It is ironic that one of the reasons I bought my Nikon P510
was for the DSLR-like body because over time, I’ve decided I really miss a
compact body and now am looking for DSLR quality in a compact body. Sound like
the perfect time to discover mirrorless compact system camera.
I was initially drawn to Fujifilm after seeing the work of
Dr Teh Ban Hup in a local magazine but it’s really expensive, especially their
lenses. Then I discovered Sony NEX. In the meantime, I’ve decided I won’t even
consider the Micro Four Third format. Why pay the same price for a smaller
sensor when the features packed NEX is such a bargain?
But when an Olympus salesperson tried to introduce me to the
Pen E-PL5, I tried it with open heart and fell in love with it. The Olympus’s
auto focus is blazing fast and using touch shutter on its touch screen is
really easy. And if I feel like using manual, its focusing (and zoom) ring
feels really rich to turn. It also has more physical control and a PASM dial,
which I have on my P510 and which I use often. Review all over the internet taught me that it
uses the same sensor as their popular OM-D E-M5. If I was sceptical before of
the image quality, specifically concerning shallow depth of field, low light
and high ISO performance, they are all put to rest by the abundant samples
demonstrating the camera’s ability. Did I mention I simply adore the retro
design in a camera?
The NEX5T on the other hand is a do anything camera. It has
a touch screen that flips all the way up for self-portrait (selfie is fun when
within a group, not so cool alone) and its movie recording ability is top
notch. There is also time lapse video, auto panorama and auto HDR, all of which
are missing in the E-PL5. On top of that it has a bigger APS-C sensor and in
all the concerns I mentioned above, it without dispute, beats the E-PL5 if only
by a small margin. However, it didn’t feel so nice to turn its motorised kit
lens, not to mention I didn’t quite like the whirling sound that comes with it.
Its minimalist design has a character of its own but looked rather unbalanced
with its relatively larger lens (diameter wise, when compared to a M43 lens).
But these are only the mid-range models. Moving up we have
even better choices, although they do come at a price. Here are my quick
thoughts on them.
Sony NEX7: The oldest among all the NEXes in the market. In
my opinion, the most beautiful of them, as well as the most expensive and has
the most physical controls. Despite its higher resolution, its older sensor has
poorer high ISO performance.
Sony NEX6: Cost almost RM1000 more than the 5T but I’ll at
least get the PASM dial, an electronic viewfinder (not absolutely crucial but
great to have) and a standard hotshoe, all of which is missing on the 5T. I
would consider this the best value buy among the models listed here.
Olympus E-M5: The hump on top of the camera may be somewhat
superficial but its aesthetic is beautiful. It is also weather sealed and more
importantly has a superior 5-axis image stabilisation, which is great for
people like me who love to shoot handheld. Also has a built in electronic
viewfinder.
Olympus E-P5: If the E-M5 is beautiful, then the E-P5 is
absolutely gorgeous. It basically has everything the E-M5 has with a further
improved stabilisation but minus the weather sealing and viewfinder. It’s even more
expensive and adding a separate viewfinder would cost another RM1000. But it’s
so absolutely gorgeous.
(I know Olympus E-M1 is even better but I’m currently not considering
any camera with a deep grip)
The NEX is a camera that can fill all my photographic need
for many years to come. It’s an excellent and reliable tool I will have no
regret owning but that is just my head thinking out loud. My heart is screaming
for the Olympus, with its beautiful retro design and truly compact but
impactful lenses. It’s logical to get the NEX but does an artist listen to his
head, or to his heart?
Like I once read, the good news is there are many choices
but the bad news is there are many choices! There is also rumour of a new NEX7
coming (7R? 7T?) as well as an entry Olympus OM-D. Noone knows yet (or those
who knew are unable to reveal) what they are like but I’ll like to hazard a
guess for the latter.
Being labelled an entry OM-D, it most likely retains its EVF
and hopefully the 5-axis image stabilisation while omitting its weather sealing.
Pricing may be slightly higher that E-PL5’s introductory price.
Sound promising. I guess I would have to wait until after
Christmas.
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