Micro four thirds camera for street and general work

[yardcoyote]

I have been considering a camera purchase for a while and enough people (on and off these forums) have suggested "micro four thirds" that I though I'd ask you about them.

I am looking for a fairly small, fairly light weight camera, sturdy. reliable, and portable if not pocketable, for street style and general photography-- something better than my old point and shoot and my iPod camera but easier to handle than my DSLR, something I can use to take a good image and have with me anywhere I carry a small bag or a coat with big pockets.

My ideal camera would have a large sensor (at least APS-C), a built in (not add on) viewfinder (preferably optical), full manual controls, and an optically excellent fast prime lens in the 35-55 mm range FF equivalent, and not cost more than about, say $800. Obviously, there is no camera out there that meets those criteria, or I would have already bought it.

On my current list for consideration are the Fuji X100s and X20, Sony RX100 and NEX 6 or NEX 7 with appropriate lens, and Ricoh GR, all of which are compromises in one way or another. Any micro four thirds camera will be a compromise on sensor size, but I would be interested in knowing whether there is anything in that format that meets my other criteria.

 

[Ulric]

A Panasonic G5 + 20mm pancake? You'll get a bunch of leftover cash to dispose of, hope that's not a problem.

 

[MrTaikitso]

If it wasn't for your price limit, I would say the GX7, because your requirements are otherwise what mine are. Double your budget and consider the new more compact 14-140 zoom, that whilst designed for video, takes superb stills too. (I had the Mk1 14-140 on a GH2 and it was very versatile. Not that fast, but if you're doing street photography, not sure that matters.) If you do want speed, and don't mind walking up to your subjects, the 20mm f1.7 or new 1.8 offers superb IQ in low light. (I'm getting the GX7 + 20mm to kick things off.)

The articulating viewfinder and dual dial controls are the killer features on the GX7 for me.

But you're talking double your budget. Maybe you can sell just ONE superb street photo and pay for the camera in one go?

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/taikitso/

 

[yardcoyote]

I could live with that! Thanks-- I'll read about it.

 

[yardcoyote]

I'd do that, if I could take one! Seriously, I've heard of that new Panasonic-- I don't think that there's anyone who hasn't-- and I'll be watching it carefully as it emerges. It does sound like what a lot of enthusiasts are looking for. Budgets are meant to be broken, and they can at least flex for something that's otherwise absolutely right.

I was definitely thinking about a prime rather than a zoom-- I want a really pared down experience with one lens I can really learn about and get to fully understand. No choices at the moment of truth, and knowing what the camera is going to see before you hit the on switch, and zooming with your feet. All the old fashioned stuff, with newfangled equipment.

 

[Silvernitrate]

Out of your list I`d go for the x20, failing this a Pen, GF or GX series camera with the compact Pany 14-42.

 

[Englishman in France]

Have you looked at Robin Wong's web site, for street photography with olympus u43 gear?

I love my E-M5 for street photography. The thing I like the most is the size vs IQ ratio. It is so portable that I take mine everywhere, which is the big difference between my DSLR using friends.

The smallest models with a built in view finder are the E-M5 and soon to be released GX7. The 20mm f1.7 on the GX7 is a killer combo for street photography, but is more than your target price.

One thing for sure, a small and capable camera with all the buttons in the right places is such good fun to use.

You never mentioned, is your DSLR full frame ?

 

[honeyiscool]

For whatever reason, it seems like mini-DSLR bodies are less hip than rangefinder style bodies, but some really good deals can be found on mini-DSLR style mirrorless (despite the fact they're not all that big), and either of these will be extremely portable:

1. Samsung NX20 + Samsung 30mm f/2

2. Panasonic G5 + Panasonic 20mm f/1.7

If you gotta have a rangefinder style, I don't see how you can do better than a Sony NEX 6 + Sigma 19mm or 30mm.

 

[honeyiscool]

yardcoyote wrote:

I'd do that, if I could take one! Seriously, I've heard of that new Panasonic-- I don't think that there's anyone who hasn't-- and I'll be watching it carefully as it emerges. It does sound like what a lot of enthusiasts are looking for. Budgets are meant to be broken, and they can at least flex for something that's otherwise absolutely right.

I was definitely thinking about a prime rather than a zoom-- I want a really pared down experience with one lens I can really learn about and get to fully understand. No choices at the moment of truth, and knowing what the camera is going to see before you hit the on switch, and zooming with your feet. All the old fashioned stuff, with newfangled equipment.

If you're going to increase your budget, I have to say the GX7 + Olympus 17mm f/1.8 is the way to go, especially for street type shooting where you need something that will focus fast and get you the shot that you want without spending too long with your camera pointed at things. Even though the X100S is near that budget, the fact is, the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 w/ pretty much any M43 camera has magical speed and accuracy and Fuji doesn't. That said, if you gotta go with hybrid viewfinder, X100S is there for the taking.

The Sony NEX6 + Sony 35mm combo must also be considered at that price range, but for a modern street shooter, I think the touchscreen offers you even more shooting opportunities.

 

[Henry Richardson]

yardcoyote wrote:

My ideal camera would have a large sensor (at least APS-C), a built in (not add on) viewfinder (preferably optical), full manual controls, and an optically excellent fast prime lens in the 35-55 mm range FF equivalent, and not cost more than about, say $800. Obviously, there is no camera out there that meets those criteria, or I would have already bought it.

I have found the ideal camera for you based on what you wrote above. Get the Fuji X100. You can get one for $689.95:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ilm_16128244_FinePix_X100_Digital_Camera.html

 

[yardcoyote]

Nope-- just a Pentax K-30 (APS-C), but I have a collection of old Pentax glass I am just beginning to explore with it, plus the pretty good 18-55 WR kit zoom and the 40mm Limited pancake, and it makes me happy as the proverbial pig in mud. I am a lot less interested in the technical end of it than I am in handling cameras and making good, or at least interesting pictures. If I could magically shrink the K and take it with me everywhere, and it wasn't so big and noisy enough to scare fish, I would not even be shopping.

 

[yardcoyote]

You're the second poster to mention the (discontinued?) G5. The NEX 6/ Sigma 30mm is currently at the top of my theoretical list, although there are those who call that combo out for slow autofocus. I like to think I have long ago outgrown worries about looking cool, being far past my first youth, but I do admit those rangefinder style bodies look good to me.

 

[jf_tea]

yardcoyote wrote:

Nope-- just a Pentax K-30 (APS-C), but I have a collection of old Pentax glass I am just beginning to explore with it, plus the pretty good 18-55 WR kit zoom and the 40mm Limited pancake, and it makes me happy as the proverbial pig in mud. I am a lot less interested in the technical end of it than I am in handling cameras and making good, or at least interesting pictures. If I could magically shrink the K and take it with me everywhere, and it wasn't so big and noisy enough to scare fish, I would not even be shopping.

I've seen and heard a K30, and, its shutter is noisy indeed. I have a K5, and, GX1. And, I use to have the GF1. A friend has the E-M5. If I compare the shutter noise of all those cameras, I would summarize it as this... The shutter of the K30 is much noisier than the one of the K5. The GF1's and G3's shutters are a bit noisier than the GX1's (disputable?). The K5's shutter is much less noisy than the GX1's, but, definitively a bit noisier than the E-M5. And, all of them are louder than the LX3 when all sound effects are turned off (it's near silent).

As a big inequation: K30 >> GF1,G3 >? GX1 >> K5 > E-M5 >> LX3. (That's for shutter noise).

 

[Alexis D]

I am afraid you won't find anything that can meets all your requirements. I think the best camera for your is the X100s, though a bit large and expensive.

Most of the interchangeable lens APS-C cameras would be too large to fit in a pocket, except for the NEX-6 plus a Sigma 19mm, which is a slower lens, and there's no touchscreen on the NEX for waist level (less intrusive) street shooting. The GX7 is the only M43 that is close to pocketable, and fitting it with a 20mm f/1.7 may just work, though quite expensive. The problem is the lens is prone to banding from ISO1600, which is bad for street shooting. The only other fast prime, the Olympus 17mm f./1.8 is very average in optical quality and probably too big already when put on a GX7, and also poor value. Anything else? I can't think of any other camera that are even close to those mentioned above for your requirements.

Hope for a fixed lens camera with a M43 size sensor soon. That should be smaller, lighter and most likely will have a better lens for street shooting than anything now available in M43, and therefore a better all round package. You have found the weakness in M43 - nothing good as a street shooting lens, i.e. a lens in the 35mm or so FL that is really sharp, can focus fast, has no faults (like banding), is smallish and also has a fast aperture (f/2 or faster). Nothing.

 

[kimchiflower]

I almost exclusively use my G3 for street photography. I mostly use a Panny 14mm & 20mm. Sometimes my Olly 9-18mm

The smaller sensor size + sharp bright f/1.7 lens means I can shoot wide open at night without worrying too much about thin FOV.

Coupled with its smaller size and non-pro looks, I'd recommend m43 for street over any other format.

Neil Simmons

Explore Neil Simmons’s 499 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[viztyger]

If you want to stick to a budget of around $800, something will have to give. One thing to compromise on might be the built-in electronic viewfinder. I often find it preferable to compose street shots via the screen anyway. First of all, using the screen is less obtrusive than raising the camera to your eye - even better if you can frame from the hip using a tilting LCD. Secondly, I like to alternate back and forth between keeping an eye on the framing and having direct eye contact with the subject(s). I find that easier to do when using the rear screen than when peering through the EVF.

As to which system to invest in, I've used both Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX. Currently, I'm using neither system and am shooting everything at 35mm with my Sony RX1. In terms of focus speeds it's slower than what I was able to achieve with my old GH2 and roughly comparable to what my previous NEX-7 + Zeiss E 24/1.8 was capable of. In low light, you need to anticipate where your focus is going to be and/or use the focus and recompose method to be sure of getting your subject in focus.

I suspect that the newer NEX bodies with on-sensor phase detection (NEX-5R and NEX-6) have quicker AF than the older NEX-7. Of the two, I might consider the NEX-5R which has a touch screen instead of an EVF. A touch screen is very handy for quickly moving the AF target over your subject and even simultaneously releasing the shutter. If a manual focus (legacy) lens is attached, tapping the screen will enlarge the relevant portion of your subject for fine tuning focus.

The character that some of these MF lenses add to your photos is well worth the effort of manually focusing them. Over time you will get better at manually focusing and Sony's focus peaking feature helps a lot. To that end I would consider looking at the the NEX-5R ($500 body only). The price of the NEX-5R body should drop as its successor, the NEX-5T, is announced in the coming days.

Then you could invest in an M-mount lens and use that on the NEX-5R via an adapter. The advantage of these lenses are that they can be used on any mirrorless camera mount via the appropriate adapter. In fact, I have a Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 ZM that I've used on both MFT and NEX bodies. 35mm M-mount lenses (52.5mm equivalent on APS-C) start at around $400 for the Voigtlander Color Skopar 35/2.5. As an added bonus, some of these M-mount lenses are very compact.

Alternatively, you could get the NEX-5R with the stabilized, autofocus E 35/1.8 lens ($450) and you're not that far over your budget either.

Of course this is the MFT forum, and there are good choices there as well. If you really want to stick with your budget, then I'd get the best lens with an older and cheaper body. To that end, I'd recommend the wonderful Panasonic Leica 25/1.4 ($600). Not only does it feature a larger aperture but it also focuses faster than the 20/1.7 and has a more attractive rendering style. If you get that with a previous generation body like the Panasonic GX1, you won't be that far over your budget either. You can always upgrade the body later, but you'll start with an excellent lens.

 

[Paul De Bra]

Too bad the Panasonic GX1 with 14-42X lens is a bad combination due to shutter shock. It would be a very affordable solution.

The cheapest 16MP-sensor Olympus is currently the E-PL5. You need this to activate anti-shock which alleviates shutter shock problems. The Panasonic 14-42X is the smallest zoom lens. Add the X-Cap from freemod.com and you end up with an m43 point-and-shoot combination with automatically opening and closing lens cap, just about your budget limit, and it is almost pocketable (requires a large coat pocket).

I don't have the E-PL5 but use the E-M5 with 14-42X and X-Cap as carry everywhere point and shoot solution. Alternatively you could get the 20mm f/1.7 which is faster, very sharp but obviously has no zoom.

 

[yardcoyote]

I'll take your word for it--I just know my K-30 is a noisy beast. I like it fine anyway, and the fish are getting used to it. But my "second camera" is going to have to be quieter, because noise like that is no good in the street.

 

[yardcoyote]

And if I'm willing to give up a viewfinder, that opens the field up to other cameras like the RX100, Ricoh GR, etc.

I may just choose to wait until Black Friday and the holiday sale season, and see what happens with all the new models due to be announced.

 

[viztyger]

yardcoyote wrote:

And if I'm willing to give up a viewfinder, that opens the field up to other cameras like the RX100, Ricoh GR, etc.

I didn't think the GR was a serious contender since it's out of your 35-55mm range. Also, the RX100 lens isn't really fast zoomed in to 35mm (F2.8) when you consider that's only on a 1" sensor.

I've spent some time with both cameras, and both are impressive. If I had to choose one though, it would have to be the Ricoh GR. It's amazingly compact with excellent ergonomics & controls. Its lens and sensor are capable of producing amazingly detailed images, even wide open. If you can work with 28mm that is.

I may just choose to wait until Black Friday and the holiday sale season, and see what happens with all the new models due to be announced.

Sounds sensible. Wish we had those kinds of sales around here.