(Part 2) Top products from r/M43

You can, I dunno what Rain_Coast is on about. I bought two things as soon as I bought my E-M5 II, first one is this duck plug (similar to what comes with some Apple chargers) so I wouldn't have to carry the cable and could plug the Oly AC charger right into the wall (it's not that big, hangs fine).

Second, I bought this USB charger so I could charge two batteries simultaneously without tying up additional outlets, as a bonus it's also smaller. I typically charge my Watson battery on this one and the OEM battery on the OEM charger, but they'll charge the other way around as well.

I have not verified if they'll charge to exactly 100% (which is a common occurrence when mixing OEM batteries and third party chargers) but I'm not too bothered if it's left at 90% or whatever since that's healthier for the battery anyway and I always carry multiple ones.

I've heard the Watsons are by far the best third party ones as far as yielding close to the same capacity as the OEM stuff. YMMV with newer battery models like the E-M1 II's, though I'm pretty sure there's single and dual USB chargers for those too. I have two Wasabis I rarely use (got them as part of a third car charger I bought for camping and using off solar).

I'm actually kind glad Oly ships a cabled charger, left the cable plugged into an outlet under my desk so I can just reach for it when I wanna charge at home rather than hunting for a free outlet. Got a cabled Pana charger too (from an imported GM1) that I've left alongside it and USB Pana charger for travel too.

Edit: There's third party AC chargers as well of course, the Watson ones seem neat in that they have these swappable plates for different batteries. I bought one and a fresh battery to hopefully sell w/my GM1...

The kit lens is good because it can zoom across a wide range of perspectives but bad because it's "slow" in light gathering terms. This means that you'll be less able to get non-blurry shots as the lights get dimmer (sun set, indoors, dinner time lighting, etc).

So my suggestion would be to, assuming you want to take photos at dusk/night, get a fixed focal length prime lens. These lenses are bad because they can't zoom at all and so you have to use your feet to zoom but good because they can shoot in significantly dimmer light.

But which prime lens to get? You can get them at a reasonable price in the zoom levels of: 15mm, 17mm, 20mm, 25mm, and 42.5mm. I'd say the way to go would be to buy the G85 with the kit lens, use it, and see which focal length you take the most photos at or your favorite photos at. Some people suggest taping the zoom lens to be fixed at a focal length of whatever prime lens you might buy and shooting with that for a week or so to see if you can handle being stuck at that range.

• 15mm https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-LUMIX-LEICA-SUMMILUX-H-X015/dp/B00J8H7H48/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=15mm+f%2F1.7&qid=1564608134&s=gateway&sr=8-2
  
• 17mm https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-M-Zuiko-Digital-Thirds-Cameras/dp/B00CI3R4VU/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=17mm+f%2F1.8&qid=1564608233&s=gateway&sr=8-1
  
• 20mm https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-LUMIX-MIRRORLESS-Thirds-H-H020AK/dp/B00DJS830Y/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=20mm+f%2F1.7&qid=1564608313&s=gateway&sr=8-3
  
• 25mm Lumix https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-LUMIX-MIRRORLESS-THIRDS-H-H025K/dp/B014RD6RC0/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=25mm+f%2F1.7&qid=1564608151&s=gateway&sr=8-2
  
• 25mm Olympus https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-M-Zuiko-Digital-Thirds-Cameras/dp/B00HWMP0XG/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=25mm+f%2F1.8&qid=1564608237&s=gateway&sr=8-4
  
• 42.5mm Lumix https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-42-5MM-MIRRORLESS-OPTICAL-H-HS43K/dp/B00H36U69Y/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=42.5mm+f%2F1.7&qid=1564608146&s=gateway&sr=8-2
  
• 45mm Olympus https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Zuiko-Digital-Silver-Cameras/dp/B0058G40O8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=45mm+f%2F1.8&qid=1564608241&s=gateway&sr=8-3
  
  A lot of people are also of the opinion that using a prime lens as a beginning photographer will help you get better quicker by limiting the range of things you can do (no more zooming) and forcing you to think more outside the box.
  
  Personally, I like the 15mm range for all around shooting (it's similar to the perspective a phone camera would give you). And I like the 42.5mm for specifically taking portraits, which I do a lot of when hanging out with friends. The Olympus lenses are worth considering if you can save some money by going with them. Theoretically they won't autofocus as quickly, but the difference should be negligible (we're talking milliseconds here).
  
  I'd also suggest looking at used lenses (ebay or Amazon's used marketplace give me the best results). Anything in good to excellent condition that says there's no mold or scratches on the glass will perform fine. You can usually expect to save about 20% of the new price by going used, sometimes more. The majority of my lenses are used and I've never had a single issue.

I'm sooooo happy with my G85. I've taken it around the world. Here's a list of things I've been keeping track of:

Microphones:

Get the Videomic Pro+. The differences are that the mic turns on/off automatically and it has a usb rechargeable battery.

Having to carry extra batteries are dumb. Especially when they're not rechargeable. Also, you WILL forget to turn the mic on, then your whole shot is ruined because NO SOUND will be recorded. Trust me.
You probably noticed that you can't look in the viewfinder because of the videomic. This Movo 4" bar will fix that.


Batteries:


Speaking of extra batteries, you're going to want more. There are two types: cheap non-decoded, cheap decoded, and OEM.

Non-decoded means you won't know how much battery you have left in the camera. Obviously that's dumb. Spend a little more and get decoded. I really like these OAproda 2 pack + charger. No battery lasts as long as the OEM, but it's close enough. Plus, the OAproda charger is much thinner than the others and charges via USB.

SD Cards:

I love these SanDisk Extreme Pro. I purchased the 128gb because I NEVER want to be in a position that I can ever possibly run out of space.

You'll want a way to copy the files to your pc. This Transcend USB 3.0 works amazingly, and it's $9 for a two pack.

Lens:

The kit lens is pretty damn good. But here are the lenses that you'll see people talk about all the time. Depending how new you are in photography/videography, you should know this: we have a crop sensor. It's not the end of the world. A majority of the people don't mind it. But when you're looking at lens sizes, you need to double the number in order to compare it with full frame camera's. But again, not a big deal.

Panasonic 25mm f1.7 - compared to the "nifty fifty" on a full frame (25mm*2=50mm). This lens works aaaaaaamazing in low light / day light / etc. But to get an idea of how 'zoomed in' it is, take your kit lens and rotate it to "25mm". That's how this lens is. Nevertheless, still such an awesome lens.

Panasonic 45-150mm f4.0-5.6 - I just bought this lens from Amazon Warehouse for $100. It's very well built and serves it's purpose (when I want to zoom in on something far away)

Rokinon 12mm f2.0 - Everyone loves this lens, but keep in mind that it does not have autofocus. Is it the worst thing in the world? No. But it's the only drawback so it's worth mentioning. I was doing some night time time lapses last night and man, this sucker was beautiful. It's WIDER than any other lens, so you'll capture more of the image but it DOES NOT have a fisheye effect (which is awesome).

DSLR Video Shooter's G85 guide was wellllll worth the $20. Most of it was pretty elementary, but I did learn so much more and started using about 90% of what he spoke about. Brilliant.

> I recently acquired the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 (Nikon mount) with speedbooster. It’s the lens I leave on my GH4. Useful lengths for everyday, casual, fun, whatever you may need. It’s massive, heavy but super pretty.

It is! Saw a lot of GH4 / GH5 vids with Sigma 18-35mm on youtube and it is something to look at. Just a question, were you bothered by the vignetting? And if im going with a Sigma 18-35mm, can I use a use a cheaper adaptor like this: https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-NF-M43X-adapter-aperture-infinity/dp/B072XF4L4J/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 . Thinking of trying this out first and then borrowing some Nikon lenses from friends then I'm also going for the Sigma 18-35mm. Saw some people selling it lower than the 12-35 f/2.8 so I might consider it. Thanks!

Metabones' Speed Booster is not compatible with Canon EF-S lenses (due to an extended protrusion at the rear of the lens), but it is completely compatible with third-party APS-C lenses (e.g. Sigma, Tokina, etc.).

Here are a few wide-angle options:

• [Tokina 11-20mm f/2.8](http://amzn.to/2cKMP23 "Tokina 11-20mm f/2.8") (Boosted: 7.8-14.2mm f/2.0)
  
• [Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 II](http://amzn.to/1z02lz0 "Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 II") (Boosted: 7.8-11.4mm f/2.0)
  
• [Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8](http://amzn.to/1r8xVUj "Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8") (12.8-24.9mm f/1.2) - Not as wide as the Rokinon 12mm, but a good deal faster, which may be a worthwhile trade-off.
  
  You may also be interested in native wide-angle lenses for astrophotography purposes. They may not be fast, but they may provide better quality at these ultra-wide angles, especially compared to non-Metabones focal reducers. Here are a couple options:
  
  
• [Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8](http://amzn.to/1AUqH9G "Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8")
  
• [Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2](https://bhpho.to/2qV02zA "Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2")

am no pro so YMMV but I feel 90% confident saying

• if you're going 'manual' then yes, all basic flashes work with your hot shoe
  
  
• a basic setup (I would suggest the Yungnuo line, myself) would be a fine intro and all that softbox stuff is compatible with all the 'standard' full-size flashes you may consider.
  
  
• you can buy some very cheap flash diffusers so it's a great way to jump in and play around without much risk.
  
  

I would either keep what you have and not buy a lens, or buy the 25mm f/1.7 with the intent of selling at least one of your lenses to offset the cost.

Here are a few things I have and use:

• short plug - traveling with the long gray cable the charger comes with is a pain. This plug will work in the US, Thailand and China.
  
• peak design capture - I wear a backpack when traveling, this makes my camera always accessible.
  
• travel tripod - If you want a travel tripod and aren't sure that you'll use it, this is a decent choice. If you get this and the pd capture, you'll also want an arca-swiss compatible clamp.
  
  Other notes:
  
  You'll get about 3 hours of camera on-time. To get better battery life, turn off your camera when not taking pictures.
  
  To start, try to align 2 things in a picture: the subject of the photo, and having a pleasing/interesting background. A wide aperture can help with that, but isn't required.
  
  Try to get some practice taking pictures before you go, practice really helps.
  
  Starting out, try shooting in RAW+JPEG.
  
  Beyond that, have fun and take lots of pictures!

If you can get without TTL there are the yongnuo flashes, I've personally tried the yn560iv and the yn685 with their triggers. As for triggers you should use the YN560-TX. All of these must be the Canon versions (not the nikon ones).

With the trigger you can set your flash(es) parameters from it (without touching the flashes themselves) which is a big advantage once you've set the flashes in place, maybe inside a softbox, etc.

​

Don't buy the yn-622c-tx which, while it works on canon bodies, and it even gives you TTL with the yn685, doesn't even fire the flashes on M43 cameras, at least not on the olympus E-M10 and the Panasonic Gx85.

I've tried all of the above-mentioned yongnuo products on both of these cameras (E-M10 and Gx85), I'll add some amazon links to the products, I hope they can be helpful

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PGTOX26/ref=sxts_kp_bs_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8778bc68-27e7-403f-8460-de48b6e788fb&pd_rd_wg=xMKtJ&pf_rd_r=Q1W0BDPWVAHWKBY1N9CE&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00PGTOX26&pd_rd_w=XGvyX&pf_rd_i=yongnuo+yn560+iv&pd_rd_r=1c36158b-ccf3-4d7c-b5e6-2c40cbbb898a&ie=UTF8&qid=1543588353&sr=1

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https://www.amazon.com/YONGNUO-YN685-System-Wireless-Speedlite/dp/B0159PJL8C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1543589021&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yongnuo+yn685&psc=1

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KM1QZRY/ref=sxts_kp_lp_3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8778bc68-27e7-403f-8460-de48b6e788fb&pd_rd_wg=xMKtJ&pf_rd_r=Q1W0BDPWVAHWKBY1N9CE&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00KM1QZRY&pd_rd_w=XGvyX&pf_rd_i=yongnuo+yn560+iv&pd_rd_r=1c36158b-ccf3-4d7c-b5e6-2c40cbbb898a&ie=UTF8&qid=1543588353&sr=3

Someone on this thread once shared the helpful advice, which I'll repeat, to plan with your end goal for lenses in mind. If you plan to eventually buy three prime lenses you might look at the 45mm, the 25mm and the 12mm lenses from Olympus. If you think you'd ultimately only buy two, then consider the 45mm and the 17mm.

I own the 17mm and 45mm and while the 45 is an awesome portrait lens and probably a little sharper overall, I keep the 17mm on my EM5 the majority of the time and it's my default lens. It's a great lens that is wide enough to capture decent landscapes but can still manage a portrait. IF you think you'd eventually get three lenses I'd suggest starting with the 25mm.

EDIT: added the links to Amazon, but you should be able to often find the lenses cheaper on eBay or other used sites

Get the 20mm 1.7. Great lens. The focal length is a good one for street photography, it's sharp, and the f/1.7 allows for low light. It'll have auto focus as well. Only slightly over your budget at $267 on Amazon: Panasonic Lumix G H-H020AS 20mm F/1.7 II ASPH Fixed Lens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJS8322

Idk if it's what you're looking for, but I just got this in the mail yesterday and I love it so far. Obviously not for technical shots

https://www.amazon.com/Pixco-Mount-Camera-Thirds-Adapter/dp/B01IECVHB6

I liked these ones (check the images for a table of what lenses will fit in each size): https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Lens-Pouch-Thirds-Pentax/dp/B00ADN2OMG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1502377978&sr=8-6&keywords=Micro+Lens+Pouch


You can buy individual sizes as well as the multi-pack.

I have some mild interest in this lens, looks like it is [$1,200] (https://smile.amazon.com/Olympus-M-Zuiko-Digital-7-14mm-Cameras/dp/B00WENHU6S/) new on Amazon. Why are you selling it? How long have you had it? Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for it?

Well, with this endless budget of yours. I'm going to go all out if you don't mind.

• Wide Angle: Pana Leica 8-18 f/2.8-4 or if you want smaller the Laowa 7.5mm f/2
  
• All round zoom lenses: Olympus Pro 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Olympus pro 40-150mm f/2.8 with a 1.4x converter if you want
  
• Primes 1: Olympus 75mm f/1.8 and 45mm f/1.8 and then sell the 45mm to make a profit
  
• Prime 2: Panasonic Leica 42.5mm f/1.2
  
• Prime 3: Sigma 30mm f/1.4
  
• Prime 4: Olympus 17mm f/1.8

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Micro-Lens-Pouch-Thirds-Pentax/dp/B00ADN2OMG/ref=sr_1_6

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^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Thanks. I don't need automatic aperature control, but I just need to be able to control aperature through the camera as it's not manual on the lens

edit: http://www.amazon.com/Fotasy-AMNG-G-type-Thirds-Adapter/dp/B003TROEBM Something like this except for Sigma mount

Hello, kinda late to this thread but wanted to ask a question regarding flash. I want to purchase the Yongnuo YN560 III and I'm not sure whatelse I'm supposed to buy with it. This transmitter or this wireless remote? Thank you for your time.

If I use an adapter like this (not a speedbooster) to adapt my nikon lenses to my new camera, is it true I will lose ~a stop of range, I remember hearing that somewhere and am wondering if it's true?

> It will end up selling a lot cheaper than the oly 12

It's already available on Adorama, B&H, and Amazon for $370... so almost half the price of the Olympus. Very nice.

I just went through this, and wound up buying new because I was uncomfortable with the refurbished / used options online.

I was looking for a factory refurb (accustomed to what Olympus does), but I eventually bought a new GX85 + both kit lenses in a bundle on Amazon for $500 instead.

It was worth the extra $100 or so to me to get a new one, get both lenses (I'm new to MFT), and be able to send it back to Amazon if something was funky.

https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-12-32mm-45-150mm-Stabilization-DMC-GX85WK/dp/B079VDF7ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1542738885&sr=1-1&keywords=gx85

I have this Wasabi dual battery/AC+car charger. They're great for the price. I think I get ~80% of the shots that I would from the OEM battery. I usually prioritize the OEM battery and when it's low I'll start charging it and use these two in its place. I had wanted a dual charger and two batteries but this works just fine. I also find that I'm more inclined to bring the charger with me because the AC part flips into the charger itself instead of needing another cable; I just leave the cigarette cable in the car. OEM charger stays at home.

I always use a lens hood, both to improve contrast and to provide some extra protection for the front element. For the Panasonic, I use this lens hood from JJC: https://www.amazon.com/JJC-LH-46GFII-Metal-Panasonic-Lumix/dp/B00L4KR1ES. For the Oly, I use this metal one from Fotasy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061GS1OO

I've used Lightroom Mobile on my phone (Galaxy S7) and I find it's good for doing quick edits (crop, exposure, color, etc).

It's not as full fledged as the desktop Lightroom but it does have the ability to process RAW files into Jpegs. I just dump files from my D750 using a SD to Micro USB OTG Phone adapter.

Depending on what you need to do it'll get the job done and even for my phone pictures I just put it into Lightroom Mobile and it works wonders for me.

Consider one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Mirrorless-Digital-Cameras-Type-A/dp/B00D62VZBW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-NF-M43X-Adapter-Aperture-Infinity/dp/B072XF4L4J

https://www.amazon.com/Pixco-Mount-Camera-Thirds-Adapter/dp/B01IECVHB6/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGjiTMjHLx8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhemQW7i-I8

Thoughts on this? /u/this_also_was_vanity

Meike 35mm F1.7 Manual Focus Prime Lens for Micro Four Thirds MFT M4/3 Olympus and Panasonic Digital Mirrorless Cameras https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJ4BCF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LppXAbBWQS84K

Not aware of anything native, but try these, the price is certaintly right:
https://www.amazon.com/7artisans-Aperture-Olympus-Panasonic-Micro-M4/dp/B078SRL7Z5/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1542327116&sr=8-15&keywords=7artisans+micro+4%2F3

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https://www.amazon.com/Meike-Olympus-Panasonic-Digital-Mirrorless/dp/B01DJ4BCF0/ref=pd_sbs_421_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01DJ4BCF0&pd_rd_r=671b3e9e-e934-11e8-8e2e-49ff07944d9e&pd_rd_w=31QbG&pd_rd_wg=cGTYy&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7d5d9c3c-5e01-44ac-97fd-261afd40b865&pf_rd_r=0Q63GVQW2VS5MR7VK39S&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=0Q63GVQW2VS5MR7VK39S

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Standard-Connector-Smartphones-Function/dp/B01BXSKPES

Maybe desperadow meant this one?

Just wanna point out that you can actually get the Oly 40-150 new for $99 (it's technically "on sale" right now).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0066J6EOU/

I say "technically" because looking at a price chart, it's spent half it's life on sale, you just gotta wait for the right moment (and they come often).

This and when you finally go off-camera get this.

I think this is what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D62VZBW

Agreed. I use these on the EM1, but I'm not sure if it's the same battery as the EM10 Mark II
http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-Charger-Olympus/dp/B0084FM5JC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462807586&sr=8-1&keywords=omd+em5+battery

I'm assuming that you're talking about these and it doesn't matter whether they're Nikon or Canon, right?

If you are in the USA, the GX85 bundle is hard to beat: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079VDF7ZG/

The release date was originally August 7 on Amazon.com, but it's been pushed back to August 16 :-(

Amazon link