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Tag Archives: Panasonic 14 mm

Keeping the K-5 … Dropped Micro 4/3 Camera

13 Jul

Killdeer

I decided to keep the Pentax K-5 and I sold all of my remaining micro 4/3 gear: the Panasonic Lumix  G3 along with the Panasonic  100 – 300 mm, 45 – 175 mm, 14 – 42 mm, 14 mm, and 20 mm lenses.  I had sold all of my Olympus micro 4/3 cameras & lenses earlier.  For a while (I hope a long while) I am going to be using my K-5 and my Fuji X100 cameras.  In the final decision, the better ergonomics and speed and IQ of the K-5 trumped the lighter weight of the micro 4/3 system.

I plan to keep and use my X100 for inside buildings, low-light events, walking the street, and lightweight travel by airplane … situations where the equivalent fixed 35 mm focal length is sufficient and/or less weight is necessary.  I primarily plan to use my K-5 for wildlife, during bad weather, car trips, and other (haven’t decided) uses.  The other uses depend upon which lenses I get and whether I have to carry the camera far or for a long time.

The above picture of the Killdeer was taken last evening at a focal length of 300 (effective 450) mm at an ISO of 1600, f/8, 1/400 sec.  I ended up cropping the picture quite a bit and I really could have used the effective 600 mm lens that I sold, but I have decided to stick with the maximum effective 450 mm focal length of the Pentax lens that I have.  In addition to the Pentax 55 – 300 mm lens, I also have the weather resistant 18 – 55 mm lens.

I plan on taking some lower light pictures with the 18 – 55 mm lens before I decide on whether I need some additional lenses.  One major advantage of the Pentax system is the availability of nice small, lightweight, prime lenses.  At the moment I am somewhat conflicted whether I need additional lenses for the K-5.  I prefer to use one camera and as few lenses as I can, and the K-5 could serve that desire except for the weight issue.  I am still afraid that I will have problems with carrying and holding the K-5 with its heavier lenses, and that is why I have and intend to keep a Fuji X100.

I prefer to use the X100 if I’m walking for a long time.  If I didn’t have the X100 I could reduce the weight of the K-5 system by putting a prime lens on it, but it would still be around twice as heavy as the X100.  The X100 is also a better system when I’m among people and wish to be a little more discreet … and I just love that camera and the hybrid viewfinder.  For now I tend to leave the 55 – 300 mm lens on the K-5 and use the X100 if I need a shorter focal length, unless there is a chance of rain.  By working that way, I can grab either camera quickly to shoot.  I can carry both in a bag but haven’t so far.  I just pick up one or the other camera depending on what I expect to be shooting and go bag-less while walking.

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2012 in Homewood at Plum Creek, Photography

 

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Ducklings, Porch, Cameras, and Lenses

20 May

The above is a picture of ducklings wading in Plum Creek.  I used my Panasonic G3 with the 100 – 300 mm lens.  This picture was taken at the 300 mm focal length (which on the G3 equates to an effective 600 mm) while hand holding it.  I’m showing this as an example of one end of my photography … wildlife pictures taken with a long focal length lens.

At the other extreme, I often take pictures with my 14 mm lens, which is the widest lens that I have.  Since some of you have been interested in the status of our porch construction, I’m using pictures of the porch to illustrate that extreme of my photography.

These pictures are a few days old.  They have since seeded and spread straw over the bare area.  We are now waiting for the final power washing, a bit of painting, and installation of the ceiling light.

I used my Olympus E-P3 with the Panasonic 14 mm lens for the porch pictures.  That combination is my favorite walk-about photography set-up since it is my smallest, discreet combination.  It is a very good camera/lens combo for landscape and street scenes with good lighting … and I even sometimes use it when shooting inside in not so well-lit rooms; but I often switch to my 20 mm lens since it is faster and handles low light settings better.

As I have stated in earlier posts, I have had problems with accidentally punching buttons and changing my settings on the G3; but, after researching alternatives, I have decided to continue using my G3 with my long lenses.  When I use the longer lenses I tend to carry & hold the camera by the lens with my left hand and don’t end up changing settings as frequently as I do with shorter lenses.  That leaves me with the decision as to what works best for me when using shorter focal length lenses.

I have decided that I would rather look for a better walk-about camera/lens combo that can also handle low light situations better than the E-P3.  I would also prefer having an integral view finder rather than having to rely upon using the LCD to compose pictures, especially in bright sun light.  I have thus reduced the alternatives down to a few cameras with APS size sensors (for better low light, high ISO shots) which have built-in view finders, and which are discreet in size but easy to hold and handle with dials for changing settings.  Oh, I forgot to add, and that are cheaper than a Leica M9!

 
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Posted by on May 20, 2012 in Photography

 

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Still Simplifying … Getting Prepared for Summer

10 Mar

The above was taken in my front yard with the Panasonic G3 camera and the Panasonic 45 – 175 mm lens at a focal length of 107 mm.

As mentioned in earlier articles, I have been simplifying my photography gear.  My desire has always been to be able to get down to one camera that is small, lightweight and does all I need.  My Panasonic G3 almost does it.  I have sold my K-5 and all the Pentax lenses as well as my Olympus E-P1 and E-PL2 cameras, and all of my Olympus lenses other than for the 14 – 42 mm kit lens for the E-P3.  The only reason I have kept that lens is for when I eventually sell my E-P3.  I also plan to sell my Canon S95.

While I initially preferred the Olympus micro 4/3 cameras over the Panasonic ones since the Olympus cameras have in-body image stabilization, I have switched to Panasonic cameras.  I did that since 1) Panasonic was quicker to switch to a refined, better sensor, 2) Panasonic had a built-in viewfinder, and 3) the Panasonic cameras were more reasonably priced.

The one shortfall that I experience with the G3 is the ability to carry it in a pocket or a very small bag; therefore, for the near term, I am keeping my Olympus E-P3 to cover that need.  Eventually I hope to replace it with a micro 4/3 camera that is easier to carry in a jacket or vest pocket.  Until that happens, I will use the E-P3 with either the 14 or 20mm Panasonic lens on it when I don’t think I will need the G3, or at least don’t wish to take it with me.

As of now (I know I keep buying and selling cameras :-) ), I plan to use the Panasonic G3 with either the 14, 20, 14 – 42, or 45 – 175 mm lens on it, depending on where I’m going and what I’m photographing.  I’m finding that I really like the Panasonic 45 – 175 mm lens for when I’m walking outside in the more open areas, and generally only switch to one of the wider angle, faster  lens when I’m in town or inside a building.

The next lens that I’m thinking about getting is the Panasonic 25 mm lens to use on the G3.  I’m thinking that I will keep the 20 mm lens to use on the E-P3, and then, hopefully on another micro 4/3 camera … probably a future generation of a small micro 4/3 Panasonic camera.   If I proceed with this plan I will then have redundancy between the two cameras and all of the lenses and will be photographing exclusively with micro 4/3 cameras.  Eventually I hope to be down to primarily one camera, but it would have to be a small lightweight micro 4/3 camera with a built-in viewfinder.

Now, if only I could reduce the number of my camera bags.  I have acquired many bags for many cameras and different uses over the last few years, and while you can never have too many bags :-) , I do have some larger ones that I will probably never use again.

 
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Posted by on March 10, 2012 in Photography

 

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Down the Road

15 Feb

I have a Canon S95, a Pentax K-5, and an Olympus E-P3 camera with multiple lenses for the K-5 and the E-P3 … more cameras than I need or use.  I mostly use the E-P3 because of the quality, size and weight compromise.  In addition, I seem to be gravitating towards using a prime lens on the E-P3 … the Panasonic 14 or 20 mm, or the Olympus 45 mm.  My dilemma is what will I need in the future?  It’s always easier to look back in time, and these cameras have all served me well under different circumstances.  The question is, what will I need down the road?  Will one of the newer cameras better serve my future needs?

I’m contemplating replacing my cameras with the new Olympus OM-D, E-M5.  It would give me the weather protection that I have with the K-5 but in a much smaller, easier to carry system package.  It would also allow me to continue to use the micro 4/3 lenses that I have and love, but it might not have the image quality that I can get with the K-5. The E-M5 might be the single camera solution that I have dreamed about.

My current reservations are:

  • Will I use a camera enough to warrant buying a new one?
  • Will I really need an all-weather camera?
  • Will I do a lot better with the EVF of the E-M5 due to my eye-sight?
  • Will I be able to handle the E-M5 with one hand if my other hand is holding a cane or walking stick?
  • Should I keep the E-P3 for backup?

If I only knew what was down the road.

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2012 in Photography

 

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Walking with a 45 mm Prime Lens

13 Feb

In earlier posts I talked about the advantages I have found in using 14 mm and 20 mm prime lenses while touring in Ireland, etc.  I’m not going to repeat the advantages of touring with prime lenses since you can read them in many of my earlier posts.  What I’m addressing today is why I have added another prime lens to my daily walks … the 45 mm f/1.8 Olympus lens which gives me an effective 90 mm focal length.

In Ireland the 14 and 20 mm lenses were ideal for the wider landscape pictures that I took, but I learned that while walking around Hanover city streets, the things with the most character were found in the smaller details.   To capture this I decided to get the 45 mm f/1.8 lens to obtain a greater reach.

The question I’m sure you want to ask is “why not use my 14 – 150 mm zoom lens?” since it would give me a lot more focal length flexibility.  The primary reasons are that it is bigger, weighs more, doesn’t have as good low light capabilities, and isn’t as sharp.  The 45 mm lens is sharp at f/1.8 and the sharpness is quite good, and consistent at f stops between f/4 and f/8.  If I wish to focus on details with the further stuff blurred, I can set the aperture at f/1.8 … can’t do that with the 14 – 150 mm f/4 to f/5.6 zoom lens.  If I’m interested in maximum detail and depth-of-focus I can set the 45 mm prime at f/5.6 to f/8 and keep shooting without any thought.  In addition, since the 45 mm is so sharp, and since I display my pictures on digital devices, I can crop-zoom significantly to home in on the details thus negating the need for a longer zoom.  If I need to take a wider shot and don’t have a wider lens in my pocket, I can take a panorama with two or more pictures and then join them when I get home.

The only potential disadvantage of shooting with prime lenses is the occasional need to change them and this raises the possibility of getting dirt on the sensor or dropping a lens; but I haven’t found this to be a problem.  My practice is to choose the best lens before going out depending upon where I’m going and what I’m shooting.  In doing this I am almost always able to change lenses while sitting at home or in my car, and almost never need to change them while walking.

Since this is a different focal length than I am use to using, I have tried to learn more about shooting with it by walking around close to home.  Above is a picture that I took while testing the lens under the conditions I expect to encounter.  I’m showing the same picture below in B&W.  That is another aspect of my pictures that I’m exploring; i.e. displaying the older buildings, etc. in B&W.

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2012 in Hanover PA, Photography

 

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We Often Miss a Lot

10 Jan

We often miss a lot as we go through life.  This applies to almost everything we do as well as in our photography.  Often, especially when touring with a group we only look for, and take, what I’ll call “postcard” pictures.  The pictures that everyone seems to take; the same views recorded over and over by almost everyone carrying a camera.   We don’t take the time to look around, including behind us, for the often more interesting views.

We need to think as we compose our views.  It works two ways.  We need to take the time to compose our shots and ensure that we don’t end up with features we didn’t want, like the classic pole appearing to stick out of someone’s head or some other distracting element at the edge of the scene.   Take the time to review the extremities of your picture before you push the shutter.   The same care needs to be taken to ensure that we do include the local color, or those things which help establish what makes the view different from all the other pictures.  Often when touring highly visited tourist sites our biggest concern is trying to get a picture without people in the shot, when including them can enhance the picture.

How well did you look at the above picture?  Did you see the baby in the lower left portion of the frame?  Click on the picture and then click on the 1200 x 1600 size above it and look more closely.  I think that it adds to the overall image by adding a human element to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin Ireland, the largest Church in Ireland.  This building was built in 1200 – 1270 and later fell into disrepair.  Between 1860 and 1900 a full-scale restoration was carried out by the Guinness family, and we still get to admire the architecture today.  How many views have this human element to help offset the cold, dark, but impressive architecture?

All that I have mentioned above also applies to life in general.  Take time, slow down, look around, take it easy, enjoy yourself, and make sure you don’t miss the finer details in life.

Here are a few more pictures from inside the Cathedral.  They were all a challenge to take due to the low light levels.

PS, for those inquiring minds, these pictures were taken with the Olympus E-P1 camera with the Panasonic 14 mm lens at a wide open aperture of f/2.5 and ISOs varying between 400 and 1600.  They were taken as raw files and then developed with Adobe Lightroom.

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2012 in Ireland, My Musings, Photography, Travel

 

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Where Does this Path Go?

08 Jan

6th century Clonmacnoise Monastery in Ireland

When I look at this picture I have three different thoughts about where this path goes.  The first is about life in general, the second is about the economy, and the third is about my photography.  Since I have readers interested in all three areas and I couldn’t make up my mind about which to write about, I have decided to make this a three-part article.

Life in General

The first thing that this picture reminds me is that all life follows a very short path and the end is always the same.  All life dies in its due time and the only unknown is how soon; but, others will remember us.  It is our responsibility to make sure that we are remembered for making the best contributions that we can to the long-term evolution of humanity in the short time that we are here.

The Economy

This path reminds me that eventually we will probably have to take a step backwards in time to achieve a sustainable, stable system.  If the correct decisions are made in time, we will essentially hold steady in a very low, to no-growth economy and we won’t need to change much; but, I don’t see that happening.  As I noted in previous articles, I don’t think that the necessary minor changes will be made in time and that we will put off making any major corrections to our economic system and way of life until big changes are needed.  The world has no choice but to step back and recover from its’ debts and make the adjustments to continue in a sustainable way.  The only uncertainty is how soon and thus how big of a change.

My Camera Path

Those of you who have followed this website have seen me go from small sensor P&S pocket cameras to small sensor travel zooms, to the Pentax K-7 DSLR, to the micro 4/3 Olympus Pen cameras, the E-P1, E-PL2, and the E-P3 and the Pentax K-5 DSLR, along with a side excursion to the Canon S95.  In this last year or two I have oscillated back and forth between the K-5, the Pen cameras, and the S95 while seeking a one camera solution.  I have been on a path towards finding & choosing a single light-weight, smaller all-purpose camera with adequate image quality that I can carry with me wherever I go.  At the moment, I have paused along the path and settled upon my Olympus E-P3 along with the Panasonic 14 mm and 20 mm lenses, the Olympus 14 – 42 mm zoom, and the Olympus 14 – 150 mm zoom, but I have kept the Canon S95 for use as a small shirt pocket camera and the Pentax K-5 with the 18 – 55 mm zoom for inclement weather and with the 50 – 300 mm zoom for wildlife shooting.

I’m still on a path towards having one camera along with a simplified choice of lenses.  I’m still trying to decide on whether I wish to use zoom lenses on my E-P3 or to just use faster prime lenses such as the 14 mm, the 20 mm, and a 45 mm.  At the moment I’m leaning toward using the 14 – 150 mm, f/4 – 5.6 zoom most of the time along with the 20 mm, f/1.7 prime for when I need low light capability or to keep the camera under my jacket or in a vest pocket and/or for when I wish to be a little more discreet.  Ultimately, the choice will probably be driven by how fast a lens I need.

I have paused on my path to find my one-camera solution until I learn whether I can get along with just the E-P3 and until I see if there is another new camera coming out that will be worth the cost for my single camera; but I’m thinking at the moment that I will settle for a while with just the micro 4/3 system as it seems to be an excellent compromise on flexibility, quality, size, weight, and cost as the best camera for recording my views along my path through life.

 
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Posted by on January 8, 2012 in My Musings, Photography

 

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Looking Back at 2011

11 Dec

I have gone through some major changes this past year.  I’m not even going to address the physical changes or the move from Bowie, MD where we lived for 45 years, or the move to Homewood at Plum Creek in Hanover, PA.  While those events were quite remarkable in themselves, in this article I’m only going to write about the changes with my photography and cameras.

Some will probably think that I have gone in a complete circle, or series of circles, but I believe that I am making progress … it just hasn’t been in a straight line.  It’s more like I’m spiraling in towards my more minimal set of cameras … or camera.

I started off the year with the Pentax K-7 DSLR and Olympus E-P1 cameras.  When I traveled to Tunisia the previous year, I had taken the E-P1 rather than the K-7 due to weight restrictions, and the results firmed up my feelings about the benefits of the mirror-less micro 4/3 camera-lens systems.  In fact I was so pleased with the E-P1 that I added the Olympus E-PL2 to my collection of cameras and took both it and the E-P1 to Ireland in May of this year.  The E-P1 became my backup camera.

To further reduce the weight and size of my gear, I tried shooting primarily with prime lenses while in Ireland and found that they worked quite well.  I determined that the Lumix 14 and 20 mm lenses on the E-PL2 made a great travel system, but I began to think that carrying two Olympus Pen cameras (one for backup) was heavier than necessary, so I bought a Canon S95 to use for backup and as a true pocket camera for other times.

But, while the two Pen cameras performed OK in the hot, dusty climate of Tunisia and the wet, windy climate of Ireland, I still had some doubts about using them in even harsher climates, so I purchased a Pentax K-5.  My intent was to use the K-5 in future trips to places like the Amazon rain forest or the wet tropical areas of Costa Rica.  I then took the K-5 to Hawaii for a couple of weeks so that I could get more accustomed to using it and to see how well I liked it.  The bottom line is that I liked it a lot, but I could have gotten along just as well with the E-PL2.  For now, I’m keeping the K-5 in case I make any future trips back to the rain forests and/or need an effective 450 mm reach for wild life.

Since the E-P1 and the E-PL2 performed so well and since I have fallen in love with the Olympus Pen system, I decided to replace both of them with the E-P3.  The more I use the E-P3 the better I like it.  If all continues to go as I expect, I will be using it as my primary camera with the S95 and K-5 relegated to collect dust sitting on the shelf.

There have been other changes relative to photography in the past year, but they have been more subtle.  I have come to realize the photographer is much more important than the camera and that having a smaller, lighter weight camera with me is more important than having a DSLR APS camera at home sitting on the shelf.  A continual search for my next camera is an endless pursuit with limited benefits, and I’m tired of reading web sites that compare the minute changes in image quality, etc. for each and every new camera that comes out.  I would be a lot better off devoting more time to getting out and about and taking pictures and perfecting the use of what I have.  Finally, I have embraced shooting all of my pictures in the raw format and using Lightroom (LR) to develop all of my pictures.

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2011 in Photography

 

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My E-P3 … My Go-To Camera System

02 Dec

I bought my first micro 4/3 system when I was having difficulty walking and carrying anything.  My Pentax K-7 (my primary camera at the time) was too heavy.  I was planning on a trip to Tunisia and was trying to travel as light as possible.  I also needed a camera that was easy to use for those occasions when I had to use a cane.  To meet these challenges I purchased an Olympus E-P1 and took it to Tunisia.  The pictures from that trip are on this blog.  Later I purchased an E-PL2 and took it to Ireland.  Those pictures are also on this blog … and now I have replaced the E-P1 and the E-PL2 with the E-P3.

I bought the Olympus E-P3 camera since it is the best all-around compromise for my uses.  I wanted a camera that had good image quality and was light enough and small enough that I could take it most anywhere without causing any additional strain on my back; and I like the look and feel of it.  It is a tool that I enjoy using.

Most of my photography falls into the category normally referred to as travel photography.  I need a camera that is light and easy to travel with, no matter whether that is on a plane or just taking a walk around the block.  I like to capture the scenes around me and that includes everything from vast landscapes to people going about their daily life.  I have also found that the smaller the camera-lens setup, the less threatened people feel, making it easier to get candid environmental portraits.

I chose the E-P3 for a variety of reasons.  It makes a small, light system because it has a micro 4/3 size sensor.  They are slightly smaller than APS size sensors; but vastly larger than the sensors in pocket point & shoot cameras.  Being slightly smaller than APS size sensor, along with it being a mirror-less camera, means that the lenses are a lot smaller than those on DSLR cameras with APS size sensors.

I chose the Olympus micro 4/3 system rather than the Panasonic system because Olympus has Image Stabilization (IS) built into the body while Panasonic has it in each lens, but not in their small pancake lenses.  IS shouldn’t be necessary in the wider pancakes, but given my advancing age and problems, I felt that I could use all the help I could get.  This is especially true since I often shoot with one hand.  This also meant that I needed a camera that focuses quickly and reliably and the E-P3 is fast.

I primarily use my E-P3 as my walk-about camera, taking pictures as I see them.   My normal mode of carry is on a Domke strap around my neck.  When the weather requires a jacket I hang the camera from around my neck under the jacket so that it is protected from the weather and is out of sight.  Sometimes I use a wrist strap and just carry the camera with a pancake lens on it in my jacket pocket.  Rarely do I take a camera bag with me when out walking.  My preferred mode is to just take one lens on the camera and an extra memory card and battery in my pocket.

I usually transport my camera and lenses in a Domke 803 satchel style bag.  Occasionally I will carry the bag on my shoulder with the camera in the bag if I’m not expecting to be shooting often.

When I’m traveling with a tour group I need to be able to take my pictures quickly.  This means that I usually shoot in auto ISO mode (200-3200) and in the program “P” mode so that the camera makes the decisions for me; but, when I have the time I need to be able to change the settings to suit the scene.  With the E-P3 I can do this quickly and easily with just a roll of the thumb.  I have often found that when traveling and using the aperture “A” mode that I would adjust it for one scene and then forget to change it for the next scene if I was in a hurry.  Since I turn the camera off between scenes, it always comes up quickly with an appropriate compromise setting if I leave it in “P” mode.  I also find that the flash comes in handy as a fill flash occasionally.

In order to keep the camera weight to a minimum, and facilitate carrying it as I described above, I have become accustomed to shooting with prime lenses.  I tried this while touring in Ireland and found that it served me well, and have continued to shoot that way ever since.  I also appreciate the faster primes when in low light situations since it enables me to shoot at lower ISOs.

Here is a picture of my system.  It gives me a range from 28 to 300 mm in 35 mm effectiveness.  Most of the time I leave the 20 mm Panasonic lens on the camera … that is a 40 mm equivalent in a 35 mm system.

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2011 in Photography

 

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My Perfect Camera ?

21 Nov
(For all of my pictures you can see it larger by clicking on the picture and then choosing the larger size at the top.)

The perfect camera system doesn’t exist, and probably never will be built, but let me tell how you how I’m approaching a compromise solution.  When I think about a new camera for the future, I think in terms of the overall system, and then look for the best compromise.

Those who have read my blog for a while know that I’m concerned about the overall weight and volume as much as the technical capability of the camera in terms of dynamic range and image quality.  I’m not the kind of hobbyist who goes around with a tripod and a large camera bag filled with multiple lenses, etc.  I usually pick a camera and one lens and put an extra battery and memory card in a pocket when I go out.

I have been using a Canon S95, an Olympus E-P1, an Olympus E-PL2, or a Pentax K-5.  I have various lenses for the Olympus PEN cameras.  I have the Lumix 14 and 20 mm primes, the Olympus 35 mm prime, the kit 14-42 mm zoom, and the 14-150 mm zoom.  For the K-5, I have the Pentax 40 mm prime, the 18 – 55 mm zoom, and the 55 – 300 mm zoom.  That is more than enough to cover the range of limited shooting that I do.  In fact it is too much, and I would like to reduce the amount of “stuff”.  Ideally I would prefer one camera system and while I hope to eventually get there, for now, I’m seeking to reduce the above to two camera systems: the K-5 and the ???.  In addition, I have been finding that I have a preference for using small, pancake prime lenses, and using the longer focal length zooms less and less.

Before I get around to picking my other system in addition to the K-5, I need to bring up image processing.  Two subjects that you often see in the forums discussing compact cameras are dynamic range and lack of high ISO quality.  They are correct in that most compact cameras suffer in these regards when compared against APS size sensor cameras, but how big a problem is it?  I don’t think that it is as important if we shoot in raw formats and then use processing software to address the problem.  I now shoot in raw and use Adobe Lightroom software to process all of my images.  If you look at the picture above, and are familiar with this kind of picture, you know that it is hard to get an image with the tonal, or dynamic range that we like.  In the above case, taken with the E-PL2 and the 20 mm lens, I tweaked the exposure and other aspects to produce the image … and partially overcame the limitations of the older micro 4/3 sensor.  Also take a look at the following two images.  They were taken in good light … one with the K-5 and the other with the E-PL2.  If you are a pixel peeper, you will note differences; but for use on the web, you don’t notice extreme differences– after processing with Lightroom.

Getting back to the camera-lens portion of the system, you will find that many of the new APS sensor size cameras are as small as micro 4/3 sensor cameras, so why not just choose one of them?  I’m thinking about the new Sony NEX cameras and the new Samsung NX cameras.  The answer is that while they might have better sensors, they are still saddled with the larger APS size lenses and have limited pancake prime lenses available.  As a system (camera plus lenses) they are quite large and heavy to haul around, as compared to the micro 4/3 system.

There is another aspect about the ideal camera that I would like to point out.  Many of the newer, small APS size sensors also have much higher pixel counts.  There is a significant (at least to me) disadvantage with so many pixels.  It takes much longer for the cameras to write to the memory card, and it takes much longer to read the images off of the memory card, and it takes a lot longer to process the images on my computer.  I weigh this as a significant disadvantage for me unless I wish to also upgrade my computer.  I find that the 12 to 16 MP sensors are good enough for anything that I do.

Since I have used and liked the micro 4/3 Olympus PEN cameras in the past, and have a range of lenses, my first choice to replace the E-P1 and the E-PL2 cameras is the Olympus E-P3.  I have one on order to try out.  The E-PL2 has been OK, but I prefer having the upper thumb wheel of the E-P1 or E-P3 and the slightly improved operational details of the E-P3.  I should get it later this week.  After I try it out I’ll let you know if I think it is the one for me as a daily carry-with-me camera.  My next desire, if I don’t think the E-P3 is the one for me, would be to try the Fuji X100 and make do with its’ single lens.  Actually I have fewer reservations with the lens and have more uncertainty about learning to live with its’ operational quirks.  If it had cost less, I might have tried it instead of the E-P3.  My best alternative might be to just continue with what I have and wait for another new camera to try.  Hmmm, I still feel like I’m waiting for Godot.

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2011 in Photography

 

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