Lumix 3G

[Patrick]

I am giving consideration to selling my Canon G10 and buying a Lumix 3G to move to a compact system camera.
Carrying my Canon 7D and a couple of lenses plus a suitable trypod on a recent trip to the Fleetwood wrecks proved to be harder work than such trips used to be.
I think it's called age:

I have this thing about kit lenses not being quite good enough, so I ask the question how good is the 14-45 lens fitted as standard on the camera?

Patrick

[Pol]

Re: Lumix 3G

I am giving consideration to selling my Canon G10 and buying a Lumix 3G to move to a compact system camera.
Carrying my Canon 7D and a couple of lenses plus a suitable trypod on a recent trip to the Fleetwood wrecks proved to be harder work than such trips used to be.
I think it's called age:

I have this thing about kit lenses not being quite good enough, so I ask the question how good is the 14-45 lens fitted as standard on the camera?

Patrick

Patrick,

I can't answer your query about the 14-45 lens but I will comment on the 'harder work' this time when you visited the Fleetwood wrecks.

Granted 'age' catches up with us (and don't I know it) but this year is especially bad because of the endless cold, wet, miserable weather and damp atmosphere. Muscles just can't react as they normally do, everything is much harder work to achieve.

I'm struggling myself at the moment, David is too. We're both fed up to the back teeth with stiffness, weariness and a general lack of energy. I'm even struggling to climb in/out of the car and the camper. My various injuries are playing up more than usual and we still have the heating going most of the time.

Yes, age is catching up with us BUT don't underestimate the effect of this appalling weather, the endless instability of the climate this year.

Pol

[mike_j]

Re: Lumix 3G

Patrick

I can't help with the current lens but 14-45 on my G1 is very good indeed, well up to the standard of any other kit lens I have tried.

I have been looking at the G3 as an update on the G1 but after trying it a couple of times decided it was just too small and also I really would like inbody stabilisation so I'm going for the Olympus OM-D in due course. I'll probably keep the 14-45 to use on it.

[Patrick]

Re: Lumix 3G

You words "Well up the the standard of other kit lenses" are the words that worry me. I have been reading reviews and the impression I get its good but not that good.
I am fussy about image sharpness, and will only have a limited budget so have to get it right fist time, with no more money available to change it if disappointed.
I shall have to try it out somewhere before decision time.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Lumix 3G

Hi Patrick - I will send you some sample images next week. I don't have a G3, but I have technically similar GX1 (the sensor is the same) and am going to Budapest with it on Monday.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Lumix 3G

Hi Patrick - I will send you some sample images next week. I don't have a G3, but I have technically similar GX1 (the sensor is the same) and am going to Budapest with it on Monday.

Ian

Thanks Ian that would be appreciated. there is no rush can't spend any more money for a few week after buying the iMac, or a least not until I have sold the older one. Do you have the longer kit lens as well I should really like the two lens kit, provided I'm happy with what I see.
A friend has a G3 but he is trying out the new 19mm Sigma, says its super sharp, but I want more versatility than a prime lens can offer.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Lumix 3G

The Panasonic 14-140 (28-180) is an excellent lens, certainly one of the best 10x superzooms around. I might be able to find a 45-200 to try for you.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Lumix 3G

The Panasonic 14-140 (28-180) is an excellent lens, certainly one of the best 10x superzooms around. I might be able to find a 45-200 to try for you.

Ian

Well I have taken the decision and bought a Lumix 3g with the kit lens 14-42.

It was a manufacturers refurbished camera bought on eBay with full warranty, It arrived today, no time to give it a real run out yet. I have taken a few shot around the house and am impressed so far.
It is truly light weight and I find it surprisingly good to handle. The few shots round the house were at 800 iso, noise suppression appears to be quite remarkable, feeling good to date about this buying decision.
Post some pictures later when I have had a real opportunity to take some.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Lumix 3G

Interesting move, Patrick. The 18MP sensor in your EOS-7D should mean reasonably similar sensor performance to the 16MP in the slightly smaller Four Thirds sensor in your new G3. I think you will find the 7D has the edge when pushed to exposure extremes, but in normal shooting there shouldn't be that much practical difference - maybe the 7D will exhibit some usable extra dynamic range.

Be aware that Panasonic corrects its lenses in the camera for chromatic aberration and lens distortion and of course these are not corrected by default in RAW.

I'm keen to hear how you get in with the G3 compared to your 7D.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Lumix 3G

Interesting move, Patrick. The 18MP sensor in your EOS-7D should mean reasonably similar sensor performance to the 16MP in the slightly smaller Four Thirds sensor in your new G3. I think you will find the 7D has the edge when pushed to exposure extremes, but in normal shooting there shouldn't be that much practical difference - maybe the 7D will exhibit some usable extra dynamic range.

Be aware that Panasonic corrects its lenses in the camera for chromatic aberration and lens distortion and of course these are not corrected by default in RAW.

I'm keen to hear how you get in with the G3 compared to your 7D.

Ian

Not sure from my test shot I want to compare to closely with the 7D

I shot in RAW as that will be how it will be used most of the time.
Comparisons will only mean something when the camera is used for some real photography rather than test shots around the house.

I shall be saving for a wider angle lens and also a telephoto to compliment the 14-42.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Lumix 3G

Just to clarify my point, you may notice more CA and distortion with Panasonic lenses but this is because Panasonic knows these characteristics are easily corrected in post-processing. Micro Four Thirds lenses from Olympus exhibit less CA because Olympus believes the optical design should minimise CA, so Olympus bodies don't correct for CA, only distortion (in JPEGs).

I can highly recommend the Olympus m.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 (18-36 equivalent). It's a tiny lens but a very good performer.

This could be of help:

http://fourthirds-user.com/2008/11/zuiko_digital_918_sample_image_comparisons.php

Ian

[mike_j]

Re: Lumix 3G

Just to clarify that Ian - does it mean that a Panasonic lens used on an Olympus body will give an inferior result to that from the same lens on a Panasonic body because the Oly firmware won't correct for the Panasonic lens CA and distortion?

[Mike Parr]

Re: Lumix 3G

HI Patrick,
i have almost made the decision to get one of these too, as a second camera for my wife to use next year as I have D5000, I cant do point and shoot. so I for one will look forward to your opinion on the G3..............thats if i havent taken the plunge before

[Patrick]

Re: Lumix 3G

HI Patrick,
i have almost made the decision to get one of these too, as a second camera for my wife to use next year as I have D5000, I cant do point and shoot. so I for one will look forward to your opinion on the G3..............thats if i havent taken the plunge before

My first impressions is a very good one. The camera appears to be very will made, handles surprisingly well for such a small camera. My fears on image quality using the kit lens on first impressions would seem to be unfounded.
Just about to go out into the garden and give it a trial run, there's this storage light in the sky at the moment, I think it's called the Sun, been so long I had forgotten it existed.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Lumix 3G

Just to clarify that Ian - does it mean that a Panasonic lens used on an Olympus body will give an inferior result to that from the same lens on a Panasonic body because the Oly firmware won't correct for the Panasonic lens CA and distortion?

It depends on the lens. The Leica co-branded lenses (although still designed and made by Panasonic), which are less compact, exhibit lower distortion and less CA. Making the lenses compact and lightweight does mean some optical compromise. As a rough rule of thumb, smaller, lighter and cheaper lenses are less optically corrected.

My understanding is that Photoshop and Lightroom, for example, do correct optical distortion in RAW both Olympus and Panasonic M43 RAW files to a degree as part of the RAW conversion process.

In essence, I see more CA in some Panasonic lenses than in most Olympus lenses but both have exceptions and any CA is mostly very easily corrected in Lightroom, for example. Olympus doesn't correct CA in the camera even for JPEGs, but does correct distortion for both makes of lenses.

A complicated answer, I'm afraid!

Ian