Thinking of going m43

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

I have been lucky with camera gear. In all cases, I have sold for more than I have purchased it for. Maybe it is timing, maybe it is when I buy it at huge discounts. I am not sure.

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000. That is in line with what I am looking to spend.

This is basically a family and travel camera. I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports. Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around. The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600 and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range. I was not able to see the Panny cameras other than online.

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

I think you're on the right track. The E-M5 Mark II with that lens is a nice all around package; especially if you don't plan to add any additional lenses in the near future.

Good luck.

If you don't need WR, E-M10ii will yield you the same IQ for much less while having mostly the same feature such as 5-Axis IBIS and LIVE COMP.

As for GX85, if you want 4k video, definitely pick it over Oly budget bodies. GX8 is also a nice contender in this case if you want WR.

14-150 is a versatile travel lens, but you may still want to get a fast prime for low light situation since it's not very fast at all.

You can't go wrong with that excellent combination. 95% of my images have been taken with that lens, initially on an E-M5 mk1 and subsequently a Pen F. I later added a 9-18 for use when walking in the woods etc., and in town I carry a 17 1.8 and 45 1.8.


E-M5 mk1, 14-150 mk1

Peter Del

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Gallery: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8804053911

I don't have either that body or lens, but it seems for the money and size that would be a very good choice. The earlier comment about this being a good choice if you don't in the future plan on buying better and more expensive lenses is bang on. Personally I like going to 12mm sometimes and use the 12-40, but that combo would be more expensive. Also, if you may shoot some wildlife, the 150 would be serviceable when the wildlife is not too far away given it's size. If you will shoot indoors or in low light the maximum aperture on the 14-140 wouldn't make it great. If that is an issue you could also pick up an inexpensive prime with a 1.8 maximum aperture.

Here is a review of the 14-150 (look also at the comments from owners below - they look pretty happy); https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/olympus/14-150mm-f4-5.6-ed-m.zuiko-digital/review/

thank you. I read through the reviews and the ones on the newer model. All seem positive.

I would plan to get a faster lens as well. The lens I saw in the store on the camera made it feel like a perfect size. On the outside of my budget, I could possibly swing a user em1 Mk ii. Olympus has it on special for $2k with the 12-40 f2.8 Pro lens. But that is on the extreme end of the budget.

BigRedNole5 said:

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000.

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Seems to be a new "regular" price on that kit in US (see Olympus website ). So not sure if that qualifies as a sale, but it's still a good price, as the body is normally about $700 and the lens is $500.

BigRedNole5 said:

This is basically a family and travel camera.

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Then this should be a nice kit. It's weather resistant so if you'll get adventurous with it, it will accommodate that. The lens is a super zoom so you can't really expect super high quality out of it, but it should be fine if you're not a pixel peeper. For high quality convenience zoom, Olympus has the 12-100, which is a lot more expensive and quite a bit larger (and absolutely amazing in all other aspects).

The things to like about the E-M5 II is the bundled tiny flash unit that has a tiltable and rotatable head, so you can actually use it to bounce off the ceiling in both orientations, etc. It's not too powerful, but I found it extremely useful for indoor shooting at family events. It makes a big difference compared to built-in flashes that flash directly into your subject's face, making them look like zombies

And of course, Olympus' IBIS is pretty amazing. With some practice, you will be able to shoot at crazy shutter speeds without a tripod.

BigRedNole5 said:

I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports.

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Good, because E-M5 II is not really an action shooter. As in, it's really gonna be quite bad for that kind of thing.

BigRedNole5 said:

Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around.

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It's certainly that.

BigRedNole5 said:

The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600

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GX85 with the pancake 12-32 is nice for going really small. There's also a tiny 35-100mm that's a great match for it, but that's already two lenses and you loose convenience of an all in one kit.

A G85 with the 12-60 kit is a more interesting option. It's also a weather resistant kit like Olympus, but has better AF and better video. And the 12-60 is a solid lens, but obviously does not provide the huge zoom range that Olympus kit does.

BigRedNole5 said:

and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range.

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And G9 is quite large camera by Micro 4/3 standards. It's an impressive camera (that huge EVF, yummy), but that would not be my first choice for downsizing, unless you're coming from something like 1Dx or D5.

BigRedNole5 said:

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

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If you're looking to buy into a system, then Fuji is the only other serious alternative, but they lack a competent convenience zoom. Their 18-135 is large, heavy and poor quality.

Sony released 18-135 some time ago for their APS-C line and that's a solid lens from what I saw. But even with the old A6000 body it would be quite a bit above $1000 and you would be missing out on many features.

BigRedNole5 said:

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

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I too used DSLR's for years, I really got into it for kids sports. Eventually I was doing sideline photography all the time, it was kind of fun. Also like you my kids got older and away from those sports so my needs are much simpler.

Micro 4/3 is fantastic. But when I switched there were no small, affordable mirrorless options except Micro 4/3. So yes, I would check them out to see what works best for you. Why not?

No longer needing to track action made mirrorless cameras much more attractive to me. Using only single-AF really simplified everything. At this I think you will find that all of the systems are really good, but M43 is the most mature mirrorless system. So there are many more options at more affordable prices.

BigRedNole5 said:

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

I have been lucky with camera gear. In all cases, I have sold for more than I have purchased it for. Maybe it is timing, maybe it is when I buy it at huge discounts. I am not sure.

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000. That is in line with what I am looking to spend.

This is basically a family and travel camera. I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports. Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around. The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600 and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range. I was not able to see the Panny cameras other than online.

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

Click to expand...

Are you interested in investing in a "system" or do you just want a family & travel camera? If the latter you might want to look at a 1" bridge camera. Image quality is on a par with M43 but you lose out on interchangeable lenses so no fisheye or ultra wide on the other hand you don't have the hassle of changing lenses.

The Panasonic FZ1000 is amazing value for money & has a 25-400mm FF equivalent lens. More expensive are the incredible pocketable Sony RX100VI with 24-200mm FF equivalent lens or the larger Sony RX10IV with 24-600mm FF equivalent lens. The two Sonys have fantastic AF & burst mode & video features.

Frankly, the OM-D E-M10 mark II is a very good contender for the EM5. Olympus certainly thinks so or they wouldn't have removed so much functionality from the E-M10 Mark III.
The EM-10 Mark II is seen as a sweet spot in price and functions. You could do far worse. I'd recommend it over the EM5.

That's a nice lens you're eyeing there. Does it all. At maximum zoom, it's a ridiculous tube.

Other options: The 14-42 pancake kit lens is similar in aperture but it is small. It makes the camera fit in your pocket rather than a bag.

The 12-40 f/2.8 Pro is razor sharp, has a wide aperture and does a nice wide angle. Online second hand you may find it for about $600.

Did the GX85 kit you saw include two lenses? It is the same price as the 1 lens kit at $600 so it is like getting the 45-150mm lens for free. It is one of the best deals to get in MFT now. You just have to like the range finder styled camera.

BigRedNole5 said:

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

I have been lucky with camera gear. In all cases, I have sold for more than I have purchased it for. Maybe it is timing, maybe it is when I buy it at huge discounts. I am not sure.

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000. That is in line with what I am looking to spend.

This is basically a family and travel camera. I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports. Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around. The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600 and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range. I was not able to see the Panny cameras other than online.

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

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Hello,

I have the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. It is a great camera. I like it so much I bought a second body to minimize lens swapping. Amazon.com has this camera with 14-42 II lens for $500. That lens is 28-84 equivalent. It is a good lens and would do okay until you decide which other lens(es) to buy.

My first M10 II came with the 14-42EZ lens. My copy was sharp. Then I got the Panasonic Leica 20mm f1.7 original version. Fantastic lens even at f1.8. The second M10 II I bought body only. Other lenses I have are the Olympus 30mm f3.5 macro, the Panasonic Leica 12-60 zoom and the Olympus 40-150 zoom.

Just last month I got the Panasonic GX85 with 12-32 lens. This camera is great also. I got it for 4K video.

Mark

great combo.

























--
Olympus EM5, EM5mk2 my toys.
past toys. k100d, k10d,k7,fz5,fz150,500uz,canon G9, Olympus xz1

Thank you for the information. I am weighing the options. I have ~$1,500 to spend if I had to. If I am going to lose a lot, I would go that high.

Other things I have considered is watching to see if a used or refurb OM-D E-M1 Mark II pops up at a good price. If the price for the EM1 Mkii pops in at $1,000 and the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro pops in around $400-$500, that may be the best bang for the money (maybe). I could get the 14-42 pancake lens if I want a small almost pocket camera.

I will look at options for the EM10 Mk ii as well to see what some lens combos may look like.

Gorgeous pictures there. If I get anything half that good I will be more than happy.

Personally, I like the size of the more compact m43 cameras than anything else out there. I will know what my full budget is to make an overall decision in a week or so. Although I do not need WR, it is always nice in case of oopsies. One time my wife tossed a water bottle in the backpack. Didn't know the lid fell off until I felt my back get soaked and the camera dripping. Luckily no damage, but it would have been costly without the warranty.

This is a nice set up for travel if you want to travel light.

I did a series of bike rides with an EM5 and a 14-140, it was a nice set up.

Here is one of them if you want to see what you can do with this setup

BigRedNole5 said:

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

I have been lucky with camera gear. In all cases, I have sold for more than I have purchased it for. Maybe it is timing, maybe it is when I buy it at huge discounts. I am not sure.

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000. That is in line with what I am looking to spend.

This is basically a family and travel camera. I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports. Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around. The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600 and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range. I was not able to see the Panny cameras other than online.

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

Click to expand...

I've seen GX85 deals that include two zooms for $600. Also, the G85 with 12-60 has been going for around $800. The G9 is total overkill for casual use, and it's substantially bigger and heavier.

BigRedNole5 said:

I know there is a "buying" forum, but most comments there will be Buy Canon, Buy Nikon, etc.

I have been lucky with camera gear. In all cases, I have sold for more than I have purchased it for. Maybe it is timing, maybe it is when I buy it at huge discounts. I am not sure.

I went to a local camera store. Never thought of going m43 before. I told them why I got rid of my old gear (bulky and heavy) and what I am planning on using it for. They showed me a Olympus m5 Mk ii. Its on "sale" with a 14-150mm lens for $1,000. That is in line with what I am looking to spend.

This is basically a family and travel camera. I am no longer shooting my daughter playing sports. Just a general, lighter, smaller camera to carry around. The other option I saw was a Panny GX85 for $600 and a G9 that is a little bit out of my range. I was not able to see the Panny cameras other than online.

Anyone have any advice to go m43 or should I be looking at Fuji and Sony (won't go Nikon or Canon)?

Click to expand...

I have had the E-M5 II for over 3 years now and it is very good. I however use it with different lenses: 14-40 f2.8, 40-150 f/2.8, 25 f1.8 and 75 f1.8.

My suggestion is to opt for the 14-40 f2.8 instead of the 14-150 kit lens.

Look at Sony and Fuji. You won't find anything in the size/weight if you want 28-300 range.

If you decide on EM-5 I suggest you buy the OLY grip, not the extra battery part. I have one. I don't think I have to have one but I enjoy the camera much better with it. Makes it a little taller = more room for your fingers. Deep grip is perfect for the 14-150.

The EM-5 and the 14-150 is my travel kit. Love it.

$1,000 is great deal. Body only MSRP was more than that when introduced, the lens still $600.

It's 50% off MSRP.