Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I'm Back, Olympus 75 f/1.8 & Some Camera Musings




First of all, I would like to apologize for the long hiatus period, I was (and still am) deeply bothered with the events taking place in Egypt, and with a 7 pm - 6 am curfew, which has been in effect for almost a week now, and shall continue for 3 more weeks, there is barely an energy outlet for me or my family, especially the young kids who get bored by sitting still for just one minute.

That's why I decided to spend a few nights (despite my heartache) taking photos at home, and posting on this blog again instead of going crazy. As for Mic, he's quite busy nowadays and has no time to post here, I (or he) will let you know if there are any updates, but for now, you'll have to bear with me.

I received my Olympus 75mm f/1.8 last Saturday, and it's given me enough spark to ignite my interest in photography again during these hard times. As expected, I didn't have enough time to shoot with it in real world situations, so I will keep the full impressions for a later time. The lens feels quite hefty and well-built, and with a relatively huge front element, it looks classy and very cool, it immediately reminded me of the Canon 85 1.8 and the 200L 2.8 which both have a large front element. As all reviews have mentioned, it is very sharp wide-open (it might even beat the 200L, but I have yet to shoot more photos). Focus is not as instantaneous as the Olympus 45 1.8 or the PanaLeica 25 1.4, but I consider it a quick focusing lens, considering that I only shot with it indoors.

And to let you know how lucky US citizens are when it comes to purchasing electronics and gadgets, here's a snapshot of what I paid for the lens (by the way, after I placed my order on Amazon, the lens price got reduced to $799 the day after, lucky me).


The "Our Fees" part are the fees of the shipping company, and I ended up paying $15 for international shipping fees, it is calculated after the item arrives and gets weighed, you pay $7.5 for each 0.5 kg. And at the end of the day, you don't get local warranty because it is bought from the US of A. And no, it is not available from Olympus Egypt (which doesn't exist).

You've all seen the new Panasonic GX7 camera, now that's a well-specced, very good looking camera, especially the silver version. I've said before that I would buy the OM-D EM-5 successor which was rumored to be announced next month. Would the GX7 be a worthy upgrade for me? Reviews said it has comparable image quality to the OMD, a viewfinder inferior to the Olympus VF-4 (which is the major point for me), inferior image-stabilization system compared to the EM-5 and the EP-5, and it doesn't have phase detection auto-focusing. Additionally, my Olympus flash and intervalometer would probably not work with it, so it is not worth the hassle.

However, if I were in the market today for a new high-end MFT camera, I would consider the GX7. The EP-5 is a great camera, but when you add the VF-4, it becomes oddly large and expensive, and the VF-4 takes up the hot-shoe, I use my OMD a lot with my Olympus FL600R flash mounted on top. And that brings us to the upcoming Olympus camera, the leaked OM-D EM-1, it will supposedly sit above the EM-5 and cost somewhere around $1,500!!! It better has some super capabilities at this price point. Rumors say the EM-5 successor will come some time next year, hmm.

I would consider the EM-1 if it achieved the following points (sorted by order of importance to me):
  • Size not larger than the EM-5 with the hand grip installed.
  • PD focusing that works and can track moving subjects like a DSLR can.
  • Similar EVF to the current VF-4.
  • Lower base ISO and higher maximum shutter speed.
  • Better video options (mic input, manual audio levels, focus peaking, touch to focus, 1080p @ 60 fps, etc...)
  • Better image quality (they say it won't have an anti-aliasing filter).
  • Uses same battery as the EM-5.

Otherwise, I would wait for the EM-5 successor, or wait until GAS hits me. Which brings us to a more important point. With the increasing price points of high-end MFT cameras, and the expensive quality glass, what edge does the MFT system have over an APS-C camera other than the obvious size and weight difference? You can get a D7100 or a 70D body for $1,200, and you'd get a larger sensor, more resolution and higher image quality.

As I see it now, high-end MFT systems are facing tough competition, with a few advantages that can be argued both ways, but I will leave that to another topic. I will be away for a while. I am preparing a guest post for 43rumors.com that will take some time to finish, I will let you know when it's up.

4 comments:

  1. I can only imagine how difficult it must be in Egypt now. I just found your blog a few days ago. It is very informative for those of us new to Canon. Thank you for doing it and sincere wishes for peace and sanity in your nation.

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    1. Thanks my friend, and I can only hope for a better future.

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  2. Welcome back. Still waiting for the official EM-1 announcement and stats but fortunately I have the D7000 and D600 so waiting patiently is not a problem. More and more, though, I'd like a smaller, lighter system to take places I feel awkward taking the DSLR's - one that doesn't scream, "Look at me". Besides, I've been admiring from afar the very lenses you mentioned so an Oly body only makes sense right? Also interested in the Fuji system as it looks very good, also, but am just waiting for everything to shake out a bit. Had to chuckle over your GAS comment as that's kind of what I'm waiting for as well. And sooner or later it will hit again. Though the last time I got it I was able to keep it under control and didn't acquire anything. Even though I had items in the shopping cart I just couldn't hit the checkout button after a few days' reflection. Anyway, good to hear from you again and I sure hope things are settling down for you and your family.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Dave, I am in no hurry to get the EM-1, the EM-5 and the RX100 are more than satisfying for now.

      I will review the 45 & 75 lenses soon enough, and you don't need an Olympus body to use m43 lenses, both Panasonic and Olympus will do, but I love the 5-axis image stabilization.

      I currently have GAS under control, every time I think of a full frame camera (people getting rid of their 5D2 cameras for cheap prices), I start thinking about the most difficult aspect of buying a camera system, accessories. You have to buy batteries, flashes, bags, intervalometer, etc... And then you will have more tendency to buy more lenses for the second system, so I just forget about it.

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