Micro 4/3 Is it really better to have a Panasonic body with Panasonic lenses?

@Dixeyk - someone in England is selling his/her GF1 over at the MU-43.com site. That might work out for you!

Here's the link: FS Panasonic GF1 Body - Micro Four Thirds User Forum

I saw that...unfortunately he wants a UK sale only. I live in the wrong Bellingham. :eek: There is also one on FredMiranda that I am considering but I still can't get past the whole EVF thing. The Panasonic one is...well...pretty average and the Olympus one is REALLY nice. If I was just using my AF lenses this would be less of an issue. I am using them a lot more because of my vision issues, but I still do WANT to be abe to use them and I can't see that happening with the GF-1. The G2 is a better alternative for that but when I look at samples I can't help but feel like the EPL-1 IQ is better than the GF-1 and the G2 as well. It comes down to am I willing to sacrifice the better IQ and IBIS for the better UI and handling of the G2. I think if I jump it might be to the G2 instead of the GF-1. I'd be sacrificing the smaller body (although the G2 isn't THAT much smaller) but getting the articulating LCD, decent EVF and form what I hear, superb handling. I have an LX3 and ZS3 for small cameras so losing the small size of the EPL-1 might not be too bad.

Kevin
 
Ahhh...time has passed and I have done a lot of soul searching. also, my 50th is coming up on May 1st so I have decided to finally make a move. I've thought it over and I think I'll keep my E-PL1. It's a decent body and while I thought for a while I'd jump to the E-PL2 the more I played with the one I have available at the lab the less it seemed like a good move. IQ wise they are very similar and the faster shutter speed and control wheel didn't seem like enough to make the move. Also, in looking at images online it seemed to my untrained eye that the E-PL1 has ever so slightly sharper images. It's probably just they way the default settings are but in the end it just wasn't worth the hassle. The GF-1 has suddenly gotten a good deal more expensive since it was discontinued and in the end the lack of a good EVF made the GF-1/GF-2 less appealing to me.

That brought me to the also discontinued G2. It's bigger than the E-PL1 (although not THAT much bigger) looks to have a much better control setup/UI and has a built-in EVF that by all accounts is pretty decent. The flip up screen also looks pretty handy. For whatever reason the G2 does not seem to be particularly popular so the prices are a lot more reasonable. Too bad is missed out on the Panasonic blowout and the NewEgg sale. So, unless I find out some major reason why the G2 should be avoided (such as all the G2 bodies being infected with Martian syphillis) then I'm good to go. Now all I need to do is find one.

If the G2 works out I may sell of the E-PL1 and VF2 and end up with a bit of cash to boot.
 
Kevin, I think you're safe on the Martian disease.;)

Amazon has the G2 for sale: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 12.1 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-Inch Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Lumix G VARIO f/3.5-5.6 MEGA OIS Lens (Black)
ir
 
My G2 arrived (although nearly everyone here is also on mu-43 as well so this is probably old news). I like it quite a lot. It arrived all spanky and new and immediately I popped my 20 on it and tried it out. I have a few observations (I'll be brief).

The ergonomics are outstanding. The way the G2 fits in the hand, the way the controls are all within easy reach. It all just works together nicely. The OOC JPEGs look great. They arren't as punchy as the Olympus ones but they are quite agreeable. Panasonic lenses do in fact AF faster on a Panasonic body. The built-in EVF is nice but I can see why folks prefer the VF2. I think part of it is the way the VF2 handles zooming. The VF2 blurs slightly while zooming where the Panasonic does not. It makes the VF2 feel smoother. The touch screen seems gimmicky but it doesn't get in the way either. Lastly the thing that most surprised me about the G2 is how small it is. It is very DSLR like but very small. It's not much bigger than my FZ18 was. I had seen pictures of it but it doesn't hit you until you have it in hand. That was a pleasant surprise.
 
Yes...I need to get out and shoot with it. The weather isn't cooperating but I'll see what I can do.
 
Rain, if that's it, can make for some superb colors...but the droplets on the lens aren't helpful. I was just down in Annapolis, MD and found that not a few pictures were "spoiled" by some rain drops on my little LX5's lens. Perhaps you have a lens hood/shade, if it's not pouring?
 
My answer is yes, but only because there is only one M4/3 body and lens that I like (GF-1 and 20/1.7). I have the GF-1 plus the excellent Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH and middle of the road Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH OIS. I have tried several of the Olympus bodies and lenses.

The answer should be no, because the bodies and lenses conform to the M4/3 standard and should work equally well in any combination.
 
When I got my G2 I did a side by side with the E-PL1. The 20 appears to have faster AF on the G2. Mind you the 20 is by no means a speed demon but it feels a lot faster on the G2.
 
When I got my G2 I did a side by side with the E-PL1. The 20 appears to have faster AF on the G2. Mind you the 20 is by no means a speed demon but it feels a lot faster on the G2.

The 20 isn't the fastest focussing lens in the world but is adequate on my E-P1. Image stabilisation seems a lot better on the E-P1 than on a Panasonic with lenses like that. ;)

Seriously, the ability to have a small, moderately fast lens with adequate AF speed in most conditions and image stabilisation means you have no trouble grabbing indoor shots at around 1/10s to 1/6s with no issues. A couple of stops improvement there means you can use a lower ISO value and get cleaner pictures.

The AF system of the Panasonic cameras is better than Olympus but there are other factors that come into play and I don't think it is really appropriate to say that one is better than the other. Everyone has different needs and priorities.
 
The G2

Did more playing with the G2 and it is DEFINITELY a step up from the E-PL1 and quite honestly from the E-PL2 as well. The image quality is wonderful and the AF is fast in IMHO accurate. The EVF is good although I wish it were a touch brighter and the swivel LCD is a lot more useful that I could have imagined.

Here are a couple with the 14-45...

View attachment 35543

p265484643-4.jpg


IQ is the area that I find the most surprising. It has a wonderful quality that I am at a loss to explain but that I find quite pleasing. The color is not quite as punchy as that of the Olympus JPEGs (much like Fuji film) but still very appealing. The images are also not as sharp as those from the E-PL1 but still I find that I like them as well (perhaps a bit more). Just goes to prove that sharpness isn't everything.

Noise is another area where I am pleasantly surprised. The G2 has more noise than the E-PL1/E-PL2 but I am not finding it objectionable. To me it looks quite a lot liker film grain. I suppose a pixel peeper would reject the images from the G2 but I do not. Perhaps it is just me but I prefer these images to the more plasticky digital images you get from some cameras. Must be because I am used to Tri-X so a little grain (or a lot) looks normal to me.

The are however where the G2 shines is handling. It is light years ahead of the E-PL1 and E-PL2 in that respect (although I only use the E-PL2 at work so I have less time on one). Everything is where you want it, it's easy make adjustments and the camera just seems to get out of your way and let you make images. It is truly REMARKABLE!
 
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