what 4/3 camera to use for M mount lenses?

[meandihagee]

i want to get a digital alternative for my bessa r2a, and use some russian LTM and my trusty 35/1.4 nokton.

i'm looking for the one with best viewfinder and the highest flash sync. and also, i would like to get a camera that is small.

i'm considering the e-p2, but i'm guessing the electronic viewfinder is not that bright...

how's the manual focusing with the e-p2? does it get harder to see the when you stop down the lens?

any thoughts?

 

[Kolame]

Well, of course you may use optical viewfinders, but I don’t think that this is best. Those cameras are made for EVF...

 

[seakayaker1]

i want to get a digital alternative for my bessa r2a, and use some russian LTM and my trusty 35/1.4 nokton.

i'm looking for the one with best viewfinder and the highest flash sync. and also, i would like to get a camera that is small.

i'm considering the e-p2, but i'm guessing the electronic viewfinder is not that bright...

how's the manual focusing with the e-p2? does it get harder to see the when you stop down the lens?

any thoughts?

I have a few Leitz LTM mount lenses 35/3.5 - 50/2 - 90/4 - 135/4.5; also a few Voigtlander LTM mount lenses, 50/1.5 - 75/2.5 - 90/3.5 along with a couple of M mount lenses, Leica 35/2 and Voigtlanter 40/1.4.

The camera I have is the Panasonic GF1 with an external view finder. Do not use a flash.

Sample of photos taken with various lenses can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/?&page=1

Good luck with your decison.

Life is Grand!

Dan
~ 😉

 

[enenrf]

why not try Sony Nex 5..

 

[Guaranteed]

I've got the E-P2 and focusing with the EVF is dead easy, I should probably mention I suck at MF so if I can do it anyone should be able to.

And yes the EVF does darken as you stop down the lens, just focus then stop down to avoid it.

Edit: Also to check focus accuracy you can zoom to 7x or 10x in the EVF as you can on the screen. I also find the EVF to be quite bright, sorry I haven't used a flash as of yet with it.

 

[gekopaca]

If you can wait several monthes, we will certainly see M43 cameras with built-in "RF-like" EVF, or a Fujifilm X-x with interchangeable lenses.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Electronic Viewfinder of the EP2 is amazing. At F8, you start to pick up some noise in Liveview. It is akin to an SLR darkening when stopped down. At F4 and F5.6, the view is bright. I prefer using at F4, stop down if necessary.

50/2 Summicron at F4 on the EP2, using the EVF for focus.



Nikkor 5cm F1.4 in LTM, at F4.

 

[KEH]

Oly EP2 with EVF is great. I generally zoom in to focus. The in-body image stabilization is a real plus with good MF lenses. The interface kind-of sucks, but for most shots this is a good combo. You can see some examples in my m4/3 gallery.

Cheers,
Kirk

 

[meandihagee]

If you can wait several monthes, we will certainly see M43 cameras with built-in "RF-like" EVF, or a Fujifilm X-x with interchangeable lenses.

i was under the impression that the Fuji X will have a fixed lens...

i would wait for a new digital rf, a digital bessa r5, but it seems there's no rumor in that direction...

 

[douglasf13]

I would seriously consider the NEX-5. It has a better sensor and only a 1.5x crop factor, plus it apparently performs better at the edges with wide M lenses. The tilt up screen is great for waist level shooting, and I'm loving the camera with rangefinder lenses. 35/1.4 Nokton is mounted in picture below:

 

[ChrisN]

No mention of the Panasonic GH2, just previewed on LU LA. What do people think of that approach?

Do M43 cameras have a common mount? Are the M43 lenses interchangeable between the different makers?

 

[gekopaca]

@ ChrisN : GH2 seems to be very good, but it's a better tool for "photo-videographers" than photographers. I've got a GH1 with the Tester13 hacked firmware and it's a video killer!

Now I'm waiting for a "rangefinder-like" M43 body to be more excited when I'm taking pictures only.

You can use all the M43 lenses on both of the Oly or Pany bodies, but lenses are optimised for each brand firmware.

 

[deirdre]

GF1. Preferably pink.


Untitled by Deirdre Saoirse Moen, on Flickr

 

[JoeV]

Rather than looking for a u4/3 body with a faux rangefinder-esque style, it would be better functionally to choose a u4/3 body that actually enables you to use your manual RF lenses for practical photography. I'm suggesting practicality over form-factor, unless your desire is simply to have a pretty trinket for the curio cabinet.

For ease of composition and focus I'd recommend a u4/3 body with a good-quality built-in EVF. This is, I believe, the most important feature required in a u4/3 body that will primarily be used for adapting manual lenses. You need to see the image with enough clarity to judge focus, in all kinds of lighting conditions.

I can understand one's desire to adapt external optical viewfinders onto the hotshoe, since these offer the closest viewing experience to a real rangefinder camera; but these are impractical with manual focus only lenses, where you can't judge focus at all in the external optical finder.

As for using a u4/3 camera with LCD only, or an external EVF of lower quality, these are less than adequate, compared to a high-quality EVF.

For my money, the G1 still offers the best value/cost ratio, and offers the high-quality EVF feature required for manual focus lenses.

So, forget faux-rangefinder style cameras that don't offer the practical requirements of a high-quality viewfinding system. IMO, LCD-only cameras are inadequate for use with manual lenses. Once you begin to use a high-quality EVF, you realize it offers certain benefits that even traditional optical rangefinder systems lack.

~Joe

 

[douglasf13]

I disagree. While I would like the option of an EVF from time to time on the NEX-5, it certainly isn't a necessary feature for me. Shooting the with the high resolution LCD screen tilted up is a very familiar method of shooting for many of us who've had experience with waist level viewfinders, and the "sunny" setting for the LCD makes it usable in all light conditions.

As for OVFs (like the one I have mounted in my pic above,) the current EVFs will never replace a 1:1 optical viewfinder. It's a street shooting machine. Zone focus to 10ft, set an aperture of f5.6, move your feet, keep both eyes open while looking through the OVF, fire.

I certainly want an EVF option for NEX, and one is expected to be coming at some point, but I'd still choose the no-EVF option over a 2x crop factor when it comes to legacy rangefinder lenses. Of course, YMMV.

 

[splitimageview]

I certainly want an EVF option for NEX, and one is expected to be coming at some point, but I'd still choose the no-EVF option over a 2x crop factor when it comes to legacy rangefinder lenses. Of course, YMMV.

I agree, I sold my GH1 in favor of NEX for this reason. Even though the viewfinder of the GH1 is excellent.

 

[meandihagee]

thanks everybody

 

[kshapero]

I disagree. While I would like the option of an EVF from time to time on the NEX-5, it certainly isn't a necessary feature for me. Shooting the with the high resolution LCD screen tilted up is a very familiar method of shooting for many of us who've had experience with waist level viewfinders, and the "sunny" setting for the LCD makes it usable in all light conditions.

As for OVFs (like the one I have mounted in my pic above,) the current EVFs will never replace a 1:1 optical viewfinder. It's a street shooting machine. Zone focus to 10ft, set an aperture of f5.6, move your feet, keep both eyes open while looking through the OVF, fire.

I certainly want an EVF option for NEX, and one is expected to be coming at some point, but I'd still choose the no-EVF option over a 2x crop factor when it comes to legacy rangefinder lenses. Of course, YMMV.

I wonder what you give up with M Mount lenses on the Sony NEX when there is no Image stabilization like on the OLY Pen.

 

[douglasf13]

I wonder what you give up with M Mount lenses on the Sony NEX when there is no Image stabilization like on the OLY Pen.

I would certainly welcome IS in the NEX, as I've had it in DSLRs for a long time. Granted, I can hand-hold the NEX at slower speeds than DSLRs, since there is no mirror.

The only issue I'd see with having IS is that it could make the camera bigger. Plus, the NEX's bigger sensor size/better high ISO negates some of the advantage of the Pen's IS, because I can use a higher ISO with NEX, so it isn't quite as necessary.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

+1 for the Oly EVF. I pretty much use it as a cross-platform camera. I have adapters for Leica-M, Leica R, Nikon, Pentax screw-mount and Konica AR. Also Nikon-S lenses via an S-to-M Amadeo adapter. Happy as a pig at high tide, to mix my metaphors. Me? I'm waiting for the Leica M-10 with FF w/EVF.

Ben