GF2 vs GF3 vs E-PM1 - Can't decide, help?

Hey,

I'd like to pick up one of the GF2/GF3/E-PM1 and use with the 20mm f1.7 lens as a small, portable every day camera, something to throw in the bag for when I want it and not notice it when I don't - however I can't decide which to get, can anyone please help me out, thanks!

The GF2 is currently cheaper here in the UK, about £100 cheaper, and with the potentially of it being hacked could turn out to be a great stills + video camera to knock about. It also can take flashes. I intend to use the flash a lot, was going to use the internal mostly as a fill (AE Lock via iFunction) but being able to whack an external on there would be good.

The GF3 however is a bit smaller which appeals purely as one consideration of the camera gas is having something small. The lack of hot shoe/only internal flash is perhaps an issue, though I don't know how much I'd need an external at f1.7. Is the internal flash any good? A proper fill vs bleech the image flash? Certainly the lack of hack potential is a factor.

The E-PM1 looks great and is nice and small, Olympus colour is a plus, IBIS is a plus though I'm reading it has issues in that area, plus it can take a flash externally. However, the lack of built in flash is a downer as I do shoot a lot with at least a fill.

I'm currently tempted by the GF3 due to the size but I'm unsure. Any help would be recommended please! Thanks.

Do you have Target stores over there? Target and target.com have a sale through Sunday. GF3 with zoom for $399 and they give you a %75 gift card. I was asking myself those same questions about the three cameras. The sale made the choice a no brainer.

Alan--
http://www.MotoEuro.org

It's a tough call.

I ended up getting the E-PM1 since it added RC TTL flash capability using the clip-in. I also already had the VF2 which I wanted to continue using. If you want RC TTL and/or an EVF it's clearly the best of the bunch and it's priced reasonably. Its autofocus speed may be ever so slightly better than the GF3, too.

I ruled the GF3 out mainly because, like you, I wanted a hot shoe. If you can deal with that loss I think it may be the best choice of the three, though. It's the smallest (but only by the tiniest amount). Of course it's more expensive than the GF2.

The GF2 is probably the best value overall. It has no RC TTL flash, but you can bounce the popup flash if you hold it down which is a plus (obviously this is only useful with fast lenses, since it's so weak when bounced). AF speeds are marginally slower, but that may not matter to you.

I would spend a bit more monies and get the EPL3. Its got the flip LCD, Hotshoe, and built in flash. Its a bit more money, but, i think the functionality will suit you better than the EPM1 and GF3.

andrewsn00 said:

Hey,

I'd like to pick up one of the GF2/GF3/E-PM1 and use with the 20mm f1.7 lens as a small, portable every day camera, something to throw in the bag for when I want it and not notice it when I don't - however I can't decide which to get, can anyone please help me out, thanks!

The GF2 is currently cheaper here in the UK, about £100 cheaper, and with the potentially of it being hacked could turn out to be a great stills + video camera to knock about. It also can take flashes. I intend to use the flash a lot, was going to use the internal mostly as a fill (AE Lock via iFunction) but being able to whack an external on there would be good.

The GF3 however is a bit smaller which appeals purely as one consideration of the camera gas is having something small. The lack of hot shoe/only internal flash is perhaps an issue, though I don't know how much I'd need an external at f1.7. Is the internal flash any good? A proper fill vs bleech the image flash? Certainly the lack of hack potential is a factor.

The E-PM1 looks great and is nice and small, Olympus colour is a plus, IBIS is a plus though I'm reading it has issues in that area, plus it can take a flash externally. However, the lack of built in flash is a downer as I do shoot a lot with at least a fill.

I'm currently tempted by the GF3 due to the size but I'm unsure. Any help would be recommended please! Thanks.

Click to expand...

The GF2 and the E-PM1 both have a hotshoe.

The main advantage of the E-PL3 over the E-PM1 is the flip screen. The clip on flash is so small, you can leave it on if you think you'll need it (even for fill flash) without noticing it much.

Jogger said:

I would spend a bit more monies and get the EPL3. Its got the flip LCD, Hotshoe, and built in flash. Its a bit more money, but, i think the functionality will suit you better than the EPM1 and GF3.

Click to expand...

That would be my posture too - except the E-PL3 doesn't have a built-in flash (not that it matters for me).

--
...Bob, NYC
http://www.bobtullis.com

"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Little Big Man
.

Don't forget Panasonic are giving cash back on the GF3 at the moment, so you can get it with the 14mm pancake for only about £40 more than the GF2 with 14mm. From what I know (just played with them in store and read about them) the GF3 and GF2 are pretty similar, the GF3 has the edge in JPEGs and size over the GF2 but imagine the Oly has better JPEG output than both of them. The Oly is also significantly more expensive. I'd go with the GF3 14mm kit.. the 20mm has recently come down in price to around £250 - but with the 14mm I don't think you'd need to rush out and buy it, rather add it later.

i agree i think the gf2 or gf3 are the winners both on price and especially because they come with the excellent 14mm.

my preference is for the gf2, it's cheaper, offers a hot shoe, stereo mic and optional EVF none of which the gf3 has. I struggle to see the gf3 as an upgrade.

I also looking at these cameras(but as a backup/pocket cam to my G2). I like the GF3 for the size and price, but I have to rule it out as the flash may cause some issues. Per the review on this site(others have noticed it also):

"It's a typically low-powered unit. Despite the elaborate pop-up stork it emerges on, the flash doesn't sit particularly high from the camera body. As a result, it's not uncommon for the kit zoom to cast a shadow across the bottom of photos taken at its wider settings."

After re-reading this I am not still deciding between the GF2 and E-PM/L3

fras23 said:

i agree i think the gf2 or gf3 are the winners both on price and especially because they come with the excellent 14mm.

my preference is for the gf2, it's cheaper, offers a hot shoe, stereo mic and optional EVF none of which the gf3 has. I struggle to see the gf3 as an upgrade.

Click to expand...

I did too, until I read and noticed the GF3 has faster AF, different ISO rating, which leads to slightly better higher ISO, and jpeg output that's suppose to be improved(in some comparison shots I have noticed the improvement). However, the the flash and lack of buttons vs the GF2 have turned me off.

Bob Tullis said:

Jogger said:

I would spend a bit more monies and get the EPL3. Its got the flip LCD, Hotshoe, and built in flash. Its a bit more money, but, i think the functionality will suit you better than the EPM1 and GF3.

Click to expand...

That would be my posture too - except the E-PL3 doesn't have a built-in flash (not that it matters for me).

Click to expand...

Shame that it doesn't. I would have bought it over the PM1 if it did have pop-up flash, rather than clip-in.

I seriously considered the E-PL3, but went with the E-PM1. Basically, I love the idea of a flip-out screen... that was kind of the thing that pushed me over the edge on buying my Canon 60D last spring. But the screen on the E-PL3 doesn't really swivel in the way a Canon or typical camcorder screen swivels... it's more of a design to let you shoot from the waist, maybe overheads, but even with overheads, you don't have enough freedom of movement.

Thus, ruling it not all that useful, I couldn't see paying much more for the E-PL3. Of course, the fact I have that somewhat largish Canon should point that my goal for the E-PM1 was replacing my defunct pocket P&S camera... with something that will hopefully not make me regret not taking the Canon. My old P&S is a Panasonic DMC-TZ5... the idea of a 10:1 zoom was great, but pretty much every time I used this camera, I was upset at the photo quality. Back in the days of film, I shot with an Olympus OM-4 and the occasional pocket 35mm rangefinder... so my pocket camera had much the same potential quality of the full rig. Doing the math, I think the actual pixel size on the E-PM1 and the 60D are about the same. Not really a compromise here on image quality.

As for Panasonic vs. Olympus... I still have the old OM-series system, my camcorders went from Sony to Panasonic a few years back, so I was certainly open to either. Just seemed to me that the PM1 was a slightly nicer unit, and I kind of dig Oly's neo-retro styling. It's also kind of nice to have an Olympus again, but the Pannys wouldn't have been a wrong choice (and the 20mm f1.7 lens on the PM1 looks slightly odd... I'm not sure why the lens body is do wide -- I had a 50mm f1.5 lens for my old Canon rangefinder that was substantially narrower, if not as shallow. But otherwise, that's kind of the go-to lens right now for low-light shooting).

I lke the GF-2 the best.

I am an e-pl1 owner and think that losing the built in flash on the Oly's is a step in the wrong direction.

I do like IBIS for legacy lenses and pancakes though.

Tedolph

The included flash can't be used wireless itself right? I.E. I can't handhold it and it'll fire? I believe it's a trigger for other flashes though yeah?

Just an FYI, the 20mm 1.7 looks funny on the E-PM1. Not that it really matters.

I'd go with the E-PM1 or GF3 for the improved JPEG colors.

How do you find the IBIS works? The reports of it being a bit rubbish are concerning

andrewsn00 said:

How do you find the IBIS works? The reports of it being a bit rubbish are concerning

Click to expand...

At low shutter speeds it is brilliant. At medium shutter speeds and above we get mixed reports. Although, someone just did a thread with IBIS, a long lens and high shutter speeds. That thread definatley shows that IBIS works there too.

I think the complaints (few that there are) are mostly imagined, or rare, or both.

I love it on the E-pl1.

Tedolph

fras23 said:

i agree i think the gf2 or gf3 are the winners both on price and especially because they come with the excellent 14mm.

my preference is for the gf2, it's cheaper, offers a hot shoe, stereo mic and optional EVF none of which the gf3 has. I struggle to see the gf3 as an upgrade.

Click to expand...

GF3 is a loser unless you absolutely have to have it small.

A lot of NEX type compromises.

Tedolph

andrewsn00 said:

How do you find the IBIS works? The reports of it being a bit rubbish are concerning

Click to expand...

I've certainly had cases where it saves the shot, and I have not noticed the problem others report. However I have only owned the PM1 for a month, and so I cannot really say for certain.

andrewsn00 said:

The included flash can't be used wireless itself right? I.E. I can't handhold it and it'll fire? I believe it's a trigger for other flashes though yeah?

Click to expand...

This is correct. The clip-in flash can fire RC flashes, but it's not an RC flash itself.

If you have a FL-36R (or are thinking of buying one) this alone makes the PM1 the best choice of the three IMO. With RC TTL flash, you can hold the 36R in your left hand and trigger it from the clip-in to provide directional lighting without having to do any manual flash power adjustment.

Of course the GF2 can use radio triggers, but no TTL means it's more difficult to use in dynamic situations.