m4/3 – A 2017 Review

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I was browsing through my photography posts and realized that I should do a 2017 update to the annual m4/3 review – a possible camera system change later this year notwithstanding. And so:

In Jan, the one year old then Fujifilm X70 was sold away. It’s a beautifully made camera, but just still too quirky for me. The AF hunted, and I could never quite get the same kind of natural skin-tones off the X70’s RAW files in post-processing as I can easily get from m4/3.

The Panasonic GX85 was picked up locally at a competitive price against international pricing – shocker right?! – and it’s served wonderfully as a second m4/3 main body when we travel. AF is brisk and confident, and the little issues – like an occasionally tearing EVF, and oddities in setting AF point – I’ve learned to live with. Oddly, the sensor was out of alignment about 8 months use – not sure how that happened as the camera was never knocked around or dropped. But Panasonic had it repaired under warranty.

The five year old Olympus E-PL6 is experiencing increasing points of failure. The LCD touchscreen has a mind of its own now and registers touches wildly, making menu navigation a terrible exercise in frustration. And now, the battery occasionally no longer registers at start-up, requiring quick battery removals to reset the camera each time. Quite a pity: since when the camera does work, it still takes wonderful casual photos, especially with the Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens that it’s practically permanently tethered to. If I do decide to stay with the m4/3, I’ll likely be seriously considering replacing the E-PL6 with the just released E-PL9.

Of lenses: the AF motor of my Panasonic 25mm f1.4 – one of my oldest m4/3 lenses – has been acting up too. Specifically, it now audibly squeaks whenever it tries to lock focus LOL. Too much time in the dry cabinet perhaps? The pair of Olympus 12-40mm/40-150mm f2.8s saw extensive use during the WA and Phuket trips. The front of the 12-40mm though was accidentally smeared with hot food, which scorched the coating off the UV filter. For all those photography enthusiasts who scoff at UV filters as protective layers, a SGD20 filter is a paltry sum to pay versus permanent damage to the front glass element of a fairly expensive lens.

All in, the equipment deltas were two camera bodies – one sold, one bought – no new m4/3 lenses, a few accessories (the Sirui MyStory 13 bag that was heavily discounted, the Sirui T-024X CF Tripod), and the Canon G7X Mark II – which is my main camera for family wefies. On balance, I spent less in 2017 on camera equipment than the other years, excepting 2011 when the only thing I bought the E-PL2 (still have it!) and sold away a several of my pre-loved Nikon DSLR lenses.

And finally, selected m4/3 pictures from 2017!

Birds in flight @ Bunbury Wildlife Park. GX85 / 40-150mm f2.8 / ISO200 / 1/500s.
At the Dawesville Foreshore Reserve. Took a lot of frames to finally nail this tight shot of flight and flightless birds in the same frame! GX85 / 40-150mm f2.8 + MC-14 / ISO200 / 1/1250s.
Lake Cave @ Western Australia, using the E-M1 / 12-40mm f2.8 / ISO3200 / 1/10s handheld. Shots like these would had been impossible without tripods, but are possible today handheld – thanks to the 5-axis stabilization in the E-M1.
I was fooling around with the 40-150mm f2.8 in the bedroom – yeah unusual lens to use in a small room – when the kids mimicked what I was doing. E-M1 / 40-150mm f2.8 / ISO640 / 1/60s.
Shots like these can be tricky. Depending on how discerning the camera AF is, the focusing point might land on Peter’s fingers rather than his face. E-PL6 / ISO200 / 1/320s.
This is how our two pet piggies look after a bath – either bewilderment or nonchalance, depending on which piggie you’re referring to! GX85 / 12-40mm / ISO200 / 1/60s.
There’s a point in our childhood where we’ll go crazy with shadows! GX85 / 17mm f1.8 / ISO1600 / 1/50s.
Fast flying birds! E-M1 / 40-150mm +MC-14 / ISO400 / 1/500s.
And finally, my favorite picture from 2017! Had to post-process, as the image had very strong contrasts: the kids were in the shade, and the East Coast backdrop was very brightly lit. E-M1 / 40-150mm f2.8 / ISO200 / 1/2000s.