jonoslack
Veteran
Hi There
Interesting discussion. Things which really strike me are:
1. The sensor
mft really isn't that much smaller than APS/c - especially if you like the aspect ratio (in which case you'll be prone to cropping the APS/c shots slightly) compared to the compacts the difference is infinitesimal (if I've got it right the pixel area on the GH2 sensor is 4 times as big as that on the Olympus Xz1). Trouble is that the sensors aren't good enough (with the possible exception of the latest panasonic sensors). I'm not a great fan of dXo ratings, but comparing the panasonic sensors to the new Sony APS/c sensors is eye opening. Added to which, personally I don't think 12mp is enough - I know this isn't trendy, but I do like to print larger, and the difference between 12 and 18mp makes a difference. I'm absolutely sure that it's possible to make a really good 18mp mft sensor - it's just that there isn't one yet!
2. The viewfinder
I don't like EVF viewfinders . . . but I can live with good ones - however, if I'm going to get something like a G3, then at that size I'd simply rather have an optical viewfinder on a compact dSLR (K5, D7000).
If you stick an EVF on top of an EPL2 then that's inconvenient, and anyway it's no longer small. I realise that sticking an optical viewfinder on is simply not practical, but a good EVF built into the body in the same position as on the X100 would be fab.
3. The range
Of course, I'm being self centred here, but personally see that there is as big (or more) of a market for those who have dSLR's but would like a decent quality smaller camera - upgraders from point and shoots are going to be there, but I don't see it as being a huge market, and anyway, those people are likely to buy a camera and a kit lens and leave it at that. It seems to me that the victim of good mft will be the serious compacts (which really do have smaller sensors).
Some of the panasonic lenses have the build quality, but there is a real gap in the quality mid range zoom workhorse - the decent 24-70 equivalent (12-40 f2.8 anyone?). I know that it's trendy for enthusiasts to write off zooms these days, and there's a move toward using primes, but there are times when a good zoom is a real serious asset. Added to this the build quality of the bodies seems to be going down and down - maybe the EP3 will fix this - maybe!
I really enjoyed my short time with mft, but got out of it for those reasons. I really think that a decent professional quality body and a quality mid range zoom lens with a higher quality sensor would bring in a lot of dSLR users who will then pay good money for esoterics like the 7-14 panasonic.
I think there's a huge future for mft - I don't think that the APS/c versions will compete in the end, because the lenses are inherently larger, whereas there is a perfect possibility of a great sensor in mft.
I'm sure there is a good argument for directing the cameras at the lower end of the market, but I'm sure also that there are a huge number of people like me who despair of getting a good small well built camera with some primes and a quality zoom.
Interesting discussion. Things which really strike me are:
1. The sensor
mft really isn't that much smaller than APS/c - especially if you like the aspect ratio (in which case you'll be prone to cropping the APS/c shots slightly) compared to the compacts the difference is infinitesimal (if I've got it right the pixel area on the GH2 sensor is 4 times as big as that on the Olympus Xz1). Trouble is that the sensors aren't good enough (with the possible exception of the latest panasonic sensors). I'm not a great fan of dXo ratings, but comparing the panasonic sensors to the new Sony APS/c sensors is eye opening. Added to which, personally I don't think 12mp is enough - I know this isn't trendy, but I do like to print larger, and the difference between 12 and 18mp makes a difference. I'm absolutely sure that it's possible to make a really good 18mp mft sensor - it's just that there isn't one yet!
2. The viewfinder
I don't like EVF viewfinders . . . but I can live with good ones - however, if I'm going to get something like a G3, then at that size I'd simply rather have an optical viewfinder on a compact dSLR (K5, D7000).
If you stick an EVF on top of an EPL2 then that's inconvenient, and anyway it's no longer small. I realise that sticking an optical viewfinder on is simply not practical, but a good EVF built into the body in the same position as on the X100 would be fab.
3. The range
Of course, I'm being self centred here, but personally see that there is as big (or more) of a market for those who have dSLR's but would like a decent quality smaller camera - upgraders from point and shoots are going to be there, but I don't see it as being a huge market, and anyway, those people are likely to buy a camera and a kit lens and leave it at that. It seems to me that the victim of good mft will be the serious compacts (which really do have smaller sensors).
Some of the panasonic lenses have the build quality, but there is a real gap in the quality mid range zoom workhorse - the decent 24-70 equivalent (12-40 f2.8 anyone?). I know that it's trendy for enthusiasts to write off zooms these days, and there's a move toward using primes, but there are times when a good zoom is a real serious asset. Added to this the build quality of the bodies seems to be going down and down - maybe the EP3 will fix this - maybe!
I really enjoyed my short time with mft, but got out of it for those reasons. I really think that a decent professional quality body and a quality mid range zoom lens with a higher quality sensor would bring in a lot of dSLR users who will then pay good money for esoterics like the 7-14 panasonic.
I think there's a huge future for mft - I don't think that the APS/c versions will compete in the end, because the lenses are inherently larger, whereas there is a perfect possibility of a great sensor in mft.
I'm sure there is a good argument for directing the cameras at the lower end of the market, but I'm sure also that there are a huge number of people like me who despair of getting a good small well built camera with some primes and a quality zoom.