Hi,
My main camera is a 5d3 + the holy trinity & some macros, but I'm spending more time abroad + hiking where lugging such kit isn't ideal.
Which 2ndhand mirrorless bodies should I consider to avoid too much of a compromise for around the £500 mark?
Well no matter how many recommend Sony there is only one camera that really fits.
But it might be hard to find as it seem to have been one of the few ML camera bodies to be tightly held and has retained its value. Largely going for what it was its street price when they could still be bought new.
I am talking about the tiny Panasonic GM5 (not the evf-less GM1). This camera provides everything that a systems camera might need. Including its quite usable built in evf. When new they came with a very small clip-on custom flash in the box.
Being a M4/3 mount camera they have unfettered connectabilty to all lenses that can be connected to that mount system. This include very good and usable S-AF with EF mount lenses via Metabones adapters and a somewhat smaller sub-set via Viltrox adapters.
The camera does do video but is better seen as a stills camera. The very intuitive and effective Panasonic touch screen interface is also supplied with the GM series cameras - it is not a gimmick as some early touch screens were. No twee icons but a very mature serious user interface that provides a further five customisable function keys to add to the two mechanical function keys and a clickable rear wheel. The direction pad has another four fixed functions and there are the usual delete, display, playback and menu buttons. The dedicated video button can be disabled but cannot be used for anything else unfortunately (for this person who does not do video).
Panasonic also optionally allows the camera to remember every last used selection in every sub-section of its menu structure. This allows an emergency extra function key - which I have never had to use. Effectively it already has seven configurable function keys and a 15-slot configurable quickmenu accessed via the delete key doing double duty.
I doubt if many larger ML camera bodies have as much control options despite their larger size. It certainly gives my very basic (significantly larger) NEX-6 a technical hurry-up. Of course it has a very effective focus peaking and the menu control is very deep. The touch screen interface makes travelling through the menus very quick.
The GM type must now be at least eight years old and the cameras were on the market for up to four, possibly five years. They used the then 16 mp 4/3 sensor as the other M4/3 camera of the day. They have not been updated and there is nothing quite like it on the market.
Unfortunately many saw them as pocketable backup cameras only suitable for tiny lenses.
This and the fact of 'how do you improve a tiny simple camera optimised for still shooting?' has made them hard to update. They were an expensive camera at initial RRP and only sold well at a reduced price - which now seems to be their second hand price - it one can be found.
What they need is a later sensor - to change anything else is only to go backwards. Perfection in a tiny package. Hard to run an update as it would be an expensive toy and its major market would be existing GM5 owners who would look at the necessary market price and decide that their existing GM5 might last a bit longer. Or those that would look at the same price and decide that they could buy a larger camera with all the user convenience features for much the same price.
So it has become a classic and maybe around the 10 year market Panasonic might have another lash at the type - but maybe not, as more than likely the GM5 will be the last of the tiny capable camera bodies.
I doubt if there are many others on this forum with any experience of the GM5 - let alone those who have become so committed to them as I have.
