Would you make a significant "investment" in m4/3?

sean000 said:

sean000 said:

why the Nikon stuff gathers so much dust for me these days. As much as I like it, if I'm going to shoot two systems I might be better off selling the APS-C stuff and getting some full frame stuff in a few years.

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This has crossed my mind too when the D750 came out and widely reviewed. However the cost of the FF system will be twice of that of the DX system. When the D7200 finally comes out, it will still be half the price of the D750 with perhaps even better AF, metering, in a lighter body, I hope. I am keeping my m4/3 b/c when we go hiking or just traveling in a city, one of my hands is usually grabbing one of my kids so I don't have much reserve to carry a heavy camera. As you said, the m4/3 will get better and so will SONY. For this reason, keeping more than one camera system is a good way to diversify.

Nice shot by the way.

G1Houston said:

sean000 said:

G1Houston said:

why the Nikon stuff gathers so much dust for me these days. As much as I like it, if I'm going to shoot two systems I might be better off selling the APS-C stuff and getting some full frame stuff in a few years.

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This has crossed my mind too when the D750 came out and widely reviewed. However the cost of the FF system will be twice of that of the DX system. When the D7200 finally comes out, it will still be half the price of the D750 with perhaps even better AF, metering, in a lighter body, I hope. I am keeping my m4/3 b/c when we go hiking or just traveling in a city, one of my hands is usually grabbing one of my kids so I don't have much reserve to carry a heavy camera. As you said, the m4/3 will get better and so will SONY. For this reason, keeping more than one camera system is a good way to diversify.

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You're right about that. We have no idea what the options will be in five years, but I'm sure there will be some good ones.

G1Houston said:

Nice shot by the way.

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Thanks to my wife! Sometimes I get to be in some of the photos ;-)

Sean

Sold my Nikon D7000 wih battery grip + Nikon 17-55/2.8, 80-200/2.8 and Tokina 12-24/2.8. I will be getting the Olympus EM-1 +12-40/2.8 Pro and the soon to be release 40-150/2.8 Pro very soon and hopefully the new 7-14/2.8 Pro if the price is right. And if I like the EM-5 refresh might get that too as a second body. I have the GM1 now and I love the portability and take more than decent photos for me.

Just got tired of carrying/lugging the BIG dlsr. The Oly EM-1 is good enough for what I do and the focusing is very quick. Even with with the 2 bodies and lenses I mentioned, it will still be a lot lighter than the D7K with battery grip + 80-200/2.8 and I can fit them in a smaller bag.

nardoleo said:

I am keen deep in the micro four third system with the
oly 12-40mm, pana leica 25mm, oly 75mm, voigt 17.5 and voigt 42.5mm. All with an EM5.

Personally, i feel that the system provides the perfect balance between image quality and size.
--
Confessions of a Lens-o-holic.
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/lwzr/

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There's that word again .. "balance". I feel the same way.
I have some of the lenses you are interested, samples at links below, many with an EM-5. The Performing arts shots in particular were made easy in the dim light because of the excellent VF and IBIS.

I like a long lens shot, too so 40-150/2.8 + its TC are on the way ... when Aus stock arrives.

THe kit you're thinking of is surprisingly small. Enjoy all the EXTRA pics you'll take not beeding a wheelbarrow to cart your gear... consider the grip too.

My film cameras were Leica, Nikon and Hasselblad. I sold them and purchased m43. Since then, I have purchased all of the better lenses. No regrets...but, sometimes I miss my rangefinders.

zxaar said:

zxaar said:

zxaar said:

zxaar said:

[ snip ]

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Yaa specially when are not doing oly and leave 43 type faithfuls in lurch.

Isn't it ridiculous that owners of oly of all worry about sony abandoning them.

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They had a good system, and now have a better one. With EM-1, the ZD lens users are well catered for indeed.
[ more snip ]

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And how many times Sony abandoned a mount? And consider a discussion where it seems that Sony will abandon the mount when almost every has done except Sony. They in fact kept Minolta mount alive. -- ::> I make spelling mistakes. May Dog forgive me for this.

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Quite right ... Oly and panny have the design/manufacturing skill, the guts and the innovation to stay ahead for at least the next few years.
By that time MFT will have at least a dozen MORE good native lenses to choose from. A hard lead to catch.
.
Then ... it is possible the bricks 'n' bazookas guy will have to do a really special snow job to appear to NOT be ditching legacy owners. Will that work - again like the "digital lens" back pedal?
.
Somewhat reminiscent of that 'guru' Jobs saying Samsung's LARGE phones were rubbish and customers didn't want/need them (because HIS phones had tiny screens). Of course phones are not so much a 'system of useful equipment' as a 'one-item consumer religion' governed by some very weird rules... I like the S-pen myself, very useful, even for telling jokes in the pub or helping to describe something in a shop that you can't name at the time.
.
Anyway, as I see it, Full Marketing Frame cameras today are like my RB-67 outfit was in 1995 - only needed for an ever diminishing range of photos. BIG Mamiya now sold as the EM-5 out-resolves it by a factor of 5 or so.
Actually other than as a boat anchor, EM-5 is MORE useful than many cameras and comes to MORE places as it is easy to transport and not overwhelm a scene..
.
The writing IS on the wall ...
.
I have the quaint idea that cameras are for communicating some idea or other, not arguing the Nth degree of some technicality over to justify keep my older, less useful gear. If that were not the case, I'd still be shooting the dear old RB-67.
.
Customers and 99% of viewers don't give a fig for pixel peeping and ad nauseum "mathematical" arguments. They DO pay for good work.

--
Well designed gear performs better for longer than well marketed gear.
Odd that people complain a lens is not sharp enough,
and then proceed to make pics where 95% is OOF ..
General Pics:
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/
Oly and other .. Gear test samples - even RB-67!:
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests
How DO OMDs cope with dim-light action and smoke?
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Performing-arts
.
NB: Zuiko 40-150/2.8 +TC in gear list is unrated. Pre ordered and expected it in November.

Jeff Charles said:

photohounds said:

Agree .. IF FMF and MFT were the same size/weight it would be a moot point. Fact is they are not. Prices probably reflect the relative difficulty of making a slightly smaller precision object than a larger one AND the number of similar ones made so far. How many 45-50mm f1.8 lenses have been made so far - 100 million? They are all cheap.
.
That "more materials is better value" argument that some (not necessarily you) present here from time to time is garbage. On THAT flimsy basis an F150 is a "better vehicle" than a Ferrari.
The even smaller cams you mentioned give up too much, but are still better than phones. An FMF kit is a bit too far the other way for many. It is balance and with MFT you can carry a fair bit of good picture making gear without a mule.

Look at the preceding pics. MUCH less likely I could have moved between the shooting positions before or after this shot, lugging heavy gear. It is that simple

Shortly after this. Then ...

This ... The FMF shooters got staid looking pics at least partly due to their lack of mobility.

Getting a quality pic is better than arguing about maths.
MFT is a very good quality/size compromise for those on the move, but with an eye for quality.. If I shot mostly studio, I would have an FMF kit with Zeiss lenses and a SMALLER MFT kit.

Similarly, if you have lots of space/luggage allowance and don't mind your shooting position being hampered by sometimes very large gear, don't let me stop you (not that I am trying).
I AM trying to point out that this particular compromise (and ALL formats are compromises) is a very versatile one

--
Well designed gear performs better for longer than well marketed gear.
Odd that people complain a lens is not sharp enough,
and then proceed to make pics where 95% is OOF ..
General Pics:
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/
Oly and other .. Gear test samples - even RB-67!:
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests
How DO OMDs cope with dim-light action and smoke?
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Performing-arts

Click to expand...

Your samples were taken at ISO 800. If there had been less light, and you had needed ISO 3200 or 6400, would your mFT camera have done as well? There's a broad range of situations in which mFT will produce good results, but outside of that "comfort zone", FF will do better.

--
Jeff
Leave it in the ground!

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It is still quite good at A4 size and ISO 3200.


Like some of the shots in this gallery. This one?

6400 can be OK too if you nail the exposure.


Or this one ...

2 stops dimmer and a glass VF user might have trouble even taking a useful pic that semi-froze the action, let alone with the freedom of hand holding. the 5 axis IBIS is superior for this if you need to shoot slow.

FNAC published a good comparison and Olympus' IBIS really stood out.

FNAC actually made a rig to shake the camera. (French article)

http://multimedia.fnac.com/multimedia/editorial/labo/reflex_hiver_2013_v5_basse.pdf

For now, these MFT cameras are very useful tools for getting salable results where the big guns would often hamper progress or tie one down .. I LIKE to move around ... and sell

--
Well designed gear performs better for longer than well marketed gear.
Odd that people complain a lens is not sharp enough,
and then proceed to make pics where 95% is OOF ..
General Pics:
Oly and other .. Gear test samples - even RB-67!:
How DO OMDs cope with dim-light action and smoke?
.
NB: Zuiko 40-150/2.8 +TC in gear list is unrated. Pre ordered and expected it in November.