Hi everyone, wow, I'm honestly overwhelmed by the response I've had - there has been so much good advice and some great ideas to get around selling my gear and some good tips for lowlight photography. Thanks everyone I really appreciate it

Mav and Krang - I did look at the G2 and I think Krang is right about its ISO performance, I'd love a GH1 as its very similar to my GH1, I'll look around ebay and am considering starting up a WTB thread for it. A monopod seems a great idea, it'll be useful for my trek up Yellow Mountain (click on the link, Yellow Mountain looks stunning!) which I'm doing before going to Hong Kong.

Addieleman - I also find ISO 800 useable in some situations and also tend to avoid ISO1600, and I think you're right I really need to go out and do more shooting in lowlight with my G1. I guess I've got a bit lazy about processing raws so for the past month or two I've been using Jpegs - a definate bad habit i need to get out of. The rental prices I've seen in the UK are quite expensive, for the lenses and Canon it would be about £400GBP-£500GBP, so it's a bit off putting, I could easily get a used GH1 for that amount - Your advice about the GH1 is good. It is pretty much a G1 with video so I'd have no problem learnin to use it in time and the used prices are falling with the rumor of the replacement out soon and I'll definately have a look around for one.

Ulfric - the K-x is very tempting however after considering everyone's advice I'm really considering keeping my equipment and adding a GH1 or EPL1 which seem to be the best performers in m4/3rds for high ISO. The tripods a good idea - I'll have a look at one tomorrow in Manchester and compare one with a monopod.

Pictor - wow thanks for taking the time to give me such a detailed advice, you've made some really good points there and thanks for looking up the Dxo info You're right, I think I'll keep my kit and learn to use a tripod/monopod - you've talked (or typed) some sense into me, I guess my idea was pretty silly now I think about it not to mention a waste of money. Thanks for mentioning Lightroom 3, I think post processing is an area I neglect at the moment, and I've just done a quick search on Google and have been amazed at what some programs can achieve in noise reduction. Finally thanks for the link about using monopods, it'll definately come in handy should I choose to buy one (I'm going into Manchester tomorrow and will have a look at a few monopods and see what I think).

Julienrl - you're right I need to definately forget the pixel peeping - sometimse i get too carried away and it affects my judgement. The advise about borrowing is good, however UK camera rental prices are quite expensive, and I think the best option for me is to keep my gear and adapt my technique using a monopod/tripod like others have suggested. You're right I'd be losing quite a lot of money otherwise.

pxpaulx - very good point about the spiked end I'll bear that in mind when I'll pop down to a camera shop tomorrow and have a look at their range of tripods and monopods, before coming to a decision. Thanks, would have sucked if i bought a monopod only to have it confiscated by airport security

BBW: You're absolutely right Everyone has had something beneficial to say and has been very helpful and friendly - I feel everytime I visit mu-43 I learn something new This thread only reinforces and is a perfect example of what I said in the opening post Daimos - thats a good suggestion, however all my friends with DSLR's either will be on holiday themselves when I go on holiday or are living abroad so a swap or borrow would be difficult.

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Vince

Comments or contructive feedback is very welcome and will be very appreciated

Had: Panasonic G1 + 14-140mm + 20mm

Visit my Flickr here

If you're after low-light performance i believe nikon is better than conon in that department, research d5000 or d90 for details. You could buy one and sell it later and keep your m4/3 all along and take with you together with the new setup and minimize the $$ loss.
Also you can get a tripod and 20/1.7 and 17/2.8 and will probably bee fine with m4/3.

I personally find that pictures in low light/high ISO even in canikon dslrs are not that great anyways unless you use a tripod and long exposure, but you can do that with your m4/3 too so its not really a m4/3 limitation.

I did a search on the word "night" in the Flickr G1 group pool. Not only do the photos look good, but I checked the EXIFs of several of them, and most of the ISO settings were in the 100-400 range.

Flickr: Search Panasonic Lumix G1

You'll waste money by buying a Canon for your trip and then selling it to get a new M4/3rds camera after Photokina. Wait until after Photokina to get the camera you really want. Its rumored that Panasonic will bring out several lenses with apertures below 2.0 at Photokina so with the money you'll save you can treat yourself to a fast, low light lens.

You already have the Panny 20mm f/1.7 that does well in low light and getting a monopod will help further. If you want more flexibility consider getting a lens with an aperture below 2.0 by another manufacturer with an M4/3rds adapter. You can still use it after you get your new camera later this year.

I have a Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens that I use with an adapter on my G2 that does well in low light. Its only drawback is that its heavy.

Quick update: Hi everyone thanks again for the replies. I'm probably going to keep all my gear now, and perhaps add a GH1 or EPL1 and invest in a good monopod or tripod. I'll let everyone know what I decide when I know for sure. Tomorrow I'll be heading down to a camera store and will try out the GH1, EPL1 and look at a few monopods and tripods.

et100 I did consider the 2 Nikons u've mentioned, however it is expected that nikon will release/announce new cameras soon, so after my trip the value of a Nikon that i could have bought may have dropped so I might lose more money if you know what I mean. So I'm probably going to keep my current gear and invest in tripods as I've mentioned above.

DDG thanks for sharing that search link, I was really impressed with some of the results that people have been getting with the G1, and I've begun to think if they can do it, i can too. So I'm going to look at a tripod/monopod and go and practice my night-time/lowlight photography technique :-)

Carol you're right about wasting money, after reading what you've written it does make perfect sense for me to save the money I would have lost, selling and coming back to micro four thirds, and invest it into more micro four thirds equipment. Thanks, your idea about adapting other lenses is great, I think my father has some Canon FD glass lying around unused in the attic, I'll try and dig it out and see what aperture they are.

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Vince

Comments or contructive feedback is very welcome and will be very appreciated

Had: Panasonic G1 + 14-140mm + 20mm

Visit my Flickr here

Yeah that solution sounds better Vince. I was wondering why you would sell your G1 when they are so cheap to buy and you really would get alot more value out of the camera if you didn't sell it.
Keeping it and getting a second camera is what i'd do as I've just done with getting a Nikon D90. I use the Nikon in the times when I need the viewfinder and the GF1 when I don't need it. All I would like now is a 50mm 1.2 or 1.4 prime lens to match with the D90.

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If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.

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et100 I did consider the 2 Nikons u've mentioned, however it is expected that nikon will release/announce new cameras soon, so after my trip the value of a Nikon that i could have bought may have dropped so I might lose more money if you know what I mean. So I'm probably going to keep my current gear and invest in tripods as I've mentioned above.



Just for your curiosity, in regards to value drop in Nikon, I'd say that that they would be one camera manufacturer who would be the best in keeping their value.

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If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.

http://500px.com/iconindustries

I took a GF1, G1, and 20 F1.7, 9-18, 14-45, and 45-200 to China and Hong Kong for the month of May this year. On the Peak in Hong Kong I was able to do a 25 second long exposure because I was able to fit my small Velbon Tripod that I reviewed here:

Tripod & Head Review: Velbon Ultra Maxi L & Arca-Swiss P0 Head

on the small , slanted railing : ) It was fun being able to do that while watching people around me with SLR's unable to do long exposures because their tripods would have been too large, and therefore forbidden, to be used at the Peak.

Pictures here: Picasa Web Albums - oris642 - Hong Kong

BTW, my Think Tank Shape Shifter bag, with the above equipment, and all my clothes, came to 22 pounds. The Shape Shifter bag was reviewed here:

Camera Backpack Review: Think Tank Shape Shifter

I also found out that Vancouver Airport security considers an allen key a 'Weapon of Mass Destruction' and are forbidden on carry-on luggage. You have been warned : )

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Eric

Just my 2 cents, but I think anyone who shoots jpegs is nuts :) why would you want to let the camera process your raw images, and permanently throw away so much data? You would be much better served shooting raw and using Lightroom or similar.

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http://www.jonkobeck.com
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“if you pursue power and privilege it will always be at the expense of truth and justice” ~Noam Chomsky

And very good point about a tripod. With a tripod or mono rod you can shoot at ISO 100 ALL OF THE TIME :)

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“if you pursue power and privilege it will always be at the expense of truth and justice” ~Noam Chomsky