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Have been using my mates nikon d5000 for a few months now as I was looking to upgrade from my canon g10 to an slr but wanted to try out an slr before buying.
The question is though what to buy, have seen the nikon d90 which although a couple of years old now is still a cracking camera and at the moment they can be had body only for around 550 euros or a nikon d300 also a great camera and for a little extra than d90 I can get a used one. But then there is the panasonic gf2 which also gets some great reviews.
I like the idea of the panasonic as the canon g10 is about the same size but has the advantage of being able to change lenses and I also wouldn't have to carry a couple of big lenses like I would if I went with a full size slr.
The problem is though I don't know anything about four third cameras especially the gf2, any reviews I have read all say its a great camera but these are written by people who are going to be biased as they own one already.
Or is there something else that I should look at.
Any tips or recommendations .
I'm into taking photos of the stars, landscapes and a few portraits, I'm not professional buy any means but a keen enthusiast.
Thanks
Quote: The problem is though I don't know anything about four third cameras especially the gf2, any reviews I have read all say its a great camera but these are written by people who are going to be biased as they own one already
There`s a group test here, not on the GF2, but it should give you some idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxsV_Fa17o&feature=related
At the end of the day its down to you and what you feel most comfortable with.
I would say don't get too caught up on the kit aspect - remember, the camera is a means to an end and is merely a tool that enables us to realise our visions. There is truth in the cliche - it's not the camera, but the photographer that make a great picture.
That said, the greatest flexibility will come with building up an SLR kit. In terms of brand, to a great degree there's not a lot to choose between offerings at any given price point. One thing I would say for Canon and Nikon is that they have a huge range of lenses and accessories, whch will allow you to expand your kit in the future, and it is they who have the largest market share. Also, these are the two brands who dominate the pro market, so there will be plenty of 'behind the scenes' and 'how to' online content to fall back on for help and advice - from people who know their cameras inside out.
Bells and whistles are all well and good, but you'll soon find that you only use a select few functions repeatedly... so don't let these tempting 'extras' be a factor in your selection 
You already have experience of a variety of good kit.
Take a few courses to improve your skills.
Look at it this way: £500 spent on equipment might allow you to move up one small step in technological terms but the same amount would allow you to take 5 x 1day courses that would improve your skills 100x fold.
It really is a no-brainer.
Micro 4/3 is a good system. There are two possible problems with it - 1) you need to check that you can get all the lenses that you want as the range at the moment is very limited, and 2) the smaller sensor does mean that it's slightly more noisy than the APS-C cameras, but this may not matter to you that much - it's probably about a stop less sensitive. On the other hand the cameras and the lenses are much smaller and lighter than APS-C which helps when you have to carry them around. The Panasonic M4/3 cameras use contrast detection focus (from the cameras sensor) which can be slower than the phase detection method used on SLRs but at least you don't get front or back-focus.
I wouldn't bother with the Nikon D90 or D300. You can get them cheap but there's a reason for that - they're basically both 4 years old. There's better stuff out there now.
Quote: Micro 4/3 is a good system. There are two possible problems with it
I guess that all down to being fit for purpose, we all have different needs and requirements
I`d like a compact camera for street stuff, the X100 fits the bill but so does this, at 300 quid it`s fit for purpose, cheap and the comes with a perfectly matched lens and the finder`s included.
Other lenses, not needed it would remain bolted on its now at a price on par with high end digicams and cheaper than some, if only I had the 300 quid
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-olympus-e-p1-digital-camera-plus-17mm-f2-8-s...
Best bets to go out and handle a few body/lens combination, and think about what you might fancy/need in the future, and make sure its fit for your needs.
I bought the Lumix GF1 as a lightweight alternative to my Nikon D200 as I carry a camera with me all the time.
The autofocus is pretty damned fast (and beats the hell out of the Tamron 90mm on the Nikon) and the metering is spot on. I also find the stabalisation is very good and the noise not as bad as some people would have you believe (okay - it is not as good as the new top level DSLRs but they are a damned sight more expensive and more 'specialised' in their target market).
I have 3 lenses - the 20mm f1.7 (which I love), the 14-45mm and the 45-200mm. The range of lenses is not as small as people think because you don't have to stick to Panasonic, there are the Olympus ones and there are some independants creeping in too.
The multiplication factor for lenses is x2 so my 200mm is the equivalent of a 40mm in 35mm terms which may be a factor to consider taking in your liking of star and moon shots.
The menu is very easy easy to get around in and the 'Quick Menu' button is great to change the more commonly used items is a great idea.
The one thing to remember is that there is no viewfinder on the micro 4/3rds cameras and the plug in ones are very expensive and not great.
Quote: The one thing to remember is that there is no viewfinder on the micro 4/3rds cameras and the plug in ones are very expensive and not great.
The Panasonic GH series add an EVF that is built in. Battles will rage for some time over whether an EVF is good enough or not
Quote: The one thing to remember is that there is no viewfinder on the micro 4/3rds cameras and the plug in ones are very expensive and not great
Very true Roy, seems to be the way of the Sony nex as well, but that has`nt even got a flash shoe 
Its all swings and roundabouts, Olympus inbody IS, Panasonic faster autofocus, Olympus has a few more useful metering modes, panasonic better viewfinders etc.
But they all share the same lenses and flash units, ie Panasonic lens/Olympus body and vice versa, Olympus body/Panasonic flash and vice versa and so on.
Loads of lens adapter`s as well, and put that old redundant glass to use
http://www.cameraquest.com/adp_micro_43.htm
If I had the dosh I`d get something tomorrow
Quote: The range of lenses is not as small as people think because you don't have to stick to Panasonic, there are the Olympus ones and there are some independants creeping in too.
There doesn't seem to be anything over 300mm (i.e. 600mm 35mm equiv) which is limiting for wildlife. On APS-C, 400mm (i.e. about 600mm 35mm equiv) is about the minimum you can get away with and I often use 500mm and 600mm (i.e. up to 900mm 35mm equiv). Also it's also often preferable to use a long prime rather than a zoom (for better quality) and they're completely missing from the range. There's also no macro lens.
The EVF on the GH2 is OK (about 1Mp) but that's not really enough - Sony use about 1.5Mp and are moving up to HD (about 2Mp) for their next models.
The noise levels are basically 1 stop behind APS-C - i.e. you'll get the same noise on at ISO400 on a an M4/3 as you would on an APS-C at ISO800. It's just the basic consequence of using a smaller sensor, but it may not matter to most people - the fact that the kit is so much smaller will be much more important.
With a bigger lens range and a better EVF it'll be a great system.
Hi Jo,
Nice Mates you have and thats a good reason for staying with Nikon if they will also shoot with you and share lenses then this will be great - even if its just to try before buying.
The move to SLR will give you a bigger sensor, which in turn will give you the ability to have a shallower depth of feild - good for you portraits. SLR's are typically Full Frame or APS-c size sensors the former is rather expensive but can give a very shallow DOF indeed. The M4/3's camera's sensor is smaller and won't be quite as good for shallow DOF.
It seems to be true that the kit brand will not make too much difference, though more megapixels for star shots (not trails) may have a slight advantage if your going to crop heavily after the shot.
Stuart
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