I dragged a Nikon D80 out of retirement yesterday - it had been sitting in a drawer since I had bought a D7000. I sold the D7000 after using my EP3 for a month or two. So yesterday I was at a Cowboy Action shooting event as "the photographer" and figured for my own interest, I'd shoot the old D80 and the EP. I had an 18-200 on the Nikon and the 14-150, 12, and 45 for the EP.

The Nikon was so much easier to actually USE. NO, not easier to carry, but just sort of natural to shoot. There was no thinking at all involved, no wondering if it would properly focus on action - just a series of properly exposed/perfectly focused shots. The EP did OK but there were a fair percentage of soft shots and a lot of looking to see what the settings were and changing between center weighted and spot. The fill flash on the nikon was consistently better as well and...yeah, an optical viewfinder really IS better...

I'm in a total funk at the moment - I like the EP size but it really isn't as "natural" a camera to use as my old D80 (or my now-gone D700). It is a lot smaller though and its images are excellent when you factor out the mis-focused shots. I'm trying to decide whether to close out the M43 experiment or just keep doing it until I get it right. But the Nikon's never required any work to "get it right. :(

How long have you been a Nikon shooter vs Olympus? Point being, perhaps things will flow more naturally in the future?

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Olympus OM-D E-M5
Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F2.8
Panasonic Leica Summilux 25mm F1.4
Panasonic Lumix 45-175mm F4-5.6

It doesn't have to be an either/or choice - it can be complimentary. Why not use both? Bring the EP3 when you want to have a quality camera but don't feel like carrying a lot of heavier equipment. Carry the D80 when you expect to be doing a lot of camera work (e.g. when you're the "event photographer") and it's features and ergonomics will be more appreciated than the lighter weight of the EP3 would be.

Lots of folks on here also shoot with DSLR or other cameras as well as MFT... each just shines in different areas. What I love about Micro Four Thirds is that I can carry a small shoulder bag and still have 2 bodies and a wide assortment of lenses that offer tons of versatility. I pack light when I travel, usually only carrying a backpack and my shoulder bag. If I had the equivalent selection of DSLR lenses and bodies, I'd need a whole separate backpack just for the camera gear and the odds of me carrying it around would drop dramatically.

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500px | flickr

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” -- Dorothea Lange

I do think Olympus's control schemes are lacking and takes some getting used to. Coming from Nikon DSLRs too.

But over time I think I'll just learn to get used to them. Nikon and Canon have their quirks too.

MM -

Same here; my primary DSLR is a Nikon D300 with a fair stable of lenses, battery grip, a couple of SB flashes, the whole deal. Marvelous camera, great ergonomics - but it's heavier than all get out. Put the grip filled with 8 aa's and the 70-200mm 2.8 and you may as well be toting a fully loaded M1 Garand.

I picked up an E-PL1 with the two kit lenses as an experiment; loved the portability, didn't think too much of the controls even with the super menu activated.

I think I've resolved the issue by getting an OM-D. The control wheels are reminiscent of the Nikon (1 front, 1 rear). While the Olympus doesn't have all of the control buttons available on the Nikon (there simply isn't enough room on the body) the OM-D is leagues ahead of the E-PL1. Shutter response is good, focusing speed (with the 12-50 Oly and 20mm Panasonic) is good. I don't think it suitable for fast moving indoor sports, but of course a lot of that is lens specific and I don't have a 2.8 70-200mm equivalent lens for the Oly in my kit.

The controls on the OM-D seem intuitive, much like the Nikon DSLR bodies. I haven't fully customized the button layout yet, but it just feels comfortable to hold and shoot. The Nikon D300 seems to disappear when in use, leaving only the subject in the viewfinder to concentrate on. I'm having the same experience with the OM-D.

If you can get your hands on an OM-D you may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Considering the types of subjects I photograph these days (I no longer shoot indoor sports or tournaments) I think that the OM-D is going to be just fine once I get all of the buttons assigned to the proper tasks.

HTH

Jim

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"Every photograph you've ever admired was taken with past equipment, not the thing you're waiting for someone to announce." - Thom Hogan

If it means anything to you,
One of the reasons why I still have my D5100 is for action shooting & action shooting in lower light.

That being said, my E-PL2 still does quite a lot of "work"....

I shot Nikon SLRs/DSLRs for more years than I care to remember so I am definitely "used" to the way they work. I also shot an Leica M6 a lot and, in those days, I carried the M6 when I wanted it's advantages and the Nikon when it was what I needed - I did a fair bit of sports stuff, especially horse jumping (wife was a jumper) and my Nikkor 80-200 F2.8 could have almost been welded on my camera.

So I guess this is really the same thing - but I was hoping to have only ONE camera for everything. Perhaps that can just never happen! :) I would like to try an OMD but I don't see how that can happen yet - maybe in a few more months there will be some around and available to be touched. (But I really like built-in flash...)

I refuse to use multiple systems (not that I'm a pro or anything though)...I definitely want one system that does everything. The E-M5 does that (for me).

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Olympus OM-D E-M5
Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F2.8
Panasonic Leica Summilux 25mm F1.4
Panasonic Lumix 45-175mm F4-5.6

It's about what you're familiar with. I've been using Oly cameras for 10 years, so when I pick up a new Olympus it just takes me a few minutes to get used to the changes.

Howver when I pick up a Nikon, or even the Canon I'm forced to use at work, it takes me a long time going through the menus trying to find what I'm trying to change, if that option is even available on those brands.

Anyway a lot of reviewers rate Olympus' menus best.

Although if you need help there are tutorial videos online:

The OLY menus per se may be no worse than the Nikon menus but with a Nikon DSLR, I never needed to access any menus - the setting that I normally would want to change on a routine basis are there as buttons for immediate selection. I never needed to access the menus at all while shooting.