I finally ordered a Panasonic G2 with 20mm and 45mm lenses. Rather than it being a substitute for 5Dmk2, it’s going to take the LX3 out of the equation. I’d lose the extreme macro capability but gain low-light performance, magnified manual focus assist and an articulated screen.
At SHOT show, I saw an interesting Pentax waterproof camera — one of its main features s the five-light “ring-light” around the lens. It will actually focus up to the edge of the ring around the lens and, thanks to the lights, may be laid flat on a surface with no outside light reaching in and still get a shot. Unfortunately, the controls are largely of the point-and-shoot kind, but I can see something like that camera becoming the next one down from G2. To put this in gun terms, 5D2 is the rifle — it’s heavy and can by bulky depending on the lens, G2 becomes the sidearm equivalent and the hypothetical third camera is the hide-out/backup pistol. I don’t normally carry a G26 to back up a G17, so I elected not to go with a Rebel T3i either — the logistical improvements don’t justify the extra weight and bulk.
We’ll see what kind of photos become enabled by the articulated LCD. I’ve never been fond of crawling on the ground as required by the fixed 5D2 finders. With the limited 40mm-e and 90mm-e lenses, G2 would be the direct functional equivalent of the old pre-war Leica…but with better close-up capability.
mmm, i though canon pro cameas could replace the view finders with overhead things?
I’ve got an earlier version of that Pentax. It kicks ass. It takes acceptable shots for amateur point-and-shoot work. Its waterproof, durable, and I’m not afraid to just have it hanging on my belt while backpacking.
Friend of mine has one too. She is a better photographer (like wins things from the county and state fair) than I and likes it. It goes kayaking with that family.
I jumped into micro 4/3 with both an Olympus E-P1 and the Panasonic G1. I like both cameras but both have shortcomings. The Oly is difficult for me to operate due to control location and the fact that the buttons and wheels change settings if you just look at them. The G1 handles better but I’m not excited about the EVF. In dim light, the view is grainy. In bright, contrasty light, the view is washed out. The articulated screen? I’ve never used it. And, since I use the AEL/AFL button for focusing, the thickness of the screen gets in the way of my thumb when activating this button. Both cameras produce excellent image quality within the limitations of the format. Shooting in RAW and tuning up the image a little does improve results.
I actually still like results from my Canon G10 when the light is good. At ISO 80-100, the image quality is outstanding from the small sensor. It falls apart at high ISOs unfortunately. And the viewfinder is only useful for rough framing. Maybe the Fuji X10. There’s always something else that “may be”.