Panasonic G5 info please....

[Bugleone]

I went shopping with my wife for a new camera that she had seen on offer, the Panasonic G5k....currently being sold off at about half the launch price on account of the introduction of a G6.

I know nothing about m/43 as I have only used APS-C digital cameras (pentax and now NEX)....however, I was quite impressed with the panny G5 which looks quite well implemented to me. My wife is a good photographer and once used her Canon AE-1 and FD lenses to good effect. We still have all the FD lenses in the cupboard.

The G5 seems like very good value as a v/f is an essential requirement for my wife since she has now rejected both my NEX and her pocket digicam due to lack of eyelevel finder.

so the questions are;.....

1) Can she use the canon FD lenses via an adaptor and what is a good one to get?.......I assume there is a 'use shutter without lens' option that allows legacy glass use, but not sure..(?)

2) Are there any other good m4/3 models that we should look at...v/f is essential and 'budget' price also.....

3) Do I have it right that 'PZ' 14 to 42 is a better general lens that is smaller for carrying around, rather than the 'big' 14 to 42 supplied...??

4) Thanks much for ANY good info/help with this!.......I did spend 20 minutes using the search function but coulod not find much about the G5 which is really why I'm now asking here.

 

[tbhv55]

I went shopping with my wife for a new camera that she had seen on offer, the Panasonic G5k....currently being sold off at about half the launch price on account of the introduction of a G6.

I know nothing about m/43 as I have only used APS-C digital cameras (pentax and now NEX)....however, I was quite impressed with the panny G5 which looks quite well implemented to me. My wife is a good photographer and once used her Canon AE-1 and FD lenses to good effect. We still have all the FD lenses in the cupboard.

The G5 seems like very good value as a v/f is an essential requirement for my wife since she has now rejected both my NEX and her pocket digicam due to lack of eyelevel finder.

so the questions are;.....

1) Can she use the canon FD lenses via an adaptor and what is a good one to get?.......I assume there is a 'use shutter without lens' option that allows legacy glass use, but not sure..(?)

2) Are there any other good m4/3 models that we should look at...v/f is essential and 'budget' price also.....

3) Do I have it right that 'PZ' 14 to 42 is a better general lens that is smaller for carrying around, rather than the 'big' 14 to 42 supplied...??

4) Thanks much for ANY good info/help with this!.......I did spend 20 minutes using the search function but coulod not find much about the G5 which is really why I'm now asking here.

I'll try to answer to, with the knowledge that I have...

1. Yes, adapters are available for FD mount lenses - as for which brand, I'll let someone else - with greater knowledge - answer. There will be, as you surmised, a "Shoot w/o lens" setting in the camera.

2. If budget is limited, then you're probably already considering the best deal in the Panasonic range - the G6 is, of course, more expensive (but still good value), and the GX7 and GH3 are considerably more expensive, and therefore probably right out of the reckoning. I'm not too familiar with Olympus offerings, so perhaps someone else will chime in.

3. I've no experience of the PZ, but you comment seems to be a reasonable assumption. You (or your wife) will need to be comfortable with a push-button zoom, of course.

4. I recently bought a G6 - but ONLY because I missed an absolute SNIP of a deal on a G5. It was a simple case of "He who hesitates, is lost"...🙁. Had I not prevaricated, I would now have been the proud owner of a G5.🙄🙂

 

[kknox]

The G5 is a great camera for the money. I have a GX1, and bought the G5 also. Built in viewfinder is great.