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Off topic question for Canon - m4/3 users

donbga

Member
Hi Folks,

I'm posting this question here on GetDPI in the m4/3s forum because frankly this group of photographers seems to be one of the best I know of on the net and a group whose work and opinions I have high regard for.

Specifically I have been sitting on the fence for quite sometime regarding selling my Canon DSLR gear and replacing it with the Olympus OM5 and EPL5 bodies.

Due to a serious foot accident and subsequent surgery my ability to carry heavy gear (say like the EF 70-200 f/2.8) has been very compromised. My mobility is about 85% of what it once was.

Can I now expect the IQ of these new bodies and Oly/Pana lenses to be on par from what I get from my Canon gear such as the 7D and 5D MKII?

If I sell all of my Canon gear it will represent a sea change in my photographic life so I want to be reassured that my decision will be a positive one.

FWIW, my work tends toward landscapes, portraits, and occasional street photography with an interpretive fine art approach. I have very good post skills using LR and PS and assorted plugins. I output to digital inkjet prints as well as alt. process prints made from digital inkjet negatives which are then printed and processed in the traditional wet darkroom. Because of my long use of LF cameras I seek the highest quality image properties such as sharpness, dynamic range, etc.

Any input will be appreciated.

Regards,

Don Bryant
 

Jaladhi

New member
I gave up my full-frame SLR a couple of years ago and started using mirrorless cameras. Personally, I think the latest Olympus m43 cameras are certainly able to deliver comparable results to APSC DSLRS. Micro four thirds is also a fairly complete system with a variety of lenses and accessories.

However, since you might want the ultimate image quality, I'd suggest looking into NEX-7 paired with the new 10-18mm as well as other existing lenses. At the base ISO, that sensor is still very good and if the current lenses satisfy your needs, you should be happy with it. You could then supplement it with one of the NEX-5 models as a second body.

Fuji's X-Trans cameras are really good too, especially, if you use a RAW processor such as Capture One 7.2 that will do justice to their files. Their somewhat slow autofocus shouldn't matter much to you since your work comprises of landscapes, portraits, and occasional street photography. You will need to wait for the right lenses to appear though.
 

donbga

Member
However, since you might want the ultimate image quality, I'd suggest looking into NEX-7 paired with the new 10-18mm as well as other existing lenses.
I've pondered the NEX-7 however for my purse the body is a bit pricey. I really have little interest in using retro manual focus lenses for any digital camera body. I prefer lenses that can auto-focus and communicate with the camera. In a perfect world I wish that modern OEM lenses were more like the new Zeiss products, electrically compatible auto lenses with the body but with old fashioned focusing and depth of field markings on the barrel.

Kirk Tuck's blog has been heralding the NEX-7, it's certainly a sweet camera and could be the better choice for me. I do like idea of having the OM5, EPL5, and the EPL3 (converted to IR) all working out of the same family tree though.

Thanks,

Don
 

donbga

Member
I've pondered the NEX-7 however for my purse the body is a bit pricey.
Sorry I was thinking of the RX1000. The NEX-7 is certainly priced comparably to the OM5.

Coincidentally I met an individual outside of my local post office making photos of his wife with an NEX-7. Neither could speak much English but he was happy to give me a quick look see.

Well looks like we are having a bit of thread drift here since the Sony isn't m4/3s.

Thanks!
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Short answer:
Unless you do sports photography, the OM-D will easily improve on the image quality of the 7D. The difference in sensor size is very little, and the OM-D is in almost every way a better camera. Smaller, but with great ergonomics, IBIS, good EVF, very good sensor etc.

When it comes to the 5DII, it gets more tricky. The 35mm sensor has characteristics on its own, simply because of its size, and it's more than DOF. It's a certain "look" that can be difficult to replicate with a smaller sensor. In my view, m4/3 and 35mm make an almost perfect pair; m4/3 for everyday use and 35mm for special occasions which may just represent 5-15% of my own photography.

APS-C sized sensors, like in the NEX and the Fuji? I've never been impressed by the NEX7, but I seem to be pretty much on my own with that view. The Fuji on the other hand gives me a real WOW experience. Better image quality than the Olympus, but not as many lenses available, and the AF is much slower.

In this thread, m4/3 is discussed rather thoroughly at the moment:

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/4-3rds-cameras/42788-state-mft-today.html
 
"Specifically I have been sitting on the fence for quite sometime regarding selling my Canon DSLR gear and replacing it with the Olympus OM5 and EPL5 bodies."

Don. Get off the fence and do it. Two and a bit years ago I moved to m4/3 and sold three Canon DSLR bodies and around eight lenses.

I have never regretted the move - not even once. I happen to have gone down the Panasonic GH route but there is little to choose between the two brands. Far less than the difference between shooting and carrying DLSR or m4/3.

I also used to use LR but more recently I have moved to Qimage Ultimate and that has been another big step forward. I mention it for interest and not because I think you, or anyone around here, will want to abandon their already chosen RAW converter. It is odd how committed people get to a piece of software even though a free trial of an alternative costs nothing but time.

But that is OT. Back to your question, Don. It is a brand new year. Get a new life and let m4/3 bring the Fun back into Fotograply!

Tony
 

David Schneider

New member
I have a Hassie H3d2-39 and four lenses. I don't expect to have my Canon 5Dmk2 to out do the Hassie in all categories, although it is better in some ways at a fraction of the cost and weight. I also have a Fuji X-E1. I don't expect the XE1 to out do the 5dmk2 although it is better in some ways at a fraction of the cost and weight.

If you are looking for a back-up to your dslr, or a travel or walking around camera the XE1 will be a good choice. It is not good for moving subjects and auto focus isn't perfect ( not that the 5dmk2 is). It has some limitations and liabilities, like not good raw processing yet. If money, weight and size don't mean much to you then the 5Dmk2 is a good choice. It is equal to or better than the XE1 in every category except jpg's right out of the camera. But not by much if at all and at less money and size and weight.
 

Tesselator

New member
Hi Don.

Hi Folks,

Can I now expect the IQ of these new bodies and Oly/Pana lenses to be on par from what I get from my Canon gear such as the 7D and 5D MKII?

Any input will be appreciated.
No, not really "on par" IMO. For web-sized scales and small prints tho it's extremely close I think - besides of course the varied implications of the smaller crop factor. The lens selection for sure is not on par! Not even close really. Unless you're willing to adapt and forfeit AF and auto aperture control you're not going to have a broad selection of wonderful glass. By my estimates culminated from hundreds of hours testing and comparing, about 60% of the Oly/Pana lens selection are sub-par with only like 4 or 5 lenses being "exceptional" in any way - and that includes the two $1k+ µ4/3 mount Voigtlanders. :p As pretty much every DSLR guy who has moved to µ4/3 says: you're sacrificing a few things one of which is IQ, when ya move to a µ4/3 system. Especially coming from your 5D MKII - my goodness!

There is a step up in ultimate potential and realizable IQ to be had when moving to the APS-C Nex6 (or one of its siblings) - also mirrorless and lightweight as I'm sure you know. From what I'm seeing however the lens selection there isn't much better - although I can't tell you first hand.
 

JMaher

New member
The OM-D is an absolutely fantastic camera. It's so good that when I went to Italy for two weeks earlier in the year it's the only camera I brought with me. The shots from that trip are truly lovely.

With that said, in absolute terms it's not as good as the the 5D2 I used to have or the 5D3 I have now. The larger sensor has its own indefinable quality, shallow depth of field is easier to achieve, the Canon lenses are still (the better ones) of higher quality, moving subjects are easier to capture.

The gap is far less then ever in the past and the OM-D may truly be good enough.

Jim
 

Jeremy

New member
Don, I have made a 16"x20" pt/pd print via digital negative from my Nex 7 I am blown away by. I think the incredible Sigma 30mm f/2.8 lens has a lot to do with this, though.

Also, hi Don!
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
When I jumped to Micro 4/3 I pondered the exact move you are. I came from a Canon Digital Rebel and bought a Panasonic G1. I don't feel I lost much in image quality if anything but I did have a good collection of most of the better lenses available then (20, 45 macro, 7-14, etc.) I can tell you that the gap is close even more now than it was then between 4/3 and APS-C. The lens collection is even more complete now and more "pro style" lenses are available/ coming. I liked Micro 4/3 enough that my G1 and GF1 were the only two system camera I took with me on my trip to Germany a few years back. The files printed nice enough at a reasonable size (about 10 x 13) for a photo book I made of the trip. I'm sure I could go larger no problem.

If size was a concern then this may be the right move for you. I think Micro 4/3 is the best mirrorless system available as a whole but yes - Sony and Fuji have the best mirrorless bodies this side of Leica M. As for the comparison to FF bodies there is a difference. You can't get around the physics but Micro 4/3 is more than acceptable for 99% of what most people shoot unless you're only shooting as a "professional." That being said I'm moved on to Leica M as my main system but I'm strongly considering parting with my Sony A77 to get an OM-D plus more lenses.
 

donbga

Member
Don, I have made a 16"x20" pt/pd print via digital negative from my Nex 7 I am blown away by. I think the incredible Sigma 30mm f/2.8 lens has a lot to do with this, though.

Also, hi Don!
Hey Jeremy,

Sorry for the delayed post but I've been grounded with the flu.

Another thumbs up for the Nex 7 and the Sigma 30.

Damn just too many good cameras out now.

Thanks,

Don
 
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