Nottingham, UK based Photographer shooting a wide variety of styles and subjects. 1 to 1 photo tuition workshops available - more details on my website. Fully signed up to the Micro Four-Thirds system with OMSystem cameras and lenses and bringing my adventures with the system to you every Wednesday. Please subscribe to my channel to see more!
Hi Leigh, some great shots there mate, my favourite being the last one, I've been out playing with my Olympus OM-D E-M1, having a lot of fun with it just snapping around at the moment. Still not sure If I'm going to make the switch or just use both for now 😂
Hi Steve! Thanks for that - seems this video isn't the most popular out there but it was done on a whim so it's a bit unplanned! I've just got back from a week in the Lakes and Yorkshire and had almost no time out with the camera due to the weather but there may be one video out of it that I filmed in the rain - we'll see! The Mk1 definitely needs an outing soon though - it's been far too long since I got that out for a session!
Good stuff, infrared photography is very cool when the wear is on your side like you said, would love one, if I ever get the urge to upgrade my em10 mark 3 I could see me getting that converted.
I use a capture clip. Peak Design are the well known ones but I use a PGYTech Beetle - both are available by searching for camera capture clip on Amazon though.
I love infrared, my camera is a Panasonic GF-1 converted to 830nm, with the Olympus 9-18mm 1:4-5.6 ED MSC. For more info see my channel. Great set of pictures.
I just got one. I'm sending it back. The locking mechanism is very fiddly, and I don't trust it. Also, the black finish is easily scratched when attaching your camera. I'm going to try the Peak Design Capture clip instead.
@@LeighWPhotos I just learned from PGY that there isn't an option for returning it... They won't pay for return shipping, and to ship it overseas will cost almost what the thing is worth. They offered me a $15 refund, and I can keep it. Lesson learned... buy from American dealers so returns will not be a problem.
i am intend to buy it for landscape and street photography also planning to send the images to some competition. my biggest confusion is the image quality is sufficient for photography competition ?
Images are really good from it - in fact the image quality is right up there in good light. It suffers a little when it's darker, but generally it's a great little camera! If you're printing out shots for a competition you may struggle a little but online I think you'll be fine.
I take flower pictures but what is a good picture when you look at some flower photos you think wow how did they do that then I look at mine and think rubbish.
Practice is the key definitely - and knowing what you want to get out of the finished shot. It's definitely a case of about 20% if the shots work but the rest don't, but the more you shoot the easier it gets for that 20% ☺️
I've bought my #1 5D into early 2008, some months, before the 5D II came to life. I prefer simplicity over 2546 Menues, with 23 sublevels each one. I also can't think (even i have that kind of gear, though) of replacing any OVF based (D)SLR with a EVF, because for my eyes, that pretty much sucks. Shooting since the early 80's, as kid. 10D to 50D, 5D(II) Not counting other brands. The title is clickbait, honestly.
@@LeighWPhotos You're out of luck - Canon isn't servicing the 5D original anymore, that's what i've received from official Canon repair store, many years ago. I was lucky, received the so called MirrorFix into 2012 for free, on two 5Ds. Honestly, you're one out of 50586 YT'bers, praising the 5D. No hard feelings. 😎Thing is, i wouldn't buy the 5D anymore nowadays - 1) you can't, simply cannot read out the taken actuations (only Canon can, for real) and 2) without the Mirrorfix (Canon Service Advisory March 2009) and unknown shots being taken - it's all a hit & miss, i'd never buy a 5D again, from a private, trustful person - friends. Not off ebay, strangers, etc. because of that. 3) Original batteries after up to 19 years almost are simply crap, one does need to buy a decent 3rd party BP-511A replacement, i'd recommand Patona Pro (green label) or Protect (yellow) as well as Baxxtar Pro series (red) as substitute only, since i do have experience for 18-20 years with these brands. Usually, very good, for 1/3 of the original battery price. Second, i know the 5D since it's release, being grown up and being shooting since spring 84, when i was as kid, with film of course. And last, but not least - second hand prices of the 5D raised a lot, thanks to all these UberTubers here, as i am used to say, which continue for clicks all couple months and through all the time, to release new videos about the 5D.🙂 Into short - someone which is a absolute beginner, starter into photography - the 5D isn't the right choice, i'd say. You should learn from the pike up, which means, 35mm film SLR, 50 or 35mm focal length, and learn the basics of the exposure triangle - aperture, shutterspeed iso. Because into the end, this leads to much better compositions, simply as that. The Gen-Z and others are usually just phone snappers, so not being used to real gear. And also beginners don't need, or want to buy (used) L-glass, to get the most out of that old 5D. For instance, any 30D to 50D which comes way cheap nowadays (bought them all into their heyday - 10D to 50D, as well as other gear) with a matching 24/2.8 STM (36mm in FF terms) is a good, small combo, pancake-esque, which could being bought very cheap off the web. Its never the gear, talking about composition. Into the end, whileas the colors are not true to life (the original 5D pushes a bit hard the reds, blues) i do like the outcome still, and into the end - that's why i shoot since ever with nowadays called "vintage" lenses - all glass and metal only, no AF, no micro motors, which would mostly fail over time..even after decades...character lenses are much better, if the image does have soul, instead of clinical sharpness. Nowadays, current gear is 1) way expensive 2) less updated as into the 2010's for instance 3) virtual, it does look all the same...nowadays, because the IQ differs only from the internal processing/color science, and the matching system lenses - many brands use Sony Sensors, so if you compare your Pentax, Sony, Olympus, Nikon, etc....the difference is not too big, just like some 15-20 years ago...with digital gear.
I love your images, Leigh. Your editing and choice of backgrounds make a big difference. You have inspired me to take out my 30mm lens and enjoy experimenting with some flower photography in my local park.
Hi Leigh, loved the video and the shots, I've just ordered a new setup to test micro 4/3 as we discussed a few days ago, only cheap OM-D E-M1 and the 12-42mm lens, if I like it, I'll be selling my Nikon gear and buying a complete new micro 4/3 setup 😁
Thank you Steve! You'll be amazed at the portability and how much that little camera can do! A great set up for it is the 14-150mm lens as it's so versatile. Combine that with the 30mm macro and you've got a great set up you can carry pretty much anywhere! Definitely small and mighty!
@LeighWPhotos If, which is looking more and more likely, I do swap out systems, I'll be bugging you for lens recommendations Leigh. I know my Nikon lenses, but Micro 4/3 is all new to me.
I have this lens & a G9II as well as the OM-1 and the Oly 300mm f4. My wife and I were in Newfoundland last month photographing puffins & gannets during their nesting season. As you stated the OM-1 & Oly 300mm Is a little sharper and faster than the Panasonic 100-400 on the G9II but they are very close in results. The tracking was excellent for the Panasonic kit and without carefully inspecting the photos they were very close in quality. I backed off to 350-375mm with the Panasonic kit and I found that a bit better. The Panasonic kit weighs 58oz and the Oly kit about 77oz with 1.4 TC so you can tell the difference in weight. I still prefer the Oly kit but since I have a full kit of Panasonic Leica lenses the purchase of both cameras made since for me. The G9II is far better for bird photography vs the original G9 but the G9 is just fine for general photography. I still have the original G9. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos.
Brilliant images,I live in the Lake District so it's always nice to see awesome photograph's of the local area. My buddy has just this past month bought this lens & he's mighty impressed with it too..I'm still a dinosaur & shooting heavy dslrs like the 1dx etc although I've just bought my first M43 body in a Panasonic G9. I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces.
It's worth remembering that Olympus included sensor stabilization for ages, even in low-end models - while other manufacturers kept gaslighting us that lens stabilization is enough. Being them, it must feel really crappy to see all your ideas outright stolen by the competition.
Hi Leigh, your comment about watching youtubers and aiming for perfection, is spot on, I tell people this all the time, most of the top youtubers, have spent days, if not weeks to get that 'shot'. I enjoy watching genuine channels such as yours and a few others which are more about the day/days taken into context etc. Really enjoyed the video and the shots mate, take care, Steve.
Thanks Steve! I try and be a little bit different to the norm, well, because different is good right? 😅 But I do try and keep things real - and showing what a real shoot is like really matters to me to prove that there's no such thing as a perfect outing for 99% of the time!
Well, you are right the stabilisation of the om-1 is amazing and when used with a pro lens that it can sync with, you get even better incredible results. 👍😎
It's some kind of black magic how good it is! Never thought I'd be able to get hand held night shots with a great ratio of keepers but then the OM-1 came along and proved me wrong!
I was wondering if you used the Handheld Assist. Just two nights ago I went down to the beach with a small tripod to take pictures of the pier at 3:00 a.m. under a full moon. I never used the tripod at all.
Hi Leigh, great images mate, the mirrorless systems retain so much information now, I use the Nikon Z9 system, but I've been thinking for a while whether to sell up and transition to a Micro 4/3 system, most likely the Lumix setup. But, the only thing holding me back is the financial loss on the Nikon system, an unavoidable advent of changing systems, but an expensive one haha, definitely something I need to ponder for a while longer I think. Love the channel Leigh and your images, take care, Steve.
Cheers Steve! I started off buying a cheap EM-1 Mk1 and kit lens (£210 all in from MPB) to try out knowing it was Olympus's pro line just very early. That kind of had me hooked and I've not looked back since!
@@LeighWPhotos Hi Leigh, I've been thinking along the same lines, buying a cheap older setup from MPB, and getting out locally and having a bash with it, see how it feels etc. Watch this space then, I'll let you know what happens.
You did well to get away with taking photographs inside the Arndale Centre. Therein you are essentially on private property and usually if the house security firm see you they will ask you to stop and sometimes stop and leave.
I think I must have timed it about right! Been moved on from other shopping centres before - yet strangely not a problem if you put the camera away and use your phone...
It is definitely a myth that smaller sensors gather less light. There is a simple recipe to get almost identical images on full frame and MFT (except for the 3:2 vs 4:3, and perhaps the resolution): apply the crop factor to both the focal length and f-number, use the same shutter speed, and use auto-ISO (otherwise, divide the ISO by 4 on the MFT). This will give exactly the same depth of field, and very similar noise and dynamic range. The reason why people believe otherwise is because they compare at same f-number and same ISO, in which case, the sensor will get 4 times less light because the aperture diameter of the lens is smaller. With 4 times less light coming through the lens, the image will obviously have approximately two more stops of noise (and the corresponding reduction in dynamic range).
MFT remains hard to beat for walk-around camera format with much lighter lenses than FF equivalent and, with de-noise software these days makes low light images a breeze. As always, the truth is that a good photographer will make best use of any camera and bad photographers will make bad photos even with the best gear.
I have an EM1 MKII and EM5 MKII. I have also had my D810 and also a Leica M for quite a while, although I manily photograph using film. I think the MFT cameras are highly underrated, and they are more than enough for the needs of 99% of amateur and Pro photographers . Yes, they don't have the resolution of the D810 nor the low noise charactristics, but those are only important if you make them important, which in terms of aesthetics of photography is a nonsense. They also have plenty in their favour. They are light, compact, highly portable, highly configurable and flexible and even quite discrete. Much more so than any of my Leicas, but nowhere near any of my Minox 35 cameras, LOL.
I absolutely loved my EM1.1 and took some of my favourite shots on it - even printed them big and put them on the wall...! It was a revelation coming from Canon DSLRs at the time.
The reason m43 kinda fell off the radar lately, is that it's a mature system - which means, the times when a new lens was announced all the time, is past us. Add to that how youtube "influencing" works, i.e. it's 95% about gear, 5% about photography, and you get the current situation. Also, the *notorious* manufacturers (C/N/S) have an opportunity to boast an "innovation" with every release, which usually turns out to be something copied from m43. There are still tons of features to copy, so we're in for a few years more of FF "innovation". I've been shooting m43 for ten or so years, and tried almost every genre of photography. You can do anything with this system, and same as with everything - it has its strengths and weaknesses.
Without being rude, I have to add that the representation of MFT cameras on Y.T is also very minimal. This is perhaps more to do with the marketing strategy of mainly Olympus or OM as its called these days. I have also noticed that a lot of the photographers using MFT cameras are always trying to justify using it and constantly making excuses for it. I manily use B&W film, but I also do a lot B&W digital photography using a Leica M camera. I honestly see very little difference in 90% of my photographs between those produced by my EM1 MKII and my Leica M. I don't have to tell anyone how much that bloody system costs. I think a little more belief in the MFT system will do everyone a lot of good. On the other hand, the price of used EM5 MKIIs have gone up about 30% over the last year. I keep monitoring them on a few reputable online dealers.
@@lensman5762 Lack of m43 representation stems from the fact that there's not much new gear to cover. There was a weekend m43 getaway recently here in Poland, and I've met a lot of professional photographers - including ones that do work for TV and NatGeo, but also wedding, event etc. My point is that vast majority of them are professional photographers - not professional youtubers. And on YT, the right way to get clicks is to cover the new gear releases. I remember when I was first starting out - youtube was a wonderful resource to learn basics. It's not the case anymore. By watching YT as a beginner, you'll get the impression that skill is secondary, you need to focus on upgrading your gear. There's one more thing, which is the bokeh epidemic. Way too many people define photography as the "art of taking pictures with a blurry background". It also doesn't help that the current belief is that equivalency is as straightforward as "multiply by 2" - whereas it's much more nuanced than that.
Here, and I thought 18:23 was your try at a Fine Art photo. . . I’ve shot birds on a number of occasions, including a workshop I did here in San Diego just as Covid was making itself known in China, and have a few images in my portfolio I’m quite fond of. But being more of a landscape photographer I tend to prefer ‘birdscapes’ - i.e. photos that place the birds within their environmental context, or vice-versa, as you did at 18:53.
I do admit after doing a lot more landscape work I always do find myself looking at the surroundings as well as the birds. Although sometimes it just doesn't come off, but that's why we have nice lenses right? ;)
Hi Leigh. Nice video with some great shots. you are using great gear and by the way I have the same setup and will be at Bempton next week looks like you had good weather for it to, all the best Mike. 👍😎
Thanks Mike! Would you believe that took 3 weeks to film so I had the right shots? 😅 Have to admit I'm tempted to go back again soon - I may have traded the 300 in last week for an upgrade... 😉
@@LeighWPhotos Not wanting to interfere Lee. if you can try before you buy that 300 mm F4 is Olympus sharpest Long lens. Another great video great images at the end the music wasn’t bad either.
What’s the song in the end? I’m picking up a 5d2 as my first real camera and I hope I will master the exposure triangle as times goes! The 5d classic is a little hard core atm but if I know myself I could end up buying several of these old models! Old is gold👍🏻
Old camera's definitely rock - although I do enjoy my new one too 😅 The track is called Life Is Beautiful my Harbrs - love their laid back style of music 👍
Luxury. I recently dug out my 6.3MP 300D and paired it with a Tamron 17-50 from the same decade. I bought the camera, brand new, back in the day. Ease of use wise the ISO is easier to change than a film camera, LOL. Nostalgia and Memories says I am not selling it. It also works. With some knowledge of zone focusing it was super for kids sport and all sorts. Back then 720p HD was hence, 1080p FHD making that offensive and 4k streaming was scifi. Does anyone remember walking out of a pub because football was offensive to their eyes on only 720p HD (roughly 1/6th of the 300D)..............To calm pixel peepers it does not compare to modern systems, but it's capable of taking some pics that can be displayed on a modern large 4K TV without normal people discussing pixels................Nice vid....
Looks like a great feature I bet if you combines that filter with a polarizing filter fitted would be nice. I love the lake district haven't been for a few years my son just came back from there had a great time. Can you combine that feature with the high MP mode?
Unfortunately you can't combine it with the high resolution shot, well, I've not tried to be honest but I'd assume not. I'll give it a try and come back to you!
@@LeighWPhotos Perhaps. Nautical twilight is beautiful in its own way. I actually think that garish sunrises/sunsets are kind of overrated, though of course I chase after them as much as anyone. 🙄
@@LeighWPhotos No, oh my god no! This all fails the blind test, there is no any magic there. These are all prejudices and illusions, like almost any talk about "color science". People see it when they want to see it, although 90% of all the color differences discussed on the Internet are in white balance and tone, the remaining 10% are a few points in the HSL tab in lightroom. Damn, if you convinced someone to trade in a lightweight, comfortable, fun to use camera that always focuses accurately and has almost no dust problems for a piece of junk from 2005 - that's terrible! RP is a great tool to really take with you and take pictures, in this regard RP is many times superior to any 5D. Choosing 5d instead of rp is choosing cult over reason. I understand that making content about "legendary" cameras is easy and convenient and this format plays on pleasant strings in the human soul, your desire to quickly shoot a video with a hyped title is starting to cause real harm. People are throwing away great cameras for 100 year old junk that if they're lucky will be able to focus at least on the center point in AF-S mode.