Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/02/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thanks Mark. I haven't made any prints from the GF-1 yet, but I am looking forward to it. Right now, I'm trying to get a decent Lightroom workflow in place. What's the hot printer these days? --Jim On Feb 3, 2010, at 7:41 AM, Mark Pope wrote: > Jim, > > I really enjoyed your gallery - I'll bet the prints are pretty good too! > I'd love to see a print of the young monks meditating. > > At the moment, I don't intend to try M-mount lenses with the camera. I'm > hopeful that the 20mm is all I'll need. At least for the time being > anyway. > > > > Mark Pope, > Swindon, Wilts > UK > > Homepage http://www.monomagic.co.uk > Blog http://www.monomagic.co.uk/blog > Picture a week (2010) > http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2010 > Picture a week (2009) > http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2009 > (2008) http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2008 > > > Jim Laurel wrote: >> Totally agree with you, Mark. I took one of these little beasts with me >> to Burma as an M9 backup, but it ended up logging as many frames as the >> M9! Truly a delightful little camera with great lenses. >> http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/3708140154/photos >> I always loved the CL and the Olympus Pen, and the GF-1 is very much a CL >> + Pen hybrid brought into the 21st century. One of the most intriguing >> things to me is the concept of the lenses carrying around optical >> corrections in firmware. I've already gotten some firmware updates for my >> M4/3 lenses. I wonder what Barnack would have thought of being able to >> update lens designs with software? >> I used the Voigtlander adapter to mount M lenses, and it worked very >> well. Stick to 35mm and longer, though. I did not have very good results >> with 28mm and wider. >> -Jim >> On Feb 2, 2010, at 8:43 AM, Mark Pope wrote: >>> Having just taken delivery of a GF1 with 20 Pancake lens, my initial >>> thoughts are that I am going to get along famously with this camera. >>> Likes: >>> >>> - overall build quality >>> >>> - size - not too big, not too small. Perfect for Goldilocks :-) >>> >>> - ergonomics - it didn't take too long to suss out where everything was. >>> Why though does a camera need a 196-page manual (see below...) >>> >>> - optical quality - which is what really matters isn't it? The first >>> few prints that I have made are nice an sharp and the colour rendition >>> is excellent (according to Karin, whose colour vision is much, much >>> better than mine). >>> >>> - autofocus - the face-detection and follow-focus features work very >>> well indeed. >>> >>> Dislikes: >>> >>> - the battery/SD card door feels a bit flimsy. It spoils an otherwise >>> very nicely made camera. >>> >>> - vertical pictures are not auto-rotated when imported to Lightroom. I >>> subsequently discovered that this feature which is known as the >>> 'direction detection feature', isn't supported with the 20mm pancake >>> lens. Not a deal-breaker, but as I like to shoot portrait format quite >>> a lot, it's an annoyance. >>> >>> - more modes than you can shake a stick at. I think the camera was >>> dipped in Complicatonite. There are scene modes: 17 of them, plus the >>> usual Program, Aperture priority, Shutter Priority, manual, movie, >>> intelligent auto, two custom modes and one with an artist's pallette, >>> which I have no idea about. Then there are the flash modes (which I >>> haven't looked at yet). This little camera is very a la mode! In >>> short, I think it, like many other cameras of Japanese origin, is too >>> complicated. Features have been added for three reasons: first because >>> the marketers think it's a good idea, second because the opposition do >>> it and third because they can. >>> >>> In terms of physical size, the body is roughly the same size as a Ricoh >>> GR1 (film compact) with the lens retracted. The 20mm lens is quite a >>> big lens and does add considerably to the bulk of the camera (it's not >>> really pocketable) but the balance is nice. >>> >>> For me, the biggest advantage of the GF1 is definitely the 4/3 sensor. >>> I've used it up to ISO 800 and produced some pleasing prints. Yes, they >>> are noisy, but whether the noise is acceptable is a personal thing. >>> >>> Overall, then I think it's a smashing piece of kit. I haven't tried an >>> optical finder yet: that's on its way thanks to Nathan. >>> Is it better than the GRD III? Probably. Whilst the Ricoh is now in >>> its third generation, I feel that the small sensor will still be a >>> limiting factor in its overall image quality. I have heard that >>> Panasonic are due to bring out a 14mm pancake lens, giving a field of >>> view equivalent to a 28mm. Now that will be an interesting combination! >>> >>> I hope you find this useful. Pictures to follow, probably when I post >>> my PAW on Friday. >>> >>> Best wishes >>> >>> >>> Mark >>> >>> Mark Pope, >>> Swindon, Wilts >>> UK >>> >>> Homepage http://www.monomagic.co.uk >>> Blog http://www.monomagic.co.uk/blog >>> Picture a week (2010) >>> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2010 >>> Picture a week (2009) >>> http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2009 >>> (2008) http://www.monomagic.co.uk/index.php?gallery=paw/2008 >>> >>> >>> Steve Barbour wrote: >>>> I'm wondering with the recent interest in the Panasonic GF1 with the >>>> 20mm pancake lens and an external optical VF, has any used/compared >>>> this to the Ricoh GRD-III with its 28mm lens and the optional external >>>> viewfinder... >>>> I 'd be very interested to hear your thoughts, reactions, comparisons, >>>> appreciated, >>>> Steve >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> 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 >> _______________________________________________ >> 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