Blog for micro four third and competing cameras http://m43blog.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 New reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-dmc-lf1/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-dmc-lf1/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:00:20 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12785 (Added links and updated on 6/18/2013)

At the first site, the Panasonic LF1 looks just like any other ultra compact camera. This is a super compact camera and only the Canon S110 is smaller – all other wanna-be compacts such as Nikon P330, Sony RX100, Olympus XZ-10 and Fuji XF1 are larger and heavier. In fact, the LF1 is even lighter (by a slight margin) compare to the S110.

But the LF1 is very unique in this class for two reasons:

  • Its zoom lens has a long reach – the longest competition goes is the XZ-10 at 130mm and the rest are 120mm or shorter. The LF1 reaches to 200mm. And it reaches this focal length without sacrificing its aperture size (well, not much). In fact, its aperture sizes are identical to that of S110 and slightly smaller than the rest of the field. The XZ-10 is an exception because it is based on much smaller sensor – not comparing apples to apples here.
  • It features a built-in EVF! Yes, it is tiny – only 0.2-inch and only 202k dots. But as I found out in the recent photo show, this EVF is actually usable. If you are trying to shoot under the sun, this EVF will become immensely useful. As a comparison, the first EVF from Panasonic (LVF-1) also featured 202k dots. But the second version (LVF-2) features far more – 1,440k dots.

So how does the LF1 compare to the rest of the ultra compacts?

Here are the details for the size, weight and the equivalent aperture sizes:

Models Focal Length Actual aperture Equivalent aperture 28mm 60mm 100mm Width Height Depth Weight Volume
Canon S110 24-120mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 10 16.1 23.6 99 59 27 198 158
Canon S100 24-120mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 10 16.1 23.6 98.9 59.9 26.7 198 158
Panasonic LF1 28-200mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 9.3 12.6 16.9 103 62 28 192 179
Nikon P330 24-120mm f/1.8-5.6 f/8.4-26 9.1 15 22.3 103 58 32 200 191
Sony RX100 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9 f/4.9-13.4 4.9 8.7 13.4 101.6 58.1 35.9 240 212
Olympus XZ-10 26-130mm f/1.8-2.7 f/11.3-17 11.4 13.1 15.3 102.4 61.1 34.3 221 215
Fuji XF1 25-100mm f/1.8-4.9 f/7.4-20.1 7.9 13.3 20.1 107.9 61.5 33 255 219

As you can see here, the Panasonic LF1 is only larger than the smallest-in-class Canon S110. Weight is in fact, the lightest of this group. This is an incredible showing given that it features the longest zoom and also a built-in EVF.

[300x250]

At 28mm, all models have similar equivalent aperture sizes except for the RX100 (mainly because of its large sensor). Fuji XF1 is somewhat better off here too, once again because of its slightly larger sensor. But at 60mm, things starts to change. The RX100 still leads the pack but the LF1 has overtaken the XF1. And due to the use of the fast lens, despite the use of a smaller sensor, the XZ-10 also shows up. At 100mm, the RX100 continues to lead the pack but the difference is much smaller now. The second place goes to the XZ-10 (due to the brighter lens), then comes the LF1. And of course, from this point on, only the LF1 can compete since others won’t go that far. In short, the LF1 is surprisingly competitive given what appears to be not-so-bright lens. This is because its aperture of f/5.9 is at 200mm. At lesser distances, its aperture will be larger. In all, its a nice attempt by Panasonic.

The rear LCD is a 3-inch 920k dot variety. This is at the upper end of this class.

The image quality, based on the reviews, appears to be about on par with other 1/1.7-inch competitors which means usable images up to ISO1600 and also ISO3200 for web use.

It features a panoramic mode which works well – it will stitch just after the shots, and does not require a tripod as some competitors do.

It also features the WiFi and NFC feature.

There has only been few reviews published so far, but all of them have been rather positive. The LF1 is a very interesting alternative to the current crop of premium ultra compacts. If you need long zoom and a compact body, nothing comes close to the LF1 right now.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Here are the links to the previews:

 

Source: various sites

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-dmc-lf1/feed/ 2 New reviews of Panasonic Lumix G6 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-g6/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-g6/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:00:10 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12241 (Updated and added a new review link on 6/18/2013)

Panasonic G6 is one of the most balanced camera you can find right now. This is one of the most compact body camera that has the DSLR-like grib and a built-in EVF. There’s just enough manual control dials and wheels to keep enthusiasts happy. This is one of the few mirrorless models that can compete with compact bodied DSLR models such as the Canon 100D and the Nikon D5200, quite successfully at that. Just about all reviews are rather positive as well, including the latest reviews that gave the G6 a full mark. But if you compare the image quality directly against other APS-C competitors, the G6 will lag slightly and if you have the sharp eyes, you will be able to tell the difference.

Sensor, although not the best, the one used here is considered second best of all M43 bodies (same as the one used by the GH2, minus the multi-aspect). This 16MP sensor is capable of producing good images up to ISO3200 and its DR is decent. Panasonic saved their best sensor for the GH3 but the difference is minimal. Unless you are a pixel peeper who likes to see every photos at 100% crop view, you will not be able to tell the difference majority of the time. Many reviews claim the IQ of the G6 is essentially the same as the Canon’s 18MP APS-C models (pretty much all of Canon’s low to mid range DSLR models).

Auto-focus speed is impressive and accurate as all recent models released by both Panasonic and Olympus. Its on par with the latest entries such as the GH3 and Olympus E-M5. Low-light focusing is not an issue here either, although don’t expect miracles as there’s reason why this technology is called “Contrast Detection AF” – it requires some contrast. As usual, this model doesn’t overcome continuous auto-focus issues – none of the mirrorless models can handle this in a satisfactory level. These models are some of the best amongst all mirrorless models right now. It is definitely a notch above Sony NEX-6 and quite a bit better than Fuji X-E1.

The LCD is pretty good as well – it’s a 3-inch design with 1040k dots and is of capacitive touch screen variety (this is the same as most smartphones of today). Some cheap models use restiveness display which reacts to pressure hence does not react with the same sort of precision. Being capacitive means the usual gestures like multi-touch and swipes. It can also rotate 180 degrees from the body, and also 270 degrees on a horizontal axis.

[300x250]

The EVF used here is a 1.44m dot OLED variety which is once again, quite decent. The coverage is 100%. OLED means the colors are rich and detailed.

The G6 finally features a focus peaking functionality. This is a great feature for those who likes to manually focus.

The all-new panoramic mode works really well. There is a dedicate space on the dial for this mode, so it is easy to get to. M43 cameras have the native image ratio of 4:3 (obviously), so the photos are relatively tall compare to other formats. To get to wider formats, you loose some pixels via cropping. So arguably, panoramic mode built into the camera is more useful on this system than any other system, IMO. I wish Olympus had implemented their panoramic modes as good as this.

One of the big surprise on the G6 was the video capability. The GH3 received nice video upgrades from the GH2 but the GH2 is still amongst the best outside the GH3. And the G6 received all of the video features from the GH2, hence it is now one of the best video camera on the market at this price level. It also supports an external microphone.

Then there’s the usual gadget features such as WiFi and NFC connectivity. These technology allows you to connect the camera to either tablets or smartphones (both Android and iOS) and transfer the images. Panasonic also builds apps which allows you to control the camera through the application. You can do stuff like controlling focus, control exposure and take shots.

Overall, the G6 is a well rounded camera with no serious faults. Most reviews recommend this model because of this. Its a good camera to start with if the features offered by the G6 suits you.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Source: various links

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-g6/feed/ 0 New reviews of Fujifilm X20 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-fujifilm-x20/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-fujifilm-x20/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:00:24 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12705 (New links added and updated on 6/18/2013)

When Fuji released the original X10, it generated a lot of interest amongst enthusiast photographers. It had a great build with plenty of manual controls. It had the (back then) unique zoom ring that also worked as a on/off switch. It was a good handler as well. But most of all, it used a 2/3-inch sensor, which back then, was the biggest sensor used by any compacts. And when this sensor was used in conjunction with Fuji’s EXR technology, it produced very good looking images, whether you were looking for a high DR look, or lower noise performance. But this has been a while ago, and since then, many of the competitors have come up with better sensor technology of their own. These days, most of their 1/1.7-inch sensor (which is smaller than Fuji’s) performs about par or better in most respects, so now the sensor size is no longer an advantage.

Worse still (for Fuji), Sony has announced their super compact, RX100 with a bigger 1-inch sensor but in a much smaller body. Predictably, the RX100′s image quality is now significantly better than what the X10 was capable of producing.

When Fuji announced the X20, enthusiasts were excited once again. Fuji promised a new 2/3-sensor that will be based on X-Trans technology which has already proven that it works through their APS-C class models, such as the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1. In those applications, X-Trans based sensors are class leading. Just about all reviewers agreed that Fuji had the best APS-C sensor. I was optimistic about the X20 as well, predicting that the X20 will match the image quality of RX100 despite its sensor size disadvantage due to its superior X-Trans technology. So how did this go?

[300x250]

The X20, indeed, outperformed the X10 in most respects. Its image quality was clearly better, but not at the level I was expecting. The X20 once again belongs to the class-leading group of compacts but it doesn’t outshine the other models. Fuji basically managed to catch up to the competition. Sony RX100 still outperforms the X20 in the image quality department (about 1-stop difference in high ISO performance) and some even prefer’s the old X10′s image quality when used with the EXR modes (X20 no longer supports any of the EXR modes), albeit loosing half of the resolution.

But X20 isn’t without attractive features. It features an optical viewfinder which is only one of the few amongst compacts. In this application, the viewfinder now displays some information as well, which is very nice in a compact model. And it uses some colors to confirm when the auto-focus confirmation is attained. It only covers 85%, but nevertheless, it is much better than nothing! Also, keep in mind that when used in the 1cm macro mode, you cannot use this viewfinder – parallax error is just too much to be useful here, so you will need to rely on the rear LCD screen. When compared against the Canon G15′s viewfinder, the X20′s is far larger and more usable. Some may prefer the EVF approach which gives you 100% coverage but it will never match the clarity of the OVF.

There is another unfortunate omission – the X20 does not have any built-in ND filter. Its maximum shutter speed is decent-for-compact, at 1/4000s hence it partially makes up for this omission.

IMO, if you want to purchase just one camera that must feature plenty of manual controls and don’t mind the bulk to gain some good handling characteristics, the X20 is one of the best in the market at this price segment. The Sony RX100 does produce better looking pictures but it doesn’t really compete with the X20 – its smaller and does not feature anywhere near as much manual controls, not to mention the viewfinder which is very useful under strong sun light. It’s closest competitor – Canon G15 does come close, but unless portability is a high importance, I would pick the X20 over the G15.

 

Here are the list of reviews:

 

Here are the video reviews:

Added on 4/12/2013:

Source: various sites

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-reviews-of-fujifilm-x20/feed/ 0 New hands-on previews of Olympus E-P5 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-hands-on-previews-of-olympus-e-p5-2/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-hands-on-previews-of-olympus-e-p5-2/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:25:20 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12153 (Added new links and updated on 6/18/2013)

Olympus E-P5 is a huge upgrade to the predecessor, E-P3. In fact, in many ways, the E-P5 is a significant upgrade to the flagship OM-D E-M5 as well.

Here are some of the significant improvements introduced by Olympus for this model over the E-M5:

  • Higher resolution EVF (VF-4) – this design also tilts and is fully backward compatible with all Olympus models with a hotshoe except for the XZ-1. This is a very good news, especially those who uses Olympus compacts as backup units. Both th XZ-2 and the XZ-10 are quite good.
  • Faster maximum shutter speed (1/8000s instead of 1/4000s)
  • WiFi
  • Focus Peaking – we saw a semi-hacked version of this on the E-M5 by using one of the filter settings. Hopefully, the E-P5 isn’t using this – one of the issue with this approach is the refresh rate, it is quite jerky.
  • Further improvements to the IBIS – is this even possible? E-M5′s 5-axis IBIS is one of the best design in the industry. It would be a quite an accomplishment to achieve some further improvements over this design, especially without the hump.
  • Higher resolution LCD – now 1.04 million dots worth of pixels. This screen can tilt up and down but it does not rotate.
  • ISO100 availability (compare to ISO200 in other Olympus models). But make no mistake here, under normal circumstances, ISO100 would be the mode to choose for 90% of the shots during the daylight but  in this case, this is not a true ISO100 – some dynamic range and the image quality had to be compromised to accomplish this mode. It will still be useful when you need to shoot beyond the fastest shutter speed and you don’t happen to carry an ND filter, but if you are looking for the best possible image quality, better stick to the ISO200 mode.
  • Auto-panning detection
  • 2-by-2 switch that doubles the dial functions
  • Flash sync speed improvements
  • Built-in flash – no indication on whether this flash can tilt upwards or not. Panasonic GX1 had a nice built-in flash that you can lean backwards so that you can bounce it back against the ceiling on small rooms.
  • Time-lapse option on videos

This new EVF is a good one too. Have a look at the following illustration on the viewfinder magnification in 35mm equivalent scale. It exceeds well regarded models such as Nikon D800, and Sony NEX-7. It even exceeds the Nikon D4, and nearly matches Canon’s flagship, 1Dx. Cleraly, this EVF is a class-leading design.

olympus_vf4_comparison

The big question is, whether the E-P5 + VF-4 is worth the additional price premium over the OM-D E-M5.

There are only few features that are present on the E-M5 but not on the E-P5:

  • Weather sealing
  • Built-in EVF as opposed to an add-on EVF. E-P5 with the VF-4 attached, the combo ends up being even larger than the E-M5.
  • Better grip, and availability of add-on grips

The sensor is identical to the one used in the E-M5 (hence also identical to E-PL5 and E-PM2). Don’t expect any image quality improvements here, especially in the area of dynamic ranges or high ISO performances.

The E-P5 uses the same battery as the one used by the E-M5 which may or may not be a good thing for you. Having two dials at the top is really nice – this is one of my favorite features from the E-M5 and I’m glad to see this on the E-P5 as well.

There’s no significant improvements to the video modes except for the time-lapse option. Olympus will continue to lag Panasonic in this respect, especially when compared to the models like the GH2, G6 and GH3.

Also, for the first time, Olympus will bundle the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 lens as a kit. And as usual, this kit will be available with a nice discount compare to when purchased as individual components.

There’s no significant advantages in the size and the weight either – the latter is especially surprising given its physical form factor.

IMO, the main issue with the E-P5 is the price. Compare to its competitors at the same price level, the E-P5 lacks one component – a built-in EVF. Sony NEX-6, NEX-7 and the Fuji X-E1 offers this. And by the time you add the VF-4 to the E-P5 kit, it becomes the most expensive kit of all mentioned system. Wow.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Some comparison review links:

 

Here are some video reviews:

Added on 5/28/2013:

 

Added on 5/12/2013:

 

Source: various sites

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-hands-on-previews-of-olympus-e-p5-2/feed/ 0 DXOLab publishes test results for Panasonic GF6 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/dxolab-publishes-test-results-for-panasonic-gf6/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/dxolab-publishes-test-results-for-panasonic-gf6/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:00:25 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=13152 DXOLab has published their test results for the Panasonic GF6. According to the spec, the GF6 uses one of the older sensor from the Panasonic’s technology – GX1 and G3. Although this sensor performs decently on the high ISO performance, but was known to lack some dynamic range.

Lets have a look at the DXOLab’s results along with some comparisons:

dxo_panasonic_gf6_olympus_em5_panasonic_gx1

As expected, the color depth and the dynamic ranges are nearly identical to those recorded by the GX1. But what’s surprising is that its high ISO performance is worse than the GX1 as well. And if you compare the results against the Olympus E-M5 (same sensor is also used by Olympus E-PM2, E-PL5, and Panasonic GH3), the recorded results are worse in all areas, which was to be expected given the age of the sensor.

In summary, this is more a less an expected result with a little bit of a negative surprise.

Here’s the comparison against its closest competitors (in terms of price):

dxo_panasonic_gf6_olympus_epl5_sony_nex5r

 

On Amazon US, the GF6 costs $600 with a kit lens, while E-PL5 costs $524, and the NEX-5R costs $598 so they are direct competitors with similar feature sets. The results look really ugly indeed for the GF6. There are plenty of other good features offered by the GF6, but the image quality really lags in this class now. Panasonic clearly has access to the Sony sensor used in the GH3, so I really don’t understand why they insist in using inferior sensors for their lower-end models.

Source: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Publications/DxOMark-Reviews/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GF6-review-is-WiFi-and-16-Mpix-sensor-enough

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/dxolab-publishes-test-results-for-panasonic-gf6/feed/ 0 New Ricoh GR reviews http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-ricoh-gr-reviews/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-ricoh-gr-reviews/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:23 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12210 (Added new links and updated on 6/18/2013)

Looks like the Ricoh GR is becoming one of my favorite candidate in my shopping list. I personally prefer the 28mm view over 35mm and 50mm views. Its dimension is incredibly compact for a camera that uses the APS-C sensor. Other than the Nikon Coolpix A, nothing else with a APS-C sensor compares. And its price is not bad either, at $800US. Its image quality is better than the Olympus E-M5 in both DR and ISO performances, which has also been confirmed by DXOLab.

The Ricoh GR is THE smallest APS-C camera at the moment. Just to give you some idea how small this camera is, have a look at the following comparison image:

ricoh_gr_sony_rx100

 

Sony RX100 is considered highly pocketable and the Ricoh GR isn’t much larger! Many were impressed with the fact that Sony was able to fit 1-inch sensor into such a small body. Yes, the RX100 features a zoom lens and its relatively fast when wide open but still this is an impressive showing by Ricoh. Even more impressive is the fact that the Ricoh GR is only 5g heavier (245g vs 240g). Yes, I can truly say that the Ricoh GR is pocketable.

It’s impossible to not compare the Ricoh GR against the Nikon Coolpix A – their specs are so similar. Check out this article for more detailed comparison between these two models.

I like wide angle views (my favorite lens on the E-M5 is the Olympus 9-18mm) and the Ricoh GR can be purchased with a wide angle adapter that looks like this when mounted:

ricoh_gr_21mm

 

Yes, it’s quite bulky, kinda negates the advantage of Ricoh GR being so small. Still, it beats having no options at all. There is also an interesting mode called a 35mm ‘crop’ mode. This allows photographers to frame on the viewfinder at 35mm focal length and the camera will automatically crop it to that size. This obviously means you loose some mega pixels but this is much better than shooting at 28mm and manually cropping during the post processing time. Most people will prefer to frame at the desired focal length at the time of shooting. When this mode is used, the images get reduced from 16MP to 10.2MP.

The Ricoh GR also offers a macro mode – it is capable of focusing at 10cm which is quite decent for a APS-C camera without a dedicated macro lens. It does not auto-focus in this mode though, which is not a big deal as you should learn to focus manually in macro mode regardless. Many of the macro shooters like to fix the focus distance and move the camera back and forth to get the right focus, and it works.

One feature that is missing in the Ricoh GR is the lack of image stabilization. This is unfortunate as this can be a useful feature for landscapers who likes to use slow shutter speeds hand-held shots. In order to freeze the movement of water during the daylight, I often had to go down as low as 1/3s hand-held shots. This will not be possible without the help of an image stabilization.

[300x250]

The big question is, whether the f/2.8 lens is bright enough. Although equivalent aperture doesn’t tell the entire picture, it is a useful metrics to look at if you are comparing apples to oranges. Since all aperture numbers are converted into 35mm equivalent units, lower number here means it has the potential to take better pictures at low-light conditions and higher DR. It also means it has the potential to produce more isolation (but that doesn’t mean better quality bokeh, just means more of it). This assumes all sensors have the same efficiency – larger sensors produce proportionally better quality image based on its sensor size. And in reality, this isn’t always true but if you are comparing recent models, most of them are close to being in-line.

Have a look at the following table:

Models Equiv Focal Lengths Actual aperture Equivalent aperture At 28mm
Canon G1 X 28-112mm f/1.8-2.7 f/3.4-5.1 3.4
Ricoh GR 28mm f/2.8 f/4.3 4.3
Nikon Coolpix A 28mm f/2.8 f/4.3 4.3
Fuji X-E1 + 18-55mm f/2.8-4 27-82.5mm f/2.8-4 f/4.3-6.1 4.3
Sony RX100 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9 f/4.9-13.4 4.9
Olympus E-PL5 + Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 28mm f/2.5 f/5.1 5.1
Olympus E-M5 + Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 24-70mm f/2.8 f/5.7 5.7
Samsung EX2F 24-80mm f/1.4-2.7 f/6.5-12.5 6.9
Panasonic LX7 24-90mm f/1.4-2.3 f/7.2-11.8 7.5
Olympus E-M5 + Olympus 12-50mm 24-100mm f/3.5-6.3 f/7.2-12.9 7.5
Fuji XF1 25-100mm f/1.8-4.9 f/7.4-20.1 7.9
Fuji X20 28-112mm f/2-2.8 f/8.2-11.5 8.2
Canon G15 28-140mm f/1.8-2.8 f/8.4-13 8.4
Olympus XZ-2 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 f/8.4-11.6 8.4
Nikon P330 24-120mm f/1.8-5.6 f/8.4-26 9.1
Panasonic LF1 28-200mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 9.3
Nikon P7700 28-200mm f/2-4 f/9.3-18.6 9.3
Canon S110 24-120mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 10
Canon S100 24-120mm f/2-5.9 f/9.3-27.4 10
Olympus XZ-10 26-130mm f/1.8-2.7 f/11.3-17 11.4

As you can see, at 28mm, Canon G1 X ends up with a better equivalent aperture. Sony RX100 isn’t far behind at 4.9 vs 4.3 for the Ricoh GR. Compact M43 body such as Olympus E-PL5 + a compact lens such as Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 results in slightly worse numbers than the RX100. The Panasonic LX7 has a bright lens, starting at f/1.4 but due to its relatively small sensor, its equivalent aperture at 28mm is quite a bit worse. Other compacts follow the rank with even worse scores. Although both Sony RX1 and Fuji X100s will compare favorably against the Ricoh GR, both cost more and they are considerably bulkier so I don’t consider them as direct competitors. Their views are 35mm which is considerably longer as well.

So is it worth upgrading my LX7 to the Ricoh GR? If I only take shots at 28mm, this is an obvious yes. But what about the Sony RX100? Now this becomes far trickier. The Ricoh GR is better but not that much better. And the RX100 comes with much more versatile zoom lens that spans from 28mm to 100mm, albeit very slow at the long end. I was going to upgrade my LX7 to the RX100 – it was going to be a matter of time. But now, I’m not so sure anymore. I’ll be watching the price of both of these models carefully in the near future.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Here are the links to the hands-on previews:

 

Here are some videos:

Added on 4/17/2013:

Added on 4/16/2013:

 

Source: various sites

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/18/new-ricoh-gr-reviews/feed/ 2 New reviews of Nikon Coolpix A http://m43blog.com/2013/06/17/new-reviews-of-nikon-coolpix-a/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/17/new-reviews-of-nikon-coolpix-a/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:00:29 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12665 (Added a link and updated on 6/17/2013)

When Nikon announced the Coolpix A, I was very intrigued. I always wanted a compact camera that I can carry around all the time but all compacts sacrificed the image quality somewhat. I must have convinced myself at least 100 times this year to get myself a Sony RX100 then told myself to “wait – something better will come up soon”. I thought that answer would come in the form of Sony RX200.

Well, Nikon has released Coolpix A. When I first saw this model, my reaction was “wow”. Nikon managed to fit a big sensor that outperforms my main camera (Olympus E-M5) in a body that is arguably smaller than my carry everywhere camera (Panasonic LX7). I’ve convinced myself that I don’t need the zoom in this format since most of the shots I take on the LX7 are at 24mm anyways.

On paper, everything looked good – sensor from the Nikon D7000 but without the AA filter (hence more details captured), nice looking compact body, and a 28mm (I would have preferred 24mm but I realize Nikon won’t sell many of those) lens. Then I looked at the aperture size – its f/2.8. Now, it was no longer obvious if this camera would have performed that much better than the RX100. Not comparing apples to apples, but if you look at the equivalent aperture of Coolpix A at 28mm, you get the equivalent aperture of f/4.3. The RX100 at 28mm, the equivalent aperture is f/4.9! So, although it looks impressive on paper, the difference isn’t as much as I expected. Of course, the dynamic range performance of RX100 at the base ISO will never match that of Coolpix A at the base ISO so that advantage is still there. So, justifying almost twice the cost for this gain was no longer obvious. If Nikon had put f/2.0 lens in there, the decision would have been much easier but it would have made the camera much larger.

[300x250]

Then couple of weeks later, Ricoh decided to announce their “GR” model. The Ricoh GR matches line by line, just about every item on the spec sheet – except the price. It is $300 cheaper than the Coolpix A! The price difference between the RX100 and the Ricoh GR is now within the reach. Many reviewers are comparing these two models due to their similarity and other than those who prefers the Nikon color, they are all voting for the Ricoh GR, mainly due to its price advantage (performance-wise, they appear to be about par in average case). Better still, the Ricoh GR can be equipped with a wide-angle adapter (very chunky though!) which results in 21mm view which is excellent for landscape work. So for someone like me, the Ricoh GR clearly wins this battle. (See this article, and also this comparison article for more comparisons between these two models).

But based on other reviews, there are some advantages the Nikon Coolpix A offers:

  • Better looking exterior – I have to admit the Ricoh GR looks rather drab. If this is what you are looking for, then great. For me, it doesn’t work – I like the silver Olympus E-M5 because it looks nice as well. I much prefer the look of the Nikon Coolpix A.
  • Nikon colors – some people likes how Nikon processes its JPEG colors. Ricoh on the other hand, isn’t known for this. Some reviewers clearly prefer Nikon look over Ricoh look.
  • Coolpix A features a standard Nikon hotshoe so many of the Nikon DSLR accessories will work on the Coolpix A as well. Perhaps the Coolpix A might appeal more to the existing Nikon DSLR users because of this.

IMO, the biggest issue with the Coolpix A is the price. If it were priced the same as the Ricoh GR, then it would be quite attractive to multiple group of photographers.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Here are some video reviews:

Added on 4/11/2013:

 

Source: various sites

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/17/new-reviews-of-nikon-coolpix-a/feed/ 0 Leica announces X Vario – a zoom compact / APS-C sensor http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/leica-announces-x-vario-a-zoom-compact-aps-c-sensor/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/leica-announces-x-vario-a-zoom-compact-aps-c-sensor/#comments Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:00:00 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12760 (Added review links and updated on 6/16/2013)

Leica has announced a new model, called X Vario. This is a zoom compact, following the latest trend by using an APS-C sensor. Make no mistake though, although this is called a compact, its not that compact at all. It is far larger than the current bulk champ Canon G1 X. It is true that the size of the sensor of the X Vario is slightly larger, but still this is not a state of the art as far as miniaturization is concerned.  Its lens spans from 28mm to 70mm but look at the aperture – f/3.5-6.4!!! No image stabilization either! Good luck using this super slow lens without an IS… No built-in EVF either. The LCD is a fixed variety. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000s. The burst speed is 5fps.

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Oh yes, and the famous red dot. It is probably very well built just like other Leica models. And it is probably made in Germany which is a good thing.

The spec is very unimpressive to say it kindly. And being Leica and all, it will be incredibly expensive – currently listed at $2850. Ouch (so far).

And this is NOT an interchangeable lens camera – so the lens you see here, is permanently fixed. Just to give you a rough comparison, this price is equivalent to purchasing the Fuji X-E1 and FIVE Fujinon XF lenses! Or you can get Olympus OM-D E-M5 plus the famous four primes. This is a pretty tall order for Leica to overcome.

If this was announced on April 1st, I would have believed this is a joke. But they are few months too late for that joke to work…. Hopefully, the image quality turns out to be world-class.

(Updated on 6/16/2013): Looks the the image quality is indeed excellent as expected from a Leica product. Based on the latest review, the images produced by the Leica X Vario is as good as any camera with the APS-C sensor, which includes Fuji products (X-E1 and X-Pro 1). At least this partially justifies the asking price. And also the build quality is very good as well. BUT, the auto-focus speed is quite slow – no where near as fast as the latest M43 bodies.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Here are the links to the previews:

 

Here are some videos:

Added on 6/11/2013:

 

 

Source: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/06/11/leica-announces-x-vario-zoom-compact-with-apsc-sensor#press

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/leica-announces-x-vario-a-zoom-compact-aps-c-sensor/feed/ 0 Complete specification revealed for Sony RX100M2 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/complete-specification-revealed-for-sony-rx100m2/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/complete-specification-revealed-for-sony-rx100m2/#comments Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:58:03 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12846 Here are the complete specification for the RX100M2:

  • Image sensor: 13.2 mm × 8.8 mm (1.0-type) Exmor R CMOS sensor – size appears to be identical to the RX100, hence its a 1-inch sensor. But notice the “R” part – this could be a back-illuminated sensor, which improves high -ISO performance which was not strong in the original RX100. Perhaps the RX100M2 uses a new sensor after all!
  • Total number of pixels: approximately 20.9 million pixels – also identical to the RX100.
  • Camera effective pixels: approximately 20.2 million pixels – identical to the RX100.
  • ISO range: 100 ~ 12800 – identical to the RX100
  • Lens: Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 10.4 – 37.1mm f/1.8-4.9 with 3.6x zoom (28-100 mm equivalent) – unfortunately, identical to the RX100!
  • Memory cards: Memory Stick XC Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick Micro, SD Card, microSD memory card Flash, Eye-Fi cards – identical to the RX100.
  • HDMI output – identical to the RX100.
  • Hi-Speed ​​USB 2.0 port – identical to the RX100.
  • Video modes (AVCHD): 60i @24M(FX), 60i @17M(FH), 60p @28M(PS), 24p @24M(FX), 24p @17M(FH) – identical to the RX100.
  • LCD screen: 3.0″, TFT with 1,228,800 dots – same size and same number of dots. But it tilts!
  • Power Supply: rechargeable battery pack NP-BX1, 3.6 V AC adapter AC-UB10/UB10B/UB10C/UB10D – same as the RX100.
  • Dimensions: 101.6mm × 58.1mm × 38.3mm (depth × height x width) – curiously, the dimension is slightly different. Very slightly narrower, very slightly shorter, but slightly thicker (presumably because of the tiltable screen). The dimensions are within 1-2mm, so the difference is negligible.
  • Weight (with battery NP-BX1 and Memory Stick Duo): 281 g – it is significantly heavier. The RX100 was rated at 240g.
  • Wi-Fi: corresponding standards: IEEE 802.11b/g/n. frequency band: 2.4GHz, security: WEP / WPA-PS – this of course, is a new feature not found in the RX100.

As you can see, Sony didn’t change much on this model.

In summary, here are all the changes made to the RX100M2:

  • Tilting screen (consequently, the RX100M2 is slightly thicker)
  • Features both WiFi and NFC natively
  • Hot shoe that supports external flashes and EVF
  • Mini-HDMI moved to another location
  • Zoom ring can be set to either smooth (like the RX100, which is HATED) or click (yeah!)
  • Battery recharge time – much longer on the RX100M2 now (3 times longer to be exact), but number of shots only goes up from 330 to 350
  • It is heavier – goes from 240g to 281g

The biggest question that still remains is whether the sensor is new or not. Hopefully the “R” part implies its a new sensor.

If the RX100M2 uses a new sensor with improved high ISO performance (along with other image quality improvements), then I may get this model despite Sony sticking to the same lens (doh,  I really wanted the 24mm view). The tilt LCD is very useful and with the hotshoe, an external EVF is a possibility as well. I like the Panasonic LX7 but it bulges out a bit too much for me to carry it around everywhere. Its manageable but sometimes I wish if it were a little thinner.

Source: Anonymous

 

 

]]> http://m43blog.com/2013/06/16/complete-specification-revealed-for-sony-rx100m2/feed/ 0 New reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 http://m43blog.com/2013/06/15/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-dmc-gf6/ http://m43blog.com/2013/06/15/new-reviews-of-panasonic-lumix-dmc-gf6/#comments Sun, 16 Jun 2013 01:00:34 +0000 admin http://m43blog.com/?p=12800 (Added links and updated on 6/15/2013)

Recently, Panasonic has been positioning their GF line-up as a cheap low-end compact camera with the cheapest sensors within M43 system. The GF5 was the smallest M43 camera but it also lacked some physical controls and it used a slightly modified GF3 sensor which made it the worst image quality camera from its class. It was cheap as well, hence that wasn’t too unreasonable. But enthusiasts would have never generated any interest from the GF5.

Here comes the GF6. So what’s so special about this new model?

Lets talk about the sensor first. Olympus decided to use the same sensor across all of their line-up. Their flagship E-M5 uses the same sensor as their entry level model – E-PM2 which costs less than half. In case of Panasonic, they always liked to differentiate sensors on each of their models. The GF5 used the worst sensor, the GX1 and the G3 used the same, but improved sensor. The G5 used slightly improved version of this sensor. The GH2 used a completely different design that handled better DR but slightly worse high-ISO performance compare to the G5 sensor. The G6 apparently uses the same sensor as the GH2 minus the multi-aspect ratio. And finally, the GH3 uses the same Sony sensor as Olympus E-M5, which performs better than any of the existing Panasonic models.

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So Panasonic likes to tweak sensors. So where does the GF6 stand? Apparently, the GF6 uses the same sensor as the one used in the GX1/G3! Some will find this quite disappointing. This sensor, when it was introduced, improved the high ISO performance a great deal. But it was criticized for not improving the DR (back then, the GH2 was the DR king in M43 system). So you can expect the GF6 to produce usable images up to ISO3200 and for small prints or web usage, ISO6400 is ok too. But compare to today’s best M43 bodies, its DR will be somewhat limiting. But as usual, this is the view from sharp eyes. If you are a casual shooter (which this model is targeted to), you may not notice much difference.

As with all latest generation M43 bodies, the GF6 auto-focuses incredibly fast – faster than any Sony NEX bodies, Fuji X bodies, and in fact most DSLRs for still subjects. And as usual, its ability to track moving subjects are awful – this is true of all CDAF based systems which pretty much includes all mirrorless systems.

Currently, the GF6 (with 14-42mm kit lens) is priced at $600US. And this could be a problem for the GF6. Olympus E-PL5 currently goes for $524US. Sony’s mid-range model, NEX-5R costs $598US. They all feature their own tilting LCDs. But the GF6′s LCD has the best resolution, at 1040k dots, while the NEX-5R at 920k dots and finally the E-PL5 at 460k dots. They are all touch screens.

Here’s the DXOLab’s test results for the sensor performance between these three models:

dxo_olympus_epl5_sony_nex5r_panasonic_gx1

 

I’ve picked the GX1 instead of GF6 because the GF6 hasn’t been tested yet and since we already know that they use the same sensor, the test results should be similar. With the new processor, the results might change a bit, but not significantly. As you can see here, the Sony NEX-5R performs the best and it should, because it has the biggest sensor. And as you can see here, you can see the weakness in DR for the GX1 (hence also for the GF6). Panasonic clearly wants to distinguish the GF6 as a entry model and continues their trend from the past.

And here’s the size comparison:

size_panasonic_gf6_olympus_epl5_sony_nex5r

 

Physically, the GF6 has grown. It is no longer the smallest camera in its class. The E-PL5 is slightly smaller, and the SOny NEX-5R is even smaller. Further morem the NEX-5R is by far the lightest. The other two models are similar in weight.

But this isn’t the end of the story as far as the size goes. You need to take into account the size of the lenses as well. With a bigger sensor in the NEX-5R, the overall tendency will be that the lenses for the NEX will be larger and heavier.If you like taking several lenses with you all the time, you need to take this into account – just about all equivalent lenses are larger and heavier on the Sony NEX E-mount compare to M43 mount lenses.

Unfortunately, the GF6 doesn’t feature a true hotshoe design, hence it cannot take any form of external viewfinder or a flash. Both the E-PL5 and the NEX-5R will allow you to add these types of accessories. But as a consequence to this, the GF6 is the only model with a built-in flash.

Their maximum shutter speeds are identical at 1/4000s. At burst, the GF6 can only do 4.2fps, while the E-PL5 can do 8fps and the NEX-5R does 10fps.

All three models last roughly the same per charge at around 340 shots per charge.

In terms of video, the GF6 can go all the way up to 1080p 60i (not quite 60fps) while, the E-PL5 only does 1080p 30fps, and the NEX-5R does it the best at 1080p at 60fps.

As for the WiFi feature, only the E-PL5 does not come with one. In addition, the GF6 is the only model that also features the GF6.

 

Here are the links to the reviews:

 

Here are the links to the previews:

 

Source: various sites

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