Undecided about new camera: Olympus or Lumix?
Many things are changed in my last two years, my family is growing and now I find myself using my Canon DSLR a lot less.
Mostly my time, energy and space shrinked, and carrying around a full size DSLR became very difficult - so I think my camera should shrink also.
So I decided to move from APS-C to Micro Four Thirds! (not actually move 100%, since I'll keep my Canon for my monthly night shots, let's say I'll go 95% on Micro Four Thirs!) ;-)
I looked around, and now I'm undecided between Panasonic Lumix G90/G95 and Olympus OM-D EM-10 IV.
This is why:
- I want my camera to be as compact as possible, with still a lot of manual controls (I shoot almost always in Aperture priority or Manual), and the Olympus seems fit, but...
- I want an articulated screen, so I can easily shot from low angles and take self portraits. Olympus don't have an articulated screen, Lumix does.
- I'm going to take a lot of pics of a kid running around pestering a dog ;-) and a camera providing both in-body and in-lens stabilisation, like the Lumix, could be a lot helpful but...
- Olympus body seems nicer than Lumix, but...
- I tinkered a little with both, and Olympus menus seem to me a mess, compared with Lumix one, can anyone get used to them?
- Most of the features seem similar, the main difference is that the Lumix seems more video-oriented, but I don't care about video, not at the moment at least.
Right now I found both the cameras at almost the same price (~870€).
Which one would you choose, and why?
gerlos Thanks! Sony RX100 seems really nice and amazingly small, and the shots you took with it are great, but the lack of external controls such buttons and dials and interchangeable lenses puts me off...
Marta Tomaszewska
I can understand it, it all depends on priorities :)
I have exposure compensation and exposure lock on buttons, aperture/time control on the ring - it's enough :) I was sure that changing from full frame to compact camera would be a road of pain, but it was a very pleasant trip ;-) The only thing I miss is a polarized filter mount. But I can enhance sky in LR ;-)
Paweł Kadysz I had both. I shot with several Olympus cameras, my favorite being the first E-M5 (which, after years of service stopped working few weeks ago).
Now I shoot with Lumix G80. But I got it mostly for 4K videos and Cinelike-D picture profile.
I agree that Olympus looks much better and is compact in comparison to Lumix. G80 is bulky, it's like a small DSLR, but the grip is so good.
As for menus - I think they're similar. IMO the real mess happens on Sony's UI.
I now use G80 because - besides shooting stills - I also make videos for work. If I were all about still images - I'd probably go with Olympus.
P.S. @Kazzi could probably answer all your questions about Olympus ;)
gerlos Grip is a good point - my hands are big, and I'm not sure I can hold the Oly securely, whereas the G90 grip feels similar to my Canon one, and I like it.
Actually, the G90 body doesn't seem much smaller than my Canon, but most µ 4/3 lenses are a lot smaller. 🤔
Alek Jedliński There are actually some good small bodies in mirrorless APS-C. Fuji XS-10, Sony A6xxx. These have a good grip and some high quality primes available. The AF will probably be much better for photos than Lumix, and depending on what you shoot, the whole setup can actually be very compact :)
gerlos Thanks! I gave a look at APS-C mirroless cameras from Canon and Fuji, their bodies are compact, but lenses are almost as big as the ones of my current DSLR - I'd like to go smaller!
Alek Jedliński I completely understand. Out of curiosity what kind of lenses do you have in mind?
gerlos Basically right now I'm thinking of "standard" focal lengths, like those used in kit lenses like 24-70 on full frame or 18-55 on APS-C.
At the moment I'm using a lot a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 on my Canon, and I really like it, but it's massive and weights ~600g. I also use often a Tamron 10-24 that is quite bulky and heavy too. I use also a few prime lenses, but they are a lot smaller.
Since I'm planning to use this mirrorless camera as my "daily" camera, at the moment I think I'll shot mostly with its kit lens, at least for a while.
As far as I could see, micro four thirds "standard" zoom lenses usually range from 12-35 to 12-40 mm, weight a lot less and their barrels have also a smaller diameters, so should be more portable than my current lenses. Is it right?
Alek Jedliński Sounds about right :) if you are looking for lightweight zooms, M4/3 is definitely a great option.
jenth23 I started with Olympus and didn't like it. Got Lumix a few years later and loved it
Rob Just a thought from someone who has owned both an Olympus OMD-EM1 Mk III and a Lumix G9.
Olympus: Loved the time-lapse modes, IS was incredible (hand holding 3 second images!!) & weather sealing, Pro lenses are terrific. Disliked the ergonomics. Hated the menu system.
Lumix: Loved the menu/user interface. Ergonomics made me want to go take pictures. Leica-Panasonic lenses are terrific. AF Tracking struggled.
If choosing today, I'd stay away from Olympus after they were sold. That's not to say they're going to be written off, but with Panasonic going all in with the full frame, I wonder what the future holds for M43. From a travel & weight perspective, it's what I love about the system and hope they somehow stick around.
gerlos I was leaning towards Lumix too... But I ended up buying an Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mk III, mostly because of price - I could get it with a big discount, and it is a lot smaller than Lumix G90, that was my first reason to move to M43.
I'm actually liking it - after some customization of the buttons ergonomics are ok for me.
IS and AF are impressive. ART filters are gimmicks. Colors are nice, and even JPEGs are nice.
Menu system seems messy, but I feel I won't need to tinker with it a lot after I set up everything to my needs.
I'm actually very impressed with almost everything, but perhaps it's because I'm coming from a 10-years old DSLR, and technology did big steps in the meantime! ;-)
I'm too concerned about system future, since it seems also that Panasonic is focusing on full frame. Still, it may be a good opportunity to get great lenses at cheaper prices! ;-)
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Marta Tomaszewska I'd make you think totally other way round - look at Sony RX100 mkIII ;-)
I have it beside my Canon DSLR and I'm very happy. My brother changed to it from OM-something set because changing lenses trying to take pic of a baby was to much effort for him.
It's super compact, 24-70/1.8, have articulated screen, selfie mode, connection to phone, full manual (even you can take decent milky way - "3.112"). There is similar Lumix (with 100 in the name) if you want Panasonic ;-)
Just consider if you really need exchangeable lenses in situation for which you want smaller camera. Me - personally - never regretted this choice since 1200 days ;-) And I have always my 5d for more sophisticated photography.