It was the price that swayed me when I brought my g5 from camera world at focus earlier this year, £325 with the 14mm pancake, as I can't stand the 14-42 zoom, hopefully the all new one is better.
A few thoughts on my G5 from the few months I have used it.
Pros
Size of hand grip, very comfortable to hold and fits my hand nicely.
Fast af
articulated screen
Image quality seems very good
Opening card/battery door doesn't shut the camera down
Cons
No in built is
Evf, Doesn't perform well enough in harsh light, resolution needs to be better, so I use the screen mostly.
No extra grip attachment, there are plenty of times when I would like vertical controls.
touch screen, Really want it to be more responsive, like my galaxy smart phone.
Moire on video.
No inbuilt nd filter
Am I still pleased with the camera?
Yes despite the short comings I have found, nothing stops me from using it. It is an enjoyable camera to use and produces some good results. I do wish the video was better with regards to moire, but appears to be adequate enough.
I do find my self wanting a bit more zoom on it now, I love the 14mm prime but I want something with is so handheld video is better. Which is either the 14-42 pz, or the new 14-42, whenever it is going to be available separately.
Here is a video from the other day if anyone fancies taking a look. It was all handheld and has extended the list of equipment to buy
decent video head for my tripod
filters
and a lens with is
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52405071@N05/9368907179/
Hi Michael, Only having had mine for a couple of days I cant be sure on the pros and cons, however your list of pros seem fair. For me it was the price that swung it.
LCE, Colchester, matched Jessops online price, then they took the 14-42 lens out giving a further considerable price reduction. I found
LCE's trade-in very fair, a very helpful and patient sales assistant all go to making a good 'buying experience'. The free 45-150 lens was also a factor to sway me, when it arrives from Panasonic I will give it a try, if I don't like it I can sell it on, bringing the final price down to less than £350, before trade in.
Perhaps a rather clinical way of buying a camera, but it suites me. The buying of the Nikon P7100 was much more, intense. Again from LCE on line with the Lincoln branch. I spotted it in the used section of the website, always thought Nikons approach was right when the P7000 came out but it had a couple of issues. The P7100 addressed the issues for me, I hummed and hared, made them an offer, which they declined . . . followed up the offer 24 hours latter with, I think, the manager, having given them time to stew, they agreed.
I then re-read the reviews and specs., pawed over sample pictures, two further days passed, I was getting edgy, was it still available . . .
Finally phoned and flexed the plastic. I have to say, I love the manual control the P7100 has, very retro knob and dial arrangement. It is fair to say, if the 'deal' on the G5 had not gone so well, I would have been happy to stick with the G1. Still selling the Nikon D90, associated kit and paraphernalia. Which ever way, I would be happy.
I would also have sold anyway, the Panasonic 45-200 and the 14-42PZ, neither lens did I like.
So last week was a big clear out for me, I'm paraphernalia and dross less
One is now playing with the menus to get basic setting the way I like them. I have resurrected my original 'minimalist man bag' camera carrying system. Things got so bad, I used my 'proper' cameras so little, I had forgotten about my man bag system. :shrug:
Begs the questions, how much use will the P&S TZ30 get in the future, also, which of my 3 cameras will become favourite?
Hi Mandoo,
Yes I feel very sorted, I hope the above 'waffle'
answers your question. Colchester not too far away from you? A small shop but helpful, access is not good either in a pedestrianized area.
CJS
