Olympus OMD E-M10, A Smart Buy

On my previous post I have stated that two months ago I wanted to change camera but had some difficulties to find the right one, mainly because of fund issue (duh! :v). My previous camera the Samsung NX2000 was a good camera, but I wanted more, here’s why :

• Samsung doesn’t offer many choices for lens / accessory, and they are quite rare to find and pricey in my country
• No viewfinder, truth be told I don't mind shooting with the LCD screen (or "Live View”) probably because of my experience with smartphone and prosumer grade camera before, but having a viewfinder surely helps a lot when shooting under bright sunlight
• The rumour about Samsung going on hiatus for some time in the camera world (dunno whether it’s true or not)

Simply said, I wanted to change brand and find a camera with a viewfinder. The latter wouldn’t be a problem if I just bought a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex), but for me they’re quite big, heavy, and not as easy to handle as a DSLM (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless / ‘Mirrorless' for short), so I wanted to stay Mirrorless. Next was brand, in my country Canon and Nikon were, are, and (maybe) will always be the top selling camera brands in DSLR category, but they started out a bit late in Mirrorless so their products still needed some time to catch up with the current top-tier DSLMs. Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic are the top four when it comes to the world of Mirrorless. So, long story short (again), after many many days of browsing, reading reviews, and finding the best price, I narrowed down my choice to four, here they are : (My budget : more or less 7 million Rupiah (US$ 530))

Olympus OMD E-M5 with 12-50mm Kit Lens

1. Olympus OMD E-M5 Mk.1 + 12-50mm Kit Lens (used) - 16.1 Mpx Micro Four Thirds (m4/3) sensor - 7,2 million Rupiah (US$ 545)

     My first choice, considering its good reviews almost everywhere, packed with a good all-rounder kit lens and weatherproof body. It has smaller megapixels and sensor size from my NX2000, but reviewers say it produces better quality photos with faster AF performance. The negative side, it has no Wi-Fi, the screen resolution is a bit low, and it is a used product, so there’s no guarantee it doesn’t have small (or bigger) problems and won’t break down after a couple of uses (I have a little phobia to used products, forgive me >_<). By the time I wrote this, the Mk.2 version has been available for quite some time, but it doubles the price for not-so-different performance, so it is out of contention.

Olympus OMD E-M10 with 14-42mm PZ Lens

2. Olympus OMD E-M10 Mk.1 + 14-42mm PZ Lens - 16.1 Mpx Micro Four Thirds (m4/3) sensor - 7 million Rupiah (US$ 530)

     Ahh, the little brother of the E-M5, it has the same sensor, solid body (but without weatherproof), and newer engine than the E-M5 (TruPic7 vs TruPic6). All around it performs almost identically to the E-M5 (even better in some cases) along with the addition of Wi-Fi and higher resolution screen. The AF speed is as fast as its older sibling, plus more focus points (81 vs 35). The only downside, it is packed with lesser quality kit lens compared to the one in E-M5 package (still good enough for starter though). The Mk.2 edition is already available by the time this article is written, but then again it almost doubles the price of the Mk.1, so bye-bye.

3. Canon EOS M3 + 18-55mm Kit Lens - 24,2 Mpx APS-C sensor EF-M Mount - 6,8 million Rupiah (US$ 515)

Canon EOS M3 with 18-55mm Kit Lens

   I know I just said that Canon’s DSLMs are not in the same league as those of Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic, especially after reading about the dismal Autofocus performance of the original EOS M (first generation). But rainbow always comes up after the rain, many reviewers say that the performance of the M3 is much better than its predecessor and when you do it right, it takes superb quality photos. And don’t forget that this is Canon's, a company which already has plethora of choices when it comes to lenses & accessories (you need an additional adapter to pair it with DSLR lenses though) and it has a whopping 24,2 Mpx sensor for an affordable price. The biggest downside is that it has no viewfinder, but an additional electronic viewfinder is available, BUT again, it takes your hotshoe port and it is VERY pricey (about 2-3 million Rupiah).

Sony Alpha a6000 with 16-50mm PZ Lens

4. Sony Alpha a6000 + 16-50mm PZ Lens - 24,3 Mpx APS-C sensor E-Mount - 8,2 million Rupiah (US$ 620)

     The priciest, yet probably the best choice when it comes to feature, photo result, and performance. It has phase-detection Autofocus meaning it focuses faster when shooting in dim light compared to the Olympus-es which only rely on contrast-detection. AF speed is blazingly fast, takes great quality pictures, and the build is rigid, so what are its weaknesses? First, no touchscreen , and second, the lens choice for the E-mount system is still rather limited compared to the Micro Four Thirds (and it exceeded my budget, my problem not yours, hahaha). If you got the budget though, the a6000 is a better choice than the others on my list.

After contemplating for a few days, I decided that I would pick the Olympus OMD E-M10, and after a few days of using it, I knew that my choice was right on the spot, here's why : (I'll try to somewhat compare it to NX2000, because that is the only DSLM I've experienced using for more than a year)

Sensor size comparison

• Okay, the E-M10 only has 16 Mpx sensor, lower compared to the NX2000 and even some high-end smartphones. Not to mention that the sensor size is also smaller than the Samsung (Micro Four Thirds vs APS-C, see the picture on the right). But even only after a couple of shots I noticed that the image results're brighter, sharper, and had more vivid color than the NX2000. They packed plenty of detail too, both outdoor and indoor. Just remember that megapixels count isn't everything.
• High ISO performance, previously I said that the NX2000 noise spikes very high when you set the ISO more than 1600, but that didn't happen on the E-M10. Noise is barely noticeable up to ISO 3200, and you can even use ISO 6400 and still get good result.
• Lens size, this is a BIG deal. I've read an article before, and the author said that it's pointless to make a Full-framed Mirrorless, why? Because the main advantage of Mirrorless cameras is their small and light body, BUT by using Full Frame sensor on the body, the lens must be made bigger to accomodate the equally big sensor in the body. So in the end you'll get a small camera body, but HUGE lens which makes the balance somewhat wrong and erodes the portability of the Mirrorless. With Micro Four Thirds sensor on the E-M10 though, you get a small body, matched with the equally small lenses.

  

  Samsung NX2000 with 50-200mm telephoto zoom lens

My E-M10 with 40-150mm telephoto zoom lens, the lens' size is
much smaller and match the body size better than the Samsung,
considering the same focal length between the two lenses 

• Design. I would say this a thousand times if I must, I LOVE THE DESIGN OF THE E-M10! Compact size, metal build, classic design, and the two-tone color make this camera simply a beauty to see (and to use). Its two-tone color (silver and black) makes it less bizzare no matter what color of the lens you paired it with (Olympus usually sells their lenses in black and silver). Not an important matter to some people, but it's definitely a plus.
• Battery life. Not much to say here, the battery life of DSLMs will never match DSLRs (but who knows what would happen in 3 or 5 years). The LCD and electronic viewfinder of some Mirrorless camera just consume too much energy, and you can't simply put a big-sized with big capacity battery inside that small body, can you? Still, the battery life of the E-M10 is slightly better than the NX2000 (250 vs 200 shots in a single charge).

Lastly, I want to give some advice for smart buyers who're looking for a good camera with limited budget :

Panasonic 20mm F1.7 pancake lens

• There are many brands out there, not just two (Sorry Canon and Nikon fans, your cameras are awesome as well). Don't be afraid to look for other options from many brands (Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, etc), but make sure that the brand is widely recognizeable (aka famous) and have good history of product quality. So, if you stumbled upon a "BestCamera" or "MightyEdo" brand with mega specs and down to earth price, you'd still better stay away from them :))
• Don't be lazy to compare prices between retail store and online stores. Many merchants sold the E-M10 for 9 or 10 million before I found ONLY two merchants offered their brand new E-M10 for 7 million only (2 million cheaper!)
• Focus more on the lenses, you better buy the mid-to-lower-end of the camera body and save the money for buying good quality lenses. Remember, the camera body WILL usually get obsolete after 2-3 years, but a good lens will last for more than 5 years (Panasonic 20mm F1.7, still considered one of the best lenses for Micro Four Thirds system since 2009)
• The most important is, read many reviews from different sources. Some reviews may differ from others, but not by much. After reading some, you can draw a red line between reviews to determine whether the camera really suit your need or not.

Happy hunting!

Is It Safe To Say... That In Monster Hunter Series, YOU Are The Antagonist?

Well met, Hunter! Before you start getting pissed reading my post here, let me share a bit of myself. I'm a big fan of the Monster Hunter series and have played almost all of the installments that I could get my hands on and I'm also pretty good at the game. Not THAT good, but still pretty good. So I know what I'm writing about. I'm pretty happy with how the series currently are right now and not necessarily want a change in formula but this post is all about my rambling about the games that happen to cross my mind, that 'what if' question that makes me want to perceive games through another perspective, so enjoy!

We all know that most of action games involve around killing things... For the greater good. Yes, we play games to escape the mundane world and become a hero. We role play as the protagonist. Every storyteller can simplify his story as 'the protagonist killing the antagonist'. We play as a knight in shining armor that kills the dragon who robs the treasure and threaten the kingdom... But wait, what if....

What if we play as a knight in dragon-scale armor kills the dragon guarding its egg and never actually seen threatening the kingdom? I'd feel bad. We all know and we all consciously overlook the fact that the game lacks any sort of real 'narrative' element aside from the thin dialogues among the characters, simply because the game is surprisingly fun in a challenging sort of way (cringe when remembering G class monsters in Freedom 2). We are thrown into the world filled with monsters so majestic and often possessing god-like qualities, with little to no narrative explanation. You are there to fulfill a request sent by troubled INDIVIDUALS to hunt down the incredible beasts. Remember how a certain quest comes from a spoiled princess who wants Rathalos captured to be a pet?

Zamtrios: 'Oh boy, I'm so full it's hard to move--A hunter? Wait--Hey, no, hold on--I--I can explain--Lemme get a breather!'
Hunter: (2.5 seconds to full charge...)

The beautiful creatures are not a subject of worship, they are resources. You outfit yourself with parts scavenged from their carcass. You appear in front of a Rathalos wearing the armor made from the remains of the Rathalos's brother. You break A Congalala's Elvis hair that it may have spent hours grooming. You slice them to oblivion using their own bones and claws. You grab wyvern eggs and let your partner hunters kill the mommy wyverns. Hell, you even eat them! (Gravios wingtip with gravy sauce, anyone?) Some quest backgrounds DO tell that the monsters are threatening at some point but never have the game showed the home village destroyed by a rampaging, horny Rajang who just got dumped by a female Rajang in mating season. We even almost always encounter them when they are walking and enjoying sunshine...

Gore Magala: ''Tis a peaceful day and a full belly, time to sleep...'

Hunter: 'DIE, FRENZY FREAK!!'

Gore Magala: 'DAFUUQQ!?' 

Things like these that makes me scratch my head... Good thing they wrote children, if it's other guards being attacked, I'd skip the quest altogether....

I'm well aware that these considerations are far-fetched, but hey, this is the 'Is it safe to say' article, and right now, with all the considerations, is it safe to say that are we actually the antagonist of the game? In my honest opinion, what actually draws me to love the game, aside from the gameplay, are the main characters. By characters, I mean the MONSTERS. Seriously, the monsters are so well-designed that we can just feel them alive as characters as opposed of some hunkering meat bags for weapons testing. Each have its own individuality, even the roars. You can close your eyes, pick a quest at random and tell what you're fighting against just from the monster's roar itself (aside from several theme songs). Every new installment can and will often give you that 'sinking' feeling whenever we face a new monster, whose patterns of attacks we don't know yet (happens to me every time a Deviljho theme song replaces an original song in a quest). The monsters are as much a character like the humans/wyverians in the game. I guess that's what makes me feel increasingly uneasy doing quests over and over with nothing to do except testing equipment or farming materials (Rajang Tail, anyone?)

Right. I shouldn't have been paid... I'm not supposed to kill the spider, am I? CMIW...

We come, we see and we conquer. We rolled, we trap and we carve. Honestly, if the game provide more meaty explanation as to why we are actually hunting them story-wise, I may have felt somewhat more content, as by having the responsibility of killing them is definitely for the greater good. For example, maybe Kokoto is about to be run-over by thousands of crazy Popos and Antekas coming down, galloping from the mountains and that the only way to stop them is to kill the Tigrex in the mountain who farts so loud that the herbivores got scared and decide to run for their lives. It would give me plenty of satisfaction to actually finish the quest. 'Saving the village' is a better premise than 'I need ONE more Tigrex Scale. Because a whole 200-kilo wyvern carcass yields only ONE SCALE'.

Hunter:'Let's take a wefie, Kirin!!'
Kirin: 'Sorry, Dad... If it wasn't to keep me alive, you wouldn't be made into a pair of underwear....'*sob*

'Alright, cats, gather the shrooms you want, but don't tell the hunters bout me. I've got kids to feed. I haven't even laid eggs in a decade...'
..... And I'm pretty sure we'd still kill it Bushido-style.....

After all is said and done, my thoughts on Monster Hunter Series? Good job for Capcom for making an addictive game with plenty of interesting characters while having NO NARRATIVE whatsoever. I'm not against the series continuing their traditional trademark of the game since the latest installment is already on the good track of providing us a decent amount of storyline but I find myself yearning for that words of the divine to drive me to go hunt a majestic beasts. But right now, I must be content with killing grand creatures as ordered by the words of the Professor. In the name of Science! 

Samsung NX2000

  Samsung NX2000, 3 Years Old And Still Worth It

About two months ago, I had a dilemma. I wanted to change camera but it was very hard to find a camera better than my white, small yet superb Samsung NX2000 (gotta admit that white is uncommon for cameras :v) Just for info I only managed to save 7 million Rupiah (about US$ 530), and I bought my NX2000 on February last year for 5,9 million Rupiah (about US$ 450), so finding a camera which could surpass the NX2000 but with only slightly higher price proved to be quite tricky (at least for me).

Don't get me wrong, the NX2000 was a superb camera for its price, let me state some of the greatest strength of it :

• 20,3 Megapixel sensor, bigger is better especially for cropping
• APS-C sensor (crop factor x 1,5 in 35mm format), the same sensor size in most entry to mid level DSLRs, but packed in much smaller body, bigger sensor (usually) means lower noise and better bokeh (blurred background)
• Takes great quality pictures, especially outdoors
• Very fast to focus when there is enough light
• Noise is barely noticeable up to ISO 1600
• Superb quality 3,7 inch LCD with WVGA resolution (840x480 pixels)
• Wi-Fi pairing with smartphone is the best among its rivals

But of course, even the mighty Achilles had his weakness, so these are the most noticeable weaknesses I found after using the NX2000 for more than one year :

• Noise spikes very high above ISO 1600
• Focusing speed decreases dramatically when the condition is a bit dark
• No dial on the body for manual setting (Shutter Speed, ISO, etc)
• No electronic viewfinder
• Lens choice is rather limited and pricey compared to other brands
• Because the camera body is very small and light, pairing it with a bigger lens is like mounting a tank cannon on a small drone, thus doesn't make it feel too comfortable for your right arm when shooting a long time
• Battery life is below average (only about 200 shots maximum for a single charge)

In simple words, NX2000 is a bang for your buck and will be your best partner when you want to travel light but still wanna take good quality pictures. Just remember to bring a powerbank for emergency charging and pair it with smaller lens (Samsung offers many good quality fixed pancake lens) to keep it small, light on your arm, and easy to travel with. Below are the pictures comparison when the NX2000 is paired with the smaller kit lens vs the much bigger telephoto zoom lens.

NX2000 with 20-50mm kit lens

NX2000 with 50-200mm telephoto zoom lens

If you have more budget you can look onto the little brothers of NX2000, the NX3000 or 3300, they have the same 20,3 Mpx APS-C sensor as in NX2000, but they have tiltable screen for easier shooting from difficult angle or selfie (personally I think taking selfies with a camera is very inconvenient compared to smartphones), you traded it with smaller screen though (3 inch vs 3,7 inch). Still, you can take great photos with it as it with NX2000, and the design of the NX3000 & 3300 is more similar to the NX300/500 which is cooler in my opinion.

NX3300's tiltable LCD screen

NX3300 with 16-50mm kit lens

Flowers

Sometimes We Overlook The Beauty In Small Things

I love photographing flowers so much, especially the bright colored ones! Needless to say that I love macro photography, but because of fund issue, I haven't bought a dedicated macro lens yet T_T Thus, in this page, I will post some photos of my respect to the wonderful world of flower. Of course, comments and critics are always welcomed :))

Maybe many of you wonder about how to get a good 'macro' shots without using a dedicated macro lens? I did all the macro shots below using a fixed 25 mm F.1.4 (50mm in 35mm format) and 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 (80-300mm in 35mm format) lenses. You may need a dedicated macro lens for photographing small insects or a really small unique detail on your wooden table, but for flowers I find a fixed lens with wide aperture or a telephoto lens (with not so big aperture) will do the job just fine.

Balinese Kamboja Flowers - 1

Balinese Kamboja Flowers - 3

Balinese Kamboja Flowers - 2

Purple Petunia

Just The Two Of Us...

Maureen's Prom Photoshoot

Maureen's Prom Night Photoshoot

• Model : Valencia Maureen Miracle Stella (IG : @raclereen)
• Camera : Olympus OMD E-M10 Mk. 1
• Lens : Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm (50mm in 35mm equiv.)
• Tools : Yongnuo YN560-III Speedlite + RF603N-II Wireless Transmitter
• Shutter Speed : Various
• Aperture : Various
• ISO : 400
• Location : Victoria Luxurious Guesthouse Bandung (www.the-victoria.com)

Actually, this is my first ever 'real' job as a photographer, currently I'm very lacking in experience and need more practice! Feel free to comment below :))