Almost perfect vacation camera ... ?

Moving the AF point via touch is not a bad compromise, try it out (even when using the EVF) if you haven't... I prefer a joystick myself, or tracking that's good enough where I don't even need to move my AF point, but Pana was one of the first to implement touch AF while looking thru the EVF (on the G6?) and they get so little credit for it.

Oly didn't even put that into the E-M5 until the Mk III... Edit: Oops, I didn't notice several others had already suggested this, but I honestly think it's an overlooked feature, some people won't even try it after knowing it's there even tho it's not any different than a laptop touchpad in practice.

yardcoyote wrote:

I've been shooting the XF27, in both versions, for a lot of years, and I think getting good jpegs out of it depends a great deal on camera settings, more so than the other Fuji lenses I own .

I'm considering now that my 20mm, which I bought very secondhand, may be a bad copy? If I ever get a chance to try another one, I will.

I think it's rendering is fine, not great (I'd take the PL25 for that) but not bad... It's AF has always been an Achilles' heel tho. I think it's totally fine for stills, but it's obviously useless for C-AF or video AF. The only trick to stills is not to let it hunt, it hunts thru it's range far slower than most lenses but it's otherwise quick enough in most other situations (possibly even for limited action if you get used to pre-focusing in the vicinity).

No modern lens w/unit focus seems to be able to keep up with today's fastest cameras tho, and unit focus has been used in larger lenses than that pancake recently which is more worrying (not within M4/3), at least the pancake has size as an excuse.

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

My silver GX7 was one of old time favorite cameras (sold it some years ago to fund the GX8).

There are some cameras that may not be technological marvels but have something that you want to grab, touch and use.

The GX7, EM5/3 and many models from Fuji (x70, x100f, now XT3) are such examples for me.

jeffharris wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

One MAJOR feature you forgot…

4. Tilting EVF

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

With the GX7 you can move the focus point with your thumb on the LCD when using the EVF. BRILLIANT feature! No clumsy joystick necessary.

Where is that GX8 successor??? 🙂

larsbc wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

Yes, it's funny (peculiar funny, not haha funny) how Panasonic's subsequent GX bodies haven't had a grip as good as the GX7's.

The GX8 had also a very good grip, but that was an almost different camera. Maybe the last great rangefinder?

Any camera I have is a perfect vacation camera when I'm on vacation and it's the only camera I have. When I go on vacation to enjoy the trip, not primarily to take photos, I really enjoy my EM-10IV. It's a very casual just tuck it in the bag and go type camera that brings enjoyment of use and good pictures yet doesn't put any pressure to be great. I also think it's my best looking camera with its silver/black finish which adds to the pleasure of carrying it around.

I used to prefer taking zooms, like the proverbial all-around one lens solution that go from wide to tele, on vaca. But the last few years I've been taking primes and if anything I enjoy it more. On this summer's vaca trip that I'm taking in September I'm bringing the Em10IV with the Sigma 19/2.8. Though I have other gear that are theoretically better, this is the combo that will give me the most casual fun. I am tempted to get a GX9 for the future because that tilting EVF is a very attractive feature.

Photodog2 wrote:

Any camera I have is a perfect vacation camera when I'm on vacation and it's the only camera I have. When I go on vacation to enjoy the trip, not primarily to take photos, I really enjoy my EM-10IV. It's a very casual just tuck it in the bag and go type camera that brings enjoyment of use and good pictures yet doesn't put any pressure to be great. I also think it's my best looking camera with its silver/black finish which adds to the pleasure of carrying it around.

I used to prefer taking zooms, like the proverbial all-around one lens solution that go from wide to tele, on vaca. But the last few years I've been taking primes and if anything I enjoy it more. On this summer's vaca trip that I'm taking in September I'm bringing the Em10IV with the Sigma 19/2.8. Though I have other gear that are theoretically better, this is the combo that will give me the most casual fun. I am tempted to get a GX9 for the future because that tilting EVF is a very attractive feature.

Sometimes a prime or two can be freeing, if matched with the right attitude. People favor zooms because they don't wanna lens swap and/or are afraid of missing a shot, when I'm shooting w/primes I know I'll miss some shots so I try to focus on looking for the shot that can leverage the prime or FL's strengths instead of getting every shot. That being said, the company you're keeping probably plays into that, as well as the subjects you're shooting.

I used to prefer the silver/black bodies, just for the different aesthetic, but people seem to stop me less and ask less questions about the all black ones (didn't have a choice in the matter when I bought my GX850, and my Sony only comes in black, was tempted to put a skin on it simulating the two tone look for a minute...). I guess that can be good or bad.

All my small M4/3 primes (save for the SY FE which I heard would chip) are silver tho, so there ain't no escaping that heh. Silver lenses on a black GX850 has kinda grown on me.