Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'm prepared to bet a Leica M9M that it will not be there any more in twenty years...
And where were you planning on getting on M9M from in twenty years?
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
If you buy an EM5 plus grip plus a set of 12/2 and 45/1.8 Zuikos - or - the 0.95 Voigtlanders you will be paying dearly.
And that for a system that hardly allows utilizing selective depth of field.
If you want a digital back to use your manual lenses, SONY NEX is far better suited (NEX 3 / 5 bodies are dirt cheap now, still dynamic range and resolution is better than on the EP3. Dont know about the 1000$+ EM5).
k__43
Registered Film User
I really like my EP1 paired with the panny 14mm f/2.5 (compact, light and fast) .. only the lens could be a bit better (less distortion and sharper), also the V1 14-42mm Olympus sucks - my Summicron-C 40mm outperformed it at f/2.8 even when the zoom was stopped down to f/8 (at the same focal length).
I'd love to try the Panny 20mm and the more expensive non-zoomz from Leica or Olympus.
Quality-wise I'd rather take a Sony NEX, but the lens line-up is poor and the user interface is incredibly unintuitive (except the NEX7 maybe).
I'd love to try the Panny 20mm and the more expensive non-zoomz from Leica or Olympus.
Quality-wise I'd rather take a Sony NEX, but the lens line-up is poor and the user interface is incredibly unintuitive (except the NEX7 maybe).
Vobluda
Well-known
Keith, you can always give m43 a try with the GF1 and 20mm and see for your self.
I have GF1 with finder, 14, 20 and 45mm lenses and for aprox. 800 USD I cant be happier with the results as well with the size and weight. What I am missing is just better performance at ISO 1600 and maybe IBIS. Upgrade? Not yet needed. Probably E-P4 because of the two factors mentioned above.
I have GF1 with finder, 14, 20 and 45mm lenses and for aprox. 800 USD I cant be happier with the results as well with the size and weight. What I am missing is just better performance at ISO 1600 and maybe IBIS. Upgrade? Not yet needed. Probably E-P4 because of the two factors mentioned above.
raid
Dad Photographer
I am currently using two such cameras while visiting Cairo. I feel confident about being able to take the photos that I want to take with the EPL-1 and the EP-2. The small incoveniences can be overcome. I appreciate havingaccess to such a system.
gavinlg
Veteran
One thing I can say Keith is that if you're going to do it, get the fastest lenses possible. Don't settle for slow zooms or slow primes, because if you're anything like me (which I suspect you are!), you'll get bored quickly with the lack of selective focus capability and won't use it. I'd go something like the summilux 25mm f1.4, the olympus 12mm f2, the nokton 17.5mm f.95 and the olympus 45mm f1.8 which covers 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm.
The EVF I found to be great - would definitely not worry me in the slightest - in fact I would probably prefer it to some of the aps-c optical viewfinders currently around for being bigger and clearer. Seeing the exposure in real-time is nothing to sneeze at. Also its rather fluid and not laggy at all.
The EVF I found to be great - would definitely not worry me in the slightest - in fact I would probably prefer it to some of the aps-c optical viewfinders currently around for being bigger and clearer. Seeing the exposure in real-time is nothing to sneeze at. Also its rather fluid and not laggy at all.
Griffin
Grampa's cameras user
It seems to me that if you want a digital back for your legacy lenses, you'll want at least APS-C. If you want a digital back for M-mount, your only option in APS-C would be Sony Nex, as the Samsung series has too large a flange distance for the M-mount lenses.
If you're going to use native lenses then I think m43 has a plethora of very interesting lenses.
If you're going to use native lenses then I think m43 has a plethora of very interesting lenses.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'm not interested in using legacy lenses on this type of body ... I have the RD-1 for my M mount treasures!
And I'm still not totally sold on the OM-D ... which is healthy IMO and I still have some self convincing to do when it comes to M43 generally.
But I'm warming to it!
Bob Michaels
nobody special
a few of my other thoughts:
1a) make an honest evaluation if your motivation is good photos or technical specs / 2012 technology. m4/3 does great at the former, poor at the latter.
1b) don't worry about sensor size. This is not the same as 110 vs. 35mm vs. a 6x6 neg.
2) forget about adapting legacy lenses. m4/3 has some excellent fast small lenses designed for the system and they are low cost.
Those are just my opinions. Your YMMV. I have just read too many internet explanations about why m4/3 will not work while seeing too many really good photos made with them.
1a) make an honest evaluation if your motivation is good photos or technical specs / 2012 technology. m4/3 does great at the former, poor at the latter.
1b) don't worry about sensor size. This is not the same as 110 vs. 35mm vs. a 6x6 neg.
2) forget about adapting legacy lenses. m4/3 has some excellent fast small lenses designed for the system and they are low cost.
Those are just my opinions. Your YMMV. I have just read too many internet explanations about why m4/3 will not work while seeing too many really good photos made with them.
NazgulKing
Established
There's the Ricoh GXR m mount module that does a pretty decent job actually.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
That f1.4 Summilux is shining like a beacon Gav ... 50mm equivalent which is my favourite focal length and FAST!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
You're so damned sensible Bob!
What I'm really looking for here is a good AF digital with brilliant IQ, small dimensions and a decent range of lenses. I get no joy out of using the D700 for recreational shooting and never have. I like the bargain RD-1s I picked up recently because it allows me to use my M lenses on a digital body but I still want something small and autofocus that fills the gap left by my recently deceased Canon point and shoot!
robert blu
quiet photographer
I saw yesterday fir the first time the OM-D in a shop. It's really small and beautiful, let say sexy. Unfortunately I had no time to enter the shop and touch it ! And more important to look in the VF.
I'm thinking to get one with the 45mm f1.8 to complement my Leica x1 (36 equivalent) when I need a tele (it's only less than 30% of my shooting, but sometimes it's important).
robert
PS: I promised myself not to buy anything before Photokina, but it is not easy...
I'm thinking to get one with the 45mm f1.8 to complement my Leica x1 (36 equivalent) when I need a tele (it's only less than 30% of my shooting, but sometimes it's important).
robert
PS: I promised myself not to buy anything before Photokina, but it is not easy...
DRabbit
Registered
I've been an Olympus Pen user since the EP1. One thing I will say from an emotional standpoint, is that Olympus has just made their series of mirrorless so much fun to use. There's just something about them. After the EP1 I had the EP2 and now the EPM1... and there will be an OMD in my future, I'm just waiting for price to drop a bit and backorder issues to resolve.
The OMD has really brought m4/3 to a maturity in image quality that means there's just little significant difference, in practical terms, that will effect the vast majority of people.
I laugh to hear people gripe about price... in today's market they are quite competitive and with the OMD release, previous models have dropped to amazing low prices. I hear of people now buying the EPM1 with kit lens for like $300. The 14mm f/2.5 can be had for less than $200. The 20mm f/1.7 for less than $300. Even the Pan-Leica Summilux hovers around $500. Value for dollars spent is quite good, in my opinion... especially since the OMD is a weather-sealed body -- a first in the EVIL world.
The 2X crop factor is really the only "glitch" that makes it often impractical to use with M-Glass and other adapted lenses... just because field of view is doubled. DOF control can be limited. But there are such good lenses available for it's native format, it's really all besides the point.
And for me, the format is so small and light that it's truly the "no excuses" camera to have with you all the time. Honestly, the 14mm, 25mm and 45mm primes are all I need, and to take all of them on an outing, because they are so small and light... well it's just not inconvenient at all. I mean, I'm typically a "pick one lens and go" type of girl, but if I do choose to carry all three, it's not like it's going to bog me down.
Anyway, these mirrorless/EVIL cameras really are the future. With all the offerings out there now from Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Panasonic, etc... it's just going to keep getting better. M4/3 has the most "mature" system right now, balancing size and weight, lens choices and value for money the best, but this is a market segment that is only set to grow and grow.
The OMD has really brought m4/3 to a maturity in image quality that means there's just little significant difference, in practical terms, that will effect the vast majority of people.
I laugh to hear people gripe about price... in today's market they are quite competitive and with the OMD release, previous models have dropped to amazing low prices. I hear of people now buying the EPM1 with kit lens for like $300. The 14mm f/2.5 can be had for less than $200. The 20mm f/1.7 for less than $300. Even the Pan-Leica Summilux hovers around $500. Value for dollars spent is quite good, in my opinion... especially since the OMD is a weather-sealed body -- a first in the EVIL world.
The 2X crop factor is really the only "glitch" that makes it often impractical to use with M-Glass and other adapted lenses... just because field of view is doubled. DOF control can be limited. But there are such good lenses available for it's native format, it's really all besides the point.
And for me, the format is so small and light that it's truly the "no excuses" camera to have with you all the time. Honestly, the 14mm, 25mm and 45mm primes are all I need, and to take all of them on an outing, because they are so small and light... well it's just not inconvenient at all. I mean, I'm typically a "pick one lens and go" type of girl, but if I do choose to carry all three, it's not like it's going to bog me down.
Anyway, these mirrorless/EVIL cameras really are the future. With all the offerings out there now from Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Panasonic, etc... it's just going to keep getting better. M4/3 has the most "mature" system right now, balancing size and weight, lens choices and value for money the best, but this is a market segment that is only set to grow and grow.
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
That's a niche interest to begin with... and there's also the Ricoh GXR.
And if you want the rangefinder user interface it's getting affordable too, the used market is getting more interesting, with 1.5x R-D1s offered for $850 and 1.3x M8s for 1350 EUR here.
maitani
Well-known
I’ve been an Olympus digital user since 2004 (E-1), I’ve had about 10 different Olympus cameras since then (most you can imagine), e-system then micro-Ft…
Used the E-3 professionally with the really top-end glass, had high hopes in the E-5 and was completely disappointed with it and jumped over to Nikon FF,
Never looking back.
The E-1 still holds its own in ergonomics and the colour imo, what this old sensor produces at iso 100 is nothing short of spectacular. I never understood
Why their strategy drifted so far away from this great Idea called E-1.
Now that Olympus (OM-D) has apparently matured in most areas, and the hype is all over the place, the om-d, strangely, has zero appeal to me, I’m fed up completely with the Brand, when I had my first hands-on, too small, too fiddly, built feels not even same as E-P1 imo. same old viewfinder feel artificial, so despite all the great
Primes popping out, Olympus lost me as customer, definitely. My experiences were mediocre, at first sight the om-d is great ticks all the boxes, at second sight, then the difference from E-P3 with a finder, is not huge, all at a premium
With an expensive add on grip. The Panasonic GH-1 has had a decent finder built in since a long (a good sensor, and better video too…)
Better AF here, wonder-image stabilizer, better speed there, better noise handling, all ok, but the DOF penalty of this sensor size
kills all the fun for me for serious work, I always lug my fullframe, and probably I always will, until somebody pops out with a fullframe digital in leica-m Size, for a price mortals can pay.
Personally I find it a pity that they used the OM franchise just for an ‘updated and tuned’ pen with (finally!) good (not superb) sensor. (attention die-hard film-OM’s user speaking.. so take it with a grain of salt..) but it’s the way I feel.
I’m back when there’s a real Fullframe OM with OPTICAL viewfinder.. I don’t get along with EVF’s, punto.
A while back I had the nex7 which I really loved, the output, size, and ergonomics were promising, I even wrote a topic as ‘game changer’ (which I can still sign as I wrote it…) also focuspeaking was great with all my old lenses,
Output really impressive, but I didn’t ‘connect’ with the camera for some odd reason the (very good, though) EVF killed all the fun for me, I ended up trading it for a Hexar RF.
But I can see the OM-D to be THE major bestseller since the E-500 few years back for Olympus, which was very popular too back at the time.
For sure, If one asks me which (small good and light travel-)camera to buy (and there are many..), I’ll propose the OM-D to anyone I know, as I find
It to be one of the most complete offerings, so it could take the lead from the former dominant ‘canon rebels’ in the mid-entry segment.
This post Is not intended to pun Olympus in any way, it’s just my very personal point of view – also I want to clear out that
My gear-taste is rather far from mainstream (I hear that from my pals all the time…). I’ll keep my E-P1 as digital back though, a nice little camera which is perfect
For travel.
what's for sure, m4/3 is here to stay,
Sorry for the rant, and enjoy whatever fits your needs to make the pictures you want
Used the E-3 professionally with the really top-end glass, had high hopes in the E-5 and was completely disappointed with it and jumped over to Nikon FF,
Never looking back.
The E-1 still holds its own in ergonomics and the colour imo, what this old sensor produces at iso 100 is nothing short of spectacular. I never understood
Why their strategy drifted so far away from this great Idea called E-1.
Now that Olympus (OM-D) has apparently matured in most areas, and the hype is all over the place, the om-d, strangely, has zero appeal to me, I’m fed up completely with the Brand, when I had my first hands-on, too small, too fiddly, built feels not even same as E-P1 imo. same old viewfinder feel artificial, so despite all the great
Primes popping out, Olympus lost me as customer, definitely. My experiences were mediocre, at first sight the om-d is great ticks all the boxes, at second sight, then the difference from E-P3 with a finder, is not huge, all at a premium
With an expensive add on grip. The Panasonic GH-1 has had a decent finder built in since a long (a good sensor, and better video too…)
Better AF here, wonder-image stabilizer, better speed there, better noise handling, all ok, but the DOF penalty of this sensor size
kills all the fun for me for serious work, I always lug my fullframe, and probably I always will, until somebody pops out with a fullframe digital in leica-m Size, for a price mortals can pay.
Personally I find it a pity that they used the OM franchise just for an ‘updated and tuned’ pen with (finally!) good (not superb) sensor. (attention die-hard film-OM’s user speaking.. so take it with a grain of salt..) but it’s the way I feel.
I’m back when there’s a real Fullframe OM with OPTICAL viewfinder.. I don’t get along with EVF’s, punto.
A while back I had the nex7 which I really loved, the output, size, and ergonomics were promising, I even wrote a topic as ‘game changer’ (which I can still sign as I wrote it…) also focuspeaking was great with all my old lenses,
Output really impressive, but I didn’t ‘connect’ with the camera for some odd reason the (very good, though) EVF killed all the fun for me, I ended up trading it for a Hexar RF.
But I can see the OM-D to be THE major bestseller since the E-500 few years back for Olympus, which was very popular too back at the time.
For sure, If one asks me which (small good and light travel-)camera to buy (and there are many..), I’ll propose the OM-D to anyone I know, as I find
It to be one of the most complete offerings, so it could take the lead from the former dominant ‘canon rebels’ in the mid-entry segment.
This post Is not intended to pun Olympus in any way, it’s just my very personal point of view – also I want to clear out that
My gear-taste is rather far from mainstream (I hear that from my pals all the time…). I’ll keep my E-P1 as digital back though, a nice little camera which is perfect
For travel.
what's for sure, m4/3 is here to stay,
Sorry for the rant, and enjoy whatever fits your needs to make the pictures you want
BobYIL
Well-known
maitani, spray your keyboard with antiseptics and wash your screen with detergent..
maitani
Well-known
maitani, spray your keyboard with antiseptics and wash your screen with detergent..
done
sorry for the format errors
gavinlg
Veteran
I've said this probably 10 times over the last few years on this forum too, and I'll quote it and say it again - the day that Olympus brings out an ACTUAL om-d (meaning 35mm sensor size, huge viewfinder, OM sized primes - good autofocus or exceptional manual focus) I will sell every other camera I own and buy 2.
I know m4/3 cameras can take great pictures, but in the end every single foray I've made into smaller sensor cameras has been ultimately unsatisfying, every time relating to the sensor size. Even my aps-c x100.
Unfortuntely I highly doubt Olympus will every venture back into the 35mm sensor category. Such a pity, because their lens characteristics (small,sharp,moderate contrast, highly corrected) are PERFECTLY suited for it.