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Archive 2012 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Jman13 wrote:
The very best kit zoom for m4/3 is the 14-45 Panasonic. Very sharp throughout the range. The 12-50 is more versatile, but typical kit zoom sharpness. The macro mode is quite good, though, and its weather sealed and internally zooming, plus wider. Just don't expect top flight image quality out of it.

I know the Panasonic 14-45 is a decent kit zoom, but it weighs twice as much and the power zoom and is over twice as long. As my partner is looking for a small package when the camera is outfitted with the zoom the 14-45 doesn't work that well. Size wise the Olympus 14-42 ED might be ok, but it is still quite a bit bigger than the panny power zoom. Anybody have any thoughts about the Olympus ED. My sense is that it is built a bit cheap and has similar, but perhaps a bit poorer performance to the panny power zoom especially in having a fair bit of CA, but I would like to hear from someone who has used the lens.

Dec 10, 2012 at 11:27 PM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

douglasf13 wrote:
Steve, if you go NEX, I'd look into the new Sony 35/1.8 OSS. It is testing very well, and it has OSS built-in. If I was still shooting NEX, that would be my next buy.

Thanks Douglas. It is good to hear good early reports from the Sony prime. I doubt it will be as good as the Zeiss, but it is a nice small lens--actually smaller than the panny/leica 25mm f/1.4 for micro 4/3rds. It would be worth considering at least. Do you have any links to any reports of actual performance?

Dec 10, 2012 at 11:29 PM

Pixel Perfect
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

cputeq wrote:
My name's not Jordan, but it's Jeremy...close enough, so that gives me an excuse to pipe in

I use the 600R with my OM-D - nice little flash, small and takes 2x AA but about the same league as say a 430EX II or SB700, etc. A bit overpriced at retail (I bought mine new, ouch) but I didn't want a huge 50R at the time.

The video LED is useless and annoyingly blinks while it's in remote mode, but otherwise no issues so far.

Ok, but my post was directly under Jordan's so I assumed it would be obvious I was asking him. Sorry for the confusion.

Is 600R an Olympus flash?

Dec 10, 2012 at 11:57 PM

Lee Saxon
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Great IQ on both. I'd make the decision on body feel and lens selection.

I also have to deduct points for the hipster nonsense of the EM-5's retro styling.

vchowdhary wrote:
Man I'd say OMD if .... the designers hadn't designed the buttons for the fingers of a 3 year old girl.

Thank you! I pointed this out in another recent thread and had lots of people disagreeing.

I'm relieved I'm not the only one on the forum with adult-sized hands.

Dec 11, 2012 at 02:44 AM

carstenw
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

I objected to the phrasing you made last time, which was that they were so small that they had to be pushed with nails. This is really not the case. They are small, yes. Too small for the preferences of some, yes, but fingernails? I would also like larger buttons, and I would like more tactile, clicky buttons, but the nail shouldn't be necessary.

Dec 11, 2012 at 04:51 AM

cputeq
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Pixel Perfect wrote:
Ok, but my post was directly under Jordan's so I assumed it would be obvious I was asking him. Sorry for the confusion.

Is 600R an Olympus flash?

Oh no confusion, I was just being a smart-ass

Yes, the 600R is a native Olympus flash, here's the Amazon link

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-V3261300U000-FL-600R-Wireless-Flash/dp/B0074WDFSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355234418&sr=8-1&keywords=Olympus+600R

Thank you! I pointed this out in another recent thread and had lots of people disagreeing.

I'm relieved I'm not the only one on the forum with adult-sized hands.

The buttons take practice. Do I like them? Of course not. Can I live with them? Sure. I'm 6' tall and certainly not a small guy, but I can manage to navigate around the OMD just fine. It's not the most optimal button layout, but with some muscle memory, it's certainly usable.

Thing is, the buttons are small and packed enough that it takes more practice, and more accurate muscle memory to use, than other cameras. This can lead to frustration (including my own) at the button layout rather easily. I've managed to rein it in, but it's taken a while.

Dec 11, 2012 at 09:01 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Lee Saxon wrote:
Great IQ on both. I'd make the decision on body feel and lens selection.

I also have to deduct points for the hipster nonsense of the EM-5's retro styling.

Thank you! I pointed this out in another recent thread and had lots of people disagreeing.

I'm relieved I'm not the only one on the forum with adult-sized hands.

Yeah, the ergonomics of the OM-D leave a lot to be desired. I don't have huge hands by any stretch, but the button size and their placement are second rate compared to my usual DLSR's. Also not a fan of the top dial location.

I might switch to NEX when they release NEX 7 replacement and improve AF speed.

Dec 11, 2012 at 05:22 PM

Pixel Perfect
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

cputeq wrote:
Yes, the 600R is a native Olympus flash, here's the Amazon link

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-V3261300U000-FL-600R-Wireless-Flash/dp/B0074WDFSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355234418&sr=8-1&keywords=Olympus+600R

Hey thanks for that, that looks perfect. All the shops I had checked only mentioned 36R/50R but everyone was giving them poor marks over super slow recycling times. Price is up their though. It's costing me a lot more to have the m4/3 than I first thought.

Dec 11, 2012 at 05:29 PM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Thanks for all the responses about these two kits. Let me ask about a couple of other uses for the cameras with alt lenses. If we were to get the NEX 6, one lens I would hope to use with it would be my Rokkor 58 f/1.2. I would think this would make a very nice portrait set up. Does a Rokkor work well with a small NEX body or is it too front heavy? If we were to get the OM-D I would use it with my Rokkor 400 f/5.6 APO. How does the in body image stabilization work with such a long lens? Any advice or experience with these or similar alt lenses would be much appreciated.

Dec 11, 2012 at 05:58 PM

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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

An "old school" hold (left hand under the lens) is quite comfortable with the NEX 6 IMO. I found it very comfortable with the Nikkor 105/2.5.

Dec 11, 2012 at 08:16 PM

cputeq
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Steve Spencer wrote:
Thanks for all the responses about these two kits. Let me ask about a couple of other uses for the cameras with alt lenses. If we were to get the NEX 6, one lens I would hope to use with it would be my Rokkor 58 f/1.2. I would think this would make a very nice portrait set up. Does a Rokkor work well with a small NEX body or is it too front heavy? If we were to get the OM-D I would use it with my Rokkor 400 f/5.6 APO. How does the in body image stabilization...Show more →

It will be front-heavy by the mere fact it will weigh 4 times the camera (just guessing here) and it is twice its thickness. Then you add in the adapter needed, and youve got a nice little torque arm there. As mentioned, though, a lefty cradle on the lens works fine. I hVe e Rok 58 1.4 on the 5N and it is easily workable.

As for long lenses on the OMD. -- the IBIS has its limits. I very rarely bust out my Minolta 600mm 5.6, and even with IBIS and a gimbal mount, it takes a lot of practice, skill, and luck to get something worth keeping, as even thnking about the camera causes crazy vibrations - anti shock seems to help slightly. You should have an easier time with the 400, but dont expect the IBIS to suddenly be magical. An 800mm FOV is much differnt than a 50mm and much hRder to compensate vibrations for.

I have to be careful with my Pany 100-300 for this reason. It is so small and lightweight I forget I'm looking at a 600mm FOV when zoomed out.

Dec 11, 2012 at 08:45 PM

jonrock
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Dec 11, 2012 at 10:15 PM

Jman13
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

I've actually tested the OMDs IBIS hand holding a 600mm lens, and I found it effective to two full stops. Sharp shots at 1/320s, which took 1/1200s with IS off. It does make the viewfinder jump when framing, though.

Dec 11, 2012 at 10:33 PM

sebboh
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

Steve Spencer wrote:
Thanks for all the responses about these two kits. Let me ask about a couple of other uses for the cameras with alt lenses. If we were to get the NEX 6, one lens I would hope to use with it would be my Rokkor 58 f/1.2. I would think this would make a very nice portrait set up. Does a Rokkor work well with a small NEX body or is it too front heavy? If we were to get the OM-D I would use it with my Rokkor 400 f/5.6 APO. How does the in body image stabilization...Show more →

i use the rokkor on my NEX-7 all the time. it's definitely front heavy since it outweighs the camera considerably and has that big spacer between it and the camera, but it is still comfortable and easy to use for me. i swing the camera around held by just a couple of fingers when i'm not using it and shoot with a standard manual focus grip.

i would think the 400 rokkor should be excellent on the omd (rather jealous in fact). i had no problem handholding a 400mm at 1/200 with olympus's old IBIS. from everything i've heard the omd's is noticeably better. the biggest problem would be focusing. no peaking will make it difficult without zooming in and holding steady on a target while zoomed in should take some practice (unless you can set it so IBIS activates when you zoom to focus?).

Dec 11, 2012 at 11:26 PM

NikonDeb
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

I went thru this months ago, going back and forth. Olympus won mainly because of their lens selection, and I have never looked back. The image quality is so close, IMO. I just tested the Panasonic 35-100 f2.8 and it was great-it will be my next purchase. I have used this camera as my 2nd body on pro shoots, and have shot several concerts using it and have been published many times while using it..including in Rolling Stone Magazine. I love the Olympus

Dec 12, 2012 at 01:31 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · OM-D or NEX 6 kit

I thought I would give an update. I ended up getting my partner the OM-D, and I talked her into the Panny 14-45 zoom. She talked me into the Oly 45 f/1.8 in addition to the Panny Leica 25 f/1.4 and the Oly 60 macro. I think it ought to make a very nice kit. Thanks for all your advice it was very helpful and the final decision was very difficult. The NEX 6 is now a well sorted camera. If the Zeiss lenses were available now, we might have gone the other direction, but I wasn't confident in the performance of the new Sony 35 f/1.8 and the NEX 6. Reports (including from Steve Huff) are that even though both the lens and the NEX 6 are brand new, the 35 does not take advantage of the new autofocus on the NEX 6 and NEX 5R.

In addition I was able to get the OM-D from an FMer who turned out to be my neighbour. We live just two blocks apart, so it could not have been a better transaction.

Dec 13, 2012 at 02:45 PM

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