Quite agree with BOTAK_WAI.

I would further suggest that you learn the basic with the kit lens first, test all the FOV (Field Of View) between 14-42mm, from here you will see what FOV you like best (which depends on what you shoot of course), start from 14mm (wide-angle) to 25mm (very close to our eyes' field of view) and to short tele at the 42mm.

From there you will see which FOV (mm) you shoot most and this should form the basis (among other things) of your decision for your prime lens in later stage when you are ready to try one.

Happy shooting!

Hi! Has anybody use any stabilizer gimbal either for your smartphones or cameras? I have recently backed a smartphone gimbal called the Steadicam VOLT. It will be shipped beginning June. I hope to modify it for use on a small m4/3 body like the GM1 or GM5 or any similarly small-sized body.

Here's the link to the product: Steadicam VOLT

They are meant for video stabilizing that's the main key, don't know if it works for stills but I think it should work too, so long the cam's IBIS is turned off, probably this will work, untested though.

Hey sniper on the roof, if I remember correctly, you use a GM body yes? Which one is it?

Coz the smallish body weighs so little, even lighter than some smartphones! It will be perfect for handheld gimbal.

I am pondering on GoPro Hero4 silver/GM bodies. Either of this two will work great.

I think the GF7 also very light and should balance ok on the gimbal.


Ha ha Now considering those small-sized action camera, not sure which one yet but if I can get my hands on a small m4/3 body I will sure try it on the gimbal when it arrives in July/August. Still a long way from now and I have lots of time to decide

Or even when traveling overseas or shoot an event with a handheld gimbal stabilier, better than shooting with a GX8 but whatever it is those little action cameras are good for video-shooting no doubt.


Me too, but shooting video will enhance your memories of the event that's why I continue to shoot video like 30% of the time.

I couldn't agree more. Those physical hardcopy of photos I took in albums and albums, you just couldn't beat those! I will print my own photos when I am retired and have plenty of time to sort new ones out, still placed somewhere in the abyss of media storage ha ha..

This is in EP3?

Ha ha I didn't know that's been implemented since the e-p3 days edy

During my e-p3 time I don't seem to remember I got to limit the shutter speed, most probably because I had the awesome fast 20/1.7 to take care of the speed

Coming to the gx8, it has a lot more settings than i like So what I did is to set everything up in a custom set but setting the shutter speed limit isn't one of them.

Is 1/100th enough to take care of shaking hands?

Definitely smaller aperture will help to get a deeper dof when your travelling but I always push this to auto or to just any of the SCENE mode available, more often than not this will turn out awesome photos. But of course if time permit a tripod is best but when long-trip traveling for holidays I never ever bring along a stupid tripod, not even a smallish one

Even 5-axis or dual-IS like the gx8 sometimes I still don't get sharp enough photos. It does help a lot though most of the times.

Yup I use the same trick too but mine can bump iso to quite high Still I limit it to 6400, just to be on the save side

I noticed your selling off your Sigma 19/2.8, not using anymore?

Wicked intentions ha ha..

Bro if your selling your epl5+14mm combo, I like to get your 14mm if you don't mind selling separately. I want to put it on my GF1 for casual-trip shooting.

I thought so ha ha


Someone in this forum is selling here: 20/1.7

Someone selling here: 20/1.7

samsungfreak I remember you sold off your Oly 12mm f2.0. What bodies were you using this lens with?

I would like to try the Oly 12/2.0 on gx8 but my only holdback now is the focusing ring switch which might not work on the gx8. So if you have any experiences I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

Nice info there bro! I was thinking even if it (the manual focus clutch) doesn't work I can still use touch focus perhaps quicker this way than rotating the ring but of course by rotating one will look more like a pro . I do like rotating sometimes coz I can concentrate on focusing and steadying the cam at the same time.

I had just ordered a black unit Oly 12/2 for the gx8. I will still keep the 15/1.7 and the 20/1.7. I was contemplating P 12/1.4 but couldn't overcome the larger size it will create with gx8.

Thanks again bro for sharing.

BTW, why were you letting go your Oly 12/2?

I was already put-off by the size of the 12/1.4 just from looking at the camerasize compare site, don't want to regret later when having it. Then my next choice were P12-35, of course since it will have dual-IS on gx8 and not the O12-40. Again the size is the deciding factor. All the other MF 3rd party lenses again not in my radar due to size factor.

So my only choice left is the Oly 12/2.0. And definitely the Black version.

What do you shoot most with the O12/2.0? Landscapes? Buildings? Or street? Maybe too wide for street.

If you check out dxomark, the summilux is ahead in terms of sharpness but not by much. Again, if size is compared, the summilux is smaller. But, if price is compared, the 25/1.7 wins hands down. Photo quality of 25/1.7 is quite close to the famed 20/1.7. It also has very nice rendering too wide open. And it shoots much much faster than the 20/1.7.
If size is absolute importance, like me, the O25/1.8 it is.

Otherwise, a Summilux is still a Summilux. You won't regret having this.


Always go for the latest model if you can afford it. Choosing between EP5 vs GF9 quite simple to me. EP5 is a much higher-end model. I owned it before and I really liked it. If you don't mind it's an older model, go for it!

GF9 is more a selfie model just like the GF8 and is a good starting unit if your just into m4/3 and it will take very nice pictures too, though not as advanced as the E-p5.

Whatever your choice, both are good models.

Don't know about the green tint but you can always correct this in the camera or pp. I haven't had this green tint on my panasonic SOOC photos instead I find them to be a little warm compared to Olympus which is 'blue-er' and 'green-er'.

I think you have already answered yourself there: TRAVEL. Both will do fine but I think the GF9 has an edge here for selfies or wefies with its flip-up Lcd screen design, makes selfies and "wefies" much much simpler like smartphones. You don't have to carry either a mini tripod or ask some strangers to take your photo for you

The milky way is definitely a fantastic subject.

You think the 12-35 f4 will be sharper that the 12mm at f2? Coz dxomark tested the oly 12mm and found that the sharpest aperture is f2! And this is where I intend to use it. Since you have both, can you shoot something with both lens with this criteria:

subject: brick wall, camera on a tripod

12-35 set at f4 x 1 photo

12/2.0 wide-open x same photo

12/2.0 f4 x same photo

Wah! hopefully not too much to ask eh?

This post has been edited by bobds78: Apr 4 2017, 09:12 AM