Scenes Seen/Vintage Digital/So… That OM-3: OG Panasonic LUMIX G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH – DMC GF1.
I have written a few posts about this lens that has re-entered my life,…
I have had this lens twice before. Back when Olympus was my first digital interchangeable lens system…
…and again when distracting myself during the dark days a few years ago.
I then outlined why I repurchased the lens. It largely had to do with this image taken more than 10 years ago.
The next day I slapped it on the DMC GF1…
…and it has stayed on it since. Here are a few images I grabbed while taking care of life’s tasks.
Starting things off with a few underhanded, camera in the palm of my hand, thumb on shutter,, no look hip shots.
Thoughts.
What a great little lens and it performs flawlessly with the little GF1.
And both can be had for relative peanuts on the used market. Well done Panasonic.
So… the Olympus OM-3.
In isolation it makes sense. From all reports they nailed the one part the others have not for me. Feel in hand. It is said that it has the proper heft of an SLR. All seem to get the look right, but that last piece is key for me. I am impressed by the specs, but the issues for me are as follows.
- They know I could buy a perfectly good older MFT camera, right?
- And that is precisely what I have done recently. My pick for a travel camera, as come are promoting this as, would be a Lumix GX7. For day to day purposes I have no need for a such high specs. Paid a few hundred and change for my copy. Throw in a 20mm f/1.7 and it makes for a great travel solution.
- Along the same lines $2,000 for a MFT camera in this year of our Lord 2025?
- That is a heck of an ask. If price is your consideration then the full frame Zf makes more sense.
- It is kind of big.
- If size is your consideration the not retro but rangefinder-ish A7C II is only a little more and the OG A7C is less but significantly smaller.
True the standard issue A7C livery even with silver is not that convincing but for my purposes the silver variant with the SmallRig silver bottom gets it done aesthetically speaking.
Having said all of that do I still want one?
Yes. It is a gorgeous thing.
And I am definitely glad that they made it.
But I am good.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 