On 8/25/2019 12:14 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
I've been suffering a bit from excessive back pain with carrying
heavier cameras around on my hikes and mountain climbs. I really need
to back off on the weight being carried on my neck and shoulders.
Also, it is no secret that I've been frustrated with the color
performance of the Canon 6D.
So, we popped into to Stewart's in downtown Anchorage with the hope of
finding something tempting. Honestly, I was hoping for a second-hand
OM-1MD, but even that would be fiscally irresponsible. Alas, the
lowest cost Olympus of any flavor was about $1000 higher than I was
willing to spend. The Panasonics were also up there, except for one.
A DMC-GX85W kit. Two lenses, battery charger, black camera.
I have that kit, although I'll be selling it (for sale, folks!). An odd pair of lenses, I thought. The tiny 12-32 was
originally made to pair with the diminutive 35-100 on their smallest bodies. Not that the 45-150 is out of scale with
the GX85. I imagine this kit was made up to move three items with stock in excess of the rate of sales, and that make a
nice kit.
The GX85 is nice, capable camera. Mike and Marnie borrowed it for their long treks in the Dolomites this summer, for
exactly the reason you bought one, light weight, although Mike rented the lovely PLeica 12-60 for it.
. . . Good deal.
The camera isn't perfect, but it is what I need right now. Even if I
get a super-duper OM-1MD (or equivalent), I think the GX85 will make a
nice backup camera and will always have a home in my computer bag.
It's very small. It's very lightweight. And it takes really good
pictures.
I opted to go with GX9s, for my second in a lifetime, but possibly last, trip through Bhutan. The 20 MP sensor is a
real, although small, step up. Compared to even the E-M1 II, it reveals a tiny bit more clean detail. To someone prone
to shoot at 800 mm -e and crop to 100%, that's significant. ;-)
Separate EV dial, improved menus, a physical AF/MF switch and other stuff that escapes me at the moment, as I've not
used the GX85 for a while.
One of the benefits of both models is Panny's "Dual IS". Where Oly has only a couple of OIS lenses, and one gets their,
no doubt spectacular, "Sync IS" with those couple of lenses and the top end bodies, for lots-o-dosh, These bodies work
IS cooperatively with all their OIS lenses.
The one thing I prefer on the GX85 is the EVF. Both are optically identical, but the one on the GX9, like the old GX7,
tilts up. What a PAIN! The mechanism makes it protrude to the rear more. That way, it catches on everything, bags,
straps, clothes, and pulls part way up. When it's just a little way up, it throws off the eye/hand relationship with the
camera, and what I see in th EVF isn't what I expect. If up further than that, the diopter adjustment is exposed, and
sometimes gets moved. "It's all blurry, but I'll trust the AF."
But I do know that it will be difficult to use with winter
gloves.
For whatever reason, images from the DMC-L1 convert to B&W extremely
well. The DMC-GX85 is also extremely good in that regard. I'm really
satisfied with the B&W conversions.
I like the Panny Raw files.
Oh Point Five more Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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