I am a long time member of several camera clubs and you are so right about locking into systems. But with Canon and Nikon the investment is so huge that moving can be a major cost factor - in both selling (at a loss, really, since you never get back what you spent) and rebuying new is also expensive. And then there is the status issue and the ego factor. I had Canon for over a dozen years, with a HUGE investment in some 16 lenses. So moving to Nikon was never going to happen. However, selling all and moving to OMD was a good decision considering the quality of the equipment, the decreased cost, and the decreased weight factor. It did suprise people but now others in both my clubs are moving to MFT and the similar Sony NEX. I believe others will follow as Canon and Nikon grow more and more expensive and other alternate equipment of quality continues come online.

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OM-D e-m5 black/grip, E-PL2 (IR conversion), 7.5 Rokinon Fisheye, 12 2.0, 20 1.7, 45 1.8, 12-50, 14-42, 40-150

What a tread's title :D I will not be able to sleep tonight - what an awful world...

But in my country (Poland) mirrorless system are becoming more common but still mistaken with DSLRs which are far more polular.

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MFourThirds my mu43 blog on facebook, like it

G3, P20, O45, O9-18, P14-42, P45-200

One of my LiveJournal contacts had one (he's a photographer) and was recommending it as a second camera. I saw the GF1 in the DC area before I left for Nicaragua after selling all the heavy camera gear, but it was a bit more than I wanted to pay at the time. Got one used and I suspect it's the only m43 in Nicaragua owned by a resident. Cameras are usually point and shoots here, although the Migracion office that takes residency card photos has a lot of mid-range Canon DSLRs strapped down in photo booths.

I find the title of this thread ironic/interesting in the sense that our community on the other, likes to boast about the popularity & sales of Micro Four Thirds....

My having a m4/3 camera, and the access it gives to just about any legacy lens I like, has converted three co-workers who've seen the results of my ebay bottom-fishing show up via UPS and USPS.

They all got one of the oly m4/3 and started by clearing out the closet of a relative for some legacy lenses to begin with.

While I love putting the E-P1 with the lumix 14mm in my pants pocket for carry convenience, as many other posters have noted, it's more of a conversation starter with a legacy lens and out in view, especially since it looks like an old school film camera.

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Olympus E-P1 and a bunch of other stuff, too numerous to list.

ive had a few people with 5xxx series nikons(which arent LARGE) ask me about my camera and mention how nice it is that its small(ep3/em5)
and complain that they never take their "huge" camera anywhere
i think olympus and panasonic need to go on meetup and start infiltrating photo clubs in big cities with a pro using a m43 to strike up extra interest!

*steeples michievously*
muahahahahaha!

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Eliot

Any Interest in a TEXAS meetup?

If so, post up here!

What I find interesting is that other photographers (mostly toting Can-Nikon DSLRs)who see me with my E-Ps assume I am using a vintage film camera of some sort, especially when I am using legacy glass and the VF-1. I don't mind.

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Olympus E-PL3, E-M5, OM-1n and Pen F; Fuji X-10 and Pro 1; Leica M3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/penfan_2010/

I would debate that this is due in part because they see your legacy glass first

Agreed. And that was part of my attraction to

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Olympus E-PL3, E-M5, OM-1n and Pen F; Fuji X-10 and Pro 1; Leica M3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/penfan_2010/

the vf1 and the panasonic ovf for 24mm equiv really throws people off
i did shots for an xmas party, and everyone wanted to look thru the ovf, like it was magic or something... i kept saying "no no no, the magic is in this $800 lens! not that $50 ovf!" but it all fell on deaf ears. lol

"OOOOH I WANNA LOOK IN IT!"

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Eliot

Any Interest in a TEXAS meetup?

If so, post up here!