Thread: Going cold on the E-M5 - looking at a G3.

OK I've read and looked at plenty of items for the E-M5 and have it on pre-order with lens. With shipping and possibly tax it will cost $1500 in my hands.

I have been having buyer remorse regularly about this latest outbreak of GAS and my wife is still not warming to the amount of outlay. Can't blame her as it would be the fourth camera in 10 months.

So I got to thinking and read up on the G3. It is well reviewed and was 'the pick' of M43 cameras on release. I know the G5 is coming but if I get a G3 and sell the GH1 my outlay will be less than $250. So I'm asking G3 owners for their reactions to this upgrade although other comments are welcome too.

The G3 is obviously the value proposition in m43 right now. If you like it. I tried one very briefly over the holidays and didn't, but its mostly down to personal preferences/taste. I didn't like the GH2 either, so it may be a thing with Pany. I had a GF1 that I really liked but in those days it made a lot of sense to have one Oly (which I did - an EP2) and one Pany because they had such VERY different strengths and weaknesses. Nowdays the two brands are so close to the same in so many ways I think it comes down more to just which feels right to you. I always seem to have to fight with Pany images to get the color and WB right - even the raws can be tough in un-natural lighting. For me. I've obviously seen a LOT of great images that people have gotten with Pany cameras. I never had an issue with the GH2 in natural outdoor light but both the GH2 and G3 turned into wrestling matches for me to get good images taken in un-natural low light conditions. The Olys, even with the lesser sensor, seemed to pull this off a lot better, and with the IBIS, I was getting a higher hit rate for low light shots anyway. Given the improvements in the EM5, its an easy call for me. I didn't even like the G3 as much as my epl3 despite its obviously better sensor.

But if you have a Pany currently and you get on with the files well enough, there's no question that the G3 is a lot of camera for relatively little money. And if you don't do a lot of low light work, there's not much downside at all, if any.

-Ray

My experiences are similar to Ray's. I tried the G3 - actually I had it ordered based on specifications and review, but mighty glad I tried it in hand at the store before swiping my card. I really wanted to love it but we just didn't gel and it feels a little wrong in the hand (mixture of build and ergonomics). The EP3 stole my heart that day....and based on similar styling and ergonomics the GF1 is my go-to today (we have all heard the tale of the rattlesnake and how my love for the PL25 charmed me from Oly). So my advice is try before you buy, as you might find it as cramped and flimsy as I did. Last Thursday I played with a GX1 in store...was very very very nice - especially with the new VF - though it could do with a couple of centimeters more on the width!!! Any chance of trialing these two (G3 & GX1) side-by-side Bill?

I love mine. The image quality is superb and I have no qualms with the handling. Kirk Tuck apparently enjoys his quite a bit as well. If you want to see some image samples, I did SIJ with my G3 and 25mm 1.4 which I found to be a superb combination.

The Visual Science Lab / Kirk Tuck: A small camera I've been playing with. Yesterday. Panasonic G3. The pre-OM-D.

Cheers,

Antonio

I had to sell my G3 as my iMac packed up big time and i had to get another PC. It is a superb camera and i would 100% reccomend it. Having had a play with the OM-D I would still get the G3 as the price difference is far to great to pay for style and a little bit extra IQ/performance. I was liking the OM-D lots but I think I'm going to get another G3 body soon when funds allow. You could get the G3 now then wait for 6-12 months for the price to drop on the OM-D?

Maybe a bit too radical, but why don't you just stick with the three you've already bought in the last ten months and get the best out of them? Or, at least, take some time to consider why you think you actually need another camera?

I bought the G3 sight unseen, after very favorable experiences with the GF1 and G2. I could not get used to the ergonomics, build quality, controls, etc. - particularly the grip. I still have the camera, though, because I really want it to work for me. In the meantime, though, I jumped to the Oly side and am generally pleased.

Originally Posted by olli

Maybe a bit too radical, but why don't you just stick with the three you've already bought in the last ten months and get the best out of them? Or, at least, take some time to consider why you think you actually need another camera?

I'm so with olli on this ... the E-M5 has been discussed to death, with some people seeming to go from wild enthusiasm to disappointment without ever having been able to pick the damn thing up and look through the viewfinder ... so, why not cancel the order, use what you've got and then, when you actually get the chance to pick one up and find you don;t want to put it down, buy it ... or not ...

Originally Posted by olli

Maybe a bit too radical, but why don't you just stick with the three you've already bought in the last ten months and get the best out of them? Or, at least, take some time to consider why you think you actually need another camera?

Does...Not...Compute...









Nah, the man has a point.

My standard answer for the last six months and certainly for the next four (occasionally to myself) is "Wait until Photokina in the fall", which is analogous to "keep your power dry".

Or not, you only live once. I did buy three cameras last year after all... but only kept one.

But waiting might be rewarding, as something else is bound to come out between then and now that will get GAS juices flowing.

My own personal plan for dealing with GAS is that if I buy a camera, I must sell a camera. At the moment I'm content, not buying or selling anything, just enjoying using the tools I have.