Choice among Nikon D5100, Sony A55, Pan.Lumix G3

[david_christensen]

<p>Old camera was OM2n with 50mm & 75-150mm zoom. I would like to get serious again. Bulk and weight were always a concern for me. What are the drawbacks/advantages of Sony & M4/3? Initial preference was M4/3 because of old lenses, but I have been impressed with what I read of Sony A55(57) and Nikon always seems a good, but big, heavy choice(I think I prefer Nikon over Canon). Here in Atlanta I have only been able to handle Nikon & Sony, so I am not sure of "feel" of M4/3...I avoid Nex because they look too small to comfortably handle zoom lenses all day. I really do like night photos; does Sony translucent mirror lose enough light to matter? I worry.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>The *obvious* differences to me are:</p>

<p>The Nikon has OVF<br /> The Panasonic can adapt legacy lenses<br /> The A55 can phase AF during video and has IBIS<br /> Nex can adapt legacy lenses and manual focus *with peaking*<br>

<br /> Sony SLT loses ~0.5 stop, I think</p>

<p> </p>

[ariel_s1]

<p>Those lenses you have aren't enough to consider one brand over another. They're alright, but in the scheme of things, they're worth about $70-$100 together, which shouldn't drive your $800+ investment. The G3 is just as poor ergonomics as NEX cameras. This shows you the size difference between the G3 and a Canon lower-end DSLR which is about the same size as the Nikon D3200/D5100/Sony alpha:<br /> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg3<br /> Feel free to use google to find image comparisons as well. The built-in viewfinder is an advantage over the NEX, but as you can see, it doesn't fit your hand any better. I use a Panasonic G2 with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses and like the size and weight. However, I bought them during various clearances, because I think that micro 4/3 is seriously overpriced for what you get. Plus, I bought them for daylight shooting, because while image quality is really good at low ISOs and is much better than compact cameras at higher ISOs, it is nowhere near the same class as the NEX cameras, D5100, or a55 for high ISO performance. What lenses are you hoping to buy and use with your cameras? Do you want to live with the same thing you had with your OM2n, a normal lens and a telephoto zoom? Because while micro 4/3 has some decent telephoto zooms, the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 is a whopping $540. The Sony 55-210mm lens is good as long as you don't mind the size. Sony doesn't have a normal lens yet, but they have promised one that will be released this year:<br /> http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/02/08/just-announced-the-sony-nex-e-mount-lens-roadmap-8-new-lenses/</p>

<p>The Sony a55 and Nikon D5100 are larger, but you have the usual SLR advantages (even though the a55 is an SLT, not SLR). Mind-numbing number of lens choices, great fast AF for action, good image quality, more on-body controls. The Sony mirror loses about 1/3 stop of light. I assume since you care about weight, you aren't often traveling with some kind of stabilizer? If you can live with the size, the a55 with its IBIS and available lenses is probably your best bet for night shooting.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Any brand of camera can make good pictures in the hands of a good photographer. But whenever anybody is starting from scratch I always recommend sticking with either Nikon or Canon. Other brands are fine but Nikon and Canon so totally dominate the market that you will have a far wider range of lenses and accessories by sticking with one or the other, particularly if you get to the point where you want to rent a special lens or accessory for a special occasion. Beyond the manufacturers' own products, third-party products (lenses, for example, or flashes that work with a particular TTL system) are always made for Nikon and Canon and may or may not come out in other versions, or the other versions come out later. If Sony/Pentax/Olympus dominated the market, I would be saying the same thing the other way around.</p>

[lisae]

<p>Quick comment about the Sony A55. (This may or may not be important, depending on how you want to use the camera.) One of my friends has the Sony and has been very disappointed in the AF capabilities. He purchased it with the video capability in mind, and it has been acceptable for that. But, we both take photos of our kids at gymnastics meets, and my humble Nikon D5000 is considerably better than the A55 under those challenging conditions.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<blockquote>

<p>we both take photos of our kids at gymnastics meets, and my humble Nikon D5000 is considerably better than the A55 under those challenging conditions.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It could have been user error, the lens attached to the A55 or something else. Child gymnastics in a dim gym is tough all together. The AF in the d5000 and A55 both are not stellar. If anything, the d5000 has only one cross hair point while the A55 has three (I believe). I have experience with both cameras and their AF speed is similar enough...</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>You cannot compare the G3 with a NEX unless you restrict yourself to the NEX 7... it was pointed out awhile back that handling longer lenses without a viewfinder is a NO-NO. The earlier NEX do not have a viewfinder. A VF attachment is not the same as a built-in one which the G3 has from my experience with an Olympus PEN and VF-3.<br>

With M4/3 those old lenses will have the Angle of View of a 100mm and 150<300mm</p>

<p>On the other hand I am reluctant to use my legacy lens for the hassle of working manually and for instance prefer to use a shorter automatic lens to the longer reach manual lens. It may not be in your budget but I enjoy working with my G3 and the 14-140 zoom [ 28-280 AoV] Adding my Oly TCONx1.7 gives me near to 500mm AoV. Without the bother of changing lenses too, just screw the TCON on with its 62>55 stepdown ring.</p>

<p>However I was impressed with the lack of noise at dpreview with a Sony A?? working at 6400 ISO compared to my results with the G3. Focusing is very quick with the 14-140 lens despite being contrast detection, usually supposed to be on the slow side.[even by street lighting at night]</p>

<p>So many pros and cons ... hard to know what to suggest when one doesn't know what you do or are likely to want to do. The G3 suits me but you are you :-)</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Of the Zuikos you mentioned, only the 50mm f/1.4 was remarkable for its bokeh. The 50/1.8 and 75-150/4 Zuikos were good but unremarkable. (I'd consider buying another OM-1N just for the 50/1.4 silver nose Zuiko, though I don't need another SLR.)</p>

<p>So don't choose a camera based only or primarily on compatibility with those lenses. If you had other favorite lenses, sure, the Micro 4/3 would probably be the best compromise.</p>

<p>Also, forget Nikon dSLRs for compatibility with most non-Nikon mount lenses. Other than a few T-mount and Tamron Adapatall lenses, it's not worth the expense and compromised images for the optical adapters needed to ensure full range focus. If you choose a Nikon dSLR, do so for the excellent range of Nikkor and compatible third party lenses. But even the smallest Nikon dSLR system will be bulkier than most Micro 4/3 and other compact cameras.</p>

[lisae]

<p>Leslie, that's interesting. I take up to 1200 pictures at meets, and usually have only 5% of those where the camera didn't focus correctly. My friend says that he has very few pictures in focus. Obviously, I don't want to assume user error on his part, so I'm interested in your experience. He thinks it may be the SLT. A couple of weeks ago, I sent him a link to the DPReview article on the Sony to see if that offers a solution. I haven't heard an update.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Leslie, that's interesting. I take up to 1200 pictures at meets, and usually have only 5% of those where the camera didn't focus correctly.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, more info or some pics would help a bit. Your 95% hit rate is amazing though, you ought to shoot sports... </p>

 

[ariel_s1]

<p>I think that Leslie's reference of "not stellar" AF systems is in relation to today's technology. The D5000 has the same AF system as the D200 which is responsive and quick enough, but I do wish that it had more cross-type AF points, which are far superior in dim lighting and for certain patterns. When using a D200, D80, D90, or any of the other 11-point AF cameras with only a center cross point, I use single-point AF and only use the center point to focus. As for reliability, I agree with Leslie that the a55 is about as good as the D5000. Neither is redefining the market, but both are more than adequate for most people in most situations. I'll say that it's a poor carpenter that blames his tools, and if your friend isn't getting photos, there are a few issues:<br>

-First and foremost, what settings? If 10fps mode is turned on, it won't follow focus when firing; turn down to like 4-5 fps for follow-focus. Also, use continuous AF. Plus, are you pre-focusing on the action while your friend isn't? Also, are you using single-point AF while your friend is letting the camera choose? Tell your friend to try shooting in aperture priority at the largest aperture and turning up the ISO until they have an acceptable shutter speed. So many variables. You could hand me a D3100 and give my girlfriend a D700, and my photos would be in focus more than hers. I have experience using these cameras in these conditions, and when I was learning photography I had my father, my professors, my unofficial photo mentors, etc. to all correct my mistakes. Most people today don't know what an aperture is before they plop down $1,000+ at their local Best Buy or Wolf Camera.<br>

-Second, what lens? The camera does its focusing with the lens wide open and only stops down to take the photo. So, if you're using a 50mm f/1.8, and your friend is using an f/3.5-5.6 lens, your friend's camera is trying to focus with 4 to 8 times <strong>less</strong> light than your camera, plus the additional 1/3-1/2 stop lost from the SLT mirror.</p>

<p>Have your friend practice by shooting sports, wildlife, moving cars, etc. during the daytime. It's good practice, and it is easier to find out what was wrong. The only thing that the SLT causes is 1/2 stop slower shutter speed given the same aperture and ISO settings, but the better sensor over your D5000 makes up for that. The AF system is in front of the mirror, so your friend should be getting just as many keepers as you.</p>

[lisae]

<p>Leslie, thanks. :) I do shoot sports - Acrobatic gymnastics for my son's team. This is my third season as the "team photographer", which means I'm the parent who provides the photos for the team website. I've also helped at a couple of Artistic meets. </p>

<p>I also know the limits of my camera. 5% might be overstating it a bit, but no more than 10%. I'm always surprised. It's harder to catch tumbling runs (for a couple of reasons) but those aren't [usually] the most interesting parts of Acro routines, so I often skip those. Of course, now that I've announced my great success in public, I'll probably bomb at the next meet!</p>

<p>Ariel, thanks for the tips. I've given him some advice, but I don't have time to give him one-on-one help at meets, which is probably what he needs. I'm not sure this is a high priority for him anyway. I'll try to print off your suggestions and share them with him. I'm not sure what lens he is currently using. I need to think about the "1/2 stop slower shutter speed" and how that would affect the pictures. That would potentially give him more blur, right? So I'm wondering if he is using too slow a shutter speed, and with that 1/2 stop disadvantage, just getting motion blur rather than missed focus? Does that sound possible? He doesn't share a lot of his pictures so I haven't seen examples of the problem.</p>

<p>I've said in other threads that I didn't buy the D5000 for gymnastics, but I ended up becoming the team photographer because I had a DSLR and, apparently, I knew how to use it! I added a Sigma 70-200/2.8, and my place was sealed. ;) Now I'm waiting for Nikon to come out with a successor to the D300s, or I will buy an upgrade to the D7000. </p>

<p>I also use the center focus point, with single-point AF and it's remarkably reliable. But I don't find it that difficult to shoot gymnastics; to me, it's pretty predictable. </p>

<p> </p>