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Panasonic GX9 vs Olympus OMD EM5 III vs Fuji XT30

In this post I’m going to compare the Panasonic GX9 vs Olympus OMD EM5 III vs Fuji Xt30. As you probably know, I’ve shot Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji cameras for years now, going back to the the Panasonic G3, EM5 and X Pro1. I want a compact and lightweight camera that I can use mainly with prime lenses for some projects that I have planned in the Philippines later in the year. The project will be documentary and involve lots of candid portraits as well as some street photography. I plan to use whichever camera I choose with a (35mm equivalent focal lengths) 50mm and 85 ish mm prime lenses as those are my preferred focal lengths for the kind of shooting that I have planned. On the Panasonic and Olympus I shot the Pana-Leica 25mm 1.4,Olympus 45mm 1.2 and Sigma 56mm 1.4 while on the Fuji I paired it with the 35mm 1.4. I had planned on using the 56mm 1.2 as well but in the end couldn’t get hold of one in time for my testing but the AF performance is pretty much on par with the Fuji 35mm lens and having owned the 56mm previously I know how it performs.

Firstly let me say that all the specs are available online so I’m not going to go through them all here. I’ll just talk about those that mattered to me for the project that I have planned. Those being image quality, AF, handling and performance.

While the GX9 and EM5 III uses a 20mp Micro 43 sensor the Fuji XT30 makes use of the larger 26mp APS-C sensor found in the XT3 so it should be a no brainer that the image coming out of the Fuji is better and it performs better when pushing your ISO higher. The thing is that when reading forums on the internet they would lead you to believe that the difference is night and day and this simply is not the case. Yes the Fuji is slightly better once you get up to 3200+ ISO but the differences wont be enough to make or break an image. For me the more interesting question was about the colour each camera produced and I was particularly interested in the Acros black and white profile of the XT30 as a lot of my project will be shot in black and white. Quite frankly I chose the XT30 as one of the most affordable ways to get the Acros profile. In my opinion the image quality produced by all the cameras is good enough for what I had in mind.

Fuji are heralded within the media for being excellent for portraits, skin tones and the Acros profile and in a lot of situations I know why. I love the organic look of the colours coming off the X-Trans sensor and under the right lighting conditions the Acros profile produces some beautiful black and white images. However sometimes the colours can feel just a little flat while the Panasonic and Olympus in my opinion actually produce more pleasing colours more of the time. I am a big fan of the colours that both Panasonic and Olympus cameras put out SOOC. For me they win when shooting colour images but the Fuji does well for black and white work. This is why I bought an XT 30 just for this project. However I like the Fuji and Panasonic black and white rendering equally and it really depends upon the subject and light as to which is better in a given situation.

In terms of handling all the cameras are small, lightweight and discreet. They are quick in use and it is easy to quickly change settings on them. I prefer that the Olympus has a separate door for memory cards and I still prefer the PASM system employed by virtually every camera manufacturer rather than the separate dials for shutter speed employed by Fuji. (note the XT30 has a shutter speed dial which when using most Fuji lenses combines with the Aperture ring to give control over exposure). The XT30 does not have and ISO dial unlike its big brother the XT3.

All the cameras feel well built although I’d have to give the nod to the GX9 and Em5III (although I have heard issues reported around the strength of the tripod plate on the EM5II) as they just feel a little higher quality finish and of course the Em5III is weather sealed.

I had fully expected to love the little Fuji XT30 but there were 2 major issues for me once I had a little time with the camera. Firstly, I wanted to shoot the 35mm 1.4 and 56mm 1.2 for my project and quite frankly the AF motors on these lenses still proved to be pretty poor. I had hoped that with the latest generation of camera bodies the AF when using these lenses would have improved but unfortunately (and this is no fault of the XT30’s) it hasn’t. Now I know that a lot of Fuji users love these lenses and in terms of their image quality, yes they are gems but the problem I had while testing the gear out (on not very trying subjects) was that it took multiple shot to get perfect focus. No, it wasn’t a bad copy of the lens, this is exactly how I remember my previous version being as well. I guess it is my own fault for hoping for an improvement that simply can’t be provided by a newer camera. These lenses desperately need updating and I really hope Fuji is working on this as their more modern lenses perform much faster. However it is these lenses that I particularly wanted to use. I’m not interested in the f/2 primes as I’m giving up some of the benefits of that APS-C sensor when shooting with them. In all honesty I like the ergonomics and handling of the EM5 III the most, so unless the XT30 is going to give me tangible benefits (which it would if these lenses auto focussed quickly enough) over it then I’m not going to choose it. The EM5 III is simply more fun and gives me more confidence that I can nail the focus every time.

While the Fuji XT-30 does offer slightly improved High ISO performance the differences are minimal and I’d still place my limit of acceptable IQ for portraits at ISO 3200, exactly the same as the Micro 43 cameras.

Olympus EM5III Monochrome + Green filter , ISO 2000

The second major issue (and one which even had me and my wife spend and evening trying to figure out) was the Fuji App to transfer images to your mobile device. I have used this app before, along with the ones form every other major camera manufacturer (except Canon). The best ones are from Olympus and Panasonic, Sony’s is fine too and Nikon’s although temperamental usually works. Well this Fuji App is a complete and utter bag of S**t. I spent hours trying to get it to connect to my phone, my wifes phone, my tablet and in the end gave up. When I’m out in the middle of nowhere taking photos and I want to quickly transfer some images then this is a big no no for Fuji. I didn’t previously have this issue when I owned the XT2 so I can only assume that the updated app is either useless, has compatibility issues or it’s the XT30’s fault. Either way in the end no matter how beautiful the Acros black and white images were, far too many were out of focus and when they were in focus the app made viewing them on my mobile device impossible. The Fuji is sadly out of the race and has been sent back.. As you saw in my Olympus OMD EM5 III Review this camera does everything that 90% of people will need it to do with no fuss. It makes photography easy and fun and dare I say it, quite cool too.

However I already own the Panasonic GX9 and a GH5 so is the Olympus at approximatley £1000 twice as good as the Panasonic GX9 which can be had for under £500 (as of early 2020)?

In the Olympus’ favour it has slightly better IBIS, is weather sealed, has a better viewfinder and offers Hi Res mode as well as the useful long exposure modes such as Live Bulb and Live view. In the Panasonic’s favour for me is the fact that it uses the same menu system and has the same colour profile as my existing GH5 and so using the two together would be a more seemless experience and mean my lazy ass doesn’t have to memorise two menu systems. It is of course half the price.

When I wrote my Olympus EM5III review it was before the Coronoavirus Pandemic had really hit the UK hard. Money and business was quite good and I could afford the additional cost of the EM5III over the GX9. However as I sit here writing this (early April) the UK economy has basically shut down, business has dried up and I am now putting a much higher priority on bang for buck to ensure that I get the most out of any investment that I make in to a camera or system. This puts cost way higher up my list of priorities than would previously have been the case and I’m sure like many photographers out there I am now really asking myself the question, do I honestly need these extra features and are they really going to make a difference to my work and earning potential.

For me, in the end it comes down to the image I can produce. Yes it is nice to have the better viewfinder but the one in the GX9 does not hinder me from getting the shot. I also quite like the tilt mechanism on it. Yes, hi res mode would be nice to have and I can see myself using it quite a lot for landscapes but the projects that I have lined up will be fine with 20mp of resolution. Am I going to suddenly start doing a lot of long exposure photography to make use of live bulb and live view…..If I’m bluntly honest with myself then no, that just isn’t going to happen.

Does my camera need to be weather sealed? Well a lot of us like to kid ourselves that a certain specification is an absolute must. I hear people all the time saying that weather sealing is absolutely essential. I don’t buy it for the most part. I used to live in the Outer hebrides, a place where the weather could not be more challenging to a photographer. My cameras back then didn’t offer top notch weather sealing and you know what I did when the heavens opened… I popped my camera back in my camera bag and waited for the torrential wind blasted downpour to pass. Just before and just after the storm is the best time to photograph anyway not during it. Even if the cameras were weather sealed like a tank the front element of the lens woud be covered in rain and ruin any image. The philippinnes, just like the Outer Hebrides is prone to sudden torrential downpours but for the subjects that I plan on shooting it is irrelevant as I doubt many portrait subjects will be willing to stand out in the rain while I photograph them. Long story short, weather sealing is nice to have but not essential for me.

Both the GX9 and EM5 III have fast enough AF speed for my needs. Yes the Olympus may be a little better at tracking thanks to its phase detect Af points but it doesn’t make a difference for what I shoot as the GX9 is quick to focus and has decent face and eye detect AF.

Conclusion

The crux of the matter comes down to which camera offers the features that I need in the cheapest package and this is where the GX9 delivers in spades. IMO it is probably the best value camera in the photographic universe at the moment.

In terms of output it is virtually identical to the Olympus EM5 III however it actually bests it in my opinion in one area that is vital to my project. The black and white profiles of the latest generation of Panasonic cameras and in particular L Monochrome D is just about my favourite black and white profile of any camera.

Despite wanting the Fuji XT30’s black and white output the |fuji sytem currently has too many compromises to work for me (Slow AF, No IBIS, Poor Wifi App, No PASM). Despite quite liking a lot of the EM5III features I don’t really need them. My Panasonic GX9 takes beautiful black and white images (particularly in the L Mono and L Mono D profile) and offers everything that I need in a small lightweight package. It doesn’t hurt that it looks beautiful too. So I’ll be using it alongside my GH5 for my projects this year.

Sony A7R II vs Olympus OMD EM1 II Depth of Field Comparison

I just took delivery of a Sony A7R II yesterday with the Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 lens. Part of my decision to buy this combination was to supplement my Olympus OMD EM1 II with a camera with a full frame sensor as I believe Micro 4/3 and full frame compliment each other as systems very well. The idea being that the Olympus will be my everyday camera and the Sony will allow me to get more subject isolation and better low light performance when I need it.

The difference between micro 4/3 and APS-C is so negligible that I don’t see the benefit of owning both for my uses.

Anyway I thought it would be interesting to do a quick test to see the difference between the two when it comes to subject separation.

I shot both on a tripod from the exact same location. The Zeiss is a 55mm lens whereas the Olympus equates to roughly 50mm so the field of view is not exactly the same with the Zeiss being a bit narrower. The Sony was paired with the Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 and the Olympus with the 25mm f/1.2 Pro (see my review here ).

So here are both shots wide open.

The Sony A7R II + 55mm Zeiss lens wide open

Olympus OMD EM1 ii + 25mm 1.2 Pro wide open

The Sony is definitely doing a better job of isolating the subject and that is no surprise as the 25mm 1.2 on the Olympus is roughly equivalent to a 50mm f/2.4 on full frame in terms of depth of field and field of view. Part of the difference can be put down to the longer focal length of the Zeiss lens but even then here are the things to look at that highlight the differences.

Look at the detail in the brown unit to the left of the top of the lens. The Olympus is picking up more texture and details whereas the Sony has blown most of that into smooth out of focus rendering.

Secondly the light sphere immediately left of the focus markings on the lens is much more in focus on the Olympus shot than the Sony one.

So even wide open and with a larger aperture the Olympus 25mm 1.2 can’t quite match the Sony with a 1.8 lens.

Here are the Olympus and Sony both at f/1.8 side by side in Lightroom so you can directly compare like for like what you would get when shooting at the same apertures on different systems.

Sony (left) and Olympus (right) both at f/1.8

So as you can see the Sony definitely offers an advantage when you want to isolate your subject. Just as expected. You can of course also buy lenses with a larger aperture for the Sony system which will widen the gap further. However I have no intention of buying those lenses, not because of the price (which is expensive) but because I don’t want to imbalance the camera by putting on huge lenses that will make the whole setup incredibly front heavy.

So if you want that creamy shallow depth of field look then it’s a no brainer right? Get full frame….. Or is it.

One thing to note is that these Olympus Pro line of lenses have a trick up their sleeve that can level the playing field somewhat if you are not constrained in your shooting position.

They can focus incredibly closely.

All the shots above are taken from the closest focusing distance of the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8. In these circumstances the full frame Sony clearly does better. However take a look below at just how close the Olympus 25mm 1.2 Pro can focus. The lens hood was nearly touching the subject when I too this.

The Olympus 25mm 1.2 and all the Pro lenses can focus really close.

I’m not arguing that one is better than the other here. For some things the Sony will be better and for others the Olympus. That is why I bought the Sony A7Rii to compliment, not replace my Olympus OMD EM1 ii. For example when I shoot the Olympus 25mm 1.2 Pro I get the light gathering of a 1.2 lens but I gain a little extra depth of field which can be useful to ensure enough of your subject is in focus. More depth of field can be an advantage at times.

The Sony will of course give me better low light performance, a little more dynamic range and the ability to print gallery sized prints with more detail but if anyone tells you that Micro 4/3 is not capable of producing shallow depth of field images then you can safely ignore them as they clearly haven’t used lenses like the 25mm 1.2(review here ), 45mm 1.2 (review coming soon) and 75mm 1.8 (review here )from Olympus.

Olympus OMD EM1 mark II vs Panasonic GH5 for Photography

In this article I am going to compare the Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs the Panasonic GH5. I own both of these top of the range Micro 4/3 cameras.

I have been using them for a few months now with a variety of different lenses and for different types of photography including landscapes, portraits and travel.

There are loads of comparisons on line that deal with the video side of things far better than I ever could as a primarily stills photographer. However despite the often stated presumption of using Olympus for stills and Panasonic for video I thought it would make an interesting comparison to see if this still holds true with these two flagship Micro 4/3 cameras.

So let’s get straight into the comparison by looking firstly at the specs and then on to ergonomics and handling.

Both have the latest 20mp Micro 4/3 sensors
Both shoot 4k video although the GH5 has many more options including super slow motion full HD at 180fps as well as higher bit rates.
The EM1 II has a 3 inch touch screen LCD and 2.36 million dot viewfinder
The GH5 has a larger 3.2 inch touch screen LCD and 3.6 million dot viewfinder
Both are weather sealed down to -10c
The Olympus can shoot at up to 60 fps with the electronic shutter and 15 FPS with the mechanical shutter
The GH5 shoots at 11 FPS
Both have in-body 5 axis image stabilisation
Both have a variety of shooting modes including time-lapse, HDR and focus bracketing

So let’s look a little bit beyond the specs and see what the cameras are actually like to handle.

Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonic GH5 – Handling

First up the Panasonic GH5 is 139x98x87mm and weighs 725g with the battery in. I might note it’s the same battery as the GH4 which is great if you already own some. Compare this with its predecessor the GH4 at 133x93x84mm and with a weight of 560g with battery and you can see that the GH5 has put on a considerable amount of weight and some heft too. Where I really notice this most is in the depth of the grip. It is very comfortable but I have to be honest and say I prefer the GH4’s grip.

The Olympus OMD EM1 mark II is slightly larger than its predecessor at 134x91x69mm and lighter too at 574g but still feels svelt in comparison to the GH5.

Both cameras feel great in the hand and are very comfortable to hold, even with larger lenses attached. However the GH5 is starting to feel quite large for a Micro 4/3 body. A lot of people (myself included) use this system for its light weight and portability.

I personally prefer the size and weight of the Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II. When I had both cameras on me in Asia recently I found myself gravitating towards the Olympus when given a choice. It was the one I naturally reached for out of the two. The reason is not just the size and weight but the fact that I also find the grip more comfortable. The grip on the GH5 is just a little too deep and results in your hand feeling the strain on extended use.

In terms of controls, both of these cameras are incredibly customisable. You can set them up virtually as you want. However one of the benefits of the larger body on the GH5 is more function buttons and more direct access buttons to things like ISO, white balance and exposure compensation. If you are used to the direct controls of a DSLR then the GH5 will feel more natural to you.

The Olympus takes a little more setting up initially but once you have set it up to your liking then you rarely have to delve in to the menu system during everyday shooting. The Panasonic just make sense and is very logical and intuitve in its control layout. I really can’t find fault with it. Picking it up for the first time everything was just where I would expect it to be and using it comes very naturally to me.

As for the menu systems themselves, the GH5’s menu is a little better set out and more intuitive to use thanks to a simple layout and straight forward logical ordering. The Olympus on the other hand does take a little getting used to with some odd naming of items such as noise reduction being called the noise filter etc. However once you are used to it then even the Olympus is quick and easy to navigate through. Top marks to Panasonic here though as I feel their menu system is one of the best available and having used loads of different cameras I find that everything is where I would expect it to be.

One new addition for the Panasonic GH5 is the AF joystick which has been added to the back of the camera. This allows direct access to change your AF point and it is a joy to use. Not only does it enable you to change your AF point more quickly but when clicked it also returns the AF point to home (default is centre point). Panasonic have implemented this brilliantly. There is also a switch which lets you quickly flick between AF-S, AF-C and manual focus.

The Olympus on the other hand relies on the D-Pad and while it is quick to use I do prefer the AF joystick of the GH5 and I’m sure most people would too.

Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonic GH5 – Image Stabilisation

One of the big new additions to the Panasonic GH5 over the Gh4 is in body image stabilisation. Traditionally this has always been one of the big advantages that Olympus had over Panasonic.

However now that Panasonic have added this to the GH5 it really is a great improvement. Not only does it allow you to handhold shots at much lower shutter speeds enabling you to use a lower ISO but I also find it results in a much higher keeper rate for virtually all photos that you take.

So how does the image stabilisation compare between these two models.

Olympus claims 5.5 stops of stabilisation on the EM1 Mark II and Panasonic claims 5 stops on the GH5.

In my testing I found that I could comfortably handhold the Olympus at shutter speeds as low as 1-2 seconds at 12mm and still consistently get tack sharp images. Some even claim shutter speeds as low as 10 seconds are possible but I think that is a bit hit and miss and requires propping yourself up against a wall or tree to try and minimise any movement in your body.

With the GH5 I was able to consistently get tack sharp images at 1/3 second at 12mm on the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens ( see my review of that lens here ). So while the Olympus does still hold an advantage in this area the Panasonic certainly puts up a respectable fight.

Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonci GH5 – Auto Focus, Burst rates and action

Both of these cameras are built for speed.

The Olympus boasts an incredible 60 fps burst rate (single AF only) and 18 FPS with C-AF with the electronic shutter . These drop down to 15 FPS (S-AF) and 10 FPS (C-AF) with the mechanical shutter.

The GH5 while not as fast still offers very reasonable rates of 12 FPS (S-AF) and 9FPS (C-AF). So if you actually ignore the headline grabbing rates of the Olympus and look at the most useful option which is C-AF with the mechanical shutter there is on 1 FPS difference between the two.

So how do these two cameras handle fast action.

I’m going to say straight up here that I am not a fast action shooter. I do portraits, landscapes and travel photography. However just in my simple testing having models walk through the scene I found that the Olympus AF system copes better and gives a higher keeper rate than the GH5. Although the GH5 has more focus points at 225 vs Olympus’ 121, the EM1 II uses a hybrid system of phase detect and contrast detect points that seem better able to keep up with movement.

Panasonic’s Depth from Defocus contrast detect system struggles a little bit more when it comes to C-AF and tracking auto focus.

Olympus also captures images at any of its high frame rates in full raw resolution. Pro capture is a feature which will pre record 14 images and constantly hold them in the buffer. Then if you start shooting you will be able to select from those pre-recorded images. It allows you to capture shots where maybe your trigger finger wasn’t quite fast enough.

Panasonic on the other hand offers 6k photo mode which allows you to continuosly record at 30fps and then extract 18mp still images from the recording but only in Jpeg format.

If I’m honest I find the implementation of Panasonic’s 6k photo mode more useful than Olympus’ due to one factor. With the Olympus you have to trawl through and delete any images that you don’t want. With the Panasonic you still have to look through all the images but you can simply select the ones that you want to keep. That saves me having to constantly delete multiple photos. However I rarely find myself using either of these options as I prefer a more considered and slower paced approach to photography but I understand birders, wildlife and sports photographers would appreciate them. Basically you can choose between the Raw files of the Olympus or the Jpegs of the Panasonic.

Standard focus performance from both is excellent

When it comes down to what I use most which is S-AF in single shot mode both cameras are brilliant in good light. They lock on quickly and are incredibly accurate. When the light drops slightly the Olympus is a tad better but there really is not much in it.

One thing I did notice while testing the Olympus 25mm 1.2 Pro on the GH5 was that a strongly back-lit scene could throw the GH5 off and it would hunt or in some cases fail to focus altogether.

When it comes to how I use these cameras I would take both of them over a DSLR any day of the week because they just focus much more accurately.

Let’s not forget that both offer face detection and eye detection which is so useful for portrait work. Both work well but I prefer Olympus’ implementation as it adds a square over the face and then a smaller one over whichever eye is in focus. Panasonic puts a square around the face but then has intersecting lines to show you which eye is in focus. It is not quite as intuitive as the EM1 II and on occasion the intersecting lines do not meet over an eye so I was unsure as to whether the eye was in focus or not.

Taken on the EM1 II using face detect and near side eye selection

Panasonic GH5 + 25mm f/1.4 shot using eye detect AF

Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonic GH5 – Image Quality

Both cameras are using the latest Micro 4/3 20mp sensors so they should be quite evenly matched. However there has always been a notion that you use Olympus for stills and Panasonic for video but does this still hold true with the latest generation of cameras.

In terms of IQ the two cameras are virtually identical, offering sharp detailed photos. The GH5 removes the AA filter but in practise I have not noticed this to offer any tangible benefit. Both cameras seem to resolve the same level of detail.

One area where there is a slight difference is that the Olympus offers an extended ISO setting of 64 compared to that of 100 with the GH5. This does allow the EM1 II to give incredibly clean results with none of the noise that used to be present at base ISO in clear skies. This is a big improvement for me personally with my landscape work.

Look how clean those shadows are at ISO 64 on the EM1 Mark II

In terms of high ISO performance the two cameras are very evenly matched offering very usable files even at 3200 ISO and even 6400 ISO if the photos are just for web use or small prints.

At up to 800 ISO images are very clean and retain detail. At 1600 ISO you can see a slight loss of detail but no noise. At 3200 ISO there is further loss of detail and some noise creeping in to the images. At 6400 ISO details become smeared and noise is quite visible.

One thing that I have seen is that the Panasonic GH5 seems to handle colour noise a little better than the Olympus EM1 II at higher ISO settings. At 3200 the Olympus sometimes shows some ugly colour noise in skin tones whereas the Panasonic doesn’t. This is in the Jpeg files but not present in the raw files so if you shoot raw then it is nothing to be concerned about. If you shoot jpeg it is worth being aware of.

The colours on the GH5 have been improved quite a lot and I particularly like their natural profile for almost all types of imagery. The L Mono setting also gives very nice high contrast black and white shots. The natural profile on the Olympus is still the one I go to for most images and of course you can tweak the black and white profile in both the highlights, shadows and mid-tones to get it exactly as you wish.

Dynamic range of the two cameras is essentially identical.

I’ll be adding some high ISO examples soon. Having just gone through all my photo from these two cameras I realised that I don’t have good test shots to share because I was using the Olympus 25mm 1.2 (see my review here )and Pana Leica 25mm 1.4 a lot of the time and that allowed me to keep my ISO to 1600 or below at all times while in Asia.

Olympus does have a trick up its sleeve to best the GH5 for stills imagery in the form of the Hi Res mode. This combines 8 images in camera using sensor shift technology to give one hi resolution image.

I have found that this worked better in the EM1 Mark II than on my old EM5 II. It deals with movement better. For instance it is usable for running water now. However movement in trees and grass etc can still leave issues in your images that means this mode is only really fully usable for things like product photography. Let’s hope Olympus can improve Hi Res mode further as it has so much potential.

To use Hi Res mode you have to have the camera locked down on a sturdy tripod. I use the Manfrotto 055 XPRO3 which is absolutely rock solid.

You also need to be using very sharp lenses to really take advantage of this and resolve all the detail.

Another area where the Olympus EM1 II has an advantage is in night photography. Live view, live boost and live composite really are very useful as they allow you to see the image on the LCD screen as it is being created. It gives you a live preview as the exposure is taking place so you know exactly when you have the correct exposure and can stop at the perfect time.

Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonic GH5 – Conclusion

So which camera is the better one for stills photography?

If you are not going to take advantage of Hi Res mode, Live view, Live bulb and Live composite then at £1699 compared with £1849 the GH5 is surely the logical choice with its better viewfinder, LCD and far better video features. It definitely offers the better value and can keep up with the Olympus EM1 Mark II for general photography use.

However having said all that I still prefer the Olympus EM1 II and here is why.

I prefer the handling of the Olympus. I use Micro 4/3 to keep the size and weight of my kit small and light. The Panasonic GH5 is just a little too large for my liking and I prefer the grip on the Olympus which is more comfortable to hold all day long.

The GH5 does have good ergonomics and I particularly like the AF joystick and direct access to ISO via a dedicated button but I am quite happy using the D-pad to move AF points on the EM1 II and I can assign almost any button on the EM1 II to give me quick access to ISO. In all honesty if I am shooting in situations where the ISO needs changing quickly then I will have either camera set to auto ISO and set a maximum ISO and minimum shutter. If I want to set the ISO manually such as when shooting landscapes then quick access is not so vital and a quick press of the OK button and I am in to Olympus’ Super Control panel.

I find the auto focus on the Olympus just a touch more reliable in low light and I prefer their implementation of face detect AF. These two things can and did make the difference between me getting a candid shot of my daughter and not.

Lastly and this is a very subjective thing but I find the Olympus OMD EM1 II to be a beautiful camera and the finish in my opinion feels higher quality and more refined. It just works so well. In fact I would say that ergonomically it is the best camera that I have ever used and in the end this factor more than specs make me want to pick it up and take it with me everywhere.

So which one should you chose?

My brain finds it hard to recommend the Olympus OMD EM1 Mark II vs Panasonic GH5 at this time but my heart would chose the Olympus each and every time. However I will be keeping both as they are two of the best cameras available right now and whichever one you choose I’m sure you will be delighted.

The best value portrait lens in the World

If you are looking for the best value portrait lens in the World then I think I may have the answer for you.

For many years now I have been shooting a variety of cameras and lenses ranging from Micro 4/3 to large format 4×5 film. As I am not rich I like to get the best gear that I can afford that will do the job I need it to do.

With that in mind I have used many different lenses and for portraits I have found that the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens offers the best value of any lens for portrait shots. It comes in at around £200 and is as sharp as you need for portraits. In fact it is pretty sharp wide open at f/1.8 and gets a little sharper when stopped down to f/2.8-5.6.

So below I am going to show why I think it offers great value and is basically a must have lens for every Micro 4/3 photographer.

Don’t forget that you can really help me out by buying this lens through the links on this page. I will earn a small commission and it won’t cost you a penny more.

If you are looking for an even better lens for portraits and don’t mind paying a bit more then be sure to check out my Olympus 75mm f/1.8 review here

Best Value Portrait Lens in The World – Handling

There is nothing outstanding about the handling of the Olympus 45mm f/1.8. It is made of plastic and doesn’t feel particularly expensive. However it is still a notch above lenses like the Canon 50mm 1.8 (sometimes called the plastic fantastic). It feels decently made but certainly cheaper than other lenses such as the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 or Olympus Pro zooms. However it is perfectly functional and does what it needs to do.

The reason I mention handling is because it is such a small and light lens that you can easily add this to your bag or even in a pocket and not even notice the weight. This makes it a carry everywhere lens for me and if I was to only have a 2 lens setup the little 45mm would almost always be one of the two lenses that I would carry.

Best Value Portrait Lens In the World – Image Quality.

More importantly, the reason why I think this lens offers such great value is because it offers really good image quality for the size and weight. It is sharp wide open and as mentioned before it improves a little when stopped down.

It easily defines eyelashes when shooting portraits which is one of my prerequisites for sharpness in a portrait lens.

It doesn’t suffer with any major flaws in terms of CA or distortion. Therefore for the price you get a very handy high quality lens that doesn’t add much weight to your setup. The only criticism I could level at it is that sometimes the bokeh can get a little nervous so you have to watch your background sometimes. However you should always be doing that anyway.

The f/1.8 aperture allows it to be used in low light and maintain fast enough shutter speeds to get sharp people images and the focal length is my personal favourite for portrait work.

Below are a few images taken with the 45mm f/1.8.

Best cameras for Travel Photography 7 Reasons Why Micro 4/3 Kicks Ass

I have access to and use a lot of cameras yet I choose to travel with an Olympus OM-D E-M5II. Here are just 7 reasons why Micro 4/3 offers the best cameras for travel photography.

1. Size and weight

Cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, Pen F and Panasonic GX-8 are small, light and well-built cameras. When you are looking for a camera for travel photography you have to consider just how much you want to carry with you. Yes the Sony A series are in some cases equally as small but then add in a decent zoom lens and a couple of primes and the difference in weight grows substantially. I carry with me an Olympus EM5II, Olympus HLD 8 battery grip, Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro, Olympus 25mm f/1.8, 45mm f/1.8 and 75mm f/1.8. My Olympus system feels modular in nature. I can choose to go from really small and light using just the EM5II and the 25mm 1.8 or I can add the grip and use the 12-40mm Pro lens on the fully gripped body for extra battery life when I am on extended shoots.

2. Image Quality

Cameras from Olympus and Panasonic offer me a lightweight system without compromising on image quality. Some people will say you need a full frame camera and you may, if you specifically want the most shallow depth of field possible and the best high ISO noise performance. However if most of your photography is not shot in pitch black conditions at night and you don’t just want one eye in focus for portraits then Micro 4/3 is more than capable.

The differences between Micro 4/3 and APS-C in anything below 3200 ISO are negligible. In fact in a blind test I would be willing to bet 95% of people could not tell what sized sensor was used between the two. It more than meets the standards needed to submit your photos to stock photography sites and earn some cash to pay for all those trips. Add in the incredible in-body image stabilisation and you can shoot at much lower ISO’s than using other cameras without IS. So not only can you shoot at lower ISO’s to give the best possible image quality but you may not need to drag your tripod with you everywhere. The OM-D E-M1 Mark II allows you to get sharp hand-held shots at shutter speeds of 1 second and longer. I have printed 30×20″ prints from Micro 4/3 and hung them and most importantly sold them in galleries. They stand up well when proper technique is used.

Image quality is great on Micro 4/3. Prints up to 30×20″ at gallery quality, more than good enough to sell for stock. What more do you need?

3. Lens Choice

Micro 4/3 offers a huge range of lenses so that whatever your shooting style there is bound to be a lens that fits. The system has lenses from the tiny Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 up to Pro grade zooms like the Olympus 300mm f/4. In general the lenses are very sharp. I love the results from my Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro. I’d go as far as to say it is my favourite zoom lens of any system (and I have used a lot of Canon L glass and the Nikon 2.8 zooms). Want the best value portrait lens in the World? Pick up the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for around £200 and you got it. That little lens is sharp and incredible value. It also takes up virtually no weight in your bag.

My Olympus prime lenses. From left to right the 25mm 1.8, 45mm 1.8 and 75mm 1.8.
I find that these complement my 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens perfectly.

Take a look at the huge range of Micro 4/3 lenses available here

4.Electronic Viewfinder.

When you are considering which camera is best for travel photography you have to remember that often you don’t have a lot of time to get the shot. You may be working on a deadline or maybe your family are waiting for you and asking you to hurry up because they want dinner. If you are using a standard DSLR with an optical viewfinder it is quite likely that you will take the shot and then have to check it on your rear LCD screen to see if the exposure is correct, is it in focus, how are the colours etc. I remember shooting with a Canon 5D MK II for years and as good as that camera was, there was a process required to get the shot that I wanted. It involved checking my image on the rear LCD screen, then correcting the exposure, re-shooting and so on. It might often take 5 shots to get everything perfect. All the time your family are giving you that look that says, we are bored now, hurry up. With an electronic viewfinder what you see in the viewfinder is what you get in your final image. No more chimping on the rear screen afterwards. Select your settings and take the picture. You already know that you got the shot. Now it’s time to go and enjoy dinner with a happy family.

5. Image Stabilisation

I cannot overstate how useful it is to have image stabilisation built-in to the camera body. There are so many benefits. It increases your keeper rate. No more blurry photos because you had too much coffee that morning and your hands were shaking. No more worrying about getting sharp food shots when you are in poor light in that restaurant. Simply select the ISO, aperture and shutter speed you want and the IS system will do the rest. Tack sharp food shots and great IQ because you could use a lower ISO setting. Don’t want to lug a tripod around with you. No problem as the latest in body IS has you covered for shutter speeds as low as a few seconds. Not only does this allow you to keep your ISO low but it gives you creative flexibility to use slower shutter speeds in order to blur water or show movement without having to carry tripods. Your travel photography will become more creative and your back will thank you later.

In-body IS means that you can leave your tripod at home more often.

6. Discretion

I have traveled to every continent except the Antarctic. I have lived in many countries and one thing that I have always found is that with a smaller camera you can take photos without gaining too much attention. If you are carrying around a hulking great DSLR with Pro f/2.8 lens attached then you stand out like a sore thumb in many countries. It also feels a little awkward when you are carrying around gear that costs more than the average annual salary of a worker in some countries. Being discreet allows you to blend in (or at least not stand out as much) and get photos that just wouldn’t be possible with a DSLR and huge white lens attached. When people see DSLR’s they get a little camera shy, their expressions often change and they may even wish to avoid being photographed altogether. Pull out your cute looking Olympus Pen F and it is a totally different story. You will look like a tourist, an amatuer but that’s great, Just what you want because you know that inside your ‘cute’ ‘inexpensive’ looking camera the image that you just captured is just as good as your DSLR could have done.

7.Video.

If you’re a striving creative who wants to add to their skill set and portfolio then you will probably want to get in to video. It is a great way to bring your audience with you and show them the beauty of the places that you visit. Micro 4/3 offers all of the above benefits while giving impressive video quality. My OM-D E-M5II offers full HD video at up to 60 frames per second. That allows for some slow motion capture . It even has the ability to create slow motion in camera. Combine the decent video quality with in built image stabilisation and it is no longer a chore to set up and create travel videos to go along side your photos. The Olympus OM-D Em1 II offers 4k video with excellent quality. If you are really serious about video then Micro 4/3 offers the best video camera below a full blown pro rig in the form of the Panasonic GH5. It gives you Internal 4K/30p 10-bit 4:2:2, 4K/59.94p and 50p shooting with 10-bit 4:2:2 external output or 8-bit, 4:2:0 internal at 150Mbps IPB, 1080 video at up to 180p, Pre-config rack focus mode, Waveform and vectorscope monitors, Paid upgrade for V-Log video capture with preview display using luts. This will be my next investment as I get more and more in to video work.

So there you have 7 reasons why Micro 4/3 make the best cameras for travel photography. I didn’t even mention that they offer some of the best built and most weather sealed cameras, the benefits of the 2x crop factor for wildlife shots or that manufacturers such as Olympus often upgrade the cameras throughout their life cycle to add improvements and new features. That is the sort of customer service and product support that gives me confidence to buy their cameras.

If you want to look in more detail at how Micro 4/3 compares against APS-C sensors then I did a comparison here

Want to make sure you get the sharpest photos possible then check out my article here

If you want to buy any of the cameras mentioned in this article then you can do so at no extra cost by purchasing through my Amazon links. Thank you if you make any purchases as it really does help me to keep this site going.

What camera do you use for your travel photography? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

The Best Portrait Photography book by Damien Lovegrove

I have read many, many photography books over the years to try and find the best portrait photography book. The best one that I have read in a very long time comes from World renowned portrait and Fuji X Photographer Damien Lovegrove.

Damien is a very well respected portrait photographer and creates some of the most beautiful portrait images using a variety of lighting styles. I am particularly enamored with his Hollywood lighting shots.

So naturally when he recently released his own E book called Portraits I was very interested to see what was inside.

Damien proudly claims that “everything that he knows about photographing people is in this book” and having purchased it myself at full price and studied it in detail I believe him.

Not only is the book full of inspirational images, Damien takes the time to break down each image and explain his vision and his camera and lighting settings.

The book is of very high quality with over 300 high-resolution images and 50,000 words. It walks you through everything from having a vision, finding great locations and tips on connecting with and posing your subject. Of course Damien goes in to far more detail than I could ever explain here but suffice to say if you have even the slightest interest in portrait photography then this book will show you how to improve your images exponentially.

As mentioned earlier, Damien is a Fuji X photographer and a huge fan of the Fuji X series of cameras but his hints and tips apply no matter what camera system you use. I have used his tips with my Fuji XT2 (review here) as well as Olympus Pen F (review here) to create some of my favourite images of my wife.

I was so inspired by this book that I contacted Damien to ask for an interview and he was kind enough to oblige.

1. How do you manage to keep your images and style looking fresh?

I use hard light and so few people use it because it can be quite scary, but it’s very rewarding also.
All of my pictures are upright, no tilted images and I keep the post production pure. I steer clear of any post production effects so my pictures are either true colour or B&W.

2. Why do you use Fuji cameras?

Because they are small, light and fun to use. They are not intimidating to the people I am photographing and it makes me feel good when I pick one up 🙂

3. What is your favourite lighting setup?

Two Lupo 1000s to create a classic movie lighting scenario.

4. For someone starting out in portrait photography what 1 piece of advice would you give them?

Take pictures 3 days a week minimum if you want to see your work improve. Practice really does make perfect. By doing 3 portrait shoots a week you will soon learn how people react and how to get the best from the people you are photographing.

5. What inspires you to keep creating images?

I get a buzz from taking pictures, I find the whole process really rewarding. From taking the pictures to sharing the image with my sitter and on my blog. Photography has been my sole hobby and passion for 35 years.

6. Would you recommend strobes or continuous lighting for portrait work and why?

For interiors I always use continuous light because it is easy to see what you have got and the light balances better with the available light in the room and is much easier to control.
Out on location I use strobes just because I need the sheer quantity of light. Continuous light is not yet powerful enough to compete with bright daylight.

7. Do you have any tips for accentuating or disguising a models good and not so good features?

First of all identify someones best bits. This could their personality, a laugh, cheeky smile. They may have fabulous legs or feel good about one aspect of their figure. Focus on these features. For the less flattering attributes, I leave them out of shot or put them into shadow. A portrait photographers role is to enhance, diminish, maximise and minimise.

8. Can you explain to us a little about your new Portraits Ebook and how it will help our readers to improve their photography?

It has taken me several years to write this book and I have covered every aspect of portraiture that I have encountered. It really is a master work, a labour of love and everything I know about portraiture is in this book. I have used over 380 pictures to illustrate the points and features mentioned and every photograph has a detailed caption explaining how it was taken as well as the settings used.

Click the image and enter code cotswoldphoto at checkout to get your 20% discount

We have secured a 20% discount off Damien Lovegrove’s Portraits Ebook for our readers. Simply follow this link and enter the code cotswoldphoto but don’t wait too long as this expires at the end of March.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750

I put the Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 to see if the X-Trans III sensor can compete with full frame.

There is a lot of talk on the internet about the Fuji XT2 being able to hold its own or even better full frame cameras like the Nikon D750 so I thought I’d put them both to the test to see if this is really the case or not.

The most important point here is whether the X-Trans sensor in the Fuji XT2 can keep up with the very well respected full frame bayer sensor in the Nikon D750.

However I shall also look at handling and features because these play an important role in deciding which camera is right for you. Picking any camera is always a series of trade-offs so hopefully below I can go through the strengths of each system which will enable you to decide which one suits you best.

Before we move on let me just take a second to remind you that I provide all this information for free. It costs me a fortune to buy in all the gear to do these tests and the only way I can make any money to keep this website going is when you buy through my Amazon links. I get a tiny commission and it doesn’t cost you a penny or cent more. So please, if you are going to purchase anything at all (even non photography related) I would really appreciate it if you click any of the links below before you buy. Thanks again to everyone who shops using the links.

Amazon UK Links

Nikon D750 Digital SLR Camera with AF-S 24-120 mm f/4 VR Lens Kit (24.3 MP) 3.2 inch Tilt-Screen LCD with Wi-Fi UK Plug
Fujifilm X-T2 Camera Black Body Only 24.3MP 3.0LCD 4K FHD

Amazon.com links

Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body

Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

Handling

Handling is always a subjective matter because some people prefer larger cameras, larger grips or more bulk to balance out big lenses. Others prefer as small a package as possible while still retaining as much image quality and functionality as possible.

The Nikon D750 is one of the more compact full frame DSLRs available. It’s build quality is excellent although not quite up to the standards of the Nikon D500, D810 and above. The Fuji XT2 is a huge improvement over the XT1 in terms of build quality with improvements made to virtually every aspect of the body.

The build quality is roughly of equal level with the D750 feeling more solid but the XT2 feeling of a higher quality.

The D750 grip is reassuringly large and this allows you to carry it comfortably in one hand for long periods even though it weighs quite a lot more than the equivalent Fuji XT2 and lens combination. The grip on the XT2 is a little small and I definitely don’t feel particularly comfortable holding it one handed for any period of time unless the battery grip is attached.

The D750’s PASM dial has a push to unlock mechanism which would be better if it were a push to lock and push to unlock similar to the Fuji’s. It also features 2 custom settings which you can program to save your favourite settings and quickly switch to them with a turn of the dial.

All the buttons on the D750 make sense except the placement of the ISO button which is on the left of the LCD screen meaning that you can only really access it two handed. However you can re-program one of the other buttons such as the movie record button to become the ISO button.

Fuji relies on physical shutter speed, aperture (on most lenses) and ISO dials. As well as an exposure compensation dial. I prefer Fuji’s controls mainly due to the quick and direct access to ISO.

The Nikon D750 gives you a top LCD screen which can light up using the switch on the on/off switch and it shows all your most important settings. The rear of the camera features a flip out 3.2″ LCD screen that can be tilted up and down making it easier to compose shots at unusual angles.

The XT2 features a slightly smaller 3″ rear LCD tilt screen but it also has an additional hinge which allows for flexible shooting while in portrait orientation.

If you are going to be composing and shooting using the rear screen then the Fuji XT2 wins here comfortably as the screen is more reactive, focus is equally fast using the EVF or LCD screen and it allows more flexibility to capture photos at different angles . Whereas focus using live view on the D750 is painfully slow.

If size is a concern then the Nikon D750 is considerably larger than the XT2 at 840g. 141 x 113 x 78 mm vs the Fuji XT2’s 507g. 133 x 92 x 49 mm.

Features

Here’s a quick run down of the features of the two cameras that I see as being the most important.

Fuji XT2

24mp APS-C X Trans III sensor with no AA filter

Up to 14 FPS burst speed with electronic shutter, 11 FPS mechanical shutter with Grip or 8FPS mechanical shutter without grip.

1/8000 second fastest shutter speed plus electronic shutter up to 1/32000

Weather sealed body

325 focus points + custom focus modes for AF Tracking

4K video (although requires the VPB XT2 grip for full functionality).

Nikon D750

24mp Full frame 35mm Bayer sensor with AA Filter

Up to 6.5 FPS burst speed

1/4000 second fastest shutter speed

Weather sealed body

51 Focus Points

Full HD video

I’m not going to run through all the specs here as they are readily available elsewhere. The ones that I consider the most important are the difference in sensors and how that affects image quality (which I shall compare later) along with the burst shooting speed, faster top shutter speed of the XT2 and increased number of focus points.

The faster top shutter speed of the Fuji XT2 makes it possible to shoot fast aperture primes in bright daylight without the need to add ND filters to your lens. This is quite an advantage for portrait photographers working in bright conditions.

The faster FPS shooting of the Fuji XT2 combined with the customisable AF tracking modes make it more usable for wildlife and sport photography where the difference between 6.5 fps and 11fps is pretty noticeable. What is more of a factor is how widely spread the Fuji XT2’s focus points are. They cover nearly all the frame whereas with the Nikon D750 its 51 focus points are clustered very near the centre of the frame forcing you to use the technique of focusing and recomposing your image. That’s not a major problem if you are used to it but a broader spread of AF points would be preferable.

One of the areas the Nikon D750 is renowned for is its ability to focus in poor light. So I really wanted to test the XT2 against it to see whether Fuji’s claims of great low light focusing were justified or not.

When I tested the XT2 against the D750 in a really poorly lit room the XT2 not only kept up with the D750, it actually bested it on several occasions. I shot the XT2 at a wedding (see the post here) and it also focused really well in dimly lit scenes. Both cameras are among the best available for focusing in poor light.

In good light the Nikon D750 is probably a touch faster to focus but both are quick enough for most situations.

If like me you run a Youtube channel (and now I’m back in the UK with decent internet I will be adding videos more regularly) then video quality will probably be of some interest to you.

The XT2 offers excellent quality 4k video as opposed to the D750’s decent HD video. Fuji allows you to use their film simulations straight into video so if you don’t want to edit and grade footage afterwards you can still get some really nice looks. If you have an external recorder you also have the option to use the XT2’s flat F-Log profile to enable more room to push the video in post.

The only point to note is that if you are really considering the XT2 for video then you will probably have to factor in the VPB XT2 battery grip as it extends 4K recording time from 10 minutes to 30 minutes and HD from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. It also adds a headphone jack for monitoring audio levels. That of course adds to the cost of the overall Fuji package making it quite a bit more expensive than the D750.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 – Image Quality

If you are really just concerned about image quality then this is where I test that out. Can the Fuji XT2’s APS-C X-Trans III sensor compete against the Nikon D750’s 35mm Full frame C-mos sensor?

Below is a shot from the Nikon D750 taken in the Cotswolds with the 50mm f/1.4G lens attached. All images below were shot in Raw and converted to Jpeg in Lightroom CC with no adjustments. Full resolution version are available on my Flickr page

Nikon D750 + 50mm f/1.4 G @ f/2, 1/400, ISO 100

And below is a similar shot taken with the Fuji XT2 + 23mm f/1.4 lens attached. Note these were the closest focal lengths that I had to each other on that day and although the settings aren’t matched it gives a quick idea of IQ.

Fuji XT2 +23mm f-1.4 @f-2.8, 1-420, ISO 400

Nikon D750 + 50mm f-1.4G @f-5.6, 1-160, ISO 100

Fuji XT2 + 18-55mm @ f-5.6, 1-240, ISO 200

Now lets take a look at both images in Lightroom using the compare feature zoomed in to 100%. I shot the 18-55mm zoom at 35mm on the Fuji to give a roughly equivalent field of view to the 50mm f/1.4 G on the Nikon D750.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 image comparison of both photos zoomed in 100%

These images are zoomed in to 100% in the centre of the frame. What is surprising is that the Fuji using a kit lens is actually sharper than the Nikon D750 using a prime. Both lenses were stopped down to f/5.6. Now I know that the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 may not be the sharpest optic in the Nikon range but this result still bodes well for the XT2 considering we are only using the 18-55mm kit lens.

Fuji XT2 + 18-55mm @ f-4, 1-170, ISO 200

Below are a couple of examples of the skin tones that each camera produces

Nikon D750 SOOC Jpeg natural setting. Outdoor light in the shade.

I like the skin tones on both cameras but the Nikon is generally closer to what I see in real life. Particularly in the example of my daughter above.

In the photo below the highlights were clipped. I pulled them back using the highlights tool in Lightroom CC. I set the highlights to -100 and as you can see in the second image the sky retains the cloud detail.

Nikon D750 shot with clipped highlights in the sky

Nikon D750 Highlights recovered in Lightroom CC

And below is a similar shot taken with the Fuji XT2 with similarly clipped highlights in the sky.

Fuji XT2 with highlights recovered in Lightroom CC -100 highlights tool.

As you can see the Fuji seems to retain detail in the highlights as well as the Nikon D750’s full frame sensor. This is pretty impressive performance from the X-Trans III sensor.

Looking at the histograms of both cameras in Lightroom for the same scene I would put dynamic range of the two cameras at near enough neck and neck.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 High ISO noise performance

For the full set of ISO shots for the Nikon D750 and XT2 you can look on my Flickr or in this article pitting the Nikon D750 vs the D500 and D7200

Below we can take a look at a few comparisons between the Fuji XT2 and Nikon D750.

This is a 100% crop from both images. The Fuji XT2 on the left clearly shows a little more noise than the Nikon D750 but the differences are not huge. One thing to note on the full size images above is that the Fuji XT2’s white balance is more accurate in indoor light, better representing the colours than the Nikon. For example the writing on the John Grisham book (right of frame) is yellow as shown on the Fuji image.

At 6400 ISO the Nikon D750 definitely starts to pull away in terms of both luminance noise. The noise pattern from the D750 is finer and more consistent than the XT2. Don’t forget that these are raw files with no noise reduction performed. Both files are very usable with a touch of noise reduction in Lightroom but the D750 gives you a cleaner base file to work with.

Again you can see the advantage that the larger sensor of the Nikon D750 has. My testing confirms that the full frame sensor in the Nikon D750 has almost exactly a one stop advantage over the Fuji XT2 at high ISO settings. Therefore if you shoot a lot at high ISO and find yourself pushing beyond 6400 ISO a lot then I would definitely be looking to get a full frame camera as it does still give you a one stop advantage.

From previous testing the Fuji XT2 performs a little better than the Nikon D7200 and around the same as the Nikon D500 in this area.

I also note that to get the best performance you will want to shoot raw and use Lightroom or your own PP software as the in camera noise reduction of the Fuji XT2 leads to ugly noise and some additional colour noise at ISO 6400 and above. If you are going to shoot Jpeg I would turn the in camera noise reduction down all the way to -4.

Fuji XT2 vs Nikon D750 Conclusion

So is the Fuji XT2 as good as a full frame camera such as the Nikon D750?

In short, if ultimate image quality is what you are after then the larger sensor camera does still hold an advantage with all else being equal.

However those differences are only really noticeable in very specific areas.

For resolution and sharpness there is no discernible difference between the two. Lens choice will have much more impact on sharpness than swapping between the two cameras.

Where the D750 still holds an advantage is in high ISO noise performance and in depth of field control. If you like to shoot portraits with very shallow depth of field then the larger sensor in the D750 will give you the ability to do that more so than the APS-C sensor in the XT2.

In terms of handling and features the Fuji would be my preference with its smaller size, faster shooting speed, more AF points and of course the ability to shoot 4K video.

One point that we must not overlook is the fact that the XT2 sports one of the very best EVF’s with a 2.36 million dot display and a very large .77x magnification. I personally love the What you see is what you get nature of EVFs as I no longer need to chimp after each shot as I often would on a DSLR. However many people still prefer an optical viewfinder and the one on the Nikon D750 is excellent and large.

So which one should you buy?

It really depends upon your preferences. If you want the best camera for your money and value ultimate image quality then the Nikon D750 is the clear winner. It offers a full frame 35mm sensor in a relatively compact DSLR format which is weather sealed, shoots at a reasonable 6.5 fps, focuses incredibly well in low light, offers dual SD card slots and handles as a DSLR should. It is a relative bargain at the moment at around £1500 in the UK.

However as I have a young family now, my chances for dedicated photography outings have diminished somewhat and so I often find myself taking a camera along with me on trips out. Therefore I value several things about the Fuji over any DSLR.

One is the smaller size which makes it much easier to bring along with me when other items take priority.

Secondly I value the EVF because I can quickly get exactly the image that I want without holding everyone up while I chimp on the back of the screen as I would inevitably have to do on a DSLR.

Thirdly when a CSC tells you it has locked focus it almost always has. Whereas you may find that you need to micro adjust your lenses on a DSLR due to back or front focusing issues. I don’t always have the time or the inclination to calibrate all my lenses and I don’t want to capture images of my family only to find they are not in focus.

Despite my personal preference for the Fuji XT2 due to the reasons outlined above I would not argue with anyone who said that the Nikon D750 gives better image quality and is the better value camera. However I would pick the Fuji XT2 over it any day of the week. It is way more fun to shoot with and in the end the best camera is the one that I want to pick up and take with me. At this time in my life that is rarely a DSLR.

Don’t forget to check out my review of the Fuji XT2 here and follow me on Twitter to keep up with what I am testing at the moment.

Nikon D750 vs D500 vs D7200 ISO comparison

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I’m now back in the UK so can start to get busy adding reviews and articles again such as this comparison between the Nikon D750 vs D500 vs D7200.

I shot all the images in manual on a tripod and in Raw. All were shot at f/4. Yes I realise that some people want the images normalised for depth of field so I also shot the D750 shots at f/5.6 and those will be available along with all the other files on my Flickr page.

I used the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G on the D750 and the 50mm f/1.4 G on the D500 and D7200. Alhough the field of view is not exactly the same it is as close as I could get with the lenses that I had on me.

The files you see here are straight conversions to Jpeg in Lightroom creative cloud.

I had all three cameras on me and thought it would be interesting to see if the full frame Nikon D750 holds an advantage over the newer APS-C D500 and the bargain Nikon D7200.

So here we go.

At 3200 ISo I am starting to see a noticeable difference between the 3 cameras with the D7200 falling behind slightly. The noise pattern on the D7200 is slightly larger and more obvious than on the D500. The D500 is still not as good as the D750 though which exhibits very clean noise performance at ISO 3200. All 3 cameras are very useable at ISO 3200 but the D750 is definitely producing the cleanest image.

I have seen some people claim that the D500 is as good as the D750 at high ISO. Well it seems that physics still rules and the larger sensor and photosites are still outperforming those on the newer Nikon D500.

Here is a 100% crop of both cameras at ISo 3200. The D500 on the left and the D750 on the right.

Nikon D500 (left) vs Nikon D750 at ISO 3200. 100% crop

Below is a 100% crop of the Nikon D500 (left) vs the Nikon D7200 at ISO 6400. The differences are not huge but notice the finer noise pattern on the D500.

Nikon D500 (left) vs Nikon D7200 at ISO 6400

And finally lets push the boat out a bit and see what the cameras can do at 12800 ISO

Below is a 100% crop of the Nikon D7200 vs D750 at ISO 12800. The D7200 image is really starting to fall apart at this setting whereas the D750 is still doing very well. The D500 is a little better than the D7200 but nowhere near as clean as the D750.

All the images are available to view on my Flickr along with some even higher ISO samples from the cameras.

I hope you find this useful if you’re considering any of these cameras.

I’m currently getting out a lot with my Fuji XT2 and am putting it up against the Nikon D750 for general shooting. After that I will be photographing some wildlife and sports action putting the Fuji XT2 against the D500 to see which ones auto focus is better.

A dog is for life not just for Christmas

Yesterday, December 27th I was happily going about my business doing a little work and trying to relax after over-indulging on Christmas day when my partner called me over to her outside the front of our house.

I wrongly asumed that she wanted me to help to carry the shopping in. However as I walked towards her there was no shopping and she continued to beckon me over.

I really wasn’t ready for what she was about to show me. As I peered over the side of the road in to the boggy filthy field I heard a chorus of tiny yelps as to my amazement there was a litter of 9 puppies scrambling around in the mud, calling for their mother or anyone else to get them out of the mess that they were in.

Someone had clearly brought this litter of puppies (which I guess are 2-3 weeks old) in a sack and dumped them in this boggy field to die. Just days after Christmas and these tiny creatures were thrown out like garbage with not a care for them.

My wife asked me what we should do. Now I should explain that we are in the Philippines, there is no pet rescue or even animal welfare here. I understand that is a luxury for rich countries so the options are limited to, let them die or save them.

I don’t have a lot of money but I am sure as hell that I’m not going to let these innocent animals die. I couldn’t live with myself if I just ignored them.

Obviously being an animal lover I said we will get them all of course, so we proceeded to wade through the mud bare foot and gather them all up. Nine puppies in total, 5 boys and 4 girls to add to the two dogs I already have here.

After a quick bath to clean them up and get rid of the fleas they were covered in we gave them water and I headed off to the local pet food supply store and bought a couple of kilos of puppy food.

I put them in our outside utility room to dry and rest as they were obviously stressed and tired and left them with a bowl of water and food.

So this is their first full day with us and I am glad to say that they all seem healthy enough apart from a few chewed tails and some friction burns (probably from when they were thrown of the motorbike or car that dumped them).

I let them out today and the two most adventurous boys came out almost instantly and started to explore our yard, followed by a couple more and then eventually the whole gang appeared. They are now sat lazing in the afternoon Sun after having eaten most of the food I bought yesterday and made friends with Barney and Mitziou my two other dogs.

So this is a pre-warning that I now have 9 new subjects to test cameras out on so expect plenty of puppy pics to come whenever they’re up-to their cheeky antics.

I don’t know how anyone can just throw animals out as if they are garbage, especially when it would have been possible to find them homes here with just a little effort.

My plan now is to get them healthy and let them enjoy life a bit as puppies should. I’m now like the pied piper as they follow me everywhere I go. Two of the boys are very adventurous and boisterous and one of the girls is quite timid and shy. She is the smallest of the litter so I will be keeping an eye on her to make sure she gets her fair share of food.

I’ll leave you with a few photos I just took of them with the Nikon D7200 and Fuji XT2 as I will be doing a vs video and article on those two cameras soon.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and wish you all a Happy New Year.

David

Nikon D7200 vs Fuji XT2 and Olympus Pen F Shooting a Wedding

Recently I’ve been lucky enough to have several cameras to work with including the Olympus Pen F which I reviewed here

The Fuji XT2 Review here

and the Nikon D7200 Review Here

I’ve been testing them out for a while now shooting portraits, street photography and a few landscapes too.

This weekend I was asked to photograph a wedding here in the Philippines and I thought it would be a great chance to test these three cameras against each other in a fast paced, unforgiving environment.

Now I’m not a professional wedding shooter. I’ve shot landscapes, portraits and commercial work professionally but wedding photography is a whole different ball game. I made it clear what the couple could expect from me and that they really should hire a pro wedding photographer. However budget was a concern and so I offered to help out as they are friends of my Fiancée.

I also wouldn’t recommend shooting a wedding with a bunch of different cameras as it was really hard work switching between three systems and still trying to get shots of the couple’s big day.

I shot all cameras with prime lenses.

For the Fuji I used the 23mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2. On the Pen F I had the 17mm f/1.8 and 45mm f/1.8. On the Nikon I mainly used the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and the 20mm f/1.8.

Handling

In terms of handling I found all three to be well suited to fast paced shooting where you don’t get a second chance to capture the shot. The Nikon feels solid and well-built but you do start to feel the weight after a full day. I’m writing this article up 2 days later and my arm still feels a little sore so less weight is always better in my eyes as long as I don’t feel I’m compromising on image quality too much.

The Pen F is fantastic for blending in to the crowd and not intimidating subjects thanks to its small size and beautiful looks. Although as the only foreigner at a Filipino wedding it’s pretty much impossible to blend in despite the Pen F’s best efforts.

The Olympus Pen F also offers a fully articulating touch screen and touch to focus which is great for getting shots at interesting angles.

The Fuji XT2 was and is my favourite camera to handle of the 3 because it offers quick access to ISO, shutter speed and aperture via external dials. When you’re trying to photograph constantly changing and moving subjects it’s great to be able to see and change your settings as you bring the camera up to your eye. I can’t tell you how great the Fuji is for that reason alone.

The Nikon feels the most like a workhorse and it certainly is fast to use and solidly built. However during the ceremony I was aware of its louder shutter going off and I opted to use the more discreet Pen F and Fuji XT2 a lot of the time. That’s one of the major benefits of shooting mirrorless. The mechanical shutters are quieter and they have the option to use a totally silent electronic shutter. The Nikon D7200 does have a quiet mode but it’s not that quiet and it slows the camera down.

Some people deride Micro 4/3 because of the smaller sensor but I really don’t think these people use the cameras in the real World. I’ve shot loads of photos with all three of these cameras and as you can see in this article the difference in image quality between M4/3 and APS-C is very small now.

The only real benefit I see to larger sensors is the ability to create more shallow depth of field and the better high ISO noise performance but you only really see a big difference when you jump up to full frame.

Image quality from all three cameras is superb and certainly good enough for professional work. Of the three I prefer people images from the Fuji XT2 because at high ISO’s it does have slightly less noise than the other two. Just be sure to turn down in camera noise reduction to -4 otherwise any Jpegs you shoot will make your images look like mush. I shot raw at the wedding to give a little more leeway to edit the photos later on so it wasn’t a problem.

I also appreciate the ability to throw the background out of focus a little more than you can with the Pen F. This was especially useful as the locations I was shooting at didn’t always have pleasing backgrounds, in fact some would have quite easily ruined shots had the background been in focus. Obviously the new Olympus 25mm f/1.2 Pro gives us micro 4/3 users a great choice for shallow depth of field shots but I don’t have that lens yet despite it being on my Christmas list.

I had planned on shooting a Nikon D750 at the wedding too but thanks to the postal system here it didn’t arrive in time. I’ll be comparing it with the others once I get my hands on it.

For me the most important aspect of the cameras on the day was auto focus performance. This is where the mirrorless cameras actually kicked the DSLR’s butt. Yes, I know this is where DSLR’s still reign supreme according to most but in reality both the Pen F and Fuji XT2 focus really quickly and only slow down a touch in bad light. They lock on fast and when they give focus confirmation you can be sure you got the shot.

What I found frustrating with the Nikon D7200 when reviewing the photos after was the amount that were out of focus. It just isn’t as accurate to focus as the mirrorless bodies. It may be a millisecond faster but what’s the point if focus isn’t spot on.

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is not sharp until you stop it down so the benefit of a larger aperture is lost. Whereas the Fuji 23mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2 are sharp wide open and combined with the more accurate focus of the XT2 gave a far higher hit rate. The 17mm and 45mm on the Pen F are both perfectly sharp too.

The Pen F in my opinion has the best S-AF of the three cameras as it is quick, silent and deadly accurate. The only down side to the Pen F is that you don’t have direct access to change AF points. Instead you need to press the left D-pad button and then press one of the direction buttons to move the focus point around. It’s only when you are shooting something like a wedding that you notice this tiny delay but it does make a difference occasionally.

I also can’t overstate how useful I find an electronic viewfinder in my photography. I love the WYSIWYG nature of EVFs. It is so much better to use as you don’t need to take a shot then chimp on the LCD screen after to check it. For me the constant chimping needed on DSLR’s does ruin your flow and gets irritating after a while. With the large EVFs on the Pen F and particularly the Fuji XT2 I could quickly change to Acros or the Pen F’s black and white modes and see what my shot would look like in black and white. It also showed me whether the exposure was correct and if focus was spot on.

So which one would I choose if I had to do it all again?

Before I shot this wedding I have to be honest and say that I had a preconception that although I prefer mirrorless cameras for personal use, I would in fact find that the DSLR was still better when it comes to Professional use in a fast paced environment like a wedding.

Well, I was wrong. For me mirrorless cameras have caught up and in fact overtaken DSLR’s in every area that matters and if I was buying just one camera now it would be mirrorless and it would be from Olympus or Fuji.

If I could only have one of these cameras and I thought I may be shooting further weddings then it would be the Fuji XT2 because of the external control dials, slightly better high ISO performance, ability to deliver more shallow depth of field and fast accurate AF performance. I also happen to think the Fuji lens line-up is fantastic. Mind you, so are the micro 4/3 lenses.

If I was buying one camera just for personal use it would be the Olympus Pen F all day long. It is simply beautiful and a joy to use. Lightweight, great AF, excellent image quality and I haven’t even mentioned how much fun the colour dial is for black and white photography. That’s the camera I take with me when I go out with family and friends.

If you are going to shoot a Nikon I’d opt to jump up to full frame because the DX lens line-up is pathetic. The Nikon bodies are very good but I just prefer using mirrorless cameras these days and with the Fuji XT2 the AF is now quick enough to do its job.

If I was shooting another wedding with a Fuji XT2 I’d be buying a lot of spare batteries though as I fully drained 2 before the reception had finished. In fact I would buy the VPB-XT2 grip so you don’t have to worry about battery changes.

The Nikon D7200 after a full day was still showing 80% remaining and the Pen F about 40%. I took roughly the same number of shots with each Camera. That’s the only benefit the Nikon had over the others.