3 Primes in the New World

So how much does it cost to build a 3-prime kit with one of those fancy new mirrorless/CSC cameras?

Now I've written a lot about the quality of the Pentax K-01 images, and you can get a nice 3 prime setup for just under $1500. But cheaper still is a Sony NEX with the 5n kit and a Micro Four-Thirds kit based on the Panasonic GX1. With the Sony you'd have to be willing to accept a thin lens lineup. But the sensor is good, and the system plays well with adapted lenses, or so I've been told. And while the Panasonic GX1 is a really nice camera (I've seen some stunning 18x24 BW prints from it), most rate it a step behind the 16MP Sony sensor found in the K-01. 90% of the time the difference won't matter. A step above the K-01 kit in costs are the Olympus OM-D E-M5 kit and the Fuji X-E1 kit. Both have EVFs which of course the K-01 lacks.

The Case Against Micro Four-Thirds

In two previous posts (“The Case Against Full Frame” and “The Case Against APS-C”) I opined on why the leading professional and amateur sensor sizes are doomed to the scrapheap of history. Where does that leave the upstart Micro Four-Thirds?

One Man's Quest for a Low Noise Camera

Like many other photographers, I’m on a quest for less noise, particularly in quiet, intimate, low light settings. But it’s not the ISO and the shadows that I’m concerned about, it’s the racket that a camera makes when shooting. You don’t notice that cameras can be loud, attention-drawing things until you get to a situation where discretion is advised and expected. Like a baptism or wedding or some other ceremony. If you take a picture with a loud camera in those situations, be prepared for a bunch of swivelheads to look at you disapprovingly. My style tends towards the looser candid/street/decisive moment, so noise is important to me, and I’ve got strong opinions on the cameras that I’ve used these last couple of years.

Separated at birth?

The cameras, silly, not the tomato! Full-frame, fixed-lens rangefinder Olympus XA vs. fingernail-frame, interchangeable lens hybrid Pentax Q. Will I grow to adore the little Q as much as I have the XA? Only time will tell...

Olympus OM-D EM-5 vs. Pentax K-05 in 3D

Olympus OM-D EM-5 vs. Pentax K-05 in 3D, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
Cross your eyes to see this in 3d. Click on the photo for a larger version on Flickr

Photo taken with the Panasonic GH2 with the 12.5mm F12 3D lens

In Defense of dSLRs (Kind of)

The release of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is being touted by bloggers, tumblers, tweeters, and word pressers as A VERY BIG DEAL. The online hyperbole store is actually running low on stock of Gushing Praises (available in limited quantities), Prophetic Proclamations (due next week) and Bold Predictions (now taking pre-orders) while Humble Opinions and Reality Checks are being deeply discounted due to slow sales. Last week’s flavor of the month - the Fuji X Pro 1 - is struggling to catch a ray of the klieg lights, and even poor Leica has to resort to parlor tricks to remind people that they had a red dot long before Target did. I’ve actually held one of these Olympus talisman’s in my hands, and with Pinterest as my witness, I thought I heard a choir of angels singing softly and sweetly upon my left shoulder while a unicorn danced a jig on my right shoulder. I would have taken a picture - if only the OM-D E-M5 had a flip-twist screen.

An interesting if imperfect comparison

An interesting if imperfect comparison, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
While hanging out with my brother, I snatched his Olympus OM-D (+PanLeica 25/1.4), inserted my card and grabbed some shots. I then took my Pentax K-01 (+DA21/3.2) and tried to grab the same shot. Both JPGs. Both ISO3200. Both F3.2. I'm not going to pixel peep here - the shutters were both very slow for the focal length, so any lack of sharpness could be a matter of IS, technique, or both.

What's interesting is - color cast aside, the photos are really quite close. I could easily take one and with just a couple of quick Lightroom adjustments make it look like the other.

I had relegated my Panasonic GH2 and other M43 cameras to video duty only, but the OM-D has me thinking twice.

The good thing is - I neither need it or want it at the moment (the retro styling does nothing for me). So my credit card is safe, for now.

Pentax K-01 Hits Broadway

Brought the K-01 into the City over the weekend to catch a friend on the opening night of her performance in the production Romance The Play. Beforehand, met another friend for a quick dinner and then a quick dash through Times Square to get to the performance...

Does size matter?

Does size matter?, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
Olympus OM-D EM-5 with the Panasonic 25mm F1.4 vs. Pentax K-01 with the 21mm F3.2. The Olympus is sitting on a lens hood because the EVF extends from the back of the camera. As you can see, this actually makes the Olympus deeper than the "big-boned" K-01. That would change of course if you swapped the 25mm/F1.4 for the more pancakey 20m/F1.7. On the other lens mount, the new XS40mm F2.8 would slim down the Pentax considerably too.

At the end of the day, it's a practical wash. The OM-D may be marginally smaller but not significantly so. So do you want weather sealing or a top notch APS-C sensor? Do you want an EVF and a tilt screen or clean ISO3200? Decisions decisions!

Separated at Birth?

Look what my brother bought (left). I've just handled it briefly - it's a solid piece, much smaller than it looks in the photos. AF seems snappy, even with the slower Panasonic 20mm/F1.7.

What is a little surprising is the size comparison to the K-01. The Pentax is clearly larger, but not significantly so. In other words, the K-01 with the DA Limiteds will fit in the same bags the Olympus will fit into.

With the Panasonic 25/1.4 shown and the built in EVF, the OM-D is arguably larger than the K-01. But again, we're really talking about millimeters, which is nominally nominal.

(testing out posting via the iPad.)

The Slowest Thing about the Pentax K-01

I bought the K-01 for two things - the Sony sensor (same as the K-5), and the quiet shutter. I typically shoot candid photojournalist style, so I need cameras that work well in low light and don't make too much noise. I had been considering the Panasonic GX1 or Olympus E-P3 since I already have some good native glass for them (14mm F2.5, 20mm F1.7, and 45mm F1.8), but I knew that would mean a sensor not quite up to K-5 standards, and just as critically a loud shutter that would draw attention to the fact that I just took a picture. With the GH2 and GF2 for example, the cats would flinch each time I took a shot! I've since de-sensitized them (by taking hundreds of photos of them), but still...

Waiting to cross

The low winter sun takes the edge off the chill. In the background is my Moby Dick, a sign and building that I will hunt down until I get a photo that I am happy with. This gentleman on the bicycle has no clue that he stands between and my enemy.

Winter Shadows

The low winter sun screams through a chill sky and through the branches of a naked tree to warm the brick facade.

Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
Another piece of the puzzle...

Sorry for the cats.

Sorry for the cats., originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
There's been way to many lately. So here's a lens that's older than me. This photo was taken with the Olympus 45/1.8 lens mounted to the Panasonic GF2. It's proving to be a potent combination. I was hoping to use the 45/1.8 for video, but the AF is too slow and the barrel too small to fit a follow-focus easily. This Takumar, on the other hand, was purchased by mistake. I had intended to return it after ordering the Olympus, but could't make myself do it. So it will be used for video.

Steel

Steel, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
Our modern world is built upon steel, a blend of iron and alloys that spans rivers, reaches for the sky, and carries us into an uncertain future. But the future is by definition uncertain, isn't it?

I bought the Olympus 45/F1.8 because my trusty Pentax M50/F1.7 is finally starting to show its age. It rattles and one time the inner element worked its way loose. I use M43 for video and when I want a lightweight stills kit, and I thought that the 45/F1.8 could fill both roles. But some initial tests with the GH2 show that AF with video is still a hit or miss affair. The 45/F1.8 will usually find focus, but if the subject or camera moves it will sometimes still hunt before locking down. It's not just the lens of course - the body plays a role as well. But the bottom line is that video will still be a MF affair. Besides, the 45/F1.8 is so small that I'll have to jerry rig a way to get a Follow-Focus to work with it.

So for video, I'm settling upon a new-to-me Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 50/F1.4. Fantastic lens. Which leaves the 45/F1.8 as a stills lens. And one that I don't really need. But judging by the pics I've taken so far, I want it. Sharp, nice colors, small. It's really sweet, but most lenses in this price range are, aren't they?

So now I have a high-quality mini kit - Panasonic GF2 + Panasonic 14/2.5 + Panasonic 20/1.7 + Olympus 45/1.8. The whole kit will fit into the space of a single dSLR zoom, or so it seems. I'm tempted to get another GF2 (or maybe the new GX1) and just bring this little kit on my next motorcycle trip. It would be all that I need. I'm sure of it.

Cousins, Nintendo, and Olympus

Cousins, Nintendo, and Olympus, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
These two little ones are inseparable at family gatherings. Their activities typically involve screens - Nintendo DS, iPad, etc... My activity typically involves taking photos of them, this time with the Olympus 45/F1.8. All of these are shot wide open using a Panasonic GF2. My brother had a Canon T2i with a bright Sigma 30; it was monstrous by comparison.

Window Closed (Forgotten Peace)

Window Closed (Forgotten Peace), originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
This is not a lens test. This is not a lens test. This is a brick wall defiled and redefined.

Introducing Alex, and the Olympus 45/F1.8.

Introducing Alex, and the Olympus 45/F1.8., originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
I've kind of fallen into this tradition - a new lens shows up at the door, I rip it open with the enthusiasm of an 9-year old on Christmas morning, mount it, and then stalk the cats. This time Alex gets the honor, striking a contemplative pose for the Olympus 45/F1.8 for Micro Four-Thirds.

Up until now I've relied upon my adapted Pentax M50/1.7 for video, but it's starting to rattle like an empty paint can with a couple of marbles thrown in. One time I took off the rear cap and the rear element nearly fell into my hand - somehow it had unscrewed itself. So I screwed it back in and kept on shooting with it. But I certainly don't want that happening on a paid shoot, so I needed to demote the Pentax to Plan B while I found a new Plan A. So here it is. And here's Alex, keeping this odd tradition alive.