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what if i really like the g1?

back alley

New member
it's a digital with zoom lenses, a digital that i can use my zeiss m mount lenses with, it's small, seems like it will aid in taking a sharp image and olympus might make a body that is rangefinder like!!

will i abandon film and sell off my zeiss ikon and r4a?
will i sell off the sony a300? and those nice sigma zooms?
the camera isn't even here yet, yet alone the m adapter and i am already wondering.

what are you folks doing with the rest of your gear?

joe
 
....
what are you folks doing with the rest of your gear?
This is a very personal thing, of course. FWIW, I left film altogether years ago; a couple of those cameras still rest in a glass case...

Of the 3 digitals I had before the G1, the Nikon D200 is gone, and the D-lux 3 sees very little use (only when I positively CANNOT carry even a small camera bag).

My lovely Digilux 2 is with Leitz at present, for sensor replacement. When it comes back, I will certainly keep on using it quite a lot. But in many situations, the G1 is my first choice.

And when the Leica adapters arrive, I´ll probably use it even more.
 

Hacker

New member
I played a little with the G1 while picking up the LX3 yesterday. Very light and plasticky, but more portable than the D700. The 2x crop factor is not helping, and I will stick with the M8 for now.
 

peterb

Member
I had an M6. (Had as in past tense.) Loved it immensely. But digital beckoned. Sold it to get the D2 which I felt was respectable in terms of digital quality and traditional Leitz optics. Since then I'd purchased two other digitals, the Ricoh GR-Digital and the Lumix LX-1 (Panasonic's version of the D-Lux). The Ricoh was a fine camera with a fixed 28mm lens. The camera, alas, was fried when I took it on a Heli-hiking trip in British Columbia and moisture got into its LCD. I then got an LX-1 and fashioned a finder holder on it by gluing on a Voigtlander accessory holder which fit perfectly between the mode dial and flash to hold a 28mm viewfinder so I wouldn't have to make a weird face as I examined the LCD after every shot. The optics were good but the LX-1 had ISO limitations (RAW was, by the way, quite good).

I wanted something with a larger sensor. The M8, unfortunately, was out of the question. So I considered getting a bona fide DSLR either the Nikon D700, D90 or D300 or the Pentax K20D with the idea of getting some nice prime Zeiss optics to mount on them like the 25mm f2.8, the 50mm f2.0 and the 85mm f2.0. (Of the two marques I was leaning toward Nikon because of the rave reviews of their better wide angle zooms.)

The problem was, like Goldilocks had observed, current DSLR's are just tooooo damned big. Even the Pentax. I'd seen others lugging their behemoths around like boulders and it seemed (and with the heft of the D700 in particular) just to be too much. I wanted something smaller and more unobtrusive so I could go about and snap away with a smaller, more manageable device.

Then I read about the G1. And the possibilities. With either the fine Zuiko lenses that some have been raving about or the even better possibility of the optical jewels of the rangefinder world, Zeiss and of course Leitz.

Sure these other lenses meant manual focus but I had been used to focusing manually with the D2. And with an EVF that's a hundred times clearer than the one in the D2, the G1 was certainly worth looking into (both figuratively and literally).

What's more Pop Photo (as I'd mentioned on another post) appeared to have shown that under certain conditions (ISO of 400 or less) noise-wise, color wise and image-wise the G1 is on a par with some of the best DSLR's out there. So with some better and faster optics, the possibilities of a smallish, high quality shooter rose exponentially.

Like a previous poster, my D2 is also with Leitz (only instead of a new sensor I'm getting a new button and metering switch). And as for the LX-1? Well, let's say it's been kinda funky reading SD cards. (Often without warning the camera tells me there's no card and I have to remove the card and re-insert it and things are fine again. When I'd reformatted the card this anomally continues so I'd been using the LX-1 less and less.

So I got G1. And have really enjoyed it. I take it out as often as I can. And am looking forward to using it with the Summilux 35 and 50 that I still have as well as the Zuiko 12-60mm f2.8 zoom. And any other fine optic that can be mounted securely and properly in front of its sensor.

Peter



Peter
 
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scho

Well-known member
Hi Joe, Per is right that this is a personal issue and you will get many different responses. Ultimately your decision. I have two film cameras that I'll hang on to for occasional sentimental use. My 4x5 Tachihara with a 135 Rodenstock lens and the ZI. The ZI shares my ZM and CV lenses with my M8 (and now G1 also). I will probably hang onto the M8 for awhile longer, but I don't think I'll bother sinking any more money into "upgrades" for this poorly designed effort from Leica. My Olympus DSLR gear, E3 with 12-60 and 50-200 SWD lenses, are going on the block next month. The E3 is a nice camera, but like the Canon 5D and big clunky L lenses that I ditched after 6 months just didn't work for me. The G1 is perfect for my needs right now and certainly the most flexible camera system I have ever used.

Regards,
Carl
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Joe,
An M5 is my film camera and will stay. I'm still happy with the M8. The E3 is a lovely and very capable camera, but too big and heavy after using the G1. I just don't feel the need for it any more, so it will go. The M8 and G1 or M5 and G1 fit nicely into a small A&A bag. I really am happy to have two bodies and a couple of lenses in a lightweight kit.
 

andrewteee

New member
I've had the G1 for a few days without much opportunity. But so far it is a very fun camera to use. The proportions and weight feel right, and it is very light (!), and it feels solid and easy to handle. The EVF takes some getting used to but offers so many advantages. The swivel LCD is very convenient! I have the red color and I love it.

I also have a Canon 5D and a few lenses, and an Olympus E520 and a couple of lenses. The G1 caused me to finally decide to sell the Canon gear. I'll keep the Olympus gear for now because it is very good. I'm anxious to see the Olympus mft offerings.

The G1 is a groundbreaking camera and demonstrates what a fresh perspective on camera design can offer. It's a winner. Also, the G1 would make a perfect travel camera offering the right balance of size and weight and IQ.
 
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