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6K Photo on Panasonic GH5

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, António,

M43 system is gaining terrain and quality.

As you may have noted from my writings here, I have been a big supporter of the Micro Four-Thirds "movement", which I have said may well be to the world of digital photography what the "Kleinbild" format was to film photography.

Yet I still have not participated!

At present, what photography I do is mostly done with my Panasonic FZ1000, a very admirable machine, with a so-called "one inch" sensor. It has a marvelous user interface, for one thing.

But I am still tempted to move to the M43 format, with its about 33% larger (in linear dimension) sensor.

I have been particularly interested in the Panasonic GH4, in part because, so far as I can tell, its user interface is very parallel to that of my beloved FZ1000.

However, very little of my photography gets printed, and what does is typically at 5" × 7", or in fewer cases, at 8" × 10". And operation at high ISO sensitivities is not usually an imperative. So there is some question about what I could gain in moving from (as I like to say) a "3/3" format size to "4/3".

And of course, although the FZ1000 has a non-interchangeable lens, its focal length range (in ff 35 equivalent term) is 25 mm-400 mm, hard to do with a single 4/3 mount lens.

So it may be that my window for actually "putting my money where my mouth is" with regard to the Micro Four-Thirds system has come and gone!

But who knows!

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Well, Doug,

If you used your observation and hunting skills to help a local charity or cause, which is most satisfying, then the extra resolution and ISO capability would be really valuable to you. I know you are a key part of theatrical productions and for sure the lighting is most challenging!

So, expand your horizons and voila, you need the micro 4/3 system!

Asher
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Thank you Doug for your comment.

The new camera seems an interesting proposal in technical terms.

These days I print less and less and unfortunately, also photograph less than before.

Your options looks indeed a very sensible one ! :)
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Well, Doug,

If you used your observation and hunting skills to help a local charity or cause, which is most satisfying, then the extra resolution and ISO capability would be really valuable to you. I know you are a key part of theatrical productions and for sure the lighting is most challenging!

Yes, of course.

Not surprisingly, no doubt because of the geometric ("pixel") resolutions of the two machines, the 4/3 format Panasonic GH4 has delivers a sightly lower reported resolution (at a comparable ISO sensitivity) than the 3/3 format Panasonic FZ1000!

So, expand your horizons and voila, you need the micro 4/3 system!

Yes, I really feel the pull to "put my money where my mouth is" regarding the (Micro) Four-Thirds paradigm.

One of the issues will be whether to "date my best girl's sister" and get a Panasonic GH4 (which has a rather large body) or to go in another direction (probably one of the other Panasonics) that offers a smaller body. (The FZ1000 in fact has a body that is quite large considering its sensor size!)

Recall that the Kleinibild format was for many years spoken of as "miniature photography", officially because of the format size but to many people for the diminutive size of the cameras as well.

So we will see what happens. But in any case I just want to buy something!

Thanks for your insights!

Best regards,

Doug
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
Doug - unfortunately we live in a time when our only consideration of attaining a new camera, is if it is the latest or best model or brand. Such advertising hype and deception does not need to hinder or cause feelings of inadequacy.

I can certainly understand the value of the camera that you currently own - and personally prefer having one lens that covers an extended range. If I had such a camera I would use it to the full.

If your desire is to move into another larger sensor format, there is no need to be seduced into feeling the need to spend exhorbitant amounts of money to acquire such. There has been very little "real" progress in sensor development in several years now. In fact except for subtle improvements in the camera processing the raw data to deal with high ISO noise or provide higher frames per second or focus acquisition or to add movie features ----- in micro 4/3 the image quality is not much different over the past few years where the standard of 12 to 16mp sensor has been maintained.

That means there are perfectly usable older models available for a small amount of money. An Olympus E-PL3 or E-PL5 or some of the Panasonics, can be purchases used for $100 or so. That to me is a great and preferable way to break into a new system. In fact I have never had a latest generation camera.
I am always lagging behind and often find another camera only when the one I have is broken. It is hard to think that way sometimes - but beneficial in my view.

-------
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Robert,

Doug - unfortunately we live in a time when our only consideration of attaining a new camera, is if it is the latest or best model or brand. Such advertising hype and deception does not need to hinder or cause feelings of inadequacy.

I can certainly understand the value of the camera that you currently own - and personally prefer having one lens that covers an extended range. If I had such a camera I would use it to the full.

If your desire is to move into another larger sensor format, there is no need to be seduced into feeling the need to spend exhorbitant amounts of money to acquire such. There has been very little "real" progress in sensor development in several years now. In fact except for subtle improvements in the camera processing the raw data to deal with high ISO noise or provide higher frames per second or focus acquisition or to add movie features ----- in micro 4/3 the image quality is not much different over the past few years where the standard of 12 to 16mp sensor has been maintained.

That means there are perfectly usable older models available for a small amount of money. An Olympus E-PL3 or E-PL5 or some of the Panasonics, can be purchases used for $100 or so. That to me is a great and preferable way to break into a new system. In fact I have never had a latest generation camera.
I am always lagging behind and often find another camera only when the one I have is broken. It is hard to think that way sometimes - but beneficial in my view.

Thank you for your wise observations.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi, Robert,



Thank you for your wise observations.

Best regards,

Doug

Let me add to that a very practical point. There are also used long focal length lenses which are both brilliant and so light weight that they open up photography choices that simply were not available to most because of both ridiculous weight burdens and exorbitant pricing.

Hand holding a 4/3 camera with a prime or a zoom to 600 mm is within the reach of us all. This means that we do not have to be schlepping that extra 1000 ft to get the view we want as the lens can walk there for us. Of course the perspective is different but still as we get older, this convenience and expanded choice is fabulous.

Then again, taking pictures of a local theater production, Doug, a long focal length allows you to be at the back of the halland take pictures without disturbing everyone!

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Of course, Canon's recent announcement (after a few false and non starts, rather a public beta program) of a "real" mirrorless camera with a five-thirds class sensor (often characterized as "APS-C"), the EOS M5, offers another approach.

If I feel the need for the performance potential advantages of a sensor larger than the three-thirds size of my Panasonic FZ1000, it might be that I should take not a small step (to a four-thirds class sensor) but maybe a somewhat larger step to five-thirds (a format I used for many years with great success by way of various Canon EOS bodies, most recently a 40D). In crude terms, that would typically mean the ability to get a certain image quality with a two stop greater ISO sensitivity rather than only a one-stop advantage.

I could get an M5 body and keep on it most of the time the new Canon EF-M 18-150 mm lens.

Whether I would do that will to great degree depend on the reports of the performance of the EVF in the M5.

Note that this body is not exactly "small".

The actual size criterion here (the Cherokee limit) is that the camera with its accustomed lens (integral or otherwise) should not be so large that we need to buy a separate ticket at a charity banquet to have a place to keep it on the table.

So, we'll be keeping our eyes open.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
...That means there are perfectly usable older models available for a small amount of money. An Olympus E-PL3 or E-PL5 or some of the Panasonics, can be purchases used for $100 or so. That to me is a great and preferable way to break into a new system. In fact I have never had a latest generation camera.
I am always lagging behind and often find another camera only when the one I have is broken. It is hard to think that way sometimes - but beneficial in my view.

Wise decision Robert.
:)
 

Dr Klaus Schmitt

Well-known member
I now have the Olympus M5 MkII and am more than happy with it, also considering its 40/60Mp pixel shift mode (for studio work)
I also have several Panasonic GH1 and GH2 at work, one having over 500.000 exposures already and still funtions very well.
I use all with many, many converted old, exotic and all manual lenses, which only the short register of a micro 4/3 camera has allowed.
This opened a completely new world for me.
Images are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Dr. Klaus, how do you make this kind of effect ? Gorgeous !
A bit like pictorialism...
I guess that this is not only the result of using vintage lenses.
-
I read somewhere that Olympus is not so reliable as Panasonic. I think it was in m4/3 forum...
Those have much attractive design but the results are quite similar, mainly if using the same lenses. You do not have experience on this because yours Pan are working fine since you bought them...

i-XdPPrL4-M.jpg
 

Dr Klaus Schmitt

Well-known member
Dr. Klaus, how do you make this kind of effect ? Gorgeous !
A bit like pictorialism...
I guess that this is not only the result of using vintage lenses.
-
I read somewhere that Olympus is not so reliable as Panasonic. I think it was in m4/3 forum...
Those have much attractive design but the results are quite similar, mainly if using the same lenses. You do not have experience on this because yours Pan are working fine since you bought them...

i-XdPPrL4-M.jpg

Yes, it is ONLY a special lens that I used for this, found that a while ago, unlabeled, but made by Zeiss Jena in one of their plants.

Do you want one? I could get you one, but also needs a focusing mount made, as the lens does not have that.
 
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