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Lighthearted question for Jonoslack and other gear mongers

limbonaut

Member
Much of our back and forth about the merits of the E-Mount makes me wonder what the question to the ultimate answer is. (not six by nine) If you have only one system would you still find m43 or even APS-C "good enough"?

In other words, when you can resort to a Leica (and its glass) or a full frame Nikon when the situation calls for it is it easier to say that m43 is a workable system for the serious enthusiast?

p.s. sorry for calling Jono out on this but he is the bravest example I could find and I mean "monger" in the most positive way possible - I mean that we are all "selling" our choices even if we don't mean to:D
 
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4season

Well-known member
Here, you can decide whether I qualify as a "gear monger" or not:

The GetDPI Photography Forums - 4season's Album: Photo-related stuff I no longer own

And that's just the stuff since 2005 or thereabouts: It hadn't occurred to me to start keeping photographic records of these things until fairly recently.

At this stage of my life, I'm looking less for that special Something in my photo equipment, and more in the process itself. Sure, new toys are still fun, but it's finally begun to sink in that novelty lasts for a few hours or weeks at best, and sooner or later, I start to see the equipment for what it really is. And at that point, it needs to be delivering results, else I'm just collecting equipment (and I can think of better things to collect).
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Much of our back and forth about the merits of the E-Mount makes me wonder what the question to the ultimate answer is. (not six by nine) If you have only one system would you still find m43 or even APS-C "good enough"?

In other words, when you can resort to a Leica (and its glass) or a full frame Nikon when the situation calls for it is it easier to say that m43 is a workable system for the serious enthusiast?

p.s. sorry for calling Jono out on this but he is the bravest example I could find and I mean "monger" in the most positive way possible - I mean that we are all "selling" our choices even if we don't mean to:D
I worked with Micro 4/3 exclusively for about 18 months when it was still relatively new and I can say as a system it was good enough then yet it wasn't perfect for me. The systems are even better now with even more capable systems today that what was available in 2008. The lens collection is "complete" unless you want specialty T/S lenses. The resolution is good enough for small or medium sized prints. Really it comes down to what your needs are versus your wants.

If I didn't have the luxury of being able to buy into the Leica M system then perhaps I would've stayed there... Until the Sony FE was released which is my current system of choice. It's all about having the fewest amount of trade offs for how you prefer to work.
 

4season

Well-known member
To address limbonaut's question more directly, yes M43 and APS-C are "good enough" for a serious enthusiast: It's easier to achieve shallow depth of field with a larger format, but that's about it.

But I think a big part of succeeding in photography as a hobby is simply showing up and learning to see what's actually in front of you as opposed to the idealized images you may have in your mind.

For grins, I've left the Sony and Olympus outfits home for the past couple of weeks and have been carrying an RX100 instead. And what do you know? The more I use it, the less limiting it feels.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I am not sure why gear that would be good enough for a professional would not be good enough for an enthusiast?
 

Eoin

Member
I would contend that I like many others get hung up on the features, specifications and optical quality of cameras and lenses. Yes, I want the very best I can afford and a system I can feel comfortable with in my pursuit of my imagery.

But ultimately at the end of the day, if the image subject captured is striking enough, the the medium on which it was captured is irrelevant. More often the subtle nuances of the equipment are lost on others who are not photographers.
 

4season

Well-known member
More often the subtle nuances of the equipment are lost on others who are not photographers.
Truer words were never said: In my hands, a Leica Noctilux is pretty much a Lensbaby--and a real Lensbaby is a lot cheaper.
 
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