The amazing positive of KZfaq and the internet is access to this kind of content. The downside is, the former bargains triple or more in price overnight! That's ok, makes the treasure hunting more challenging in a fun way sometimes. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, experience, and opinions.

Thanks, all good and sound advice. There was a period in my photography journey when I was influenced by the influencers. They would gush that a new version of a camera had 100% better focus or twice as good low light performance than its predecessor. I would buy the camera only to discover that in the real world it was (at most) marginally better. Lesson learned. It also finally dawned on me that photographers were taking the most amazing photos using "in the day" cameras that were now obsolete (like the Nikon D200), as well as fantastic action shots with cameras that only had 9 focus points and a burst rate of 4 FPS. Yes, a camera can make a difference, but the photographer makes a much bigger difference. I have too many cameras, but I now accept that they are my hobby and I can enjoy them for what they are. However, I'm not racing to buy the latest and greatest gear. Influencers will wax about the best camera ever only to do the same with another model that comes out one a week later. It is kind of like watching the home shopping club. Happy shooting!

Glad my algorithm picked this channel up

Very good Don, great advertisement for our beloved M43 format!

Great advice. Problem that I see is some (many) people spend more time in the camera shop/website/forum than they do actually using their camera!

An excellent video with a message that is not heard nearly often enough: ignore those who criticize the gear you have, more than half of them have no idea what they are talking about. This goes double (or triple) for the MFT system. I am so disgusted with all the misrepresentations of MFT by so many on KZfaq out of ignorance or malice. They are only dogs barking because other dogs are barking, so "tune out the noise." Great, great insights, Don.

I have bought all of my equipment used in like new or excellent condition. There's a significant price difference from new. You make great comments about the noise. I watched all the videos about equipment and fell into the trap of validating my choice of camera and lens choices. I'm a hobbyist and not a pro, so I don't need all the high end equipment that they say you should have. I will never spend over $300 for a tripod and they all say that the Peak Design tripod is the only one you should get. You make excellent points and it is very nice to hear. Keep up the great videos.

I've only recently started using m4/3 and quite getting into it. Got an OM-D EM-1 and pair of the Panasonic kit lenses, 14-45 and 45-150, with OIS, in case I pick up a Lumix body at some point. Also got an adapter from SRB-Griturn for EOS to m4/3, so that I can use some of the drawerfuls of classic glass I have. So far, it's working out well, the only thing I'm not a fan of is the small battery, but a battery grip goes some way to curing that, at the cost of losing the very thing that makes the system so nice - it's small size.

I've been using Oly since i picked up a half frame in the mid 60's. I currently use an E-M1X, E-M5 III and a pair of OM-5's. They do everything I need to do. I keep the 5 series cameras in one camera case along with a 12-45mm f4, 40-150mm f4 and a 60mm f2.8 macro. I can grab that one compact case and meet 85% of my needs. I have a number of other cameras but, these go with me more often than not. The ergonomics on these cameras are great for Me. I have neuropathy in my hands and have difficulty using some bodies (including My E-M1X). Affordability is good too. I don't personally care who the camera was made by or what format it is. If it captures the image I want without getting in My way I'm good with it. Thank You for Your excellent content.

Great video Don. I totally agree with you about not listening to what other youtubers say. I shoot mainly wildlife and shot Canon for years. As I got older I wanted to get the weight of my gear down. I tried full frame Sony and APS-C Fuji set ups and was never happy with the results. Moving to Olympus was a game changer. I am now getting tack sharp images straight from the camera and a much higher hit rate with the OM-1. I've now found a camera that I am happy with.

I've been shooting adapted lenses on my Fuji X-T3 exclusively for the last couple months, I have a Nikon mount Tokina 28-70mm f2.8 on top of a Zhongyi speedbooster that produces such beautiful images that it lives on my camera most of the time now, even with the heft of it. I may just end up selling off the Fuji 50mm and the 23mm Viltrox and grab some other vintage lenses for it.

Thank you for this video. I totally agree that the only things that matter is to know your gear, composition and image processing. I have been shooting M43 for 5 years too and it was my first digital camera. I chose M43 because the gear and price are smaller, and I am more than happy with the quality. I have also been watching a ton of videos on camera gear. Now I am looking for real photography world howtos. One of the reason I suscribed here.

Thank you for this video. It was unfortunately sent to me by a friend AFTER I went crazy and bought a whole high-end olympus set up, haha. I used to be a dedicated amature canon shooter and had collected thousands of dollars worth of lenses and such over the years, piece by piece, Only to have the bulk of my system stolen in one event, which really sent me into denial and depression for a couple of years. By replacing my gear sort of like for like but from a different manufacturer I was able to get a significant amount of it covered by my home insurance policy, So that's cool. My teenage son has embraced the hobby and has been pushing me to get back into it as well. Never one to miss out on opportunities to connect more with him, I said ok and started trying to figure out what's out there that could be interesting and a good fit for me. The M 4/3 started to look like the way to go, and when we took a trip to our local high-end camera store, and they sneered at the idea of this format, telling me I would regret it terribly, and that lens selection is terribly poor, and there's only two manufacturers, and blah blah blah, that locked it in for me, and I bought my kit the very next day. I'm only in the first week of ownership, and like your dad, I have been just fiddling with everything whenever I have free time. I've also been careful to support my son in his choices, who has been for some time really scouring and exploring the vintage lens category. So I really agree with everything in your video, and I greatly appreciate you sharing your perspectives and journey with us. Thank you.

The man speaks the truth.

good advise!

hi Don, thank you for your insight. Spot on I have just started out on my MFT journey. I always had a point and shoot and then the phones came with cameras and used that. I always wanted to learn photography and get a real camera. I tried X-E2 Fujifilm, Nikon Z30, Canon M6, Lumix GX85 a great camera that got me hooked on MFT. My thumb is a bit big for the buttons on the GX85 so swapped it for a Panasonic Lumix G95. I love it and the images it gives me for half the price of Fuji or Nikon setups. Also the small compact size for travel. We are retiring and are going to travel all around New Zealand in our converted Bus. So with my search over and a camera that is light years ahead of me your video has been reassuring with very good advice on my way forward, learning journey. Cheers

thanks for your advise

Whoa! How can you get a gazillion clicks on KZfaq without touting the latest most expensive gear with some controversy? Actually, by video like this, instead, I hope. I am just getting in to Micro 4/3 and this was the video I really needed to see - thanks! And subscribed - I really like the look of your photos, and am looking forward to learning to take awesome pics with my new Olympus when it arrives.

Hi Don, I agree with most of your point,s. I have the OMD EM1 MK II, great camera but so complicated not helped by a rubbish instruction manual. Find myself useing the Pen EPL 5, more, it,s more straightforward. Olympus has the best Jpeg engine of any make, saves time in lightroom! Recently bought the 12-40 pro, superb len,s and weather sealed, with the OMD not precious about the weather here in the UK. You don,t go to Scotland for a suntan!

Went fully M43 from Canon in 2019, never looked back. Have 4 bodies and 7 Mzuiko and 2 Lumix len's. It's a more fun system to use and as I now enjoy photography more, (professional and hobby(, the quality of what I now shoot is so much better than my Canon days. And you are right you don't have to follow the trend, use what's best for you whether a car, phone, computer or brand of beer.

A really great video with sound advice.

often thought about getting into micro four thirds,thanks for the video

Thanks so much Don! This is the wisest video I've seen and listened to in a long time - maybe ever! I truly enjoyed your advices! Embrace the m43 look!

Very good reflection with which they agree 👌. Surely we are of a similar age, also in the past I used photosensitive film equipment. I love the color and image quality of the micro (they should have named it "super") four thirds system. I would add that... curiously, and ironically, Leica implemented the 24x36mm format as a reduction of the chemical support format of the time of 60x90 and 60x60mm (medium format) to achieve smaller, discreet and easier to transport camera bodies... What It represented a great revolution in “analog” photography and blurring and equivalences in apertures/focals were not considered, with respect to "medium format", to consider it invalid in certain disciplines... It seems that the second revolution would be the reduction of the dimensions of the old 35mm reel, to give way to the micro four thirds (a new standard open to all manufacturers and the only one designed entirely digital). Then a question arises: why are most companies so stubborn in wanting to sell the sensor with the “classic” 24x36mm (now renamed full frame) as the best? The answer I think is quite obvious: those manufacturers (the old well-known manufacturers of cameras and new ones that Minolta bought) want to continue taking advantage of their investment in optical designs from the past... (it does not seem that they are looking to do the photographer a great favor, because in this new digital age it turns out that they are going to have to continue carry equipment just as heavy as in the last century, at the time of the film). These manufacturers have made it clear when they have called it “full frame”, that is, they have only bothered to fill their bodies with a sensor the size of 35mm film to obtain economic benefit, at the cost, in many cases of ignorance and manipulation. of the consumer, justifying these prices in the larger size of the objectives (even more expensive, larger and heavier)😅

That was a wonderful video presentation. I’m going to pull my M43 camera out now and go take some photos. 😊

I went through such a similar journey. Did my research, got an Oly EM5 iii, read too much about full frame sensors, but stuck with the Oly and expanded My lens collection to include the 12-40 pro and then vintage lenses, which are a wonderful new world to explore and give more unpredictable results, usually of the good sort. I am even learning to pull them apart and clean the fungus out, but beware of lenses like the Zuiko 1.8 50 mm of which most models have a sealed unit Which cannot be cleaned. I have also got some bargains with the 4/3 mount previous generation Olympus lenses such as the 50 to 200 mm which is a pro level zoom and works fine with an adapter.

Hi Don, great Video, I had OMD EM10 MK II and still have it, the only things I wish that the battery life was better, special if you are shouting other modes that simple A Mode, also I leave in tropical country it happen the camera over heated because of high out door temperature, and water proof would have been nice. I purchased eventually an OMD EM1 MK III, used two year ago. I fully agree the importing things is to know your equipment, I shoot a little of everything and a play online Guru shoot game, and I could see that my photo taken with the OMD EM 10, perform as good as the one's taken with the more advanced camera. Waterproofing was the main drive to buy a new camera, because when I had my OMD EM 10 MK II knew I was on trip to the jungle and it was light raining, so I was scared to use the camera, instead I used my old compact Casio instead.

Great discussion.

Hi, some good points there. I`ve been using M43 since 2011 with E-PL1 then E-M5 Mk1 & 2 and E-M1 MkII. I get great image quality, love the IBIS and as you point out the ability to use just about any vintage lens with the system and the IBIS also works with the old lenses! I love the art filters too and the ability to shoot JPEG in art filter and still get the original unmodified image in RAW. Good advice you give with ignoring all the rubbish talked about the system and get to know how to use your equipment. A great system. Thank you for your video.

Very good. Moved to OMDS/Olympus last year. I still have my Nikon DSLRs (D500 and D850), but I like my MFT gear better.

After spending 300$ on a used Olympus em10 mark3 and using it for 2 years.... I just went and got another mark2 in Silver for 300$.(the electronic shutter is way better and it looks great) I thought I might move up to an EM 1 or a G9 but I have found the small form factor combined with great image quality is why micro 4/3 is better than APSC or full frame. Better. I would encourage OM Systems and Panasonic to market the hell out of their built in advantage.

Love your philosophy.

Thanks Don for a video that obviously took a lot of effort to execute. Very much appreciated 🎉🎉🎉. I recently acquired an OM mount 135mm f4.0 and it is really beautiful. I am also waiting for my new purchase to be delivered, an E-M1 mki. I believe that this will enhance the look of the images from the 135mm.

Hey good stuff, I have been shooting almost all the Olympus digi cams since the E500. Cheers!

all good points!! another great video. thanks!!

Great points Don, have enjoyed my EM1 mkII for almost five years now too, bought it used on eBay with the 12-40pro at a very good price, have slowly added a bunch of Oly lenses over the years too, ... good to hear your advice, cheers, Steve :)

I was out this morning, taking photos and, for the fun of it, I switched to one of the B&W Art modes. I thought I would only take a couple photos, but ended up taking photos for the next two hours in the Art mode. I had forgotten how good the mode was. And I didn't need to spend a bunch of time post-processing.

I have a bunch of old Zuiko MF-lenses, including the 55mm F1.2, the 50mm f3.5 Macro and the 100mm f2.8. Got them at flea-markets before film-photography became trendy. I paid more for a used Olympus OM-M43 converter than I did for the lenses! Absolutely amazing lenses on the OM-D EM5, E-PL 5 and E-P1. Got those cameras on a fleamarket, including 5 really good M43 lenses, for 250 US$.. I do have a Nikon D200 and the classic Nikkors, 28mm,35mm,50mm,85mm and 105mm, but I hardly ever use them, to large and heavy to carry around, and I can't say the IQ is better. It IS a bit different, but I honestly can't say one is better than the other..

Thanks Don. I feel disappointed when a reviewer says buy another camera that is not micro four thirds if you want the best image quality. And I have full frame cameras, and APSC cameras. I love micro four thirds cameras and I love them for the images they produce. So I will tune out that noise too. Micro four thirds cameras produce high quality photographs in my opinion. In fact I often find them easier to use than other sensor sized cameras. I use an Olympus camera for my exhibition openings and photography of the exhibition art. With the 5 axis image stabilisation of the camera and f2.8 plus an ISO of 400-800 I can photograph anything at the exhibitions and get great results.

One question please: Can you use an old macro lens and do focus stacking on a single photo, manually,or is it exclusive to modern Olympus af macro lenses? , which automatically does the entire process in lens-camera symbiosis. Except for the basic 12-32 mm zoom, I use Nikon AIS lenses with my old Lumix, but watching your olympus omd5 , warms up my brain.....and now it's at a good price.....

I have to a camera I love more for photos & video than my GH5ii. Great content

Hello, thank you for the sharing ! It seems to me that m4/3 format is very underated. Olympus offered fonctions that no one did (and still not do). I like to take pictures in manual mode. So i bought some vintage lenses (like your pentacon) to mont on my olympus cameras (e-m5 mk2 + e-m1 mk2). I'm very happy with both (vintages lenses and cameras). In the same way and because of a short budget i don't buy new camera model. But i had the oportunity to find 2nd hand cameras very cheap : fujifilm x-pro1 and canon eos 5d mk2. With adatators all my lenses go on all my cameras, no need to buy a lense for a brand or a format !

Great to see you back Don. Sound advice. Learning to live with what it is..... Still ringing in my head. I love m43rds i got an Ep5 off your previous advice love it. Loved em5ii too but my bricked and was replaced with omd em1ii......don do i really have to learn to live with the magenta i seem to get in skin tones? Or maybe im doing something wrong. Great video thanks for the making

Agree! I had mirrorless mft, apsc, FF, MF cameras and its true

For vintage lenses I'd still prefer FF or at least 1.5-1.6 crop. Most affordable vintage lenses I've seen were in 50..200 mm range. I've tried them on Canon APS-C DSLR with AF confirmation chip - very convenient. But 50..200mm would be too narrow for micro four thirds and resolution of these lenses isn't always great to make good use of the central portion.

I never had any reason to worry about m4/3 image quality. I have an EM5-MkII and a 12-40 pro lens and it is no different at most apertures than other sensors. I’ve stopped using it though because I could never remember how I’d set the camera up. I don’t photograph often enough to remember which way to rotate the dial to change the aperture etc. so I moved to a camera (Leica) that had the traditional analogue controls. I’ve kept the Oly for telephoto work though

Important point about having “default settings.” Don’t forget about MySets that can be assigned to buttons and mode dial positions. I have my default settings assigned to “iAuto” on my E-M10 II and C1 on my E-M1 II. No way to override iAuto on the E-M1 II 😕

I was able to trade for an omd em10 mk iii, 17mm olympus len,ms, 14-42mm panasonic lens and 40-150mm olympus lens as a bundle. Since then I have bought adapters and use all my vintage pentax and nikon lenses, I love blending vintage glass with my newer camera. Very cool photos.

Totally agree with what you say!

Yes, noise and pixel count can be compensated for in Lightroom, e.g. under Photo, at the bottom of the menu, improve. If I've exposed correctly, I can after the data extraction, it's quick and easy if you have enough graphics and working memory. Then I can send for printing in size 70-100 cm with excellent quality. So, better to spend on affordable computing power instead of expensive full frame camera

The EM5mkll was great! Recently it failed and the On Off doesn't work reliably but I will miss itl

I appreciate your suggestions. The more I shoot M4/3 the more I fall in love. Any recommendations for someone working a full time job who wants to make a living in photography?

I always recommend, if you can't afford a lot of expensive Lenses, buy one Quality, multi-purpose lens.. it's like having a lot of dull knives that don't cut the cheese right, or one Quality, multi-purpose one that does!

Don, I know you've answered this, but I can't remember. Which of the cameras you use ,do you like the best and use the most? I have the E-PL1 (like it a lot) and a PEN E-PL5. I like them both a great deal, but both are a bit long in the tooth. I enjoy the simplicity of the PEN format, and the ones I have take excellent pictures. Thanks in advance, Steve Bradley.

Hi, Don, and thanks so much for the great channel and advice. I recently moved to micro 4/3 because of its adaptability and usefulness, & I see lots of material on your channel about vintage lenses. I happen to have some of those, and I was wondering how you focus on amanual lens with. No viewfinder? My E-PL-5 has no viewfinder, and I assume you must be using manual lenses with your Olympus PEN series, since they seem to be favorites. In reviewing your photos, it's obvious that they are in focus. Is there a trick to that, or is it just practice? In the past, I've always used a viewfinder, but if it's only a matter of getting used to it, I'll just work thru it. THANKS, Steve Bradley.

Can you use an Olympus lens on a Pentax camera if so with what adapter? I bought a used Pentax K 5-11 and have quite a few Olympus lenses.

Do all old film camera lenses fit M4e?

I shoot using a Lumix GX9 and G9 with great results. Your ' Leica look' is adding to the 'Noise' that you are talking about. A bit disingenuous in my openion

after 5 years i learned m43 was a con and got into fullframe and apsc. never looked back.

Olympus makes great quality cameras. However ... the micro 4/3 format is bizarre and is not too desirable.

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