In the Bridge thread, RTJ mentioned his Lumix G2. I've been reading recently about this and the new G3 (and the various related GF models) and concluded they're not for me, but there seems to be plenty to like.
- small bodies containing big sensors
- high-quality, compact lenses
- swivelling LCD screens
I decided against because I'm already quite heavily bought into the Pentax system, which is itself pretty compact by dSLR standards, and which gives me excellent results, even from a 6Mp body. But I do hanker for something a little more photographery than my Canon A640 for business trips and those days when even a small SLR is too much to carry.
A Canon G12 is one answer, but yesterday I read about the new Olympus Pen Lite or E-PL3, which is significantly smaller than the G3, but still has the swivelling LCD (brilliant for street photos of people, because it makes the camera so much less conspicuous) and the option of a clip-on live EVF. With a 14mm lens it would fit in a coat pocket.
Is this a daft idea? The earlier Olympus M4/3 cameras didn't have the features to appeal to me, but the lenses do. Any experiences here?
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I am probably biased because I opted for the Lumix G2 camera but I like it a lot. The lens on my camera also has image stabilisation (Olympus uses in body stabilisation).
If I am honest, the 10 megapixel APS-C sensor in my dSLR with a stock lens produces slightly better images. But the Lumix G2 is a fraction of the weight. And it also functions as an HD (720P) camcorder. The G3 does 1080P I think.
The touch screen is a little bit of a gimmick for me. The ability to preview on the screen what the shutter speed will do is quite nifty - e.g. you can see motion blur in realtime.
The auto focus is very good considering it works quite differently to the dSLR method for focusing. But it does not compromise like most dSLR for live preview and video. Most dSLR rely on the mirror to be down to focus but need the mirror up to take an image. So for video they cannot use their fast focussing systems.
Note the Lumix G2 and G3 have very high resolution digital optical viewfinders. You soon forget it's not a true optical one.
But one area where the micro four third system is still a let down - high cost of lenses. I had hoped there would be a good Tamron or Sigma lens by now. The lens I'd like is the 14-140mm one but they are expensive.
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>>And it also functions as an HD (720P) camcorder. The G3 does 1080P I think.>>
That's all you need. Blu-Ray is the true 1080p resolution medium.
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Pentax have just announced a high quality compact something or other similar. That might be a good choice.
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The Q? I saw it and got briefly excited, but it's based on a tiny sensor, so can't really offer much in image quality over, say, the G12 or even the A640 (which is actually a very capable camera, so I've nothing to complain about there.) Lens range looks gimmicky too.
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That's the one. Probably be another along in a few months. There always is :-)
The sony Nex series is supposed to be very good. Think it has an APS-C size sensor instead of a diddly 4/3rds and is also mirrorless.
www.dpreview.com/news/1005/10051102sonynex.asp
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Micro Four Thirds: mirrorless cameras - rtj70
