Low light and portable interchangeable lens?
 

Hi... It is been a while...
Looking once more for your help... I can finally buy my next camera, although i am keeping my T2i.
I need something with the following requirements:
A) more portable and lighter than dslr, would be used as travel and street/take everywhere
B) If it could manage better low light performance.
C) Subjective fun to use.

What would give better low light performce a m4/3 with a fast prime? Or a sony nex with slower lens? (can't afford the zeiss)
Thank you

Maria

Panasonic's G3's low light performance is the best yet from a 4/3 sensor- and the viewfinder would seal the deal for me...

Olympus OM-D. :)

Actually yes peri'- that's a good call.
A bit pricey- but a very capable camera in low light/at higher iso settings- possibly even better than the G3- and it sure is a looker.... :)

i'm really enjoying my G3 - and been using my husband's old FD lenses and CCTV lenses with apertures like 1.4 and 1.7 on it with great results. it's not as small as a compact, but plenty smaller (and lighter) than your t2i.

that being said, i feel the t2i has a slight advantage in low light performance when pics are viewed on a 42" tv, although at high ISO the G3 shines. but there are so many great low light lenses for micro four thirds, many at very reasonable prices, that it makes up for it.

Do you need a built in evf? As you said low light. The m4/3 are nice but will not match your t2i. If you want something that has that ISO ability. An aps-c like the nex or nx form Sony and Samsung.

Thank you.
I would love a EM-5 but that would blow all my budget leaving nothing for lenses (unless you think It is so much better that it would be best to get it and leave lenses for Christmas).
Shoturtle, i've thought about the nex system but would not the fast lenses of m4/3 negate some of the advantage? Seems not many lenses available for nex.. Or maybe I am missing something?
Tha k you

you can get an adapter for the NEX cameras and the m4/3 cameras so you can use many lens manually. i use canon FD lenses and EF lenses, as well as a variety of c mount lenses on my G3. yes, you have to manually focus them and adjust the aperture manually unless you get one of the more expensive adapters, but the cheap adapters allow a large lens selection.

that being said, i believe that some c mount lenses that don't vignette on a m4/3 camera may vignette on a NEX.

Sony nex is lacking on the lenses still, m4/3 and nx have way more develop lens line up currently.

Perhaps the Nikon V1 or Fuji X10?

Thanks but don't those cameras have smaller sensors, thus worst low light performace?

Yup they are smaller sensor the fuji is 2/3 and the nikon is their own 2.5 crop.

Thanks.... What I have trouble understanding is what would show better results: Sony nex5n with lens aperture 3.5 or 2.8 at most or panasonic GX1 with lens aperture 1.7-1.4?
Its so confusing... Really need help with this one..

Well first of all - where are you going to find a Panasonic lens with 1.4 aperture?

According to this:

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cam.../(brand3)/Sony

The GX1 has maybe 1/2 stop advantage over the Nikon V1, and the NEX5N has half a stop over the GX1.

So if you are talking 2 stops difference in the lenses then the GX1 is a better choice in low light. However, a lot depends on the lenses, and how much you will be shooting in low light. And how much you like actually using the cameras.

I would suggest the m4/3 because of their excellent lens selection. The NEX has a bunch of horrible lenses, with only a couple of good ones and maybe one excellent one made by Zeiss (very expensive).

The V1 looks very nice up to ISO800, the GX1 to 1600, and the NEX to 3200. Look at the lens selection and I think the GX1 comes out the clear favourite there.

Thanks... Peripatetic, I guess that was the kind of answer I needed to understand...
Answering your question, was thinking about the panasonic-leica 25mmf1.4
Thanks

The 1.4, 1.7 lens and the 1.8 lenses for m4/3 do not have stabilization on the panny body, the nex 2.8 does so that gives it a little advantage in low light static shots. The stabilization gives the next a 3 stop advantage only on static shots. So you can shot the sony at 2.8, at 1600 iso at 1/30 sec and it will be nicer then the panny at 1.8 at 1600 iso at 1/15.

Now if you bring a ibis olympus into the the fray, it is a little different story with noise on static shots with fast primes.

I would seriously look at the Olympus bodies just for the IS.

Thanks.
Shoturtle, what do you mean about different story with noise on static.... With Olympus...
Peripatetic I had counted Olympus out because I had read they have worst high iso noise than Panny newer sensors (except EM-5, but that would take me some time to save up)... Or would the IBIS counteract some of the high iso problem??!

You can shoot at shower shutter speed, and used say 800iso instead of 3200 and 6400. So the same shot will be clearer without camera shack with the IS ability of the nex or Olympus over the panny.

hi is it a case that the T2i needs a better strap to carry it with, then the problem is solved. I am going for a black rapid

Just know that the k-01 with the DA limited lenses are very expensive. You can get 3 20 1.7 lens for the price of a DA limited pancake lens.

Like some of the nex, no view finder in a bit larger package.

Yeah, there is a big difference in price between a DA limited and the panny 20 1.7, 14 2.8, olympus 17 2.8 and the 45 1.8. All these are sub 400 dollars lenses, the DA Limited primes are 500-700 in price. The DA limited are up there with the m4/3 leica lenses and the pro olympus m4/3 12mm f2.

Thanks to all. After a some more research, I think I will try and get a hold of an EM5... If possible, since I will be in the States JUne-July. Although I tried the nex7 and felt really good. No place to try the EM5...