The E-P3 is here! Along with the E-PL3, E-PM1, and new lenses!

Christine Tham · 07-12-2011, 03:04 AM

The G3 feels like an overgrown compact rather than a slimmed down DSLR.

So even though it's smaller, it feels clumsy and "big."

Does that make sense?

jct us101 · 07-12-2011, 07:45 PM

Yes it does, have you tried using one of the GF or PEN cameras?

InlawBiker · 07-13-2011, 12:31 PM

Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made.

I sold off my entire K-7 system and bought into a G3. There were a couple of key reasons (more than a couple) but I was OK with the trade-offs. Except there are some unknowns. I've never even held one... but I do have a GF1 in hand.

- I found the K-7 too heavy to bring on mountain bike trips or long hikes. Medium hikes no problem.

- I often left the camera at home or in the car for social events due to the weight. Especially with a fast zoom. I liked it with a small prime but not always.

- My wife was completely intimidated by the K-7. She would not read the manual no matter how many times I handed it to her ;-) Therefore she wouldn't take pictures.

- Video specs equal to my dedicated video camera, which I also sold.

- Upcoming summer trips where I'll have to carry the camera all day. Cutting the weight makes a big difference. This is maybe the key reason - weight & size.

- I ended up with a good pile of cash left over.

- G3 has better (less) ISO noise than the K-7.

- Swivel screen is neat :-)

What I actually did was buy a G3 body on pre-order and it hasn't arrived yet. With corp discount it was cheap ($450). Meanwhile I found a GF1 with 14-45mm + 20mm lens on Craigslist which I bought and will sell the GF1 when the G3 gets here.

I don't mind carrying the GF1 on a strap over my shoulder all day. I believe the G3 will be about the same. It's definitely bigger than it seems in the photos but so much lighter than a K-7.

I'm really worried though about indoor action shots. I have a feeling I'll miss the K-7 + FA50 for indoor sports. Or maybe it will feel like a toy. Although the GF1 doesn't at all. I hate composing with the LCD on the GF1, but I'm stuck with that for now.

Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot.

stanleyk · 07-13-2011, 04:35 PM

I think you will be happy with the G3. I just got mine about a week ago. I still prefer the styling on the Olympus bodies but it's probably a better camera than the Olympus. That said I will be getting an EP3 at some point because I really like the art filters.

I now carry the G3 + 20 + 14 and the X100. It weighs less than the K5 without a lens attached.

I plan on ditching the entire DSLR set up next year. I like the smaller cameras. I'm waiting to see what Ricoh does with the GXR to see if I want to keep any Kmount lenses.

Last edited by stanleyk; 07-13-2011 at 04:35 PM. Reason: spelling

nickthetasmaniac · 07-13-2011, 05:01 PM

Originally posted by InlawBiker

Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made.

Well, OK

I sold off my entire K-7 system and bought into a G3. There were a couple of key reasons (more than a couple) but I was OK with the trade-offs. Except there are some unknowns. I've never even held one... but I do have a GF1 in hand.

Hmmm, that's brave. The G3 is a very different body type to the K-7 and as Christine has indicated, it may not suit everyone. If you're comfortable with the size of the GF1 then it should be fine.

- I found the K-7 too heavy to bring on mountain bike trips or long hikes. Medium hikes no problem.

Me too. I bushwalk a lot and that's why I went from an Oly E-3 to GH2, and it's been great.

- I often left the camera at home or in the car for social events due to the weight. Especially with a fast zoom. I liked it with a small prime but not always.

As above. I now take my GH2 with 14/f2.5 or 20/f1.7 everywhere with me in my Domke F10 (which I carry anyway for Uni). Very portable - chuck it over your shoulder and forget its there

- My wife was completely intimidated by the K-7. She would not read the manual no matter how many times I handed it to her ;-) Therefore she wouldn't take pictures.

iAuto on Panasonics has a great reputation (I've never actually used it...). Your wife should be happy using it as a P&S.

- Video specs equal to my dedicated video camera, which I also sold.

I hope you didn't use an external mic with your dedicated video camera... That said the GH2/G3 inbuilt stereo microphone is very good.

- Upcoming summer trips where I'll have to carry the camera all day. Cutting the weight makes a big difference. This is maybe the key reason - weight & size.

As mentioned, size/portability is great.

- I ended up with a good pile of cash left over.

Always a winner...

- G3 has better (less) ISO noise than the K-7.

You should be satisfied with this. My GH2 files have been noticeably better than my K20D/K-7 files.

- Swivel screen is neat :-)

It really is, especially as live view is so seemless for composition and focussing. This really comes into its own if you do tripod work.

What I actually did was buy a G3 body on pre-order and it hasn't arrived yet. With corp discount it was cheap ($450). Meanwhile I found a GF1 with 14-45mm + 20mm lens on Craigslist which I bought and will sell the GF1 when the G3 gets here.

If you can afford to I'd keep the GF1 - it's still an amazing compact kit with the 20/f1.7

I don't mind carrying the GF1 on a strap over my shoulder all day. I believe the G3 will be about the same. It's definitely bigger than it seems in the photos but so much lighter than a K-7.

You should be happy with the size I think. It's surprisingly close to the GF1 (I thought it'd be closer to the GH2...)

I'm really worried though about indoor action shots. I have a feeling I'll miss the K-7 + FA50 for indoor sports. Or maybe it will feel like a toy. Although the GF1 doesn't at all. I hate composing with the LCD on the GF1, but I'm stuck with that for now.

In case you aren't aware, the 20/f1.7 focusses sloooooooow, and it doesn't do AF-C. If you don't mind MF, I'd consider keeping the FA50/f1.4 and getting a Fotodiox PK-m43 adapter. These are very cheap and using manual lenses on Micro Four Thirds is a breeze. The newly release Olympus 45/f1.8 looks very good and might be a good bet for indoors (similar field of view as a 50mm on the K-7 and amazingly sharp at f1.8)

Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot.

Hope you enjoy it

Christine Tham · 07-14-2011, 03:39 AM

dpreview just did a full review of the G3, and was quite positive.

I hope that those who have pre-ordered the G3 will like it.

pxpaulx · 07-14-2011, 05:15 AM

I've a G3 on pre-order (I have access to panasonic's EPP discount making it a good deal at 25% off before taxes). It looks to be just slightly larger (plus viewfinder) than the GF1, which I really liked. I'm not expecting the build of the GF1, but I don't mind a solid plastic camera either (had no problem with K-x build). I just sold my sigma 120-400mm as I found it too large. I picked up the panasonic 100-300mm which I plan on pairing with the G3, which appears to have about the best high ISO performance of M4/3 to date (on par w/the GH2). It'll probably be another month before I get the camera though!

InlawBiker · 07-14-2011, 11:08 PM

Hey Nick (and all), thanks for the feedback it's appreciated. I'm expecting the G3 to arrive maybe by Fall at this rate but until then I'll keep using the GF1. I was unware of how slow the 20mm is so perhaps I should budget for that new Olympus 45. I would use it a lot more than the long zoom. But damn I know it won't be cheap... what is though?

I do still have a K200d which is my favorite Pentax of all time, but I expect I'll sell it if it sits for too long. My second favorite is the *ist-D. I have no explanation as to why this is but there you go.

Clicker · 07-15-2011, 12:58 PM

Check out that strap...lol

Youtu.be

Blue · 07-15-2011, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by Clicker

Check out that strap...lol

‪Olympus PEN E-P3 Hands-on Review‬&rlm; - YouTube

Christine Tham · 07-15-2011, 02:10 PM

Originally posted by Clicker

Check out that strap...lol

‪Olympus PEN E-P3 Hands-on Review‬&rlm; - YouTube

LOL - yeah!

Thanks for sharing the link. The guy in the video is a bit up himself, but it's a good overview of the camera from a street shooter perspective.

The video has confirmed for me that the camera is way too big to suit me - I want a size closer to the pink camera the girl was holding (near the fake Hogwarts train).

The AF looks pretty good though - not quite phase detect speeds, but usable I think - much more usable than the G3/GF3.

Clicker · 07-15-2011, 02:27 PM

I'm still going to wait for the Pentax Q before buying into a mirrorless interchangeable system, i was all set for a Panasonic GF 1 till all these releases/announcements but i'm hoping this "backlit" sensor from Sony is as good as they're saying even as tiny as 1.63 and those Pentax Q primes are as good as their legacy slr primes, yes i know i'm expecting a lot but i'm counting on Pentax again to produce yet another industry winner.

Blue · 07-15-2011, 02:34 PM

Originally posted by Clicker

I'm still going to wait for the Pentax Q before buying into a mirrorless interchangeable system, i was all set for a Panasonic GF 1 till all these releases/announcements but i'm hoping this "backlit" sensor from Sony is as good as they're saying even as tiny as 1.63 and those Pentax Q primes are as good as their legacy slr primes, yes i know i'm expecting a lot but i'm counting on Pentax again to produce yet another industry winner.

1/1.63" would be in a different league, however, the Q has the 1/2.23" sensor.

Clicker · 07-15-2011, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by Blue

1/1.63" would be in a different league, however, the Q has the 1/2.23" sensor.

My bad, thanks for the correction. I'm using the LX 5 at the moment, spec overload.

InlawBiker · 07-20-2011, 09:03 PM

Sorry for the bad taste in quoting myself but I got the G3 this week and have been playing with it. The interface is a little confusing, it'll take some getting used to. But man so far - I really like this thing. More than I thought it would. I will absolutely love taking it on long trips.

There are some drawbacks and I still want to keep a Pentax body with a nice prime or two but, this mirrorless thing is going in the right direction.

- Lens better than I expected. Nice images!
- I love swivel screens now.
- It's designed to use the touchscreen and, while it feels like cheating - it works really well.

- It's a bit slower, more awkward to use.
- Tiny buttons and wheels are difficult to actuate, makes it feel toy-like.

Nice.

Originally posted by InlawBiker

Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made.

Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot.

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07-12-2011, 03:04 AM	#16
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269	The G3 feels like an overgrown compact rather than a slimmed down DSLR. So even though it's smaller, it feels clumsy and "big." Does that make sense?

07-12-2011, 07:45 PM	#17
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793 Original Poster	Yes it does, have you tried using one of the GF or PEN cameras?

07-13-2011, 12:31 PM	#18
InlawBiker Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Seattle, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 123	Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made. I sold off my entire K-7 system and bought into a G3. There were a couple of key reasons (more than a couple) but I was OK with the trade-offs. Except there are some unknowns. I've never even held one... but I do have a GF1 in hand. - I found the K-7 too heavy to bring on mountain bike trips or long hikes. Medium hikes no problem. - I often left the camera at home or in the car for social events due to the weight. Especially with a fast zoom. I liked it with a small prime but not always. - My wife was completely intimidated by the K-7. She would not read the manual no matter how many times I handed it to her ;-) Therefore she wouldn't take pictures. - Video specs equal to my dedicated video camera, which I also sold. - Upcoming summer trips where I'll have to carry the camera all day. Cutting the weight makes a big difference. This is maybe the key reason - weight & size. - I ended up with a good pile of cash left over. - G3 has better (less) ISO noise than the K-7. - Swivel screen is neat :-) What I actually did was buy a G3 body on pre-order and it hasn't arrived yet. With corp discount it was cheap ($450). Meanwhile I found a GF1 with 14-45mm + 20mm lens on Craigslist which I bought and will sell the GF1 when the G3 gets here. I don't mind carrying the GF1 on a strap over my shoulder all day. I believe the G3 will be about the same. It's definitely bigger than it seems in the photos but so much lighter than a K-7. I'm really worried though about indoor action shots. I have a feeling I'll miss the K-7 + FA50 for indoor sports. Or maybe it will feel like a toy. Although the GF1 doesn't at all. I hate composing with the LCD on the GF1, but I'm stuck with that for now. Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot.

07-13-2011, 04:35 PM	#19
stanleyk Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Taylor, Texas Posts: 1,018	I think you will be happy with the G3. I just got mine about a week ago. I still prefer the styling on the Olympus bodies but it's probably a better camera than the Olympus. That said I will be getting an EP3 at some point because I really like the art filters. I now carry the G3 + 20 + 14 and the X100. It weighs less than the K5 without a lens attached. I plan on ditching the entire DSLR set up next year. I like the smaller cameras. I'm waiting to see what Ricoh does with the GXR to see if I want to keep any Kmount lenses. Last edited by stanleyk; 07-13-2011 at 04:35 PM. Reason: spelling

07-13-2011, 05:01 PM	#20
nickthetasmaniac Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2,361	Originally posted by InlawBiker Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made. Well, OK I sold off my entire K-7 system and bought into a G3. There were a couple of key reasons (more than a couple) but I was OK with the trade-offs. Except there are some unknowns. I've never even held one... but I do have a GF1 in hand. Hmmm, that's brave. The G3 is a very different body type to the K-7 and as Christine has indicated, it may not suit everyone. If you're comfortable with the size of the GF1 then it should be fine. - I found the K-7 too heavy to bring on mountain bike trips or long hikes. Medium hikes no problem. Me too. I bushwalk a lot and that's why I went from an Oly E-3 to GH2, and it's been great. - I often left the camera at home or in the car for social events due to the weight. Especially with a fast zoom. I liked it with a small prime but not always. As above. I now take my GH2 with 14/f2.5 or 20/f1.7 everywhere with me in my Domke F10 (which I carry anyway for Uni). Very portable - chuck it over your shoulder and forget its there - My wife was completely intimidated by the K-7. She would not read the manual no matter how many times I handed it to her ;-) Therefore she wouldn't take pictures. iAuto on Panasonics has a great reputation (I've never actually used it...). Your wife should be happy using it as a P&S. - Video specs equal to my dedicated video camera, which I also sold. I hope you didn't use an external mic with your dedicated video camera... That said the GH2/G3 inbuilt stereo microphone is very good. - Upcoming summer trips where I'll have to carry the camera all day. Cutting the weight makes a big difference. This is maybe the key reason - weight & size. As mentioned, size/portability is great. - I ended up with a good pile of cash left over. Always a winner... - G3 has better (less) ISO noise than the K-7. You should be satisfied with this. My GH2 files have been noticeably better than my K20D/K-7 files. - Swivel screen is neat :-) It really is, especially as live view is so seemless for composition and focussing. This really comes into its own if you do tripod work. What I actually did was buy a G3 body on pre-order and it hasn't arrived yet. With corp discount it was cheap ($450). Meanwhile I found a GF1 with 14-45mm + 20mm lens on Craigslist which I bought and will sell the GF1 when the G3 gets here. If you can afford to I'd keep the GF1 - it's still an amazing compact kit with the 20/f1.7 I don't mind carrying the GF1 on a strap over my shoulder all day. I believe the G3 will be about the same. It's definitely bigger than it seems in the photos but so much lighter than a K-7. You should be happy with the size I think. It's surprisingly close to the GF1 (I thought it'd be closer to the GH2...) I'm really worried though about indoor action shots. I have a feeling I'll miss the K-7 + FA50 for indoor sports. Or maybe it will feel like a toy. Although the GF1 doesn't at all. I hate composing with the LCD on the GF1, but I'm stuck with that for now. In case you aren't aware, the 20/f1.7 focusses sloooooooow, and it doesn't do AF-C. If you don't mind MF, I'd consider keeping the FA50/f1.4 and getting a Fotodiox PK-m43 adapter. These are very cheap and using manual lenses on Micro Four Thirds is a breeze. The newly release Olympus 45/f1.8 looks very good and might be a good bet for indoors (similar field of view as a 50mm on the K-7 and amazingly sharp at f1.8) Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot. Hope you enjoy it

07-14-2011, 03:39 AM	#21
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269	dpreview just did a full review of the G3, and was quite positive. I hope that those who have pre-ordered the G3 will like it.

07-14-2011, 05:15 AM	#22
pxpaulx Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 2,867	I've a G3 on pre-order (I have access to panasonic's EPP discount making it a good deal at 25% off before taxes). It looks to be just slightly larger (plus viewfinder) than the GF1, which I really liked. I'm not expecting the build of the GF1, but I don't mind a solid plastic camera either (had no problem with K-x build). I just sold my sigma 120-400mm as I found it too large. I picked up the panasonic 100-300mm which I plan on pairing with the G3, which appears to have about the best high ISO performance of M4/3 to date (on par w/the GH2). It'll probably be another month before I get the camera though!

07-14-2011, 11:08 PM	#23
InlawBiker Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Seattle, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 123	Hey Nick (and all), thanks for the feedback it's appreciated. I'm expecting the G3 to arrive maybe by Fall at this rate but until then I'll keep using the GF1. I was unware of how slow the 20mm is so perhaps I should budget for that new Olympus 45. I would use it a lot more than the long zoom. But damn I know it won't be cheap... what is though? I do still have a K200d which is my favorite Pentax of all time, but I expect I'll sell it if it sits for too long. My second favorite is the *ist-D. I have no explanation as to why this is but there you go.

07-15-2011, 01:30 PM	#25
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by Clicker Check out that strap...lol ‪Olympus PEN E-P3 Hands-on Review‬&rlm; - YouTube

07-15-2011, 02:10 PM	#26
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269	Originally posted by Clicker Check out that strap...lol ‪Olympus PEN E-P3 Hands-on Review‬&rlm; - YouTube LOL - yeah! Thanks for sharing the link. The guy in the video is a bit up himself, but it's a good overview of the camera from a street shooter perspective. The video has confirmed for me that the camera is way too big to suit me - I want a size closer to the pink camera the girl was holding (near the fake Hogwarts train). The AF looks pretty good though - not quite phase detect speeds, but usable I think - much more usable than the G3/GF3.

07-15-2011, 02:27 PM	#27
Clicker Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,241	I'm still going to wait for the Pentax Q before buying into a mirrorless interchangeable system, i was all set for a Panasonic GF 1 till all these releases/announcements but i'm hoping this "backlit" sensor from Sony is as good as they're saying even as tiny as 1.63 and those Pentax Q primes are as good as their legacy slr primes, yes i know i'm expecting a lot but i'm counting on Pentax again to produce yet another industry winner.

07-15-2011, 02:34 PM	#28
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by Clicker I'm still going to wait for the Pentax Q before buying into a mirrorless interchangeable system, i was all set for a Panasonic GF 1 till all these releases/announcements but i'm hoping this "backlit" sensor from Sony is as good as they're saying even as tiny as 1.63 and those Pentax Q primes are as good as their legacy slr primes, yes i know i'm expecting a lot but i'm counting on Pentax again to produce yet another industry winner. 1/1.63" would be in a different league, however, the Q has the 1/2.23" sensor.

07-15-2011, 03:05 PM	#29
Clicker Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,241	Originally posted by Blue 1/1.63" would be in a different league, however, the Q has the 1/2.23" sensor. My bad, thanks for the correction. I'm using the LX 5 at the moment, spec overload.

07-20-2011, 09:03 PM	#30
InlawBiker Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Seattle, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 123	Sorry for the bad taste in quoting myself but I got the G3 this week and have been playing with it. The interface is a little confusing, it'll take some getting used to. But man so far - I really like this thing. More than I thought it would. I will absolutely love taking it on long trips. There are some drawbacks and I still want to keep a Pentax body with a nice prime or two but, this mirrorless thing is going in the right direction. - Lens better than I expected. Nice images! - I love swivel screens now. - It's designed to use the touchscreen and, while it feels like cheating - it works really well. - It's a bit slower, more awkward to use. - Tiny buttons and wheels are difficult to actuate, makes it feel toy-like. Nice. Originally posted by InlawBiker Well maybe one of you who've used MFT for a while can tell me how big a mistake I've made. Man I hope I don't end up hating the G3, but I'm going to give it an honest shot.