I've looked for several days and am surprised since on other forums there is a fair amount of excitement about it--particularly the ability to use alternative lenses with adaptors. I'm primarily interested because of the size/weight but look forward to trying some other lenses---if/when I buy one. For now the economy is keeping me from buying any new gear I don't 'need'--but I'm watching--and also waiting to see what Oly does with this micro 4/3rds standard (having seen photos of its mockup).
There's been at least one thread about the G1 in here, but the real excitement here won't happen until RF mount adaptors start shipping, which is looking like January
I just saw mention of also using Leica M mount lenses on this body. Sounds very interesting but I also see the crop factor is 2x, which kinda kills many ideas for portrait lenses perhaps.
I'm also quite interested in the format. But the Oly mockup has no viewfinder of any kind; the LCD is the only way to frame a shot, and I wouldn't be interested in that. Also the two lenses so far are not fast enough to interest me. But the format has lots of promise, I think.
Ernie, I'm wondering if Oly will also add an EVF AND a tiltable/swivel LCD. Otherwise, it may have a problem competing with Panasonic on this one as people really like the EVF and LCD. Its not a done deal so who knows.
If you check out the dpi forum http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=44
you will see people already shooting with various lenses. Oh, and one of them that is slated for 2009 is the 20 f/1.7 pancake--a really small lens from the photos of it.
picnic wrote:
I've looked for several days and am surprised since on other forums there is a fair amount of excitement about it--particularly the ability to use alternative lenses with adaptors. (...)
The Leica M -> micro4/3 adapters as well as LTM -> micro4/3 adapters are available (or will be very soon). Then things will get even more interesting. But how interesting? As gasrocks mentions there is a 2x crop factor involved.
I'm looking forward to the adapters, as well as I am looking forward to the day when i can lay my hands on the Panasonic 20/1.7.
What we see is a new mount, a new system. We have been talking about an EVIL camera for a long time and now the first incarnation is here.
I like my G1 a lot. The viewfinder is large (same size as a 5D), you can check the DOF without the screen getting dark, you can focus very easily, also in not very bright light and shorter focal lengths thanks to the enlarging function. You can see the instant review right in the viewfinder should you so wish.
What I hope for is a similar camera with a larger sensor!
dcmiller wrote:
Is it only rangefinder lenses that will have adapters?
All lenses except of micro 4/3 lenses will need adapters. panasonic and Olympus have developed a new lens mount and the register distance is 20mm less than the standard 4/3 mount.
Hence finally the ability to look through a Leica M-mount lens while focusing...
I use a couple of Leica, Zuiko OM and Pentax lenses with the G1. Two adapters are needed: first the Panasonic 4/3 -> micro 4/3 adapter and then on that one the lens with its XX -> 4/3 adapter.
M-mount -> micro 4/3 is available, from just about now on. LTM -> micro 4/3 adapters are in the works, Canon FD -> micro 4/3 adapters are in the works. The rest of the lenses go with two adapters. The future seem to bring a lot of fun to this new system.
Thanks Jonas. The legacy lenses don't interest me at all but I may be interested in small, faster alternative lenses. I'm particularly drawn to the G1 because of size/weight for hiking and similar (I shoot primarily with a 5D) but spending time on other forums (dpi notably) makes me interested in some other attributes of the camera. I plan to sit and wait and see what happens with the system--Oly's version, other lenses, adaptors, etc. Right now it looks very exciting and those shooting with it--even with the kit lens---are quite happy with the results.
There are a number of M mount (and screwtype Leica plus others) adaptors either out now (Novoflex) or coming out relatively soon. We'll see how that goes, whether it is ultimately of any interest to me (I know it is for others with those lenses at least for now)--and waiting for at least the newer version of the G1 for next year (and that 20 f/1.7 for another).
the Voigtlander 15/4.5 would make a pretty compact 30mm-e walkaround lens; deep DOF and thus hardly any need to focus, that might ease some worries about the rear EVF. That plus one of the tiny 40/1.4 Noktons would be an interesting combo on 2X crop. Cheap, tiny, light, and would probably crop out all but the best part of the optics.
want a fast normal lens, well, there's always the new wide angle Summiluxes at $6000 and the Oly/Leica 25/1.4 is only $800...
The thought of putting any of those awesome lenses on a G1 just baffles me to the core of my very existence.
i would rather shoot a slow fixed-lens (but compact!) film point and shoot than a panny G1 w/ a $6000 lens.
Even if its the only way you'll get a 100mm-e at f1.0? The g1's got its uses, but what it really gives is a great way to shoot really fast and compact glass in the 50-180mm equivalent range with IQ far better than any P&S. Wider and you'll want the Panny lenses (IE the upcoming 20/2.7 and 7-14/4)
Would it be reasonable to expect Olympus to use in body image stabilization in their version of the G1? A couple pancake lenses with in body IS would interest me more than the Panasonic kit lens with IS in the lens.
One of my biggest gripes regarding the G1 (I bought it for hiking / mountaineering trips) was the weird way it treated an AE lock. The EVF / LCD would still 'gain up', even thought the exposure was locked! This was very confusing to say the least, and made using filters (I use GND's a lot) almost impossible, because you couldn't see the effect! Thankfully Panasonic seems to be a company "on the ball" because they just announced a fix for this annoying problem:
