[Wired]

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I got my Christmas bonus yesterday and got some quick sales from a recent fashion show. Asking my wife what to do with the money she has told me to use it to renew my business licence and insurance and then the rest can goto gear as her gift to me will be allowing me to spend the money and not throw it into our kitchen. Lol


So I went out yesterday and bought a Sony A7 kit. I really don't like it. It feels awkward and the kit lens is huge. It is FF though. Not very compact once you start throwing lenses on it. I already got a D800 and the K3 which can get bulky with the larger lenses.

The video mode is quite good though which is very important to me at this stage in my career. The only thing I kind of like about it. But the AF hunts a lot, even after fine tuning and adjusting controls. The zebras are awesome. But the shot to shot speed is crap....

So I'm going to take it back and get something else....

I was thinking of resisting m4a/3 as I really really loved my EM5.

I was thinking EM1....

But what would be the best bang for the buck for a $1600 kit using m4/3 that gives me quick shutter speed, good AF, a decent buffer, and a nice prime or two? A nice video package would be great as well.

Or Nikon V3?

Compact travel camera with EVF that can still perform professionally... Lol that's a lot to ask




Oooorrrrrre

Ricoh GR and a Macro lens

[Docrwm]

Sorry you don't like your new toy. Tried a V3, didn't like it at all - poor overall feel, front heavy with lens, just awkward IMHO. Good luck.

[Rupert]

...just a passing thought.....You might want to consider going with a Toy Camera? If you look through this thread a couple of the guys are having great results with the little Fuji X30.....that new Classic Chrome option really shines! It's a small and extremely well made little camera, has a very nice range not found on most small cameras and will fit in a jacket pocket. Nope, it's not going to give you what you get from a D800 or K3, but it can travel with you anyplace,anytime, and give you that unexpected opportunity you might otherwise miss. Cheaper than most lenses, and a pocket full of great fun!
If you do....go to our thread and post with us....tell them Rupert sent you!

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/257...fess-here.html

Regards!

[Flugelbinder]

...Fuji X30.....that new Classic Chrome option really shines!...

As an ex Fuji user, I would say there are much better options than the X-30... You might not get a very fast af, but...

[Rupert]

As an ex Fuji user, I would say there are much better options than the X-30... You might not get a very fast af, but...

We're not picky over in the Toy Camera thread....the X30 results are looking good but so are many others...just get something and come on over, we have a lot of fun with our Toy Cameras......you can too!

Regards!

[Flugelbinder]

Wish I could, but I had to sell my X-E1 and 35, to fund the K-5 II and 35... Still have a little left for a long zoom - waiting for the right deal...

[Aegon]

IMO:

The E-M1 adds PDAF to the E-M5, but other than that you can probably just use the E-M5 if you already know you like it.

Panasonic cameras take much better videos than Olympus. The GH3 is nice, overall, but lacks 5-axis IBIS and has a weird viewfinder that I don't like. The GH4 does 4K, but it costs a lot more. You can get an LX7 for $399 here in the states:
Panasonic Lumix DMC GX7 16 0 MP Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Black | eBay

Each of the GH3, GH4, and LX7 have a sensor similar to the E-M5, but also lack IBIS.

As always, the Olympus 45mm is perhaps the finest lens I've ever shot. Add a Panasonic 20/1.7 and call it a day. Get a used E-M5 or that GX7 and you'll have $800 leftover to buy a guitar or something.

[ppppsssstttt]

just out of curiousity, why did you get rid of the em-5? i've been lusting over m4/3rds too. i tried the fuji x30, and it's an amazing feature rich camera. the evf, tilt screen, collapsable lens, wifi, and ergonomics... i miss it all. but it's not the best bang for buck, especially since i already had a pentax body. i returned it and opted for a lens instead.

but the em5 was 599 new on black friday and it made me hesitate my lens purchase for a while. it's hard to get it at this point, knowing that the price dropped and went back up... best bang for your buck may be something that's just discontinued... but a gr and lens sounds nice, i wish i had a gr to pocket everyday

[Wired]

I sold the em5 as I wanted more Nikon glass. Now that both my Pentax and Nikon kits are essentially complete and my lighting kit is close too it I'm looking for something that can do good video and give me a small camera I can have as a backup.

Essentially over the last little while I've been running into speed issues like crazy. I've been doing a fashion runway a week for the month of December and my D800 is just barely keeping up. You really have no idea how fast it moves and how quick you need to get three perfect shots before you know it. I kept hitting my buffer limit. It also gets incredibly heavy when your holding a 70-200 vr2 and the d800 in shooting position constantly for 30-60 minutes straight.

The K3 and 50-135 can't keep up either when it comes to autofocus. Otherwise it would have been perfect.

So a m4/3 camera that is small, light, and can give me tons of speed.

I went and manhandled a few cameras. Took home an EM1 and a couple lenses. Gonna save up for the tele zoom and a wide angle next and see where that takes me.

Preliminary shooting tells me that the EM1 is a beast


That said the GX7 looks like something I should play with before the exchange period runs out. The Gh4 is a brilliant camera but too much money at the moment.

[sunny16]

Maybe I am crazy, but I am finally going to say it... I really REALLY like the video out of the E-M1. There I have said it.

Everywhere I read about how I should dislike it (OK, Andrew at EOSHD seems to kind of like it... or did for one blog post.) But seriously, with the stabilization allowing for such steady shots, it is really something. I shoot all lenses (micro 4/3 & adapted Pentax) in MF though in a pinch the AF is functional (clearly below more professional video cams.) I wish it offered 24 fps but 30 isn't the end of the world. But the color controls do give you some wiggle room and I have never had problems with unintended crushed blacks. Again, there's no log gammas or anything but if you work with it a little, I think the video is quite nice. And the noise is well controlled even up around 3200 (in terms of noise it was giving my GH4 a run for its money!)

Anyway, now I've said it in this little corner of the internet. If you still think I am crazy for loving it, it won't hurt my feelings.

Wired, I hope you are finding a similar experience. Thanks for sharing your story.

[twilight_samurai]

I sold the em5 as I wanted more Nikon glass. Now that both my Pentax and Nikon kits are essentially complete and my lighting kit is close too it I'm looking for something that can do good video and give me a small camera I can have as a backup.

Essentially over the last little while I've been running into speed issues like crazy. I've been doing a fashion runway a week for the month of December and my D800 is just barely keeping up. You really have no idea how fast it moves and how quick you need to get three perfect shots before you know it. I kept hitting my buffer limit. It also gets incredibly heavy when your holding a 70-200 vr2 and the d800 in shooting position constantly for 30-60 minutes straight.

The K3 and 50-135 can't keep up either when it comes to autofocus. Otherwise it would have been perfect.

So a m4/3 camera that is small, light, and can give me tons of speed.

If you're going to be shooting runways often, you could try using a monopod to support your heavy kit (provided that the venue allows it). Although I don't own a D800, I've shot one a few times and I know what you're talking about when it comes to the buffer filling fast! Write speeds are going to be affected by what cards you use and how your file writing strategy is setup. I assume you're using both fast CF and SD cards; I tend to think SD cards write slower than CF so I would try saving the NEFs to the CF and smaller JPGs as backup on the SD. You don't need to write NEFs to both cards right? And do you need to shoot at full-res since it's runway and not a fashion editorial?

Once the flare issue is sorted for the D750, maybe you should sell the D800 if you still need more speed.