A Look Back at the First EVIL Camera - Panasonic G1

Out of guilt, I took the Panasonic G1 out yesterday.  It was literally collecting dust.  Besides, the Wollensak one inch (25mm) Cine Raptar hasn't seen the light of day since I got it, because its imaging circle is too small for the NEX-5N.

First thing that jumped to my mind was how good the viewfinder is, even against the very best on the market (Sony external viewfinder for the 5N).  Yes, it's not as crisp and detailed as the Sony, but proudly holds its own.  Considering the G1 is four years old, this says something.  

In some ways, I prefer the colour from the Panasonic than the NEX-5N.  It seems more vibrant and pleasing to look at.  But when it comes to image quality, the NEX-5N is clearly the winner.  Even at ISO 320, the G1 shows lots of noise, compared to the G1, thanks to the larger sensor and better on-chip noise reduction of the NEX-5N.  The G1 reminds me of the original Canon 1Ds, where low ISO quality is superb, but anything above ISO 320, it gets very noisy.

The G1 is still a very capable camera.  Certainly it's no worse than when it was introduced four years ago.  We tend to want the latest and greatest, and forgetting that older equipment can still make beautiful images.

Lunch with the birds - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Cine Raptar one inch f1.9. Click for larger.

Pink Dahlia - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Cine Raptar one inch f1.9 @ f1.9. Click for larger.

Leaves - G1 & Wollensak Raptar two inch f1.5.

Re-acquainted with C-Mount Lenses

Tree & Bench -- Panasonic G1 & Cooke Ivotal 1 inch f1.4 @ f1.4.

Most of my c-mount lenses do not work well on the NEX-5, due to the larger sensor, hence I have not been using them much.  The Panasonic G1 has been my walk around camera for a bit over a week, and I got to use the the various c-mount lenses again.  In particular, this Cooke Ivotal 25mm f1.4 lens will vignette severely on the NEX-5, but not so bad on the G1.  I like the soft, luminous quality of the Ivotal wide open.  With the right lighting, it can produce some interesting pictures.  As with most wide angle c-mount 16mm cine lenses, the image circle is just not large enough to produce sharp corners, but sharp corners are not really that important with this kind of lenses.

Another c-mount lens that's not usable without cropping on the NEX-5 is the JML 25mm f0.95.  I am pretty disappointed.  It's the fastest wide angle lens I have and would produce some nice and unique images on the NEX-5.  Just for this lens, I will probably keep at least one M43 body.

Sony's 24MP Sensor RAW File Samples

Today I read Luminous-Landscapes first impression of the Sony A65 camera, which shares the same sensor with the A77 and NEX-7.  Looking at the RAW converted images, I must say that I am not impressed with the image quality.  This really reminds me of the NEX-5 images, or even a bit worse.  I was expecting nice low ISO quality but instead, it's very noisy, especially when compared to the 3-year old A900.

Well, this is disappointing.  No matter how good the ergonomic of the NEX-7 is, if its image quality is not up to par, nothing matters.

I should use my NEX-5 and patiently wait for the final verdicts when the NEX-7 finally comes out.  But, if prices of the 5D II drops, I might just buy that instead.  It's bigger and heavier, but gives me the quality that I want, with full frame to boot.  On the second thought, perhaps I should stop reading anything about NEX-7 until it's officially available for sale.

Window -- Panasonic G1 & Kodak Cine 102mm f2.7 with Close Focus.

Are We Spoiled?

A Walk at Distillery District -- Panasonic G1 & Kodak Anastigmat 102mm f2.7 Cine Lens.

Since my NEX-5 is still at Sony for LCD screen replacement, I have been using the Panny G1 that I have been neglected for a long while.  This is a love-hate camera for me.  Love the ergonomic of the G1; its flip screen, handling, and most of all, the EVF.  But, it's a relatively noisy camera above ISO 400, compared to the 5D, 1D II, or even the Sony NEX.  Perhaps, I have been spoiled.

More than ten years ago, when I got my first digital, the 3.2 MP Canon G1, it was hailed as the camera with the cleanest images in its class.  DPReview called it silky smooth noisy free at ISO 50.  But, when I look back at the RAW images I captured, ISO 50 on the G1 is at best as good as ISO 400 on my 1D III, and ISO 200 was barely usable.  Advancements in sensor technology just make us crave better and better image quality, forgetting what the images (noise) used to be like before.

So yes, I think I am spoiled.

Shinobi

Graffiti -- Panasonic G1 & Kodak Anastigmat 50mm f1.6 C-Mount. 

The Kodak 50mm f1.6 was the first Kodak cine lens that I have with close focus.  At first I had no idea what that little "dial" on the lens barrel was for, be cause it does nothing when you pull it.  It took a while before I realized that I needed to pull and hold the "dial" up, while turning the focus ring.  This allows the lens to extend and thus focus closer.  Very handy to have as it doubles as a macro lens in a pinch.

Wounds

Fresh Wounds -- Panasonic G1 & Kodak 63mm f2.7 C-Mount

One strange thing I noticed with many of my cine lenses, is that the more you stop down, the more severe the vignetting is.  This is the opposite of what a 35mm lens would be, where the vignetting usually appears in wide apertures.

For most 16mm cine lenses, they still work best with the Micro 4/3 cameras as they vignette less, due to their smaller sensor size.  I find my attention is shifting back to cine lenses in the last few days.  I am quite attracted to the attributes of these lenses which in many cases differ greatly from normal 35mm lenses.  Yes, they will become boring after a while, but for some subjects, they produce interesting pictures.

Kodak cine lenses occupy a place in my heart.  These wonderful silver coloured little lenses are just fantastic. This 63mm lens has two version.  A 63mm f2 and a 63mm f2.7.  Both are nice lenses.  The f2.7 version comes with close focus capabilties, while the f2 version is obviously faster, almost by a full stop.  I will compare the two of them when I get a chance, hopefully when the flowers start to blossom.

Sunset in the City

Sunset -- Panasonic G1 & Cine Kodak 3 inch f4.5

I think the one feature I missed the most in the NEX-5 is the view finder.  It just does not feel natural to me taking pictures without the view finder, not to mention very hard to get critical focus.  The G1 series of cameras are still one of the best for manual focus lens.

Tried out the tiny Cine Kodak 3 inch (75mm) f4.5 c-mount lens.  I mean it's really small for a 75mm lens but, like all the Kodak cine lenses I have, it never disappoints in the optical department.  On the G1 it has a bit of vignette with the hood on at infinity.  Not a low light lens, but a good lens.

Kew Gardens

Kew gardens is a very large recreational park located at the Beaches community.  It stretches from Queen street all the way to the lake.  In the north side, you can browse books in the nearby library, take your kids to the play ground, or take a walk around the park with historic bandstand.  There is also Dr. William Young memorial next to the bandstand.  In the fall, it's a beautiful place to take a stroll and of course, take pictures.

I took the Pentax-M 20mm f4 and the G1 with me yesterday and spent about an hour photographing the north side of the Kew Gardens.  The G1 has been my to-go camera for the last few weeks, as the Canon gear (1D IIn with lenses) is really too big and too heavy for casual shooting.  The tiny Pentax-M 20mm f4 and the G1 is a very good combo.  I wish the 20mm were the f1.7 Panasonic, but I can't bring myself to buying more lenses.  As I wrote before, the Pentax-M 20mm f4 is an excellent performer.  Very sharp, albeit a bit slow with an f4 maximum aperture.  I am quite happy how the pictures turned out.

Dr. William Young Memorial - G1 & Pentax-M 20mm f4. Click to enlarge.

The Bandstand, built in the 1850s - G1 & Pentax-M 20mm f4. Click to enlarge.

The Fence - G1 & Pentax-M 20mm f4. Click to enlarge.

Convergence

Don River at Lakeshore -- G1 & Kit Lens. Click to enlarge.

I think the G1 has the best implementation of black and white filters.  I can't convert from RAW into anything even close to the Dynamic B&W filter.  I wish cameras would have more film emulation filters built-in -- Tri-X, Velvia, Portra, RVP, or whatever your favourite film is.

As I have said before, the kit lens that came with the original G1 is an outstanding lens.  Very sharp and the IS is effective.  The only downside I can see, other than the slow maximum aperture, is the inherent distortion.  If you shoot jpeg, or process the RAW file in Photoshop/Lightroom, the images are automatically distortion corrected. I can't help but feel that there is a cost to the correction.  Image quality must be affected.

The Micro 4/3 lens Disappointment

It has been two years since the first Micro 4/3 camera, the Panasonic G1, was introduced.  Quite a few lenses have been made for this format, but where are the small and fast primes, except the 20mm f1.7?  The potential for very small and fast primes for Micro 4/3 is there.  If they want to, it's not difficult to create 25mm f0.95, or 50mm f0.95 and still keep it relatively small.  So, where is the 7mm f2, 12mm f1.4, 25mm f1.2 and 50mm f1.0?  Instead, we are bombarded with uber long zooms with aperture as small as a pin hole.  Look at the Olympus 75-300mm f4.8-6.7!

Add to this frustration is the lack of truly wide angles.  OK there is the Panasonic 7-14mm f4, but it's priced to the wazoo at $1500. It's kind of insane for an f4 lens.

The only thing that keeps me interested in the M4/3 is that I can mount cine lens on it, but the NEX is looking might good right now.

William -- G1 & JML 50mm f0.95 @ f0.95, ISO 400. Click to enlarge.

Captain John's

Captain John's Seafood is a restaurant inside a large ship.  It's been part of the Toronto Harbourfront for decades.  It's a miracle that it's still around from the negative reviews it receives from people who ate at this place.  But, I have never dined inside, so I can't say first hand if it's as bad is people say.  It could be potentially a stellar place, though.  It's got uniqueness (ship), location (prime tourist area).  It just needs some good management and a makeover.

Captain John's -- Panasonic G1 & Kit Lens.

Happy Belated Anniversary

It's amazing that this blog is one year old on June 12.  I didn't even realize it until today.  My original plan was to have one or two post per week, but I guess I have much more to say than that.  Yes, I know the content is lacking substance, but I have had fun writing it, and that's enough for me.  If you like reading it, I have accomplished more than what I set out to do with this blog.  Hopefully I can manager another year without slacking off.

Tiger Lily - Panasonic G1 & Angenieux 75mm f2.5 C-Mount Lens.

Canon Digital Rebel T2i VS Panasonic G1

If you are a first time DSLR buyer, you probably have thought about these cameras. They both appeal to first time buyers. Since I have both, I will chime in and give my 2 cents.

First of all, The T2i and the G1 are very capable but are in fact very different cameras. On one hand, the T2i has a traditional SLR design: optical viewfinder with interchangeable lenses; the G1 is an Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (EVIL) camera. There are advantages and disadvantages to both designs: Optical viewfinder offers real time viewing without delays, but the pentaprism/mirror assembly makes the camera larger. EVIL cameras uses an mini LCD screen inside the camera in place of the optical viewfinder. The benefits are two fold: cheaper to make, and smaller/lighter camera.

Which one is better? As with most things in life, everything has its good and quirks.

Advantage for the T2i over the G1 include:

• 1080p movie mode -- this is the primary reason I bought the T2i
• Beautiful 3" 1 million pixel LCD
• Slightly better image quality, especially in high ISO
• Focuses faster, especially on tracking focusing
• Faster frame rate
  
• Selection of lenses

Advantage for the G1 over T2i:

• Swivel LCD screen
• Electronic Viewfinder (only an advantage if you use manual focus lenses a lot)
• Smaller and lighter with kit lens
• Very short lens to sensor register. This means it can take all kinds of manual focus lenses though adapters (an advantage only if you are a fan of manual focus lenses)
• Less expensive with kit lens.

To me, the only feature that made me buy the G1 was the fact that it can take all sort of manual focus lenses, including some fantastic cine lenses. Small size, swivel screen, etc are not feature I consider deal breakers. If you mainly use auto focus lenses, the Canon has more selections, from 15mm fisheye, 50mm f1.0 exotic, to 1200mm f5.6 super telephoto. On the other hand, if you only want a couple of zoom lenses for travel, the G1 would be an ideal choice, just be warned that the only fast lens Panasonic has for micro 4/3 is the 20mm f1.7. Anything faster (brighter) would have to be manual focus lenses through adapters.

Please keep in mind that these are my opinions. What features you are looking for is probably different than mine.


Side by side from top. The Canon is chunkier. Notice the pentaprism housing. This is what makes the Canon larger.


Side by side -- the Canon is taller but not by much.

Shooting in the Dark

I really like the JML 50mm f0.95 lens. Of course it's no Leica Noctilux but at less than 1% of the price, who's to complain? A lens this fast does allow one to shoot in the dark, even with the Panasonic G1, which is not known for it high ISO performance, I can shoot at ISO 400 at f0.95 at acceptably high enough speed for sharp pictures. Believe it or not, even at f0.95, the lens is completely usable. I will even go as far as saying that I could get much higher keeper rate than the Leica M8/M9 with a f0.95 lens, because I have the advantage of the electronic view finder which can magnify the scene up to 10x to aid critical focusing. The range finding focusing system is not exactly accurate shooting at f0.95, even on a Leica.

Not bashing the Leica. I am just saying that there is advantage to having an EVIL camera when it comes to focusing manually.






All pictures above were shot with a JML 50mm f0.95 TV Lens on Panasonic G1, @f0.95, ISO 400. Click on the picture for a larger version.

Accident at Spadina & Queen

Minor accident this morning at the Spadina & Queen intersection.  Two cars kissed each other.  I didn't see any damages to the cars, but one of the drivers seemed either in shock, or was injured.  The driver was not able to get out of the car, and consequently fire trucks and ambulance were called in.  Firefighters helped the driver out of the seat and into the ambulance.  All was fine, luckily.

Accident Scene -- G1 & Sicor 23mm f3.5.

Helping Hands -- G1 & Voigtlander Skopar 8.3cm f4.5.

Yesterday the battery charge for the Panasonic G1 came.  Very fast delivery from the states, considering it's a holiday season and usually a busy time for the post office.  As half expected, the battery does not work with the G1, which has the firm version 1.3 installed.  Third party batteries no longer works on the G1 after firmware version 1.3.  Another greedy act by the Panasonic.  I am a bit pissed off because the seller did not indicate that the battery does not work with new firmware on the G1, and the fact that Panasonic disable third party battery support.

The good news is that the charger works wonderfully.  Although it seems to charge a bit slower than the original Panasonic battery charger.  Not a big deal.  Charged up the drained battery and tried a new toy I got -- the unusual Minolta MD mount Sicor 23mm f3.5.  Yes, it's not a typo.  It's 23mm.  I believe Soligor also sold one of these lenses under their name.

From the dozen or so pictures I have taken, the lens itself seems to perform as well as most of the wide angle lenses from the 80s, at least in the center of the image circle.  Can't conclude about the image quality or another in that matter about the lens, with only one day of use.  I am sure I will use it a bit more and have an update on it.

Few New Toys

Testing out a few Kodak C-Mount Cine lenses I have recently acquired. The pictures here were taken with a Kodak Ektar Cine 152mm f4 lens. Very long for a Cine lens. Difficult to focus in magnified view since the focal length is so long (approx. equivalent to 300mm in 35mm terms.)


Birds on wire -- G1 & Kodak Ektar 152mm f4 lens. Larger Picture.


Leaf on roof -- G1 & Kodak 152mm f4 Cine Lens. Larger Picture.