Best Micro Four Thirds or DSLT?

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Paulq

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I have decided to sell my Canon EOS 500D and lenses as I have hardly used them and invest in either a Micro Four Thirds or a Sony DSLT. Basically I want something portable with good image quality but more importantly thats very easy to use. I am looking at the following:

  • Lumix G3
  • Samsung NX11
  • Sony Alpha a33 (SLT).
Of the 3 I would really appreciate some views on which is the better unit and easiest to use. I plan to buy them with the kit lens and add a telephoto at a later date.

Thanks in advance
 
A33 is basically a DSLR and I'm not sure if it would be much smaller than your 500D

Lumix G3 is meant to be really good, I don't have one myself but if you take a look here at the G Series owner thread http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=262800&page=66

You'll be able to see what users think and see some samples!

Samsung NX11 again a decent camera, not much different to the previous NX10 which can possibly be picked up cheaper.
 
Thanks Chris for the quick reply. The main reason for selling the Canon and lenses is that I simply haven't had the time or inclination to get to learn how to use it - like many other people upgrading from a compact I guess.

My rationale for wanting to look at the DSLT/Micro four thirds is that they 'appear' to be as easy to use as compacts and provide image quality akin to a DSLR.

Paramount is ease of use I guess. I will take a look at the forums you mentioned.
 
What do you mean by ease of use? All the systems you've listed work exactly the same as dslr, except thay don't have a mirror and some of them have nearly unusable controls.
 
gunnar said:
What do you mean by ease of use? All the systems you've listed work exactly the same as dslr, except thay don't have a mirror and some of them have nearly unusable controls.
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I mean that I want something with interchangeable lenses that's as easy to use as a compact.
 
It sounds to me like you may be better off with one of the small compact style systems, Olympus Pen, Panasonic GF2/3 or Sony NEX.

All of them are very compact like instyle and some even have built in guides to help people upgrading from a compact (Olympus EPL2 certainly does) - I guess it depends how much you want to spend and what type of lenses you want.
 
How about Sony NEX?
They have 1.5x crop sensors, supposedly very good image quality and their body is very much like a lot of high end compacts (very sleek, not many buttons).
 
Paulq said:
I mean that I want something with interchangeable lenses that's as easy to use as a compact.
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My compact (canon S95) has the same mode deal (AV, TV, P, M, Auto, etc...) as dslr does. I can choose auto mode and shoot away or I can switch to M and set exposure manually etc. I can do the same with dslr - it also has auto mode. And when I come home I connect both compact and dslr to my laptop and download the images.

So where compact is easier to use?
 
gunnar said:
My compact (canon S95) has the same mode deal (AV, TV, P, M, Auto, etc...) as dslr does. I can choose auto mode and shoot away or I can switch to M and set exposure manually etc. I can do the same with dslr - it also has auto mode. And when I come home I connect both compact and dslr to my laptop and download the images.

So where compact is easier to use?
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I guess because your measure of how 'easy' a compact is to use is benchmarked by 'your' compact? Mine is a point a shoot with which I do just that - as I have said I would like to have the ability to add different lenses but have no aspiration to become a 'serious' photographer.

It was just put to me today that one of the Micro 4/3rds or DSLT may be more suitable for me. Some of the many reviews I have read today indicate that also.
 
I'd go into Jessops and have a play with some, personally if I was starting from scratch right now I'd buy either the Panasonic GF2 or G3, the GF2 is compact like in size and form and can be had with both the 14-42 kit lens and 14mm pancake for £400 just now.

G3 is the new Panasonic m4/3 DSLR like body, meant to be really good but not compact like!
 
Paulq said:
It was just put to me today that one of the Micro 4/3rds or DSLT may be more suitable for me. Some of the many reviews I have read today indicate that also.
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You are wrong - they will never work as P&S simply because large sensors are not forgiving, if you miss the focus - your photograph is screwed.

Yes, you can set them to auto mode and just shoot away. But you can do the same with DSLR - no differense here at all.;)
 
chrism_scotland said:
I'd go into Jessops and have a play with some, personally if I was starting from scratch right now I'd buy either the Panasonic GF2 or G3, the GF2 is compact like in size and form and can be had with both the 14-42 kit lens and 14mm pancake for £400 just now.

G3 is the new Panasonic m4/3 DSLR like body, meant to be really good but not compact like!
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Thanks Chris - I'll take that advice. I may also (this evening) look at a superzoom rather than either of these and realise this sacrifices the lens changeability. Units like the Lumix FZ45 or Canon Powershot SX30 both look really appealing.
 
A superzoom like the FZ45 would be quite good. They're generally as easy as a P & S to use but with added flexibility. An SLT would be too much like a DSLR.

I have a older panasonic bridge camera and it takes good pictures very easily. I had a lumix compact before that and it was just as easy to use as that but it had the option of fully manual operation.
 
srichards said:
A superzoom like the FZ45 would be quite good. They're generally as easy as a P & S to use but with added flexibility. An SLT would be too much like a DSLR.

I have a older panasonic bridge camera and it takes good pictures very easily. I had a lumix compact before that and it was just as easy to use as that but it had the option of fully manual operation.
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The more I look the more I think one of these may be what I am looking for. There appear quite a few to choose from, the 2 listed above plus the Nikon Coolpix P500 also looks nice. I must admit to always liking the ease of use of Sony cameras though - my compact is a Sony.

Will definitely investigate these further.
 
Panasonic Pen Mini E-PM1 is pretty much made for you
 
Contingent on me having a look at it I'm pretty sold on the Sony SuperZoom or one of the other bridge cameras to be honest. Looks like they are ideal for a technophobe like me with the zoom range I'm looking for too.

Thanks for the help so far and any more suggestions welcome.
 
I went from a 450D to the micro 4/3 system but not for the same reason as your self. The lumix G1,G10,G2 and G3 are to me small dslr with a electronic view finder(evf). The GH1 and GH2 are a high end small dslr with evf. To me it sounds like you should have a look at the lumix GF1,GF2,GF3,Olympus EPL1,EPL2 and the new pen mini that are in the style of P&S. I had a GF1 at the same time as my G1 and evan though it was in the style of a P&S it still had all the controls of a full blown dslr. The thing i didn't like about the P&S style was it never felt right with the zoom lens fitted.
 
matt b said:
I went from a 450D to the micro 4/3 system but not for the same reason as your self. The lumix G1,G10,G2 and G3 are to me small dslr with a electronic view finder(evf). The GH1 and GH2 are a high end small dslr with evf. To me it sounds like you should have a look at the lumix GF1,GF2,GF3,Olympus EPL1,EPL2 and the new pen mini that are in the style of P&S. I had a GF1 at the same time as my G1 and evan though it was in the style of a P&S it still had all the controls of a full blown dslr. The thing i didn't like about the P&S style was it never felt right with the zoom lens fitted.
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Yeah your last statement is what is putting me off them - very same reason. I am gonna go for a super zoom I think. Just seems to tick all of the boxes and the Sony (above) seems to get red hot reviews.
 
You'll get a lot more support with micro four thirds, there's a lot of exiting stuff happening in terms of new lenses and bodies.
The Sony stuff looks good, but can't comment, I don't know anyone who has or wants the Samsung.

The G series were always a lot smaller than any dslr, but the G3 has really pushed it, can't think of any inter-changable lens/viewfinder camera that's smaller, and its the third incarnation of an already excellent camera.
 
How many lenses would you need to cover up to 800mm + in 4/3rds??! A superzoom is much more flexible. You are stuck with one lens, but if that lens does everything then it isn't a downside. Extra support is all well and good but if what you want doesn't exist in that format at a price you can afford then you're a bit scuppered.

It's a shame really as some of the 4/3rds cameras produce excellent quality images.
 
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A 14-140 and a 100-300 would get you up to 600mm equivalent in just two lenses...
 
srichards said:
How many lenses would you need to cover up to 800mm + in 4/3rds??! A superzoom is much more flexible. You are stuck with one lens, but if that lens does everything then it isn't a downside. Extra support is all well and good but if what you want doesn't exist in that format at a price you can afford then you're a bit scuppered.

It's a shame really as some of the 4/3rds cameras produce excellent quality images.
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And herein lies my dilemma. I think, from the mistake I made buying a DSLR, that you have to be particularly clear about what you want before you buy. I need a camera that's small, portable, easy to use, has as big a zoom length as these factors will alow, and takes as good an image as I can get.

For 'me' that points to a Super Zoom rather than a Micro 4/3 at this point. I think :bonk:
 
For your specific needs, you're probably right.

Personally, I want something smaller than my DSLR, but I could never go back to the world of shutter lag so it looks like m4/3 for me...
 
Hi Suz

I have just gone the other way after thinking the same as you, granted mine was a G2, but apart from the weight I kept hitting the limitation wall. To be honest, the Panny system is ok depending on which subject matter, but the glass didn't leave me excited and getting BIF shots (Bird in Flight) were neigh on impossible. Like I say, really depends on what you like to shoot. Also the lack of choice on the glass may frustrate you.

All the best and good luck which ever way you go :)
 
Well if the Sony HX100 performs (as it should) as well as the HX1 then I will be happy with that.
 
Thanks again will take a look at it. As a slight aside where is the best place to sell my DSLR/lenses? Ebay?

Thank you.
 
If you have access to the Classifieds here, I'd give that a try first. Personally, I dislike eBay.
 
Llamaman said:
If you have access to the Classifieds here, I'd give that a try first. Personally, I dislike eBay.
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Umm looks like I havent been a member long enough but not sure how long that needs to be. May have to resort to eBay after all.
 
srichards said:
How many lenses would you need to cover up to 800mm + in 4/3rds??! A superzoom is much more flexible. You are stuck with one lens, but if that lens does everything then it isn't a downside. Extra support is all well and good but if what you want doesn't exist in that format at a price you can afford then you're a bit scuppered.

It's a shame really as some of the 4/3rds cameras produce excellent quality images.
Click to expand...

Can understand the super-zoom concept . . . aimed at the non enthusiast, and yet 800mm needs a tripod, even with anti shake IMHO. When does a non enthusiast want to drag a t'pod around? OK, posts, walls, car doors . . . I still cant see it, pure inconvenience, 'where's the nearest post':shrug: . . . and compromise on lens quality??

The new G3 is a P&S with knobs on?
 
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