vengels
Senior Member
bro..
how is the 12-50mm lens?..
is it a keeper?..
my last zoom lens was the 14-45mm Panny..
thinking if i should go for the kit then at least my wife will not complain about having camera that can't zoom.. :bsmilie:
E-M5 Owner - Comments, Critique, Reviews, and what-nots :-)
- Thread starter Oly5050
- Start date
bro..
how is the 12-50mm lens?..
is it a keeper?..
my last zoom lens was the 14-45mm Panny..
thinking if i should go for the kit then at least my wife will not complain about having camera that can't zoom.. :bsmilie:
got the grip yesterday. so i guess i'm now set for adventure, spare battery be damned!
pics of my new setup below, alongside my old gear: (sorry about the backlighting)
the grip feels really nice and makes holding the camera like the most natural thing in the world, like scratching your butt in the morning, er...
kidding aside, it does improve the ergonomics, significantly in my mind
- i don't have to clasp the camera as hard. my hand was cramping a bit even with just the light kit lens
- the shutter button is in a more natural position, and for those who are bothered by the strap loop (i'm not), your finger can now skirt around it
- my pinkie finger now has a place, thanks to the bottom piece of the horizontal grip (even w/o the vertical grip/battery case w/c i left in the box). it used to go under the camera
- the texture is reassuring
- i can turn on the camera one-handed without looking. but still less secure than on the D7K where the index finger is used to power on and the thumb remains a counterpoint
- note that the viewfinders are at the same level, so no big change for me, though i know that the VF-2 sits higher on E-Pxx and some people have commented on that
those with bigger hands, i'm afraid you still might experience some cramping. the grip itself is not very deep, enough for me, but perhaps less so for others.
given the grip depth, i am now wondering if Oly couldn't have built in the grip in the first place. if you look at the photo above and imagine the MMF-3 as a pancake lens, you'll see that the grip doesn't really add more depth to the overall camera dimensions, and hence is not any less pocketable than a bare E-M5 w/ the slimmest pancake attached. i can only surmise that Oly went with styling considerations to better approximate the classic OM looks. not a design trade-off i would've made myself, but i know some would (indignantly) disagree.
Oly thoughtfully included a hideaway place for the rubber tab w/c you need to remove from the bottom of your camera. it goes into the grip handle and will be sandwiched between the grip and the camera body. wish they did the same for the plastic cap that you need to remove from the connector of the grip -- one more little piece of plastic that i'm liable to lose along the way.
of more consequence though is the fact one has to remove the grip to replace the battery. not yet sure if this will be a nuissance for me. for now it seems like the charge will be sufficient for full day shooting so i'll probably just be taking out the battery back at home/hotel. i got about 200 shots from the first charge using Large/Fine JPEG+RAW, 50/50 EVF/LCD. but i was playing a lot with the settings, scrutinizing/deleting photos, and the 200 does not count the numerous times i was just half-pressing the shutter to challenge the focus capabilities. so i imagine with normal use, 350 would be easy, perhaps 400 even. normal use for me now is about 300 shots per day when on holidays. far cry from 1000+ when i first started out with the E-PL1 a couple of years ago. the reduction is partly from me now being more selective, and partly from the improved focus speed and accuracy of newer cameras. but i'm not going to kid myself; this is still far behind the endurance of the D7K. last December i forgot my charger but managed to satisfy myself over 5 days (including lots of long exposures) using the D7K plus a spare battery. on the trip home i had more than enough left on the spare battery to take lots of cloud pictures, and even then didn't manage to deplete it. i'm not sure if i can replicate the same with the E-M5 and deliberately leave the charger at home. regardless, that incident taught me a valuable lesson about being selective without feeling constrained, so i don't think the E-M5 battery life will be an issue for me.
you might be wondering why i keep pitting the E-M5 against the D7K. simple: i'm looking to have the E-M5 as a replacement. E-M5 + 14-54mkII f2.8-3.5 will be my default kit, replacing D7K + Sigma 17-50 f2.8. they're not apples to apples, but in practical use they are equivalent to me. i'll miss some of the DOF and a bit of speed, but i'll have a bit more reach. fine, i can work with that. as for telephoto which i bring maybe 50% of the time, i'll be re-activating my Panasonic 45-200 and shelve the NikkorFX 28-300. again, not a direct comparison (the Nikkor is sharper, wider and longer) but i'll deal with that.
from the pics above, it's apparent my new setup is not that much smaller. some might question my sanity in slapping a big lens on the E-M5 and defeating the portability advantage of m4/3. but to me, size isn't really an issue since i usually bring a bag anyway. and if i really wanted to go small, i have the option of taking the grip off and slapping on a pancake. i don't have such a flexibility with the D7K. beyond size, my main motivation for going m/43 is really about weight:
[table="width: 500, class: grid"]
[tr]
[td][/td]
[td]D7K[/td]
[td]E-M5[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]body w/ battery
[/td]
[td]750[/td]
[td]425[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]horizontal grip[/td]
[td]-[/td]
[td]100[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]normal zoom[/td]
[td]565[/td]
[td]440[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]adapter[/td]
[td]-[/td]
[td]45[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]sub-total[/td]
[td]1315[/td]
[td]1010[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]telephoto[/td]
[td]800[/td]
[td]380[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]total[/td]
[td]2115[/td]
[td]1390[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
is 300g savings on my default setup worthwhile? my wrist certainly seems to think so. and if i bring along the telephoto for a total savings of 700g, i think my back and shoulders will thank me too. i could also argue that with a lighter setup i could use my Nivelo tripod which is 500g lighter than my 1.1kg Velbon, but i think i'll stick with the Velbon since it goes up to full height and is sturdier. and to be fair, i can use the Nivelo on the D7K+short zoom; it's just the long zoom that the head cannot handle.
now if only Oly would release an m/43 version of the 12-60...
anyway, sorry for long post. hope sharing this perspective might find an audience with others of similar inclination (read: crazy :sticktong )
we hv the same setup, 14-54 II , but i hv mmf1.
hunting for the grip now
Your wife might complain the size, weight is not an issue though
I think you should have kept X lens, wanted to buy it for my wife actually :bsmilie: Weatherproof or not, wifeys dun shoot in the rain
vengels
Senior Member
wonglp said:Your wife might complain the size, weight is not an issue though
Weatherproof or not, wifeys dun shoot in the rain
The zoom very hard to use actually..
Not responsive I find..
That's why I sold it..
But u got a point there..
I observed that there are still some DSLR users sitting on the fence about the switch to E-M5. I have shared in other threads before that my reasons for switching are mainly weight and bulk. The best camera is the one I have in hand, which is more often than not my iPhone 4. This is because the bulky and heavy DSLR is not exactly something I want to carry around everywhere, especially for workdays or casual outings. I also find that it draws too much attention and is too intimidating for random street shooting.
With the small but powerful E-M5, I am rediscovering the joy of photography. I can see something interesting, bring the camera to my eye (or use the touchscreen shutter) and take an accurately-focused shot within a few seconds. The ability to record whatever I see (particularly when using the Summilux) is liberating and almost magical.
I have made a table like scroogee's to illustrate the difference for my more basic setup.
Original: Canon 60D, EFS 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, EF 50mm f/1.4
New: Olympus E-M5, M.ZD 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3, PL DG 25mm f/1.4
[table="width: 400, class: grid"]
[tr]
[td]Weight in grams[/td]
[td]60D[/td]
[td]E-M5[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Body w/ battery
[/td]
[td]755[/td]
[td]425[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]General-purpose zoom[/td]
[td]575[/td]
[td]212[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Standard prime[/td]
[td]290[/td]
[td]200[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Total[/td]
[td]1620[/td]
[td]837[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
In all, the system halved in weight (and probably in bulk, too), making it much more conducive for everyday use. Plus the smaller m4/3 lenses require smaller filters (52mm / 46mm vs. 72mm / 58mm) which are much cheaper. IMHO the sacrifices are worth it.
With the small but powerful E-M5, I am rediscovering the joy of photography. I can see something interesting, bring the camera to my eye (or use the touchscreen shutter) and take an accurately-focused shot within a few seconds. The ability to record whatever I see (particularly when using the Summilux) is liberating and almost magical.
I have made a table like scroogee's to illustrate the difference for my more basic setup.
Original: Canon 60D, EFS 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, EF 50mm f/1.4
New: Olympus E-M5, M.ZD 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3, PL DG 25mm f/1.4
[table="width: 400, class: grid"]
[tr]
[td]Weight in grams[/td]
[td]60D[/td]
[td]E-M5[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Body w/ battery
[/td]
[td]755[/td]
[td]425[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]General-purpose zoom[/td]
[td]575[/td]
[td]212[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Standard prime[/td]
[td]290[/td]
[td]200[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Total[/td]
[td]1620[/td]
[td]837[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
In all, the system halved in weight (and probably in bulk, too), making it much more conducive for everyday use. Plus the smaller m4/3 lenses require smaller filters (52mm / 46mm vs. 72mm / 58mm) which are much cheaper. IMHO the sacrifices are worth it.
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I did too, on Tuesday.
...
It really does.
...
That depends on the shape of your pockets. A similar built-in grip would make that end of the camera thicker.
I agree. The grip looks too much like the OM Winder to be only a coincidence.
Thanks! I hadn't noticed that.
Yeah, me too. It's also easy to lose the hot shoe cover and the shoe accessory port cover. Or have you found a hidey hole for them?
I have read that you can put a battery in the HLD-6 compartment to use without having one in the body. It is said there is is a menu option to choose which battery (and compartment) to use.
I put my 17mm pancake on my E-PL2 and us a small Leica-type optical finder (or no finder) when I want it to be really pocketable. Don't know if I'll do that with my E-M5, since the EVF hump prevents it from downsizing to that extent.
Thanks for the stuff I left out of my reply -- your photos, table, and comments. You have condemned me to become part of your growing audience of lunatics :thumbsup:
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Good write up..... I am one of those.. who recently sell my whole systsem... 5DMKII, flash and couple of lenses.... too busy to shoot often, too bulky to take out to shoot often.... but yet, too deeply poison to give up photography totally...... but coming from DSLR... I still have my reservation on M43 and "smaller" system.... mainly is the ergonomics and its performance (AF and IQ)..... my main use is to shoot "potrait" of my 6 years old kiddo.... and if such "smaller" system works, who know, might bring out more often......
Btw, what's the good lens for Potrait.... aka the DSLR 35mm/f1.4, 50mm/f1.4, 135mmf2 etc....
There's no equivalent in terms of depth of field, but for the focal length there's
35/1,4
- Oly 17/2.8 cheap. 200+
- Voigtlander 17/0.95 1550. Manual focus
50/1.4
- 25/1.4 Panasonic leica $800+
- 25/0.95 Voigtlander 25/0.95 Manual focus
135/2 none, only closest
- Olympus 45/1.8, $420
- Panasonic leica 45/2.8 macro ~$900
- Soon to be launch Olympus 75/1.8 and 60/2.8 macro.
I would suggest 45/1.8 if space allows, and 25/1.4 if budget allows too. Though it still depends on your favorite focal length
Dear All,
Just wanna share with you that I have discovered a use for the C-AF tracking mode and it is currently my default AF mode on my E-M5. Prior to this, I always use singe spot S-AF (spot) in the center. So sometimes, I find myself focusing first and then recomposing. The only problem with that, is that if the DOF is narrow, when you move the camera to recompose, your point of focus may move slightly out of the focus plane and not be as sharp. Here is where the C-AF tracking can come in useful. After you focus, when you recompose, the C-AF will keep your original focus point in focus although it is no longer in the center. Try it, I think its pretty neat use for the C-AF tracking versus what we normally think of to use it...ie moving objects. The other advantage of having C-AF tracking on as default, is that when you do have a moving object to shoot, you are already in that mode. I have found that because there is no one touch or one key option to activate the C-AF tracking mode from S-AF, I have missed the opportunity to shoot moving objects. There are some limitations of course - I think the C-AF tracking mode is marginally slower than the single center S-AF mode. Also, it may occasionally not be able to lock on things. I think it seems to work best for "Face" like objects. Finally, I think it may drain battery life more than S-AF. However, I was using C-AF tracking mode during the second half and I was still getting mega amounts of shots with a single charge, so I think the effect is not that significant on battery life.
Just wanna share with you that I have discovered a use for the C-AF tracking mode and it is currently my default AF mode on my E-M5. Prior to this, I always use singe spot S-AF (spot) in the center. So sometimes, I find myself focusing first and then recomposing. The only problem with that, is that if the DOF is narrow, when you move the camera to recompose, your point of focus may move slightly out of the focus plane and not be as sharp. Here is where the C-AF tracking can come in useful. After you focus, when you recompose, the C-AF will keep your original focus point in focus although it is no longer in the center. Try it, I think its pretty neat use for the C-AF tracking versus what we normally think of to use it...ie moving objects. The other advantage of having C-AF tracking on as default, is that when you do have a moving object to shoot, you are already in that mode. I have found that because there is no one touch or one key option to activate the C-AF tracking mode from S-AF, I have missed the opportunity to shoot moving objects. There are some limitations of course - I think the C-AF tracking mode is marginally slower than the single center S-AF mode. Also, it may occasionally not be able to lock on things. I think it seems to work best for "Face" like objects. Finally, I think it may drain battery life more than S-AF. However, I was using C-AF tracking mode during the second half and I was still getting mega amounts of shots with a single charge, so I think the effect is not that significant on battery life.
Did you find the C-AF Tracking mode reliable? When I had my 60D I tried exactly the same trick: set the camera to AI Servo AF, focus with the centre AF point only, and recompose. However it was not a reliable method and I missed shots frequently enough that I gave up and switched back to choosing the AF point in One Shot AF mode.
I am practising using the touchscreen to focus (but not shoot) on targets is far away from the centre of the frame. So far the hit rate is quite high, above 70% in my limited experience. Have you experimented with that?
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Weakpig.....I think its quite clear that I was using and talking about C-AF tracking. So yes, I did try and was using and am now sharing what I discovered.
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To answer your question, yes I found it reliable. However, I think that S-AF is a little more reliable as I have mentioned. If u have E-M5, go try it and see if you like it or not. If its not for you, then dun use it. People will have different tolerance to things and also, there is some user variability. I would give it more than 90%.
As for touch screen, I think it is more than 95% for sure for me. It is super accurate. Touch that area, that area will for sure come out sharp. I consider your quote of 70% very low and if it really is, its not tenable. I use touch screen when I am not able to use the EVF or when I have to shoot in an awkward situation, or when I gotta shoot stealthily. Haha...shooting with touch screen is not so obvious you are shooting. It looks like you are previewing images.
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