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Who needs big when miniature does it.

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I cannot say that my GAS is permanently killed, but with the current state of affairs, it's increasingly difficult to find rational arguments for buying new, expensive gear. When I look at the sharpness, colours, contrast and to a certain degree even bokeh that I'm able to achieve with the $400 GM5 and the $200, collapsible Pana 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 (and the other miniature m4/3 lenses), a combo that weighs well under 300 grams including battery and SD-card and that includes a decent viewfinder, I wonder if I'll ever need a big, clunky box between my hands again.

I might buy a GX85 to get IBIS, an articulated LCD and 4K video, but beyond that... I don't know. During the last two days that I spent in Yangon, the E-M1 and 40-150mm f/2.8 didn't even leave the camera bag.

GM5 with Pana 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 18mm and f/4.2 (wide open)



100%, lower right corner, no sharpening:

 
V

Vivek

Guest
No question the tiny package is impressive. :)

The only issue I have is with the noise from the tiny sensor (besides the limited shutter). This is where the latest and the greastest from Sony shines.
 

4season

Well-known member
Features, form-factors and novelty: That's what it's mostly about these days. If you simply want gallery-worthy image quality, you can find it on sale at a big-box store or online for about 350 USD. Bigger sensors make it easier to blow backgrounds out of focus what with the typically longer focal length optics they use, but other than that? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I purchased a like-new GM5 with 12-32mm zoom from Adorama earlier this year for $400. Initial reaction was that it was simply too small, the lack of a focusing ring was frustrating, and that the view through the EVF was like a postage stamp. But I discovered the excellent pinpoint autofocus feature, and simply grew accustomed to the rest.

Wish that I knew of a cure for GAS, but the best I've come up with so far is to divert those energies into buying and restoring old film cameras. Not too many, not too expensive.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Obviously there are excellent alternatives. Both the Sony A6300 and Fuji X-E2S offer better sensors than the Panasonic, and although Fuji doesn't offer a pancake zoom, and the Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS PZ :bugeyes: is close to the definition of a "non-lens", this is part of my point. There is such a large selection of compact, well performing camera bodies available that most or all needs are covered.

As for the size of the GM5, here's what happened to me last night:
I was going out for dinner and a couple of drinks with a friend of mine last night. On my way out the door, I noticed a detachable pouch on one of my camera bags and wondered if it could be used as a belt pack for the camera. It could, and off I went with the camera in the pouch.

Later in the evening, a situation occurred that I would have taken a photo of, blaming myself for not bringing a camera. Only after returning home, I realised that I had been carrying the camera all the time. It's simply so small and lightweight I didn't notice (Yes, the wine and the sambuca tasted excellent, and so did the grappa :salute: ). This morning, I tested it with an additional lens (collapsible 35-70mm) in the bag, and it's still hardly noticeable. A complete camera system with two stabilised lenses in a tiny belt pouch. It doesn't get better than that, and although the sensor is smaller and noisier than that of a Hasselblad, it's much less noisy than anything that was revolutionary 10 years ago.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
What's a GM5 ?
From my earlier post at the GM5 thread:

This is the kit, 510 grams in all:
GM5, 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6, 35-100mm f/4.0-5.6 and 25mm f/1.7.

I might add a portrait lens (Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7, Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro or Zuiko 75mm f/1.8) later, plus the Samyang 7.5mm Fisheye.



What's fantastic is that the camera, apart from the size, basically has a user interface and sensor technology more or less on level with any other m4/3 camera. There's no excuse not to take decent photos with this kit. Video is pretty good too :)
 

Tim

Active member
I believe there is another camera affliction like GAS. The acronym for it maybe NSE or that camera/lens is "Never small enough".

I look at a big honking APSC DSLR and think, I can go a Fuji X-T1 in APSC, that is heaps smaller, then, why stop there, get the X-T10 its smaller, who needs weather sealing.
Then the EM-1 has smaller lenses than the Fuji, why stop there, get the EM-5, it does most of what the EM-1 does. But why stop there, get the EM-10 its a tiny m43, then why stop there, get the GM5. Buut, we forgot about Full Frame, the A7r is a small FF, get that.. but dagnabit the lenses are big... and round and round it goes.
One of the appeals of the new Hasselblad is size vs IQ ratio.

In the end I take the Ricoh GR and leave the rest behind.

Your GM kit does appeal to my NSE


What's a GM5 ?
Let me google that for you

Someone had to do it

PS: what is that white haze in the center of the image?
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
PS: what is that white haze in the center of the image?
Steam. They keep the food warm using steam coming up through the bottom.

My biggest worry using small cameras, m4/3 in particular, has been image quality. The sensor is rather small after all, and Olympus/Panasonic don't seem to be able to get as much out of current technology as Nikon, Fuji and Canon (with the 5D IV) do. Some post processing experiments that I performed the last weekend has changed that totally for me. I'll start a separate thread about that in a few days.
 
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