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10-21-2016, 08:02 AM   #1
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Seriously thiking of joining the Olympus m43 camp.

I have been seriously considering the Olympus m43 system for a while.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds V207010BU040 B&H

^ This $1299 deal is not helping the cause either. Hahaha! The body alone goes for $1099. The lens alone goes for $999. I'd be saving $799 on this kit. My guess is that it will probably go cheaper or some other incentives will be thrown in this season. I also have a spare car that I'm about to unload & all the profits can be used towards camera gear.

I got to play with my younger brother's Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II along with the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens & the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8 lens & I was pretty impressed with the AF performance, 5-axis IBIS, IQ, & compactness of the system. The AF is better than the AF in my K-50 both in tracking & low light. It's not like leaps & bounds better than the K-50's AF abilities, but the E-M5II hunts way less in shooting moving subjects in low light & the focus is more accurate. Then again we are talking about a more expensive & recent "apple" OMD E-M5II body versus a lower end & slightly older "orange" K-50. The IQ is great up to ISO 12800. It falls apart after that, but still usable to ISO 25600. This is where K-50 beats the E-M5II. The K-50 has slightly better looking shots at ISO 25600, but I really never shoot at that ISO. I actually try not to pass ISO 6400 most of the time. For having such a small sensor, the E-M5II is pretty amazing.

I read a few reviews about the E-M5II & the OMD E-M1 & even though the E-M5II has slightly better 5-axis IBIS, it seems like the E-M1 is better overall. Kind of like the K-70 versus the K-3II thing. Then there is the 4.0 firmware for the E-M1 that pretty much improves & adds more features that were previously unavailable in the E-M1. It's like a whole new different camera than what it was in late 2013 & most reviewers haven't re-reviewed it since the firmware's introduction late last year.

So yeah. I'm on the fence as far as joining the m43 camp or staying with Pentax. I love Pentax quite a lot, but I also really love the Olympus m43 system. I can't really afford to keep both of them. I'd would unload all my Pentax gear if I jump ship. That would be my 2 K-50 bodies with their respective accessories, 4 lenses, flash, & the wireless remote. It's not much, but given the performance that I'd get out of the E-M1, it would seem kind of pointless to keep my Pentax gear & would rather use the money towards additional Olympus lenses.

On the other hand, I'm still waiting for info on the upcoming Pentax APS-C flagship. I'm now dead set on getting that versus a K-3II if I stay with Pentax. I'm pretty sure that it's gonna be a pretty awesome camera & the IQ is going to be much better than what I can get out of the Olympus.

But yeah. The ability to go a bit lighter & fit more lenses in my bag along with very good IQ with the Olympus m43 system is kind of tempting. Not to mention that I can share & swap lenses with my younger brother. I also know that I give up something for something else like DOF, high ISO IQ, & related. That's something I can deal with. I'd also be on the "cheap" end of it by getting the OMD E-M1 now when it's about to be phased out by the Mark II & then getting the OMD E-M1 Mark II later on when it's being phased out by the following Olympus m43 flagship. Hmmm........

10-21-2016, 08:11 AM   #2
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I rented an OMD a few years back thinking I too needed a smaller kit. But the IQ and handling just wasn't compelling to me. In fact the IQ was much more similar to the Nikon 1 system -- which is smaller still. The new 1" Sony, Panasonic, and (future) Nikon DL series provide not only something significantly smaller than the Pentax and M43 bodies, but the IQ is on par with the best M43 cameras. Something to think about.

Michael
10-21-2016, 08:21 AM   #3
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I fail to see the advantage of going to a system that costs more for less performace, with the only advantage being... slightly smaller size. My K-S1 is small enough for me, and I can carry it all day with the DA 35 attached to it and not feel it. Even the 16-45 is pretty manageable and I don't mind the weight. Something like the K-S1 or even the K-70 with a 15,21,40,70 lens lineup sounds more appealing to me - if I had some money coming in like you do...

But the grass is always greener on the other side, and I guess you'll have to end up trying it to see if it's for you
10-21-2016, 08:39 AM - 1 Like   #4
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At my age I avoid new camera systems like the plague. It irritates me that Pentax moved the playback button going from the K-3 to the K-1, and that I have to push the arrow button 6 times to format the SD card instead of 5. I'm not opposed to change, I'm opposed to pointless change.


Last edited by normhead; 10-21-2016 at 09:01 AM.
10-21-2016, 08:50 AM   #5
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When mirrorless was "young" (maybe 3-4 years ago), I kept reading that it would make for less expensive cameras because there's no need for the complex mirror mechanism of DLSRs... But that's the one aspect of mirrorless that has, IMHO, not panned out. On the contrary, mirrorless is playing to a luxury crowd and bodies are selling for much more than comparable Pentax DSLRs. The fact remains that when you compare the K-70 to any decent mirrorless (e.g. X-T1, X-T10, E-M1, E-M5II), the K-70 is a compelling (stills) camera for much less money. It's currently selling for about the same as an E-M10II. And you can, I think, get very decent glass for much less. There are some nice features in various mirrorless systems (like eye-detect AF, focus bracketing, live bulb mode) that I do wish we had on Pentax bodies. But the value proposition is very much in Pentax's favor...
10-21-2016, 09:28 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by The Squirrel Mafia Quote
...So yeah. I'm on the fence as far as joining the m43 camp or staying with Pentax...
I sympathize but don't have an answer for you. My main camera remains a K-5. I've been waiting for a better APS-C body to come along. Low light is where I push the K-5 the most so the K-3 wasn't worth upgrading.

At present there's no m43 camera that can match the K-5. m43 falls behind in low light and at ultra wide angles. Smaller size is nice but not if I sacrifice performance. I'll see what happens with the OM-D E-M1 Mark II (confusing product name by the way) but I still expect it to lag APS-C.

The K-1 is definitely an improvement for low-light and wide angle, but I'd also want to add 2 of the new full-frame zooms. That's a huge cost and gives me a significantly heavier system than the K-5. I could change systems for a similar cost.

I dream of a new pro APS-C Pentax body, much like the K-3ii but with one stop less noise. I don't expect that - I'm a victim of how great the K-5 was
10-21-2016, 09:40 AM   #7
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I looked at the Olympus cameras at a recent show. They're nice, for sure, but I didn't feel like the build quality of the higher-end bodies matched that of my K-3 and K-3II. I know the magnesium alloy frame is much the same as Pentax's, but the switch-gear - buttons, dials etc. - just didn't feel all that solid. Plus, with the smaller sensor, shallow depth of field requires fast lenses. In terms of field of view and depth of field, that 14-42 f/3.5-5.6 is broadly equivalent to an 18-55 f/4.5-7.1 on APS-C or a 28-82 f/7-11. The 25mm f/1.8 would be a lot more fun... kind of like the DA35 f/2.4 on your K-50.

I can see the attraction of the Olympus m43 gear, though. If it works better for your situation, I say go for it

10-21-2016, 09:47 AM   #8
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^ I do love that 35mm lens. It's glued to my K-50 almost all the time. My next lens that I use is the Pentax 18-55mm WR kit lens & once in a while the Pentax 50mm 1.8 lens. I rarely use the Pentax 50-200mm WR lens. I've probably used it about 10 times since I bought the camera.

QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
Something like the K-S1 or even the K-70 with a 15,21,40,70 lens lineup sounds more appealing to me - if I had some money coming in like you do...
I do have the option of getting some more Pentax glass that I've been wanting to get like the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5, Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8, & the recent Pentax HD 55-300mm WR lens. I wish Pentax would hurry up with that UWA lens that they have on their road map. I'd probably get that over the Sigma 10-20mm. Then again, it could be one of those KAF4 lenses that I'd have to wait on until I get the next flagship.

QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
I sympathize but don't have an answer for you. My main camera remains a K-5. I've been waiting for a better APS-C body to come along. Low light is where I push the K-5 the most so the K-3 wasn't worth upgrading.

At present there's no m43 camera that can match the K-5. m43 falls behind in low light and at ultra wide angles. Smaller size is nice but not if I sacrifice performance. I'll see what happens with the OM-D E-M1 Mark II (confusing product name by the way) but I still expect it to lag APS-C.

The K-1 is definitely an improvement for low-light and wide angle, but I'd also want to add 2 of the new full-frame zooms. That's a huge cost and gives me a significantly heavier system than the K-5. I could change systems for a similar cost.

I dream of a new pro APS-C Pentax body, much like the K-3ii but with one stop less noise. I don't expect that - I'm a victim of how great the K-5 was
I know the feeling. I've also looked at the K-1, which is a very awesome first try for Pentax, but the few brand spanking new full frame lenses are very pricey at the moment.

The K-70 has some amazing IQ. It's a tad bit better than what the K-3/3II offers. I'd get it if I didn't already have a Pentax camera, but now I want a flagship body. If the K-70 is any indication of where Pentax is going with IQ & features, I'm guessing that the next Pentax APS-C flagship will be just as amazing as the K-5/5II/5IIs, but with newer features & IQ as good or even better than the K-70.
10-21-2016, 09:56 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
I dream of a new pro APS-C Pentax body, much like the K-3ii but with one stop less noise. I don't expect that - I'm a victim of how great the K-5 was
I think you'll see that within a year. Looking at the RAW files from the K-70 and comparing them to my K-3 & K-3II, I'd say there's a good stop difference in higher ISO noise performance. I'm not sure I like the look of the noise quite as much, but that's at pixel-peeping levels. There's no doubt it beats the K-3II, and I think we can expect at least that level of performance from the next flagship APS-C model.
10-21-2016, 10:18 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by The Squirrel Mafia Quote
I know the feeling. I've also looked at the K-1, which is a very awesome first try for Pentax, but the few brand spanking new full frame lenses are very pricey at the moment.
I don't think you need the new fast heavy lenses. Something like a Pentax 20-35mm (or a Tamron 17-35mm), plus the new 28-105mm (or a Tamron 28-75mm 2.8) and a Tamron 70-200mm would make a nice setup without breaking the bank.

I already have a Tokina 19-35mm which I've seen great results from in FF cameras so I wouldn't hesitate to use that if I ever got the K-1... and it only costs around 100 bucks.

The problem is that people think that when you get a K-1 you need all the latest glass to make good use of it. I think Normhead already proved that you can get very nice results from older glass, even cheap lenses like the F 35-80 and F 70-210 can give very nice results.
10-21-2016, 10:29 AM   #11
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I've also been mulling over the size issue. The attraction of m43 to me is that the small sensor keeps lens size down, but I'm not sure m43 provides the best solution, certainly not for the money.

Right now, I've been shooting indoor family photos with a K5IIs or KS2 with the 15mm/4 limited. This is a compact, reasonably unobtrusive setup. With exposure set to 1/50 and mode to TAV, I just focus and shoot (oh yeah, sometimes I even compose). The good high iso performance lets me use available light. I think that m43 would be a step backwards here.

For travel, I now carry 2 camera bodies, with the 15mm on the K5 (for indoor, some landscape) and a 50mm/2.8 macro on the KS2 for everything else. I'm not swapping lenses, and get decent versatility. Boqeh is adequate but not great. It's a little large, but really not bad.

Wildlife/travel is the place where m43 tempts me. Those stabilized zooms that go out to 300mm (600mm FF equivalent) provide a lot of reach in a small package. But at that point, as MJSPhoto mentioned, 1"-sensor IS superzooms start to look attractive, especially as one-stop solutions for travel. Their feature sets are mind-blowing, and prices more affordable. Fixed lenses for travel make a lot of sense.

At the other extreme, there's the K-1: I would really like to go back to shift-lens architectural photography, and to do serious (meaning with tripod) landscape setups, especially wide angle. Size not much of an issue here.

Round-and-round.
10-21-2016, 10:53 AM   #12
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Be careful when comparing ISO between Pentax and Olympus (or Fuji). Pentax is closer to true ISO than any other manufacturer. Others lie about ISO settings. To compare properly, set aperture 2/3 of stop smaller on the Pentax for same DOF, use the same shutter speed and same FOV, float ISO or equalize brightness in post processing. That will give you a level playing field.

Small sensors don't appeal to me. There are times when I have to remove the TC and shoot my DA*300 f4 wide open at ISO 6400 to take a photo in the dim woods. No smaller sensor can match that. In good light, the cropability of 24mp is unmatched by any other sensor size.

I have a K-3 which I love and will keep. I am expecting a K-3 II replacement to be announced at CP+ in February, which I will purchase. I have a Sony a6000 for times when I want a small kit. It's APS-C, so there's no IQ penalty vs. Pentax. The a6000 feels and handles like a toy compared to my K-3. High end Olympus bodies are reasonably well made but the control system is famously bungled. They try to make up for it by giving you reams of customisable buttons. Pentax just does it right.

Last edited by audiobomber; 10-21-2016 at 10:59 AM.
10-21-2016, 02:35 PM   #13
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I have the E-M1, it's a super camera and these days at a great price (because the Mark II version will soon come out). I also have the E-M5 Mark II, very nice too but the E-M1 has the better ergonomics since the finger grip is built in and not an accessory. These cameras have improved my enjoyment of photography. They are easier to take with me because generally lighter and smaller (inc. lenses). They have some useful features DSLRs lack and there is plenty of excellent glass available. A lens that is excellent wide open and very good IBIS means that the Oly delivers better lowlight handheld results than Pentax, imho, because I can use a lower shutter speed and a better ISO for a clean sharp result. I also really value things like focus peaking and over/under exposure blinkies in the viewfinder. It makes it possible to choose the kind of exposure I want and see the result in the VF in real time.

It's all a series of trade-offs. The M43 sensor is smaller but that doesn't make as much difference as one might think in many situations. For absolutely the best IQ a bigger sensor will always win no question, but this is only one of the elements that makes a great camera since to me enjoyment counts for a great deal as does a mature system with a full suite of good modern lenses. For top IQ in good conditions (high-res landscapes with wide DR, e.g.) I would choose a K70, say, but there are other situations in which I would prefer the Oly and some in which it would probably produce more keepers.

Only you can say whether you feel comfortable with another brand of camera and whether it will work for your kind of photography. For example, Sony cameras clearly have excellent class-leading sensors but as a brand they are just not for me. And of course Pentax is very good too, for all the reasons we know. I would strongly suggest not spending your hard-earned money until you have been able to take a new camera and system for a good road test first and perhaps tried a few sample RAW files on your PC to see how they shape up in practice.

Last edited by mecrox; 10-21-2016 at 02:41 PM.
10-21-2016, 03:16 PM   #14
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^ I borrowed my younger brothers OMD E-M5 Mark II for a week & it kind of spoiled me. I did some low & high ISO tests between the K-50 with the Pentax 35mm f/2.4 & the E-M5II with the Olympus 25mm f/1.8 lens. I can definitely say that the Oly was a bit easier to shoot at low ISO in low light 'cause of the 5-axis IBIS. From ISO 100 to about ISO 12800 the K-50 & E-M5II go about head to head when I tested the RAW files in RawTherapee & DXO. I also grabbed similar looking test files from Imaging-Resource & DPReview to compare them. If anything, the E-M5II starts getting a tad bit granier as the ISO climbs, but it's pleasant looking. The K-50 has less grain, but almost looks kind of smudged. It's like the NR is turned on even though it's off. It's at ISO 25600 where you start to really notice the degradation in the E-M1 & E-M5II files. I never shoot that high, so it doesn't really matter.

I'll have to think this some more. Both Pentax & Olympus have their pluses & minuses. To make matters worse, I'll borrow my dad's Nikon D7200 at times & then the AF in that spoils me too. Hahahaha!
10-21-2016, 05:36 PM   #15
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FWIW, right here you will find a discussion about a Russian review of the K-70 where they tested the IBIS against that of an E-M10 II and found the Pentax (marginally) better. Not a super scientific test, mind you, but better than comparing marketing brochures...
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