Need help

[Lars Luciano]

Hi, here is my photographic history I have owned several point and shoot cameras and bridge camera and out of all of them I was most happy with my Olympus sp350 (I still have it but it eats batteries like crazy and it's so slow with picture processing inside the camera and you have to wait a long time to take the next photo), I also liked my Fuji s9600 bridge zoom camera (it's dead for some time now). I have also had sony rx100 mk1 and sony rx10 mk1 (this are great cameras but the menus just don't feel right there is something missing) my impression is it's more like having a phone or a digital tablet or computer than a camera; after that I had Sony a6000 but it's more of the same feeling. I also had the Nikon d3200 with the 18-105 lens but it's really big camera. So at the moment I have the Panasonic tz100 is nice, but still it's just a compact camera and it's something missing considering the image quality. So I need help. How good is the olympus omd - em10? I would like to say, that I am not planing to buy any extra lenses maybe some old manual lenses that I can later use with an adaptor. I am looking for a camera to carry with me most of the time in a small belt bag to take it on hiking trips, walks with my dog, shoot around the house and maybe from time to time try some more serious photography. What are your expiriences and recomendations? The problem as always is my budget so I would sold my almost new panasonic tz100 and buy oly omd-em 10with a kit lens. What do you think.

p.s.: I have tried the pen f and it's a dream camera but out of reach

Thank you, Greetings

 

[essH]

I don't have experience of the specific cameras you mention, with the exception of the E-M10 and its newer brother the E-M10 II, but I had a journey through various camera types that might help.

I started using digital cameras with a small, simple Panasonic DMC (I don't remember which model) point and shoot and then migrated to Pentax DSLRs, partly as I had old Pentax lenses and partly as I missed the control of an SLR. I recently decided to downsize (literally) and tried the E-M10 (Mark 1). I found it a revelation in terms of what I could do and the flexibility it offered in terms of functions and lenses. I have been able, using a cheap adapter, to use Pentax lenses and I know other manufacturers' lenses are also possible (albeit in manual focus mode).

My only caveat is that the slim kit lens (the 14-42 EZ), although it is highly pocketable, is not the sharpest lens around. If you are prepared to look at the slightly less pocketable 14-42 II R, you may find it sharper and acceptable in most situations. There are lots of other lenses around and reading this forum will give you plenty to think about. The other advantage is that as your experience grows and if you find money, you can try other lenses. The slimmest are probably some of the Panasonics.

There are sometimes versions of the Pen series available secondhand - I am thinking of the E-P5, which to me is like a slimmed-down E-M10 - and for less money. If you ask me to choose between the two models of E-M10, it would be difficult; in the end I chose the Mark II as it offered more facilities.

 

[Lars Luciano]

Thank you Simon for your feedback. Greetings

 

[kotepum]

I would recommend the E-M10 II but if your dream camera is the PEN-F then why not wait until there is a good deal for it? You'll have time to grow your budget as well.

What kind of old lenses were you planning adapting to PEN-F? They might not work very well when adapted due to M43 cameras' thick filter stack.

If you like wide angle photography on a budget then you should consider the 9mm BCL lens. Yes - it is marketed as a camera "body cap" but it is extremely compact and delivers fairly good images. I like the 9mm so much that I bought it twice! (and now my Samyang 7.5mm just sits on the shelves). Note that the 9mm requires some post-processing, you'll want to defringe the edges and sometimes defish the image (Hugin is great at defishing)

Sometimes I'm so impressed with the 9mm that I consider it to be the Zeiss Hologon 16mm of M43

 

[Mark9473]

I am not planing to buy any extra lenses maybe some old manual lenses that I can later use with an adaptor.

Adapted lenses are big fun, but double check that the camera you're interested in has focus peaking and magnified live view.

 

[Mark9473]

What kind of old lenses were you planning adapting to PEN-F? They might not work very well when adapted due to M43 cameras' thick filter stack.

Good point. In general SLR lenses work well because they were designed to sit far from the sensor. I'd avoid rangefinder lenses and C-mount lenses unless having seen evidence that they work.

 

[Lars Luciano]

You are all very kind with lots of information. If i could I would go for the pen f, and in ideal world I could be happy with a kit + something for portraits with f1.8 or f1.4 + a long zoom something like 300mm "ekvivalent" or similar.

Can anyone tell is em 10 suitable for using old om lenses. like M42 mount?

 

[john isaacs]

The E-M10 has what you need to use manual legacy lenses: focus peaking and magnify functions.

You need to assign focus peaking and magnify to available function buttons. Focus peaking uses visible stripes to indicate what's in focus in the image. You can use it to get quick approximate focus; useful if shooting with small apertures (e.g. f/8). Magnify provides a quick magnification of the image (3x to 10x). You can use it to get accurate focus.

You will need adapters for whichever lens mounts you want to use. I would not go too cheap on these, good adapters are solid, do not shift or have slop, and will release the lens with ease. Cheap adapters can fail at all of these.

I do recommend you get at least one native lens. The kit lenses (14-42, 45-150) are available pretty cheap on the used market. Do not get the 14-42 EZ lens; it's soft, and the zoom is power toggle which is a hassle to set.

I also recommend you get at least one extra battery; get an Olympus brand. The batteries don't last long, especially as they get older. Third party batteries have even less lifetime, can swell, and need usually need a different charger.

 

[Lars Luciano]

The E-M10 has what you need to use manual legacy lenses: focus peaking and magnify functions.

You need to assign focus peaking and magnify to available function buttons. Focus peaking uses visible stripes to indicate what's in focus in the image. You can use it to get quick approximate focus; useful if shooting with small apertures (e.g. f/8). Magnify provides a quick magnification of the image (3x to 10x). You can use it to get accurate focus.

You will need adapters for whichever lens mounts you want to use. I would not go too cheap on these, good adapters are solid, do not shift or have slop, and will release the lens with ease. Cheap adapters can fail at all of these.

I do recommend you get at least one native lens. The kit lenses (14-42, 45-150) are available pretty cheap on the used market. Do not get the 14-42 EZ lens; it's soft, and the zoom is power toggle which is a hassle to set.

I also recommend you get at least one extra battery; get an Olympus brand. The batteries don't last long, especially as they get older. Third party batteries have even less lifetime, can swell, and need usually need a different charger.

Thanks that is useful information. Greetings

 

[kotepum]

Check out citizenlouie comment:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3628917

 

[Pete_W]

p.s.: I have tried the pen f and it's a dream camera but out of reach

Given that you like the PEN-F but the price is perhaps too high, have you considered the Panasonic GX85? There are some comparison reviews online worth looking at, e.g:

Panasonic GX85 / GX80 vs. Olympus Pen F – The complete comparison - Mirrorless Comparison

A comparison you might be less likely to come across is the Panasonic Lumix GX85 versus the Olympus Pen F. After all, the price gap is significant and their respective designs suggest that Olympus and Panasonic are targeting different markets. However it is also true that the two cameras have...

mirrorlesscomparison.com

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/olympus/pen-f/vs/panasonic/gx85/

 

[Ulric]

Olympus sp350

Fuji s9600

sony rx100 mk1

sony rx10 mk1

Sony a6000

Nikon d3200 with the 18-105 lens

Panasonic tz100

The problem as always is my budget so I would sold my almost new panasonic tz100 and buy oly omd-em 10with a kit lens. What do you think.

p.s.: I have tried the pen f and it's a dream camera but out of reach

If your budget is a problem, you should make it a priority to get a camera that you will be happy with and keep. I would even go so far as to say that if the PEN-F is your dream camera but currently out of reach, getting another camera that you will inevitably replace soon is only going to get you further from having the camera you want.

 

[Lars Luciano]

Olympus sp350

Fuji s9600

sony rx100 mk1

sony rx10 mk1

Sony a6000

Nikon d3200 with the 18-105 lens

Panasonic tz100

The problem as always is my budget so I would sold my almost new panasonic tz100 and buy oly omd-em 10with a kit lens. What do you think.

p.s.: I have tried the pen f and it's a dream camera but out of reach

If your budget is a problem, you should make it a priority to get a camera that you will be happy with and keep. I would even go so far as to say that if the PEN-F is your dream camera but currently out of reach, getting another camera that you will inevitably replace soon is only going to get you further from having the camera you want.

Very good point. Thanks