Karim Ghantous

Rehearsal Olympus OM-D

S2-P, VGC, no corrosion, GBP 1,295. M10, Visoflex, etc, VGC, AU$6,150. M9, replaced sensor glass, VGC, AU$3,900. M10 Monochrom, NM, AU$7,800.

Rehearsal Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D

Rehearsal Olympus OM-D

Just for fun, here's a thought experiment (I'm using Australian dollars in this example). To begin, take the oldest digital M body you would realistically buy and use. That would be, IMHO, the M 240. On eBay, you can get a good one for AU$5,000, although I have seen a few that are cheaper. An M10 will cost you an extra thousand dollars. Then add two lenses of your choice, that would give you a kit that matches the capability of the Q3 43. Let's say, a 50mm Summicron V4 and a 90mm of some kind. The 50 will cost you AU$3,000+. You can of course get older versions for less. But we are trying to match the Q's modern optics. For the 90mm, we have a couple of options, depending on how you want to look at the problem. Let's take two lenses: the 90 Elmarit and the 90 APO Summicron. The 90 Elmarit will cost you AU$1,250, and the 90 APO will cost you at least AU$4,000. Let's abstract this problem and split the difference. Our 90mm lens now costs AU$2,625. There is no such lens as an average between any two lenses, but remember that this is purely a thought experiment. The Q3 43 costs AU$11,890. The M 240 kit costs AU$10,625. So, a secondhand M 240 kit, with just two lenses, costs about a thousand dollars less than a brand new Q3 43... and yet, has capability that is a fraction of the Q3 43. Of course, the M 240 does have an advantage. At longer focal lengths, you get more pixels. The Q3 43 gives you 14 Mpx at 90mm, where as the M 240 gives you 24 Mpx. However, at 43mm, the Q3 43 gives you 60 Mpx at 43mm and 31 Mpx at 60mm. At those focal lengths, the Q3 43 gives you more resolution. Even at 75mm, the Q3 43 gives you 20 Mpx. Not to mention that the newer sensor has better performance per pixel. But what if you want a wide angle lens to go with your kit? Add a modern 28mm Summicron to your M 240 kit and you're up for maybe AU$5,000 for the 11672 , and AU$6,000+ for the 11618. Let's split the difference and go with AU$5,500. Now your M 240 kits costs you AU$16,125. So, we need to expand the capability of the Q3 43 - but how? Do we buy a brand new Q3 at AU$10,890? Or do we buy a good used Q2, which you can find on eBay for maybe AU$5,000? I say we go for the latter, as it's still more capable than the M 240 and about the same price. So now you have an M 240 kit at AU$16,125, and a Q kit (Q3 43 + Q2) at AU$16,890. Not much difference here - and you have two Q bodies compared to just one M body. Whichever way you cut it, the Q system offers much better value than the M system for focal lengths of 90mm and shorter. Of course you could buy cheaper lenses for the M 240, but they would not compete with the Q lenses. In fact, you could buy a Sony kit for much cheaper, but that is a different category of hardware. With the Q3 43, we have no choice but to buy a new one, and yet it still comes out cheaper in the end. Whether or not the Q can replace the M is a question for the individual. But if it doesn't matter, the Q does much more for the same money.

Rehearsal Olympus OM-D

The most recent RX100 you can afford. There is also the Lumix TZ110 which is similar. Or, if you like super telephotos like I do, a Lumix TZ80 or TZ90.

Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D

Olympus OM-D

It is for some of us. But hashtag not all. We didn't have as much choice. Now, thanks to progress in technology, we are seeing more possibilities. As in, "Hm, maybe I don't actually need a 600/4 anymore."

Olympus OM-D