the small camera kit..er kits

I like my camera gear to be small. Cheap and incredibly talented is nice too.. but let's not get greedy. Well one can be greedy.. with the right gear.

My K-5 with the 18-50re is really compact for aps.c, and now the compact 50-200wr has arrived. That's a nice 27-300mm∙e kit that can go out in the rain and shoot quietly from 27-75mm∙e.

Maybe I meant the GX1 kit? With 14/2.5, 30/2.8 and 45-150mm zoom it stays small & does many things well. The 4:3 sensor does not show off to K-5 level but it's a fine 16Mpxl sensor. Its video specs definitely outperform the Pentax; it was hacked to produce 36MB/sec video with better audio too.  It could be set higher still, but then the camera cannot play back the video :(

Hm, how were these two small-kit pictures taken? That was done with the YI.M1. Yes it's also my small kit: with 12-40mm XiaoYi and 45-150 Lumix it can manage 24-300mme. It can go to 4k with its video specs and has a nice 20Mpx sensor. It does not 'do' stabilization with my current lenses but is still a talented little camera!


Any of these kits can be made larger with current lenses  (e.g. Lumix 12-60 or K-mount 100-300 or fast primes) but for small gear I'm in a good place.. and when more is better I'm good there too!

P.S. it should be noted that my wife's GF2 plus 12-32mm Lumix out-smalls all my kits!
It uses older tech but raw images are very nice and for size it is hard to beat.

for the last time II

As noted recently, I've struggled with the choice of kit lens for my GX85. I love the features of the 12-60 Lumix, but it's a bit bulky on the smaller body. That drives me toward the tiny 14-42ii, which is nearly 12-32 small but has a focus ring + 10mm at the long end. And what about the XiaoYi 12-40?

Taken with GX85 and SMC-A 50/1.7. A nice combination

Today's thinking is that the 14-42 is the better option. The ii has dual-IS for improved stabilization (the 12-60 also has this), and its size and similar feel to the 45-150 is quite nice. I'll admit that cash is another reason, as the 12-60 has better resale value.. sad but true.

Update II - I read in the comments section at a forum site about the YI 12-40mm 'retractable' kit zoom. The writer noted that, with the M1's minimal reprocessing of data, their lenses cannot make use of Pana/Oly's inbuilt corrections of distortion and vignetting and must therefore do more themselves.

Sad but true: the big names use internal post-processing tricks to render an acceptable image (one of my peeves about the μ43 system). One can use alternate software to look at raw images, and many Zuiko/Lumix lenses have seriously silly distortion characteristics.

The point that I left behind is that the 12-40mm xiaoYi zoom does not have those dismal specs to wash away in the camera's after-shot routine - so the lens is built with better corrections to limit those distortions. It may not appear to do as good of a job but in fact it's a better standalone optical setup than even some of the high-grade gear from the Others.

 Hadn't thought of that.. and glad it's still here!

challenging my theory

My former gear is now crawling cross-country to be evaluated. In a week I shall know if I am wealthier or claiming a used GX7 - or an ultrabargain GX85? As usual, time will tell.

I recently railed about how complex cameras are messing with my brain. To restate: the most recent µ43 cameras can do a lot but mostly they do things I do not need on a camera. Many have pointed out "so don't use those features" - but when they invade and complexicate the menus it isn't that easy. I cannot expect them to revamp their menus by putting "4k" as a separate tab for video and photo tricks - but I sure wish that could happen.

During that complaint I encountered another issue: I have uniformly disliked the large µ43 bodies. Despite all their advantages (splash seals, better viewfinders, more space for more Fn buttons), nearly all of which I like! I have failed to get along with G7, G85, EM5/10/10ii despite their being about the same size as my well-liked Pentax K-5/50 cameras! I have no explanation for this; my tip-not-flip screen preference downgrades the G7/80 .. but it's more than just that. And the OM-D bodies use a tip screen - so is it the menus wrecking my experience? No, since the eP5 felt nice. That one was still not quite right for me though.

This led me to conclude that the GX7 is where I should stop.
Is that reasonable though? The GX85 loses 2-3 items on the outside that I'd miss (AF switch, tilt VF), but updates the GX7 inside in many valuable ways (usb charging /microUSB plug, no AA filter, ISx2, updated shutter) even without the 4k features. I owned it before and the complexity did not strike me as a big deal. 
Hmm /grrr.

So does my avoidance-of-complexity model break down here?
We'll find out when soon, when prices for used GX7/85 compete for my attention.

big deal

So after consulting my internal reality specialist I decided to go forward with the GX1, 14mm prime, 12-60 and 45-150 Lumix zooms. The eP5 and other primes are off to a dealer for more tax relief. The 14-45 is also going back since the 12∙60 is staying.

And I'm OK with this. 
Well, today I am.

As I posted recently, the technology buried within the most recent cameras is beyond my ability to absorb right now. I barely shoot video at all, so why have 4k? I rarely use the camera for anything creative, so why deal with 4k-based focus stacking and other cool tricks? I almost never use burst mode so what's the difference to me between 4 and 9 shots per second? It all exceeds my needs now, and until something major changes in our family life it's just excess that hinders more than it helps.
compout alert - I still have 4k via the YI, since the best offer so far on the m1 is under $60!

So the GX1 and its very familiar feature set will do. Unless, perhaps, a GX7 were to appear at the dealer when the final check is ready to be cut. The EV-4 AF and touch-AE features really were useful to me, so I'll be watching.*

I do still have the 12-60 despite putting it up for cheap and owning the tiny 14-42ii. The longer range is nice, the lens only a bit thicker than the 45-150 and just as long - and to my surprise it feels better on the GX1 than it did on the eP5! Curious. I haven't offered the 14-42ii yet, might as well hold on and see what develops.

* and what if find a GX85 near my hoped-for GX7 price? Both would be acceptable but the complexity creep would be there. So would usb charging, no AA filter... argh.

"Stay this madness"!

Gandalf and Denethor.
Also me and cameras.

I've been thinking - that's never a good start to a paragraph on this site, but true nonetheless. I really like the 12-60mm Lumix lens.. But I have no wx-sealed body for it. I also really like the eP5, and that's the first Olympus body I can say that about with little hesitation. (OK: I wish it were sealed. Happy now??) But the 12-60 is kinda bulky on that body.

But Hey: an E-M1 body is sealed, has a better grip for improved handling and has PDAF focus points for my 35 macro and 70-300 ZD (4Thirds Classic) lenses. Maybe I should

[Cue Gandalf]

The voice of reason demands to be heard, and commands to reconsider!

I have enthusiastically purchased OM-D EM5/10/10b - and let them go quite soon after, with very little remorse. In each case my research indicated it was a great idea: excellent feature set, top-notch sensor and the cameras were pretty much beloved by owners. The E-M1 is just like them: greatly admired, talented, good ergonomics, all that stuff.

Two quick facts and a history 'lesson'

• The dxo website shows that the eP5 is its equal within dxo measurements. 
• The camerasize site shows just how large the eM1 is in a relative sense (for more humour check this one!).

and a "history lesson": my 10-year history of owning high-quality digital gear (dSLR and mirrorless) reveals that 1) every time I have had a  bargain camera in hand that I dumped for "better" stuff it has been deeply regretted (e.g. my $20 K-r), and 2) despite all my best research and logic the OM-D Olys have not suited me. Hm - come to think of it the G7 and G85 struck me the same way, unlike the gx1/7/7b bodies. And the ePL bodies were almost right but for the second dial circling the 4way pad..

So maybe just this once I will break with my (admittedly stupid) tradition and keep the bargain camera that I really like more than I expected? Maybe even let the slightly oversized 12-60 depart and use tiny primes (14/20/30 +45-150 zoom) or the nice, tiny 14-42ii instead? What a concept.

Madness, indeed.

a small investment

Much gear has been recycled in the past month, including the Pentax K-50 and Lumix G85. I shall miss every item - yet they were more mentally valuable than anything as I've spent so little time actually using them.

The IRS thanks every buyer in participating in their funding efforts.

One item that has not left the building is the YI M1. One of its frustrations for me is the lack of image stabilization of any form, even with lenses that have the feature. Before the selloff began I'd been watching for a deal on the classic 14-45mm lens, the original and still-liked Lumix μ43 kit lens. I found one just as the sale funds were slowing to a trickle, and I decided to pick it up.

What makes the old 14-45 different is that it has an OIS switch, which reportedly is the only way that an IS lens will work with the M1. I want to know that for certain before I let this camera go, as it has several features that I'm reluctant to lose for a miniscule sale price. The updated 20mpx sensor is here, the in-camera charge setup via 'standard' microUSB cable, timelapse/4k/2k and a simple interface.. several good features. And one more firmware update (or open-source 'hack') could make this a very sought-after camera!

The purchase brings me a bewildering array of  'standard kit zoom' lenses in this format:

• 14-45 Lumix, original that I know from my G1 era
• 14-42 ii Lumix, the latest successor kit lens
• 12-32 Lumix, the tiny marvel (with no focus ring)
• 12-40 xiaoyi, the retractable M1 kit lens
• 12-60 Lumix that didn't leave with the G85

Each has something somewhat special about it.. but I definitely don't need 5 lenses for 4 bodies (GX1, M1, eP5, wife's GF2) - especially with the 14 and 20mm primes still in house!

One interesting prospect - if the xiaoyi performs well enough on the ePM5, the 14-45 can take over on the M1. We'll see about that.

so why a G85?

After several years of buying and selling cameras, mostly via used shops and forum posts, my wonderful wife has told me to order a G85 for our 12th anniversary! This will bundle weather seals, new 4k/8Mpx imaging tricks and several modern updates in to a single system. How strangely.. efficient of me.

So why is the G85 winning out over so many other choices? With so many options, what did this camera do that works "for me"?

• First off it's a Lumix. I've found myself able to work with them comfortably - not just in hand but in brain. I've tried Olympus PENs and EM5/10/10ii but the feel in hand (just enough cramped) and brain (still recovering from 3fish-1fish Syndrome) have discouraged my trying the EM1 mark1. So Lumix fits me, in fact quite similar to Pentax; sure some features are in common but to explain further won't really clarify anything. Heck they even use the same USB cable, when GX85/9 aren't included.
• Internal IS + weather seals. My digital Pentax gear had two major features I value: internal stabilization and weather seals. With both I can pretty much shoot anywhere in any light or weather. That's very liberating - especially to someone who for eight years of care-giving has not had been blessed with the best shooting opportunities. In order to have seals and internal-IS in a Lumix body, one must currently choose from GX8, G85 or G90.
• The new shutter mechanism. This stops the GX8 from topping my list. If the price is about the same go with the substantially improved shutter mechanism, I 'always' say. Well I do now.
• Lumix 12-60 'kit' zoom. I owned and liked this lens before. Having 24-120mme in a weather-resistant 200g package is really hard to undervalue.
• G7 echoes. Two years ago I ordered a G7. It was an awful time to try out new gear both financially and mentally, and I sent it back. It fit my hand really well though, and it had some inriguing features. The G85 has all those and more (see last few bullets) - but toss in the super battery-saver option and the optional grip with second battery, and that's even better! While I prefer tip screens to flip types, I'll manage just fine I think. I'll also miss the GX85 in-cam charging.. but I shall manage.
• Price is still a factor. I could make use of the new features the G9 brings into play, but for $1000 the K-1 reasserts its Why Not Me? argument, and I've presumably said No More to that at last.

So that's how I got here.

To enter the "Why Not Brand xyz" (no that isn't meant as a fuji-X sony-Y nikon-Z acronym - man all the acronyms are copyrighted nowadays) discussion is fruitless. Here's my short and sweet take: Fuji might be perfect for me but I've moved on from physical dials and they now annoy me. Sony's treatment of the true Alpha series still rankles. Nikon and Canon are fine without me, and vice versa. No more - need be said.

Yes again. New year new gear.

I awoke on the 7th of January with a strong and surprising thought lodged in my head: No More.

No more holding on to two camera systems when I barely use one.
No more using one system to hold the other hostage.
No more reading and greed-ing over the best from Lumix or Pentax. Or FuCaNikSo for that matter (especially them).

No more. Just get a G85+12-60 kit. Grab your sealed camera and lens with stabilized sensor and an X at the end of the name. Let it be Lumix. It's not a G9, not an em1X, not a K-1. So what.

Time to spend no more on lenses for the K mount. Let go.

Well almost. Don't let go of the 40+70 Limited lenses yet. Maybe the 135 or 200 can stay a bit too..

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
I spent two days fighting it.

The KP made a very good case for being the one true camera. In the end though, only the K-1 would really satisfy my Pentax desires. That's too much for now; no more.

We'll see how many aftershocks come in the next few days.

Oh wait there's more.

No More "reading and greed-ing" means something more: no more spending 45-minute chunks of spare time reading camera fora to learn more about cameras I shall never touch. No more reading threads about techniques I'll never practice, guided photo trips around the world I cannot take, or responding to things I don't really have the qualifications to answer.

No more clutter. Not in my camera bag, my gear closet, my favorites folder, my weary tech-stuffed brain.

Taking photos and making them look their best? More please! Not to post for glory or challenge, just for good friends and family. Maybe a couple per month on a forum or too.
Not often though.