Easy come, easy go ...

[Godfrey]

I ordered a Nikon 1 v3 a few weeks back as my interest was piqued when I handled one at the store. After it arrived and I tried to use it, I realized it was hopeless for me ... just too fussy and complicated. I liked the size but the controls weren't what I was after. I sent it back.

But the notion of a 1" sensor camera with an ultra-zoom lens appealed to me as an adjunct to the Leica X and M. Something with potentially a lot of reach, a good amount of resolution, image stabilization, etc in a one-lens-is-everything package. I played with the Panasonic FZ1000 and Leica V-Lux at the store, picked the FZ1000, and ordered one.

It arrived yesterday. I pulled it out, charged the battery, and played with it a bit. Most of it I liked, but the feel is rather plasticky and a bit too big. Then, after making a few exposures, I turned it off and I heard something go "chunk". Looking into the lens, something inside has come free and jammed it, the lens won't retract all the way, and it won't power on any more. Back in the box it went, return label printed, and it's on the way back to B&H this morning.

Fun experiments. I think I'll stick with what I have in lenses, and update my bought-used-el cheapo E-PL1 junker with a new E-PL7 body. That could well be the sweet spot for what I have been after as an adjunct to the X and M9.

G

 

[4season]

On more than one occasion I lost interest in my latest toy and moved onto other ideas even before the thing arrived. :wtf:

A few toys which didn't hang around long at my place:

Acer Chromebook: I was blown away at getting a notebook for $130, loved the size, weight, spacious keyboard, killer battery life. Fastest system updates ever too. Needing a cloud-connected printer to get any output, not so hot.

Lomography Belair X6-12 folding camera: I thought it was wild of Lomography to make a toy medium-format system camera and sell it for an affordable price. But Belair ended up feeling too fiddly to be a great toy, and not serious enough to justify the fuss.

Canon SX50HS super-zoom: Bought it for bird photos during my lunchtime walks. Nothing serious, just wanted to be able to zoom in close without turning into a major production. Ultimately it took up too much room in my bag for what I was getting out of it.

Sony RX100: Did I really need it when I already own a Ricoh GR?! Still got this one but may finally release it to The Great Storage Closet aka eBay.

The novelty of the new toy, err tool is fun but photographically speaking, some wind up taking me places that aren't particularly interesting.

 

[Vivek]

On more than one occasion I lost interest in my latest toy and moved onto other ideas even before the thing arrived. :wtf:

 

[Vivek]

I ordered a Nikon 1 v3 a few weeks back as my interest was piqued when I handled one at the store. After it arrived and I tried to use it, I realized it was hopeless for me ... just too fussy and complicated. I liked the size but the controls weren't what I was after. I sent it back.

But the notion of a 1" sensor camera with an ultra-zoom lens appealed to me as an adjunct to the Leica X and M. Something with potentially a lot of reach, a good amount of resolution, image stabilization, etc in a one-lens-is-everything package. I played with the Panasonic FZ1000 and Leica V-Lux at the store, picked the FZ1000, and ordered one.

It arrived yesterday. I pulled it out, charged the battery, and played with it a bit. Most of it I liked, but the feel is rather plasticky and a bit too big. Then, after making a few exposures, I turned it off and I heard something go "chunk". Looking into the lens, something inside has come free and jammed it, the lens won't retract all the way, and it won't power on any more. Back in the box it went, return label printed, and it's on the way back to B&H this morning.

Fun experiments. I think I'll stick with what I have in lenses, and update my bought-used-el cheapo E-PL1 junker with a new E-PL7 body. That could well be the sweet spot for what I have been after as an adjunct to the X and M9.

G

What was that you sometime say about equipment...? :ROTFL:

 

[Godfrey]

What was that you sometime say about equipment...? :ROTFL:

Yup. Moments of equipment experimentation do overtake me sometimes.

G

"Equipment is transitory. Photographs endure."

 

[Godfrey]

On more than one occasion I lost interest in my latest toy and moved onto other ideas even before the thing arrived. ...

Sometimes I hang onto the ones that seem a dud as soon as I get them, and they come to life as interesting tools later. I remember buying my current Leica M4-2 in 2011, making one roll of exposures with it, getting the viewfinder CLAed, then not touching it for essentially two years. Now I'm finding it a near perfect camera. Same thing seems to be going on with my Nikon F and Hasselblad SWC ... both of those are sitting, waiting for my brain to come back around to them.

We are such curious creatures.

G

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I ordered a Nikon 1 v3 a few weeks back as my interest was piqued when I handled one at the store. After it arrived and I tried to use it, I realized it was hopeless for me ... just too fussy and complicated. I liked the size but the controls weren't what I was after. I sent it back.

But the notion of a 1" sensor camera with an ultra-zoom lens appealed to me as an adjunct to the Leica X and M. Something with potentially a lot of reach, a good amount of resolution, image stabilization, etc in a one-lens-is-everything package. I played with the Panasonic FZ1000 and Leica V-Lux at the store, picked the FZ1000, and ordered one.

It arrived yesterday. I pulled it out, charged the battery, and played with it a bit. Most of it I liked, but the feel is rather plasticky and a bit too big. Then, after making a few exposures, I turned it off and I heard something go "chunk". Looking into the lens, something inside has come free and jammed it, the lens won't retract all the way, and it won't power on any more. Back in the box it went, return label printed, and it's on the way back to B&H this morning.

Fun experiments. I think I'll stick with what I have in lenses, and update my bought-used-el cheapo E-PL1 junker with a new E-PL7 body. That could well be the sweet spot for what I have been after as an adjunct to the X and M9.

G

That was quick. Funny that you say too big. Every time I've tried a V1/2/3 in a store, I've been thinking "Shouldn't this have been a bit smaller?". o me, the V2 seems to be the best compromise.

Then, on the other hand, when I try a Sony RX100/II/II, I think "Shouldn't this have been a bit larger?". I'm a bit difficult to please, I suppose. I think I'll go with the D2Xs today. Perfect size

 

[Godfrey]

That was quick. Funny that you say too big. Every time I've tried a V1/2/3 in a store, I've been thinking "Shouldn't this have been a bit smaller?". o me, the V2 seems to be the best compromise.

Then, on the other hand, when I try a Sony RX100/II/II, I think "Shouldn't this have been a bit larger?". I'm a bit difficult to please, I suppose. I think I'll go with the D2Xs today. Perfect size

My sweet spot seems to be something between the M9 and the E-PLx series for size if I'm actually going to carry it much these days. Smaller than that I get frustrated with; larger, and I only take it out on special occasions.

I think you mixed up my comments about the V3 and the FZ1000. I found the V3 too small and annoying, the FZ a bit large. Eh? We can afford to be fussy...

G

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

My sweet spot seems to be something between the M9 and the E-PLx series for size if I'm actually going to carry it much these days. Smaller than that I get frustrated with; larger, and I only take it out on special occasions.

I think you mixed up my comments about the V3 and the FZ1000. I found the V3 too small and annoying, the FZ a bit large. Eh? We can afford to be fussy...

G

Oh well... a bit late last night. Great food and music though... and wine... and Grappa... and there was a guy called Jack something too at The Mood :chug:

MOOD Pattaya | MOOD is a new and unusual club for Pattaya and Thailand, Live Blues and Jazz. No hassles, a comfortable atmosphere, great music, food and drinks.

 

[Tim]

My sweet spot seems to be something between the M9 and the E-PLx series for size if I'm actually going to carry it much these days. Smaller than that I get frustrated with; larger, and I only take it out on special occasions.

I think you mixed up my comments about the V3 and the FZ1000. I found the V3 too small and annoying, the FZ a bit large. Eh? We can afford to be fussy...

G

I sometimes think, that what ever camera we first picked up or used for a long while becomes the norm. For me that would be an OM2 or more likely a OM4.

 

[Godfrey]

I sometimes think, that what ever camera we first picked up or used for a long while becomes the norm. For me that would be an OM2 or more likely a OM4.

Hmm. Well, my first serious camera was the '49 Rolleiflex my grandfather loaned me when I started high school. I needed 35mm for the photo staff there, so my mother gave me her Argus C3...

G

 

[bradhusick]

I owned a Nikon 1 V1 for a while with a third party grip and it was really enjoyable. I think you can pick them up for a song now. The lenses haven't changed a bit.

 

[Vivek]

The V1 is really super! I fondled one briefly before shipping it off to Denmark. Almost bought one too...

 

[Godfrey]

I like the concept of the Nikon 1 V-series, and the V3 really looked the peach. But once I had it in hand and attempted to use it, I absolutely hated the menus and controls; it just didn't work the way I wanted my camera to work at all.

No matter, it's gone a while now. The broken FZ1000 is on its way back to B&H. And a black Olympus E-PL7 body and 9mm f/8 Fish-eye body-cap-lens is on its way here.

(My Nikkor-H 85mm f/1.8 and Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 are boxed up and ready to go for AI conversion; the Leica M9 is boxed up and ready to go for cleaning/sensor evaluation. Busy weekend in camera equipment moving about... ;-)

G

 

[4season]

Sometimes I hang onto the ones that seem a dud as soon as I get them, and they come to life as interesting tools later. I remember buying my current Leica M4-2 in 2011, making one roll of exposures with it, getting the viewfinder CLAed, then not touching it for essentially two years. Now I'm finding it a near perfect camera. Same thing seems to be going on with my Nikon F and Hasselblad SWC ... both of those are sitting, waiting for my brain to come back around to them.

Funny you should mention those cameras: I've caught myself pondering an all-Canadian M outfit of M4-2 and 35 or 50mm lens of the same era, a chrome pre-Apollo F with plain prism. I've also caught myself lingering over eBay auctions for a Robot Star, Olympus OM-1n, various Hasselblad 503s and Nikon SPs, plus a Zeiss Tenax II.

But who am I kidding? I'll probably wind up shooting a couple of rolls of film then forgetting about them! I'm not so good at picking things up again after a year or three: I feel as if they need to somehow be relevant on an ongoing basis, else I get bored and they wind up back on eBay.

Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if I had only the Sony RX100 or an RX1. Maybe it would even improve my photography: Improved signal-to-noise ratio on the part of the photographer.

 

[Tim]

Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if I had only the Sony RX100 or an RX1. Maybe it would even improve my photography: Improved signal-to-noise ratio on the part of the photographer.

I've wondered much the same thing but RX1 only.

 

[Tim]

I owned a Nikon 1 V1 for a while with a third party grip and it was really enjoyable. I think you can pick them up for a song now. The lenses haven't changed a bit.

I usually sing this at Karaoke nights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMMUve9nd4E :grin:

Would this get me one?

 

[Godfrey]

Follow up:

The E-PL7 arrived two evenings ago. I'm quite liking it.

As my fingers become more accustomed to its size and where the controls are located, it's becoming comfortable to use. I like that the configuration options have the same extensive nature as the E-M1, the menus are similar, and most of the features I'm already familiar with. The VF-4 also works very nicely on it for when I'm using a longer lens, like the Macro-Elmarit 45 or M.Zuiko 75.

Button and dial assignments have to be different simply due to the very different way you hold and use it.

It works very well with the OIShare wireless remote app on the iPad mini3. Very well indeed.

Overall, it's a nice camera that will likely get enough use to be worth what I paid for it. It and a couple of smaller lenses fit nicely in the same bag alongside the Leica X, hardly seem to increase the weight of the bag at all, and complements the X well with lens versatility.

In the hand, it feels so much nicer than the FZ1000, and the controls aren't making me crazy like the Nikon 1 v3. Suits my intended purpose. A keeper...

G

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Follow up:

The E-PL7 arrived two evenings ago. I'm quite liking it.

As my fingers become more accustomed to its size and where the controls are located, it's becoming comfortable to use. I like that the configuration options have the same extensive nature as the E-M1, the menus are similar, and most of the features I'm already familiar with. The VF-4 also works very nicely on it for when I'm using a longer lens, like the Macro-Elmarit 45 or M.Zuiko 75.

Button and dial assignments have to be different simply due to the very different way you hold and use it.

It works very well with the OIShare wireless remote app on the iPad mini3. Very well indeed.

Overall, it's a nice camera that will likely get enough use to be worth what I paid for it. It and a couple of smaller lenses fit nicely in the same bag alongside the Leica X, hardly seem to increase the weight of the bag at all, and complements the X well with lens versatility.

In the hand, it feels so much nicer than the FZ1000, and the controls aren't making me crazy like the Nikon 1 v3. Suits my intended purpose. A keeper...

G

Interesting to read your positive views on the E-PL7. A colleague of mine just bought one also, plus the Zuiko 9-18mm. He seems to be very happy with his and takes it everywhere he goes.

 

[Godfrey]

Interesting to read your positive views on the E-PL7. A colleague of mine just bought one also, plus the Zuiko 9-18mm. He seems to be very happy with his and takes it everywhere he goes.

It's hard to keep enthusiasm in check and stay objective. As soon as I started playing with it, I knew that it was going to be that "just right" thing for me.

Accessorizing:

- The Olympus CS-45B half case for it showed up today. Just like with the X, the M9, and the M4-2, it adds just the right amount of height and grip that the camera now fits my hands nicely and I can use it with more ease.

- A Wasabi 2000mAh battery ($12 from Amazon.com, up from the OEM battery at 1210mAh) also arrived today. The two batteries together should be fine for my intended use.

- I had another new standard Street Strap in stock, and fitted it. My favorite strap for this size/weight class of cameras.

That's about it, I think. I'm well equipped with lenses and all the other Olympus accessories I need except for maybe the stereo microphone input gizmo.

Next to take some photos that aren't just test shots with it... ;-)

G