm FLs is your tiny 'zoom', youre back into rf/leica for zero out of pocket dollars, and you wont need a bag as you can carry the second lens in your pocket. in total, thats exactly what i did! ):
tony
Click to expand...

Thank you! I shall look further. Dave
 
Fascinating!
My M3 was stolen.
My M4P with winder hurt my work flow. (I had a business then.) Sold it, and concentrated on one system.
Regretted ever since that I don't have an M3 light weight setup.
Life's about choices. 😉
Dave
 
Except for the weight and pixel dimensions, it would be difficult to beat the D300 for auto-sports photography.

The pixel dimensions aren't a problem if you don't rely on cropping and if you aren't expected to deliver extremely large prints. The weight is another matter. And a monopod is a pain to lug around.

I would expect the smaller camera will use a smaller, lighter battery, so you may need to carry several spares. I'm not sure EVF lag would be a problem, but it might require a bit of practice to automatically compensate for lag. If you use bursts or bracketing, then another camera may write to the card slower than the D300. Buying expensive (fast) cards would help.
 
Willie thanks. Except for weight the d300s with grip is perfect. I compose in camera. Tight. No cropping required.

It is the settings onthe OMD that I question. I may have... messed up 😉

With the Nikon, I work as I used to shooting weddings. Hung the Domke across my body, bag on left side. Sling strap on, camera on hanging by my right hip. Distributes my load. I don't set anything down, forget it, or have it walk away.
Leaves my hands free when I need them.

DaveL
willie_901 said:
Except for the weight and pixel dimensions, it would be difficult to beat the D300 for auto-sports photography.

The pixel dimensions aren't a problem if you don't rely on cropping and if you aren't expected to deliver extremely large prints. The weight is another matter. And a monopod is a pain to lug around.

I would expect the smaller camera will use a smaller, lighter battery, so you may need to carry several spares. I'm not sure EVF lag would be a problem, but it might require a bit of practice to automatically compensate for lag. If you use bursts or bracketing, then another camera may write to the card slower than the D300. Buying expensive (fast) cards would help.
Click to expand...
 
Willie, I have the Oly grip so the camera has great battery capacity. I have pulled it out of my bag dead, because I've left it turned on.

My N1V1 has only a single battery.

After working a long time, I am used to carrying redundant stuff...Obsessive what? 😉
 
Olympus digital menus are PIA, or even RPIA (Royal PIA), compared to Panasonic M43. So much muchness of samenesses. But perhaps you could describe to the thread how/where you suspect you may have messed up, and the OMDphiles may have a solution.

As for me/Olympus digital, I'm sticking with my EP1, but only because I was able to barter a conversion to IR for it. Otherwise M43 is a GX1/VF for the 20 1.7 and 14 2.5. But I don't shoot Porsches in motion....

Good luck! Lightweight is good after passing certain decadal milestones.
 
When I'm just out for a photo walk, I carry one lens. If it's a day-long shoot, I carry two. If I'm traveling, three. Never more. Always fits in a small bag, the Ona Bowery is a nice size.

Shooting with GXR and Leica M9 now, rather than FT. GXR kit: 21/40/90. M9 kit: 28/50/90. With FT, I use 11-22 and 35 mostly. Perhaps when I buy E-M1 or GX7, I'll add the 17/1.8. Longer focal lengths, I like to adapt Leica R lenses.

I've got other lenses and focal lengths that I use on all three, but infrequently.

G
 
I tried M4/3, coming from Leica/Nikon.

Kept all my Nikon lenses & a Film Camera.

Long Story Short: F3, N1-V1 & D7100
 
Thanks everyone.
My meter comment was poorly written. Iused it with my M3. kept it, even thoughI have no batteries.
I am a has been pro; had a profitable business with a good bunch of customers. Simply shooting for fun. Love this forum, and often look at images for inspiration!

It's the settings and menus that bug me with the OMD.

I go from landscapes, to street Photography to birds in flight, cars at speed. I don't use the camera every day, and my simple mind makes changes. Then I wish I hadn't!

I bought David B's book. Better than the manual that was not printed by Olympus. I know it is on the cd.

need a cheat sheet! Something I can pack in my bag.

Love that it is weatherproof. Wish more of the lenses were. Love the metering, colour, and high ISO performance. Find myself carrying it more, soI must be learning the camera.

Perhaps the proble is that I must be a technophobe. What happened to understanding light, setting ASA, aperture and shutter speed? 😉

Dave
 
Great response!
I had no trouble buying stuff when I had a business.

Director of Finance suggests I should sign on forums as 2mnycameras. I use 2mnycars on other forums. She has a car addiction! 😉

Old habit...I carry my camera out, lens cap off. No never-ready cases.

I used to carry my camera on a sling, under my coat. Weatherproof. Open coat when weather permits. I fell on Cape Cod chasing a shot. Just being an Old Frt. Hard. Lucky I didn't smash the d300s. Bought the Hadley Digital When I returned home.

Great hints. Love them!



sonofdanang said:
Ditch the bag.

Carry one, max two bodies, with primes or zooms. like you have described. All of the above suggestions have merits but most importantly, take the camera out of the bag.

I use one wide-prime (28 or 35 depending on how grumpy I am) and one tele-zoom on two small bodies. They fit on sling straps over the tee-shirt and under the long-sleeved shirt.

Half the time I use a little Canon P&S and a GX1 with a 14/2.5

Some portion of the time it is an X100 with the GX1 and a 45-200.

After years of carrying D2, and D3 bodies with 20-35 and 70-300 zooms, it is incredibly liberating. I'd gotten the DSLR thing down to a D3 and a 28-300 but that's still big.

My fave combo? X100 and GX1 with a 45 on it. But the Canon S95 is in there a lot. I really like the aesthetic of the little Canon. Superb.

But ditch the bag. It really just gets in the way. It slows you down. It gives you another reason not to stop and take the picture. Another reason not to investigate something visually.
Bags are like houses, backpacks and purses. They fill up with stuff. Put your spare batteries in your pockets. Extra memory in another. Buy a bush jacket or if you are really, really handsome, maybe you can get away with a photographer's vest. I can't and I'm just plain handsome.

Use the histogram in your camera. Brilliant device. Ditch the handheld meter. If you're really worried about the exposure set the camera up to bracket three frames.
Click to expand...
 
lewis44 said:
I tried M4/3, coming from Leica/Nikon.

Kept all my Nikon lenses & a Film Camera.

Long Story Short: F3, N1-V1 & D7100
Click to expand...

Randy, your choices make more sense than mine.

Gone. NEX5
Now. Oly OMD
Now. Nikon 1 V1
Now. Pany ZS30

Still D300S

I have 3 systems on the go; I still don't view the N1V1 as a system camera, until I get the adapter I can't use Nikkor lenses.

When I'm travelling light, I usually carry my OMD and N1V1 with 2 lenses each; that makes no sense. However, each has its strong points.

Dave
 
Shane, I appreciate your comments.

Some time ago I had a G9 and it served me well as a smaller camera. I had frozen shoulder, and had real pain using my dslr.

Fast forward, and today's G camera doesn't suit me. I prefer a longer reach ... competition?. frankly haven't trusted Nikon to build a good one with the P7700.

For a while I was taking my OMD to work...risky. Bought the N1V1 because frankly it cost the same as a G15. I perceived it as a better value with kit zoom and wide angle

I do have lens overlap. I wish that I was comfortable with the M43 camera, or Nikon 1 system. I find each of my cameras and systems has advantages and disadvantages ( of course) and when I carry one, regret I don't have the other.

Best
Dave
 
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