Olympus E-M10 IV or Panasonic G85

[davidzvi]

I'm seriously considering getting a "used / great condition" 5.3 from eBay. I keep the lower weight of the 10.4 while also getting the weather seal, better AF, and flip-out LCD that I liked about the G85, and I almost stay within my budget. The 5.3 would be paired with an Olympus 14-150mm lens.

In your opinion as someone who actually owns a 5.3 and knows infinitely more than I do, does a used 5.3 from eBay sound like a good "best of both worlds" option?

All depends on the seller, not where they are selling it.

The E-M5.3 is a good boy with a LOT of advantages over the E-M10.4. But will you use them? And if you're just starting out the E-M10.4 is a much simpler tool to get started with.

 

[ChuckG]

I own the G85 with the Panasonic 12-60 kit lens. The combo really doesn't weigh that much, much lighter than my Sony A77. I carried the combo all day today at EPCOT. I like the size, grip, and having the battery and SD card in separate areas. This is the 1st camera I've owned with the flip out screen and when I bought it I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. It has grown on me. The controls for shutter, aperture, white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, and others are easy to use. Is it possible for you to rent the cameras and lenses to try them out before you buy them? That way you can see if you like how they handle and feel. For me, I looked at the Sony 6000 series but hated the lack of a good grip. I rented the Sony 7II and like it but ultimately, the cost and weight of the lenses for it were too much for me.

 

[Avondale87]

Thanks everyone for all the responses. You've really given me a lot to think about. I haven't decided what camera I'll buy next but I feel like I'm better informed. Thanks!

Late comer here and an Olympus only user.
But I looked up your options proposed and if I didn't have Olympus I'd most likely chose Panasonic option.
That's based on my appreciation for custom buttons amongst other things from my EM5 1,2,3 and EM1 2.
I think I'm right but it looks like the G85 has two dedicated custom buttons or dial settings , the EM10 none?

Weather sealing? I'd go for best option.

Despite all said elsewhere and the intermix of brands (I've a Panasonic 100-400 on an Olympus EM1 2) I do appreciate when camera and lens are designed for each other.

Battery life has been mentioned. Cost of batteries probably similar.

16 vs 20 mp. If you spot the difference then it may also be influenced more by your photographic finesse than the sensor size. Yes, pushing the limits it makes a difference, but I've seen incredibly detailed 16mp photos so something working there.

Did I miss? Can you view same in a camera shop etc?

The flip out screen is very good IMO. I'd prefer fully articulating over non.
Allows the screen to be fully rotated against the camera or folded out and laid back against it or just folded out to view, plus low shots are a breeze. Don't underestimate that even if it doesn't appeal now.

I like the looks and what I read of the G85. But I'm not buying.
But I'd love to have a crack at one

 

[bargainguy]

I'm seriously considering getting a "used / great condition" 5.3 from eBay. I keep the lower weight of the 10.4 while also getting the weather seal, better AF, and flip-out LCD that I liked about the G85, and I almost stay within my budget. The 5.3 would be paired with an Olympus 14-150mm lens.

In your opinion as someone who actually owns a 5.3 and knows infinitely more than I do, does a used 5.3 from eBay sound like a good "best of both worlds" option?

Absolutely. I really like both cameras, but the 5.3 is easier to use.

I picked up the 10.4 as a special from Olympus at holiday time. Think I paid ~ $475 USD. But if I had the chance to do it over again, I'd skip the 10.4 in favor of another 5.3. Yeah, I like it that much.

 

[Deneb]

Absolutely. I really like both cameras, but the 5.3 is easier to use.

I picked up the 10.4 as a special from Olympus at holiday time. Think I paid ~ $475 USD. But if I had the chance to do it over again, I'd skip the 10.4 in favor of another 5.3. Yeah, I like it that much.

THANK YOU!

I've gone ahead and bought a used 5.3 that seems to be in excellent condition. I was concerned for a moment when @davidzvi said that 10.4 is much simpler for a beginner, but I watched a 5.3 tutorial on YouTube and I didn't feel overwhelmed at all. The 5.3 just looked like a camera that gives me room to grow. The features I know seemed easy to find, and over time I will learn some of the other features.

I'm actually curious; in which sense is the 5.3 easier to use?

 

[LV426]

EM5.3 is a great choice. AND you are getting one of the best AF systems and IS in m43. Look forward to seeing your photos from it.
~~~~~~ For lenses, I would recommend adding one prime to go along with the 14-150mm. Whatever your main interest is (portraits, macro, street) get yourself a nice f2.8 or larger prime.

 

[bargainguy]

On the 5.3, the card door is on the right side of the camera. Easy access.

On the 10.4, the card is slotted next to the battery on the bottom of the camera. With a grip, trying to wedge my fingers in there to pull out an SD card is fiddly. A little less so for the battery, but still fiddly.

Also the flip-out screen on the 5.3 that I can fold back in when not in use. 10.4 doesn't have that feature.

 

[BruceRH]

THANK YOU!

I've gone ahead and bought a used 5.3 that seems to be in excellent condition. I was concerned for a moment when @davidzvi said that 10.4 is much simpler for a beginner, but I watched a 5.3 tutorial on YouTube and I didn't feel overwhelmed at all. The 5.3 just looked like a camera that gives me room to grow. The features I know seemed easy to find, and over time I will learn some of the other features.

I'm actually curious; in which sense is the 5.3 easier to use?

Excellent choice! I would definitely pair it with the Olympus 14-150, weather sealed, excellent range and image quality. You may want to find a used wide angle to pair with it or you can just do image stitching with the 14-150 if you want a wider image.

 

[ChuckG]

When I was researching cameras prior to buying my G85 I did consider both the Olympus 5.2 and 5.3. Enjoy your new camera. There are a lot of excellent lenses available.

 

[Deneb]

Excellent choice! I would definitely pair it with the Olympus 14-150, weather sealed, excellent range and image quality. You may want to find a used wide angle to pair with it or you can just do image stitching with the 14-150 if you want a wider image.

Thanks! Since you mention wide angle lenses, what would be a reasonable range for landscape photos? Looking at what's available in the B&H website, the ultra-wide lenses seem to go down to 12mm and below that I see a bunch of 7.5mm FishEye lenses that I definitely don't want. This may be a dumb question, but is 12mm even worth it? It's only ~15% less than the 14mm I already have.

 

[BruceRH]

Thanks! Since you mention wide angle lenses, what would be a reasonable range for landscape photos? Looking at what's available in the B&H website, the ultra-wide lenses seem to go down to 12mm and below that I see a bunch of 7.5mm FishEye lenses that I definitely don't want. This may be a dumb question, but is 12mm even worth it? It's only ~15% less than the 14mm I already have.

Actually, 12mm is my favorite focal length along with my 10.5mm f.95 Voigtlander (Manual Focus). 14mm is certainly fine for landscape but something wider is nice to have. I typically carry something like the 14-150 and then either a wide prime or wide zoom.

For wide, besides the Voigtlander, I have the Laowa 7.5 (also MF) and the Olympus 8mm Fish Eye and for zooms I have the Olympus 9-18 and the Panasonic/Leica 8-18 (I sold my Olympus 7-14 Pro in favor of the Panasonic/Leica). If I could only have one, it would be the Panasonic/Leica 8-18. It is reasonably sized, reasonably fast, very sharp and has a wonderful rendering. The Laowa is nice and pretty sharp and it is very small, it is very handy to have with you plus it has pretty decent sunstars. My favorite for sunstars is the Voigtlander 10.5/.95 and it is my favorite nighttime lens. It is heavy and kind of expensive but the results are easily recognizable. This lens is a lens I do not ever want to be without. The Olympus 8mm Fish Eye is compact, fast and very sharp. Your new to you EM5 MKiii can defish the image in camera which makes it a very nice wide angle, plus it has autofocus. The Olympus 9-18 is also worth considering IMHO. It is the first wide that I bought in the system and I still use it because it is very compact and gives me excellent results, you won’t even know it is in your bag and it can be found used relatively cheap. At the 12mm focal length I have the wonderful and very small Olympus 12mm f2, another lens I that I will always keep as long as I am shooting MFT. It is also very small and mine gives me excellent image quality.

Your choice on a wide will be influenced by what your preferences are, zoom/prime, MF/AF size and price. My preference if just starting would probably be the PL 8-18, you can’t go wrong but if you like night images my choice would be the Voigtlander. The majority of my favorite night images are taken with that lens.

Here are a few examples including the Voigtlander, Laowa and the PL.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Since the Voigtlander is a manual lens, the EXIF is not correct for the aperture. I usually use F2 for my night images. You can set up lens profiles in the EM5 menu, the only issue is you have to select that profile to get the lens info in the EXIF. Telling the camera the focal length is also imp for the IBIS to use the correct amount of stabilization.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

The biggest problem with MFT‘s is the very large selection of excellent lenses!

 

[retiredfromlife]

Thanks! Since you mention wide angle lenses, what would be a reasonable range for landscape photos? Looking at what's available in the B&H website, the ultra-wide lenses seem to go down to 12mm and below that I see a bunch of 7.5mm FishEye lenses that I definitely don't want. This may be a dumb question, but is 12mm even worth it? It's only ~15% less than the 14mm I already have.

If you want a cheap wide angle lens, the Oly 9mm body cap lens is suprising good, and there is a show case for it on this forum

https://shop.olympus.com.au/bcl-0980-9mm-f8-0-body-cap-lens

If you ever look at the body cap lenses the 15mm one is cheaper for a reason, not as good as the 9mm one.

 

[ac12]

Thanks! Since you mention wide angle lenses, what would be a reasonable range for landscape photos? Looking at what's available in the B&H website, the ultra-wide lenses seem to go down to 12mm and below that I see a bunch of 7.5mm FishEye lenses that I definitely don't want. This may be a dumb question, but is 12mm even worth it? It's only ~15% less than the 14mm I already have.

When your back is literally up against the wall, whatever you have is not wide enough. Been there, done that.
12mm is more than enough for most people.
Back in my film days, the 28 (14mm m4/3 equiv) was as wide as most people could handle. Any wider and the wide angle distortion/perspective was hard to manage.

If you can stitch the scene, you can stitch together several shots and get even wider coverage.

 

[LV426]

The Panasonic 7-14mm is a solid uwa lens

 

[Deneb]

Your new to you EM5 MKiii can defish the image in camera which makes it a very nice wide angle, plus it has autofocus.

A camera can defish an image? That's amazing. I got a PDF copy of the manual and I found the fisheye correction feature; wow.

In any event, you've convinced me that a wide angle lens would be great to have. For now I'll get either the Olympus 9mm f/8 or the 7artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 because they're the cheapest and I'll save up to get a PL 8-18 later in the future. Do you have a recommendation between Olympus 9mm vs 7artisans 7.5mm? I looked at the showcase for both lenses and I saw gorgeous images with both.

The manual says "This option is only available with compatible fisheye lenses." How would I know which lenses are compatible?

The biggest problem with MFT‘s is the very large selection of excellent lenses!

Yeah, I'm starting to discover that.

 

[davidzvi]

THANK YOU!

I've gone ahead and bought a used 5.3 that seems to be in excellent condition. I was concerned for a moment when @davidzvi said that 10.4 is much simpler for a beginner, but I watched a 5.3 tutorial on YouTube and I didn't feel overwhelmed at all. The 5.3 just looked like a camera that gives me room to grow. The features I know seemed easy to find, and over time I will learn some of the other features.

I'm actually curious; in which sense is the 5.3 easier to use?

The E-M5.3 is a great option and something I would have recommended. But I really try NOT to recommend more expensive bodies than people say they are looking at without specific reasons. Say like you were looking for action and tracking, then I would have said you really need Phase AF.

The E-M10.4 is simpler, the advanced features have fewer options and it makes some of the decisions on settings for you. For some it makes it easier and keeps them out of trouble. For others it may become frustrating that they don't have more control over the advanced features.

I stand by my recommendations on glass:
Olympus 9-18mm
Olympus 25mm f/1.8
Olympus 40-150mm

 

[BruceRH]

A camera can defish an image? That's amazing. I got a PDF copy of the manual and I found the fisheye correction feature; wow.

In any event, you've convinced me that a wide angle lens would be great to have. For now I'll get either the Olympus 9mm f/8 or the 7artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 because they're the cheapest and I'll save up to get a PL 8-18 later in the future. Do you have a recommendation between Olympus 9mm vs 7artisans 7.5mm? I looked at the showcase for both lenses and I saw gorgeous images with both.

The manual says "This option is only available with compatible fisheye lenses." How would I know which lenses are compatible?


Yeah, I'm starting to discover that.

Sorry, no experience with those 2 lenses. The defish only works with the Olympus 8mm FE, as far as I know that is the only one compatible. Keep in mind the Laowa 7.5 is not a FE, it is a rectilinear lens so no defish required. The cheapest lens is not always the cheapest in the long run if there is something you want more.

 

[Deneb]

Sorry, no experience with those 2 lenses. The defish only works with the Olympus 8mm FE, as far as I know that is the only one compatible. Keep in mind the Laowa 7.5 is not a FE, it is a rectilinear lens so no defish required. The cheapest lens is not always the cheapest in the long run if there is something you want more.

Thanks. That tells me what I need to know. I think I'll just wait and get the right gear.

 

[greensteves]

Relative to lenses and Yellowstone, it depends on what animals you want to photo. The bison are often fairly close, and a 14-140mm or 14-150mm lens should be quite sufficient to work for both landscape and bison. Sometimes elk and moose can also be close, other times far. Mammals like bears and wolves can (and should) be quite far away, and these lenses will not get you close enough to get a good image. You'll need at least 300mm for longer distance shots. This also helps for owls.

Relative to weather-sealing, it is a nice plus, otherwise you need to be careful as to when and where you use your camera. The Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II is an excellent weather-sealed camera that you can get at a quite reasonable price these days. It has good IBIS which can help for both long low-light exposures and for reducing shake in longer telephoto lenses. I can't speak for the G85, it probably is stronger in some areas and weaker in others.

 

[RAH]

A camera can defish an image? That's amazing. I got a PDF copy of the manual and I found the fisheye correction feature; wow.

In any event, you've convinced me that a wide angle lens would be great to have. For now I'll get either the Olympus 9mm f/8 or the 7artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 because they're the cheapest and I'll save up to get a PL 8-18 later in the future. Do you have a recommendation between Olympus 9mm vs 7artisans 7.5mm? I looked at the showcase for both lenses and I saw gorgeous images with both.

The manual says "This option is only available with compatible fisheye lenses." How would I know which lenses are compatible?

As @BruceRH says, the Oly 8mm FE is the only compatible lens. As far as getting an ultrawide lens, I suggest getting the Oly m43 9-18. It is VERY popular with good reason. I am not suggesting that it is as sharp as the PL 8-18, but it is significantly less expensive, and VERY small, so it is perfect for travel. In other words, I think you'd be better off getting the 9-18 now instead of getting the 9mm body-cap lens and saving for the 8-18. If you get the 9-18 now, you can still save for the 8-18 later if you decide you want something even better (but larger and much more expensive). Otherwise, you cannot go wrong with the 9-18 because even when you have an 8-18 (which I do) the 9-18 still fits the small-size niche beautifully.