panasonic micro 4/3

[ryee3]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Any one successfully using panasonic micro4/3 as a digital body for the R lenses. Any insight on which one to purchase and ease of use would be helpful. Would this camera be better than the Olympus 4/3?

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[rsolomon]

is there an adapter from R to MFT.....

[Sandokan]

Yes, there is a R to M4/3 converter which I got from an eBay Chinese seller. It works well and I have happily used the 80-200 zoom on the G1.

 

Ravi

[stevelap]

Panasonic also announced their own M and R adapters in May this year.

[JoelH]

...Would this camera be better than the Olympus 4/3?

 

If you mean "better than the Olympus µ4/3", i.e. the E-P1, then the issue is whether you like the back-LCD-only viewing of the Olympus, vs. the additional options of eye-level EVF and tilt/swing LCD of the Panasonics. For manual-focus lenses, I think the G1's electronic viewfinder is great, though it could be even greater in several respects.

 

If you mean "better than Olympus (or Panasonic) 4/3 DSLRs", I would say that you have to decide whether the reflex viewfinder's magnification and brightness are acceptable to you - it works but critical focusing is much harder in my opinion - especially in poor light. Based on my experience with the Panasonic L1, the AF confirmation feature is better in theory than in practice - the Olympus version may work better. Also, some (but not all) Olympus DSLR viewfinders are bigger and brighter than the L1 finder - though still no match for the focusing capability of the G1/GH1 EVF.

 

Finally, if you want to shoot Leica R lenses (good choice), and you want a conventional mirror-type DSLR, and you don't already have one (implied by your question), then I think you should seriously consider a larger sensor camera (and I say that as an enthusiastic owner of 4/3 and µ4/3 cameras). You will get great results on 4/3 with Leica R lenses, but why throw away the excellent edge-to-edge performance and the angle of view that you paid for, and that you are lugging around in the relatively large and heavy lenses? If you can swing the cost, check out the experiences of users who mate R lenses to the Canon 5DII - you are getting more of the lens performance (though with some corner issues) and the viewfinder is one of the best you'll find in a DSLR. If that "full-frame" solution is too expensive, then one of the larger APS-sensor bodies might do.

[jgriffter]

Hello Ryee

 

I can try to help here as I have all the options you ask about (I think).

 

Using the Digilux 3 or L1 with R lenses works very well. I have about 5 R's and each works. Since the Digilux does not have in body image stabilization, you do not have that feature. The D3 and L1 do offer focus confirmation via the "green dot" in the viewfinder.

 

Using the Olympus E30 or E510, R lenses work great! You also get in-body image stabilization that you set manually to the focal length of the lens you are using. The Olympus bodies do not offer focus confirmation though, so you you have to either 1. use the Live View or take your chances with the viewfinder, 2. use a split screen glass viewfinder add that works well or 3. the best solution I have found and use regularly is to buy a cheapo R to 4/3 converter with a focus confirmation chip in it (Fleabay). I have one of these and it works great! You get the red led confirmation and the beep for all my R lenses. Made the Oly bodies the "go to" for my Leica lenses.

 

Finally, I recently got the G1 and have a cheapo R to micro 4/3 converter that I have started to use. No focus confirmation but with two button presses you get a 5x or 10x magnification spot on the viewfinder or live view to help focus. I have had mixed results on this config so far and it appears to be with the metering. Using Aperture Priority, I seem to have problems getting the camera to adjust to the appropriate shutter speed after I stop down the aperture. Lots of blown out shots or way too dark. When it hits right, it looks great. I have not figured out this one and could use some help from others on their experiences. Camera is fine - works very well with the micro 4/3 lenses that came with it.

 

Hope this helps. Using the R lenses is a lot of fun and the results are worth it.

 

Good Luck!

[rsolomon]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

............Using the Olympus E30 or E510, R lenses work great! You also get in-body image stabilization that you set manually to the focal length of the lens you are using.

 

 

 

........the best solution I have found and use regularly is to buy a cheapo R to 4/3 converter with a focus confirmation chip in it (Fleabay). I have one of these and it works great! You get the red led confirmation and the beep for all my R lenses. .........

 

 

 

can you explain these in a bit more detail...... on the oly to get stabilazation there needs to be a manual setting ? on the adpater..I have the leica version no chip but when using on the Digilux 3 i get the green focus confirmation light.....what does the chip do ?

 

thanks

Rich

[ryee3]

Thanks for all the great responses!

 

Does anyone know what the maximal frame per second is on the G1?

[jgriffter]

Rich

 

On the Oly bodies you have in camera image stabilization that works with manual lenses (for me, the R lenses). In the Image stabilization setting, you choose IS3 which then allows you to enter your focal length for the lens you are using.

 

The 4/3 adapter with the chip is for the Oly bodies. Unlike the Digilux 3 and L1, the Oly bodies do not offer focus confirmation. By using the adapter with the chip, the Oly bodies have the focus confirmation beep and red led (the same as modern lenses).

 

Hope that helps...

[rsolomon]

yes thanks !

 

I too have a stable of R lenses, i have been looking at the Oly on and off. I was in a dealer and saw the Oly Pen, its micro 4/3rds....sweet camera. I almost think its to small and will throw some of the larger R lenses off balance.

 

focus confirmation is a must at this point for me so i would need a new chip adapter.

 

on the image stablization setting .....ummm sounds like a bit of a pain, any idea if that chip adapter when used with a ROM'd R lens still needs that maunal setting ? when i had the DMR the DMR knew what lens in the lens was ROM'd

 

 

For M users this IS the solution, perhaps better then the M8.