My foray into m4/3

[ywen]

I had always been a DSLR, fast prime type of guy.

Last year I took the plunge to get into the m4/3 system. I was never impressed with the 4/3 (large body). I regarded the sensor as too small relative to the body size. The m4/3 was the perfect pairing of compact body with a relatively large sensor compared to typical P&S.

Last year I purchased an E-P1 and took it on our anniversary trip. Then I got a GF-1 with the wonderful 20mm pancake and took it on a road trip to Utah. I love the GF-1 so much that I'm going to take just the GF-1 on my China trip this summer.

I'm contemplating of whether to take just the 20mm or purchase a light weight mid-range zoom as well. I was satisfied with the Oly 14-42mm when I owned it.. wouldn't mind picking up one for cheap. Thought about the Panasonic 14-140 (or whatever the range is) but I'm driven away by the sheer size of the lens. What other lens options are out there?

Below are a mix of pics taken with the EP-1, GF1, using the 14-42mm Oly, 20mm Lumix, and a Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm m-mount.

 

[ywen]

Yes the Northern Lights

 

[pellicle]

Hi

some very nice work there, it looks like the camera is working out well. But I wonder why people keep saying things like:

with a relatively large sensor compared to typical P&S.

when in fact the sensor is HUGE compared to a typical P&S and is actually more or less the same as APS.


apsVS43rdsVSps

 

[ohnri]

On my cruise to Alaska this summer I'll be taking only m4/3 gear and leaving my D3x and M9 behind.

Thanks for posting.

Best,

Bill

 

[biglouis]

Apart from quoting from the old saw that it is the photographer and not the camera that matters, there is no harm with having a leg up by using the superb range of m4/3rds cameras. A great collection of photographs!

LouisB

 

[bennettk]

I loved Arches N.P. and can't wait to get back there someday. Nice set of photos, and I totally agree on the GF-1 and the 20.

 

[DHart]

I'm contemplating of whether to take just the 20mm or purchase a light weight mid-range zoom as well. I was satisfied with the Oly 14-42mm when I owned it.. wouldn't mind picking up one for cheap. Thought about the Panasonic 14-140 (or whatever the range is) but I'm driven away by the sheer size of the lens. What other lens options are out there?

Ywen.... one lens that I will unhesitatingly recommend to you in this quest is the Lumix 14-45. This lens is small, light weight, very well built, and produces remarkably wonderful, crisp images. I think it is a MUST have lens for m4/3. I have quite a number of native and legacy lenses for my m4/3 bodies (GF1 and GH2) and I will strongly urge all m4/3 shooters to consider this remarkable lens. It sounds to me like the 20 and the 14-45 would be the perfect kit for your trip.

Check out the thread I started on this forum on the 14-45 lens for some great examples of the capability of this awesome lens.

 

[nzmacro]

Great shots, nice to see. I'm just new to the 4/3 as well and its a wonderful system. The size and weight makes an old man happy

All the best and nice work, good eye.

Danny.

 

[jonoslack]

Hi

some very nice work there, it looks like the camera is working out well. But I wonder why people keep saying things like:


when in fact the sensor is HUGE compared to a typical P&S and is actually more or less the same as APS.


apsVS43rdsVSps

HI There
This really can't be said often enough - many people seem to have a perception of 4/3 being closer to P&S sensors than to APS/c, :clap::clap:

 

[ptomsu]

Indeed 43 is very close in sensor size to APSC - I would actually argue with today's sensors there is only very little difference in IQ between those two.

Especially the quality which the GH2 sensor achieves is stunning and not so much below the current Sony APSC sensors (aka seen in the K5 etc).

 

[ywen]

Ywen.... one lens that I will unhesitatingly recommend to you in this quest is the Lumix 14-45. This lens is small, light weight, very well built, and produces remarkably wonderful, crisp images. I think it is a MUST have lens for m4/3. I have quite a number of native and legacy lenses for my m4/3 bodies (GF1 and GH2) and I will strongly urge all m4/3 shooters to consider this remarkable lens. It sounds to me like the 20 and the 14-45 would be the perfect kit for your trip.

Check out the thread I started on this forum on the 14-45 lens for some great examples of the capability of this awesome lens.

the 14-45 is still too large and heavy than what I want it for.. I just ordered an Olympus 14-42 kit lens. I particularly liked this lens when I had the EP-1.. much more compact and lighter. I'll loose the OIS I know, but I think the lack of OIS is worth the compactness.. I assume the panasonic one is better optically(based on $) but the rule of diminishing return applies and the optical performance of the 14-42 seemed to be acceptable to me on the E-P1.

oh and sorry for insulting the m4/3 sensor's size.. :salute:

 

[Amin]

Ywen, I know I'm late here and you already ordered, but I highly recommend the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 to complement the 20/1.7. It's a very impressive lens - tiny, light, sharp, fast focusing, and has lovely OOF rendering when used wide open at close range.

 

[DHart]

ywen.... funny how we perceive size. To me the 14-45 is very small and lightweight. But the way I travel, I don't need to be concerned over 3/4" here or there. But certainly if that's still too big for you, the 14-42 may meet your needs... what quality difference there is probably wouldn't be something you would notice. Sounds like you are working for absolute minimum size and minimum gear... and if I were traveling with little else but a backpack, that would be my consideration as well.

 

[ywen]

hey Amin, yeah thought about the 14mm prime.. if I only wanted the wide angle I would have gotten it.. but the 14-42 range is very useful for landscapes.. sometimes the wide angle FOV doesn't work well for landscape.

 

[travisennis]

Very nice photos. I was curious which of those photos were taken with the Voigtlander 35mm? I'm very intrigued by that lens, but I don't see much use of it on m4/3 cameras.

 

[ywen]

The two vertical shots of the fridge and the checker game board was taken with the voigtlander... compared to the other lenses, it is much less contrasty.

I had it from my Leica days... but yeah.. I wouldn't spend $400 on this lens simply for a m4/3 body..