Cultus Lake, BC
G1, ZD ED 40-150 f4-5.6
So I’m still really enjoying the G1 as my main digital. But its limitations are equally obvious. Don’t try shooting action with it. It simply doesn’t do continuous advance in a usable fashion.
As I do some shooting of that sort, I do somewhat need a plan for it (combined with an U/W and normal zoom options as well). Here’s my options:
Buy a Nikon D90 w/10-20: Upsides are good viewfinder, reasonable price, class-leading high-ISO, already have a usable walkaround zoom (24-85G), uses my 20, 24, 40 and 58 just fine. Downsides are: it’s a little big, no metering with the rest of my Nikon lenses, 10-20 not usable on G1, unable to use screwmount or Contax lenses, no in-body IS.
Nikon D5000 w/10-20: Upsides are reasonable price, flip-twist LCD, class-leading high ISO, already have a usable walkaround zoom (24-85G), uses my 20, 24, 40 and 58 just fine. Downsides are: VF is adequate at best, no metering with the rest of my Nikon lenses, 10-20 not usable on G1, new batteries (may be hard to find), unable to use screwmount or Contax lenses, no in-body IS, single-wheel UI, low-rez LCD.
Sony A700 w/24-105, 10-20: Upsides are good viewfinder, reasonable price, great ergonomics, second to Nikon in high-ISO, excellent build. Downsides are no lenses in system, unable to adapt Nikon kit (screwmount is adaptable, Contax convertible), large body (biggest of those I’m considering), native lenses are non-usable on G1, in-body stabilization only usable on chipped lenses.
Pentax K7D w/some lens solution (16-45 or primes): Upsides are excellent VF, very compact body comparable to D5000 in size), 14.6MP, screwmount essentially native, Contax convertible, Nikon’s can be sorta mounted, weather sealed, excellent build, shares lenses with ZX-M. Downsides are no lenses in system, most expensive option, DA lenses not really usable on G1, KA Adaptall-2 mounts expensive and rare.
Oly E-30 w/14-xx and 9-18: Upsides are good VF, almost everything’s adaptable, only option which can share AF lenses with G1, 4:3 aspect ratio, good ergonomics, flip/twist LCD, good CDAF performance. Downsides are lowest IQ of the lot, second most expensive, low-rez LCD, my traditional aversion to Oly bodies, viewfinder gets VERY dark by f4.5, overpriced for the specs.
Conclusion: A700 dies on the same altar it always does for me, I’d really have to switch whole hog for it to make sense. In addition my current preference for smaller non-645 bodies and Sony’s complete lack of competitive small bodies (along with my lack of interest in giving up the G1) renders the system less desirable. The Nikon’s lack of in-body stabilization and very restricted lens compatibility renders them significantly less interest. The Pentax K7D is very interesting, and most lenses for it would be usable on my ZX-m. It’s easily the best size/performance compromise as well. But it would require significant lens investment as I only have the one screwmount lens and the 3 Adaptall-2 lenses (which would still require expensive KA mounts for full usability) and it’s already the most expensive option by a fair marging (at least $200). That leaves the E-30. Which is the only Oly I could see myself owning as the lower-end bodies have unusably small viewfinders (and awful ergonomics aside from the E-520) and the E-3′s button layout was designed by a spastic moron with assignment handled by magic 8-ball (and it’s also massive). I’d still need to add normal and ultra-wide zooms (although the latter would be the 9-18 I want for the G1 anyways). Heck, I could even forgo the normal zoom in a pinch.
So, it looks like the E-30 is going to be my choice here. I’ll be waiting for the price to come down a bit more though.
