Featured: 'Micro Four Thirds for Cyclocross - my journey from full frame (pic heavy)' by ean10775

This cyclocross or 'CX' season marks my first without a full frame DLSR, having divested my Canon gear in favor of something lighter and easier to carry on the course. I struggled with this decision, seeing as an equivalent setup for my uses was not available with the m43 system at the time.

Unlike many who favor a zoom for shooting sports, in the past couple years I have shot local and professional races exclusively with a Canon 5D Mark II and EF 200mm f2.8 lens:

KirtlandParkCX-025 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Cincy3-035 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Cincy3-005 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Cincy3-003 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Cincy3-014 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Cincy3-023 by ericarthur, on Flickr


GEAR SELECTION

Seeing as the sport takes place most often in parks or in fields there is always plenty of room to move around to compose the shot as needed. The obvious options would have been the Panasonic 35mm-100mm f2.8 or the Olympus 75mm f1.8. Both of these lenses are fairly expensive however, more expensive in fact than the EF 200mm f2.8 I had been shooting with. As I wanted a more compact system, and wanted to save some money, in the end I purchased a Sigma 60mm f2.8, conceding quite a bit of reach but gaining a distinct size advantage and keeping some money in my pocket. With the prices the Panasonic G5 was going for at the time, the body was a much easier decision. Here is my kit for shooting CX:

Panasonic Lumix DMC G5 + Sigma 60mm F2.8 DN by ericarthur, on Flickr

Not shown, I keep a Heliopan Jet-Pol linear polarizer mounted to the lens at all times as well as the Sigma hood that shipped with the lens. The small Optech connector loops allow me to attach the camera to the chest strap of a my backpack using a small carabiner (the backpack contains a jacket, gloves, spare batteries and most importantly, beer). The camera is easy enough to remove from the carabiner, but I usually just leave it attached as I can still bring the camera to my eye for most shots, or I simply use the articulating lcd of the G5. We all know the size/weight advantages of mirrorless system cameras over DLSRs so I won't dwell too much on that, but I can certainly say that the advantages of my m43 kit in this regard are a godsend over the course of a full day of shooting CX (after having raced myself in the morning) compared to my Canon gear.

AUTO FOCUS

I should point out that the G5 is not my first m43 camera as I also own an Olympus E-PL1 and have used that to shoot CX on one occasion as well - the UCI Cyclocross world Championships in Louisville, KY several years ago. This was a decision I regretted. The AF of the E-PL1 (with any lens) was simply too slow to keep up with the riders, though I had some success with older manual focus lenses:

P2020479 by ericarthur, on Flickr

This experience (having left the DSLR at home in favor of a smaller kit) left me wondering how the advancements in the AF of the m43 cameras/lenses in recent years could handle the pace of cyclocross, which while fast, is very predictable. Riders do laps on a closed course and the racing line is easy to see and its repeated multiple times over the duration of the race. They slow for obstacles and then accelerate again quickly, but no where near the speeds of road cycling or something like motorcycle racing. Even though neither the G5 nor the Sigma 60mm f2.8 are the fastest in class when it comes to AF, I've been fairly pleased with how quickly the camera/lens combination can focus and find that this quickness in S-AF nearly negates the need for C-AF in most of my shooting:

P1030478 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030309 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030538 by ericarthur, on Flickr

Perhaps my favorite AF feature of the Panasonic cameras, including the G5, is the ability to drag your finger over the LCD to set the focus point with the camera to your eye looking through the EVF. Initially I was worried that the resistive touch screen of the G5 would be subpar compared to that of the capacitive screens Olympus and newer Panasonic cameras, but I don't find that to be the case and the bonus is that the screen of the G5 works with gloves on (a huge boon seeing as CX is a Fall/Winter sport).

EXPOSURE PREVIEW

One of the advantages that mirrorless cameras offer that is most important to me is live exposure preview. This feature is hugely convenient in a sport like cyclocross where the lighting conditions vary continuously. Riders dart in and out of wooded areas into sunlit fields and the ability to see the exposure rather than needing to rely on the meter and experience just makes the entire shooting process that much easier.

P1030395 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030537 by ericarthur, on Flickr

I find that since switching to m43 I make far fewer tweaks to exposure in post production and that speeds up my editing workflow by a good margin.

My only complaint with regard to the G5 and its implementation of live exposure preview is that it does not work with fully manual exposure, which is how I typically have like to shoot in the past. My workaround is that I now shoot using shutter priority and auto ISO and in most cases the lighting conditions mandate that the lens stays wide open at f2.8 to maintain the shutter speed I have set. I then simply mind the histogram and ride the exposure compensation to get the look I want in the EVF.

THE RESULTS

I suppose I should just let the results speak for themselves, but for me, while I certainly notice the differences in the look of the files from the 5DII and the m43 gear, I really am just as happy with what I am able to get from my G5/Sigma 60mm and even happier with the ease with which I'm able to get it. When you factor in the difference in cost between to two setups (I paid $2,289.45 for the Canon gear and $467.42 for the m43 gear), I'm simply ecstatic.

P1030575 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030409 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1020376 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1020255 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1020300 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030139 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030115 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030227 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030527 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030154 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030398 by ericarthur, on Flickr



P1030202 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1020356 by ericarthur, on Flickr



P1030089 by ericarthur, on Flickr

P1030072 by ericarthur, on Flickr

THE FUTURE

I'm fairly content with my current setup, but am certainly looking forward to the day when a mirrorless system can compete with DSLRs with regard to C-AF. I don't see myself buying another lens or body until that is the case, but I don't think that day is too far off.

Thanks for allowing me share.

 

I haven't had any issues yet, but yes I can imagine that weather sealing (or lack thereof in my case) could pose problems down the line. Admittedly I didn't really consider that when selecting my kit though seeing as neither the 5DII nor 200mm lens I had been shooting with were weather sealed.

 

The 75mm f1.8 was my first choice as a lens, but I didn't want to invest that much money right off the bat in the event that the platform didn't end up working out for my purposes (I know I probably could have purchased a used copy and sold it without much of a loss, or rented). I was also worried a bit about not being able to shoot wide open without requiring an ND filter and the need to constantly be putting it on/removing it as lighting conditions changed, but now that I've been shooting the Sigma for a while, I don't imagine it would have been a problem. I'd purchase a copy now, except I've been pretty happy with the Sigma.

Agreed about the mud - its been a pretty mild CX season so far in the Midwest. The photos from Cincy3 this weekend where its dry and dusty were a distinct change from the morning race I did where we started in 30F degree weather with frost on the ground.

 

I think that cross bikes are the most beautiful bikes in the world (a bit less so now that disc brakes are UCI legal). If I could only have one bike (god forbid) it would be a cross bike without a doubt.

Oh don't get me wrong, it matters and I definitely notice the difference. However, when I weigh that difference against the smaller, lighter kit, the convenience of live exposure preview and the ease of touchscreen AF point selection (not to mention that my current kit cost 80% less than what I was shooting with before, leaving more money for bikes), the difference is far more palatable and something I can certainly live with.

One thing I didn't mention is that all the m43 shots were single shots - no bursts. With the Canon I would have bursts of 3-6 frames and not all of them would be in focus. I feel like I'm more prudent and precise using the m43 gear, although I would certainly welcome faster EVF refresh rates. I'd also welcome a 100mm f2 prime for the m43 system if Panasonic is listening (since Olympus already has the 75mm f1.8 and because I tend to prefer the rendering of the Panasonic lenses) ;-)

 

Thanks Amin, I'm routinely tempted by the 75mm believe me!

 

I'll be honest, as much as I like what the m43 system has to offer I'm hesitant to invest in a $700 lens when I feel we're on the cusp of the next big advancement in mirrorless (i.e, C-AF that can rival DSLRs). I don't want to be locked into a system. I know no one is going to release the lens I really want, but since I don't require much - just a long, fast telephoto I'm happy to jump to whomever offers the C-AF first.