Not here of course, but other boards. It's fine if people don't like m 4/3, or it doesn't meet their needs, but why take the time to trash the format? A lot of people, enjoy the format. I don't use FF anymore, but I don't post threads trashing FF dslrs. No one is trying to force me to use dslrs, nor am I trying to force anyone to use M 4/3, but it seems like it bothers a lot of people. Despite the fact, M 4/3 is used more and more by pros, I hear comments that it's just an over priced…point and shoot system. Again, people have a right to their opinion, but why spend time trashing a system? Is this fairly common over several boards, or have I just been "lucky" to catch the comments on the few boards I frequent? It's a simple proposition for me..I like OM m 4/3, therefore I use it. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't use it. Why it seems to bother other shooters, that aren't in anyway affected by my photography (as in..they aren't losing or making money, based on my work) …I just don't get it.
It is true of just about every other system out there. In fact the M43 crowd are probably the only ones that seem to tolerate talk of other systems. Get on a Sony forum and question the fact that AutoISO can't be adjusted like on Nikon or Olympus, you get people telling you that you are an idiot for even asking.
I think the excitement (and camera of the year awards) about cameras like the E-M5 and the E-M1 cause some folks to get very defensive about their gear of choice. But why really bother with that nonsense at all? Part of the fun of m4/3s since the beginning has been being in on something that not everyone seemed to get. The more they rip it the smarter you should feel.
I think it depends where you are. M4/3 is well respected on the Nikon Café. I find m43 and my Nikon stuff to be the perfect match of tools for me. But then I really like the two forums. I like FM but it can be very "rough and tumble" at times, just not quite as insane as DPR.
There are a considerable number of m4/3 users that bash other systems as well, including members of this forum. So I wouldn't put m4/3 users in a pedestal. At least not yet! I just like to bash all systems!
I usually don't get asked to defend my gear selection, but if and when it happens I usually just use 1) the images I've made from my cameras, especially the large ones on display, and 2) my experience with what freedom it allows and what compromises I think I've had to accommodate, if any to achieve my photographic goals, primary of which is to always have fun and enjoy what I do. All formats have limitations or, if not absolute limitations, hurdles that can be dealt with in various fashion. Having shot manual cameras and lenses for over 30 years, I'm frankly still amazed at every camera I pick up today, even my 14 year old Olympus C3000Z. And when I wax nostalgic about something from "yesterday" I try not to lose perspective that what I am using today is almost miraculous in every sense of the word.
You want the truthful answer to this question? Simply put its because people love to hate (for many self-satisfying reasons). Take a good look around on the web where its easy for people to hide behind there keyboards and you will see that this is a universal concept, it doesn't just apply to camera's and the photography world but just about every single thing you can think of, people just love to hate on other people's choices.
I get bashed all the time for my m43 system because the small sensor but I am completely okay with that. I just respond by showing my full frame gears and tell them I have cameras range from small to large because I like to experience different cameras and I complete agree with their point of view such as I completely understand the limitation of m43 but I just want to play with different toys.
I don't go about suggesting m4/3's superiority to FF…, but it seems to bother some people. I just don't understand why. I suspect Jay86 is right..(people just love to hate). I have used..med format..(film) as well as 35 mm format and later dslrs, and I'm happy with the m 4/3 system..it works for me. That someone else prefers FF, doesn't bother me in the least. But it's like some feel threatened by m 4/3rds..format, which I doubt is ever going to replace full frame. At the end of the day, it's just "gear".
I don't think it's love to hate at all. I suspect that most of these people don't care, they just know an effective troll when they see one.
It's just a tradition. Few using other systems want to acknowledge that m4/3 is actually an extremely capable system and has advanced significantly from its early days. A few years ago, a relative visited from overseas, who works for a photo tour company and takes paying customers to places around the world for photography experiences, and came over here for a cousin's wedding and a holiday. She was pretty dismissive of my Olympus gear, but that didn't bother me all that much. As a wedding gift, she took some photos of a couple of local scenes and asked if I could do some prints of the shots (no big deal, as my IPF5000 is capable of doing commercial quality prints). When I got the files, I had to do around two hours of post-processing and discussion with her as to how much she was prepared for me to work on the images (the JPG files were flat and lacklustre in the extreme). My Olympus E-5 that I had at the time could have taken a JPG that was significantly better quality, but for something as important as this, at the very least I would have taken RAW + JPG. It just goes to show that other systems are not all that they are cracked up to be and that some are often too wedded to their own gear to have any respect for something different. What somewhat peeved me about the entire experience was that no one thanked me for all the work I did to salvage the crappy shots and produce the prints. But that's what happens when you deal with relatives.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I have photographer friends..who seem to think my choice of gear is not as good as their gear. FF. Reminds me of the old Nikon vs Canon arguments. I have never heard of artists arguing over which brand or size paint brush to use. I just don't understand why it bothers some FF shooters so much, that M 4/3s is popular. It's not like FF dslrs are going away anytime soon.
My Canon (FF) gear was better in overall quality, but I enjoy shooting with m 4/3 more, and not being a working pro, this works for me. BTW, the bias on other sites, is not referring to Nikon Cafe. Some very nice people there, and even when I was firmly in Canon, most I interacted with couldn't care less about the brand I was using. It was all about the photography. As well it should be. I'm not saying I'm losing sleep over the anti m 4/3 bias, I'm just curious. I really don't care if other people do not like my choice of gear. Nor do I care, what format they shoot with. It's just simply a matter of curiosity, as to why..some FF shooters feel threatened. It's almost silly, in my view.
The only group that consistently bashes m43, in my experience, are some users in the Sony/NEX forums. These people are truly delusional and I've decided they're simply not worth my time. I won't even go over there anymore because it would wear me out trying to counter all the lies they spew. It's gotten way worse since the recent m43 sensors have achieved IQ essentially even with their beloved APS-C sensors, and they absolutely cannot abide that. So my advice is: ignore them. One of the things I love about this forum so much is that we can have a level, honest discussion about formats other than m43 without devolving into a brand war. So this is where I'll stay!
I'd have to say you've been "lucky". I don't know which boards you frequent, but the ones I read regularly do not engage in m43 bashing. To the contrary, POTN has a number of members who use m43 cameras in addition to their Canon gear. In fact, there are two threads on their forum dedicated to m43 - one with 1637 posts and 138,000+ views. I no longer own my 5D Mark II, but I'm still a member and enjoy it very much. The quality of the photography there is something I aspire to. The members are very willing to help others improve their skills, and that's my main reason for spending time on any forum.
I am a longtime member of POTN, but had stopped visiting..when I went with m4/3, not due to any bashing, but I didn't realize…this format was being discussed there. Looks like I need to visit again.
I think that anyone who subscribes to any forum relating to electronic gear cannot take the comments to heart. These are "discussion" boards and you will always see positive and negative comments. Some people have a way with words....and others don't have the ability to express themselves without sounding harsh. I was surprised to see very few positive comments regarding the E-M10......and shocked to see some of the negative comments. That's because I bought the E-M10 and only want to see positive comments to reinforce my decision to buy this particular product (just kidding!). We become quite defensive over the equipment that we choose, and critical over the equipment that we did not choose. I think that is fairly normal. Too many people think that larger is better....more expensive is better. Personally, other than for sports photography, I don't believe that my E-M10 pictures will less satisfying than my pictures with my Canon 7D and 17-55 lens. I come to this board to share my experiences and gain knowledge. Amazing what you can learn from you peers. Who cares what was used to take a great picture. When you post a great picture, people usually say "Nice Picture.....what equipment did you use?". It is very seldom that someone will first ask asks "What equipment did you use......" before saying "Nice picture". A good photo will be a good photo no matter what equipment was used.
