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Micro four thirds observations while traveling

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Great story, thanks for posting.

I had an Olympus PL7, great little camera. However, I found I really couldn’t abide with only the LCD here in sunny Florida so I swapped it for the E-M10 II which is basically the PL7 with an EVF.

I took the E-M10 II on a recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park as a backup to my E-M1 II and ended up shooting 90% of my images with the little 10.2 with either the tiny 14-42EZ or the 12-40 Pro (my favorite lens for the E-M10 II). I also had the 14-150 in the bag and it worked great with the 10.2 on day hikes.
 
They aren't all that bad. Not for snapshots. These are cell phone pics. Not claimed to be museum quality, but OK for sharing. M43 can do better.



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I seldom see any m43 around Atlanta, but on a recent trip to Japan I spotted several. Olympus Pen-EP... are very popular with teenage Japanese girls, as with all types of "real cameras".
 
vallhall said:
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
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As a owner of the GX8 with 12-35 2.8 and Huawei P30 Pro i do not agree with you!

Yes the high end Olympus have better ibis, but still not "blows away" a high end smartphone exept ergomomics and sports
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I have an iPhone X that I only rarely use for photos, partly because it does not have an EVF which I absolutely need if I am outside in sunlight. I am not trying to be sarcastic or a smart ass, but part of the reason that I don't use it is because there are no manual controls as far as I can tell. How do you change ISO or SS or aperture or EV? If it can be done please let me know, otherwise it is just a P&S camera without any control over the exposure. It also has no optical zoom that I am aware of and I believe that the sensor is no bigger than that of most P&S cameras and perhaps smaller (tiny compared to M4/3). I think that my iPhone takes good snapshots as long as I am inside where I don't need an EVF and I am close to my subject so I don't need optical zoom and there is good light and not fast subject movement, but I certainly would not want it as my primary camera in most situations, especially for travel.

Regards, Dave
 
dbelling said:
vallhall said:
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
Click to expand...
As a owner of the GX8 with 12-35 2.8 and Huawei P30 Pro i do not agree with you!

Yes the high end Olympus have better ibis, but still not "blows away" a high end smartphone exept ergomomics and sports
Click to expand...
I have an iPhone X that I only rarely use for photos, partly because it does not have an EVF which I absolutely need if I am outside in sunlight. I am not trying to be sarcastic or a smart ass, but part of the reason that I don't use it is because there are no manual controls as far as I can tell. How do you change ISO or SS or aperture or EV? If it can be done please let me know, otherwise it is just a P&S camera without any control over the exposure. It also has no optical zoom that I am aware of and I believe that the sensor is no bigger than that of most P&S cameras and perhaps smaller (tiny compared to M4/3). I think that my iPhone takes good snapshots as long as I am inside where I don't need an EVF and I am close to my subject so I don't need optical zoom and there is good light and not fast subject movement, but I certainly would not want it as my primary camera in most situations, especially for travel.

Regards, Dave
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Hi

I dont think ios devices have manual controls. I have the ipad pro 10.5 and its only auto settings.

I also prefer EVF and would never buy a camera without it. If i use the GX8 lcd screen or my little apc camera NX500 without EVF, i have to use glasses. Then i use the EVF i dont use glass, and as you said its much better with EVF then its sunny outside, but in my part of the world, sun its not a problem

I would happily use my phone for travel, with its good screen, and full manual control, but i would probarly had to use glasses
 
My experience with my rather occasional international travel is that airport terminal duty free shops were plastered with mainly Canon but some Nikon promotional gear on the camera shops, mainly Canon.

Then we see these tourists on the trip of their lifetime again mainly clutching apparently new kit Canon outfits. One might be linked to another.

Not sure if I ever saw any M4/3 gear so prominantly displayed let alone being used by fellow tourists. It seems that M4/3 users must buy their gear before the trip.

At least those who bought and brought M4/3 took it back home and continued to seriously use it :)

Kit camera gear bought by those not into serious camera raging usually gets “drawered” for birthdays, feast days, and family holidays.

More power unto their elbow - they probably find that their mobile phone camera was, and reamins, more useful.

I would not worry too much as the M4/3 “niche” is still doing well by the “posts to forum” index.

Mybe one in a hundred kit dslr user gravitates into being a confirmed serious camera user - I suppose that is enough.
 
dbelling said:
vallhall said:
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
Click to expand...
As a owner of the GX8 with 12-35 2.8 and Huawei P30 Pro i do not agree with you!

Yes the high end Olympus have better ibis, but still not "blows away" a high end smartphone exept ergomomics and sports
Click to expand...
I have an iPhone X that I only rarely use for photos, partly because it does not have an EVF which I absolutely need if I am outside in sunlight. I am not trying to be sarcastic or a smart ass, but part of the reason that I don't use it is because there are no manual controls as far as I can tell. How do you change ISO or SS or aperture or EV? If it can be done please let me know, otherwise it is just a P&S camera without any control over the exposure. It also has no optical zoom that I am aware of and I believe that the sensor is no bigger than that of most P&S cameras and perhaps smaller (tiny compared to M4/3). I think that my iPhone takes good snapshots as long as I am inside where I don't need an EVF and I am close to my subject so I don't need optical zoom and there is good light and not fast subject movement, but I certainly would not want it as my primary camera in most situations, especially for travel.

Regards, Dave
Click to expand...
When framing your photo, tap the screen where you want the metering to occur. A box will appear and a little sun icon will also appear to the right of the box. Drag the sun icon up and down to adjust exposure where you want it. Then make your image.

No, you won't know the shutter speed or ISO, and the aperture in an iPhone is fixed, but you do have the ability to override auto exposure. It works a treat.

Jim Pilcher
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA
Life is a breeze by the sea
 
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Thank you for these images! They are much better than I have ever accomplished. I am a member and was at the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, between Naples and Immokalee.
dontfret said:
James Pilcher said:
dontfret said:
lAll this to say, I see no m4/3 here in Florida. I think it has been four or five years since I spotted a m4/3 camera. Honestly, I used to see more 4/3 cameras a decade+ ago than I see m4/3 now.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
My G85 was in your neighborhood at 'a local Audubon sanctuary' - the Venice Rookery

View attachment 2f0fc7e64b8e40d39f4ef6f8641afc9a.jpg

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Jim Pilcher
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA
Life is a breeze by the sea
 
New Day Rising said:
Whenever I am in any touristy place or destination, including cities, the vast majority of cameras I see are DSLRs, usually Canon entry level but sometimes higher end. I see mirrorless occasionally, but less often.
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Same. I have to admit this really bothers me. I’d bet 90% of the people walking around with Canons would be happier with a smaller mirrorless camera, especially MFT. After researching for my GX9 and ditching my Canon 5D, it now irks me that so many people still tolerate the unnecessary weight and bulk of a DSLR, especially for travel photography
New Day Rising said:
It may partly be size. There may be people with smaller mirrorless that are in a bag at the time, whereas bigger DSLRs are hanging around necks. I do suspect this only accounts for a small part of the issue though and there are genuinely more DSLRs.
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That’s optimistic. I never have my GX9 in a bag. Part of the appeal is not needing a bag at all!

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vallhall said:
I don't think ios devices have manual controls.
Click to expand...
The controls are provided by the app, not the hardware. Lots of iOS camera apps let you set shutter, WB, ISO, EV, HDR, etc, and also let you shoot RAW.

My favorite camera app is ProCamera. The iOS Lightroom app also is very good.
 
James Pilcher said:
When framing your photo, tap the screen where you want the metering to occur. A box will appear and a little sun icon will also appear to the right of the box. Drag the sun icon up and down to adjust exposure where you want it. Then make your image.

No, you won't know the shutter speed or ISO, and the aperture in an iPhone is fixed, but you do have the ability to override auto exposure. It works a treat.

Jim Pilcher
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA
Life is a breeze by the sea
Click to expand...
Thanks, that is something, but not exactly what I had hoped for.

Regards, Dave
 
Wu Jiaqiu said:
MShot said:
They aren't all that bad. Not for snapshots. These are cell phone pics. Not claimed to be museum quality, but OK for sharing. M43 can do better.

95800ba3aa524f1fa9e414aa6755db7f.jpg

f5c942f97edb4a1e884035580a7121ff.jpg

bd4955a71db64d579e12251bb828ecca.jpg
Click to expand...
nice Aston Martin
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Pennsy temp plates. They whack you with sales tax. Should have registered it in AK or MT. no sales tax.
 
dontfret said:
James Pilcher said:
dontfret said:
lAll this to say, I see no m4/3 here in Florida. I think it has been four or five years since I spotted a m4/3 camera. Honestly, I used to see more 4/3 cameras a decade+ ago than I see m4/3 now.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
My G85 was in your neighborhood at 'a local Audubon sanctuary' - the Venice Rookery

View attachment 2f0fc7e64b8e40d39f4ef6f8641afc9a.jpg

993cf280223945a6b1450602451ab37d.jpg
Click to expand...
Nice images, I visit the Venice Rookery on occasion and am a member of the Venice Camera Club that meets right up the street from the Rookery. If you are in the neighborhood on a Monday morning look us up on the web and stop by...nice old farts at this club.
 
Haven't paid tax. Don't live in PA, just bought car there. With your Montana or AK address I can register there.

Alabama is 2%. Much lower than where I live.
 
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
Click to expand...
Not at all.

I compared my OMD EM10ii versus my Pixel 2 XL in indoor shots. The Pixel has better DR, color balance, and exposure. The OMD is better at overall resolution and of course lens versatility.
 
PhotoFactor said:
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
Click to expand...
Not at all.

I compared my OMD EM10ii versus my Pixel 2 XL in indoor shots. The Pixel has better DR, color balance, and exposure. The OMD is better at overall resolution and of course lens versatility.
Click to expand...
Then you did something wrong, because it's impossible to get worse dynamic range and color balance with the E-M10 II unless you're doing something incredibly wrong, like using f/16 and ISO 12,800.
 
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PhotoFactor said:
Adielle said:
An Olympus camera with the worst ultra wide lens blows away anything you can get from a smartphone camera, with better stabilization and overall image quality. And "Computational Photography" is a bunch of nonsense.
Click to expand...
Not at all.

I compared my OMD EM10ii versus my Pixel 2 XL in indoor shots. The Pixel has better DR, color balance, and exposure. The OMD is better at overall resolution and of course lens versatility.
Click to expand...
Bill Claff tells you this cannot ever be the case ... see here:

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photonstophotos.net

At the very least, about 2 stops advantage to the E-M10 MkII.
 
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