Gear upgrade

Valeriedd · Feb 14, 2020

Hi,

This is my first post here. I do birdphotography as a beginner since a few years.

I own:

Olympus OM-D-em 10 mark ii with M. Zuiko 75-300 (14-42 pancake, 45 mm and panasonic 20 mm) and a Panasonic FZ300.

I feel always too short at 600 mm but I like sharp pictures and don’t want too big and heavy gear... (I know this is not easy...).

I’d like an upgrade with better image quality, better autofocus,...

I was thinking to an Olympus-om-d-em 1 mark II (second hand) or Panasonic G9.

Then I saw some pictures with the new panasonic P950 and was very impressed.

During summer, I will go to Botswana in self drive.

What would be your advice?

Thanks

Valérie

drj3 · Feb 14, 2020

I assume you mean a Nikon P950 and not a Panasonic P950. The Nikon has a relatively slow lens combined with a 5.64X (1/2.3 inch sensor) crop factor, so you cannot expect its IQ to compare with your current camera with a 2X crop factor. In very good light, it would give you more reach than your current camera.

Either the Olympus E-M1.2 or the Panasonic G9 will give you better performance photographing moving targets. The Olympus with on-sensor PDAF will be better than the G9. Either will give you a small increase in IQ and 20MP vs 16MP.

Your lens is more of a limiting factor for distant targets, either the Olympus 300mm with TCs or the Panasonic 100-400 would improve sharpness, focus speed and reach.

The Olympus is sharper, but more limiting for general telephoto photography. I think in Botswana, a zoom would probably be preferable.

One alternative would be the Olympus 40-150 f2.8 which would give a significant advantage over your current lens or the Panasonic 100-400 in terms of aperture and thus better IQ in lower illumination. That lens can be used with either the MC14 or MC20 teleconverters for longer reach.

Maybe others will respond in terms of the focal lengths that would be most useful in Botswana.

SafariBob · Feb 16, 2020

Valeriedd said:
Hi,

This is my first post here. I do birdphotography as a beginner since a few years.

I own:

Olympus OM-D-em 10 mark ii with M. Zuiko 75-300 (14-42 pancake, 45 mm and panasonic 20 mm) and a Panasonic FZ300.

I feel always too short at 600 mm but I like sharp pictures and don’t want too big and heavy gear... (I know this is not easy...).

true!

Valeriedd said:
I’d like an upgrade with better image quality, better autofocus,...

I was thinking to an Olympus-om-d-em 1 mark II (second hand) or Panasonic G9.

i don’t see a huge difference in iq with those upgrades

Valeriedd said:
Then I saw some pictures with the new panasonic P950 and was very impressed.

During summer, I will go to Botswana in self drive.

What would be your advice?

if you don’t feel the need for a new lens, I think upgrading your body before your trip makes sense because you also get a second body. Mft is also nice in that you can carry many lenses without much trouble.

if you feel the need for a new lens, I would wait. King of the hill is currently the Sony 200-600, but the r5 and announced 100-500 combo will likely also be a strong contenter. Personally, I am not so excited about f7.1 @ 500mm, and that also explain why I am not so keen on the bridge cameras.

that being said, I would wait to switch systems until Sony has released a camera or two in response to the r5

Valeriedd said:
Thanks

Valérie

G Rothwell · Feb 16, 2020

Unfortunately this is down to physics.

To get the best quality I suggest you decide what is the heaviest gear you are willing to use, then look for what will give you the best quality within your budget.

p900learner · Feb 16, 2020

Valeriedd said:
Hi,

This is my first post here. I do birdphotography as a beginner since a few years.

I own:

Olympus OM-D-em 10 mark ii with M. Zuiko 75-300 (14-42 pancake, 45 mm and panasonic 20 mm) and a Panasonic FZ300.

I feel always too short at 600 mm but I like sharp pictures and don’t want too big and heavy gear... (I know this is not easy...).

I’d like an upgrade with better image quality, better autofocus,...

I was thinking to an Olympus-om-d-em 1 mark II (second hand) or Panasonic G9.

Then I saw some pictures with the new panasonic P950 and was very impressed.

During summer, I will go to Botswana in self drive.

What would be your advice?

Thanks

Valérie

Hi Valierie, I just received the Nikon P950 few days ago, but have been very happy with the P900, except for few things that seem to be improved with the P950. For me the viewfinder, huge issue. The P950 viewfinder is very nice and bright. I won't go into the differences. Other than to say the P950 shoots RAW. I believe I know the limitations of these superzooms. The P950 autofocus seems to be better than the P900.

I'm not an expert, couldn't tell you one lens from another, or anything about technical details of any camera. I am however, proud of my photos. I have a group of settings for birds and wildlife that are in memory. I edit them with the free software FastStone Image Viewer.

I take a lot of birding and nature trips - Botswana in Dec. 2017 was an all time favorite. You can take a look at my photos, taken with the P900 - see what you think - I wasn't doing self-drive, but based in 3 different private concession lodges - we could go off road, where we wanted, thus could get close to the animals.

https://evsphotos.smugmug.com/Birding-Trips/Botswana-SafariAnimalsBirdsHospitality

In nutshell, if you feel comfortable and are happy with your current gear, and don't want to break the bank on new gear, a P950 @ $796 would give you very good reach when you need it, in particular birds. Its not small, but manageable.

Good Luck - Ev

Phocal · Feb 16, 2020

Valeriedd said:
Hi,

This is my first post here. I do birdphotography as a beginner since a few years.

I own:

Olympus OM-D-em 10 mark ii with M. Zuiko 75-300 (14-42 pancake, 45 mm and panasonic 20 mm) and a Panasonic FZ300.

I feel always too short at 600 mm but I like sharp pictures and don’t want too big and heavy gear... (I know this is not easy...).

Honestly, 600mm is more than enough. Just develop some field craft and get closer to your subjects.

Valeriedd said:
I’d like an upgrade with better image quality, better autofocus,...

I was thinking to an Olympus-om-d-em 1 mark II (second hand) or Panasonic G9.

You will see a minor bump in IQ moving to one of the 20mp cameras. But not as much as a better lens will give you. What you will gain are things like faster shooting, larger buffers, weather sealing , better IBIS, High Resolution Mode, better battery life and better CAF. I am an Olympus guy so I am biased but I honestly believe that Olympus PDAF is superior to Panasonics DFD.

Valeriedd said:
Then I saw some pictures with the new panasonic P950 and was very impressed.

That is a step down in IQ.

Valeriedd said:
During summer, I will go to Botswana in self drive.

What would be your advice?

Thanks

Valérie

You might find this post where I shot the 75-300, 300/4 and 50-200 SWD w/ EC-14 side by side in the field. I also go into my thoughts about shooting/handling all the lenses and the advantages/disadvantages each has compared to the other.

Now...…………………..

You can't go wrong picking up an EM1mk2 (I am about to upgrade my two original EM1's for the mk2). But you are not going to see much in the way of increased image quality, what you need is better glass.

You say you want light weight and high image quality and that really just isn't possible. People that complain the EM1 w/ 300/4 is just to heavy have never spend a day in field with a full frame camera and a 600/4. It is all about perspective.

The best you could do is get the EM1 and pair it with the 300/4, which I highly recommend this combo. You could also pick up the EM1 and wait for the Olympus 100-400 to come out. It will be probably be on par with the Panny 100-400 and maybe a bit better IQ knowing Olympus. It will also allow you to use all the features of the EM1 with the lens, unlike getting the Panny 100-400. Oh, the new lens will also have dual IS which will be very helpful.

You could also get the EM1 and since you have a camera with PDAF you can look at lenses from the 4/3's line like the 50-200 SWD. That lens paired with both TC's would make a great inexpensive setup. On my Flickr I have albums for each lens as well as separate albums if a TC was used if you want to check out the quality of the 50-200 w/out the TC's. Also have many images from other lenses as well.

If I was you I would get the EM1 and either get the 300/4 or wait for the Olympus 100-400 to come out.

my 2 copper pieces

Phocal

Valeriedd · Feb 17, 2020

Thanks for your answer

Yes I mean Nikon P950...sorry.

Or canon 7D mark ii? But I lose the crop factor x2 and it's big... or nikon Z50?

You can see my pictures in my gallery.

Valeriedd · Feb 20, 2020

Your photos are great!

I had the nikon P900 during a few weeks and had a lot of fun... but often didn't have good quality pictures (sometimes yes). I'm afraid to have the same problem with the P950. However I'm tempted (for the long zoom) but I'm also tempted by the Olympus OM-D-EM 1 II that I can buy for the same price (second hand)...

Obviously you are very talented...

a lot of noise

Very good quality for me

a lot of noise again

TheBlackGrouse · Feb 20, 2020

Welcome Belgian neighbor,

Hopefully the brand specialists have an answer, I'm shooting with Canon so can't help with that.

Your Fuligule Milouin (Tafeleend in Dutch, Pochard in English) is looking good! You still have details in the white feathers. Try to get at eye level if possible. Looks like this was shot in a park in Brussels and then it's a bit difficult. The only way is to have a piece of plastic and lie down ;-)

p900learner · Feb 21, 2020

Valeriedd said:
Your photos are great!

I had the nikon P900 during a few weeks and had a lot of fun... but often didn't have good quality pictures (sometimes yes). I'm afraid to have the same problem with the P950. However I'm tempted (for the long zoom) but I'm also tempted by the Olympus OM-D-EM 1 II that I can buy for the same price (second hand)...

Obviously you are very talented...

a lot of noise

Very good quality for me

a lot of noise again

Glad you liked my photos, thanks for looking. I really have no particular photographic talents - I know nothing about lens' focal lengths, etc., nothing technical. I have worked hard to get the most out of my P900, and now will continue with the P950. I was told it may be more difficult to transition from a DSLR to a Superzoom, than from the Superzoom to a DSLR.

Anyway, here are a couple of links that may be of interest - posts I made: (these would apply to your FZ300 as well)

- How to hold the camera -

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61990946

- Birds, wildlife, and close-up settings - (another Coolpix user McBrig's setting are in this post as well, his photos are stunning)

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61994960

As I note in the post: My settings are those recommended by Stephen Ingraham, long-time DpReview member. He uses Sony RX10-IV now. He is a consultant for Zeiss Optics. He has also published a book available on Amazon "Point and Shoot Nature Photography." I'm not smart enough to come up with the settings, etc.

Hope this is helpful. Ev

--

https://evsphotos.smugmug.com/

Valeriedd · Feb 21, 2020

Thank you for your time. I will read everything...

Tomx72 · Feb 21, 2020

Your pictures already set a very decent standard, as above I'd advise against a smaller sensor.

g9/e-m1II is a good idea. If video is of ANY concern, the G9 would be a quantum leap while keeping all the advantages for stills. It also does a working high-res mode if your subject doesn't move.

However, body upgrade is only smaller part of the deal (forget about video for the moment). For longer reach you'll need physical aperture which means weight.

Without giving direct recommendations, you find a good safari forum material with piles of pictures here.

myphotographic · Feb 21, 2020

Bridge cameras have come a long way since their early days and they're easier to recommend these days. That said, there''s no free lunch and the superzoom versions do what they do by being a comprise with other factors.

The P950 achives it's 2000mm equivalence FOV by using a 1/2.3 inch sensor with a 5.6 crop factors. The lens is physically a 4.3-357 mm. That sensor is not going to have anywhere near as good at high ISO (and a lot of interesting wildlife is active at dawn and dusk). Using the dpreview studio tool, at a higher ISO there is no comparison between your existing OM-D and superzooms (it doesn't have the P950, but does have the P900 and P1000).

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/im...=1&x=-0.727503036074217&y=-0.9857170795304928

That's not to say the P950 couldn't be a useful option in your toolbox but only having a superzoom would have ramifications.

Talking about small sensors and low light performance is a well trodden path. However there's another significant issue with long telephotos that tends to be overlooked – atmospheric disturbance. We tend to think of heat haze as a thing for very hot days in deserts, but it happens in far more benign conditions. We just don't notice it with our 'wide angle vision' but telephotos can quickly reveal what we aren't seeing. This is a great blog post looking at the issue in the context of bird photography:

http://arihazeghiphotography.com/blog/focus-micro-adjustment-is-it-always-needed/

Last month I was in Yellowstone for what turned out to be an unseasonable warm spell. Snow covered ground and bright sunlight mean that even though it was barely above 0°c I had some potentially strong photos ruined by heathaze, even though I was only using 600mm at 30 yards. Shooting at an 2000mm equivalent is going to going to magnify atmospheric issues much sooner.

All this isn't to say that I consider the P950/P1000/etc to be worthless. They're actually my first recommendation to bird watchers who want to record sightings while they're out and about. There's no point recommending something expensive (they probably won't buy it) or large/heavy (they're leave it at home). The ability to photograph a speck in the distance is more useful to them them taking the pin-sharp photographs a 1DX/D6/A9 might achieve. I just wouldn't recommend them as an 'upgrade path' to someone wanting to improve their photographs when they already have a good camera.

I personally would think you'd be better off using the money to invest in improving field craft – improving fieldcraft should be the number one goal of all wildlife photographers. None of us can honestly claim to be an expert in all species we would ever want to photograph. So buy some books (eg: The Handbook of Bird Photography by Varesvuo et al) or paying to go on a workshop with a world class photographer.

p900learner · Feb 21, 2020

Valeriedd said:
Thank you for your time. I will read everything...

You're welcome Valeriedd. I meant to point out there is currently quite a bit of discussion on the Nikon Coolpix Forum about the new P950 - here are some images that I thought were excellent, they are jpegs - I wouldn't call these record shots - they speak for themselves.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63638469

and this one showing BIF (gulls)

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63649350

The craft and skill of using a superzoom, small sensor camera is like any other camera you learn its strengths and weaknesses, and learn to compensate.

Ev

Valeriedd · Mar 1, 2020

The pictures are great on this safari post.

Today on Amazon uk, the G9 is it the same price than the Om d EM 1 il second hand that I can get. Which one is better?

Is the Nikon P950 size the same than the P900?

Thanks to all of you for your answers

Valérie

calson · Mar 2, 2020

If you stick with the Olympus cameras then you will gain the image stabilization of the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4 lenses. With Olympus the IS is additive so you have the gain in f-stops with the camera plus the gain in f-stops with the lens.

I was amazed when I saw sharp images using the Olympus 300mm f/4 lens and the camera shooting at 1/8s shutter speed hand held.

Phocal · Mar 2, 2020

calson said:
If you stick with the Olympus cameras then you will gain the image stabilization of the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4 lenses. With Olympus the IS is additive so you have the gain in f-stops with the camera plus the gain in f-stops with the lens.

I was amazed when I saw sharp images using the Olympus 300mm f/4 lens and the camera shooting at 1/8s shutter speed hand held.

sinkas · Mar 7, 2020

Why don't you hire/rent a Nikon D500 and 300mm PF. That will solve your quality/weight problem.

OutsideTheMatrix · Apr 29, 2020

Valeriedd said:
The pictures are great on this safari post.

Today on Amazon uk, the G9 is it the same price than the Om d EM 1 il second hand that I can get. Which one is better?

Is the Nikon P950 size the same than the P900?

Thanks to all of you for your answers

Valérie

I have the P900 and also the EM10Mk2 with 75-300 lens. I use the P900 for 800mm EFL and higher. You have to make sure you use lower ISO.

P900 and P950 have very similar image quality, the P950 is slightly larger in size with a larger EVF, RAW mode and allows you to shoot up to 60 sec exposures. For longer exposures though I'd stick with M43.

OutsideTheMatrix · Apr 29, 2020

p900learner said:
Valeriedd said:

Your photos are great!

I had the nikon P900 during a few weeks and had a lot of fun... but often didn't have good quality pictures (sometimes yes). I'm afraid to have the same problem with the P950. However I'm tempted (for the long zoom) but I'm also tempted by the Olympus OM-D-EM 1 II that I can buy for the same price (second hand)...

Obviously you are very talented...

a lot of noise

Very good quality for me

a lot of noise again

Click to expand...

Glad you liked my photos, thanks for looking. I really have no particular photographic talents - I know nothing about lens' focal lengths, etc., nothing technical. I have worked hard to get the most out of my P900, and now will continue with the P950. I was told it may be more difficult to transition from a DSLR to a Superzoom, than from the Superzoom to a DSLR.

Anyway, here are a couple of links that may be of interest - posts I made: (these would apply to your FZ300 as well)

- How to hold the camera -

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61990946

- Birds, wildlife, and close-up settings - (another Coolpix user McBrig's setting are in this post as well, his photos are stunning)

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61994960

As I note in the post: My settings are those recommended by Stephen Ingraham, long-time DpReview member. He uses Sony RX10-IV now. He is a consultant for Zeiss Optics. He has also published a book available on Amazon "Point and Shoot Nature Photography." I'm not smart enough to come up with the settings, etc.

Hope this is helpful. Ev

I really liked that P900 vs P950 thread, seems like the image quality is nearly indistinguishable between the two?

--
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

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