Seems like an awful lot of talk about different systems lately

[Fuzzdog]

And yet the only company I can trust to make an English (weather) proof camera is Olympus (in mirrorless form, else Pentax would take that crown)

That's a big one for me - if I want weatherproof and mirrorless, Olympus (and therefore M43) is really the only option. I don't trust Panasonic weather sealing (mostly due to absolutely zero experience with it, to be fair), Sony 'weatherproofing' is a complete joke, Canon and Nikon systems are too new to really trust, and my experience with Fuji weatherproofing is that it's nowhere near as good as it claims to be.

If you want a camera to shoot in bad weather, Olympus and Pentax really are the top dogs by quite a large margin.

 

[pake]

You could always go to the USA.

A trustworthy source told me that there isn't a COVID-19 problem there ... .

Was it the president of that country?

 

[John King]

Was it the president of that country?

Some guy with an orange stoat wrapped around his head ... ?

 

[Linh]

I'm not leaving, but if FF systems offer a 2.8 compact prime set, I'll probably get it. My biggest draw to m43 is the size/weight advantage. That hasn't gotten away, but I want the tracking performance of Sony.

Now, I haven't tried the em1.3, but the em5.3 isn't impressive to me. Yes, this is luxury laziness on my part, but the a73 seems to work so well (tbf, I also haven't used that extensively).

But I'm in no rush. I'll still add a sigma 56/1.4 I think. If I find one cheap .

My answer will change if I ever get into video probably.

 

[L0n3Gr3yW0lf]

I'm not leaving, but if FF systems offer a 2.8 compact prime set, I'll probably get it. My biggest draw to m43 is the size/weight advantage. That hasn't gotten away, but I want the tracking performance of Sony.

Now, I haven't tried the em1.3, but the em5.3 isn't impressive to me. Yes, this is luxury laziness on my part, but the a73 seems to work so well (tbf, I also haven't used that extensively).

But I'm in no rush. I'll still add a sigma 56/1.4 I think. If I find one cheap .

My answer will change if I ever get into video probably.

Samyang has been making amazingly compact f 1.8 AND f 2.8 prime lenses with Autofocus as well. And Tamron has hit a home run with their f 2.8 primes (and weather-sealed too).

 

[SteveAdler]

It's just a camera and some lenses. Nothing about M43 leaves me wanting something heavier, more expensive, and different. If anything, I use my smartphone more because its always with me.

I also never understood why 35mm is called "Full Frame" and therefore m43 is somehow less than full. It's full enough for me.

 

[BosseBe]

It's just a camera and some lenses. Nothing about M43 leaves me wanting something heavier, more expensive, and different. If anything, I use my smartphone more because its always with me.

I also never understood why 35mm is called "Full Frame" and therefore m43 is somehow less than full. It's full enough for me.

It is worse then that "Full Frame" is smaller then "Medium Frame"! Sheer idiocy!
Since µ43 has a smaller frame then 35mm, we fill our frame more so µ43 should really be called "Fuller Frame!
And the "Fullest Frame" will be a Pin-hole camera!

 

[Paulb123]

I came to Olympus micro 4/3 from compact bridge i.e. no DSLR because my fellow hikers had bought DSLRs and one by one they stopped using the cameras because they were too big to carry.
I have little experience with other cameras but my Olympus OMD 10 mark 2 is serving me extremely well and if I was to change it would be the Oly 5 mark 3 - same battery and lens just waterproof and better AF and IBIS (I am told).
My mate went from (Pentax) APSC to (Pentax) FF and it is the hidden costs - lenses, laptop ( bigger files need more CPU), filters that all add up. His camera can knock the spots off mine in astrophotography (Pentax have some cool features here) but everything else? Hiking we mainly do landscape and between our photos which we regularly compare it really is about Composition which is best. He likes long exposure waterfalls (which needs stronger filters for ff), while I like just a little "streaking" which is about 1/6 second, easily possible with no tripod. And when the light is flat, I have advantage with the art filters to be creative.
As an amateur, this is not and never will be an investment.
Having said all this, I am Interested in the latest developments in cameras and appreciate if fellow photographers want to change for whatever reasons, we only live once.

 

[Linh]

Samyang has been making amazingly compact f 1.8 AND f 2.8 prime lenses with Autofocus as well. And Tamron has hit a home run with their f 2.8 primes (and weather-sealed too).

I've looked at those. They have me at 35mm (though, the tamrons still are large to me). Nearly considered an A73 with the Samyang 35/2.8, but held off, heh. I would like to see 35/50/85. That 85/2.8 is going to be the tough one. No one will likely want to make that (or probably buy that, heh).

 

[Aristophanes]

I've looked at those. They have me at 35mm (though, the tamrons still are large to me). Nearly considered an A73 with the Samyang 35/2.8, but held off, heh. I would like to see 35/50/85. That 85/2.8 is going to be the tough one. No one will likely want to make that (or probably buy that, heh).

Because the zooms will be as sharp, and the sum of all focal lengths, much cheaper.

 

[Repp]

While I’m still fully in on m43, I’ve been considering switching. But I’ll be waiting till late 2021 to likely make any solid decision. I figure that in a year we’ll likely see the A7iv, maybe something new from Fuji; and more importantly, have a better feel of where JIP is taking Olympus and if Panasonic will be gimping m43 in order to boost their own FF system.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Well the Lumix S5 body is full frame and is smaller than the M43 G9.

 

[L0n3Gr3yW0lf]

While I’m still fully in on m43, I’ve been considering switching. But I’ll be waiting till late 2021 to likely make any solid decision. I figure that in a year we’ll likely see the A7iv, maybe something new from Fuji; and more importantly, have a better feel of where JIP is taking Olympus and if Panasonic will be gimping m43 in order to boost their own FF system.

Well the Lumix S5 body is full frame and is smaller than the M43 G9.

But it's not trading blows on high-performance department, FPS & Frame Buffer Capacity. Some things can't make up by cropping or Post Processing. Panasonic G9 was meant to be the high-end of M4/3 to compete against Olympus OM-D E-M1s and Sony A9 while Panasonic S5 is the low-end of L-Mount, meant to compete with Sony A7 III and Nikon Z5/6.
And while the S5 might be smaller have you checked the size of L-Mount lenses?
Panasonic repeatedly said on record that the S series/L-Mount is meant for maximum IQ with little else in other consideration which left them straight fight even against DSLR in term of size, if they would drop M4/3 they would drop every single argument why they even got into Mirrorless system and will have a hard time arguing the benefits of S line outside the videographers market (which I have as much interest in myself as an ant into sex toys).

For myself, the only reason I would ever consider L-Mount is IF Sigma could manage to actually come out with a 35mm FF Foveon sensor with a decent AF and ISO performance. I get a mental orgasm every time I try to image the IQ of Foveon on foliage, fur, and high details in wildlife and landscape opportunities.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

The S5 is slightly smaller than the G9, but it's not lighter. The G9 is on the heavy side for M43.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Oh, I know. MASSIVE lenses, plus very expensive, with the exception of the Leica APO Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280 f/2.8–4. Nothing beyond 200mm.

 

[Mike Wingate]

The G9 is Panasonic Lumix Flagship camera in m43, so it had better be good.

 

[Repp]

The G9 is Panasonic Lumix Flagship camera in m43, so it had better be good.

It's their flagship m43 stills camera, though maybe light-hybrid would be better fitting now. Panny just has issues with consistency. The GH line has always been the hard video featured line, but before the G9, the GX8 was their best stills oriented body... only to have it downgraded with the GX9 (which is still called the GX7mk3 in japan by Panasonic...).

The deciding factor for me with Panny will be if the m43 line up continues to get new and innovative tech vs if it starts to only get trickle down stuff from their FF line up. If the later, I'll be dumping most of my m43 gear unless JIP/Oly comes up with with something that hits it out of the park. I'm biding my time for now, as my system is pretty well built and serves my needs... but the longer I wait the less I'll be able to sell/trade it in for if I do decide to switch.

 

[Repp]

What I'd really like to see from Panny in the future:
1. a sensor upgrade. I don't need high MP, just better low ISO, DR, and maybe flash sync speed (aka global shutter!). BSI would be great.

2. Focus on 4-5 camera bodies, to include:
- a 60 stills / 40 video pro body
- a 30 stills / 70 video pro body, preferably with AF upgrade... maybe TOF or much better DFD
- a pro compact travel camera (aka a real gx8 upgrade)
- a GM line pocket camera upgrade.

What I'd like to see from Oly:
1. Same with new sensor tech
2. Menus!
3. More video features to compete with other offerings
4. Support Dual I.S. from other lens companies!
- I think their EM1/5/10 lines are fine, and while I'd love to see a Pen-F mk2, I don't think it will happen.

 

[Macroramphosis]

I'm happy with my m4/3 cameras. What I really want is a very good, WR, 10 - 200 f2.8mm - about the size of the 12-60 f3.5. Think PL50-200 quality, priced around £1000 or so. Physics says it's impossible, but then 100 years ago everything was impossible.

A piece of glass like that would excite me so much more than an itty-bitty upgrade to a line of bodies. AI will be along shortly anyway to make our images look stellar. But the glass will help us get them in the first place.

 

[Linh]

Because the zooms will be as sharp, and the sum of all focal lengths, much cheaper.

like I said, no one but me wants a compact 85/2.8 prime I just like using primes, that's it. I don't think a 35-85/2.8 zoom exists (and how big would it be?). Though, a 35-85/4 zoom would be an interesting option. And no, I don't want 24-70s or 24-105s heh.