Staying on Brand ???

First SLR I had was a Pentax MX. Fully manual, circa 1980, I still have it.

First AF film SLR I had was a Nikon N80, but shortly after getting that, I was given an early Toshiba digital P&S, and, in spite of all its flaws (there were many), I never went back to film again.

Following that first Toshiba, I had a series of digital P&S cameras, as the technology matured, including probably my favorite, the Sony DSC-F717 (which could achieve focus even in pitch black situations due to a laser (or laser like, anyway) AF assist light ) However, I had an assortment of brands in that era (Sony, Olympus, Canon; no Nikons though, as I thought their P&Ss were very clunky).

Finally, I got my first DSLR, which was a Nikon D200. Didn't enjoy it that much (it was a bit heavy, and it had some image limitations), so ended up with a D90 instead, when that one came out. THAT was a nice camera. BUT....I really wanted a small, but better than P&S quality portable camera that I could have with me all the time....so in 2011, enter M43.

The Oly EPL1 was my first M43, and that was pretty much it for DSLRs for me. I found the Oly interface and some of the processing choices it made a little frustrating, so I went over to Panasonics, first with a G2 (nice camera), and then, because I really wanted a better sensor, to the GH2. The GH2, in spite of its really awful greenish cast, was just a great camera. For whatever reason, Panasonic's UI worked wonderfully with my brain, and still does, to this day. After getting the GH2, I realized I was never going to go back to a traditional DSLR, so I sold my D90, and that was that.

For M43, over the years, I have had a couple more Olys (EPM2, EM1), but just never got along with their UI, and I genuinely dislike their native color rendition. I prefer the cooler output of Panasonics, so I guess you could say that the closest thing to brand loyalty I have is to Panasonic. (Although I have lenses from both Oly and Panasonic...both are capable of making wonderful optics...and awful ones too )

Of course, when mirrorless FF bodies came on the scene in 2014, I gave them a shot....The Sony A7 was, shall we say, a work in progress when it was released. It was a revelation in some respects, and an utter disaster in others. I ended up selling it after 2 years, vowing never to get another Sony FF (mostly because their color science was so dreadful. Oddly enough, their much-despised UI never bothered me in the least, but their horrific AF and lack of support for that particular A7 model going forward were also frustrating, to say the least).

I still wanted a mirrorless FF, but needed a small one, so when the Canon RP was announced, I ordered one. It was the right size, but as with the Olys, its UI never became second nature to me, and I didn't enjoy using it. Not a bad camera, but it just didn't inspire me. So I sold it, and back to M43 and Panasonic.

When Nikon announced their Z series, I was very interested...but they were too big in hand for me, so that was that. And, of course, around the same time, Panasonic introduced their FF l-mount lineup, which I had been very excited about....until the dimensions of the S1 and S1R were released. Uh, bricks anyone? So much for that.

This year I looked again, and went and handled some cameras (fully masked, of course, in Best Buy) and discovered that the Panasonic S5 was smaller enough that I might be able to handle it...(and the Nikons STILL were too uncomfortable ) So I bought the S5. I love it. The S5 grip is a little big for my thumb span, but I have worked out a holding system to accommodate that (sling strap and supporting the camera by the lens with my left hand more), which enables me to use it without pain. And, using it was absolutely second nature almost immediately (and its output is just lovely).

Of course, I am still using my M43 system, as for long tele, a GX9 (or GX8) with the PL 100-400mm gives me a reach out to 800mm (equiv) in a 3 1/2 lb package, with very high quality optics....it would be around 6 lbs or so to get close to that with the FF, which is far past my comfort level to carry around. So, I have a split system; M43 for birds and long work, FF for normal to wide, and low light. I do still do macro with both, although the FF sensor does have some advantages for subtle color transitions in complex flower shooting, so I am working with that a little more now. Of course, then there is the tiny GM5 kit I have that goes with me when I just want to be inconspicuous....THAT will never get sold, outdated or not .

The thing is, I guess you could say that, after all of that, I am brand loyal to Panasonic. But, more than anything else, that's because their UI works effortlessly with my brain, AND their particular color science and AWB system "sees" the way I do, so I get out of it what I see when I am taking the shot. This means I have to do a whole lot less work in PP to get the image to be what I saw when I took it. I'm certainly not averse to trying or using other systems (as you can see from my history ), but after all I have worked with over the years, the one that most consistently works best for me is Panasonic, so my loyalty is based in their products meeting my needs, more than anything else.

-J