I'm curious to see what you see as the m4/3 or mirrorless proliferation around you.

[43hk]

Lots of m43 and Mirrorless in HK. Lots of gear, and accessories for sale. We also have a short wait for new kit once it is rolled out in Japan by Pana or Oly. Digital Rev are based here and provide quick delivery.

Some good pro work done with Oly, Fuji and GH4s done by HKers BTY.

The biggest shock was 2 weeks ago when my Brother rented a GX7, Oly 75mm and Pana 25mm for a holiday. Announcing that he's looking to sell his Canon gear...... lenses, the lot. He's in the US.
I have been m43 since 2010 and was flattered that my opinion was being sought. But the real clincher is the weight and bulk of all that APS C gear.

The message is getting through in the US........ just really slowly.

 

[OzRay]

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[flamingfish]

I don't know if the cameras in the newer models have improved, but the camera in my iPad2 is utter crap. I wouldn't use it for a photo except to catch a quick reminder of something I was too lazy to write down.

To return somewhat to the original topic of this thread, the only advertising I've seen for any m-43 equipment is a couple of commercials (or, more accurately, a couple of broadcastings of the same commercial) for the E-M10 a while back. I don't know what the dedicated photo stores may be stocking, but the big box stores have nothing m-43.

In wandering through crowds of tourists today, I saw a bunch of people carrying Canikons. The only people actually taking pictures were using their phones.

 

[T N Args]

That's because the 'phone shooters really didn't care about what the photo looks like, it goes "ooh that's interesting (click)".

 

[OzRay]

That's because the 'phone shooters really didn't care about what the photo looks like, it goes "ooh that's interesting (click)".

...and then immediately gets sent to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, to be admired with the billions of other photos of exceedingly great quality and interest to World plus Dog.

 

[fortwodriver]

I remember the days when, if you held up a device THAT LARGE to take a photo, someone from the media or photo pool would send security down to tell you to put it away...

 

[Fri13]

So is there a change to actually see more m4/3 cameras among people? If iPad and smartphone is enough, why to get a small hiqh quality system camera?

Like on the topic, how old are the people handling those cameras people observe?

I could go to department store and see m4/3 being pulled from shelfs faster than DSLR. Or check webstores sales rates to see it is around 4:6 ratio for m4/3 system benefit when it is all Sony A7 to Canikon size cameras vs GH4/EM1.

But add there E-Pxx line and the rate is twice as much when there is even Sony A6000 or Fuji X-T1 added to Canikon group.

But if walking to special camera store meant to professionals (prices has 1/3 more just because brand) then Canikon group is like daily business and m4/3 is sitting still.

What is the common question among users there? Video. 4k is like crazy hot meal to even kids and snapshooters. Then it is about objective compatibility = huge amount Canikon objectives.
And other huge group is avarage joe going holidays, wanting to have a dedicated camera for business (what pays it as well).

If walking to event, there is line of DSLR shooters from pro to beginners. There is little m4/3 or simular cameras.
Then walking to skate park and there is couple DSLR and bunch of videocameras and then GH4 or A6000 for some.

The size matters but you need to look "pro" if carrying any system camera and then it goes to DSLR class easily or pocket cameras/smartphones.

 

[jjinh]

That's because the 'phone shooters really didn't care about what the photo looks like, it goes "ooh that's interesting (click)".

It doesnt even need to be interesting... just something to show off to people they might not even know irl. Look I'm at the mall! I can afford food!

It's funny seeing tourists shoot photos with tablets. I've been asked a few times to take photos for them... at least the live view's nice and big.

 

[dko22]

I was on a creative photography evening class recently and one evening I counted the cameras I could see being used. Out of 10 there were a couple of Nikons one Canon, one Pentax, one OMD and no less than three Fuji X! (the other two were using smartphones). I get the overall impression that here in Stuttgart, both m43 and perhaps even more, Fuji are really taking off among enthusiasts. Among folk visibly doing professional assignments or with pro aspirations, almost all still use a FF Nikon or Canon. Tourists with system cameras are still at a guess, 80-90% DSLR and nearly all of those are Canikon with Nikon seemingly more popular. I can hardly ever remember seeing a NEX or Nikon 1 but Olympus and Fuji do pop up from time to time. Bridge camera superzooms are probably already more common than standard compacts these days as the latter have increasingly been replaced with phones.

 

[synthetictone]

I spied a Panny in the wild today. Was out at a park during lunch hour with the GH3 shooting pics and met another nature enthusiast shooting photos. I noticed he had a fixed lens model and when I asked what it was, he held it up and seen the Lumix. I think it was the FZ70 with 60x zoom. First time I've been out and seen someone other than myself shooting with a Panasonic.

 

[T N Args]

Every time I go out shooting, I see at least one µ4/3 camera out there. My wife's Lumix G3. She sure can proliferate around me.

 

[Janders]

I live in a tourist area of Thailand and will make a point of watching others using cameras to observe what they are using and how they are using their equipment. The majority are using either phones, P&S or large SLR. Most SLR shooters are taking distant shots of something with the pop up flash being fired and then stare at the LCD to study the result. In most cases, they take a second shot, disappointed by the first.

The mindset of bigger must be better is still prevalent. Asian tourists are adopting the mirror less bodies in large numbers. Many different varieties of small mirror less cameras are the being used by Asians when on holidays. Sony, Nikon 1 and some M43. Rarely have I seen another EM1 in the wild in Thailand; likewise for Fuji.

I use the EM1 on a sling strap with the FL600 attached when out and about. This provides everything I need for the majority of opportunities. I get looks and questions from others. When they hear the prices of this gear, they are astounded.

 

[TucsonLawrence]

I'm on a year-long trip around the USA and have traveled from Tucson to Key West to Maine, and am now in Montana (Glacier national park) - in the last 9 months and 116 national parks we've visited I've seen 50%ish Cannon and Nikon, 40%ish cell phones and point and shoots and probably 5% mirrorless and 5% other

The mirrorless have usually been sony or fuji, but I've seen 2 Olympus and last week my first other Panasonic (I shoot with a GH3 and GF3)

It was a really nice family at Yellowstone who asked me to take a picture - the guy commented "let me set it up you can just press the button and 2 seconds later it'll take the pic" I just smiled and said, "yep, I'm familliar with the settings, I shoot a Panny too" We had a nice couple of minutes chatting about m43 and he had some questions about my lens selections (I was carrying a oly 12-50, bower 7.5, panny 45-200, and cannon 1.4 on a speedbooster which interested him greatly - he was a really nice guy and it was nice to meet someone who had a similar interest.

I personally don't mind what people shoot with- I consider my rig to be a good combination to capture both a moment or to create a picture-- whatever others use to meet this need is their business and doesn't affect my enjoyment of photography (and can even enhance it, I recently used the light that was shining off a bystanders iphone off-photo to enhance one of my pictures

Lawrence

 

[wjiang]

When they hear the prices of this gear, they are astounded.

The price is higher than they expect?

 

[kinlau]

In Ottawa, I mostly see dslr's but mirrorless is mostly NEX's. But on a 2 week trip to the Maritimes, for the first time I saw more mirrorless than dslr's. Unfortunately, m43's were still the minority. I saw more white Nikon 1's than m43.

 

[scott2hot]

Utter twats..showing how cool / hip and with the times they are! If they can afford ipad and be bothered to lug that around surely a point n shoot not going to take up much space....more a case of look at me everyone.Aint i just fanatastic
Q.HOW DO WE KNOW SOMEONE HAS AN iPHONE....a....THEY TELL YOU!
ps I have nothing against technology or apple for that matter...but while in disney / universal...i cant tell you the number of 3D shows we watched were ruined by the stupid woman filming the ride while on it...big stupid screen kept catching my attention....how the hell does one watch a 3D show behind the screen 2D ??? MORON. I saw her on three rides doing same thing...nearly smashed it over her head on last time!

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[drd1135]

I know we keep bringing up the "bigger is better" argument for North Americans, but I think it is more a simple lack of awareness of there existing a level of camera other than P&S and DSLRs. There is almost no advertising other than Nikon and Canon and the popular news outlets simply don't mention mirrorless cameras. I don't know how the word spreads in Asia but folks here are largely unaware because no one is telling them about CSCs.

 

[Markb]

In the nearly three years I've been living in this town full of tourists I've seen precisely one X100, one E-M1 + 12-40 combo and one X-Pro1. Not counting my own various mirrorless cameras, that is. Maybe there's loads more out there and there's something in this "stealth" business.

Oh, and one digital Leica.

 

[Deleted member 16340]

I see a few around here (tourist town). It seems to be mostly younger tourists from East/Southeast Asian countries. The ladies tend to choose the more colourful options. I myself sometimes wonder how my E-M5 would look in a nice, soft, pink leatherette.

 

[Ross the fiddler]

I know we keep bringing up the "bigger is better" argument for North Americans, but I think it is more a simple lack of awareness of there existing a level of camera other than P&S and DSLRs. There is almost no advertising other than Nikon and Canon and the popular news outlets simply don't mention mirrorless cameras. I don't know how the word spreads in Asia but folks here are largely unaware because no one is telling them about CSCs.

Maybe because retailers (& wholesalers) have decided North Americans aren't ready to change their thinking from "bigger is better" to smaller CSC's being worth considering. In Australia, one retailer chain, Camera House, are now stocking more Olympus cameras whereas previously they told me (in Penrith, NSW) "they wouldn't stock Olympus cameras because people wouldn't buy them". Maybe people would buy them if retailers weren't so biased themselves, but things are slowly changing thanks to good reviews coming out with the OM-D & PEN cameras.