Are micro four thirds cameras a trend?

I created this thread with all seriousness in mind. I have been shooting with Canon DSLRS for 7+ years and have no complaints, however I am seriously considering a major down size. I have done my fair share of pixel peeping, DXOing and read review after review until I am sick of it. I thought I wanted the A7R, then the Olympus OMD EM1 and then full circle to the Canon 6D. Today I decided to hit my local camera store (Tempe Camera) to get my hands on each of these for a few minutes. I came away with the following impressions.

1.) The Olympus OMD EM1 is a tiny albeit solid feeling and comfortable camera. I didn't like the viewfinder compared to my 7D. I almost felt like the image presented was a bit fuzzy and not at all as sharp as I have been lead to believe. Yes I made several adjustments and I could only make it look worse or better, but not great like the 7D. This might have something to do with getting used to EVF Vs. a OVF? I think I will need a battery grip on the OMD EM1 so I don't loose it because it is SOOOOO tiny. I still like it and want to spend more time with it before I decide.

2.) The A7R just felt wonky all the way around to me. I do not appreciate the textures, dials or the build quality. It did not seem like it should cost as much as it does. I am not judging it by its merits just how it felt in my hands. I will probably not consider this camera on shear presentation alone...I know very shallow and closed-minded. I was similarly disappointed with the viewfinder, but it might have been a hair better than the Olympus.

3.) The Canon 6D feels like a toy compared to my 7D. I just took a look at this after being a bit sad about the previous two cameras. I don't think I want to buy it at all after holding it in my hands. I believe I am ready to go with a smaller camera I guess I am just having a hard time deciding.

I need help from people who have owned or currently own DSLRs AND have used or own any of the cameras I have listed above. What do you think about switching from a DSLR like the 7D to a smaller micro four thirds camera or something like the Sony?

Everyone else feel free to comment about your thoughts on the micro four thirds system in general. Is it hear to stay? How many of you are considering a similar switch? How many of you think the only way to be serious about photography is to own a DSLR?

So you all have a reference I rarely shoot sports and don't even like to do it. I primarily shoot portraits, family photography, wedding, buildings and nature. I also intend to purchase something like the 70D down the road for its video capabilities and to have a something to put my Canon lenses on.

The 7D is a great camera.

mi1stormilst said:

I created this thread with all seriousness in mind. I have been shooting with Canon DSLRS for 7+ years and have no complaints, however I am seriously considering a major down size. I have done my fair share of pixel peeping, DXOing and read review after review until I am sick of it. I thought I wanted the A7R, then the Olympus OMD EM1 and then full circle to the Canon 6D. Today I decided to hit my local camera store (Tempe Camera) to get my hands on each of these for a few minutes. I came away with the following impressions.

1.) The Olympus OMD EM1 is a tiny albeit solid feeling and comfortable camera. I didn't like the viewfinder compared to my 7D. I almost felt like the image presented was a bit fuzzy and not at all as sharp as I have been lead to believe. Yes I made several adjustments and I could only make it look worse or better, but not great like the 7D. This might have something to do with getting used to EVF Vs. a OVF? I think I will need a battery grip on the OMD EM1 so I don't loose it because it is SOOOOO tiny. I still like it and want to spend more time with it before I decide.

2.) The A7R just felt wonky all the way around to me. I do not appreciate the textures, dials or the build quality. It did not seem like it should cost as much as it does. I am not judging it by its merits just how it felt in my hands. I will probably not consider this camera on shear presentation alone...I know very shallow and closed-minded. I was similarly disappointed with the viewfinder, but it might have been a hair better than the Olympus.

3.) The Canon 6D feels like a toy compared to my 7D. I just took a look at this after being a bit sad about the previous two cameras. I don't think I want to buy it at all after holding it in my hands. I believe I am ready to go with a smaller camera I guess I am just having a hard time deciding.

I need help from people who have owned or currently own DSLRs AND have used or own any of the cameras I have listed above. What do you think about switching from a DSLR like the 7D to a smaller micro four thirds camera or something like the Sony?

Everyone else feel free to comment about your thoughts on the micro four thirds system in general. Is it hear to stay? How many of you are considering a similar switch? How many of you think the only way to be serious about photography is to own a DSLR?

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It's an alternative system. Your personal preferences still apply.

Is it a serious system? Yes.

A few minutes messing with these cameras isn't going to give you a feel for the system's benefits as a whole, you need more time with the cameras to judge that.

Since you have considered the OMD-1, why not wait a month or two and take a look at the Fuji Xt1 when it becomes available.

I expect it to have a better EVF and better image quality than the Oly OMD-1 and be superior ergonomically as well, and have a better kit lens.

Although of course all these may be matters of opinion, why not wait and form your own opinion?

Krugman

Agreed, but I need something smaller/lighter...my back does not have the strength it used to and my patience for hauling around a large system has grown thin.

ApertureAcolyte said:

It's an alternative system. Your personal preferences still apply.

Is it a serious system? Yes.

A few minutes messing with these cameras isn't going to give you a feel for the system's benefits as a whole, you need more time with the cameras to judge that.

Click to expand...

I agree I intend to go back and play and I will probably rent the Olympus for a week.

mi1stormilst said:

Agreed, but I need something smaller/lighter...my back does not have the strength it used to and my patience for hauling around a large system has grown thin.

Click to expand...

Try the 100D. It's light and you can use all your canon lenses too.

I use the Nikon D5200 and am pleased.

krugman said:

Since you have considered the OMD-1, why not wait a month or two and take a look at the Fuji Xt1 when it becomes available.

I expect it to have a better EVF and better image quality than the Oly OMD-1 and be superior ergonomically as well, and have a better kit lens.

Although of course all these may be matters of opinion, why not wait and form your own opinion?

Krugman

Click to expand...

I am certainly going to wait for the reviews now that it is officially announced. According to the guys at Tempe Camera (well one anyway) they can't give the Fuji Film cameras away. I am in the process of forming my opinion through various methods this was an attempt to gather additional experience from the people of this community.

Thank you

HappyVan said:

mi1stormilst said:

Agreed, but I need something smaller/lighter...my back does not have the strength it used to and my patience for hauling around a large system has grown thin.

Click to expand...

Try the 100D. It's light and you can use all your canon lenses too.

I use the Nikon D5200 and am pleased.

Click to expand...

The very presence of my Canon lenses and a DSLR makes it not light /-: Though the Olympus is much smaller than I anticipated I surely loved the weight and size. I am about 75% convinced I would like something smaller for daily use.

mi1stormilst said:

krugman said:

Since you have considered the OMD-1, why not wait a month or two and take a look at the Fuji Xt1 when it becomes available.

I expect it to have a better EVF and better image quality than the Oly OMD-1 and be superior ergonomically as well, and have a better kit lens.

Although of course all these may be matters of opinion, why not wait and form your own opinion?

Krugman

Click to expand...

I am certainly going to wait for the reviews now that it is officially announced. According to the guys at Tempe Camera (well one anyway) they can't give the Fuji Film cameras away. I am in the process of forming my opinion through various methods this was an attempt to gather additional experience from the people of this community.

Thank you

Click to expand...

When I was in Tempe Camera three months ago (I live four hours from Tempe) one of the salesmen showed me the Fuji XE-1. He commented on what a great camera it was, but criticized the user-interface, saying in his opinion it wasn't all that "user-friendly". I am not endorsing or criticizing Fuji cameras, but how user-friendly a camera is or isn't might also help you pull the trigger or kill the deal on a new camera. By the way, Tempe Camera is a great store!

digitallollygag said:

digitallollygag wrote: When I was in Tempe Camera three months ago (I live four hours from Tempe) one of the salesmen showed me the Fuji XE-1. He commented on what a great camera it was, but criticized the user-interface, saying in his opinion it wasn't all that "user-friendly". I am not endorsing or criticizing Fuji cameras, but how user-friendly a camera is or isn't might also help you pull the trigger or kill the deal on a new camera. By the way, Tempe Camera is a great store!

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Yeah I like the look of the new Fuji, but I have never been drawn to own one before. I am not ruling it out just yet, but I really do appreciate your feedback. I am committed to a new camera as I already have a camera buyer. Maybe I will hold off long enough to get a 7D Mark II Mini ;-)

mi1stormilst said:

HappyVan said:

mi1stormilst said:

Agreed, but I need something smaller/lighter...my back does not have the strength it used to and my patience for hauling around a large system has grown thin.

Click to expand...

Try the 100D. It's light and you can use all your canon lenses too.

I use the Nikon D5200 and am pleased.

Click to expand...

The very presence of my Canon lenses and a DSLR makes it not light /-: Though the Olympus is much smaller than I anticipated I surely loved the weight and size. I am about 75% convinced I would like something smaller for daily use.

Click to expand...

Look at his ...

HappyVan said:

mi1stormilst said:

Agreed, but I need something smaller/lighter...my back does not have the strength it used to and my patience for hauling around a large system has grown thin.

Click to expand...

Try the 100D. It's light and you can use all your canon lenses too.

I use the Nikon D5200 and am pleased.

Click to expand...

That's many words

In my opinion ergonomics and feel are very important. If you are not comfortable with your camera, you wont use it as much and your results will be worse.

mi1stormilst said:

Everyone else feel free to comment about your thoughts on the micro four thirds system in general. Is it hear to stay?

Click to expand...

I believe so. I'd be more worried whether Sony can manage to have a stable, continuous product line. But I don't have a crystal ball.

mi1stormilst said:

How many of you are considering a similar switch?

Click to expand...

Not me. I am happy where I am. Perhaps a smaller camera in addition somewhere in the future...

mi1stormilst said:

How many of you think the only way to be serious about photography is to own a DSLR?

Click to expand...

Being serious about photography is about you first, and gear a distant second. If you are not serious, then the gear doesn't matter. You can be serious with any kind of gear.

Being serious about photography gear is a different topic.

Regards, Mike
--
Wait and see...

mi1stormilst said:

The very presence of my Canon lenses and a DSLR makes it not light /-: Though the Olympus is much smaller than I anticipated I surely loved the weight and size. I am about 75% convinced I would like something smaller for daily use.

Click to expand...

What kind of lenses do you use for the Canon and what would you choose for those other systems ? Seems like a lot of people, as part of their downsizing, go from half a dozen large lenses to 2-3 small lenses and end up comparing apples to oranges. Personally, while I'm not a Canon shooter, I was very impressed with the little Rebel SL1, despite it being an "entry level" camera. With a couple different lenses, maybe it could be a smaller lighter system.

That's not to say you shouldn't consider the mirrorless options. So long as you're comparing a kit that does what you need it to do and not just a body. Sony has done a great job in miniaturizing the bodies and offers great technology at good prices. None of the bodies really calls to me, though, and the lens lineup(s) (plural because there are both APS-C and FF lenses to consider) aren't very inspiring. I could probably put together a serviceable APS-C lineup with the recent addition of the two f/4 zooms, but there isn't a single pancake prime that interests me for "grab & go" use.

I pretty much consider micro 4/3 to be Olympus. Panasonic has that great 20/1.7 lens. The cameras are interesting. But I found the bodies I tried to be unsatisfying (the GX7 looks great on paper, but wasn't impressive in hand and I didn't like the EVF at all; the GM1 has tiny, fiddly controls that are worse than my RX100). The EM1 is an impressive camera with fast AF, the best EVF I've tried (liked it better than on the Sony FF models, even though I'd read claims that they're the same), and I would probably choose all Oly lenses - f/1.7 primes and f/2.8 zooms. I would also have reservations about Panasonic's long term commitment to cameras. Biggest knock against the Oly EM1 is that it's a complex beast.

I like Fuji a lot. That's the system that appeals most to me as a "want to use it" camera. I like the lenses, like the bodies. Don't like the sensor, as I shoot raw and PP in Lightroom.

In practice, I rely on my 70-200/2.8 a lot and use continuous AF a lot. I'd had a Sony NEX (early model) and found over time that it wasn't getting much use (after the novelty wore off). It was reasonably compact with slow lenses (and there were no fast lenses !). And it had lots of usability quirks, mostly related to the menu, which seems to have been fixed by going to the Alpha menu in recent models. I decided to commit to using my DSLR more, so bought a hand grip and picked out a small holster style bag that lets me carry the camera with 2 lenses easily. I can even manage the 16-85 with the 35 and 85 in side pouches and it's still pretty compact. The 70-200 is a beast, but no mirrorless option is going to change that. I use a BlackRapid strap when shooting with it, and I carry my RX100 alongside it for WA use. (If I think I need quality WA shots, I can carry my NEX-5 alongside it ... it's not bigger than a second lens for the DSLR and saves me the lens swapping).

• Dennis
  --
  Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com

I shoot with both a Canon dSLR (5D MKIII) and Fuji (X-E1 and X-E2). I like my Fuji's. They don't weigh a ton and the lenses are really good. The autofocus has improved to the point that I don't think about it. I am slowly getting used to the EVF. High ISO performance is excellent. They still do not do well with action.

You need to figure out where you are going photographically and the kinds of gear you want to use - project out a bit.

For me, I used to use a Nikon D2X and an assortment of expensive lenses. But I mostly shot landscapes and didn't care a lot about anything over ISO 200. I occasionally used a manual focus Nikon 500/4, and that was the only time I cared about the ISO limitations of the D2X.

But then I had a kid. Needed a smaller lighter .. something. Tried an Oly EP2, and it fit the bill. Started shooting less wildlife. Landscape volume stayed about the same, but they became more local. Did I really need a D2X, 17-35, 50mm and a 70-200 to hike Shenandoah and the Smokies? Not really. There actually wasn't much difference between the D2X and EP2, for the most part, image wise. And an EP2 was a heck of a lot lighter. Was it worth keeping ALL the Nikon stuff to occasionally shoot eagles? Nope. Could still mount the 500/4 with an adapter. Ultimately sold the rest of the Nikons and bought more m43 lenses.

Now, as it turns out, I had also been intrigued with the XPro and X100, and had picked up used and/or on-sale versions of them with the remainder of the Nikon proceeds. The EM5 does a little better with a kid then them, but not a vast amount. I like the IBIS and controls for the Oly, but I adore the external controls of the Fujis. I never use the menus for either system. The Fujis aren't that much bigger or heavier.

I THINK the XT1 will merge the two mirrorless needs FOR ME. I preordered one at least (first time I have ever done that). That will likely cause me to sell some of the duplicative Oly glass. Now all of these decisions were driven by MY needs and MY shooting preferences over the years. It may very well had been different had I had more autofocus driven wildlife needs. Or if ... But your needs and shooting preferences need to drive your own decisions. I don't think m43 is a trend at all, nor do I think it is going away any time soon. Nor do I know if it will suit your family and portraiture preferences (although many m43 photographers use it for this end). But it is a viable photographic tools for many people's needs (just not all people and for all purposes).

If you're satisfied with the 7D, and it is an outstanding platform, with a lot of outstanding glass, is there a reason to change?

The greatest advantage I know of in going from a full size DSLR to something like the EM1 is - size. People like to come up with hard measurements for this, such as dimensions or an arbitrarily sized 'pocket', but having used both extensively, the big differences I notice are:

It doesn't demand as much of your attention. The EM1 isn't just smaller, it's very slender. The EM1 with 17 1.8 lens mounted is about as thick as the 7D with no lens, and the µ43 lenses, even the very good ones, are also very small. You can pack the EM1 plus 12-40 plus a couple of fast primes with nothing more than a fanny pack. You just aren't as aware that you're carrying serious photo gear, and it doesn't restrict your other activities as much. If you're out with a group of people, you're not stumbing over a big camera bag, and neither are they. You can get killer photos, without most of the headaches of carrying killer gear.

It doesn't draw as much attention to you. You'll never realize just how much attention a big DSLR rig draws until you start using one of these little beauties. You don't get the cautious looks, you don't get stopped at the door to events that discourage large cameras. Not long after I got the EM5, I went to a major equestrian event, and walked right past the big 'No Pro Cameras' sign. Little did they know...

What's nice today is: to get that, you don't give up much, if any, capability or IQ. Whether or not the freedom of movement and freedom from burden are enough to offset the costs is for the individual to decide.

I might suggest that you look into one of the lower cost µ43 cameras like a used EM5 - the EM1 and EM10 are pushing EM5 prices down on the used market. Get that and one really good lens to see what it can do, but without busting the bank in the process. Actually using one of these setups is the best way to learn the advantages, and whether or not those advantages are to your benefit.

What you may find is that you're leaving the big rig at home, more often than not. It's a lot easier to live with, while it's not costing you much if anything in the way of IQ or capability.

To be honest, I never considered whether the smaller mirrorless cameras (just to use the more correct term, since only the Oly and Panny models are M4:3) are a trend, or whether they're more or less popular, or whether they'll die out or 'kill' off any other type of camera. I look at one thing only: does the camera serve a purpose for me? If yes, I buy it. I have a DSLR and I love it, and I shopped the idea of a mirrorless system as a second, lighter, smaller camera system without as much IQ compromise compared to small sensor and fixed lens compacts. I deemed that the NEX system fit the bill for me, I liked the features, build, and feel, disliked the menus which were fortunately bypassed with lots of custom buttons and later design changes, so I got a NEX as a second body. I knew I couldn't go on first impressions and feel alone, since the two systems are very different and it takes some time to adapt to a totally different body size and design - but in a few days, and after setting up all my custom buttons, and adapting to a slightly different shooting style, I fell right into a comfortable feel and now easily share photo duties between the DSLR kit and the NEX kit.

Personally, I prefer the smaller bodies on the mirrorless side - if I'm going to go with a second system for lightness or compactness, then I prefer to go very different from the DSLR - the 'mini-DSLR' designs are not my preference in the mirrorless world. Lens size doesn't affect me - thought mirrorless cameras rarely have lenses that can render them 'pocketable', I only wanted lighter and more compact, and that I got. I can fit my mirrorless camera body with attached lens, plus 3 other lenses, in a tiny compact camera bag...if I tore out the two dividers inside the bag, I could just squeeze my DSLR and attached kit lens into the same space. With the mirrorless kit, I can wedge the 18-55mm kit, a 35mm F1.4, a 10-18mm UWA, and a 55-210mm zoom in the same space, and about the same weight. Works for me.

mi1stormilst said:

I am certainly going to wait for the reviews now that it is officially announced. According to the guys at Tempe Camera (well one anyway) they can't give the Fuji Film cameras away.

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If they want to give me an X-E2 I'll happily send them my address.

Changing to the 'rangefinder-style' Fujis with their film camera knobs and dials could be a bit of a culture shock to a DSLR user, but the X-T1 seems to have the option of a more DSLR-oriented set-up with control wheels front and rear.

In terms of size and weight the X-cameras are pretty good. The X-T1 body is lighter and smaller in all dimensions than the OM-D E-M1, even though it has a bigger sensor.