If you as a mere mortal have the chance, one Pre-production camera To get your hands on it and try it out before the next megapixel car is in the store, then some people might start drooling. Especially when the gentlemen who entrust you with this pre-production model are actually happy about the feedback. That's what the gentlemen at Panasonic do. And then the dilemma is described: Panasonic. No Nikon. Damn!
But I don't want to be rude: Panasonic's events are always excellently organized by JDB. And this time I got a huge extra sausage fried: that Opportunity to two extra hours pretty much exclusive to photograph the decisions for the German championship at the Surf Cup on Sylt. Exclusive because of course it was pouring rain and there was no one on the beach except the athletes and the officials. Chance, because the already mild wind finally collapsed when the first surfer was within reach of my too short focal length: the race was aborted.
Well, you can't always handle the weather so much luck have, as with the last camera presentation.
So: the event was well organized, those responsible were relaxed, friendly and relaxed, and so were fellow travelers, bloggers and fellow photographers. And the camera? The Lumix G5 is the direct successor to the G3. On the Paper Industry Doesn't that sound exciting: still the same 16 megapixel MicroFourThirds sensor. But the image quality has already improved. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to show a 100% excerpt here. But I have another look at last year's recordings from the Lumix G3 looked at: the images from the new camera appear softer and cleaner.
There have been major advances in operation. For me that is the case best innovation the rocker within index finger reach. This allows me to influence the exposure very quickly. Otherwise: just take it in your hand. By the way, the menu is completely confusing, but that was also a pre-production model. Last time something was changed shortly before the G3 was delivered.
Back to the question in the headline “is this a camera for professionals and housewives?” Not for professionals, because the camera is too light. This makes it easy not a good tossing possible. A real professional camera sits much more solidly in the air. You can find the resulting picture in the photo gallery. No comparison to my Series on the Alster.
However, the Lumix G5 is for housewives a blastIf your husband is once again complaining about the food, just take a picture using the "delicious food" program mode and show it to your husband - he will be delighted. The camera is also a blessing the other way round: the "gentle portrait" program mode will certainly help an aging relationship to get over the odd frown. And when both are in love again, the "romantic evening sky" comes into play. In short: the Lumix G5 - a camera for the whole family.
PS: It's not the camera!
PPS: On the trip referred to himself Marcel as a photographic housewife, others were for this reason evenunderstandable professionals 😉
PPPS: In the image gallery you will find some sample images from the weekend - all were taken as JPG as there is no way to develop the RAWs of the Lumix G5 yet.
I don't know if it's the m4/3 sensor or the lenses, but the bokeh is really more reminiscent of a compact camera than a sophisticated semi-professional camera.
But due to the poor tossing behavior, it is out of the question for you anyway 🙂
The bokeh of the telephoto lenses is actually not that sparkling. There are two more zooms coming to the Photokina (one in the wide-angle range, one in the telephoto range) that are supposed to be better. Otherwise, there are third-party manufacturers that are much easier to adapt to mirrorless.
Crazy, I've never seen a tossing picture like this (picture 1, Sylt from above). Cheers!
Holiday reading or rather holiday experience
To the Panasonic Lumix G5… And comparable system cameras without mirrors.
My observation is certainly not representative, but I simply cannot find the enthusiasm and supposedly high sales figures of the mFT cameras - at least not in Scandinavia. After two weeks in Denmark and Sweden, the 2012 tourist “colleagues” are taking photos with either a Canon or Nikon entry-level DSLR, or they can use a smartphone/i-phone. Alternatively, just any shirt-pocket-sized snapshot. Micro Four Thirds? What is that? No camera like this can be seen anywhere. I wouldn't have thought that was possible!
That's why I'm always amazed at the euphoric ideas about this camera class. In 2008 FT had its chance with me, in 2011 mFT. There's nothing left of it. I simply demand 24 hour “service” from a system camera. OK, it shouldn't/doesn't have to (auto)focus on the dark-skinned person in the coal cellar or in the pitch black of the night. But if the “fastest” AF of a not exactly low-class Olympus PEN E-P3 fails miserably in the dim bakery of an organic farm, then my understanding of this class of system cameras also fails. Any small Canon or Nikon DSLR would have had the desired photo. If necessary also with ISO 3200…
In the current issue of the new Olympus E-M5, the Swedish “FOTO SIDAN” attests to “lightening-fast focusing”, but in the same sentence states: “The camera is not able to safely focus on moving subjects”. I can't remember a comparable sentence in a German publication. Why actually? Apparently the advertising revenue is (has become?) so vital that mFT cameras in particular are persistently attested to have super-fast and precise focusing, but people tend to “forget” the Swedes’ “small” comment on the subject of AF-C…
Just a reminder: a Nikon D700/800 weighs around 1000 g without the battery pack. A Nikon D3200 weighs just under half that. With the 1,8/35 the combination remains reasonably compact. OK, a 1,7/20 Lumix pancake is tiny in comparison, but what use is all that to me when ISO 3200 at an open aperture or at a certain stop-down and shutter speed are absolutely necessary in order to image without motion blur? Strange euphoria...
Ralf
Thank you Ralf for your determined discussion. I certainly share that, but most manufacturers come from Asia and the sales share is increasing sharply there.
By the way, with the Lumix 20mm Pancake I was able to produce sharp images on the G5 even in poor lighting conditions - but only of stationary objects 😉
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I think it's a bad rumor that no sports or action sports such as handball or football can be recorded with mft (Olympus, PaNASONIC). These rugby photos were taken with a G3 and the 100 300.
secure.flickr.com/photos/mopedfahrer/sets/72157644500891062/
Entry-level DSLRs and SLTs aren't exactly super fast either. Of course, a G5 for 260 euros today cannot be compared with a canikon for 20 times the price.
That's unfair
I have already proven myself that m4/3 works for sports http://www.stefangroenveld.de/2012/mit-der-lumix-gh3-am-ring
Comparing new and old prices doesn't make much sense either: my D3 probably costs little more than your G5 today, but it still takes better pictures when doing sports 🙂
You're right, assuming you have a 600 Nikon lens at your disposal. lg
you're only half right-)). Even used, a used D3 is 5 times more expensive than a new G5. Every system has advantages and disadvantages. Photography is like equestrian sport. The horse or the saddle is always to blame, never the rider.
OK, now it's getting silly...