No Compromise

I said goodbye to my full frame Pentax K1 a week ago. I was sorry to see it go but needs must and it was time to enter pastures new. I could have gone back to Fujifilm, a camera manufacturer I know very well. My main concern however was kit weight and although the bodies are generally a lot lighter than the full frame equivalents, often the zoom lenses aren’t much smaller.

The only realistic other option was to enter the world of Micro Four Thirds and specifically, Panasonic. I could have invested a large amount of money in the latest G9 MkII but in the end, I went with the MkI G9. It’s a very good camera, high spec, good menus, very comfortable to hold. It has great video specs too which is a real step up from the Pentax. I did however, realise I would have to rethink how I use my camera. The smaller sensors aren’t as good at controlling noise in high iso settings. That means relying on base iso and slower shutter speeds in low light. .

I’ve been using it for a few days now with some getting used to. The lenses are very nice and incredibly tiny. It’s so nice to be able to pick your camera out of your bag and not feel weighted down before you even compose a shot. Today, I spent an hour in Leeds city centre, doing some street photography. I put the Leica kit lens on and got to work. What a joy to use! I’m pleased with the shots I got , some slightly different to my usual style. I know it is capable of producing top class professional results but this will take time to get on top of. As a workhorse however, I couldn’t be happier. I hope you like the selected images from this mornings session. It does not feel like a compromise. It’s a different route but I hope, the right one.