choices..down to two: nex6+35 1.8 or epl 5+25 1.4?

<p>Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted here, hope you all have been busy taking great photos? Anyway, my story: recently i dumped all of my DSLR gear, realizing I was no longer enjoying carrying it around for personal use. It was fine when I was doing gigs to earn a few extra dollars, but once i decided to stop (got tired of the hustle), I found myself no longer interested in carrying around the weight. I still shoot…please don't laugh, but I'm kind of enjoying the simplicity of my htc one phone. Anyone who has been shooting for some time knows that gear has little to do with what makes a good image anyway. Still, too many creative limitations:-( So, I have been doing research and reading threads but would like some feed back…please. Yes i know this question has been asked before but not by me so if you don't mind, please humour me :-) I have narrowed it down to these two options: epl 5 with 25 1.4 or nex6 with 35 1.8 Keep in mind I am also considering the new fuji x20 as a last option and step down from both of these. In my experience, the best camera is the one you have on you when needed. The fuji would be an easy every day carry and way better than my htc. That said, the first two seem like viable options. Things i want: great ergonomics. external controls like exposure comp, image stabilization, great image quality (accurate colors), good AF, built in flash for day light fill (not deal breaker), easy to navigate menu system, wifi and of course…needs to be small! These two systems fit the bill…now which? leaning towards nex because epl is missing the flash and built in wifi…any thoughts?</p>

<p>If you don't care for Sony EVF, it's a wash. You can't go wrong with either. I'd give the olympus an edge for native lens selections, IBIS and AF speed. The Sony is better for adapting legacy lenses, Wifi for apps and a bigger sensor.</p>

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<p>I have the E-PL5; it handles like a P&S camera. When shot in native, 4:3 aspect ratio the image on the LCD is only 2.5". If you're under 40, and only frame pictures looking at an LCD, this may not be a big deal. The Olympus menu system is somewhat <em>different</em> than other makes. You will need more than 10 minutes to figure it out, and you will have to read the manual (electronic media only), and that's just to find out how to get into the advanced, <em>Super Command Mode</em>, menu system. Keep in mind that with the two lenses you mention, neither one of these cameras will be very small, light or pocketable. If anyone tries to make a differentiation between these cameras based on IQ, ignore them, they haven't used either one of the cameras.</p>

<p>Or, if you can live with a fixed focal length (35mm), I might suggest the new Fuji X100S. It's possible that the IQ from it will be better than those you mentioned.</p>

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<p>The Olympus menu system is somewhat <em>different</em> than other makes. You will need more than 10 minutes to figure it out, and you will have to read the manual (electronic media only), and that's just to find out how to get into the advanced, <em>Super Command Mode</em>, menu system.</p>

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<p>One can say the same thing about the Sony, or any other brand. Really, spend about 20 or so minute figuring the menu is not a big deal. Once you know, you know...And they both somewhat handle like a p&s because they are smaller, portable; It's the nature of the beast of small cameras...</p>

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Sounds to me like you're a good candidates for the Fuji X20. Size, ergonomics, versatility, and the new x-trans sensor

should look very good. Smaller sensor, but if you're not printing large, very film-like colour and smoothness. I am in the

prOcessing of replacing my Olympus epl1 with a Fuji xe1, but am looking hard at the x20. Fuji is doing something special

these days with its sensors, ergonomics and fast lenses.

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<p>One can say the same thing about the Sony, or any other brand.</p>

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<p>I made the comment I did, because I read complaints all the time from reviewers who use all sorts of brands of cameras, and are driven nuts by Olympus. Quote from our very own Bob Atkins:</p>

 

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<p>The XZ-2 is highly customizable, but that comes as the cost of significant complexity. Olympus seem to hide the stuff that might confuse inexperienced users, but at the cost of more experienced users becoming frustrated trying to find and enable some functions.</p>

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<p>Come on, Bruce, are you telling me there were no complaints with the Sony Nex menu system? There were almost universal dissing across the web. PN, Getdpi, RF forum and most of the reviews talked crap of it...Probably the very reason Sony made the 7. </p>

<p>So, again...It's the nature of the small camera beast. I wish they all would copy Ricoh GRD menu system. Then again, the ricoh didn't have that many features. </p>

 

<p>Forums are 99% parroted comments (like your Sony comments) on gear that people have never touched.</p>

<p>I said that reviewers that use different equipment all the time, including Olympus and NEX, have way fewer bad things to say about the Sony menus. Try giving your mother a E-PL5 and a NEX 7 to use for a couple of days, and see which menu system she had less trouble with.</p>

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<p>"If you don't care for Sony EVF" <em><strong>Leslie C.</strong></em></p>

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<p>And why would someone not care for that?<br>

If you're looking to <strong>take the next step up</strong> from a glorified point & shoot camera, then make sure you get a unit with EVF capabilities.</p>

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<p>And why would someone not care for that?</p>

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<p>I don't know, why don't you ask the millions iphone/camphone users, point and shooters? And I did say "if" so, I'm not sure what your point is...</p>

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<p>Forums are 99% parroted comments (like your Sony comments) on gear that people have never touched.</p>

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<p>I agree, but there were countless reviewers panning the Nex menu/ergo. Lumious Landscape, Steve Huff, Imaging Resource, DPReview, etc...Need I find and pull them for you to see? Seriously, if you think the Nex menu is flawless or close to flawless, I would lose much respect for you, Bruce. I personally own the oly and Nex and they both have their quirks, but none is particularly *that* much better.</p>

<p>FWIW I find the oly menus makes more sense if you are not changing much. The sony, in many ways are quicker, but you can get lost easier too...</p>

<p><br />PS. And I owned them since 2010.</p>

<p>Why not get the e-m5 instead of the epl5? The e-m5 offers plenty of features for the price difference. If you can, you should compare the two cameras and see for yourself how you like them.</p>

<p><em><strong>Leslie</strong></em> so sorry, but you may have taken my "piggy back" comment in the wrong way.<br>

It was simply a rhetorical question to your statement.</p>

<p>Gus,<br /> Online forum, text misunderstanding...forget it:)</p>

<p>I actually bought the Sony 35mm and sent it back today. It was a <em>good</em> lens, but I was expecting a <em>great</em> lens for that money. The bokeh wasn't quite smooth and the in-focus area wasn't quite sharp enough.</p>

<p>Andy, you've illustrated what made me reconsider the NEX-7. I don't profess to own any Sony gear, but I have done a LOT of research into camera systems, and I am now considering either the Fuji X100S or the Olympus OM-D as a "travel" system to complement my Pentax K-5 DSLR system. FWIW, unless I'm missing something, I think the 2 (and only 2) Sony lenses that are worthy of the NEX-7 sensor are the Sony/Zeiss 24 and the Sony 50. Of course, I could be wrong.</p>

<p>I can't really comment - never used either of those. My favorites are actually manual focus lenses on adapters. I recently scored a great deal on a Konica 57/1.2 (best lens you've never heard of) to use on my 5n and it's really superb - on the same level as the Minolta 58/1.2 (which, coincidentally, sells used for about what the Sony 35mm sells for new).</p>

<p>After some experimenting, my answer to this question is: Fuji X-E1 with the 35mm f/1.4. The body is waaaay better than an E-PL series, and the lens is waaaaay better than the Sony. And the camera knows how to behave itself - the controls are quick to get at and the camera works like I expect it to.</p>

<p>Andy, congrats on your Fuji X-E1 with the 35mm f/1.4! I am now researching that model as well as the Fuji X100S, as a high-quality "travel" system. I'll be looking for test reviews comparing the image quality betwen those two bodies, at least as closely as possible, since there will be a dofference in focal length. </p>

<p>I think you're going to find that the noticeable difference is the fixed lens vs. the interchangeable lenses. I wanted to go with interchangeable. That also lets me use the manual focus lenses, and the X-E1 has the good viewfinder for that.</p>

<p>Well, for next to nothing you can also have a samsung NX200 with the (sharp!) 30mm f/2 pancake...<br>

It's really small, and there is also a small add-on flash (the GN-20) that can tilt all the way up to 90°...</p>