Upgrade from Olympus E-P3?

Hi...

I currently own an Olympus E-P3, along with Panasonic 14-42, Panasonic 14 prime and Panasonic 45-200 lenses.

I primarily use the camera for landscapes and wildlife shots while hiking; very rarely indoors. I wouldn't call myself a serious hobbyist, but I've learned enough to feel comfortable using occasional manual settings for certain situations.

So... this summer our family will be doing a tour of various national parks out west. For us, it's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I'd like to make the most of it from a photography standpoint, and am wondering if there's any value in upgrading to a newer m4/3 camera (and maybe picking up a new lens) for this trip?

Is there a significant improvement in image quality with current cameras over what I have now? I know the current sensors have more megapixels, but do they also do better in low light / high ISO situations (e.g, very early in the day, or using a long lens to capture wildlife)?

Here's a couple examples of a low light situation I did some shooting in; could a newer m4/3 camera improve the results?:

Pre-dawn water

Pre-sunrise hike

What about lenses; are there any worth considering that would be a big improvement over the Lumix 14mm that I have?

Can an m4/3 camera even be used for night sky photography, something I wanted to try while out west?

Thanks...

I just upgraded from the 3 to the 5 for the better controls, sensor and VR. Its a gadget thing, more than anything, and the refurbished price of the 5 from Olympus made it easy.

Come out west and shoot whatever you've got. We have great light, scenery and wildlife!

Bill

100 miles to Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

I used to own the E-P3. I upgraded to the E-M5 when it came out, and later got the E-M1.

With the E-P3, I had auto ISO set to cap at 1250. Noise was unacceptable to me beyond that point - I wasn't able to remove it after that without serious degradation in image quality.

When I switched to the E-M5, that ISO cap went up to 2500. To me, the E-M5 had about a stop better low light performance than the E-P3. With the E-M1, the cap went up further and I now shoot auto ISO capped at 3200. Here are a few shots with the E-M1 at ISO 3200:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glodjib/16701065056/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/glodjib/17142725660/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/glodjib/17196919978/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/glodjib/17384724995/

Apart from the image quality, there's also the controls. The E-P3 essentially has one and a half control wheel (only counting the one to the right of the display for half because it's so fiddly) for quickly changing settings. The E-P5, E-M10 and other newer models all have two real wheels, and the E-P5, E-M5ii and E-M1 also have the 2x2 control scheme that makes changing ISO (and white balance for JPEG shooters) a breeze. The E-M1 also has CDAF pixels that make continuous AF more accurate.

So all in all - yes, newer models (including in particular the rather similar-looking E-P5) are a substantial upgrade over the E-P3. The huge step up was the E-M5 with its new sensor (then way above the curve in terms of image quality per sensor area), upgrades since then are slightly more incremental.

Otherwise, the E-M10 (refurb or new) is hard to argue with.  The exposure characteristics, of the current generation, are similar to those of the E-P3, but you can do a lot more with the output (both raw and JPEG).  Whatever you get is likely going to be an improvement over what you have, so make sure you experiment, before you travel, and learn to get the best out of it.

went from E-PL2 to E-M10 last year so I am in an analogous position  -- the newer generation sensor is definitely an upgrade on IQ, so I urge you to move up to any of the Oly's with the newer sensor, depending on which feature set appeals most to you.  much as I loved the PEN format, the lure of a built in VF pulled me over to the OM-D side.

you cannot go wrong with any of the fast m/43 primes -- focal length is a very personal choice.  I had the 14 but found I didn't use it much -- preferred shooting with the Panny 20, the Oly 45 and especially the Oly 60 macro (I do a lot of closeup flower shooting).  I recently has some experience shooting at 12mm and greatly preferred it to 14mm so my next lens will either be a 12 prime or one of the zooms that starts at 12.

Gidday PM

Lovely shots there.

The E-P3 sensor is definitely a step up from the one in my E-30, however, the one in the E-M5 MkII is an even bigger step up in every way. IBIS, performance, EVF, rear screen, etc, etc, etc ...

I bought the E-M1 because I already have a bucket full of HG and SHG FTs lenses. You do not have that worry.

For a once in a lifetime trip, I would definitely be springing for an up to date body, whether Olympus or Panasonic. Take your E-P3 along as a backup ...

Have an absolutely wonderful trip, mate

pmac100 wrote:

Hi...

I currently own an Olympus E-P3, along with Panasonic 14-42, Panasonic 14 prime and Panasonic 45-200 lenses.

Hello.

I have an E-P3, and I recently upgraded to a newer-sensored model.

I primarily use the camera for landscapes and wildlife shots while hiking; very rarely indoors. I wouldn't call myself a serious hobbyist, but I've learned enough to feel comfortable using occasional manual settings for certain situations.

So... this summer our family will be doing a tour of various national parks out west. For us, it's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I'd like to make the most of it from a photography standpoint, and am wondering if there's any value in upgrading to a newer m4/3 camera (and maybe picking up a new lens) for this trip?

Short answer - yes. All of the 16mp cameras have better sensors in them. Obviously the resolution is better, but high-ISO shooting is also better (by about a stop) and (most importantly for landscapes) the dynamic range is much better.

Is there a significant improvement in image quality with current cameras over what I have now? I know the current sensors have more megapixels, but do they also do better in low light / high ISO situations (e.g, very early in the day, or using a long lens to capture wildlife)?

See above.

Here's a couple examples of a low light situation I did some shooting in; could a newer m4/3 camera improve the results?:

Pre-dawn water

This shot is low-contrast, so the greater dynamic range of a newer sensor wouldn't make much difference. There would be less noise, but this may not be hugely noticeable. Frankly, with this shot, you probably wouldn't notice much difference.

Pre-sunrise hike

With some of those shots you probably would notice a difference when pixel peeping, in terms of noise. This is because in some of the more high-contrast photos you have done a good job at preserving highlights at the expense of deepening the shadows. You can lift shadows with much better results with the newer sensors.

What about lenses; are there any worth considering that would be a big improvement over the Lumix 14mm that I have?

Yeah, other primes with similar focal lengths are the 12mm f/2.0, 15mm f/1.7 and 17mm f/1.8.

All of those lenses are quite a bit brighter than the f/2.5 of your 14mm.

However, they are also more expensive.

Can an m4/3 camera even be used for night sky photography, something I wanted to try while out west?

Yes, it can.

With a newer sensor, you can safely shoot at ISO 1600 without getting too much noise. With my E-P3, I don't like going past ISO 800.

I'm going to be shooting at night in New Zealand this year and am weighing up which prime lens to use.

The two main candidates are the 12/2.0 and the 17/1.8.

I'm leaning towards the 17/1.8, because it has less coma distortion (the type of distortion that makes stars look dagger-shaped in the edges of the frame).

With the 17/1.8, you would typically shoot at 17mm (obviously...) f/1.8 or f/2.0 (yep, go wide open), ISO 1600, 20 seconds.

Any longer than 20-30 seconds and you will start getting star trails.

S

Thanks...

I appreciate all the responses; they were a big help, thanks very much!

One thing I noticed was that when discussing newer cameras versus my current one is that the comparisons were all to Olympus cameras; I assume I'd be looking at similar benefits with the Panasonics as well?... not that I have a strong preference one way or another, but I guess I'll be starting to do some research now! Are there any particularly noteworthy values out there at the moment for someone that's NOT looking at the higher end of cameras?

pmac100 wrote:

I appreciate all the responses; they were a big help, thanks very much!

One thing I noticed was that when discussing newer cameras versus my current one is that the comparisons were all to Olympus cameras; I assume I'd be looking at similar benefits with the Panasonics as well?... not that I have a strong preference one way or another, but I guess I'll be starting to do some research now! Are there any particularly noteworthy values out there at the moment for someone that's NOT looking at the higher end of cameras?

If you're looking towards the budget end, Olympus's models are the E-PM series, E-PL series and the OM-D E-M10.

With Panasonic, the G series is the basic DSLR-shaped camera, the GM1 and GM5 the smallest (they are really tiny) and the GX7 is mid-ranged.

S

I bought an EP5 a few month ago and I love it. However, today I would buy the EM10, since you can buy a new one with the warranty for under $500.

As far as the lens is concerned, to save money buy a Oly 12-40mm! yes, with that lens you won't be tempted to buy multiple primes, and you'll save money

farmer35 wrote:

Look into the live composite and live time features that the E-M10 has for star photography and see if they match what you are wanting to do. The E-PL7 probably has those same features if you prefer that body style but there is something to be said for having both a camera with a viewfinder and one without. I have both E-P3 and E-M10 and the newer model adds quite a bit to the older Pen but I like and still use both of them.

Yeah, it's interesting you bring up the body style; I prefer the Pen style, but like using a viewfinder and bought one for the E-P3 that mounted on the hot shoe. I wonder if that could also be used on the E-PL7....

pmac100 wrote:

farmer35 wrote:

Look into the live composite and live time features that the E-M10 has for star photography and see if they match what you are wanting to do. The E-PL7 probably has those same features if you prefer that body style but there is something to be said for having both a camera with a viewfinder and one without. I have both E-P3 and E-M10 and the newer model adds quite a bit to the older Pen but I like and still use both of them.

Yeah, it's interesting you bring up the body style; I prefer the Pen style, but like using a viewfinder and bought one for the E-P3 that mounted on the hot shoe. I wonder if that could also be used on the E-PL7....

Yes, it should work on the E-PL7. Certainly the VF-4 does work on the E-PL7.

Which viewfinder do you have?

S

NZ Scott wrote:

pmac100 wrote:

farmer35 wrote:

Look into the live composite and live time features that the E-M10 has for star photography and see if they match what you are wanting to do. The E-PL7 probably has those same features if you prefer that body style but there is something to be said for having both a camera with a viewfinder and one without. I have both E-P3 and E-M10 and the newer model adds quite a bit to the older Pen but I like and still use both of them.

Yeah, it's interesting you bring up the body style; I prefer the Pen style, but like using a viewfinder and bought one for the E-P3 that mounted on the hot shoe. I wonder if that could also be used on the E-PL7....

Yes, it should work on the E-PL7. Certainly the VF-4 does work on the E-PL7.

Which viewfinder do you have?

S

VF-2; found this helpful page that confirms it would work!:

Viewfinders for OMD / PEN series cameras

with the Panny body choices, keep in mind that most of them do not have in body stabilization -- stabilization is many but not all of the Panny lenses.  with your Panny 14, which is not stabilized, right now you are getting the benefit of the Oly IBIS with your e-p3.  if you stay with an Oly body, you will remain even on stabilization.

RaymondR wrote:

with the Panny body choices, keep in mind that most of them do not have in body stabilization -- stabilization is many but not all of the Panny lenses. with your Panny 14, which is not stabilized, right now you are getting the benefit of the Oly IBIS with your e-p3. if you stay with an Oly body, you will remain even on stabilization.

True that the E-P3 has IBIS, but in my opinion it is pretty useless. I keep IBIS switched off on my E-P3. With that in mind, I wouldn't worry too much about losing this feature.

-- hide signature --

RaymondR

True that the E-P3 has IBIS, but in my opinion it is pretty useless. I keep IBIS switched off on my E-P3. With that in mind, I wouldn't worry too much about losing this feature.

Yes and no - true, the IBIS of the E-P3 wasn't exactly great, but the E-M5 improved leaps and bounds upon that - I tested the lens OIS of the Panasonic 100-300mm with both the E-P3 and the E-M5. With the E-P3, the lens OIS was better than the IBIS. With the E-M5, not any more; the "generic" IBIS of the E-M5 was better at stabilizing the 100-300mm than the dedicated specialized lens OIS. After these tests, my lens OIS stayed off.

All newer Olympus cameras have the IBIS of the E-M5 or better.

haslo wrote:

True that the E-P3 has IBIS, but in my opinion it is pretty useless. I keep IBIS switched off on my E-P3. With that in mind, I wouldn't worry too much about losing this feature.

Yes and no - true, the IBIS of the E-P3 wasn't exactly great, but the E-M5 improved leaps and bounds upon that - I tested the lens OIS of the Panasonic 100-300mm with both the E-P3 and the E-M5. With the E-P3, the lens OIS was better than the IBIS. With the E-M5, not any more; the "generic" IBIS of the E-M5 was better at stabilizing the 100-300mm than the dedicated specialized lens OIS. After these tests, my lens OIS stayed off.

All newer Olympus cameras have the IBIS of the E-M5 or better.

Do they?

I thought the E-PL and E-PM models still used the older 2-way mechanical IBIS.

S

NZ Scott wrote:

haslo wrote:

All newer Olympus cameras have the IBIS of the E-M5 or better.

Do they?

I thought the E-PL and E-PM models still used the older 2-way mechanical IBIS.

S

Looks like you're right. This is from the Olympus PEN page:

"5-axis IS for E-P5. 3-axis IS for E-PL7. 2-axis IS for E-PL6."

Sorry!