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australopithecus
Lives in
Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa
Works as a
Retired Forester
Joined on
Nov 17, 2006
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Absolutely wonderful !
For those of you who'd like to learn a bit more about Don Pettit, I've attached a link to the NASA website below.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition30/pettit_interview.html
If it is made in China, as the G5 is, then they'd better extend the trial period to two months !
Nice to read "Australian" ~ "American" ~ "German" and "Japanese". No China ?
Or do they outsource ?
One small comment. I've toted daypacks about (hiking/cycling) for decades and I get the impression that the camera-gear bag manufacturers pay too little attention to the straps, hip-belts and especially the airflow between one's back and the bag. They could all learn from Deuter who make world-class day-packs. Deuter's "Air-Flow" system is ideal.
DPR, A poll of this type is an impossibility. We are all different and we all have our own opinions.
rhlpetrus : You are correct. It's the different purpose thing that makes a "universal" choice impossible. I too wait for the further development of mirrorless systems. I have a Panasonic G1 with a 20mm prime and the kit which serves me well (but a longer lens for occasional work would be nice).
Panasonic started something that WILL gain ground. As good as they are, the Canon and Nikon (and all the other APS-C sensored DSLRs) are simply too large for the average Joe to lug about.
Which bring us to the wonderful high I.Q. cameras like the Canon G-Series and Nikon's P7100/7700. These allow one to pack light yet perform superbly.
Whilst I would keep my mirrorless Panasonic, my dream second camera would be something in the line of a Canon G12 with a bright EVF.
Panasonicus: The market is saying "downsize." I went from a Canon 40d to a 450d and now to a Micro 2/3rds Panny G3. However, I am still wanting to go smaller with one do it all lens but not so small quality is lost when showing pictures on a high end Plasma TV. That leaves the RX100. But the deal breaker is no 24mm and I shoot a lot of WA ( I am now weaned off having to have an OVF). The G1x Canon is as large as my Panny G3 and it starts at 28mm. The Nikon system forces you into multiple lenses. But that all said--I agree the market makers are going to have to give consumers a lot more than tiny sensors or going to large miscro 2/3rds. A RX100 with 24-90mm please--surely Canon, Nikon and Panny can do it?
Panasonicus, Agreed. 24mm is a must.
plantdoc: I almost always use the rotating LCD on my G11 since the viewfinder is rather poor. I have lost interest in the G series because they are basically an LCD framing camera. If Canon had added a decent, doesn't need to be state of the art, EVF, I would really change my mind. Even the EFV in my ancient Pana FZ8 superzoom or defunct Pro1 would be acceptable and the technology has certainly moved on since then. Just my .02
Agreed. I still use my eight-year old Nikon Coolpix 8400 which has an EVF, but am waiting for a G Series with one. At least the G!2, and now the G15 have a viewfinder (of sorts). As you comment EVF's have come a long way (I have a Panasonic Lumix G1 with a superb EVF) so why the delay ?
How many more zooms are Panasonic going to produce ?
A 24mm prime would be nice.
"bigdaddave" Well said ! I shall NEVER forget that Sunday evening when Neil and Buzz landed the LEM on the moon (Evening my time : South Africa). 12 men, in all, walked on the moon, 18 flew to it. All brave and dedicated humans.
Zooms, one after the other. How about a prime 24mm equivalent. f2.8 would do me fine.
Ardee ! I hope your comment was tongue in cheek.
I have a kid with an N8 (he's had it for about a year). Took it to Europe on a skiing holiday and could hardly believe the video footage that this little "phone" produced. I've worked up some shots in PSE and they are excellent.
Once Nokia sort their operating system out (Now that Microsoft is in on the deal) Apple is dead !
Can someone tell me why camera manufacturers insist on making compact digital cameras more and more difficult to hold ? Sure, it's great to be able to stuff a camera into one's pocket but ... but...
Thee latest edition to the Lumix range, i.e. the G5 has gone retro .. thanks heavens !
Bye bye Apple ! and Point & shoots.
"Honestly, if you're investing in a camera, just learn to use the freak'n thing".
Says it all !
MichaelEchos: This is too large.
Agreed. What's the point of having a m4/3 camera body with a DSLR sized lens clipped onto it ?
Good stuff Mnr. Gouws !
I have carried a camera about with me for 54 years (barring a few years in the early 1960's). Kodak, Pentax, digital Nikon (not DSLR) and now an Micro-4/3rds.
Agreed, a camera is a camera and forget the hype. I still use my seven-year old Nikon CP8400 as I love its 24 ~ 85mm zoom range (and the pin-sharp lens), but I'm a 24mm "freak". Another huge plus is portability. The longer a lens, the less useful it becomes (my personal opinion) and, of course, the heavier. If one is into sports or bird photography ~ it's a different matter.
On a DSLR (or Micro 4/3rds) I rate primes more useful. They are faster and lighter. This comes with one proviso ~ if you are travelling, then take a short zoom.
maxnoy: Look, M9 came out almost three years ago. At that time, it was certainly the best compact system by a wide margin. Lenses weren't quite as expensive then too, especially used. And if you already had some stock of M lenses around, it was a high price, but it's certainly the body that puts those, often amazing, lenses to best use. The whole system is well-matched and the image quality is amazing more often than not. It doesn't do *everything*, but what it does, it does superbly. And there wasn't anything that could compete with it then in a compact pro-level system space.
It is true that in the last year the compact high quality segment has finally gotten a lot more crowded. For new buyers there are a lot of options -- X-Pro1 is a viable alternative system. Also OM-D and NEX-7. Cool, and long overdue. Lets see what Leica has to show tomorrow and at photokina.
@Rage Joe
D800 : Do you really want to lug this thing around ?
An interesting and superbly written article. Thanks Rob. I have learned something useful even though I never take my cameras out in the rain, nor take them too close to salt water, dust storms or change lenses on windy days.