When is enough enough? Locked

jalywol wrote:

False logic here. They kept the same cameras, but changed FILMS as new films with better color, grain, and higher ISO capabilities came along. They also changed bodies when the new FILMS required the ability of the camera to have higher ISO setting ability or faster shutter speeds than the bodies they had were designed for.

Since the "FILM" of a digital camera is its SENSOR, we do not have the luxury of using the same bodies but changing the film-equivalent(SENSOR) as we would have in film days. To get an upgrade in "FILM" characteristics now, the entire body has to be changed (unless you use one of the few cameras made with changeable backs).

Now, if you were happy with your old standby film in all conditions, then great. But supposed that film did not meet your needs anymore, and your shooting conditions required a different film for optimal image quality. What would you do? You'd go out and buy a different film type. Problem solved. Today, your EPL1 meets your needs (its "FILM" is adequate to do what you need it to do). However, that EPL1 "FILM" (sensor) is NOT adequate for more demanding tonal and DR situations.

YOU never shoot under those conditions, but OTHERS do.....Now tell me if we were talking about FILM cameras here, would you tell those same people that there was no differences between different FILM types?

Would you tell them they were silly to switch FILM types, and that one type is good enough for all situations? OF COURSE NOT! So, since we are now at a point where new BODIES have to be bought to get the new "FILM" types, then why on earth do you have a problem with people buying them?

SO, I think you need to get off your soapbox and realize that your needs are NOT the same as everyone else's,

and that technological improvements in sensors are significant and real, and for a lot of people they mean the difference between capturing a high quality image in demanding tonal situations vs working with a pile of muddy, grainy, mush in shadows and lost detail in highlights.

IF you happen to not be someone who takes higher DR photos or pushes the shadows to capture fine detail, all of this will be lost on you,

and the EPL1 is, and will be, perfect for your uses for the foreseeable future. Just don't keep trying to confine the rest of us to your world, since, while it works for you, it does not work for others who use their cameras differently than you do.

NOTE:

I owned the EPL1. It had nice colors and in good light produced very nice images. I also had two other 12MP Panny sensored cameras. I liked all of them, but they ALL had the same flaws....Not enough DR for me to recover clean shadows, and larger grain in fine detail than I liked (important if you blow up and crop images sometimes, which I do).

The sensor in the GH2 solved the problems I had with the original one. It does what I want it to do in terms of most aspects of image quality. Where it falls down is the native color balance of the sensor. I have a pretty good copy of the camera, so I am able to get pretty good results colorwise most of the time, but I would still like a better native color balance and better higher ISO performance. Why? Well, the better higher ISOs would enable me to more effectively use the lenses I have in lower light situations without compromising image quality in a visible way,

and correcting the GH2's color is a time-demanding endeavor, even if you use custom profiles (which I do). So, while I am very, very happy with most things about the GH2, I plan to give the GH3 a try, since the two areas that it seems to have a real advance over the GH2 are the color rendition and its higher ISO performance. (If it's not markedly better when I try it, I will not keep it, and continue to use the GH2 instead, by the way....)

This is really not an academic exercise, you know. I like new gear, but to be honest with you, if I had a camera that did just what I was looking for, I would not even be looking at new bodies. M43 is a maturing system, and it is just on the cusp of having bodies that can meet the needs of more demanding photographic situations that will not NEED to be upgraded as frequently in the future. If the GH3 turns out to be that product for me, I will have it for several years before I think of upgrading again. If not, I will keep my GH2 and look at the next round of upgrades to see if they are a significant enough improvement over what I have in ways that are important to what and how I shoot to consider purchasing them.

Remember, NOT EVERYONE SHOOTS THE SAME THINGS IN THE SAME WAYS, AND YOU SHOULD NOT PRESUME THAT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC NEEDS ARE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE'S.

-J