19
votes
Is there a noticeable difference in image quality between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C entry-level DSLR cameras?
A great deal here depends on when you (generally) take pictures.
In particular, with bright light, a smaller sensor makes little or no difference in quality. As the light level drops, however, a ...
16
votes
Accepted
Why are Micro Four Thirds lenses so expensive compared to Canon?
The basic answer is that Canon's 50mm f/1.8 is an exception even within Canon's lineup. It's an old, simple design with nothing fancy, and made to be mass-produced cheaply. Compare the Canon 85mm f/1....
15
votes
Is there a noticeable difference in image quality between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C entry-level DSLR cameras?
In practice this is not a concern unless you have very demanding needs.
Now I would preface this by saying that my view of "image quality" is that many people, particularly beginners, tend to make ...
13
votes
Confused about T-stop number. Does it account for crop factor?
Crop factor has nothing to do with T-stop. T-stop is strictly about light transmission which affects exposure. If a lens could be 100% transmissive the T-stop and f-number of the lens would be the ...
12
votes
Accepted
Why automatic mode is worse than manual?
It's not so much that manual is better, but that manual is more controlled.
Shooting all the time on full manual will teach you what to do & what not to do. It will take longer & you will ...
10
votes
Why are Micro Four Thirds lenses so expensive compared to Canon?
Camera and lens designs are full of compromises and certain decisions have knock on effect throughout the system.
Olympus decided on a particularly thick filter stack when specifying the micro four ...
9
votes
Accepted
Are micro four thirds lenses fully interchangeable between brands?
You can mix & match lenses from different manufacturers, with just a few caveats.
Autofocus will work for all MFT lenses on all MFT bodies (that I am aware of).
Image stabilization: Olympus does ...
9
votes
Accepted
Is there a noticeable difference in image quality between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C entry-level DSLR cameras?
I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "The best camera is the one you have with you."
Some of my favorite photos are shots I've taken with my three-year-old Samsung Galaxy Note 4, a phone with a ...
8
votes
Is there a noticeable difference in image quality between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C entry-level DSLR cameras?
There is without a doubt a noticeable difference. The smaller sensor size, as you mentioned, gives a Micro Four-Thirds camera a disadvantage when it comes to low-light performance. The real question ...
7
votes
Accepted
Is it a good idea to use adapted tele lenses with a micro four thirds camera for fast moving (nature/wildlife) photos?
As someone who occasionally indulges in bird photography, shoots micro four-thirds, and has adapted manual lenses to her Canon dSLRs, I'd say don't do it. The lens will be disproportionately big and ...
7
votes
Accepted
Is the Micro Four Thirds standard specification public?
No. Micro Four Thirds is not an open standard. The specification is available to member companies, which are listed here. It's not a tiny list, but it's not large, either.
Your best bet is found on ...
7
votes
Backyard wildlife zoom question factoring distance
Given the ratio of the Canon APS-C crop factor (1.6) to the MFT (2.0) sensors, the equivalent of a 300mm on your camera is 300*1.6/2=240mm so a bit longer than your intended lens (200mm).
The zoom ...
7
votes
Accepted
Backyard wildlife zoom question factoring distance
Assuming all other things are equal:
Your Canon 80D has a crop factor of 1.6. This means that your 300mm lens has an effective focal length of 300mm × 1.6 = 480mm.
A micro-4/3s camera has a crop ...
6
votes
Is it true that cameras with larger sensors are more likely to mis-focus under low light?
No, larger sensor cameras are not more likely to mis-focus - if you take the Canon 1DX (with a modern lens) for example, it's a full-frame camera that's about as far away from "likely to mis-focus" as ...
6
votes
Light meter calculations on micro four thirds
No. As far as exposure value goes, an f-stop is an f-stop. It's only where depth of field is concerned (and noise calculations derived from "total light captured", if you're the type who has to go ...
6
votes
Confused about T-stop number. Does it account for crop factor?
The f-stop is a simple ratio. It is the focal length divided by the working diameter. We use this value to compare the image brightness of one lens vs. another. The f-stop is often in error because it ...
6
votes
Can I adapt an E-mount rectilinear lens on a micro four thirds body?
I would suggest looking into a shift or tilt-shift adapter, to mount say a wide-angle Canon EF or Nikon AF-S lens. This way, you have a much wider selection of regular lenses to choose from than just ...
6
votes
Why automatic mode is worse than manual?
I don't think it's a great idea to be shooting in full manual. The same kind of people will tell you that auto focus is cheating...
The semi auto modes allow you to control what you're interested in ...
5
votes
Is it a good idea to use adapted tele lenses with a micro four thirds camera for fast moving (nature/wildlife) photos?
I've been a professional long-lens bird/nature shooter since the 80's. I used to use very big and pricey dedicated video cameras/lenses, but now have found the wonderful micro-4/3 world and love it. I'...
5
votes
Accepted
Are the threads on all camera makes the same when it comes to filters?
You can use any filters on any lens if they are the same size, with some caveats.
Very few lenses have male filter threads instead of the usual female filter threads. I think the Fuji X100 series of ...
5
votes
Is there a noticeable difference in image quality between Micro Four Thirds and APS-C entry-level DSLR cameras?
Since most of the answers here are kind of the general "trade-offs related to sensor area" type, I'm going to add something that I haven't seen mentioned: the difference in the aspect ratio might not ...
5
votes
Accepted
How to calculate the new focal length when usng a lens mount adapter
Lens mount adapters increase the pool of available lenses we are able to mount on any particular camera body. Adapters are basically mechanical coupling devices; however, some also couple electrical ...
4
votes
Accepted
Is it true that cameras with larger sensors are more likely to mis-focus under low light?
I think the key thing for here is that smaller sensors inherently have more depth of field at the same aperture number and framing. That means that with a larger sensor, focus is more critical. It's ...
4
votes
Accepted
How advanced is phase detect AF for bird photography compared to contrast detect AF?
I shoot both a Canon 50D and the micro four-thirds G3 and GX7. I use my 50D/EF 400mm f/5.6L USM combo for bird in flight shots. For me, the difference is chalk and cheese at the speed of reaction I ...
4
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to shoot an Aurora with a Panasonic DMC GF-5?
There is a limit to what the camera can measure. When it is so dark, the camera cannot meter and cannot focus since there is nothing to focus on for an aurora. Autofocus requires contrast and what you ...
4
votes
Accepted
Does a Ring-Ultrasonic EF-S lens require power to manually focus? (using with adapter)
You can manually focus most, but not all, Canon USM lenses without any power supplied from the camera. In fact, you can manually focus them when they're not even attached to a camera.
The EF-S 17-...
4
votes
Do fixed focus distance lenses exist for Micro Four Thirds?
Is there a Micro Four Third lens that has fixed focus? I want a lens that would allow me to just shoot video of my son running around without using the AF/MF
Yes there is. Olympus makes the BCL-15mm ...
4
votes
What are the downsides of the Olympus Anti-shock Shutter Release (electronic front curtain shutter) on the M10 Mark ii?
Electronic front curtain is different from an electronic shutter. An electronic front curtain simply de-energizes the entire sensor and then it turns on to start the image recording. The image ...
4
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to adapt a Canon XL system lens to a mirrorless body?
TL;DR: even though the shorter FFD of mirrorless cameras solves the infinity focus problem, the small image circle of XL lenses presents the same problems as answered to the referenced question about ...
4
votes
How does a Canon FD to Micro-Four-Thirds adapter change the image?
FD-to-MFT adapters do not contain any additional optics, so in and of themselves, do not contribute to any change in the appearance of the image.
The Micro Four Thirds system typically uses sensors ...
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