My Take on Micro Four Thirds and the GF1

As some of you know, I have been eyeing the Panasonic Lumix GF1 + 20mm f1.7 pancake lens since its announcement early last month. I finally took delivery of it and have been experimenting for about a week now... Being a Micro Four Thirds (m4/3) camera, there is a 2x crop factor, which means the 20mm will have an equivalent 40mm field of view on a 35mm/FF body. The draw of m4/3 is that it is an open standard which packages a large sensor into a small form factor with an interchangeable lens system to boot. The reviews of the body, and especially the lens, have been spectacular. I took the bite.

Like most DSLR users taking a look at m4/3, I'm in the hunt for a camera that is small, yet have DSLR capabilities and image quality. My goal? If this small package can match one of my all-time favorite pairings: Canon 30D + Sigma 30mm f1.4, I would be an extremely happy camper.

I have to say I was a little disappointed in the beginning. My normal indoor, available light shooting at ISO 1600 revealed a lot of noise. I would say ISO 800 is the highest I'd feel comfortable shooting at. My biggest disappointment however is with DOF control. Being a shallow DOF junkie, it is harder to achieve subject isolation and background blur. Nothing close to, or as easy to achieve, as what I can get with the 50mm f1.2 or even 35mm f1.4 on my 5D, Though it probably isn't too far off from what I had with the 30D + Sigma 30. I've read that the 20mm f1.7 on an m4/3 is equivalent to about f3.5 on FF...

My perception changed when I had a chance to scrutinize the output more carefully and working on them a bit in post. I've also had a chance to take some pictures at a wedding over the weekend (a bit tough with Ryan constantly clinging to my side.) In good light, it looks like the camera can produce some very nice images. One thing is for sure, my neck is thanking me, as the bulk, or lack thereof, is a huge plus. It's not a pocketable camera like a point and shoot, but it wears on the neck pretty comfortably. One thing I didn't expect is that this camera is very inconspicuous. People don't notice you, unlike the attention you can draw with a DSLR and big lens. That is a big plus for me.

Overall, once I've adjusted my expectations back to reality, and considering the obvious compromises, I think it's a keeper for me (at least for now.) It's great to have a camera I can carry easily with me, and still allow for some creative picture taking. Who knows? It might teach me to experiment with different f-stops more. I don't know why I always shoot wide open... I know having f1.2 doesn't mean I should always shoot at f1.2. It's an Achilles' heel I need to overcome.

So is m4/3 for everybody? In the m4/3 world, size matters, and the smaller the better. So I'd say m4/3 is most compelling with small primes. Perfect for me, but if you're primarily a tele-photo or even a zoom shooter, it's probably not for you. I'm excited about the direction m4/3 and other EVIL Electronic View, Interchangeable Lens system) cameras are heading... And it is neat how because of the short-flange distance of m4/3, a whole host of legacy lenses can be adapted. I'm already reading about old Olympus/Zuiko, Pentax, Leica M, Voitglander, Canon FD...

Can you tell? I'm excited :)



Next to the big boy 5D + 50L: