Sell my Nikon gear and full steam ahead on 4/3

[Kevin_b1]

Had my GF1 and G1 for a while now and have not used my Nikon gear since so decided to sell all my Nikon gear on EBay (Also here on the buy and sell forum).

The proceeds will then fund a 7-14, 20, and 45 and still have enough left over for a possible G1 replacement or the 100-300 when that comes out.

So that's it a full commitment to 4/3, it is nice and light and I carry it most places where as the Nikon only used to go out when I knew I was going to do photography.

So if any one wants any Nikon gear take a look

regards

Kevin

 

[harry66]

In a similar boat!
After having owned nikon gear for a few years, I just bought a GF1 + 20mm + 14-45mm + Oly flash.
Have sold my nikon lens and flash thus far - still got a D80 body and P6000 to offload!
Sale of those will hopefully fund a 14-140mm (I was so used to my 18-200mm VR I need something similar).

 

[ptomsu]

I feel I am getting into a similar boat with my Alpha system.

Since I own my EP2 and some lenses I never used my Alpha gear anymore and I am NOT missing anything.

M43 is just so cute and small and high IQ that it has become my daily used system very fast.

 

[Bill_Green]

I've pretty well decided to save up, sell my Sony system and go 4/3 and MFD. The Sony is both too heavy and lacking image quality and I know I am asking too much for one system.

 

[ptomsu]

I've pretty well decided to save up, sell my Sony system and go 4/3 and MFD. The Sony is both too heavy and lacking image quality and I know I am asking too much for one system.

Yeah,

that should also work for me - stay with M43 and H3D and selling the Sony gear for getting some HC glass and M43 glass.

I also have the feeling I will rarely use my sony again.

 

[DHart]

I half-considered (for a nano second) whether I could meet my image making needs with a m4/3 system alone and found that I cannot. But it has been fun trying to push the limits of what I can do with my GF1 and a few lenses.

I can see how the Lumix m4/3 system can easily be all that some image makers might need... as it's possible to create some stunning images with it under a variety of circumstances. But when you push the system a bit, it's shortcomings can be quite confining for some image making requirements. For myself, I have found that I still need to maintain two systems - full size and m4/3. And must say that this is mostly because of requirements associated with professional portrait and commercial work.

I love my growing GF1 system and will continue to expand it. But for myself, I use it when I must have small/light weight equipment that's easier to transport and can live with the inherent limitations. Such applications include vacation travel, street photography, personal photography when I don't want to deal with large gear, and times when I want to appear as unobtrusive as possible. In these cases, the m4/3 gear really shines and is a joy to use!

But when I want to create more purposeful/commercial use images and the requirement for small/light equipment isn't in play, I find I definitely still need my 5D/5DII system with the many lenses I have for it, as the ultimate image quality and image making options are head and shoulders above m4/3, as would be expected of full size sensors, fully featured cameras, and professional lenses.

It's just a case of having gear that's well suited to the tasks one wishes to take on and, wonderfully, m4/3 is surprisingly well suited to many applications indeed. But I'm still very thankful to have the full size gear and the m4/3 gear, depending on the need.

 

[duckrider]

I never took digital for serious.

Until that little peace of poison called GF1 occurred on the screen!

Got myself a Canon 400D, for ultra wide I bought a 10-22mm. Pics were o.k., but dimension of the outfit was too big and the Camera (even with additional battery pack) too uncomfortable to hold.
Used to handle these old gems like Nikon F2, Canon F1(old) and Leica M it was not an easy decision to switch totally to digital.
Although these manual cameras are not smaller they are nicer to handle.

Canon digital equipment is sold, Film-Equipment is closed in glass cabinet only to play with.

Most with me is the GF1, I take her serious meanwhile….

 

[rgeorge911]

I'm in a similar situation with DHart. I absolutely LOVE m4/3 (both G1 and GF1), but retain my D700 for times when I want to be able to make the biggest prints, etc.

I got into the m4/3 system because I want to use some of my legacy glass (Leica, Pentax). It does work quite well for that. I actually just won a minor prize in a show for a shot made with my Summilux 35 non-aspheric on the G1. However, quite surprisingly, I've become very attached to my Lumix lenses (20, 14-45, and 45-200). They are simply wonderful lenses. I too would like to try the 14-140, as a replacement for my (now sold) Nikon 18-200. The m4/3 kit is certainly what I carry every day, and on trips not solely focused on photography.

I was also thinking of the GF1 as a hold-out until I could afford a M8. I'm seriously thinking that I wouldn't gain much by going M8 at this point (though I'll admit I'm still tempted). When the M9 or other FF Leica becomes within my reach, I'll still go that way. But, that will be a while.

Until then, m4/3 is serving quite nicely.

One more vote for the Nikon system, though. Yes, it's big and heavy. But, I consider the D700 to be completely as good quality-wise as my best medium format options. It's truly an amazing beast. And of course, the glass is nearly unbeatable as well.

Reed

 

[m3photo]

Re: Keep my Nikon gear and 4/3

I'm in a similar situation with DHart. I absolutely LOVE m4/3 (both G1 and GF1), but retain my D700 for times when I want to be able to make the biggest prints, etc.

One more vote for the Nikon system, though. Yes, it's big and heavy. But, I consider the D700 to be completely as good quality-wise as my best medium format options. It's truly an amazing beast. And of course, the glass is nearly unbeatable as well.

I'm with you too. Besides, I like something hefty in my hand from time to time. Tell you what I miss - the wind on lever on my F3. This is one thing I liked about the Epson RD-1 (though I never bought one for myself) and would have liked on a digital M.

 

[Helena]

Even before getting G1 I didn't use my Canon 450D (Xsi), since I also have a 5D. So selling 450D was an easy decision. Today I was making it ready to be mailed off and decided to compare it to G1. I don't have any wide or normal zooms, but happen to have a 24/2.8 Canon lens which is very similar to 20/1.7 on G1.

Not surprisingly G1 is at least as good as 450D at lower ISO. If I hadn't tried 5D I think I could sell all my DSLR stuff and be very happy with µ4/3, but 5D is so much better that it'll still be my main camera. I only use G1 for hiking and skiing, and when I want to bring a camera "just in case", but it's great for that. Small, light and very good image quality for its size.

 

[Diane B]

I think this is what is allowing myself to feel free to expand my m4/3rds and sell off a lot of my Canon system. I 'retired' from my parttime commercial work shooting for furniture and textile companies and now do only personal shooting--plus perhaps just a bit of interior work. Keeping a good basic Canon lens and lighting system will allow me to have that--IF I need/want it, but since I don't have any professional reason to need to shoot with it--I didn't upgrade to 5DII--and am in fact selling a lot of it off. I'm shooting for personal work almost completely with m4/3rds now--and really enjoying it. I'm looking forward to its evolution.

Diane

QUOTE=DHart;183125]For myself, I have found that I still need to maintain two systems - full size and m4/3. And must say that this is mostly because of requirements associated with professional portrait and commercial work.

.[/QUOTE]

 

[Tullio]

I feel I am getting into a similar boat with my Alpha system...

I already got into this boat...shortly after I bought the G1 with the two kit lenses I realized I had no use for my Alpha system anymore. The G1 felt right from the get go and although the Alpha handles noise a bit better, the G1 is not too far behind and it has so many nice features that it easily offsets the noise-handling difference. So, the Alpha is gone...sold! Now I also have the EP1, which is a real fun camera as well.

 

[pellicle]

I think we have it in a nustshell

if you're doing commercial work then commercial cameras work better ... but if its just personal then the micro 4/3 cameras are fine an dandy

as many have noted there is precious little difference between a 100ISO image from a 5D or a micro4/3 camera, so why spend big buck$ on stuff when there is so little bang for buck?

I 'retired' from my parttime commercial work shooting for furniture and textile companies and now do only personal shooting--plus perhaps just a bit of interior work.

Same as I don't buy top of the line Makita drills when the Black n Decker does what I need round the house.

'course there's always the folk who have to have a Shelby Cobra to do the shopping in...

I laughed a lot recently at a tourist locale when a very tourist dad lookin fella had a 1DsMkII and huge EF brick tied to his neck ... takin really tourist lookin images too ... now (thinkin back) did he have an 580EZ mounted on it too?

 

[Diane B]

Yes, that's it. But then, there might be those times one really wants to make quite large prints or wants that very very shallow DOF with a good fast lens and 35mm FF--but for most of the time, I'm learning to compromise with no regret.

And--for landscapes without issues-- (wind, quickly changing shadows, etc.), I found last Spring that I could pretty easily do maybe 2 over 2 panos giving me lots of resolution for quite large prints.

How many of us do very large prints though--and how often?? Before my 5D I did 24 x 36 prints for a client (viewed from appropriate distance) that they loved--with my 20D. They still have them displayed (20 of them) in their showroom. I would bet I could have shot all of those with the G1 and fast lenses.

So--for most of my shooting, I now feel quite comfortable shooting m4/3rds--and for those times with extreme DR--I bracket and manually blend--very seldom, though, to be truthful.

Partly it may be age (possibly good sense arriving late LOL)--even though I CAN carry weight/size, I just don't want to any longer when I have a good alternative. In the past, I never felt there was any alternative-years ago had the original Canon G1, then never had another small cam until the Canon G9 which just didn't suit my criteria and I never carried it by itself. I tried a used 400D a year and a half ago and found that I really wasn't saving myself much in size/weight when I added the lenses, so went back to 5D for everything. I watched the DP1, others--but not until the m4/3rds came onto my radar did I start to see the possibility. I carried both through at least 1/2 this summer, but now I carry just the G1/GF1.

Diane

 

[Howard]

While I never had a DSLR and now use the G1, I am not surprised by the comments in this 4/3 forum. My guess if this thread was posted in the Nikon or Canon DSLR forum, their opinions would be quite different indicating that their perceived better IQ is well worth the additional size and weight. The pecking order is interesting, I recently saw an ad for the new Hasselblad and it stressed better IQ because their sensor was approximately twice the size as full frame. I am satisfied with my G1.

Howard

 

[lattiboy]

I think that M43 offers the vast majority of what any non-professional (I mean, a true, "all I do is photography" professional) could ever need in a system. Between the endless lens options with adapters and the outstanding IQ there are very few people who would actually need a full-sized system. Not counting personal preference for optical VFs and ergonomics, of course.

I think this board in particular has a lot of actual professionals, so that's probably why the impression you get of M43 is a "second" system. Just my two cents.....

 

[danielvalentephotography]

I agree with the previous posts, the u4/3s is a great format and as more and more people desire high-quality imagery with small-form-factors, more lenses and bodies will come out.

I shoot primarily with a M8, but just picked up a used e-p1 to have for cycling and hiking as well as being able to shoot some video through my Leica lenses.

I have also seen a lot of folks using 16-mm bolex cine lenses which seems like a good idea, but the price has really skyrocketed.

The only bummer of course is the crop factor and the fact the my 35mm summicron becomes a 70mm lens which is a shame.

I am very interested in the 7-14mm lens though.

My photoblog and leica lens reviews:

http://www.danielvalentephotography.com

 

[henningw]

After I got my G1 with the 7-14, 14-45 and 45-200 I sold all my Canon cropped sensor stuff, including 10-22, 17-55, 60/2.8 and 70-300DO. I had used it as a smaller alternative to the FF Canon stuff, but it wasn't really all that much smaller and lighter. I've now added the GF-1 and a lot of adapters so now the system is more versatile than my cropped Canon's ever were.

I'm keeping the FF Canon items because of the overall superior IQ, and a number of lenses that aren't available and might never be, like the 24 and 17 TS-E's and some fast primes that Panasonic hasn't indicated that they will offer anytime soon.

The m4/3 cameras can't replace my Leicas either, but as a replacement for cropped sensor SLR's they can work very well as long as things like sports don't represent a significant portion of your subjects.

Henning

 

[toddbee]

Sold my sony a900, zeiss 24-70 and now have the gf1. surprisingly i am very content with it. This sucker makes some fantastic images. Would love to see some fast primes come available. Had the nikon d700 with zeiss primes prior to the a900.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

MF primary and secondary is GF1 and GF1 IR

Don't want anything in the middle