gwilliams6

Aussie Landscape, Wildlife and Nature Photographer Ian Smissen:

Why I'm SWITCHING from FULL FRAME to MICRO FOUR THIRDS | PENTAX K1 to PANASONIC G9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X45GdX_tkyU&t=567s


Full frame or even APS-C is NOT the answer for everyone, and this pro talks about his decision to "downsize". Cheers

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Ian makes good points.

There’s no magic associated with any particular platform — just a set of attributes. I use a Panasonic GH4 because the same body captures good stills and great video, and my whole kit fits under an airline seat. Others use other platforms because they’re better for their sets of needs and circumstances.

The Lumix G9 IS a great camera. So are the Fujifilm XT3, Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Sony A9 and A7 III, Lumix GH5 and GH5s,... and on and on. And I know I haven’t mentioned the dSLRs, but several different brands make excellent ones.

Ultimately, it’s important to like what tools you choose. Hopefully, they’re right for both you and the job.

Far more important are attitude, point of view, passion, perspective, experience, practice, mental vision, purpose, skills, knowledge, education, training...

The most important tools are a few inches behind the camera — in your head.

Keen

If you are too wimpy to lug FF / APS-C gear around, and want to downsize, why stop at M4/3? Why not go down to 1/2"? It's smaller, lighter weight, easier to pack and carry, etc, than M4/3. If you use a Nikon 1 camera you can use the small, lightweight, Nikon 1 mount lenses. With the FT-1 adaptor, you can also use regular FX, and DX, F mount lenses on the Nikon 1 bodies.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I have been shooting M43 for years. It is my go-to travel and adventure kit. Recently I purchased a new Olympus body and it has fast become my go-to all around camera. And there is some great glass available for M43 now.

le boecere

I, too, have often wondered why the "smaller, lighter" seekers didn't go for the Nikon 1. It has the magical nameplate ("Nikon") and it's smaller and lighter than most any other main-stream MILC (I'm ignoring the Pentax Q). And, its 1" sensor is apparently "good enough" to be used in the most highly rated pocket cameras and "bridge cameras".

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Ever noticed it’s Manufacturer Discontinued? Nobody else bought it either.

le boecere

Thom Hogan writes:

"That focus performance was unmatched by any mirrorless camera at the time, and was near DSLR levels. Even today, the Nikon 1 autofocus system is still at or near the top of the heap in mirrorless, despite many advances by competitors and few by Nikon. Moreover, the Nikon 1 products can manage focus at speeds up to 20 fps. The Nikon 1 was that far ahead of its time, basically. "

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

I was very skeptical and just purchase the astounding Fuji X100F. The detail and conditions it can shoot in are remarkable.
I still use Canon gear for work but have found something that has changed how I think, especially when it comes to its unique leaf shutter.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The Nikon 1 system actually was good — for what it was made to do. The 1" "CX" sensor works well in many "travel zoom" cameras. But putting it in a relatively serious camera with interchangeable lenses and painting the camera in fashion colors gloss white, black, silver, red, and pink, probably wasn't a smart move. Despite having the 'V' series aimed at enthusiasts, the system as a whole got in its own way.

As DPReview said, summarizing its review of the V3, "...when factoring in price, there are many other good, less expensive alternatives with better image quality and all-around value."

Kai Wu, then of Digital Rev TV, was less than kind regarding the V1, and a bit more direct, as he said, "You can't polish a turd...", and called it "...as boring as a rice cracker... an under-formed Tetris block... It all looks a bit, 'Joan Collins'. Seeing Nikon "do cool" is like seeing your grandfather do rap."

Kai did give the camera some praise for image quality, and AF speed. "But where is that (Nikon) SP spirit?" (He was referring to the classic Nikon rangefinders of the 1950s, which were small, light, built like tanks, and popular with photojournalists everywhere.)

Unfortunately, Nikon marketed the 1 series as a fashion statement. They stereotyped it as a "chick camera." I recall the posters in Target stores featuring skinny blondes in very high end designer clothes and sunglasses holding the camera as if about to use it. There were also some posters with androgynous male models looking effete while holding the camera... Serious female photographers were justifiably, sometimes seriously offended, and many guys just rolled their eyes at the camera and moved on. (Maybe they watched DigitalRev TV's reviews on YouTube.)

The majority of the target audience didn't buy a lot of extra lenses. Nikon released only a dozen native lenses in the seven years the 1 System was manufactured. Users realized that there were better ways to spend that amount of money on glass. Better APS-C and DX dSLRs were available for less money at Costco, and Micro 4/3 (Olympus, Panasonic) had over 100 lenses available when the Nikon 1 series was discontinued.

Barketh

Thank you for posting that. The video was very helpful. I had given up looking at m43 but now they are back on the list.