Yet another possible obsession... I was on a trip to Big Sur this past weekend and played around my new iPhone 4 (liking it so far and cell coverage is better than my 3G). Before I left on the trip, I bought the Hipstamatic camera app on a whim. Using some of the filters, a few of my photos came out pretty cool w/ almost no effort, aside from taking lots of pics and choosing the angle/subjects carefully. As a result, the bug has bit me a little.

I'm going on a trip to Machu Picchu in a few weeks. I'm considering getting a better camera than my Canon SD770 and I'm looking at the Olympus PEN EPL1. I definitely don't want to commit to an SLR (I won't use all the features and too heavy) but I want a step up. We'll be camping on the trail for 5 days so weight and batteries is a concern. I already stocked up on 4 batteries (thanks ebay) for my Canon and I probably can do the same for the Olympus.

Anyone had experience w/ these new micro 4/3's? I like the Sony NEX5 but it's way more $$ than I want to spend. Around $500 is probably what I can stomach.

BTW, here's a few of my favs from iPhone and Hipstamatic. Definitely $2 well spent.

I am looking at some of the newer Canon's myself to replace our older SD700is. I like that the newer ones take 720P movies now.

It looks like it was a nice trip.

Cesar, I really like the way your pictures turned out!

I don't have much guidance to offer in your new camera selection, though.

I am a Cannon guy myself.

and i would tell you GET THE G11..

ok.... thats my opinion, if i was going to buy a point and shoot, or semi point and shoot, there would be no though for me, i would just get it....

When i lived in Hawaii, i did a LOT of photography, and i have quite a few friends that still live there, and one of them has the G11, and his shots are awesome, very sharp.

Oh and the G11 has Attachments, so it can be a Semi SLR, but still a point and shoot, it also has a hotshoe so you can get a nice flash for it if you so choose later.. i think its pretty much the best of both worlds.....Oh and it can shoot in RAW, this is important to me, because i usually print 16X20 or larger, and so will you soon enough

G11 sample, probably has pro lighting though... but still good example.
HOLY crap, i didn't realize how big that image, was. but i did notice they are using light boxes, and probably using the wireless attachment on the G11..




http://www.dpreview.com/


I will say, Nikon are good also, my Uncle is a Nikon guy, and they have some nice products as well...


Anyhow, there is a lot to learn... main thing is to enjoy going to new places and seeing all kinds of cool stuff.

Please make that smaller before you can't anymore!

Thanks.

Wow, the G11 is very popular. You are the 3rd person to directly recommend that.

Thing I noticed is that it doesn't have a flash. I'd have to get that, which would add weight and some cost.

And it doesn't shoot 720p vids.

I am an Oly shooter. I just like their user interface. They are comfortable to me. Not sure if they shoot any better than the other brands or any worse, but I do know that no matter what brand I go with, the camera will outshoot me, so that’s a mute point as far as I’m concerned. What’s important, is finding a camera that is comfortable for you. I have not messed with the micro 4/3’s, as I prefer DSLR. They do seam to fill a nitch market where folks want a compact size but the flexibility to swap lenses. Pretty cool. To me, if I want compact, it needs to be compact and fit in a shirt pocket. For that purpose I use the Oly shock and water proof cameras. They are good for when I’m on the water, and they do shoot well under water as well. The 620 is a very compact DSLR with the same sensor as the E30. I use both a 510 and E30. The E30 has incredible dynamic range that continues to impress the heck out of me. I just shoot in aperture priority and set that to get my desired depth of field and push the button and don’t worry about exposure. I suppose I should also mention that I do not use the camera’s JPEG engine and shoot Raw. I don’t know how well it does with JPEG. So having said that, I’m sure the 620 will shoot equally well as my E30. It’s pretty darn small too. You might want to give it a whirl.

oldskool, depending how how fast you want to buy a camera i would place money that the next generation of the G11 (G12), will do video. they went from the G10-G11 pretty fast, as the new processor came out that is currently used in the G11 the G11 uses which is the Digic 4 processor.. the 5D MKII, and the 50D, were the first 2 SLR bodies to have the latest version of the Digic 4 processor, those cameras do HD video, so i would imagine when they update the G11 line, they will get the updated processor as well, and probably a new sensor as well the 5D went from a 12mp to a 21.1mp . I "think" that canon updates their line in November? you would have to look that one up... you can get a small flash, you don't NEED a large flash, BUT keep in mind just about any off camera flash will EASILY out perform a flash in almost all point and shoot bodies. you can get a small canon flash, or if you choose you can get an aftermarket flash. Also keep in mind, you can pick up used camera gear pretty easy, and often times it's in Very good condition, there are people in the photography hobby who have LARGE amounts of money, and upgrade EVERY time something new comes out.

i would recommend getting a small backpack for whatever camera you do choose to get, so you can keep all your camera stuff together while camping.

At the point your at now, i would also recommend that you find a good local camera shop or 2 and go hold some of the cameras, and like michael recommended. Also personally i would not consider a camera that didn't shoot in RAW.

until you know a decent amount i would find a local camera shop that you can trust, so you can learn from them, When i lived in HI i bought everything from Kamiki camera, Neal the owner was a super cool dude, and like many small shop owners liked to shoot the shit, and teach new people about the hobby, so i had no problem giving him my business. As it turns out due to living in HI i would not have saved any money by ordering online anyhow, as shipping would have killed any savings, and Neal didn't mark his product up that much anyhow, due to his high volume, that comes from being the only decent camera shop on the island.

Yeah, no rush. I was trying to get it quickly to have time to 'play' before I left but I don't want that timing to rush my decision.

The G11 is still intriguing, I like that the lenses are much cheaper. A photography friend also recommended the Panasonic GF1 which he now lives by, foregoing all his other gear. Then I saw how much more the GF1 is...

i think it would depend on how big of a deal the video is to you.. if video is not a huge deal to you, i would get the G11, if it is i would wait... keep in mind, video takes easily 10X the amount of time to edit as photos.....

I'd say that video takes 23.98x to 29.97x the amount of time as photos.

I think Mark has gotten the ratio down to as low as 22.37x, but he is a professional.

Tom. I think Mark has it to either 25 or 16.

Dudes, no way.

60 fps overcranking is where it's at.

Video is not a deal killer but the option of 720p is appealing, especially since I don't use a camcorder anymore.

No photo/video post processing for me. I'm not going down that Aperture rabbit hole.

the 5D mk II, the video is 1080p, so i would imagine,the G12 would do 1080p as well.. but this is just speculative thinking....

however with that being said, i would still say the just get the G11 and enjoy it....

I wouldn't assume that a $400 camera will offer the same as a $3k camera.

It's certainly possible, but I wouldn't count on it.

Wasn't the 5D MKII used for season finale of House? Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference on my HD Tivo, it looked great. FMU, the editors loved using it because the post production was much easier to handle.

Yes, it was. I don't know that the editors loved it, but many like the shallow depth of field from the large sensor.

I have a 5DII and a 7D, but to be honest, I haven't done much experimenting with the video as of yet. I want to see what CS5 offers, but haven't installed it yet as I want to ensure there aren't driver issues.

Sorry I haven't been of any help on the main topic... the truth is that I don't really pay attention to what consumer cameras are offering. I know many like the Sonys and Olympus, but I've never read the reports or held one.

I think with today, the next generation G11 model will do 1080 due to the sensors, and processors that are available today.

Keep in mind the current G11 is 2 going on 3 years old now.

Mark, I won't speculate as to whether or not they wish to be held by you.

My Canon craves affection.

<<Insert Joke Here>>

Mark is most proud of the telephoto lense.

Yeah, but the fisheye scares everyone off.

I just can't wrap my head around a camera that takes video. It's just weird to me...

Oh good, I'm not alone.

I saw the squares, Fred. Your joke worked for at least one person.

It's one extra device you don't have to carry. If you're only carrying a video camera, your still shots will suck. If you're only carrying one of these new DSLRs with video capability, your stills AND video can be excellent.

D'Oh!! A math joke?

Fred, you are OUT of the club.

Update. Ended up w/ an Olympus EPL1. I almost got a Panasonic GF1 but it was more pricey. Loving this camera and can't wait to take some great pix on my trip to Peru tomorrow.

Still using the kit lens but hope to pick up the fixed 17mm pancake when I come home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9872286@N03/4816174388/in/set-72157624427998365/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9872286@N03/4815565663/in/set-72157624427998365/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9872286@N03/4816174388/in/set-72157624427998365/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9872286@N03/4816174388/in/set-72157624427998365/

Photog noob. Just got back from a trek to Machu Picchu. I bought the EPL1 specifically for this trip. Everyone was impressed by the shots, I even had someone ask me if it was an EPL1 on the top of a mountain at 15000 feet.

My only complaint is that the stock lens isn't as good as a true zoom (which some people lugged on the trail for 5 days) and it's a bit too big for a 5 days of hiking. My 17mm fixed lens is on order.

I figured Machu Picchu would be a great subject for Tilt/Shift. I'm still working on understanding the focal point... I also think it works better w/ less people and more inanimate stuff.










I'm on a Mac so I gave DoubleTake a try for stitching. Not bad. Sunrise at Machu Picchu. Man, it's tough dealing w/ the light at that time of the day.

Tilt-shift really messes with your mind. I like the second shot.

Don't know what that tilt/shift thing is, but it hurts my eyes.

That first black & white is outstanding.

Tilt shift is odd but when done right, I think it looks cool. Makes everything look like toys.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/16/beautiful-examples-of-tilt-shift-photography/

I specifically bought this Olympus because the filter is built into the camera so I don't have to do any post processing.

I prefer to just get the raw sample data from the camera and do all the post processing on my desktop. If you think about it, what's going to yield better results? A small, embedded processor running from a battery that has to return a finished photo in a fraction of a second so you can keep shooting. Or a high power, CPU that can take as long as it needs to crunch the data.

Completely agree w/ you. But I'm lazy...

I'm doing my 'research' and even bought a copy of Peterson's Understanding Exposure. Hopefully at some point I will use the RAW feature and pony up for Aperture or LR.

Nice shots, Machu Picchu is one of the few places in the world I want to go to.

Speaking of which, how was Machu Pichu?

Fantastic trip. We did an alternate from the Inca Trail, called the Salkantay Trek. Not a zoo like the Inca Trail. We used Llama Path and I would HIGHLy recommend them.

Here's our blog if you're interested.

http://oldskoolboarder.posterous.com/

Very nice photos! I'm glad the camera worked out for your trip!

Awesome pics oldskool - thanks for sharing.