So, as I have finally got the correct prime lens for my Olympus Pen ( a 25mm F1.8 Manual prime made by 7Artisans) it's now time to make the decision as to which to use, that or the Ricoh GRii.
I thought I'd list the pros and cons for each. These aren't so much technical/universal as personal to me and my style/subject of shooting.
Ricoh
Pros
A truly great camera
Smaller than the Olympus - can fit into a pocket
A better street camera - faster and more discrete
Autofocus - even if it's not the best
Great dynamic range
I've never had chance to explore the full range of menu options
Wider angle lens 18.3mm (28mm Full Frame equivalent) better for architecture
Cons
I already know the camera reasonably well(but see above about menu/set-up options)
I find the results of landscape photography disappointing, even shooting raw
I will always have the Ricoh, it's too good a travel camera for me to think of getting rid of it i.e. I'll always have it AFTER the lockdown is over,
Olympus Pen
Pros
The camera is new to me, as is micro 4/3. This gives me an opportunity to learn it
the lens is new to me (ditto)
The Olympus is bigger than the Ricoh but is hardly huge
The dynamic range is very good
I want to explore replacing my DSLRs with mirrorless and the Olympus system be it the Pen-F or OM-D range is something I'm interested in exploring as I leave my Pentax and large Sigmas at home for the vast majority of my photography because of their size.
From what I've seen so far, the system is really good for architecture and landscape
Articulating/touch screen
Cons
Lack of autofocus is going to slow me down
The lack of a viewfinder given the above could be an issue in bright light
Not a great street camera
So that's where I stand. I think you might see that this is very much a personal decision which is as much down to the future direction of my photography as it is to the quality of the cameras!
Still I made the effort to APPEAR objective!
Incidentally, you may be wondering what the other camera is that I'm obviously using and how this fits into the 'One camera, one lens' thing! Well, it's this:
It's a 2014 vintage Panasonic Lumix LX-5, yes, a compact CCD sensor camera. It, and its LX-3 siblings are my work cameras that I use every day when things are normal (I'm a commercial surveyor). It's my defence that these can't go away, firstly because they are bulletproof that have survived years of abuse at my hands and still work (something that neither the Olympus or even the GRii would put up with) and, also, because I absolutely adore the images that they produce. I have a special set up for them, the IA setting produces the low Res pics I need for every survey but, if I see something good, I just switch to aperture priority which puts them in RAW. With their Leica lens perfectly matched to the CCD sensor (much superior to any CMOS sensor), the results are fantastic. The LX-5 is not going in the loft!
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