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Cant decide for a µFT - which will do best for me?

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bertoo87

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Hey guys.

After hours of research, watching reviews, im at a point, where i dont know which camera to choose.

First off all, ill tell you what im goin to shoot.

Landscape / Nature / Animals; Portraits; My daughter which will soon begin running around.

I already selected the lenses im goin to need / buy. Olympus 17mm, 45mm, 75mm 1.8 primes, a 14-140 Panasonic as my "shootanything" lens and traveling, and the Pana 100-300 for Wildlife (yea i know the 100-400 is out but thats to much money)

So. You know what im goin to shoot, you know which lenses ill use (i use primes 70% of the time)

What the Cam is concerned: i already boiled it down to 2 main candidates.

The OM-D E-M5 Mk II - Awesome IS, comfortable enough for my preferences (plus the option of a grip), articulating screen, great button layout for me and good customization options. Plus the awesome HighRes-Mode. Downsides to the competitor may be the not that great AF in low light and action situations, lower "standard" resolution, confusing Menu system and maybe the missing 4k Burst Feature.

The Pana GX8 - Great ergonomics, button layout, viewfinder articulating screen and a more user friendly menu system. 20 MPix as a bonus, though it doesnt seem to have to much impact in total image quality as it still has an OLPF. And it seems to have better AF. Some downsides are the not that good IS and it suffers a lot from Shutter shock.

The fact that im using primes most of the time will lean me towards the EM5 II, because the IBIS is far superior over the GX8. But if the AF performance is really that much worse, than the GX8, i have some concerns with getting some nice action shots of my daughter.

Thats the point, where i hope that you guys can help me with that decision.

If you find any weird slips in the grammar and/or spelling - English isnt my native language, so please bear with me :)
 
Solution
gary0319
bertoo87 said:
money isnt a concern at all... ill buy all these lenses and body at the same time.

yes, i want it to buy asap.

my 2 main concerns are: 1st. Is the Olympus AF fast and accurate enough for playing/running kids, 2nd. would the GX8 stabilization work well enough with the primes.

other than that, the 2 bodies are equally good for me.
Click to expand...
I've used my E-M5 II for running children at the beach at dusk with fine results using the Oly 14-150 II. I use "low" burst setting that gives 5 frames per second with auto focus between each frame, works great. Weather resistant body and lens is a plus at the beach.

My usual travel kit is E-M 5 II, Oly 14-150, Oly 25 1.8. I had the Panny 100-300 and it worked fine, slow to focus sometimes but...
panasonic lenses are quick for action if that is your main concern. Only in video mode does it look like my pana is lacking IS .

I don't know OLY much except that the lenses work on both.
 
well, if you want to get a camera before the end of the year, the EM-1 mk ii is off the table. It's not super clear when it actually will ship in enough volume to make it reasonably available.

truth be told, just about any mft camera you pick will more than serve your needs.

I'd start with that super zoom and then add the additional lenses over time (watching for sales, of course).
 
Get the Olympus E-M5 MkII. IBIS is very useful with the primes.

Also, get the Olympus versions of the lenses. The 14-150 MkII is weather resistant and usually cheaper. The 75-300 is a tad slower than the Panasonic, but it's also smaller, has a much smoother zoom, and will hit high rates in burst mode. The Panasonic 100-300 has been in need of an update for a while, and it's got a really slow continuous shooting rate.
 
The GX8 is a better overall camera in my opinion. Easier to hold for normal sized hands (don't underestimate how small the E-M's are), beautiful EVF, DFD (which is better than Olympus CDAF in my use), excellent software interface, very customizable, better stills, and better video Q in all modes.

The Olympus of course has better IBIS in video and stills, high res (?) and has that SLR look.

If it were up to me, I would choose the GX8 between those two. If you throw in the E-M1, which is about the size of the GX8, I would choose the GX8 unless you want BIF and the extra two stops of IBIS matter to you.
 
bertoo87 said:
The OM-D E-M5 Mk II ... confusing Menu system...

The Pana GX8 - ... and a more user friendly menu system....
Click to expand...
I've been shooting with the original EM-5 for about 3 years now. Love that camera. Recently bought a GX8, mostly because of the viewfinder. I haven't used it enough to know whether or not I like it better, it has a few annoying features but I'm going to give myself time to get comfortable with the camera.

One thing I don't understand, though, is why people say the Pana menu is so much better than the Oly. I just don't get it, to me they are both very similar.

Dan
 
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bertoo87 said:
Hey guys.

After hours of research, watching reviews, im at a point, where i dont know which camera to choose.

First off all, ill tell you what im goin to shoot.

Landscape / Nature / Animals; Portraits; My daughter which will soon begin running around.

I already selected the lenses im goin to need / buy. Olympus 17mm, 45mm, 75mm 1.8 primes, a 14-140 Panasonic as my "shootanything" lens and traveling, and the Pana 100-300 for Wildlife (yea i know the 100-400 is out but thats to much money)
Click to expand...
Recommendation:

Panasonic G85, with Pana 15mm, Pana 42.5 1.7, Oly 75 mm, the Pana 14-140 and the Oly 100-300.

Lower cost and better specs than GX8 (except the 20MP), also better than E-M5II , I believe.
 
money isnt a concern at all... ill buy all these lenses and body at the same time.

yes, i want it to buy asap.

my 2 main concerns are: 1st. Is the Olympus AF fast and accurate enough for playing/running kids, 2nd. would the GX8 stabilization work well enough with the primes.

other than that, the 2 bodies are equally good for me.
 
bertoo87 said:
money isnt a concern at all... ill buy all these lenses and body at the same time.

yes, i want it to buy asap.

my 2 main concerns are: 1st. Is the Olympus AF fast and accurate enough for playing/running kids, 2nd. would the GX8 stabilization work well enough with the primes.

other than that, the 2 bodies are equally good for me.
Click to expand...
I've used my E-M5 II for running children at the beach at dusk with fine results using the Oly 14-150 II. I use "low" burst setting that gives 5 frames per second with auto focus between each frame, works great. Weather resistant body and lens is a plus at the beach.

My usual travel kit is E-M 5 II, Oly 14-150, Oly 25 1.8. I had the Panny 100-300 and it worked fine, slow to focus sometimes but great OIS.
 
Solution
If you are absolutely certain you want mostly Olympus lenses, I would prefer an Olympus body.

I'd also double check your choice of lenses if you lean towards an GX8. That camera is greased lightning, and Panny has some awesome lenses.

Especially when you enable the hair trigger shutter option. You will love the 4K burst. I mostly shoot with the Electronic shutter so shock isn't an issue. It has a mode that will prefer mechanical shutter for speeds that don't have a shutter shock risk.
 
Since you have already decided on a couple of bodies, let me toss one more in to confuse the issue. Take a look at the GX85/0 as well. The in-body stabilization is excellent and the absence of the AA filter does result in sharper images. It has taken some hits for the EVF, but I find it perfectly useable. It has also been accused of being 'too heavy'...not for me. It is only a couple of ounces heavier than the GX7. The kits come with the 12-32 3.5-5.6 lens...tiny, but sharp. The 15 1.7 is super sharp and the aperture ring is a feature that I find very handy. The 14-140 has been accused of being prone to 'Shutter Shake", but that will not happen on the GX85/0. The other winning feature is the price. It is usually fairly well priced.

Just a thought.
 
Thanks for your replies.

i already took a look on the GX85, but it wasnt blowing me away. Sure its a lot cheaper but the only thing the GX85 does better than the other 2 competitors may be the AF. The viewfinder (which is very important for me) isnt that great compared, and the IS... i mean its 5 axis, but even with dual IS it lags behind the Olympus.

Since i use primes most of the time, the inbody IS is very important to me. AF performance is only relevant for playing kids. The worst case would be my little girl running around at dusk - it wont get worse than these light conditions (at least for "action"). All other pictures ill be taking will be more or less still life / portraits. And if the Olympus can handle that, ill definetly go with Olympus. Not only for the IS, but the option for a vertical grip.
 
bertoo87 said:
Thanks for your replies.

i already took a look on the GX85, but it wasnt blowing me away. Sure its a lot cheaper but the only thing the GX85 does better than the other 2 competitors may be the AF. The viewfinder (which is very important for me) isnt that great compared, and the IS... i mean its 5 axis, but even with dual IS it lags behind the Olympus.

Since i use primes most of the time, the inbody IS is very important to me. AF performance is only relevant for playing kids. The worst case would be my little girl running around at dusk - it wont get worse than these light conditions (at least for "action"). All other pictures ill be taking will be more or less still life / portraits. And if the Olympus can handle that, ill definetly go with Olympus. Not only for the IS, but the option for a vertical grip.
Click to expand...
If your child is running at the camera, or you are at dusk and there is motion, the E-M5 II is not the camera for the job. However, I think the E-M5 II is a great camera, and with the grip, a good choice for slower photos. A better choice, if you are going to run a grip, is the E-M1 with or without the Olympus vertical grip. It is more seamless and looks better IMHO, too. Similar size and weight when the dust settles. And the E-M1 is a couple hundred bucks less from international sellers right now.
 
i dont know if its just an upload error from DPREVIEW... but the high iso seems to be softer on the EM1... other than that it would apeal to me
 
I agree to your prime lens choices.

The traveling lens, I would pick Olympus 12-40 Pro or Panny 12-35. larger aperture and water resistance. Nothing is perfect, they are shorter in range but it gives you ability to shoot when it rains.

Body, If you are a video person go for panasonic. For me, I prefer Olympus. I'm not a heavy video shooter and it comes with free olympus viewer, which can do some light-weight picture editing.

Good luck.

-Ken
 
You might take a look at the Pen F now then add an E-M1 II when it comes out, here's why:

I use a full Olympus/Panasonic system so body / lens choice for the day became an optimal choice. Whether I use a small E-PL5 or my E-M1, I'll still get the same image size and quality which offers peace of mind while choosing tools for the photo objective. It sounds like you're quite ready to invest so if you are, consider a system. Olympus seems to go from small bodies / small lenses to significantly larger with both. I'll use either depending on photo scenarios and find that there's nothing to lose. They each have unique advantages that match in image quality.

One other personal opinion based on owning an E-M1 for a lot of street shooting and reading about the E-M1 II, I'd have preferred the tilt screen and the accessory port to have remained on the E-M1 II. The VF4 finder, that I use on both my Pen Lights and E-M1, is always going to be a jewel for low level shooting. I'm not into video at all... I have enough work with stills.

But if you're in a rush and lured to the new 20MP generation, consider a Pen F now to start with and get the E-M1 II when it's available in 2017. I think you'd catch on and enjoy a system over the limited options of one body. The extra tool in my bag lends to a greater variety of shooting opportunities.

A tip on lens choices... same as the logic with bodies. Having a small 17mm or 45mm f1.8 with me still leaves room in my pocket. I could use my much larger, heavier 12-40mm Pro but it all depends on the day's mission. Again, resolved with a system.
 
Fantastic IBIS, mops the floor with EM5mkII for action (do not use that cam at all with kids running around!). IQ seems to be solid, weathersealed (splasing kid...), swivle screen good ergonomics, reasonable burstspeed, fantastic video and a good price...

Can't think of a better mFT cam at the moment actually. Until Em1mkII and GH5 will enter the scene this for your kind of shooting will remain that way,

I have a GH4 and for action etc, with the right lenses, it will do a fine job. So will G8 (I guess it will be better). Good luck.
 
If you need to buy now you really can not go wrong with either the EM-5 MKII or the GX-8, they are both fine cameras. If anything consider which one feels the most comfortable in your hand from a handling perspective with the lens you have choosen.

As a previous poster mentioned if you need a "blend" of their features from both and can afford to wait a little take a look at the announced Panasonic G80/85. It would be a great compromise. I believe that it will start shipping around mid-October (depending upon where you live).

As for lens all good choices, and once again consider the Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 or the Olympus 12-40mm F2.8. Optical quality on either of these is great and either is the perfect lens to leave on your body for most of your shooting.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21702997@N03/
 
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