EP2, GF1, 550D, 5D MII or GF2?

Hi,

I have been active in Panny group. A little bit in Fuji and Canon groups also. 80% of my pictures have been shot with a Panny LX3.

I have reached a stage where i really, badly need a high end/pro grade cam...not that LX3 has been bad, but i just feel my photography has matured beyond its scope and what it can do for me...before i go any further, here's a link to my pictures...pls see them and then you'll get an idea what i'm talking about

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/agnihot/

Now coming to the point: after reading up stuff here and there, thinking about it and talking to people...well, i'm confused

GF1? But i've already done LX3, and i needed that color correction in most pictures i made...at least the skin tones..and assuming that is something i know how to deal with...what about the new GF2 with GH1's sensor...well...

EP2: is the focus slow...should i wait and watch EP3 rectifying this?

550D: this has compounded my woes...a 550D ($900) with 10-22 ($700) and 70-300 ($600)...total: @2200...with 1080p at 24/25 and 18mp's. Whereas a GF1 with 20mm ($900) plus 7-14 ($900) and upcoming 100-300 ($900 atleast)...total: $2700...with smaller body but smaller sensor...NOW WHAT??

And yes, MarkII: let's leave that for some other time

Help me decide

regards,
anurag

i'd start out with the e-p2 kit or gf1 kit. and than go from there.

I have D3x, 5D2 (had also 5D), 500D, E-P1 and 2, LX3... Looking at your fine pictures I think all depends on how you prefer to shoot: a) do you go to shoot or b) do you shoot as you go?

If a) and you don´t mind bulk and weight, go for a used 5D (or 5D2).
If b) and you don´t want to carry anything extra, go for E-P2 and EVF.

-p-

im really enjoying my GF1.

But the 5d mark2 is an incredible camera.

they are too different classes, cant really compare them.

Travelshooter,

Nicely stated.

twentysixtynine wrote:

Hi,

I have been active in Panny group. A little bit in Fuji and Canon groups also. 80% of my pictures have been shot with a Panny LX3.

I have reached a stage where i really, badly need a high end/pro grade cam...not that LX3 has been bad, but i just feel my photography has matured beyond its scope and what it can do for me...before i go any further, here's a link to my pictures...pls see them and then you'll get an idea what i'm talking about

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/agnihot/

Now coming to the point: after reading up stuff here and there, thinking about it and talking to people...well, i'm confused

GF1? But i've already done LX3, and i needed that color correction in most pictures i made...at least the skin tones..and assuming that is something i know how to deal with...what about the new GF2 with GH1's sensor...well...

EP2: is the focus slow...should i wait and watch EP3 rectifying this?

550D: this has compounded my woes...a 550D ($900) with 10-22 ($700) and 70-300 ($600)...total: @2200...with 1080p at 24/25 and 18mp's. Whereas a GF1 with 20mm ($900) plus 7-14 ($900) and upcoming 100-300 ($900 atleast)...total: $2700...with smaller body but smaller sensor...NOW WHAT??

And yes, MarkII: let's leave that for some other time

Help me decide

regards,
anurag

You do understand that the two kits you're comparing on price grounds aren't really very well balanced, right? The Panasonic kit includes a (ok, so far in micro four thirds, the) fast prime you didn't add to the Canon kit, and the long zoom you chose has far more reach than the one in the Canon kit.

If you use the 45-200 (becomes 400 effective vs the Canon's 480, $289) and either add a comparable prime (the closest I came in a quick search through B&H is the 28/1.8 at $459,) to Canon or subtract selling the Panasonic 20mm (new value $400, assume you can sell for 300-350,) then the pricing becomes much different, and actually favors the Panasonic.

Not trying to say the u4/3 cameras are cheap, or that they won't come down in price as competition shows up, but I don't think they are that hopelessly overpriced, either.

I disagree strongly with the advice a couple folks have given here about buying a Canon 5D mk 1. It is certainly a capable camera, but at this point the GH1 has equaled it's capacity pretty much across the board (it'll never have the Canon's shallow DoF, of course,) while being lighter and including full movie capability (which your pricing discussion suggested is of interest to you.)

If you sell the 14-140 (which is a beautiful lens, but expensive, and it seems price is a big factor in your post,) the GH1 body only price will be around half of what they are suggesting you would pay for the Canon.

The options you are talking about are all quite different cameras - I think you would be better off starting by considering what it is you feel your LX3 pictures lack. A few guiding questions to see what you want from a new camera:

Are you not getting the shot you imagined because it goes away before the camera trips?

Are you unable to focus on the subject quickly enough?

Are you firing at a scene that keeps changing, and not getting the perfect moment of it?

Is there so much noise in the pictures you can't get clean prints the size you want?

Is the camera only capturing a portion of the brightness range you wanted?

Are you finding it difficult to isolate your subject among the background clutter?

If the answer to one of these is yes, or if you can isolate what it is you feel is missing otherwise, then we can start telling you what sort of gear could make up the lack.

If you're just looking for the logical "step up" from the LX3, I'd suggest either the GF1 or the new E-PL1 with just the kit zoom. Then start again with the what would you like to do that you can't, and add lenses based on that.
Walter

yup. 5D is nice...but MII is better, and even MII doesn't have full video capabilities...considering i'm pretty serious about video.
MIII is a no brainer for me if only it was there

Crimguy wrote:

For what you do (and I think you do great stuff) I'd get a used 5D mark I.
Full frame
low noise
used for about a grand.
Get a $100 50mm/1.8 to get you started on the Canon system, and you are rollin'

If you want more portability, get either an ep2 or a gf1. I have an E-P1 and to be honest, while I love it, it's focusing is too slow in many circumstances.

If you don't mind a crop sensor, I'd get either a D90 or a D300. I can't comment on the T2i because it's not out yet.

My opinion is pretty meaningless, having only used a 5D and a D80.

I do mind carrying lot of weight, but assume that's a given beyond a point...

ppotka wrote:

I have D3x, 5D2 (had also 5D), 500D, E-P1 and 2, LX3... Looking at your fine pictures I think all depends on how you prefer to shoot: a) do you go to shoot or b) do you shoot as you go?

If a) and you don´t mind bulk and weight, go for a used 5D (or 5D2).
If b) and you don´t want to carry anything extra, go for E-P2 and EVF.

-p-

Hi Houston,

I have only shot with few film cameras in the past, and more recently, with a fuji f30 and mostly panny LX3...i get my shots with them, but suppose i were to hold an exhibition, or sell a large print to someone?? And the files are not really that great...they don't take post processing very well...yes, noise is a compromise...all said and done, pixels are mushy...its not as if you're looking at Mark II images or DPII images...these are the limitations...and here, i am not trying to put down these cams...if you look at my pictures, you'll find i owe a lot to these cams...

G1Houston wrote:

Your photos are very nice — fine art quality. What do you think is missing in your current gears that can be improved by a new camera? You never tell us that so it is impossible for us (and you) to decide what to get.

With your maturity in photography, I think you can be benefited by going with a camera system with a wide selection of lenses and accessories so you will not be limited by the equipment. M4/3 systems are very limited in this regard and its best quality is the small size.

twentysixtynine wrote:

Hi,

I have been active in Panny group. A little bit in Fuji and Canon groups also. 80% of my pictures have been shot with a Panny LX3.

I have reached a stage where i really, badly need a high end/pro grade cam...not that LX3 has been bad, but i just feel my photography has matured beyond its scope and what it can do for me...before i go any further, here's a link to my pictures...pls see them and then you'll get an idea what i'm talking about

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/agnihot/

Now coming to the point: after reading up stuff here and there, thinking about it and talking to people...well, i'm confused

GF1? But i've already done LX3, and i needed that color correction in most pictures i made...at least the skin tones..and assuming that is something i know how to deal with...what about the new GF2 with GH1's sensor...well...

EP2: is the focus slow...should i wait and watch EP3 rectifying this?

550D: this has compounded my woes...a 550D ($900) with 10-22 ($700) and 70-300 ($600)...total: @2200...with 1080p at 24/25 and 18mp's. Whereas a GF1 with 20mm ($900) plus 7-14 ($900) and upcoming 100-300 ($900 atleast)...total: $2700...with smaller body but smaller sensor...NOW WHAT??

And yes, MarkII: let's leave that for some other time

Help me decide

regards,
anurag

well said...so if i would rather buy a EP2 than another crop sensor slr...the performance is not that different...and if i want to do better than this, it has to be the full frame

Travelshooter wrote:

I would go the 50mm 1.4 before the 1.8 .. it is just a bit more money but a bunch more performance. As far as a crop (APS-C) if you wanty moteperformance than the GF-1 you need to go mid range or higher...... and top glass or you are wasting your time.
--
http://www.martindareff.com

South Beach... early AM

yes, its not.

fuji f30 is a very very under-estimated camera...the image quality is "mind blowing" to be honest...i've shot with it...the pixels at 100% are amazingly clean...hats off
if only it had 24mm and F2 and 16:9 and some speed and that dynamic bw mode
Travelshooter wrote:

I do not consider the LX3 to be any more camera than the Fuji F31fd (had one for several years) or the S90