Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/03/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jeff raises some very interesting and thoughtful points about the success of these new designs. The editor of our biggest camera magazine here just commented that they are visible everywhere he has travelled, yet no-one seems to be using them with the four thirds lenses. Presumably that means that manual focus is successful (and suggests that there is a viable niche there). Reportedly they have some performance issues with some Leica wides but I have no personal experience there. I saw Howard Cummer's neat little GF1 with the compact prime on it and you can certainly see the appeal of these packages for the reasons that Jeff has mentioned. Samsung have just stepped into the fray with their interpretation (NX10) which has an APSC size sensor and built in electronic viewfinder. It is smaller than the G1, much smaller than even the E450 dSLR and I suspect comparable to the neat little Olys and GF1 when you take into account adding the finder to the top of those. It also has a superb and large AMOLED screen on the back which is very impressive to view. Currently their available lens adaptor though is just for their earlier lenses (and more significantly, the Pentaxes).Take a look if you are in that market. Locally it is also half the price of those other makes. Cheers Geoff http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman > On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 6:03 PM, Jeff Moore <jbm at jbm.org> wrote: > > > Since some of the kids are talking up this little Panasonic body, > > here's an example with Leica glass: > > > > > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbm0/4420275979/sizes/o/in/set-72157623411271513/ > > > > There are a couple more of Therese surrounding that one in this > > gallery: > > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbm0/sets/72157623411271513/ > > > > which is pictures taken during WFMU's annual fundraising Marathon. > > > > Since WFMU is the best freeform radio station on the planet, you > > should probably tune in to the web stream, go to the web page, and > > send them some money. Go ahead, I'll wait. > > > > Back to cameras and lenses... you may remember Therese from some other > > pics I posted with the 75mm Summilux on an M8. She's unselfconscious, > > and makes for great picturetaking. Therese tag search: > > > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbm0/tags/therese/ > > > > As for this funny little Panasonic DMC-GF1: well, in every case when > > I've taken a similar picture with the GF1 and the M9, the M9 picture > > was dramatically more appealing. Even (especially!) in low light. > > There can be a sort of pale mealiness to pictures in low light from > > the GF1, which I'm trying to figure out how to avoid. I think part of > > it is that I'm used to being able to get away with fixing more > > underexposure in post than this sensor will allow. > > > > So why do I even have it, when I have an M9? Partly as a tiny, light > > backup which will use the same lenses (with the M adaptor I just leave > > on there); partly to use with longer lenses or longish big-aperture > > lenses, which I can use with some confidence about focus, and which > > act as if they have a magical 2x tele converter on them which doesn't > > reduce the maximum aperture; partly to subect to abuse (snow and such) > > I don't want to subject the M9 to; stuff like that. Oh, and it's fun. > > > > I haven't even bought any of the real native lenses for it. Maybe I > > never will. > > > > The DMC-GF1 with the pre-ASPH 35mm Summicron on it is a sweet little > > small light package. > > > > And here's my take on the screen-on-the-back thing: it's obviously not > > a rangefinder, but it doesn't even feel like an SLR to me either -- it > > feels for all the world like a teensy little no-movements view camera. > > > > You see the picture in a bright little window; if you want to focus > > accurately, you need to use a loupe (in this case electronic); the > > whole process is a little bit slower than we're used to these days; > > and if you're out in the bright day, you should throw a cloth over > > your head. > > > > -Jeff > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >