> I thought it worked ok for me when I tried one a few months ago - size
> seems similar to any OM-x, but doesn't seem to weigh as much.
Without a comparative, I think the OM-D is a fine camera. In fact, more
than fine. It is a brilliant camera. But brilliant does not equate to that
intangible bit of unexplainable nuance that tells you that something is
slightly amiss. I know that I'm not the only one who has detected it. Not
that I'm putting either one up on a pedestal, but both Kirk Tuck and Mike
Johnson both have said as much. In both cases, they're letting their
wallets vote.
The viewfinder of the OM-D is quite good. Perfect? Nope. I was pretty
pleased until I put the 5DMk3 up to my eye and realized that we're not just
in a different league, we're in a different sport. I put the OM-4T up to my
eye and realized that both of them sucked, but the OM-D was only marginally
better than my ancient Minolta A1 in comparison. (It's actually much better
than the A1's, but when compared to the best OVFs, they are both still
pretty bad). The latest Sony viewfinders are slightly better, but much more
enjoyable to use. Since I don't NEED to buy a camera this week, there is no
need for me to buy something that isn't quite right and then turn right
around and get the next model which fixes this issue. I'm too busy buying
$100 jeans for teenage daughters and expensive running clothes and earrings
for myself to do that.
I will be very specific in expressing my concern with the OM-D. My right
hand measurements are thus:
4.75 inches across the widest part of the hand
2.75 inches from knuckle to end of thumb
3.75 inches from center of knuckle to end of pointer finger
4.33 inches from center of knuckle to end of middle finger
4.75 inches from center of knuckle to end of ring finger
3.33 inches from center of knuckle to end of pinkie
8.75 inches from tip of pinkie to tip of thumb of wide-spread hand
"No, Judge, the glove doesn't fit!"
I give these measurements so that anybody who thinks I'm smoking something
can do their own hand measurements to see how different they are from mine.
Also note, that I suffer CTS symptoms so some handling issues are a bit
more important to me than to others. If I'm shooting an event where the
camera is in my hand for hours at a time, it BETTER be comfy. Not just
comfy, but really comfy.
The closeness of the shutter release to the right edge (photographer's
view) dictates how much surface area the other fingers have in gripping the
body. The less surface area, the more the fingers have to squeeze. The more
squeezing, the more pain. Add the weight of a heavy lens and the camera is
almost unbearable to hold. Especially considering how thin the camera is.
(The Sony NEX-7 is only slightly better, but the shutter release is
positioned in such a way that the camera feels thicker than it really is).
It was MUCH easier to hold the OM-4T than the OM-D with or without lenses.
I've been puzzling over this and wondering why I liked the E-P1's handling,
but not the OM-D. I think it has a lot to do with the balance of the
camera. The E-P1 balanced nicely in the hand with the kit lenses, but the
OM-D wants to tilt forward for me. While the E-P1 was a wonderful
left-hand, upturned-palm camera, the OM-D just doesn't want to sit in the
palm the same way. I don't know why. Again, this is just my own reaction to
it.
I've skipped over wild purchases in the digital age. I still have my A1 and
E1 which are examples of ergonomic genius. The DMC-L1 is a little skizzo,
but still works--especially well with a short OM lens. But the OM-D just
seemed to leave me cold. I can just tell that it's one of those cameras
that would need to grow on me because the controls were not where my
fingers wanted them to be. It's like trying to drive a car where the
controls are moved into awkward spots. My wife's Toyota Prius is a
fantastic car, but the gear-selector knob is right where my knee wants to
be and the dash-light dimmer control is somewhere hidden down low on the
dashboard by my left knee. (Oh, and it only dims SOME of the lights). Am I
at fault because my knees don't conform to the ideal human perfection that
the Toyota engineers decided that all Prius owners should be? Am I at fault
because when you turn your brights on at night that you cannot see because
the indicator light blinds you as it reflects off the dashboard up into the
windshield? (Does anybody actually test drive these things at night?)
The point is that I do like the OM-D, but not enough. I can understand why
it is relatively popular, but I can also see why there are a handful of
others that aren't happy with it, either. My money, my choice.
--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
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