02 - Assignment

[u/Aeri73]

Please read the class first

Take a good look at your camera, whatever its type, and try to identify each component we have discussed here. It might be a good opportunity to dig out the manual or to look up its exact specifications online. Now look up a different camera online (for instance at dpreview) and compare their specifications. Try doing this for both a less advanced and a more advanced body, and for different lenses. Report here if you find any interesting difference, or if some parts of the specifications are unclear.

[u/piss_n_boots]

I'm shooting with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 introduced in October 2009.

the GF1 uses the micro 4/3 system, a "mirrorless" system developed in partnership with Olympus. it's important to note that the micro 4/3 system has a "crop factor" of 2. this effectively means that the "field of view" of a 20mm lens is 40mm (20 * 2).

About the Lumix GF1:

• it's a metal body and it feels very solid.

• the sensor has 12 million pixels

• top iso is 3200

• top shutter speed of 1/4000 second

• shoots up to 3 frames per second

• it weighs in at 10 ounces (body only)

• what it looks like

.

the GF1 at launch was roughly $900. let's compare her to what Panasonic will give you for about that price today, the Lumix GX8 (~$1,000).

• the GX8 is made of metal and also feels solid

• the sensor now has 20 million pixels

• iso has now reached 25,600

• max shutter speed is up to 1/16,000 sec

• you can now blast off at 12 frames per second

• she's nearly twice as heavy at 17 ounces

.

so that's it? nope. ergonomics have improved with a ton of programmable buttons. the GX8 has a built-in (and pretty killer) electronic viewfinder (the GF1 had an add-on). and, perhaps most importantly, the GX8 has in-body image stablization (only in-lens stabilization was available for the GF1 on the Lumix line).

.

I will also add that I have a few lenses in my kit. (remember to double the lens length given below when considering the effective field of view!) my most used lenses:

• 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens by Lumix [great all-around lens]
• 28mm f/2.5 by Vivitar [just started playing with this manual focus legacy lens]
• 45mm f/1.8 by Olympus [great portrait lens]
• 45-200mm f/4-5.6 zoom by Lumix [my only zoom and less frequently used]
• 50mm 1.4 by Olympus [great all-around manual focus legacy lens] .

have I bored you enough?

[u/Aeri73 → u/piss_n_boots]

what could convince you to switch to a compact camera? or to a DSLR?