Help: I love M43 but on the edge

First post; hopefully someone can help without getting into MFT vs FF war

I am long time MFT user and heavily invested in MFT gear. To put things in perspective I started with Panasonic Lumix G5 couple years back, and bought GH4 couple months back to check the latest and greatest of MFT ecosystem before taking a decision. I currently own both bodies and following lenses to put things in perspective: Rokinon 7.5mm, Panasonic 25mm/F1.4, Panasonic 14-42mm Kit, Panasonic 35-100mm/F2.8, Panasonic 45-200mm, and over a dozen legacy primes (Canon FD, Minolta, SMC Takumar, etc)

After shooting for couple years I have realized I like shooting events (indoors), birds, and bokeh. It might me my skills but in my experience my MFT gear is severely laking quality pictures when it comes to above three categories.

Dont get me wrong; please! If there is something within MFT ecosystem costing an additional $2k brining quality pcitures within above 3 categories I am willing to go for it (please suggest lenses and body) but a question naturally comes to mind: why should I continue to invest in MFT? Just because it is light weight?

So here I am .. on the borderline .. thinking what if I sell all MFT gear. Should sell for $4k easily and buying a nice FF body with 3 or 4 lenses lenses for a tiotal of $6-8K should give me the ability to shoot in low light, birds, and bokeh. No?

MFT lovers please help me I seem to be losing interest in my equipment because it is not getting me what I would like to ... Maybe it is my skills or maybe it is my equipment? If it is equipment should I wait for better lenses/technology or move on to FF?

Thanks!

EB

Practice, review, identify, feedback, research, correct, practice, review, identify, verify, practice, review, ......

After shooting for couple years I have realized I like shooting events (indoors), birds, and bokeh. It might me my skills but in my experience my MFT gear is severely laking quality pictures when it comes to above three categories.

What is the problem ? Identify the problem, find the cause, identify a possible correction, verify the result, ...

What indoors events ? Is it a light problem ? Can this be corrected ?
What birds, which conditions, do you try hard enough ?
Bokeh, why ? What is wrong ? Do you mean bokeh or could it be DoF ?

btw. I did not know that MFT gear can be in the possession of pictures, maybe you should rephrase that sentence.

Once you understand the problem you can decide on corrective measures.

If you live in an area which is covered with snow and ice...and if you spend a sizable amount of your time clearing said stuff, then I believe that you have hit the winter doldrums.  It does not matter if you are inside or out.  The thought of picking up your bag and heading out...or anywhere seems pointless.  The only thing which can bring back the enthusiasm is something green poking through the snow...or a leaf or two.  All the new equipment or equipment changes cannot compare to the freedom of Not Wearing A Heavy Coat!  I wish you well.  Oh, pray for spring and I shall do the same.

pocketpygmy wrote:

Indoor events: f2.8 zoom (12-35 or 12-40)

Birds: Olympus PRO 40-150 f2.8 and 300mm f4

Bokeh: Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2, Olympus 75mm f1.8, any of the f0.95 manual focus Voigtlanders

A word about brands. Panasonic is a giant electronics corporation. Their cameras tend to be somewhat... loveless. Perfectly functional of course, but kind of generic. Many people don't care. Some do. Olympus on the other hand has a way of designing cameras that imbue them with a certain something else -- character, or spirit, or attention to detail... Don't ask me to qualify this! It's just something I've noticed in my own experience and in reading many online comments -- it's a kind of apples/oranges difference between "I love my Olympus camera" vs. "my Panasonic is very good". Have you tried Olympus cameras?

To put it another way, Olympus is kinda like Alfa Romeo to cars. According to Top Gear, you can't be a proper petrolhead until you've owned and Alfa. I don't think that you can be a proper photography geek until you've owned an Olympus.

And that comparison to Alfa is apt in so many ways...

It is simply about having the right tool for the job. There are many people that have a Micro 4/3 system and a DSLR system, they compliment each other admirably.

FF telephotos are very large and have less reach.

The Olympus F/2.8 and TC is similar to a FF 420mm lens.

That GH4 with the Olympus lens is amazing.

Look here...

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55402049

i won't comment on indoor or bokek but very happy to look at any bird pictures. Why don't you post some shots that you are unhappy with and let your peers here decide if your problems will only be resolved by getting out of MFT.

You do surprise me a bit because one of the MFT advantages for many people here is that it makes you want to get out and take pictures.

It's very simple. You're not happy with it. Get rid of it. Bam, problem solved.

eBrain wrote:

First post; hopefully someone can help without getting into MFT vs FF war

I am long time MFT user and heavily invested in MFT gear. To put things in perspective I started with Panasonic Lumix G5 couple years back, and bought GH4 couple months back to check the latest and greatest of MFT ecosystem before taking a decision. I currently own both bodies and following lenses to put things in perspective: Rokinon 7.5mm, Panasonic 25mm/F1.4, Panasonic 14-42mm Kit, Panasonic 35-100mm/F2.8, Panasonic 45-200mm, and over a dozen legacy primes (Canon FD, Minolta, SMC Takumar, etc)

After shooting for couple years I have realized I like shooting events (indoors), birds, and bokeh. It might me my skills but in my experience my MFT gear is severely laking quality pictures when it comes to above three categories.

Dont get me wrong; please! If there is something within MFT ecosystem costing an additional $2k brining quality pcitures within above 3 categories I am willing to go for it (please suggest lenses and body) but a question naturally comes to mind: why should I continue to invest in MFT? Just because it is light weight?

So here I am .. on the borderline .. thinking what if I sell all MFT gear. Should sell for $4k easily and buying a nice FF body with 3 or 4 lenses lenses for a tiotal of $6-8K should give me the ability to shoot in low light, birds, and bokeh. No?

MFT lovers please help me I seem to be losing interest in my equipment because it is not getting me what I would like to ... Maybe it is my skills or maybe it is my equipment? If it is equipment should I wait for better lenses/technology or move on to FF?

Thanks!

EB

Boek and DOF are two different things. The bokeh of the 35-100 f2.8 is very good, so is that of the 25 mm f1.4. The other lenses are so so fot that and the 45-200 (at least mine) is a mediocre lens. 14-42 kit...for a kit oke.

For BIF Panasonic lenses are bad. It has been said so many times now. You better go for an Oly with the 40-150 and teleconverter or indeed go to a DSLR. For concerts...if the 35-100 f2.8 won't do it for you and the ISO you use for your taste destroys the image too much, indeed a FF cam might what you are looking for.

I'd say: jump ship, get a Nikon D750 for instance or if you want to keep it smaller a Sony A7II or so. Have fun with it. Your hobby is photography I think, not per se m43s. Just tools, so get those that can get your job done.

pocketpygmy wrote:

Indoor events: f2.8 zoom (12-35 or 12-40)

Birds: Olympus PRO 40-150 f2.8 and 300mm f4

Bokeh: Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2, Olympus 75mm f1.8, any of the f0.95 manual focus Voigtlanders

A word about brands. Panasonic is a giant electronics corporation. Their cameras tend to be somewhat... loveless. Perfectly functional of course, but kind of generic. Many people don't care. Some do. Olympus on the other hand has a way of designing cameras that imbue them with a certain something else -- character, or spirit, or attention to detail... Don't ask me to qualify this! It's just something I've noticed in my own experience and in reading many online comments -- it's a kind of apples/oranges difference between "I love my Olympus camera" vs. "my Panasonic is very good". Have you tried Olympus cameras?

Well I love my GH4 very much. Fantastic equipment that works. Still I agree that the OMD series looks far more appealing.

I don't understand... nor do you it seems... what is preventing you from successfully shooting indoor with M43. I personally find it easier and have a better success rate than ever. Why, you might ask? Easy: I can now affordably shoot with a 17mm/1.8 (35mm equivalent), ...and the same could be said for any other Oly primes..., and you'd be hard pressed to find any top quality equivalent FF lenses with similar wide aperture for even close to the price you pay in M43. You want to shoot birds... try a FF 600mm lens for comfort, not to mention the effect on your bank account! I can shoot comfortably at ISO1600, and even 3200, so what's preventing me from shooting indoor... certainly not the equipment. I point, shoot, no flash... and get great pictures. I get great pictures outdoors, at night, hand held, too!

So ask yourself, what will FF possibly give you that will increase your success rate? Once you figured that out, then consider FF. Can you make "better" images with a FF camera? You certainly can, but you can also take nearly as good images with M43 in the same conditions. The only difference as far as IQ goes will be a little less noise, but overall, the images will be just as good at equal resolution. So what is good enough for what use? If all you do is print photo books, and post images on facebook, then FF is overkilled IMO. If the odd time you really really want less DoF than what M43 75mm/1.8 can give you... there are software solutions out there do to just that.

I personally think that you simply have a bout of bigger is better feaver for one, but if you want it, then get it, it's just gear.  When you get tired of it, you can switch back to M43.