You know, it's beginning to seem as though cameras like the m4/3 or even the RX100 could be thought of as "primary" cameras, meant to be used or printed without much tweaking at all. In other words, like the old film cameras, where the emphasis was on getting what you wanted in-camera, with limited possibilities thereafter (in the darkroom.) The bigger sensor cameras like the new Sony or the 810 or the MF cameras are more like "secondary" cameras, where the secondary manipulation of the photo comes to the fore -- basically a data collection that you plan to extensively manipulate and perfect in Lightroom or Photoshop, where the extra capabilities of these camera can really be used, where, for example, you can radically crop yet still get a fine-grained image.
Yeah, that's how I'm seeing it. Still in the process of getting the GX8 set up for optimal in-camera results, but I think I'm getting closer. Today was partly a tryout of the "Natural" color profile, which I've concluded is too cool for my taste. But…the GX8 has in-camera RAW processing capability. Nothing like a proper RAW suite, of course, but useful enough for solid out-of-camera images with minimal, if any, phone/tablet tweaking. The same photo I posted above—reprocessed in-camera with the "Standard" profile, a slightly warmer color balance and a tick up in contrast—is pretty much "there" in terms of screen display.
The in-camera JPEG quality of Sony's A7r2 is IMO…rubbish. Spatial delineation is well enough preserved but tonal subtleties are clobbered to keep file sizes small. RAW processing is a must. Given that processing, image quality is the best I've ever obtained from any camera I've ever used. I'm not a big "sharpness" guy but even my jaw has dropped more than once looking at full-res segments of photos I've taken with it. If I had a huge printer I'd be in photo heaven. As it is the camera is total
overkill for my needs. I'm actually glad the GX8 arrived at about the same time as the Sony…it's given me a helpful dose of proper perspective.
Your comments about the virtues of lower-res images are IMO right on, not that many current cameras will provide them by default. But with m43 cameras in particular you can ramp up the ISO, if you want, for some noise/grain and a narrower tonal range. There's a verité aspect to lower-res photography, whether inherent or imputed by us based on history or custom or received understanding, that appeals very much to me.
-Dave-
