Question on M43

emzee wrote:

GV27 wrote:

1) How good is the Panasonic GX-8 compared to some of the full frame options from Canon? (6D, 5D Mark III). Since I have used Canon 5D Mark II, I am quite familiar with Canon setup. Is image quality very much acceptable?

I always find this type of question tough and the best answer is "you'll have to see for yourself". The biggest problem here is that you're comparing things that are worlds apart in terms of price. And you DO get something for the extra money, though like most things in the photography world you pay as much (if not more) for the last 5% of performance as you do for the first 95%. Your old camera cost twice as much as the most expensive m43 offerings new, and even now used goes for about the same price as a high-end m43 body.

If you were looking at cars this would be like saying "I used to have a Mercedes-Benz S550 and now I'm looking at buying a Toyota Camry, will I be happy?" I don't know. The Camry is a powerful, comfortable and extremely reliable vehicle. It'll get you going where you're going comfortably. But will you start complaining that the ride's not quite as soft, the leather's not quite as supple and the heated seats don't warm up as fast? I have no idea how to answer that. Will you wish you'd spent the extra $60k to get those little things? How should I know?

m43 cameras are generally light, compact, economical, reliable and produce great photographs. But are you going to start looking at the results under a microscope and complain that it's not quite as good as the latest FF alternatives? Are you going to wish you'd spent 2 or 3 times the money to get a high-end FF DSLR? I don't think any of us can answer that for you.

Chris

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the comments. I think I would be happy with the 95% performance as this is a hobby for me. I have no plans to spend 3 times the cost to get a FF camera because I may not be using (or utilizing ) its fullest potential.

Regards,

emzee

You still haven't answered my questions about how high and how big. The answers to these questions determine whether MFT will be just as "good" as a larger format camera or not. If you're shooting under ISO 1600 and printing no bigger than 11"x14", you almost certainly won't see any difference in image quality. If you're shooting at ISO 6400 and printing 20"x30", you will. I shoot landscapes at base ISO and my 16"x21" prints are razor sharp and very detailed, even when viewed from a few inches away. I also shoot low-light events at ISO 3200, and the images can make very nice 12"x18" prints. Pick the tool that fits the job. There is no "best" for everything.