Which compact?

[feppe]

I'm looking for a second smaller camera to replace my dSLR on motorcycle trips; something not necessarily pocketable but significantly smaller than a prosumer dSLR. I would prefer a system, so I can invest in good lenses and upgrade the body when new generations come.

I would be using the camera with fixed lenses for landscapes and cityscapes, and some portraits. Shooting at base ISO, with substantial amount of low-light photography on tripod, so proper bulb mode and remote control a must. MFT cameras seem like a perfect compromise between IQ, features and size/weight.

On Olympus side the price difference between E-P2 and E-PL1 is quite large, and the differences in features is small, at least where it matters to me. The only one is the claimed superior image stabilization, 3 stops for the E-PL1 vs. 4 stops for E-P2 as per Olympus specs - but it's certainly not worth several hundred euro.

I have dismissed the Panasonics due to their lack of in-body image stabilization. But the lens selection isn't exactly large for unstabilized MFT lenses so this is not such a limitation as it first appears. The Oly would benefit from IS with off-brand lenses. The G2 will probably be around the price of E-P2 as well, so expensive compared to the E-PL1.

Samsung NX or whatever Sony has in store would be an option but they're not available yet. Lumix LX3 would be a contender if it was available anywhere, and the IQ is poor from the samples I've seen. There are some Ricohs with impressive IQ, but they are limited by either a fixed lens or poor range of their zooms. I'll consider a Leica if I win the lottery.

The Olympus E-PL1 seems like the obvious choice - it's an affordable entry to MFT to see if it's a viable choice for me in the long term, and offers most of the benefits of the format and features of its bigger brother. I'm also considering a 6x9 film folder, but that's a whole different beast.

Anything I've missed?

[tokengirl]

I look forward to the responses you get, as I am sort of in the same boat as you.  The difference for me, is that I will have the camera converted for infrared.  I am also pretty sure MFT is the way to go, but I am having a hard time deciding between the offerings.  They all seem to produce excellent results when used correctly (assuming one has realistic expectations and does not expect 52 stops of dynamic range   ).

Does SOOC jpeg matter to you, or will you shoot everything in RAW?

[feppe]

Does SOOC jpeg matter to you, or will you shoot everything in RAW?

Can't imagine using JPEG for any serious shooting, but I do use JPEG for casuals and snapshots at lowest resolution as they don't need any conversion to upload online. For those the built-in "art" filters might actually be useful.

I've never done video, so it might be fun to try that out as well.

[Lisa Nikodym]

I've already gone through that decision.  I got a Fujifilm f30 digicam while back, and later an f200, but the lack of many manual controls, lack of raw, tendency to blow out highlights, and noise (as good as you get in a digicam, but quite disappointing compared with a DSLR) caused me to never be all that happy with them.  Then I just recently got an M4/3 Panasonic (the GH1) with the stabilized 14-140mm lens, and I'm currently learning to use it.  So far, I'm quite happy with it.  I compared a couple of equivalent shots with it and with my Nikon DSLR with a similar zoom lens, and the Panasonic has *very nearly* as good IQ in decent light.  I haven't tried it in very low light yet.  It seems to have all the manual controls of my DSLR (except mirror lock-up    ).  The focus speed is surprisingly close to that of my DSLR, too, something that reviews for many of the other small cameras have complained about.

Lisa

[tokengirl]

It seems to have all the manual controls of my DSLR (except mirror lock-up    ).

Now that right there is some funny stuff.  


I am leaning towards the GF1 with the 7-14mm zoom and the 20mm pancake.  Since I'll be converting it to IR, I don't really see using it for much other than landscapes anyways so I don't think I need anything longer.  On the other hand, I would like to wait until the M. Zuiko 9-18mm zoom is out, as that could be a nice compact one-lens solution for me.

[DarkPenguin]

I love my G1.  So I think you're on the right track with m43.

[JohnBrew]

I'm waiting for the Samsung NX10 with the 30mm pancake.

[Peter McLennan]

Motorcycle trip photography is a challenge.  I've done several motorcyce magazine articles with simple cameras and no complaints from readers or picture editors.

This new Sony is interesting.  I don't see RAW, though.  Some of the other features may compensate.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/sony_cyber-shot_dsc-hx5/

[jzzmusician]

I was looking for the same thing.  I take motorcycle trips and like to shoot even while riding.  I used a Canon G10 last year and found it to be just ok in the image department.

I just picked up the Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm pancake.  I hear rumors of a 14mm pancake being released sometime this summer.

Check out this guy's blog.  He on a bicycle traveling in Mexico and shoots the the panasonic.  IMO, the pictures look very good.

Good luck,

Bob

http://whileoutriding.wordpress.com/

[feppe]

I was looking for the same thing.  I take motorcycle trips and like to shoot even while riding.  I used a Canon G10 last year and found it to be just ok in the image department.

I just picked up the Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm pancake.  I hear rumors of a 14mm pancake being released sometime this summer.

Check out this guy's blog.  He on a bicycle traveling in Mexico and shoots the the panasonic.  IMO, the pictures look very good.

Good luck,

Bob

http://whileoutriding.wordpress.com/

That looks promising indeed.

I ordered the E-PL1 with the kit 14-42mm lens, and the Panasonic 14-45mm as it's significantly better according to dpreview test. I'll try out the panny lens and send it back if it doesn't outperform the oly. Still on the fence about the 20mm prime, will see if the zooms are good enough first.

Too bad there are only a few MFT primes, and nothing at the wide end. There's a superwide 9-18mm oly lens coming in May, though - hopefully it has better IQ than the kit lens.

[DaveL]

There's an incredible motorcycle touring site--California based, but with input world wide.
It's www.pashnit.com   He's passionate about motorcycles. Great photos there for us twisty road enthusiasts.
I'm a has-been motorcyclist but like the same roads.

Last October toured Newfoundland with my DSLR and G9 in our 911. Not much room for gear.   Sold the 911. Bought more gear.

I used my G9 more than my dslr. It was always handy.  Wore a Scottevest the whole time with the G9 stashed in a pocket.

Since then I've bought a G11, trading my G9. regret that, except I like the tilt-out screen.

When Ihad problems with my first G11 I bought a little Pany--ZS3 IIRC. It's the one that Michael reported on as a daily journal camera. Had lots of fun with the 25-300 lens; needs an extra battery or two. The screen washes out in bright light (skiing for instance.)

[jzzmusician]

Motorcycle trip photography is a challenge.  I've done several motorcyce magazine articles with simple cameras and no complaints from readers or picture editors.

This new Sony is interesting.  I don't see RAW, though.  Some of the other features may compensate.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/sony_cyber-shot_dsc-hx5/

This was taken a couple of weeks ago from my motorcycle at about 60 mph with the GF1 and 20mm pancake.  I'm sort of a beginner compared to most people here, but on my monitor and an 8x10 or less it looks, (to me) great.



I am however, pretty excited about the new Sony Nex 3/5 cameras.

Bob

[250swb]

As the camera market stands today I'd go with the Olympus EP-2 (with EVF) and the Panasonic 14-45 (not the brand new 14-42) as a basic starter kit. Olympus are going to be announcing new primes and zooms later in the year (and rumoured is a high end m4/3 body), but pick and choose and you can get a good selection of lenses already to fill out the standard zoom. The Olympus 9-18mm and Panasonic 45-200mm are excellent lenses for example.

Steve

[Roy]

I'm a hiker so both size and weight are important. I've tried several compacts but for me, having a viewfinder is essential. Using an LCD screen in daylight to compose a photo is an exercise in frustration and it shows in the results.

I have been using a Panny G1 for 18 months. At first I thought the electronic viewfinder was a drawback, but now that I am accustomed to it and understand it, I love it. The viewfinder on my Nikon now feels strange because it gives me so little feedback. The G1 is reasonably rugged, it has survived several falls and has been fairly wet several times. The image quality is good enough, although I wish it had better dynamic range. I keep looking at alternatives, but so far nothing beats the G1 for my needs. I find that the 14-45mm zoom and the 20mm pancake are all I use. The 45-200 is a good lens, but I don't use it much.

Any choice when constrained by size and weight will be a compromise.

[Andrzej Poniatowski]

Why not a Leica X1? The best travel-camera ever! Taken as Jpegs, almost "point-and-shoot" mode (mostly AV f/5.6-8, -1/3 EV compenation), very little editing in PS needed!
Check the images here:
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p619664384
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p997744703
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p584936775
Enjoy.
Andrzej

[PeterAit]

Why not a Leica X1? The best travel-camera ever! Taken as Jpegs, almost "point-and-shoot" mode (mostly AV f/5.6-8, -1/3 EV compenation), very little editing in PS needed!
Check the images here:
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p619664384
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p997744703
http://nordiskfoto.zenfolio.com/p584936775
Enjoy.
Andrzej

At the small size we see these images, they are not useful for evaluating the X1`s capabilities. They are lovely images, a testament to your skill, but they don;t tell us much about the camera.

[Andrzej Poniatowski]

At the small size we see these images, they are not useful for evaluating the X1`s capabilities. They are lovely images, a testament to your skill, but they don;t tell us much about the camera.

What MORE would you like to know about the camera? There are a few pixel-peeping reviews and lots of users´comments on the internet. You have access to all technical specs. As ANY camera it has its limitations and weak spots. Subjectively I can assure you that the print quality, up to A3, is breathtaking. Noise is controllable up to 800 ISO and AF is sufficient for "travel photography". What is extraordinary about the camera is this special Leica-glow you get that you cannnot replicate with PS tweaks, apart from great colour and contrast. In this aspect the camera easily compares to my Canon 5D MkII with Canon 24-105/4L IS - my "main outfit".

[Ken Bennett]

I know I'm coming late to the micro-4/3 party, but my Canon G-7 died last weekend, and I was leaving the next day for a hiking trip. Luckily I was in a city with a camera store (Penn Camera in Tyson's Corner, VA), and they had a wide selection. I went down there pretty much ready to buy a G-11, but not really happy with that choice. So I looked at the S90, the G-11, and also the Olympus Pen and the Panasonic GF-1. I've never been particularly happy with image quality from any p+s camera, but there are plenty of situations when I don't want to carry a DSLR.

So I ended up lightly melting my credit card to buy the GF-1 and the 20/1.7 lens. Went home and shot some test photos, opened them up on my laptop, and wow -- I was surprised at the image quality at ISO 400 and 800. Opening the same photo from the G-7 at ISO 400 was a joke. Very nice. That 20mm lens is brutally sharp, with a really nice fade into the out of focus areas at f/2 or so. Great for candid people photography. Reminds me of a Leica CL with the 40/2. It's a focal length that I like.

To make this landscape related, here is a handheld 5-frame stitched pano from the Appalachian Trail just north of the James River in central Virginia, USA. The trail climbs 2500 feet in less than 5 miles, though that understates the difficulty of the climb in 90+ degree temps and carrying a full pack. This view is from the top, looking east.

[attachment=23069:james_ri...pano_web.jpg]

The GF-1/20mm strikes me as a good choice for a carry-around camera (it's lived in a small waist pack for more than a week, always ready), more so if one likes that focal length, of course. The RAW files are very nice and easy to work with in the latest ACR.

[feppe]

I know I'm coming late to the micro-4/3 party, but my Canon G-7 died last weekend, and I was leaving the next day for a hiking trip. Luckily I was in a city with a camera store (Penn Camera in Tyson's Corner, VA), and they had a wide selection. I went down there pretty much ready to buy a G-11, but not really happy with that choice. So I looked at the S90, the G-11, and also the Olympus Pen and the Panasonic GF-1. I've never been particularly happy with image quality from any p+s camera, but there are plenty of situations when I don't want to carry a DSLR.

So I ended up lightly melting my credit card to buy the GF-1 and the 20/1.7 lens. Went home and shot some test photos, opened them up on my laptop, and wow -- I was surprised at the image quality at ISO 400 and 800. Opening the same photo from the G-7 at ISO 400 was a joke. Very nice. That 20mm lens is brutally sharp, with a really nice fade into the out of focus areas at f/2 or so. Great for candid people photography. Reminds me of a Leica CL with the 40/2. It's a focal length that I like.

To make this landscape related, here is a handheld 5-frame stitched pano from the Appalachian Trail just north of the James River in central Virginia, USA. The trail climbs 2500 feet in less than 5 miles, though that understates the difficulty of the climb in 90+ degree temps and carrying a full pack. This view is from the top, looking east.

[attachment=23069:james_ri...pano_web.jpg]

The GF-1/20mm strikes me as a good choice for a carry-around camera (it's lived in a small waist pack for more than a week, always ready), more so if one likes that focal length, of course. The RAW files are very nice and easy to work with in the latest ACR.

Yeah, it's an old topic, and I got a Olympus E-PL1. I'm considering getting the 20mm pancake and 45mm macro, but just got back from a trip and I'm having hard time believing how good the quality of the 14-45mm panny lens is. The 13x19" of the photo below looks as good as many cropped sensor dSLR shots. Have you compared the kit zoom with the 20mm?

[Ken Bennett]

Hi, feppe,

I haven't tested the Panasonic zoom lens with actual photos. I tried it in the store, and it's just too big for what I want in a carry-around camera. (If I want zoom range and all that, I have my choice of digital and film SLRs.) The 20mm fits what I want -- it's a focal length that I like, it's small, and very fast and very sharp. Having only a single focal length simplifies my shooting in a way that I like.

I'll wait to see if the 14mm/2.8 pancake shows up -- that will be very tempting. A fast 45 or 50mm lens for portraits would be nice, too, though I suppose I could use my Canon 50/1.4 on an adapter.

But for now, I'm very happy with the camera as a waist-pack carry-around model. I can walk on the beach and shoot something interesting without carrying a big camera bag, and without worrying about image quality.

[attachment=23073:P1000408_ss.jpg]