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What would you do re G1, E-620 and Nikon D90?

M

markpsf

Guest
Warning: Long post and only for those who would enjoy responding!

I have an embarrassment of riches (or on another level an embarrassment of overspending!)
Background: 75% of my shooting is candid shooting, much of it so called "street shooting". The rest is a combo of family, landscapes and wildlife.
I also have a very slight hand tremor, aging related.

When just bopping around I frequently have a Panasonic LX3 with me. It works well. I also have a Nikon D90, It is my primary camera for landscape shooting, but with a 35mm or 24mm lens attached I also use it for street shooting, and plan to also try some telephoto zoom street shooting eventually.

I share the Olympus E-620 with my adult son and we have a number of Olympus lenses.

My son and I also share a G1 and have just begun to play with it. I know opinion splits on the viewfinder, but I love it and also like the fast Live View LCD. I should be able to use this effectively for waist level street shooting.

Now, given that $$$$ is a zero sum game for me, I cannot afford to spend a lot more, without selling some of the camera treasure, I/we have a decision to make.

The LX3 and D90 will be retained. But there are new lenses coming out for the G1 and I'm debating about whether the Olympus is dispensable. It has the advantage of image stabilization and of course somewhat better performances with the Olympus lenses than the G1, but the G1 large LCD and viewfinder combined with some of the Olympus lenses and a couple of the forthcoming lenses, especially the 20mm and image stabilized 14-140mm, has the edge for me.

So what would you do?

I'm not expecting authoritative advice, just interested in individual responses to this "case study".

Thanks.

Mark
 
R

Ranger 9

Guest
Since you're keeping the D90, you've got landscapes and wildlife covered, and since you're keeping the LX3, you've got family and casual shooting covered. So it sounds as if your biggest gap would be in the "street shooting" category.

I'd think the G1 would have the edge for this, since the live-view LCD makes it easier to frame from odd angles, and it's a bit smaller and lighter than the Olympus.

Since image stabilization is key to dealing with your hand tremor, I'd think the critical question would be whether the limited range of image-stabilized lenses for the G1, and their rather modest maximum apertures, would be adequate for the kind of street shooting you want to do. If the answer is "yes," I'd think the play would be to turn over the Olympus setup to your son, and standardize on a G1 for yourself. If the answer is "no," I'd guess you'd be better off retaining a share in the Olympus.

Idea: If you decide to go for the G1, you might want to wait a few weeks/months. I suspect that once the video-enabled GH1 becomes widely available, a lot of lightly-used G1s will be turning up on the used market (including on this forum) at good prices.
 

slosync

Member
The LX3 and D90 will be retained. But there are new lenses coming out for the G1 and I'm debating about whether the Olympus is dispensable. It has the advantage of image stabilization and of course somewhat better performances with the Olympus lenses than the G1, but the G1 large LCD and viewfinder combined with some of the Olympus lenses and a couple of the forthcoming lenses, especially the 20mm and image stabilized 14-140mm, has the edge for me.

So what would you do?

I'm not expecting authoritative advice, just interested in individual responses to this "case study".

Thanks.

Mark
Hi Mark, I have the G1, a Canon G9 and a Nikon D200. I am toying with the idea of acquiring an Oly E-620 and selling off my Nikon gear. Here's my take on what I would offer you for the "case study".

My rationale:
I would like to have the smallest DSLR that is possible to have, because I love the responsiveness that is offered by a DSLR in two main areas. 1) The ability to rapidly be able to fire off multiple shots and simultaneously track the subject in the viewfinder (or LCD) and 2) the almost instant shutter response when taking pictures using the flash. Or to put that conversely, the G1's and G9's long lag time when taking a picture using flash.

The caveat:
With Oly about to announce their M4/3rds camera and M4/3rds compatible lenses in June, I find myself in somewhat of a holding pattern until June. I want to understand what the features are on their M4/3rd camera. I personally am routing for "in camera" image stabilization and, of course, the two items mentioned above in my rationale.

The trigger:
After the June announcement, I should be able to make the decision to sell off my Nikon gear and purchase a smaller replacement. :bugeyes::lecture:

My expectations:
I think the initial M4/3rds offering from Oly will fall short of my smaller DSLR replacement goal and I will probably opt for the E-620. That way I can sell off my Nikon gear and move forward utilizing campatible interchangeable lenses for the G1 and E-620 all the while holding my breath for follow-on announcements from Panny and Oly later in the year and early next....

What I would suggest for you: Whew! Took a while to get here, eh?
I suggest you wait until Oly announces their M4/3rd offering in June. If you like what they offer you may want to amend your camera gear and plot an different strategy. Because the G1 is compatible with some of the Oly 4/3rd lenses currently (with the lens adapter) and will probably be directly compatible with the new Oly M4/3rd lenses, you may want to think about selling off your Nikon and moving over to Oly/Panny. :argue:

Well that my 2 cents... Good luck,

Regards,
Don
 
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