R2D2
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Re: How many megapixels do you want in an M?
1
Tim van der Leeuw wrote:
R2D2 wrote:
+3 These two systems (M and R) are for shooters with entirely different priorities. Make the right choice even if it hurts.
R2
I'm almost a complete beginner when it comes to photography. I bought the M5 about a year ago not knowing what my style of shooting would be, or anything.
I bought it because it is light, small, has small light lenses, and good, flexible controls. And fit within the budget I had at the time.
Definitely fits the profile of most of us here!
I didn't yet know what limits the camera, sensor, or lens-system would have and how that would impact me. Yeah, I know from reading reviews that the sensor wouldn't be as good as a comparably priced Nikon DSLR, but I liked the compactness of mirrorless and couldn't yet see how exactly it would affect me.
"Know Thyself." It takes a while.
Well, regards to what shooter I am, it turns out I like macros (flowers and insects), landscapes (to some degree), and nighttime shooting (with or without the stars being very prominent).
Great stuff to be shooting!
For both insects and nighttime shooting I'd like to be able to drop the ISO quite high so I can have a faster shutter-time for a given aperture.
For those starting out with macros I highly recommend using (well-diffused) flash. Flash will help combat both camera shake and subject motion blur (at even small apertures and low ISOs).
From the EF-M 28mm Macro on the M5...
1/200 second @ f/8, ISO 200. With on-camera diffused flash. Click on "original size"
And even those Busy Bees can thus be tamed...
On-camera diffused flash (from a DSLR using Live View). 1/250 second @ f/11, ISO 400. Click on "original size"
After the macro shooter gains a fair amount of proficiency using flash, then more difficult lighting environments can be tackled (sunlight, open shade, dawn and evening light, etc). Here image stabilization and your clean high ISOs can help...
Backlit sunlight (no flash). Stabilized lens (300/4L)
Soft indirect evening light (no flash). Stabilized lens (100/2.8L).
You likely already have the tools necessary to shoot outstanding macros. Hard work and practice are next.
For nighttime shots (and low light in general), a long long time ago there used to be a camera support called a tripod.
But don't worry, I'm not going to foist one on you. I hate using them myself!!!
What can help is a bigger and cleaner sensor of course, but that won't solve the problem entirely. It'll gain you a stop, maybe two.
So what to do? Get better with what you have (if upgrading to FF isn't in the books).
Have you tried Canon's "Handheld Night Scene Mode" or "Multi-shot Noise Reduction?" Do you shoot bursts and cherry-pick the best? (I gain about a stop in handhold-ability). Tried the "string tripod?" (Google it). Have you used something like the "Twist Grip" handholding technique? (uses isometrics to gain stability). How good is your noise reduction technique/program?
I'm longingly looking at a lot of gear and evaluating what it could do for my shooting but in the end, I'll probably stay with the M5 for a while and save up money for a good system in a year or two, or spend it on other accessories such as an extra lens here or a filter there.
Window shopping is a ton of fun. Setting up a roadmap is great incentive. And targeting a specific need (like a new lens) will pay big dividends.
In the end I hope to have 2 bodies and lenses I can use on both, so that I can use 2 lenses without much hassle and use each body for it's own strengths.
If you really need better autofocus for instance, then the M6ii would be the next logical step in the M System. But keep in mind that barring the need for improved low light/action AF, the M5 is a very capable camera. I shot with one for two years (and enjoyed the heck out of it). For myself, a BIF rig is really the only thing I need beyond the M6ii that I have now. And my output requirements are quite high (12x18" or larger prints for gallery display/sale).
I hope this helps quell the G.A.S. for a while!
Holler back with any specific questions!
R2