The µ43 thread - welcome to the really dark side

I Just migrated to a GX7 (coming from a D5200) late December and have been for the most part pretty impressed with it.

Ergonomics are a bit meh (I find it hard to get a comfortable grip), but everything else works pretty well. So far I've got the 20/1.7 that came with it and only recently picked up the Olympus 75/1.8 (I'm having to relearn what I am doing as I'm used to shooting with the 35/1.8 DX almost exclusively).

I'm already kind of tempted to move to the EM-1 as I tried it instore and found the overall ergonomics to be much more comfortable to shoot with. Hmmm...
 
First images of the E-M5 II -

oly_e-m5ii_silver_f001.jpg

oly_e-m5ii_silver_b001.jpg

oly_e-m5ii_silver_t001.jpg


http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-first-images-of-the-new-olympus-e-m5ii/

Same E-M5 16MP sensor
Update processor (improves slightly the IQ)
No PDAF
New sensor shift shooting that allows to combine 8 pictures in one to create a 40 Megapixel image
Improved 5 axis stabilization
It does have clean hdmi-out
all common frame rates and video optimized af-algorithm.
50Mb/s all 1080p (no 4K recording)

Reminder: The new Olympus camera coming during the first week of February will be called Olympus E-M5II (or E-M5 Mark II). And the big new feature of the camera is “sensor shift” shooting. The camera has a 16 Megapixel sensor that can shoot up to 40 Megapixel by shifting the sensor (in up to 8 frames of single shots).

The sources didn’t explain me in very detail how it works but my guess is that it works in a similar way of the Hasselblad H5D-200c. Hasselblad (Pdf file here) describes the tech in that way:

High precision piezo-electrical actuators control movements of the sensor in ½ and in one pixel increments. By combining six shots, offset by a combination of both ½ pixel increments and one pixel increments, the colors, Red, Green and Blue of each point are obtained with a double resolution in both the X and Y directions. The result is an astonishing 200Mpixel full color image with no artifacts, such as moiré.
The Bayer Mosaic filter pattern covers the pixels of the sensor. Moving the sensor in one pixel increments between shots, allows for the exact R, G, B values to be captured in every pixel. The multiple captures are then assembled to deliver the correct colors and ultimate definition of detail. Adding captures, each offset by a ½ pixel sensor movement, creates space for extending the sensor resolution from 50Mpix to 200Mpix. The outstanding definition of color and detail is maintained
Click to expand...
 
I like it.

Dual-mode FN1 in a sensible place for back button focusing/focus peaking/whatever.
Fully articulated screen (I really missed this moving from the GH2 although I can see some street shooters being unhappy).
Improved video and IBIS.
40MP sensor shift will hopefully be great for landscape and still life work.


Not overly keen on On/Off placement but I guess that's fairly minor. FN3 and 4 look pretty awkward to get to. New button on the front could be handy but seems to be right where I grip the E-M5, hope it isn't a nuisance.

Would have liked a new sensor - I guess we're stuck with the current gen for at least another couple of years. They'll probably be saving it for whatever the E-M1 replacement is. At least they updated the processor but that's not going to give many gains, I'd have liked another stop or two of high ISO performance.
 
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Very tempted to get an E-M5 because they are insanely cheap right now ($500USD)
I like my E-PM2, it was purchased as a high end point and shoot pocket camera with the best possible IQ and it certainly lives up to that roll. The plastic fantastic body has the advantage of being very light. I've extensively tweaked the body so I have aperture control and exposure compensation on the back wheel and this works for 95%^ of what I shoot.

But I kind of feel the system could do so much more for me with a proper body, with actual controls and a viewfinder, plus some of the fast primes.


The kit lens served me fine for the purpose but I'm really tempted to ditch it in favor of the newer 12-32mm kit lenses that are way smaller. I'm a little miffed that I purchased the smallest lightest m43 and lens set but now there are smaller and lighter options.
 
delta0 said:
What do you guys think of the Olympus 17mm 1.8? I'm thinking of getting this for the other half who has an Olympus Pen. The Panasonic 20mm 1.7 seems like a lens that many have gone for in the past but the focusing speed wasn't great so the Olympus was more of interest to me.
Click to expand...

I've owned both, and it's a tough call. I think overall the 17mm is the better lens as the AF is significantly faster, and you have other perks like the pull-ring manual focus thing, plus I hear the 20mm can cause banding if you have certain bodies. I preferred the focal length of the 20mm though. It doesn't seem like a lot (35mm vs 40mm equiv), but it's just that little bit easier to throw the background out of focus.

I have the 17mm and 25mm, but ideally I'd like a 14mm f/1.8 and a 20mm which had equal AF speed as the 17mm.
 
The GF line just got a revamp -

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/panasonic_lumix_gf7_review/

GF7 looks much more appealing than previous versions but I'm not sure how it stacks up against the GM1 to be honest. Launch price will be £429 with the 12-32, which is the exact same price as the GM1 with 12-32 costs now. Haven't had a close look at the specs but seems you get a slightly larger body with a tilt screen.

Previous GFs have dropped in price really fast, if this follows suit it should make a good entry level camera for those that don't need an EVF or hotshoe. The smaller bodies make so much more sense with the 12-32 compared to the old bulky 14-42s.

panasonic_lumix_gf7_review-275x310.jpg
 
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