Micro 4/3

[woof woof]

You can see the novice in me, I hadn't thought about this element of things, just assumed they would be smaller...its one thing I love(d) about my M50 mk ii - its tiny..

Think I need to pop into WEX and have a nose around and just keep the wallet at home so I don't impulse purchase anything. I assume the 4/3 lenses will be smaller than the Lumix S ones..

If you just look at the mini SLR style bodies there's little difference between MFT, APS-C or even FF. It's once you start putting lenses on the cameras that the differences show up.

For example, I'm mostly a prime guy and if looking at 35mm f1.8 equivalents across the formats the MFT 17/18mm lenses are tiny and when looking at zooms the differences can be just as striking. For example the Panasonic 14-42mm G Vario and 45-150mm variable aperture zooms are tiny too.

Panasonic GX80 with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 and 17mm f1.8, Sony A7 with 35mm f1.8 and 28-70mm f3.5-5.6, and at the far right that's the GX80 and 45-150mm.

 

[woof woof]

Adding a pancake lens to E-M1x may not get what OP is after

I haven't mentioned pancake lenses.

The OP seems to be interested in a set of variable aperture zooms and has specifically mentioned the 12-60 and 45-150mm lenses. I don't have the 12-60mm but do have the Panasonic 45-150mm and can recommend it as it's tiny and sharp from wide open. I don't know the Oly line up but I'd imagine there are similar lenses.

If you want tiny then GM5+12-32+35-100

I don't know if you're being serious here as you know how difficult it is to get a good one of these and you know that there's a potential issue with them so any used buy needs to be carefully checked. You also know that these are quite expensive these days compared to the admittedly larger other RF style offerings such as the GX80/GX9. The Oly RF style camera is more expensive and personally I wouldn't consider it as the Panasonic cameras seem to be cheaper.

Personally I wouldn't touch the 12-35mm as although some people love that lens it doesn't have a focus ring and any manual focus needs to be done, as far as I know, with a sliding scale on the back screen. That's just not for me when the conventionally built Panasonic 14-42mm (as above) is already the size of a small prime lens.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Personally I am still looking for a GM5 (reasonably priced and in decent condition) with 12-32mm+35-100mm. Gives 24-200mm combination.

If you can find one! They seem to hold their price well but that's probably due to Panasonic's decision to cease production before demand had petered out.

There's a poster on here who appears to have an idée fixe about certain Panasonic cameras and shutter shock. For what it's worth, I've never noticed this phenomenon on any of the several Panasonic cameras I have used in the past nor any that I'm using now. I'm very pleased with the images I get from my GM5s...

 

[nandbytes]

I don't know if you're being serious here as you know how difficult it is to get a good one of these and you know that there's a potential issue with them so any used buy needs to be carefully checked. You also know that these are quite expensive these days compared to the admittedly larger other RF style offerings such as the GX80/GX9. The Oly RF style camera is more expensive and personally I wouldn't consider it as the Panasonic cameras seem to be cheaper.

Personally I wouldn't touch the 12-35mm as although some people love that lens it doesn't have a focus ring and any manual focus needs to be done, as far as I know, with a sliding scale on the back screen. That's just not for me when the conventionally built Panasonic 14-42mm (as above) is already the size of a small prime lens.

I am being totally serious. It a combination I myself have been looking to get for a while.

 

[nandbytes]

If you can find one! They seem to hold their price well but that's probably due to Panasonic's decision to cease production before demand had petered out.

I have found several but the problem is either the price is silly or the condition is dubious
I even bought one but it turned out to have a dust issue, same as the one @woof woof had with his. Getting that fixed i.e. cleaned costs a fair amount.

So finding a good clean copy at a reasonable price i.e. not like £400-500 is incredibly hard. But if OP is happy to pay more he can get one for £400-500.

 

[woof woof]

If you can find one! They seem to hold their price well but that's probably due to Panasonic's decision to cease production before demand had petered out.

There's a poster on here who appears to have an idée fixe about certain Panasonic cameras and shutter shock. For what it's worth, I've never noticed this phenomenon on any of the several Panasonic cameras I have used in the past nor any that I'm using now. I'm very pleased with the images I get from my GM5s...

You really do need to get over this. I've been with MFT since the GF1 but there's no point at all in misleading people about real effects and real performance as at least when people have the facts they can make informed decisions. You on the other hand seem to live your life in a constant state of denial. You're the only person I've ever come across who denies the existence of an issue everyone else has acknowledged across multiple camera brands.

 

[woof woof]

I have found several but the problem is either the price is silly or the condition is dubious
I even bought one but it turned out to have a dust issue, same as the one @woof woof had with his. Getting that fixed i.e. cleaned costs a fair amount.

So finding a good clean copy at a reasonable price i.e. not like £400-500 is incredibly hard. But if OP is happy to pay more he can get one for £400-500.

Had I know that the issue (contamination under the sensor glass) is (so I'm told) a known issue I might not have bothered but at least you benefitted from my experience I'm happy with the deal I got as the seller was more than reasonable and reduced the sale price and once the repair was paid for the overall cost was IMO reasonable as I wanted to give the GM5 a try. Knowing now what I didn't know then I'd advise anyone looking at the GM5 to check for sensor contamination and be aware of the possibility that it could be under the glass and factor that in to their decision making. Personally I'd forget the GM5 and go for a GX85. It's bigger but IMO a better camera.

 

[Adamcski]

Had a quick chat with WEX and they have a demo one I can test out in store. I think the main advantage for me with these cameras could be that I only need to carry one / two lenses (at the most) and it will cover the vast majority of lengths whilst say, in Scotland. I also asked them if there would be much difference between my M50 mkii and the Lumix G9 and they ran through some stats and I think they suggested the G9 would take faster burst shots than the M50, has broadly the same ISO range and image quality would be the same (if not a little better on the G9). Not sure how much of that is sales talk though, which is always the hard part to decipher. Can the G9 handle sports / birds / wildlife? Not really an issue because I do not do any of that, but if it did, then it would be another string to its bow and could allow me to venture into new types of photography (you don't get close to a Robin sat in a tree with a 20-60mm on the S5 LOL).

 

[woof woof]

One thing to watch out for is that these cameras when using a fast operating lens are blisteringly fast, and that's nice

Good luck choosing.

 

[the black fox]

Had a quick chat with WEX and they have a demo one I can test out in store. I think the main advantage for me with these cameras could be that I only need to carry one / two lenses (at the most) and it will cover the vast majority of lengths whilst say, in Scotland. I also asked them if there would be much difference between my M50 mkii and the Lumix G9 and they ran through some stats and I think they suggested the G9 would take faster burst shots than the M50, has broadly the same ISO range and image quality would be the same (if not a little better on the G9). Not sure how much of that is sales talk though, which is always the hard part to decipher. Can the G9 handle sports / birds / wildlife? Not really an issue because I do not do any of that, but if it did, then it would be another string to its bow and could allow me to venture into new types of photography (you don't get close to a Robin sat in a tree with a 20-60mm on the S5 LOL).

I use my olympus 1-mkiii for wildlife 95% of the time coupled with a 100-400 lens .. no problems with wildlife ,b.i.f ,fast moving animals and even extreme semi macro insect butterfly shots . The G9 is similar spec and they have the PL 100-400 lens or the 70-300 remember to double those amounts 2X crop factor

 

[Adamcski]

Went and had a look at WEX and they were very helpful (imo). I gathered they had a preference for the G9 and weren't overly complementary about the situation with Olympus. The lenses are much smaller aren't they, they had a 100-400 mm lens that we tried and man that thing had some reach. Just need to think it over compared to just buying say the Lumix S 70-300