The µ43 thread - welcome to the really dark side

[Minstadave]

Hey µ43 master race. How is the format looking these days? Part of me was thinking my em5 was looking a little long in the tooth. But it still produces decent photos. I had toyed with the idea of a new camera, but if their is still life in the µ43 range then maybe a new lens is what I'm after. Maybe something like the Olympus12-40 pro.

Or is it pretty much dead and should I see about joining the Sony alliance?

What are your priorities?

Personally I'm not sure I'd buy m43 if a new buyer these days. The focus of m43 has shifted to pro bodies and fast lenses and I don't really think either Pana or Oly are playing to the systems strengths. I like the system and I'm too far down the rabbit whole to change now but if Sony or similar fits your needs well they're pretty good contenders.

At the end of the day the camera industry is dying pretty quickly, so you're likely to buying into a dying format whatever you choose.

 

[Phate]

Sorry what? the camera industry is dying?

How do you come up with that?

Photography industry is growing IMO.

 

[Minstadave]

Sorry what? the camera industry is dying?

How do you come up with that?

Photography industry is growing IMO.

Nice to be optimistic but it's well documented to be the exact opposite:

Camera industry as a whole is dying rapidly

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.statista.com/chart/amp/5782/digital-camera-shipments/

https://nofilmschool.com/digital-camera-market-sales-low

DSLR is dying

https://petapixel.com/2017/03/03/latest-camera-sales-chart-reveals-death-compact-camera/

Mirrorless was meant to be the saviour of the ILC and that's not growing, even declining this year

https://fstoppers.com/gear/worldwide-camera-sales-take-another-tumble-395821

All the figures from the horses mouth:

http://www.cipa.jp/stats/dc_e.html

 

[Phate]

Hmmmm

Here is my interpretation of that. OK so sales are down, does this mean the industry is dieing? Not as far as I am concerned. I know many more people these days who own a DSLR or Mirrorless camera coupled with a smartphone. But it perceive this as it means people are not replacing them and buying them every year.

What about figures for the amount of photography we see published? that always seems to be neverending. I think if photography were dieing we would be seeing less and less. I haven't bought a camera since 2015 and not even considering replacing it, despite still using it all the time. Its good enough and fits my needs.

With cameras on phones becoming very good along with DSLR prices improving the P&S market I think is close to dead or should be. I think Mirrorless will eventually replace DSLRs overall but the history is so strong with them they will be around for decades to come yet.

If anything we are seeing more and more creative people appearing which often & regularly involve the use of photography equipment...

The sales had to peak off somewhere after exploding for so many years. And cameras have become so good, there is often little reason to upgrade these days for the hobbyist.

With regards to the original comment, Olympus have doubled down and said they are continuing to develop for M43. Recently released the Em5 MKIII and the EM1X - not sure about Pana though.

 

[Minstadave]

Hmmmm

Here is my interpretation of that. OK so sales are down, does this mean the industry is dieing?

The sales had to peak off somewhere after exploding for so many years. And cameras have become so good, there is often little reason to upgrade these days for the hobbyist.

The camera industry is dying very rapidly. To say otherwise is pointless. The numbers are there. Compacts are dead, DSLRs are declining, mirrorless grew briefly and is now in decline, lens sales are down.

Photography isn't, but they're separate things.

Doesn't mean there won't be cameras for sale for the foreseeable future but it is not a healthy industry.

 

[Phate]

I am looking at it bigger than pure sales of new cameras. We can just agree to disagree.

 

[Kobi]

What is it that you'll be taking pictures of? This will help you decide and others to better advise you on a system.

What are your priorities?

At the end of the day the camera industry is dying pretty quickly, so you're likely to buying into a dying format whatever you choose

It's mainly landscape, some wildlife ect. no video. The more i think about it a lens might be the thing to go for.

 

[Minusorange]

Was kind of hoping this lockdown would see a fall in lens prices, but they seem pretty consistent Ebay is pretty dead for second hand lenses too in u43, wonder if current environment will cause a delay for the new Oly 100-400mm also ?

 

[Minstadave]

Which lenses are you craving?

 

[Minusorange]

Which lenses are you craving?

Oly 75mm prime, 75-300mm (or the 100-400mm depending on price/when it's released) and possibly 2x or 1.4x teleconverter

I'm not in a rush to get them although I'd like the 75-300mm asap so happy to wait for prices close to their cheapest they've been in the past (example 75-300 was £289 in November it's now £100 more)

 

[Minstadave]

Oly 75mm prime, 75-300mm (or the 100-400mm depending on price/when it's released) and possibly 2x or 1.4x teleconverter

I'm not in a rush to get them although I'd like the 75-300mm asap so happy to wait for prices close to their cheapest they've been in the past (example 75-300 was £289 in November it's now £100 more)

75mm is nice, I've had one for a year but rarely find an opportunity to use it. Bit of an odd focal length.

 

[Minusorange]

75mm is nice, I've had one for a year but rarely find an opportunity to use it. Bit of an odd focal length.

Yeah it's the one I'm happy to wait longer for, want the 75-300 so I can get practising some wildlife while the weather is nice

 

[EGuitarStar]

Ahh, glad to see M43 users still shooting.

I've taken up bird shooting (camera, not bullets) in my garden but finding the Panasonic 45-175 just doesn't have the reach I need. Had been looking at the Pana 100-300 but hard to justify as I may not use it much afterwards.

 

[Moogman]

I am still using my G80 after about a year and loving it. Previous cameras were a Nikon D5300, Sony A6000, Lumix G6. Lumix bridge cameras Z8, Z45, Z200 & Z300. MFT for me atleast with the Panasonic cameras is ease of use, ergonmics, lens size and weight, availability and cost. I shoot with the Pana 100-300 ii for wildlife, still drooling after the Pana-leica 100-400 but will have to wait until I'm a little more flush. I'm excited to see what will come next with the mft format. New sensors with any luck.https://www.bestcameranews.com/new-panasonic-gh6-rumors/

 

[AndyCr15]

I wonder if anyone can help, I'm having some problems with my GH5. A couple of weeks ago, there were two problems. First, when I start recording video, it wouldn't actually record the first 5 to 10 seconds. Then, when I power it off, it basically locks up. The image on the screen freezes, I can't power it back on and have to removed the battery to reset. I updated the firmware to the latest and now it records fine, but still freezes when I power it off. Any ideas?

 

[EGuitarStar]

I gather you've done a factory reset and tried different storage cards? Is it still under warranty?

It also may be more prudent to post this on the DPREVIEW forums due to the sheer number of users there.

I don't have a GH5 but own other Panasonic bodies.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I am still using my G80 after about a year and loving it. Previous cameras were a Nikon D5300, Sony A6000, Lumix G6. Lumix bridge cameras Z8, Z45, Z200 & Z300. MFT for me atleast with the Panasonic cameras is ease of use, ergonmics, lens size and weight, availability and cost. I shoot with the Pana 100-300 ii for wildlife, still drooling after the Pana-leica 100-400 but will have to wait until I'm a little more flush. I'm excited to see what will come next with the mft format. New sensors with any luck.https://www.bestcameranews.com/new-panasonic-gh6-rumors/

I traded my G7 in for a G80 a couple of months after it launched and haven’t regretted it once. G9 is a great camera, but I found it a little too chunky for my tastes. G90 is still way too expensive for what it is and I don’t have disposable income these days anyway.

You’ll like the PL 100-400mm as having a tripod/sling mount makes it so much easier to use. There used to be a German engineering outfit that made tripod collars for the original 100-300mm, but I don’t know if the MK2 is the same dimensionally.

http://roesch-feinmechanik.de/29701.html

Been a few years now, but they had at least one employee whose written English was better than mine when I emailed them.

PM me if you want any bag/sling recommendations for the G80 to save me clogging this thread up.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I wonder if anyone can help, I'm having some problems with my GH5. A couple of weeks ago, there were two problems. First, when I start recording video, it wouldn't actually record the first 5 to 10 seconds. Then, when I power it off, it basically locks up. The image on the screen freezes, I can't power it back on and have to removed the battery to reset. I updated the firmware to the latest and now it records fine, but still freezes when I power it off. Any ideas?

Have you asked your question on the DPR Micro Four Thirds forum? Lots of GH5 users over there.

 

[AndyCr15]

I gather you've done a factory reset and tried different storage cards? Is it still under warranty?

It also may be more prudent to post this on the DPREVIEW forums due to the sheer number of users there.

I don't have a GH5 but own other Panasonic bodies.

Not reset yet, was hoping to avoid if possible, but if there are no other ideas, I guess I will. I have two storage cards in there, I think I tried both, but will test again today. Fairly sure I'm still under warranty if needed

Will also reg on Dpreview and ask there, thanks.

 

[Minstadave]

SD card issue sounds like a possible cause. Try using a different card or just one card at a time. Make sure they're formatted in camera too.