Help me decide - travel camera

Yeah, good point. The main reason I got the OM-D is it's a lot more inconspicuous. Put on a pancake-y lens and use the LCD screen to compose your shots and you look pretty much like any other tourist. However, OP mentioned "city night shots" which, imo, is one of those situations where M43 is still lacking. If I had no other choice, then it'd be perfectly adequate, still miles ahead of a G12, but personally, I have no problem carrying around a bit more weight, which I know isn't the case for most people. Last trip, I had a FF camera with crop for backup, next time it'll be FF and the M43 as backup.

 

Just curious about this. Wouldn't it be more sensible to have a backup FF body so you don't have to carry around extra lenses? I know m43 lenses are small but seems strange for a 'backup'.

 

True, however my wife has upgraded her G10 to an E-PM1, so we'll be carrying M43 lenses anyway. I used to carry DX lenses for the DX body as well. Backup FF is definitely best, but travel insurance probably won't cover that much equipment, might have to check on that.

 

Really? I can understand shooting moving stuff in lowlight, but for long exposure stuff I thought m43 was fine, especially the OM-D.

Just a question for those that are hauling FF camera's around. Why? Shooting for commercial interests in mind? Shooting for wall sized posters? Post cards? Or for memories? Or is shooting with FF gear in new localities part of the holiday?

 

Why? In part because i always have done so, since i had my old Nikon FM.

But as well because on most holidays (apart from ones just sitting by the beach) i enjoy exploring a place through the lens...

 

Since you are in Mackay I have a G1X if you want to have a play with it.

 

If you have a link to any sample shots, I'd love to see it. I've been window shopping for that camera since it was announced. Doesn't help that I learned to shoot on an old OM SLR.

As for OPs question, I think the G12 still has the high-ISO performance and IQ to do good 'city night shots'. I kinda feel like bringing too much gear on holiday takes away some of the fun of it all, balancing your P&S on a coke can is a fun experience and may even turn out better than cranking up your ISO to 6400 and hand holding to get a skyline shot. Also DSLR on holidays is much harder to go to a stranger 'hey, take a touristy pic of me here', because as much as everyone loves to be a serious photographer, not every shot has to be Pulitzer prize worthy and those are good shots to have on holiday.

 

Here ya go... 100 odd pages of images taken with the OM-D. Link is to the last page as the first lot is all talk and no juice.

http://www.mu-43.com/f42/olympus-om-d-e-m5-image-thread-22157/index102.html

Edit: from the thread above... since the OP mentioned city night shots.

E-M5 with 12/2 at ISO 400, f/2.5, 1/3 second handheld...three image stitch: http://www.jordansteele.com/2012/pittsburgh_panorama.jpg

 

If 35mm is wide enough, I'd recommend x100. Selling one but pending sale so not promoting my sale. Can always get 28mm wide angle conversion but it's about $400.

X100, big sensor, light and portable, retro appeal
Iso quality is top notch. I used to have 5dii with some nice L glass and the x100 really does give it a good run. I don't mind weight and carried backpack but after awhile it does take its toll.
Some people mention difficulty to use but it's a totally different camera from canon/Nikon slrs etc. I picked it up quite quickly.

 

I think you're painting an overly rosy picture of the image quality you get from the smaller mirrorless...

Are you expecting to go back to these places again? No use looking back at images you wish you had taken, or taken with something better..

Still. If you're not specifically going on a photographic trip, and it's just a second interest hobby, then yeh. Still a non gripped 5D isn't THAT big

 

Do people actually do this?

 

Thanks for the offer, I'm actually out at Clermont these days which is why I have to do nearly everything online.

I think I'm pretty set on either the E-P3 or the E-M5. I'll wait till I can put them in my hand to make a choice. I really like the Fuji X100 but the fixed lens kills it for me for a travel camera.

 

No worries, offer is still there. I'm actually driving out to Emerald via Clermont on Sunday, so can bring it along.

 

Yep, i look at my photos in Africa and wish i had better gear to document the time there.

Admittedly i was working with a charity over there, and being able to show people back home what is happening on the ground in another place is a great privilege, and being able to do it well is even better, as most people who end up working in those situations know how to do the job well but not necessarily show how its done or communicate it well.

 

No I'm not. I used Canon DSLRs for 6 years going from 20d to 5d to 1dmk2n with L series lenses. I also sold motorsport photography to nationally published magazines. I only mention this to provide background to my comments.

I wouldn't use a mirrorless for Motorsport photography, but I have zero qualms saying that you can produce excellent travel photos from one with the right lenses, just like any camera.

Ive only really shot my kids since getting the NEX a few months back but the quality is more than good enough for any travel I might do.

Worth checking out the NEX thread in the alternative gear and lenses forum on Fred miranda. There's good and bad like any photo forum, but you'll see what the camera is capable of in the hands of decent photographers.

 

Olympus E-M5 vs Nikon D800.

Image comparison.

Size comparison.

 

For me a DSLR wins every time because of it's lack of shutter lag.

All compacts I've owned have driven me nuts.

Just grab a 650D or a used 550 or something and stick a 30mm or 40mm prime on it if the 5D is too big. In hot/humid Countries I have found that lugging a 5D around is hard work

 

There is no shutter lag on cameras like the omd or the NEX. In fact the NEX 7 is faster than most dslrs because it has no mirror to move. Mirrorless cameras aren't the same as compact cameras that you're thinking of.

 

Ah cool - I had wondered this

It something that bugs me hugely but I don't see it mentioned often. How the camera handles is so much more important than IQ etc..

So things like the Fujifilm X10 and Canon G1x are not mirror-less and are still laggy compacts?

 

Not sure on those two as I've never used them. Perhaps fuji/canon owners can answer that one.