Educate me

<p>Hi. I am interested in mirrorless digital cameras with interchangeable lenses however I know little about digital having only a Panasonic point and shoot at this time so I need advice.</p>

<p>I looked at the Pentax Q system but didn't like it because of sensor size and fixed aperture lenses. I also disliked the Nikon J-1 because of sensor size. I haven't yet reviewed the Olympus Pens or Sony Nex or Canon. I have heard that 4/3rds is "dead" but don't know why. Micro 4/3rds seems to be the direction to go. I am interested in using old film lenses on whatever system I buy into so cheap adapters are a big plus. Also, I wouldn't want, for example, an old 50mm film lens to be the equivalent of a 300mm lens on the digital due to sensor size, etc.</p>

<p>What camera/system should I be looking for? My shooting habits are everything but particular interest in panoramics, low light, macro, street photog.</p>

<p>Tom - there's a ton of information out there, much more than anyone can respond to here. I recently decided to try the micro 4/3 system and got a reconditioned Olympus E-PL2, and bought inexpensive but reliable lens adapters for my Canon FD, Contax, Nikon & Leica lenses...also a screw adapter for old Pentax screw mounts to the Contax...been trying it out for a couple of months....there was a learning curve to the camera itself. The magnification factor was 2x, I would have preferred less, but that's the way things go. Still haven't decided if I will keep it...as I'm used to the standard 1,5x cropped sensors of Nikons for the last 10 years or so. I don't do much printing anymore, so the 10mp sensors are ok for many of my needs. If I was in your shoes, I'd spend some time with a reliable dealer who knows his stuff and has lots of different bodies for you to try....I found that ergonomics was vastly more important with these little things than the bigger DSLRs.</p>

<p>If you are adapting legacy lenses mostly, the sony nex ought to be a top choice, if not the top. Where's David? </p>

<p>The Canon system is very new. The Sony sensors and bodies are great but the lens selection is lacking - but it's the best for lenses on adapters. Micro 4/3 has the largest lens selection and Olympus cameras have stabilization with all lenses but I'd call the Fuji lenses the highest quality ones.</p>

<p>I seriously doubt that micro 4/3 is "dead". Perhaps the more intense development by Sony (Nex series) or Fuji (X series) has temporarily pushed it into the background, but the truth is that the micro 4/3 system right now has more cameras and lenses to choose from than either the Nex or the X series. From my point of view the biggest issue with it is the 2x crop factor. I had used it (Oly EPL1 and a Panasonic G3) before switching to the Fuji system and found the IQ, and the ability to use legacy lenses to be very good. I mainly just wanted a bigger sensor, which is why I went with the Fuji.</p>

<p>So I would not consider it a dead system. Perhaps you should go to a well stocked camera store and try various systems to see which one feels best. I think mirrorless cameras in general are going to be around for a long time; I would not waste a minute worrying that they're going to go away any time soon.</p>

<p>Ted, the OP said 4/3 is dead, not MICRO 4/3 which he declares "seems to be the direction to go."</p>

 

<p>Having adopted MFT myself although still have, largely unused, bridge and DSLR camera I think that MFT is the way to go and if I wanted to suggest a dying breed it would be first the P&S and secondly the DSLR with obvious exceptions for the later.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If you are adapting legacy lenses mostly, the sony nex ought to be a top choice, if not the top. Where's David?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Wow, I missed this one completely. :(</p>