Panasonic G6 or Nikon D5300 for general photography?

[Mois]

So apparently there is only one helpful person on this board.

 

[jaomul]

You seem to have done your homework so already have a very good idea what you want.

The g6 has handy touchscreen and single focus will be very good (I am basing this as I use an Olly Epl5 which is similar spec minus the evf). The g6 is lighter with plenty of very nice lenses to pick from. Where the g6 won't be quite as good as the Nikon is for tracking moving subjects such as bires in flight, kids running etc. It can do it but nowhere near as good as a dslr.

Also if you look at most portraits the subject is often separated from its background using shallow depth of field. It is easier to get this effect with a larger sensor so the Nikon will be better for this, though the m4/3 system has some fast lenses that are reasonably affordable all things considered.

Its a hard one to call but if tracking wasn't a big deal I think the versatility if the Panasonic is more tempting.

If you go Nikon a recommended macro is a tamron 60mm f2 which doubles as a nice portrait lens. Olympus do a 60mm macro also, but Olympus also do a kit Lens 12-50mm that is an everyday Lens but has a good macro mode, it's not full macro but pretty good. This kit Lens can be bought cheap second hand, it only gets ok reviews but personally I think it's great

 

[jaomul]

If you are going the m4\3 direction I do know the 14-42 is excellent ( Olympus one). I don't really know your Euro budget. I am not trying to direct you different but Olympus bodies have built in stabilization which made me go that direction. Panasonic have stabilized lenses.

I would recommended buying the body and kit Lens as the difference in price usually make the kit Lens worth it. Before you pull the trigger on anything is the Olympus omd em10 in your budget? Olly usually have twin kit Lens deals that give you near to Far cover. If you decide to go for the 12-50 lens I git mine for 100 Euro

 

[jaomul]

I done a conversion, the body alone and the body and kit seems good value, but 400 for that 12-50 is way over what you can pick this up for.

 

[jaomul]

Ya sorry about recommending something more expensive. If I were you now I would buy the Panasonic and kit lens. As you use it you will see if you need to add extra. If you pm me your own email I will scan you a good article I have comparing a few cameras in your budget including the Panasonic g6

 

[sashbar]

No problem. If there is a noticeable difference I dont mind paying more but my experience from other hobbies (headphones) tells me that after the entry/enthusiast levels you start to hit diminishing returns.
I'm probably going to get the G6 kit.

As a happy owner of Grado RS1 I hope you will agree that in any hobby the importance of "diminishing results" become more obvious with experience and growing demands if you get serious (i.e. obsessed about your hobby). Same goes for photography. I would say that overall D5300 will give you better IQ, especially in difficult light conditions. I would expect a better dynamic range from a larger sensor of D5300, which also means more freedom in post production - that means you can more easily correct underexposed/overexposed images.
Different people have different priorities, but I personally would be very reluctant to go for a sensor smaller that APS-C for the above reasons. I have seen a lot of fantastic shots from cameras like G6, but more often than not it was good lighting conditions. So to me the real choise would be the size/weight versus ability to shoot in a broader range of light/conditions.

 

[goodguy]

No problem. If there is a noticeable difference I dont mind paying more but my experience from other hobbies (headphones) tells me that after the entry/enthusiast levels you start to hit diminishing returns.
I'm probably going to get the G6 kit.

As a happy owner of Grado RS1 I hope you will agree that in any hobby the importance of "diminishing results" become more obvious with experience and growing demands if you get serious (i.e. obsessed about your hobby). Same goes for photography. I would say that overall D5300 will give you better IQ, especially in difficult light conditions. I would expect a better dynamic range from a larger sensor of D5300, which also means more freedom in post production - that means you can more easily correct underexposed/overexposed images.
Different people have different priorities, but I personally would be very reluctant to go for a sensor smaller that APS-C for the above reasons. I have seen a lot of fantastic shots from cameras like G6, but more often than not it was good lighting conditions. So to me the real choise would be the size/weight versus ability to shoot in a broader range of light/conditions.

Nothing to add pretty much what I am thinking.
I wouldnt go smaller then APS-C
If I had to I would go with one of Sony's APS-C mirrorless cameras.

 

[jaomul]

I'll just add to the m4/3rds nay sayers that you might be surprised how good they are IF YOU TRIED them . To OP, I think you would be wise to spend that bit extra on the OM10

 

[sashbar]

I'm using the LCD2's and the diminishing returns have already kicked in. The're worth it to me though.

So to me the real choise would be the size/weight versus ability to shoot in a broader range of light/conditions.

Yes. It definitely is to me as well. The touchscreen is a plus too of course. I've also been looking at the M10 in greater detail. I've been able to use one in the store and really liked the compact size. With the 14-42mm Kit it's almost pocket size. It might be worth paying the CHF 985.- to me. As someone on this board said: the best camera in the world is always the one you have with you. I just dont see myself bringing the bulkier and heavier nikon with me as often.

Problem is - the difference between "pocket size" and "almost pocket size" is critical. By the end of the day you will need a bag for pretty much any small mirrorless with a zoom lense anyway. I have Nikon D5100 that I rarely use these days, and a second (first?) camera that is always with me - Ricoh GR. It is truly pocketable, has a great APS-C sensor, and in some respects gives better images than my Nikon. It is not for everybody though with its fixed lense but suits my needs because my interests in photography are quite narrow.

 

[jaomul]

These cameras are well able in poor light,
ISO 2500
Paris by night by jaomul, on Flickr

and iso 1250
paris Arc triomphe stairs by jaomul, on Flickr

While I am not saying there are no better system than a m4/3rds, they do have a size/price/performance ace up their sleeve. Its easy to recommend any camera from a review or because you heard it does better. Actual user reviews serve better imo

 

[goodguy]

I'll just add to the m4/3rds nay sayers that you might be surprised how good they are IF YOU TRIED them . To OP, I think you would be wise to spend that bit extra on the OM10

No doubt the 4/3 is good but it depends of ones expectation.
For me its APS-C and to be honest next I will go for full frame.