Cameras are getting interetsing

[Papa_Complex]

Hello. My name is Rob and I'm a cameraholic.

Yes, I bought another one. This time it's an Olympus (little surprise there) OM-D E-M5. It's one of their Micro Four-Thirds format, interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras. The latest one, in fact. I picked it up with the 12-50mm F4.0-6.3 kit lens, that's also optimized for HD video use.

BLOODY HELL, but this thing is fast! It focuses significantly faster than my first couple of DSLRs, despite the fact that it has to focus like a compact (imager focusing). It also shoots 9 frames a second in S-AF and 4.5 frames a second in C-AF modes. I could probably get away with using it to shoot bikes, on a tight track. I'll give it a try, the next weekend of racing.

The kit lens even has the option of motor driven zooming, for when you want smooth zooms in video. Just snap the zoom collar back and it engages the motor control. All of this in a camera that looks remarkably like my 15 year old OM2000 35mm film camera.

Any more photo gear and I'm going to need an intervention.

[azoomm]

I am very interested to know how it does with bikes...

[RACER X]

OT, is a DSLR w/ 11k clicks alot? nikon d40

workmate is looking at one

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by azoomm

I am very interested to know how it does with bikes...

I'm not expecting a whole lot, because DPReview specifically stated that it was, "... fast enough for everything short of professional sports shooting." It feels fast though, which is a big step up from the previous u4/3 cameras. I'm definitely going to try it out and will likely buy myself the portrait grip, too.

I have a feeling that this will become my primary camera.

Originally Posted by RACER X

OT, is a DSLR w/ 11k clicks alot? nikon d40

workmate is looking at one

I'm not all that familiar with Nikon cameras, but odds are that the shutter is rated for something like 80,000 activations. My E-5 pro camera is rated at 160,000.

*EDIT* Just found a reference that says the D40 shutter is rated to 50,000 activations.

[RACER X]

k thanks

[Papa_Complex]

To give a bit of a benchmark, I can shoot 2000+ frames in a regional racing weekend. More like 3500 over the course of a three day National weekend.

[Trip]

Dig the old school look of it.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Trip

Dig the old school look of it.

Agreed. Let's play "Spot the Film Camera"

[Apoc]

Papa, what would be a good, high frames per second camera for cheap.

This is not for any professional use or anything like that. Just want something fast enough to capture a golf swing at high fps, just for personal use. Something that isnt going to blur every frame in Video mode. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I already have a paid program to look at/slow down/analyze frame by frame made for golf, now I need a decent camera.

Nice Camera btw.

[Papa_Complex]

The thing about regular digital video, is that it's almost certain to blur high speed action in each frame. Even HD at 60 frames a minute is never going to match a still frame, from something like a DSLR.

Now here's the interesting bit. A crappy little pocket digicam, by Casio, is capable of getting up to 1000 frames per second by dropping the resolution. The video image at that point is tiny, but you can get a fairly usable size, roughly the size of a non-HD TV image, at 120 fps (1/4 speed).

http://www.dpreview.com/products/cas.../casio_exzr300