Thread: crossposted from Mu43... it's been 6 months, and an epiphany: m43 is not for me :(

In short:

I always think of that saying "the best camera is the one you have with you" - and over the last 6 months, I have rarely had my EPL1 with me, or I've had it with me and just felt it too cumbersome/slow/unwieldy for the moment at hand - either the entire outing became "Nicole's photography time" or I simply missed out on lots of photo opportunities because I didn't want to bother with taking it out, changing lenses, whatever.

Also, I have always loved macro photography -and with the lenses I've got I just can't do that. I missed out on a lovely set of dragonflies the other day, and that may have been the moment I realized I was using the wrong camera.

It's a great camera - and I mean that. The picture quality is stellar especially compared to my old p&s (a Sony Cybershot, 8.1 mp) and I have LOVED learning about manual aperture and shutter functions. But for the travel-light, spontaneous adventuring I have always done, the EPL1 and all of the accoutrements are just too much stuff.

I am so heartbroken to see this camera go - I will sell it to finance whatever I replace it with - but I know that no matter how lovely it is, if it's sitting in a bag on a shelf or in the car, and not in my pocket or purse ready for any moments' notice, then it's of very little use to me.

I am currently investigating the Nikon Coolpix p300 and the Canon Powershot s95. If anyone has any input on those two or other comparable compact cameras, I would be grateful for your input.

Someone on Mu43 also recommended the Olympus XZ-1, which is super-appealing for a number of reasons! Any thoughts on that one or the other two would be greatly appreciated!

Nicole, fret not thyself - you are in good company. I loved my E-P2 and my E-PL1 especially with the 9-16mm lens and got some great pictures but it was "too big" for me to have with me. Size is such a relative thing, but for me...as much as I still love to see photos with other people's Mu43's and think that the new 12mm lens looks fantastic - I just know I'm not going to carry it.

We have some great threads here on the S95, the XZ-1, the LX5 and its sister the Leica D-Lux, the NEX5 (it is smaller than the Mu43 but you can still switch lenses) and lots of other serious compacts, plus the Fuji X100.

It's funny but I was just thinking about you the other day and wondering what you were up to. Glad you've resurfaced!

Check out the Systems forums and use the handy dandy Search tab up top to find some good threads about a bunch of those cameras you've mentioned.

The S95 is a serious in your pocket camera even for us women who don't have such deep pockets as many men...at least that's what I hear. The LX5 did not fit in my jeans pockets, though it fit in Don's. Both of these are nice small cameras with great output. The XZ-1 is Andy AKA Ghosthunter's latest love, if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by BBW

Nicole, fret not thyself - you are in good company. I loved my E-P2 and my E-PL1 especially with the 9-16mm lens and got some great pictures but it was "too big" for me to have with me. Size is such a relative thing, but for me...as much as I still love to see photos with other people's Mu43's and think that the new 12mm lens looks fantastic - I just know I'm not going to carry it.

We have some great threads here on the S95, the XZ-1, the LX5 and its sister the Leica D-Lux, the NEX5 (it is smaller than the Mu43 but you can still switch lenses) and lots of other serious compacts, plus the Fuji X100.

It's funny but I was just thinking about you the other day and wondering what you were up to. Glad you've resurfaced!

well, i can tell you what i HAVENT been up to: taking photographs!!

i decided to buy an XZ-1 - it's really only marginally larger than the sony cybershot i was using prior to buying the EPL1, and it has the hotshoe so i can still use my EVF2, and probably the same batteries too? i like that it has hardcore macro capabilities as well, that's something i have missed dearly since using the EPL1. as for pocketability, i typically carried my cybershot in my purse in a small case --the XZ-1 will fit in there no problem.

so you folks will likely see a lot more of me over here! thanks for the reply and for the support- glad to know i am not the only one

Nicole, I'd forgotten about the EVF2 - of course you made a great decision since you have that in your arsenal! Can't wait to see your new photographic world!

Hi Nicole, I think you might be on to a good thing with the xz-1, it does a great job with macro shots. Looking forward to seeing your photographs.

Good decision Nicole.