Photography News Issue 67

Photography News | Issue 67 | photographynews.co.uk

Techniques 20

Light and fantastic New series! Getting into a mirrorless systemmeans making a choice. Here we look at lightweight and powerful crop sensor options fromOlympus, Panasonic and Fujifilm

the next two issues we’re going to be looking at them in detail. This issue, it’s the turn of crop sensor mirrorless cameras, including those with APS-C andMicro Four Thirds-sized sensors. While full-frame systems – those with sensors similar in size to a frame of 35mm film – might seem attractive, smaller image sensors have their advantages, too. For one thing, they’re generally going to be smaller and lighter than

full-frame cameras, and almost always more affordable, too. The size and weight gain means you can either travel lighter or pack more into the same space, as lenses and associated accessories are smaller. Shooting telephoto has long been an advantage of working with smaller sensors, as the crop factor of the sensor either has the teleconverter effect on lenses– for instance turninga300mm into a 600mm equivalent – or means

that long lenses simplydon’t have tobe as large, heavy or expensive as on full- frame bodies. Image quality from these smaller sensors can still be tip-top, too, with Fujifilm claiming equivalent quality to full-frame sensors thanks to its innovative APS-C-sized X-Trans sensor design. And because there’s less image data to push through to the card, youmayalso find faster shooting rates on smaller bodies – for instance

the Olympus OM-D E-M1X’s 15fps mode, rising to 60fps when using the electronic shutter. And,ofcourse,therearealltheother benefits ofmirrorless cameras, too, like exposure preview in the EVF for more accurate working, improved autofocus speed and accuracy thanks to contrast- reliant modes, silent shooting for candid photography and in-body image stabilisation, so you don’t need IS lenses to tackle camera shake.

Words by Kingsley Singleton

If you’re in the market for amirrorless system (and there are plenty of reasons to be) there’s lots of choice out there today. Mainly though – much like when shopping for a DSLR – you’re looking at either a full-frame or crop-sensor body. Fortunately, the mirrorless market is jam-packed with great examples of both, and over

Panasonic

The king of the hybrid frontier

Panasonic has been in themirrorless game since the start, and the quality shows

Though it wasn’t technically the first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera to market, Panasonic pretty much kicked off the mirrorless revolution (over a decade ago now) with its Lumix G1. Built around the Micro Four Thirds standard it shares with Olympus, ten years of development and innovation has seen the Lumix G range grow into a mature system, with superb bodies and lens support, including lots of third-party options. Top of the range now are the Lumix GH5, G9 and GX9 – though Panasonic has just recently entered into the

full-frame mirrorless market with the Lumix S series, too. Often considered the ultimate hybrid cameras for those who want to shoot both stills and video, Panasonic has put a lot of effort into both sides of capture with its Lumix G bodies, and the GH5 is routinely used by professional filmmakers. That’s thanks to features like 60p 4K video and up to 180fps slow motion in 1080HD, though the GH5S is even more targetted towards filmmakers. Panasonic’s cameras also boast superb stills. For instance, the GH5 has burst shooting at up to 9fps and the

new Depth from Defocus AF system offers 225 focus points and works very well, despite not using the latest phase-detection technology of some rivals. And in spite of its smaller size, the 20.3-megapixel sensor can crank out images with impressive levels of detail and dynamic range in Raw mode. Drawing on the cameras’ strong video features, many of Panasonic’s top models also have a clever 6K photo mode, giving 4992x3744 frames and letting you shoot at up to 30fps. There’s also a high resolution mode that gives huge 10,368x7776 files. Panasonic’s high-end mirrorless cameras are built like solid pieces of pro kit and are well sealed against the elements, with good handling. These are proper bodies, not flimsy kit. They also feature lots of customisable Panasonic has models for the advanced photographer like the Lumix G9 (above) as well as general consumer like the Lumix GX9 (right)

options and high-quality viewfinders. There’s in-body five-axis image stabilisation, and Panasonic builds optical image stabilisation (OIS) into many of its lenses. While the GH and G bodies are DSLR style, with a prominent EVF and handgrips, the GX part of the range is smaller and lighter, instead using a handy tilting EVF and with a slimline design that makes them pocket friendly

(depending on the pocket, of course). The leading GX9 has a 20.3-megapixel sensor, and weighs only 450g without a lens. It also has a 4K photo mode, which allows shooting at up to 30fps and gives 3328x2496 pixel files. As you’d expect, the range continues with progressively low-spec’d, smaller bodies like the G90 and GX80, all of which are great options as either second bodies or in their own right.

Above Panasonic has worked hard on its movie functionality, so models like the Lumix GH5S are popular with stills and movie shooters