TerryLA Loc: Port St. Lucie, Fl

I'm familiar with the full frame and the crop sensor camera but not the 4/3 camera. Would that be simular to the old medium fram cameras or is it totally different? And this a good starting point going into mirrorless if one can not afford the much higher prices of the full frame mirrorless cameras? Also what is a good model to go into if one were to purchase not being a professional photographer?

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

The 4/3 sensor is smaller than the APS (crop) sensor and permits engineering of a smaller camera overall. The two leading brands that make 4/3 sensor cameras are Olympus and Panasonic. Some very nice cameras to chose from.

Joe

tgreenhaw

Do you already own lenses? How many $ were you looking to spend? What kind of pictures or video do you plan to take?

bleirer

Apparently the name refers to the aspect ratio, 4:3, at least in part. I did not know that. They end up with a crop factor of 2 for depth of field and field of view, so twice the apparent reach due to the crop and twice the depth of field. So there are some pros to the system. Smaller camera, better depth of field, more 'reach' due to the crop factor. The small sensor has downsides too, but it's complicated by the light conditions and demands you put on the sensor.

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-camera-sensor-size.htm

Naptown Gaijin

I used to shoot Canon FF, then went to some compact and bridge cameras, but the sensor was too small for my taste. Spent about 50 hours on the internet and at camera stores and took several courses at a Community College and decided on the Panasonic Lumix GX9. This is not a well known model, but it is perfect for me: light, smaller than a FF, body and lenses less expensive compared to a FF, and capable of great photos. Sensor has 25% of the area of a FF, but several times larger than a compact or bridge camera. It is a very good compromise, and good enough for me. Your needs my vary, but for anything up to 11x14" the M43 is good. mu-43.com is a great website to learn more.

I prefer Panasonic lenses and have the following, all listed in their 35mm equivalent focal lengths:

14-28 f4.0 great wide angle zoom, esp. for bldg. interiors and outdoor landscapes
24-70 f2.8 best all around lens, my normal carry lens
30 f1.7 good for night shots on the street and in the city
85 f1.2 stunning capabilities at night and for portraits, but expensive
200-600 f4.0~5.6 OK, but I don't use it much. Bought for an assignment that fell through, and am gonna sell it.

Best macro (and I bought one) is the Olympus 120mm f2.8, but no internal stabilization on this lens. Very capable for macro.

Your will love the M43 system if you are not a working pro; want to go smaller; want to spend less overall; want to go lighter; and/or want an interchangeable lens camera.

The GX9 is available from any of the major stores, like BHPhoto, Adorama, etc.

TerryLA Loc: Port St. Lucie, Fl

The lenses that I own are for my Canon EOS 70D. Not sure as to what I want to spend or if I actually want to purchase the 4/3's or not. At this point I'm gathering info to determine if I want to make a purchase or not.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

I don’t believe you have twice the reach of the lens as the focal length of a lens say 50mm is still 50mm. You use just the center of that lens.

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

I have been shooting Nikons for about 50 years. A couple years ago I added an Olympus body and 3 lenses for travel purposes. I have been highly pleased with their products. I have stuck to their “pro” line of lenses. Very high quality images are a breeze. The menu system is a challenge. I have no experience with Panasonic. As previously noted, dof is quite different so there’s a learning curve. I rented before I bought and you might do well to consider that approach before deciding.

Naptown Gaijin

Richard's response is incorrect. He probably doesnt own a M43 camera. I do. And I read before I write. A lot.

A M43 lens that is stamped 50mm has a 35 mm format equivalent focal length of 100mm.

So stand in the same spot and take a photo with a 35mm format camera using a 100 mm lens and a M43 format camera with a 50 MM lens, and they will appear the same, EXCEPT for dept of field.

The M43 format camera, using a lens stamped 50mm will have twice the depth of field as a 35mm format camera using a 100mm lens.

Another way to explain this is to imagine yourself taking a portrait of a person sitting 10 feet in front of your cameras: one with a M43 format 42.5mm lens, and the other a 35mm format camera with an 85mm lens. The 35mm format camera will have better bokeh than the M43 camera, because the depth of field is less. Both cameras have a 35mm format equivalent of 85mm, but the M43 has more depth of field.

You can learn much more about this by doing some research: cambridgeincolour.com is a great place to start.

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/learn-photography-concepts.htm

bleirer

Sure but that's exactly what I said. "Twice the apparent reach due to the crop."

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Here we go again.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Just to clarify and avoid confusion, the old 4/3 system is no longer on the market. It was replaced by the micro 4/3 system by Olympus and Panasonic. I am not sure what the exact difference is between the two, but unless one finds one in the used market somewhere, the 4/3 system isn’t available commercially anymore. This article should explain it.

http://tech4tea.com/blog/2011/02/05/micro-four-thirds-vs-four-thirds/

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

The quality of bokeh depends on the lens being used: the design, how many aperture blades it has.
More here:https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/understanding-bokeh

Better is subjective. Some don't care for swirley bokeh, others love it.
It's why I got a Helios 44-2 lens to play with.

I've had a couple of micro 4/3rds cameras: a Panasonic and an Olympus.
Amazing little gems, and despite the smaller sensor, surprisingly great quality.

A friend of mine who has shot professionally for years (and has done assignments for National Geographic) uses micro 4/3rds cameras for some of his work.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I have the Olympus EM10 Mark II and Panasonic Lumix G7. Here are two photos I shot today, testing diffraction and practicing sharpening in pp: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-629102-1.html

Here's one with the Panasonic recently:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-627603-1.html

I love both cameras, but if I had to choose, I'd probably keep the G7 because it's shaped more like my previous Canon T3i and SX50, and is very comfortable. It also has a rotating LCD, which I enjoyed on those other cameras. The 14-140 mm lens is about 1/2 the length and 1/3 the bulk of the similar Canon 18-135 for APS-C.

Both cameras have very extensive menu options and several shortcut buttons. I do find it easy to inadvertently move both the shutter speed knob and the aperture knob on top. Gotta keep checking that!

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

I went Olympus for traveling I started with Pen-f and 12-40f2.8 Pro lens found it to be extremely sharp at 1/2 the size and weight. Fast forward I’ve sold all my FF Nikon gear and shoot most all my work with Olympus gear when I sold my D5 and D500 and heavy Nikkor lenses for all Olympus I shoot high school sports and events for yearbook company