Anyone abandoning SLR?

I have been around the corner on this one and generally, the answer is no. I had abandoned Canon for Oly. All of a sudden the price of the 5D came way down and there was a no tax sale with a rebate. I just could not pass it up. I will keep most of my Canon equipment and my E520 with the kit lenses. I love my G1 and it will be my go to cam for most things. However, whenever I will shoot low light, sports and serious landscape, I will probably go back to the Canon equipment and just for occasional variety, the E520.
--
http://digitalphotonut.zenfolio.com/

There are always trade-offs. There is never going to be the perfect (product name/type here.)

What I am greatful for is that we have such a wide range of types of products, brands, etc. to choose from. This allows each one of us to choose the product that works best for us.

Life is good.

Robert
--
Ketchup is just over loved tomatoes.

--
Birds: http://www.pbase.com/dmichael/birds
Flowers: http://www.pbase.com/dmichael/flowers

But it IS funny, especially in Asia where I'm based. Leica Necklaces. Canon wrist-weights w/ Big, big, big long lenses in situations that call for wide-angle. Its hilarious!
--



http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/mfurst_photos/Surmang%20and%20Yushu%202009/?albumview=slideshow

Walter A23 said:

I've replaced it with a few manual focus primes (including a 200mm), the E-P1, a macro bellows, vivitar flash... and I'll pick up an ultrawide one of these days if I ever get around to deciding which one. I'm hoping Olympus will release an m43 version of the 9-18. Otherwise, either the panny 7-14 or the 4/3 9-18.

Click to expand...

Walter,

I am interested in your opinion and use of the bellows. Care to offer insight of the pros and cons of bellows use with m4/3?

--
Charles
My family images are at http://www.stakeman.smugmug.com
Be sure of your subject.
Never, force the shot.

--
BJ Nicholls
SLC, UT

Back when I had my Panasonic FZ20 and FZ30 what I was wanting was a camera like those that had a larger sensor. I didn't much care about interchangeable lenses I just wanted the better image quality and performance a larger sensor would give. So for me the GH1 I think is finally going to be what I want.

Now have been through several Pentax dSLRs, a Nikon and the Sony A900 since then I now have a much better appreciation of interchangeable lenses and so I am glad I am getting the larger sensor and interchangeable lenses.

Robert
--
Ketchup is just over loved tomatoes.

bjmike said:

But it IS funny, especially in Asia where I'm based. Leica Necklaces. Canon wrist-weights w/ Big, big, big long lenses in situations that call for wide-angle. Its hilarious!
--

Click to expand...

Well I have a Leica (M8) Necklace and a BIG Canon DSLR with several "L" lenses (one is the huge , white 200-400mm lens) but I don't plan to get rid of them. Different cameras and different lenses for different situations.

BHD2 said:

I wonder if there's some promise in using panorama-like image stitching to get something like the best of both worlds: the portability of the GF1 or EP1, but the higher image quality associated with FF?

Click to expand...

Sure, for situations that allow for panorama stitching you can get shallower DOF, less image noise, more image DR and more resolution than what's possible with a single FF shot.

Getting the camera to do it for you may not be so easy, though. I was less impressed than the DPR reviewer was of the S0NY digicam's (forgot model number) stitching attempts. But maybe in the future...

I'm still on the teetering edge. I have a Nikon D200 and 6 lenses that sit at home most of the time. I'm thinking of picking up a GH1 for the size/weight reduction and video (although I'm not a cinematographer, nor want to be).

Two things hold me back... 1) availability, and 2) there seem to be many new m43 offerings from a number of other companies coming very soon.

--
JCDoss

Pentax K10D --> Lumix G1 (on the way)

Can't wait, and my neck and shoulders will thank me.



Tony

I also went from Pentax K10D - Lumix G1. I have taken many, many more pics with the G1 but still don't feel it's an ideal landscape camera. Something just seems to be lacking and TBH, I don't know if it's the camera or the processing engine inside the camera. I often wonder how my pics would look if the G1 had a Canon/Nikon/Pentax/Oly computer in its litttle brain.
Do you think it would make a difference?
--
Pennyanne

Dale Cotton said:

Before digital, photographers often owned both a medium format system and a small format system. Typically, you used medium format (or even large format) on a tripod for shots that had to stand up to significant enlargement and/or very close inspection. You used small format (35mm) handheld when a tripod was not practical or when fine detail at serious enlargements was not required.

I look on my dSLR system as having medium format image quality, and use it when I need that (landscapes, in my case). I use my E-P1 for everything else.

Click to expand...

Good observation!

Digital has replaced my small format system. My small system went from a Minolta 35mm film system to the Canon Digital Rebel when it first came out, then to a 20D, 40D and now use the GH1 as my small format camera... which is primarily for snapshots and almost never tripod mounted even though I have a RRS plate on it just in case.

I still use medium format film for serious stuff.

Top end DSLR's can match or even exceed medium format film for resolving power these days... but there is one aspect of optics that technology has yet to overcome (if ever) which is the fact that larger film/sensors give you less depth of field at the same angle of view. This can, of course, be a boon or bane depending on the type of photography you do... but for me the limited DOF of medium format over FF digital is a plus.

If ever medium format systems or backs come down to within my budget I will definitely pick one up and use it as my "serious" camera.

Not that I'd want to carry around something like a Hasselblad H4D-60 for vacation snapshots.

Kind of like shoes and bags. With photography and other tools, it's a matter of matching the right equipment to the shooting situation. And buying the best equipment that you can reasonably afford.

Pennyanne said:

I often wonder how my pics would look if the G1 had a Canon/Nikon/Pentax/Oly computer in its litttle brain.

Click to expand...

Adding to the film modes, they could have modes emulating the Canon/Nikon/Pentax/Oly JPEGs. Call them C, N, P, O modes if the names are protected, people will understand.

Sure the Bayer filters (+ IR filter) matter too in the theory, but it's 95% in the processing IMHO.

kenw said:

As you may already be aware the Olympus 9-18 is well regarded and could be used on both your cameras (with an adapter on the G1). It is available from US sellers (Amazon) right now at the MSRP ($599) and available on back order for $520 from others (J&R, B&H).

Click to expand...

I have the Oly 9-18. But the lens I love the most is the Oly 70-300, primarily as a macro lens.

No I'm not going to get rid of my SLR, but I might add m4/3.

My systems might become a "FF" and m4/3 in place of PS and 1.6x.

I need a cheaper ultrawide though to be able to move the 7-14 panny is too costly and the 9-18 isn't m4/3 and I wouldn't use adapters...

I'll see if the system picks up steam my LX3 has gone up in value since I got it, so I'm not in much of a hurry.

Calmly testing FF DOF goodness to see if it is more than a fond memory with a newly acquired Pentax MX (in the mail...)
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbryce/

Ehrik said:

Getting the camera to do it for you may not be so easy, though.

Click to expand...

I'm not expecting that. I was just referring to the notion of using a separate FF camera for landscapes and such. Am happy enough to do the stitching in post-processing.

I've sold my Canon gear (20D, 80-200 f2.8L, 17-40 f4L, 50 f1.4) and moved to the GH1 with the 14-140, the 7-14 and a few legacy lenses (Summicron 35 f2, Nokton 50 f1.1, Kern 26 f1.1).

I couldn't be happier - the GH1 is a much more compact system all around and the image quality is still great. I LOVE the 7-14 lens - so much fun to be had with this. The 35 f2 lives on the GH1 most of the time though.

I sometimes do miss the shallower DOF on my 20D, and I'm thinking of a FF camera at some stage in the future- though for the moment, I'm very happy..

I have not used been using my DSLR for the last year, since buying a Panasonic LX3. I have reached a decision to sell my DSLR gear.

--
Frank B
LX3 Gallery
http://www.pbase.com/frank_b/panasonic_lx3
All Galleries
http://www.pbase.com/frank_b

I had a pro shoot one of my paintings that I sold recently. Of course, we are talking medium format. The fact is that I was blown away by the prints. It actually looks even better than the original!

m43 is defenately not in that league