3 Way Holiday Camera Shootout Part 2, The Weigh In

Nikon 1 V2 with 10-100mm f4-5.6 VR lens at 100mm. This lens is at it's worst at full zoom but still puts in a decent performance with a bit of softness on the right side and overall low contrast in the prevailing sea haze from the adjacent surf beach.

 

Body Description

The Nikon D5200 is a recent release, current model, upper entry/midrange DSLR.  It's characteristics, capabilities and user interface are typical of a modern  consumer level DSLR.  It is quite compact and light for a DSLR, but still substantially larger and heavier than the two MILC's. Like  other DSLR's the D5200 operates in a generally efficient fashion (with some exceptions as we shall discover) in eye level view with the flipping mirror down. But the segue to monitor [a.k.a. Live] view is not smooth and performance in Live View Mode is underwhelming.  

The Lumix G6 is Panasonic's latest mid range MILC. It is a compact, well integrated design, which offers good handling, viewing, operating and performance with either eye level view or monitor view. Picture quality is better than one might have expected given the DXO Mark scores (dxomark.com), see below.

The Nikon 1 V2 currently sits at the top of Nikon's strangely named "1" system MILC camera line. It shares with it's predecessor, the V1, some remarkable capabilities. It can shoot at 5 or 15 frames per second with VR, Auto Exposure and Predictive AutoFocus on every frame. At 5 fps the buffer can hold an amazing 72 RAW  (or 88 JPG Fine) shots before the shooting frame rate slows.  Through all this the EVF presents the viewer with the appearance of continuous streaming video even while shooting stills, with no blackout at all.

Body Dimensions

Camera	Width mm	Height mm	Depth mm	Box volume cc	Box Volume Ratios	Mass grams with Batt,card	Mass Ratios
D5200	128	99	80	1014	D5200:G6 = 1.38	550	D5200:G6 =1.41
G6	123	83	72	735	G6:V2  = 1.5	390	G6:V2 =1.2
V2	109	79	57	491		335

 

On the left is the Nikon 1 V2 with 10-100mm lens in the unlocked, operating configuration. When locked for storage the lens is 20mm shorter. In the center is the Nikon D5200 with Nikon 18-200mm lens. On the right is the Lumix G6 with Lumix 14-140mm lens. Each lens is shown at the wide end of the zoom range. The photo tells you nothing about mass or balance. In use the D5200+18-200 feels bigger than you might perhaps imagine from this photo.

 

Body With Lens Dimensions

Camera/Lens	Width mm	Height mm	Depth mm	Box volume cc	Box Volume Ratios	Mass grams	Mass Ratios
D5200 18-200mm VR	128	99	182	2306	D5200:G6 =1.6	1155	D5200:G6 =1.65
G6 14-140mm OIS	123	83	141	1439	G6:V2 =1.38	700	G6:V2 =1.06
V2 10-100mm VR	109	79	121	1042		660	G6:V2

 

Comment on dimensions and Masses  You can see that in general each camera or camera/lens combination is about 1.4-1.6 times larger and heavier than the next smaller one.  The exception is that the G6 with lens is only slightly heavier than the V2 with lens.

Sensors

Camera	Aspect Ratio	Nominal Width mm	Nominal Height mm	Diagonal mm	Area Square mm	Effective M-pixel count	DXO Mark score total	DXO Mark Score Dynamic Range
D5200	3:2	23.5	15.6	28	367	24.1	84	13.9
G6	4:3	17.3	13	21.5	225	16.1	61	11.5
V2	3:2	13.2	8.8	15.9	116	14.2	50	10.8

 Comment on Sensor Data  Compared to the G6, the D5200 has a larger sensor, more pixels, lower noise at high ISO settings and greater Dynamic Range. You might reasonably expect the D5200 to have clearly superior picture quality but in my tests using  photographs of a wide variety of everyday subjects that is not the case. Many times I preferred the appearance of photos from the G6. The inconsistent performance of the Nikon 18-200mm lens was one but not the only apparent reason for this. Images from the G6 and D5200 were in most but not all cases, clearly better than those from the V2.

Retail Price 

Camera prices are a moveable feast, varying with country of purchase, position in the product cycle and deals from time to time. For comparison purposes I have listed retail prices at the time of writing, GST paid, Manufacturer Australian 12 month warranty included,  from a Sydney vendor which sells both from a shop and online. Prices are in Australian Dollars

Kit	Body	Lens	Total
Nikon D5200+18-200mm	969	966	1935
Lumix G6 + 14-140mm	772	869	1641
Nikon 1 V2 + 10-100mm	816	599	1415

 To this you would need to add add: Filter(s), Spare batteries, Lens hood (Supplied with Nikon 18-200mm and Lumix 14-140mm, not supplied with Nikon 1 10-100mm lens), Carry bag, puffer and microfiber cloth.

The process of choice   When I read published camera reviews I often encounter a long list of specifications and numbers by which the reviewer seeks to characterise the camera under review.  I suspect they use the numbers because they are, or at least appears to be,  hard data and therefore perhaps considered "safe", not requiring subjective evaluation by the tester which could more readily be challenged.

One could make a choice between the three camera/lens kits here with reference to the numbers.

If you want  the kit with the largest numbers, the choice is easy. The D5200 is the largest, heaviest and most expensive. It has the biggest sensor with the most pixels and the highest DXO Mark score.  

On the other hand if you want to shrink your camera kit and pick the one with the smallest numbers the V2 fits the bill.

In this big 3 Way comparison I have placed considerable emphasis on important qualities which are not readily described by numbers. These include picture quality, the user experience, real world performance and ergonomics, which devolves to holding, viewing and operating. I have come to realise over the years that technical image quality, (which is not the same as real world picture quality) and numerated specifications have their place in a comprehensive product evaluation but  the human-machine interface (which is a fancy way of saying "do I enjoy using this thing ?") determines whether we will take the camera with us when we venture forth and use it for making photos. The image quality of a camera sitting in the drawer is  zero.

3 Way Holiday Camera Shootout Part 1 Concept and Contestants

End of Day. Panasonic Lumix G6 with Lumix 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 (MkII) lens

Family Cameras    Many people these days rely on their smart phone for making a photographic record of family gatherings, events, children's milestones, holidays and trips away from home. But there comes a time when some of us realise we could be making better photos with a proper camera.  But which?  The market is awash with so many makes and models the task of choosing one can be difficult.

The Concept  of this 3 way shootout was for me to buy and use three kits, each representing a different approach to the family camera.   I chose cameras which, on their specifications and promotional material appeared to be suitable for beginner/snapshooters but also had a sufficiently comprehensive user interface to engage the interest of  enthusiast/expert photographers. I tested the three side by side over a two month period in a wide variety of conditions and  rated each on a list of characteristics including user experience, image quality, performance and ergonomics.

The contestants.
On the left Panasonic Lumix G6 with Lumix 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 OIS lens. In the middle Nikon D5200 with Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 VR II lens. On the right Nikon 1 V2 with Nikon 1 10-100mm f4.5.6 VR lens. 

Questions  There are many questions and contestable assertions circulating in the world of cameras at the present time. Some of the questions, with sneak peek answers on which I will elaborate in later posts on this blog, are:

* Do Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras make better pictures than Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras (MILC) ? [No]

* Do larger cameras make better pictures than smaller cameras ? [Sometimes, depending on circumstances, sometimes not]

* Do larger sensors make better pictures than smaller sensors ? [Sometimes, depending on circumstances, sometimes not]

* Does Phase Detect AutoFocus (PDAF) as found on DSLR's in eye level viewing (mirror down) mode work faster or better in some way than Contrast Detect AutoFocus (CDAF) as found in many MILC's ? [No, but makes and models vary greatly]

* Do more expensive cameras give better results than less expensive ones ? [Cameras, generally yes, for the expert user. Lenses, usually yes, but not in proportion to the cost. You get more bang for your buck with the budget models]

Specification 

Zoom range: Most people hate changing lenses so much they never do it. So I selected camera/lens combinations  which offer  an "all-in-one-do-everything-with-one-lens" solution. Inevitably that meant a superzoom lens of some kind with 10-11x zoom range.

Picture Quality:  There are plenty of cameras with very small sensors (1/2.3", diagonal about 7.7mm) and fixed superzoom lenses offering 20x, 30x, 40x, 50x and even an amazing 60x zoom range. What's not to like about that ?  In two words:  Picture Quality.  That is a composite of sensor image quality, lens quality and camera operating capability, including things like focus accuracy and stabiliser effectiveness. So I opted for cameras with a larger sensor and interchangeable lenses.

Camera Types  I wanted one camera to represent the latest and best of the DSLR type, from the target "upper entry" model range. I chose one MILC from the well established M43 system and one recent MILC from the Nikon1 system,  a relatively new format which has some interesting features but is not yet firmly established in the market. In each case I chose a Proper Camera with a good quality built in eye level viewfinder, functional handle, built in flash, monitor and a set of controls suitable for entry level or experienced users.

Sensor sizes  I wanted one representative of each of the three sensor sizes which appear most suited to my design brief.

The Nikon D5200 has an APS-C sensor, diagonal 28mm.

The Panasonic Lumix G6 has a M43 sensor, diagonal 21.5mm.

The Nikon 1 V2 has a Nikon CX (1") sensor, diagonal 15.9mm.

The M43 sensor has approximately half the area of the APS-C sensor. The Nikon CX sensor has approximately half the area of the M43 sensor.

At the time of writing the DSLR type has been outselling MILC types in most countries, although it must be acknowleged they had an 8 year head start and when the Canon EOS D30 was introduced in 2000, the DSLR  had virtually no competition from any other camera type. MILC's were introduced in the middle of the global financial crisis, facing strong opposition from the established CanoNikon DSLR hegemony, with the added burden of a collapsing compact camera market, swept away by a tsunami of smart phones.

Aims of the exercise 

I wanted answers to the questions I posed above.

I hoped to discover which kit and more generally which camera type best fulfilled my functional design brief. [Sneak peek: it's the M43 MILC]

I wanted to gain a sense of direction for the future of the camera as a useful tool. [Sneak peek: it's MILC's for the next few years and after that maybe superzoom cameras with fixed big zoom lenses and much better picture quality than the ones currently available]

Author's statement of interest  I have no dog in this race at all. I have over the last 60 years used almost every make and type of camera ever invented. I have no affiliation with any maker or vendor of photographic equipment. I am comfortable using any kind of camera from large format through SLR, DSLR, to MILC and Compact.

My current personal choice of camera gear is a Panasonic Lumix GH3 with 12-35mm f2.8 and 35-100mm f2.8 zoom lenses. In the last three years I have owned, used and reviewed on this blog DSLRs from Canon and Nikon, MILCs from Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung and Nikon and advanced compacts from Canon, Panasonic and Fujifilm.  The equipment used in this 3 Way comparison was all purchased retail by me in Sydney at over the counter prices, GST paid.

Why do I do it ?  The exercise is expensive and time consuming. One day I will stop testing cameras and get on with life. But at the moment I am recovering from major surgery and my range of activity is restricted, so this 3 Way comparison test is something of interest to me which I can manage. I hope readers of this blog will find the material relevant to their own questions about camera equipment and use.

Next:  The weigh in: Dimensions, description and features.

Panasonic Lumix G5 or G6 What's the difference ?

Panasonic Lumix Mid Level Cameras

G5 or G6  What are the differences ?

On the left the G5 with Lumix 14-42mm Mk I  kit zoom. On the right the G6 with  Lumix 14-45mm zoom.

The Lumix camera lineup  Panasonic Lumix camera buyers now have plenty of choice.

At the top of the range we have the Pro standard GH3, which matches well with the Lumix pro level 12-35mm and 35-100mm f2.8 zooms.

Next comes the newly released GX7, which I would describe as an enthusiast's camera, with many desirable features but lacking the GH3's big battery, large buffer, weather sealing and pro style body shape. I would not be surprised to see a lot of compact, single focal length [prime] lenses finding their way onto this camera.

One step down finds us in the "upper entry" level which is the subject of this comparison report.

And last we have the GF series, currently at GF6 iteration. This is the entry level to the world of Lumix M43. The cameras are remarkably small, lack a viewfinder, and have a streamlined user interface suitable for the snapshooter.

G5/G6  features and target user group  These are fully fledged  proper cameras with a built in EVF, handle, built in flash, good image quality, good ergonomics and good performance. When set to [iA] Mode they are very suitable for the novice or snapshooter. But switch them to one of the P,A,S,M Modes and they become amenable to extensive user configuration, with operating characteristics appealing to the expert/enthusiast/semi professional user who wants to take control of the process of image making. They manage to wrap all this capability in a very compact and reasonably priced package. They arguably represent the best bang for your buck in the Lumix range.

A G6 with new 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 MkII  superzoom lens makes a very appealing family/holiday/travel all-in-one camera kit.

Brush turkeys are not shy. This one built a nesting mound 3 meters from a busy walk/jog/cycle way. G6 with 14-140mm MkII.  ISO 12800.

G5-vs-G6 Similarities and differences

Shape, size, mass  They are almost identical. The table is of measurements of cameras in my posession. You can see there is no significant difference between them although Panasonic has tinkered with the proportions a bit.

Camera	Width mm	Height mm	Depth mm	Box Volume cc	Mass with battery and card
G6	122	85	72	747	395
G5	119.5	87	71	738	400

Sensor and Image Quality  I believe they both use the same basic sensor as that in the GH2 but without the multi aspect ratio feature. Both have the same DXO Mark RAW score of 61. My tests with actual photographs show that their RAW image quality is the same at all ISO levels.  With JPG files the G6 has smoother, less blotchy rendition of even toned areas in Hi ISO files for a more pleasing result. It would appear the G6 is using a different and slightly improved JPG processing engine.

I should say, however that in either camera Hi ISO JPG's [3200 and up] do not treat human faces kindly, rendering them like an exhibit in Madame Tussaud's waxworks. I get much better results from RAW Hi ISO files processed in Adobe Camera Raw 8.1 or the equivalent Lightroom version.

The G6 allows a maximum of 25,600 ISO, the G5 stops at 12,800 which is a sensible practical limit with either camera.

I rate the G5/G6 Hi ISO RAW files about 2/3 stop better (ie less noisy with more accurate color) than those from the GH2, presumably due to a more advanced  processing engine.

Tree Guys. G6 with Lumix 14-140mm MkII

Cosmetics  The G6 has a slightly different shape especially on the top deck, with a matte black finish which looks perhaps more sophisticated than the shiny black/silver of the G5 but picks up dirt and ladies' makeup more readily. The Menus look a bit different. Not better, just slightly different.

Handle shape  There are subtle differences between them in the shape of the handle and thumbrest area. I rate the G6 slightly more comfortable to hold.

User Interface  They are very similar, but the G6 has one extra [Fn4] button and the others have been repositioned. Unfortunately that extra Fn4 button is a bit too close to the edge and I bumped it inadvertently several times whicle I was becoming familiar with the camera. The button cannot be disabled so I ended up allocating [Preview = Shttr Spd Effect On] to it. This is an essentially useless function but it auto cancels with half shutter button press so even if I do activate it accidentally the function does not get in the way of my picture taking.

I find the rear dial of the G6 (top right on the rear of the camera) slightly too recessed  and stiff for my liking with rounded (more difficult to operate)  instead of sharp (easier to operate) serrations, very similar to the G5. Panasonic can do dials better, as anyone who uses the GH3 will quickly discover.

There is a significant change with the AF/AE Lock button. The G6 has a new [AF-On] option like the GH3.  With the G5 you can only start and lock AF. With the G6/GH3 you can start and continue AF with CAF. Thus the AF/AEL button can be configured to work with sport/action like the AF start button on a high level DSLR.
There is also a change to the detailed implementation of [Focus Area Set].   With both cameras you can allocate [Focus Area Set] to a Function button.  I have allocated this function to the Fn2 button on the G5 and the Fn3 button on the G6 (they are located in the same place on the bottom of the control panel of the camera).
The procedure with the G5 is:  Activate Focus Area with Fn3> Move focus area with cursor buttons> Return to center with a second press of Fn3.
On the G6 the procedure is: Activate Focus Area with Fn4>Move focus area with cursor buttons> Return to center with Disp button.
Why did they change it ??  They both work, but the procedure on the G5 seems easier to me.  You don't have to find a third control module.
Actually the optimum ergonomic solution would be to use the existing [Playback] button to activate Focus Area Set, as the activity is carried out in the Capture Phase of operation. This requires use of buttons which are an easy reach for the thumb. But Panasonic keeps on putting the [Playback] and [Disp] buttons (which operate Prepare and Review Phase actions so don't need prime camera real estate) above the 4 Way Cursor and makes them fixed, not user selectable in function. Playback and Disp could more effectively go to the bottom row as they are not required in Capture Phase.

Direct Focus Area   With either camera you can set direct focus area in the Custom Menu. This setting allows the active AF area to be moved directly by pressing any of the cursor buttons. You have to find somewhere else to locate access to ISO, WB, Drive Mode and AF Mode. Thoughtful use of the Fn buttons and Q Menu does the job.

Egret. G6 with 14-140mm MkII

Power supply  The GH2, G5 and G6 all use the same BLC21 battery which is handy for anyone upgrading.

Viewing  The G6 has a better EVF than the G5. It provides more accurate colors with less false magenta color. Both EVF's are fully adjustable for brightness, contrast and color balance, but after adjustment to best settings I find the G6 EVF consistently and noticeably better. Both EVF's jitter with camera movement in very low light, but in most conditions manage panning smoothly.

Both monitors look very nice to me. Again both are adjustable for brightness, contrast and color balance.

Someone at Panasonic seems not to have noticed that no known humans have rectangular eye sockets. Both the G5 and G6 have a rectangular shaped rubber eye cup. That on the G6 has even sharper corners than the G5. What on earth were they thinking?

Performance  Panasonic has given the G6 a useful boost in performance, particularly as it affects continuous shooting of moving subjects. With the 14-42mm kit zoom, the G6 in M burst Mode, AFC,  can shoot 10 RAW frames at 3.5 fps before slowdown.   The G5 managed 6 frames at 2 fps with the same settings. With Large Fine JPG capture the G6  ran at 3.1 fps and was still going at 50 frames without slowdown. The G5 with Large Fine JPG capture managed 14 frames in 6 seconds (2.3 fps) before slowdown.  These frame rates are lens dependent. The G6 with the new 14-140mm MkII lens ran at 4 fps in M burst Mode.

So the G6 enables a faster frame rate and has a larger buffer. It also samples the sensor  240 x per second, the same s the GH3 so it's AFC accuracy should be better than the G5 as well.

Low Light AF  The G6 has a low light AF function. In very low light, I mean really low, the G6 will switch to sampling the sensor at 15x per second. It will AF in about 2-3 seconds in this mode. The advantage is increased accuracy even in light so low it is difficult to see anything.

Mode Dial  The Mode Dial of the G6 is larger and has additional settings for Panorama and Creative Video. I tested the Panorama function and to put it kindly would have to say that more R&D is required on that particular feature. It works as advertised but frequently fails to merge the frames properly leading to softness and/or double imaging of details.

Q Menu  Both use the same, very good system. The G6 adds Focus Mode, Flash Mode and Peaking to the options list.

Peaking  This works and is useful especially with manual focus or to confirm autofocus with manual touch up. Peaking color is white.

Fn Buttons  I already mentioned the G6 has one extra Fn button. The options list is the same as for the G5 plus Peaking and Flash Mode.

Setup Menu  Same as G5 with the addition of Wi-Fi and Menu Information.

Rec Menu Same as G5 plus Multi Exposure, Time Lapse Shot, Stop Motion Animation, Extended ISO  and Panorama Settings.   ISO Limit Set increases from 3200 to 12800.  

Custom Menu  Same as as G5 plus Peaking, Monitor Info Disp and Self Timer Auto Off.

E-Shutter  Both have E-Shutter which works the same and has the same limitations on both.

Which to buy ?   There are some very tempting deals on new G5's as I write this, so the decision is not easy with a new G6 costing substantially more than a new G5.

For general photography  with autofocus there is not much difference between them.

For Sport/Actionthe G6 is significantly better to the extent I would say the G5 is unsuitable and the G6 is quite capable.

For Manual Focus,  Peaking on the G6 gives it a significant advantage.

Other features  If you want Wi-Fi, Multi Exposure or  Time Lapse then the G6 is your camera.

 I did not test Motion Picture.

  

How to Test for Shutter Shock

M43 System Practice

How to test for image blur due to shutter shock

Introduction  There has been ongoing discussion in M43 user forums about the vexed issue of image blur apparently or possibly or allegedly due to a hypothesised mechanical shock imparted by the first (closure) movement of the quadruple acting mechanical shutter of a M43 camera. This issue is not confined to M43 or mirrorless cameras generally. Any camera in which some mechanical part activates immediately before or during sensor exposure could potentially be prone to some kind of shock effect.  

This is my standard Lens test target. I use the whole frame for lens tests. Many M43 lenses, even budget zooms, can, at optimum aperture,  resolve all the words on the chart, even into the corners. The test target is very useful for comparing one lens with another, but of course doesn't give MTF figures or L/mm.

 

DSLR vs Mirrorless It has long been known that the flipping mirror of a DSLR camera can cause "mirror slap" leading to blur at certain shutter speeds. The fix for this has been for makers to provide for some kind of mirror lock up facility. Modern DSLR's in "live view" [a.k.a. monitor view] have the mirror locked up, of course, but their shutter has to switch from the the standard two step (open-close) action in OVF view to a four step (close-open-close-open) sequence just like a mirrorless camera. Thus they could potentially be subject to the same issues with shutter shock as mirrorless cameras.

Cameras comparedI have recently been testing the Nikon D5200 DSLR, Lumix G6 and Nikon 1 V2 cameras, each with a 10-11x superzoom lens. I found that neither of the Nikons showed blur which might have been attributable to shutter shock on my tests. The D5200 only has a mechanical shutter but the first (close) action of the shutter in live view apears to be well damped, making a swishy, sliding sound.  The V2 also appears to have a well damped mechanical shutter which makes a soft  blp...blp... sound.    The mechanical shutter of the G6 (and other Lumix cameras) makes a sharper, louder sound,  possibly indicating more potential for transmission of a shock through the camera and lens. Whatever the reason the G6 does exhibit blur attributable to shutter shock (eliminated by using the E-shutter) with several lenses.  The problem, when it occurs, appears to be specific to a particular camera/lens/focal length/shutter speed combination.

This is the G6 with Lumix 45-150mm lens on tripod, 2sec timer, at about 100mm, f5.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 800, Mechanical shutter. You can easily see it's not sharp. That's shutter shock.

Now the same camera and lens, same tripod, 2sec delay, same aperture, focal length and shutter speed but with E-Shutter active. Oh, Look, now it's sharp. No mechanical shutter, no shutter shock

 

The test My test procedure is quite simple. I set up a test target against a wall. This is my standard lens test target, but for shutter shock testing I just use a small portion of the center of the target. I put the camera on a tripod, select a focal length and make the following settings:

* OIS/VR off.

* 2sec timer delay or other form of wired or wireless remote shutter activation.

* Shutter Priority Mode, Auto ISO.

* I use a shutter speed range from 1/10 to 1/400 sec. I make an exposure at each 1/3 step, thus: 1/10, 1/13, 1/15, 1/20.......etc, making 17 exposures per run.

* I make the first run of exposures with the mechanical shutter active and the second run with the E-Shutter active.

* Then I download the files to the computer and inspect them at 100% on screen. Any deviation from sharpness is readily seen.

Olympus M43 Cameras  These do not have an electronic shutter but they do have the "Anti Shock" feature. This introduces a delay between the first (closing) action of the shutter and the second(opening to begin the exposure) action. Many people have reported this does appear to reduce the likelihood of unsharpness, even at the shortest delay time of 1/8 second.

Other tests It can also be instructive to run similar tests with a hand held camera to evaluate the effect of OIS/VR On/Off  and E-Shutter vs Mechanical shutter.

Results  I have found that many M43 camera /lens combinations exhibit some degree of blur at one or more shutter speeds in the 1/20-1/200sec range. The worst offender I have yet encountered was the Lumix 45-175mm tele zoom which I tested two years ago and hastily sent back to the vendor. But most other lenses which I have tested, especially budget tele zooms with no OIS switch on the lens barrel ( I don't know what the significance of this might be) , show the effect to some degree.

Strategy  To deal with the issue I usually switch the E-Shutter ON for general photography. For sport/action I set the shutter speed to 1/400 or faster and use the Mechanical shutter. For shutter speeds longer than 1 second (not currently available with the Lumix E-Shutter) I set Shutter Delay, which works like Olympus Anti Shock.

Hopes for the future  I do so hope that sometime real soon the M43 manufacturers will save us from all this nonsense of messing around with E-Shutter/Mecha Shutter/Anti Shock/Shutter Delay  and deliver a fully featured E-Shutter (like the one in the Nikon1 V2) without all the restrictions on ISO, shutter speed and flash use. Or deliver unto us the much awaited, possibly mythical, frequently spoken of in hushed tones, Global Shutter, which, if properly implemented, should eliminate the mechanical shutter altogether and make all us M43 users perpetually happy little vegemites.

 

 

 

 

Six Months with the Lumix GH3 and f2.8 zooms

A long term user review

GH3 with 12-35mm f2.8 lens mounted. Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens on the left. Each lens comes with a lens hood which reverse mounts over the barrel for transport and storage.

Introduction  Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras [MILC] and the incomprehensibly named Micro Four Thirds [M43] system in particular, have had a difficult gestation. M43 was launched in 2008/9 in the middle of the global financial crisis. Soon afterwards the entire camera industry was hit by the surging popularity of smart phones which made compact cameras irrelevant for many people. Sales went down, profits fell. Those buyers who did decide to get a camera appeared to become more cautious, opting to stay with the DSLR,  the established ProperCamera type. 

While looking through the EVF I can look straight ahead due to the rearward EVF eyepiece extension. I can see the subject in the EVF and directly with the left eye without having to move my head.

 

Many MILC's presented to the market lacked a viewfinder and lacked the kind of user interface which buyers have come to expect from a Proper Camera. It appeared that the makers of MILC's were trying to find a niche between compacts and DSLR's. I have long thought this to be a puzzling strategy. It seems to me that most people who make photographs are either snapshooters or expert/enthusiasts (or experts by desire, needing further education and practice). Those little MILC's without viewfinders and with a reduced user interface just look like half baked gadgets to me, likely to appeal to neither to snapshooters nor experts. I have believed for several years and opined on this blog that MILC camera makers need to challenge DSLR's head on and beat them at their own game. It seems someone at Panasonic Lumix mission central has gotten  the same message and responded in the form of the Lumix GH3 with the 12-35mm f2.8 and 35-100mm f2.8 lenses.

The GH3 with 12-35mm f2.8 lens make a good low light candid grab shot combination. I shot this from waist height without looking at the camera at all.

 

The Expert/Professional M43 kit  For many years the standard basic kit for professional newspaper and documentary  photographers has been a full frame DSLR with 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses. This kit can manage most asignments except macro, wildlife and some sports which require very long lenses.

The compact GH3 plus 2 lens kit fits easily in this Lowe Pro Adventura 160 bag

 

The Lumix GH3 with Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 and 35-70mm f2.8 lenses is the M43 equivalent of a standard professional full frame DSLR kit. The camera body is robust and responsive. The lenses offer the same diagonal angle of view and aperture. Body and lenses offer some resistance to water penetration. They are built to a professional standard.

GH3 with 12-35mm lens. Hand held.

 

I have reviewed the GH3 and both lenses in considerable detail elsewhere on this blog.

Thoughts after 6 Months  I am not a professional photographer but an enthusiast amateur so I probably treat my equipment more gently than a working pro might do. However I do make a lot of photographs in a wide range of conditions so I give my equipment a decent workout. I am so pleased with the GH3/f2.8 twin lens kit that I  have been selling off  all my other M43 gear. The camera has been designed to be used efficiently by an experienced photographer who does not rely on any fully auto settings. There is a substantial, well shaped handle and thumbrest. Drive Mode and Focus Mode are accessed by Set and See  dials which provide instant feedback on camera status at a glance. All functions which might need to be adjusted in Capture Phase of use are readily accessible without taking one's eye from the viewfinder or having to release grip on the camera or lens. The large battery allows 1000+ shots per charge, depending on usage and image review.  The large buffer allows 28 frames to be shot at 4.6 fps before the frame rate slows.

On the left a Nikon D600 full frame camera with 70-200mm f2.8 lens. On the right the GH3 with 35-100mm f2.8 lens. Same diagonal angle of view, same aperture. Both can deliver excellent image quality

 

The lenses deliver excellent image quality at all focal lengths and apertures, at the center and  edges of the frame. I can trust the camera and lenses to deliver excellent results in any circumstance as long as I use the equipment correctly.

There have been no faults, failures or problems with body or lenses.

Dejeuner sur l'herbe,  [not] after Manet. GH3 with 35-100mm lens

 

Comparison with full frame  I don't have a full frame kit for comparison purposes but the GH3 makes pictures which look clear and sharp even when blown up to A2+ or larger print size. Maybe a full frame camera could produce images with higher quality in some technical respect but I don't care. M43 delivers good enough image quality for high quality large prints and that is good enough for me.

The GH3 with 12-35mm f2.8 is ideal for candid, from the hip style photos like this 

 

A bit of personal history  One upon a time, when I was younger and fitter, I embarked on a long journey in pursuit of ultimate image quality. I had a 35mm (film) SLR which made fine pictures but I wanted more. So I got a medium format camera, then a better one. Then came a 4x5 inch large format field camera. I got one of those, then a better one. I don't regret any of this as the journey was interesting and our house is graced by numerous large poster prints which came from 4x5inch color transparencies. But I nearly killed myself one weekend hiking into a remote area with full pack including 4x5 camera, tripod etc...etc.. and subsequently had an epiphany about the relationship between quality of life and the quest for ultimate image quality. I now find that with careful use I can make prints almost as information rich from my M43 files as I could from 4x5 inch large format using Fiji Velvia 25 years ago.

The New South Wales Government has decided to dismantle Titan the giant floating crane. Meantime, every detail is faithfully rendered by the 35-100mm f2.8 lens

 

Marketing  The M43 system now has an excellent range of products with the GH3 and f2.8 zoom lenses genuinely deserving to be used as professional standard equipment. But in Australia where I live and elsewhere if the information I read on the net is correct, the Lumix brand is almost invisible. The makers of M43 camera gear are having difficulty luring buyers away from their DSLR's.  Olympus and Panasonic are having major financial problems. Despite all this I think that M43 has the product to beat DSLR's at their own game. A great and effective marketing push would now seem to be appropriate.

The 35-100mm is not the lens one might first think of for close up work. This shot of bees in wattle was made hand held at 100mm. Decent close up performance can be achieved by attaching a +2 dioptre Close up lens to the filter thread