Fuji X-T1 Review - Initial Impressions - Week 2

It is my second week with the Fuji X-T1 and after immersing myself with this camera, I felt it warranted a second field report (if you are interested you can read my initial impressions HERE). While I have been itching to try a native lens, I unfortunately can't really report much about certain things like focus accuracy, AF speed, image quality and other aspects that come along with the Fuji experience. To date, I am confident in saying this camera yielded the best manual/vintage glass experience to date. Similar to my last post, my intentions with these post is to show what this camera can do with straight out of the camera JPEGs. I did not do any post processing, so you will see all of my exposure mistakes, hits and everything in between. With exception to the Mad T Party photo, all the following shots were taken with the Olympus OM 50mm f/1.4 lens unless otherwise specified. If I can recall what aperture was used, I will make sure to add that EXIF data in the caption below.  

The shot above was taken with the OM 135mm f/3.5 lens (taken at f/3.5). This was the only image I tried to save in post as far as sharpness goes. I didn't want to touch exposure or recover anything to stay true to my original intention. This lens, on this body just doesn't perform well wide open. In fact this was the best shot I got, which to me is not saying much.  

Assuming you have already read my previous post, I will just continue where I left off. The interesting thing about mirrorless cameras is that you can usually hand hold the camera and still change some of the key settings. The Fuji X-T1, despite being so light weight and small it still requires two hands to operate. I find that I cannot confidently hold the camera one-handed and spin the rear or front dial like I can with the A7, Olympus E-P5 or the OMD E-M1. This really isn't a problem rather an observation I had using this atypical (to me) camera. When changing the shutter speed, I find myself holding and supporting the body from the bottom with my left hand and shifting my right hand to pinch the shutter dial with my thumb and pointer finger. If I then need to adjust the ISO dial, my right hand now has to support the camera while my left hand makes the necessary change. The experience becomes a bit disjointed for me and is something to really consider if you care about a seamless and modern shooting experience. 

If there was something that truly annoyed me about the camera, it would be the camera wifi. For the life of me, I cannot consistently get the camera to connect to my LG G3. I think I tried over 20 different times and several different combinations. Sometimes I get it to work and other times my phone tells me it "cannot connect to Fuji". This is really frustrating since I find the wifi integration with the X-T1 quicker and smoother to use than both my A7 and E-M1...when it works. I don't know whether to blame my phone or the camera, but all my other cameras (and even the Fuji SP-1 printer) work perfectly with my G3.  

Straight out of the camera JPEG with Velvia filter. This setting definitely made the purple sky pop. I believe this was taken at f/2 - ISO 1600.

A high ISO sample shot. At 2000 ISO (f/2.8), I was quite impressed with the noise or lack there of at this particular setting. Processed with the B&W Yellow Filter

Now that I have talked about what I don't like about the camera, I can now gush over the things that I REALLY like about using the X-T1. It is worth mentioning again that I am in love with the JPEGs I am getting straight out of the camera. This is the first camera I can say that I don't mind shooting JPEGs...IF and only IF you nail the exposure and white balance right off the back. Lucky for me, the EVF helps with nailing the exposure and the auto white balance does a decent job, though I tend to see a magenta cast on skin tones when using certain in-camera filters. If I need to recover details in the shadows or highlights, nothing beats raw. The beauty with the newest version of Lightroom, my photo editing software of choice, is that you can still apply the film simulations by selecting the desired filter in the camera profile section in the develop module. 

Under low light conditions, this camera really does a good job handling noise. While I haven't done anything scientific or performed in-home lab testing, nor do I care to do so, I feel it outperforms the OMD in this department by a small margin. The low light and JPEG performance of this camera paired with an old Olympus lens solidified that I will be investing in native Fuji lenses in the near future. I believe the 56mm f/1.2 will be my next investment. 

The Monorail at Disneyland - B&W Yellow Filter taken at f/2.8 - ISO 1000

The main reason why I wanted to revisit my initial impressions regarding the Fuji X-T1 is because I actually let my co-worker use it during our company holiday lunch outing. While casually taking pictures of our food, I saw him eyeing the camera. Knowing he is a camera buff as well, I handed it over to him and didn't see the Fuji again until the end of the event. The next day he asked me for more information about the camera and the best place to buy one. I decided to take this golden opportunity to ask him about what he liked and didn't like about it. Below is a summary of his initial impressions:

Positives

• It had a nice weight to it and felt good in the hands. It was reminiscent to his old film camera, an Olympus OM.
• The viewfinder displays the colors accurately and contains a lot of important data. He particularly liked having the histogram in the EVF
• I had the camera set to split screen. He really liked having the magnified view on the right side of the EVF. He said it was helpful for nailing the focus
• Controls are easy to change (particularly the shutter speed). He liked that he could adjust this parameter without having to remove his eye from the EVF
• He was fond of the live view and the idea of what you see is what you get. 
• The Fuji X-T1 was more responsive than his Canon Rebel T4i. He claims to have noticeable shutter lag with the Rebel.

It was really interesting to hear his answers especially since he's been praising his Rebel from the day he got it. My co-worker has played around with both my Sony and Olympus cameras and it was the Fuji X-T1 that got him to consider switching to the mirrorless camp. In fact, his only complaint about the camera was battery life, which in my opinion is a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. I guess it says a lot about how far mirrorless has grown and Fuji's decision to design their cameras around old film bodies. 

A nice lunch with a great co-worker at Playa Provisions over at Marina del Rey, CA. f/2 at ISO 200 -  Film Simulation Pro Neg. Hi

Even at f/2.8 (ISO 200) the depth of field can get pretty thin when you get in nice and tight. Playa Provisions' famous Patty Melt - Film Simulation Pro Neg. Hi

More food porn for your viewing pleasure - the Lobster Roll lit by some beautiful hard light from the window in front of me  - f/2.8 at ISO 200 - Film Simulation Pro Neg. Hi

After spending a lot of time hand holding most of my shots, I wanted to really see the potential of this sensor under more controlled settings. There's really not much to say because in my opinion the X-T1 delivered. If I can achieve the level of clarity and sharpness with legacy glass, I have very high hopes with Fujinon lenses. The first two red ornaments were taken at f/5.6 (left) and f/2 (right) using the Astia film filter (if memory serves me correctly). The green and purple ornament is another Astia sample shot taken at f/5.6, while the blue and silver ornament was shot with the Velvia filter at f/4.  While I don't necessarily like to use the Velvia filter, I think the ultra saturated look can work under certain conditions. These shots were all taken on a tripod at ISO 200 lit only by the Christmas lights from the tree. I would have used ISO 100 but later found out that I can't shoot RAW + JPEG with this setting. This could be troublesome if I ever decide to use strobes during the middle of the day. For these conditions 200 works perfectly well. 

For the last set of shots, I decided to add the Godox/Cheetah V850 into the mix and again it didn't surprise me that it yielded favorable results. I decided to use what I think is a fairly average lens, the Olympus OM 135mm f/3.5. While it is not clinically sharp like the Olympus 75mm for the micro four thirds system, I do like the fact it has a lot of character.   

Note: One thing to keep in mind when using flash is to make sure silent mode is turned off or it will not fire a flash or a radio trigger. You find this setting in the main menu under the first wrench icon. 

Taken with the OM 135mm f/3.5 lens @ f/8, ISO 200 - Astia Film Simulation - The Sony A7 and Pentax 50mm f/1.2 was taken with the help of  the Godox V850 and an umbrella. I was really happy to capture the star bursts to the left and upper right corner of the A7. 

Another OM 135mm shot taken @ f/5.6, ISO 200 - Astia Film Simulation. A grip-less A7 and the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4.

The Fuji X-T1, simply put, is just a fun camera to use. While it has it quirks like the wifi connectivity or the inability to fire flash in silent mode, the output makes up for it in my opinion. Although I can't definitively say this camera is a keeper until I try it out with native lenses, I have high hopes it will not disappoint. As always, I thank you for stopping by and please let me know if you have any questions about the X-T1. 

Mad T Party Hiatus - A Heartfelt Thank You

As I was browsing my Facebook page not too long ago, I found a status update from one of my favorite Alices, Dani Kerry, regarding her last performance at Mad T Party.  My initial reaction was shock and sadness, as I thought it was HER last performance, but it turns out that the Mad T Party itself will be having its last show on November 30th. I have had a several days to let this fact sink in and while I hold back that lump in my throat and suppress this comedically over dramatic urge to cry, I can't help but thank Disneyland for creating something truly special in my eyes. 

Taken on December 8th, 2012 - A day that Heather and I will never forget

It goes without saying, from a photographic standpoint, Mad T Party has been huge for me. In fact, I associate a lot of who I am as a photographer to this glorious band. I have used it as a place to practice my craft, test out my gear and more importantly, make new friends.

Another shot from that wonderful night. Both this shot and the one above are hanging on our wall

It was December 8th 2012 when I first really fell in love with Mad T Party. I think it was the first day I was able to convince Heather and my cousins to stay at California Adventure to watch all four sets. I still remember the leads: Nathan Shrake was killing it as the Hatter, Jenny Kidd won me with her stage presence and Dan Franklin was summoning his inner Billy Idol as Dormouse (we gave him the nickname, Billy Idol, before we knew his name). This night also happened to be the night they performed their first encore, "Faithfully" by Journey. Combine the energy of the crowd, our love for live music and the sudden realization that I could witness this every time we take a road trip to Disneyland, I was simply ecstatic. 

I took my camera with me this past weekend not knowing it would be one of the last few times I would be photographing these performers for a while. 

That same night I jumped on Facebook to "research" the band and ran into a lot of fantastic photos, but the ones that stood out the most in my eyes were the ones taken by Rachel B. Photography. You can bet, I immediately "liked" her page. It took me a while to gather enough courage to message her just to talk about her process (and to compliment her work), as I am a huge nerd about settings and technique. Heck, we even discovered we love the same brand of equipment. Because of this friendship over MTP, I was able to meet other wonderful artists who inspire my work today and I wanted to give a big shout out to the following people:

Rachel B. Photography (and Susie Brogan)

Joyous King Photography

Ed King Photography ;)

Brianna Garcia Artist

Kate C. Photography

Emily Peterson Photography

Tom Hodges

Even though the powers that be are removing this show from their lineup (hopefully the rumors are true this is a temporary hiatus), I can't help but feel thankful for all the memories this show has given me and the friendships I have developed through shared admiration. I find it extremely easy to hate change, but it was this same change that brought us from elecTRONica to the wonderful world of Alice In Wonderland. For now I will hold on to faith that Disneyland will replace this show with something truly special because they always do. 

So Say We All,

Dino

Mad T Party Photo Essay with the Sony A7 & FE 70-200mm f/4 G Lens - NIGHT

Just like the prior post, I will be a bit light on the text. I just wanted to do another photo essay that displays the over top spectacle that is the Mad T Party. From the lighting to the costumes, this part of California Adventure truly embraced the spirit of Halloween. I decided to match mood with the editing, albeit a tad bit heavy handed. Hope you enjoy.

A fantastic duo - Josh Disan and Dani Kerry as the Mad Hatter & Alice

The lights are pretty true to what I saw. The band dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller

A darker version of the Hatter

Photography Tip #4 - The exposure triangle for available light photography

Ashley Morgan, one of the new Alices to grace the MTP
ISO 1000, f/2.8 at 1/320th second

For several years, I was the photographer who relied on the automatic modes to help me properly expose an image. Scratch that, I relied solely on Aperture Priority mode for all shooting conditions. It wasn't until I decided to get serious about sports and concert photography did I realize I was severely limiting my ability capture decent photos. In a previous post, I discussed how important it was to have the appropriate shutter speed to stop motion. There are multiple ways to properly expose an image and depending on your shooting conditions certain settings are more appropriate than others. In this post, I want to help you use a base line reading from your automatic modes to get you to the settings necessary to capture the image you need in Manual mode.

The wonderful Dani Kerry as Alice - shot at ISO 1000,
f/4, 1/250th second 

The exposure triangle consists of 3 separate and controllable features in your camera: Shutter Speed, ISO, and Aperture. The chart below breaks down each individual component of the triangle by one stop. Strangely, I believe wikipedia describes a stop in the most appropriate way: "stops are...unit[s] used to quantify ratios of light or exposure, with each added stop meaning a factor of two, and each subtracted stop meaning a factor of one-half". Each jump to right in the chart below means you gather twice as much light, while a move to the left means you gather half as much light. 

Shutter Speed

1/4000th

1/2000th

1/1000th

1/500th

1/250th

1/125th

1/60th

1/30th

1/15th

1/8th

Freezes motion & gathers less light -----------------------> Introduces motion/blur & gathers more light 

ISO (sensitivity of camera sensor to light)

100

200

400

800

1600

3200

6400

12800

25600

51200

Clean images & gathers less light ----------------------------------> Grainier images & gathers more light

Aperture

f/32

f/22

f/16

f/11

f/8

f/5.6

f/4

f/2.8

f/2

f/1.4

Greater depth of field & gathers less light  -------------> Shallower depth of field & gathers more light

Concert Photography Tip #1 - Know Thy Shutter Speed

The extremely talented John Flanagan and Dani Kerry

Going to Disney’s California Adventure to photograph the Mad T Party band is not only therapeutic experience for me, it’s a perfect way to practice my technique and be entertained all at the same time. I have made several mistakes and missed "the shot" and had a ton of “Light Bulb” moments upon studying my EXIF data.  I figure this would be a perfect opportunity to share both my photos and provide a quick tip to help you improve your concert photography.  So for my first tip: Know thy shutterspeed

My Experience with Four Thirds Glass: 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko EZ Zoom and the 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 ED Zuiko Zoom

Blowing a kiss to my brand new lens

When I purchased the Olympus OMD E-M1, I was given the option to purchase the Olympus MMF-3 weather sealed adapter and receive a mail in rebate for the full cost of the adapter.  If I didn't already have the FL-600r, I would have taken advantage of the free with rebate FL-300 flash. I originally neglected the adapter thinking I would never use this thing, let alone an "old" Olympus four thirds lens, until I found myself a very inexpensive one on ebay.  I made an offer of $40 thinking it would be rejected, but to my surprise it was accepted with free shipping. The 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko EZ zoom came right in time for a special event at my buddy's Crossfit gym so I decided to give this lens a whirl.

Some of Crossfit Nerd's super friends

I usually shoot in manual, single auto focus mode, but I didn't want to worry about too many factors given I was working with a new-to-me lens.  I locked the camera in Aperture Priority mode and stopped the lens down to around f5.6 (I wanted to really test the sharpness of the lens, so I stopped it down a bit).  An important thing to note about these four thirds glass is that they are optimized to work on phase detect auto focus system cameras unlike my original OMD E-M5, which has contrast detect. The OMD E-M1 has a hybrid sensor that has both phase detect and contrast detect (native to the Micro Four Thirds) pixels. Unlike what I am used to, most of the phase detect pixels reside within the center of the sensor, so all the focus points are within the middle of the frame.  I found a brief description on dpreview regarding the differences between the two and it's summarized below:

"Contrast-detect autofocus uses the image sensor and tells the camera to keep changing focus until the contrast from one pixel to the next is the highest possible"

"Phase-detect autofocus uses a completely different sensor that splits the light into two images and focuses until the two images come together on the focus sensor ... it can measure how far apart the 2 images are and knows which direction to focus."

A weekend with the Cheetah V850 and the Barebulb CL-360 (and more Importantly Nathan Shrake)

In my last post (see blog entry HERE), I was raving about how amazing the Cheetah/Godox lights are.  In theory, they are everything I could ask for in a portable lighting system:  they are light weight, powerful and user friendly. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of not only trying out these lights, but helping a friend with a photo shoot. This was a perfect opportunity to really see what these lights were capable of doing.  

For this shoot, being nimble was of utmost importance since we had to move from location to location.  Just in case you were curious, here's what I brought for the shoot:

1. 2 FT-16 Triggers/Receivers for myself and Rachel to remotely fire the lights
2. Cheetah CL-360 with the PB 960 batter pack
3. 2 Cheetah V850s
4. 2 lights stands 
5. 2 umbrella style soft boxes
6. OMD E-M1 shooting primarily with the Olympus 75mm f1.8

Our first location was at the Getty Museum, down here in Southern California.  It was an overcast day and the available light was flat and unflattering; a perfect opportunity for these lights to give us a bit of drama and dimension. I originally set up the CL-360 on a light stand and soft box, but was quickly asked to break it down as it was considered professional equipment and they had zero tolerance for tripods (clearly they don't know what a tripod is and were fine with us hand holding the flash).  I didn't know light modifiers were so threatening and professional.  Mind you, we were outdoors and not shooting anywhere near any paintings or sculptures (needless to say, it was a rule that had a number of holes in it). I decided to switch to the V850s as it was easier for our photo assistants to hold up and I had more options as far as zooming the flash in and out.  

Testing out the OMD E-M1 with Four Thirds Glass

Olympus OMD E-M1 with some legacy goodness - the Olympus 50-200mm 

I spent the past weekend testing out the new Olympus OMD E-M1 and it was a blast.  I posted my initial impression on the camera here and nothing has really changed since.  When I pre-ordered the camera, I made sure to take advantage of the free-with-purchase (after mail in rebate) offer they had going with the four thirds to micro four thirds adapter.  A fellow friend and talented photographer who, to this day, uses Four Thirds gear with great success inspired me to make the purchase.  Last Sunday, she graciously handed over her Olympus 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 to try out during one of the Mad T Party sets and I was blown away at how well it performed adapted on my OMD.  Here are some of my favorite shots from the night

Team favorite - Nathan Shrake as the Mad Hatter

Another favorite - Sheena Loza as Alice

 

All the shots were taken at ISO 1000 at or close to wide open throughout the zoom range (I was shooting between 60-150mm).  I kept the shutter speed around 160th - 200th of a second and adjusted the aperture for exposure.    I was particularly impressed at how quickly I was able to lock on to my subjects.  I was expecting a huge delay or lag, but under adequate light it was almost an instant lock. I would go as far to say that its AF speed was comparable to my Sony a58 and that's no slouch.  I haven't had much of a chance to try it out under low-light conditions, but I suspect it would hunt in a similar fashion to the a58. You might notice slight hints of magenta in their faces and this is not the fault of the lens.  The stage lighting favored this particular color and I was able to restore most of these shots since I shot in RAW.  

This lens is SHARP.  One of the sharpest zooms I have ever used, but boy was it heavy.  I was just happy this camera has in-body image stabilization because it definitely took some muscle to keep it from shaking (I am almost certain the 5-axis system did most of the heavy lifting for me).  Mounted on my friend's E-3, the camera-lens combination made for a balanced set up, granted it is a more robust system.  Regardless of how heavy it was, I had a blast shooting with it.  I am extremely happy I have access to the four thirds line of lenses and I wouldn't hesitate investing in legacy gear.  I applaud Olympus for not fully abandoning their DSLR line and it is safe to say that the E-M1 truly is the successor to the E-5.  Stay tuned for more sample photos from the weekend and another special thank you to Rachel Brogan for allowing me to use her awesome lens. Thanks for stopping by.

So say we all,

Dino

 

 

Halloween Mad T Party Edition

I think it's no surprise to most of you that I enjoy going to California Adventure to watch some Mad T Party.  You might ask, don't you get tired of going to these shows over and over again, hearing the same song weekend after weekend?  The beauty about the show is that the sets change quite frequently and so do the performers. Hearing the great Nathan Shrake's rendition of the song, Sweet Child O' Mine, is completely different from John Flanagan's.  Each performer gives their own touch, thus creating a different feel and show.  

The great Nathan Shrake as the Mad Hatter

Ballin' on a budget - Olympus 12-50mm kit lens review

The Olympus OMD with the 12-50mm kit lens

I don't know about you, but I am super excited about Olympus' announcement of the OMD em-1 and their future zoom line up.  If their new zoom is anything like the 75mm, then Olympus has a real winner (I know I sound like a fanboy and I am totally unapologetic about it).  However, the biggest problem they may encounter is their price.  Many could argue that their lens/body pricing scheme matches that of other high-end cropped-sensor DSLR cameras. Most do not understand that bigger is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to sensor size (more on this in another post).  The beauty with the m43 system is that one can produce fantastic quality images from models other than their flagship cameras.  The Olympus epl-5 is a fantastic alternative to the OMD, as it has the same sensor with a fewer bells & whistles and a less sophisticated in-body image stabilization system (currently listed at $549 on amazon).  Although I have never used the camera, many have reported getting OMD level photographs.  The same can be said about glass.  When I purchased the OMD, it came with a kit lens that I quickly dismissed and stored away as a loaner.  I quickly realized how amazing this lens could be when I started doing product photography.

The Sony Alpha a58 - Cropping the sensor

Most digital cameras these days have the ability to digitally zoom by cropping the sensor - meaning a portion of the sensor is only used when utilizing this feature.  I am a proponent of using your feet or lens to zoom and NEVER this feature...except when you have no choice or want to show others how good or bad it is.  

Before I begin, I want to quickly describe crop factor.  A full frame camera like the Sony Alpha a99 or the Canon 5D MarkIII will exhibit a 50mm frame of view when they slap on a 50mm lens.  Because the a58 has a smaller sensor, it will have a different frame of view if we place that same lens on this camera.  It is listed to have a 1.5 crop factor, so the 50mm will have an effective focal length of 75mm.  When we digitally zoom the lens, we are effectively using a smaller portion of the sensor to get a longer reach.  There is a dedicated zoom button next to the shutter release that allows you to "zoom" or crop your sensor by 1.1 to 2 times. So the same 50mm lens will effectively be a 150mm lens if you apply the 2 times zoom/crop.  Please note that this can only be done in JPEG and not Raw.  Below are some sample shots taken with the 50mm lens - all taken at Disneyland's Tomorrowland Terrance - 80z All Stars

George as Devo

An unfair comparison Review of the Sony Alpha a58 and OMD - An enthusiast perspective

Important Notes:

1. This is a user based review with no lab or scientific testing

2. All images are post processed in lightroom 4 according to personal taste/preference

3. Images were taken in Raw and converted to JPEG (unless otherwise noted)

4. Feel free to ask questions in comments

Before I made the purchase of the Sony a58, I obsessed over whether I should buy another micro four thirds body or invest in another system.  In a previous post, I discussed why I opted for another system. Also see some my initial sample gallery. 

The Sony Alpha a58 - taken with the OMD and off camera flash

I want to preface this user review by reminding readers I am an enthusiast, a student of photography, who wants to help people make a decision on what camera system to purchase/add to their collection.  Now that I've properly qualified this review with hopes of defending myself from the internet, I wanted to do a different kind of review that pits one system against the other and in this case it's the Sony Alpha a58 with the Olympus OMD em-5.  I understand certain factors are not the same like focal length, crop factor, sensor/megapixel size, but at the end of the day I ask myself if the a58 can produce acceptable/desirable photos similar to that of my main workhorse (with or without post processing).  In short, I can say yes, but will qualify my answer with a breakdown below.

Image Quality - The a58 has some big shoes to fill and in a way is an unfair fight.  The OMD with the 75mm f1.8 are both considered professional grade equipment (one of Olympus' flagship cameras). At the moment, I am using the inexpensive Sony 50mm f1.8 on what most would consider an entry level camera.   I break down Image quality to several sections, as I think several factors play into 

        

Detail/Sharpness - For an inexpensive prime lens, the 50mm can produce some sharp images especially when stopped down to about 2.8.  Wide open it can be a tad soft, but very usable and in fact, can often create something dreamy.  It is important to note that there are a number of factors that can affect this, one being shutter speed.  Having used this at the Mad T Party, I noticed anything under 1/20th of a second can cause a bit of motion blur (not really the fault of the camera, rather the fault of the performers =) ).  To truly test this, I propped the camera on a tripod, set it to a 10 second timer and used the base ISO of 100 and fired away at additional items/decorative pieces around the house. I was thoroughly impressed with the micro-details I was able to capture, like specks of dust or the scuff marks.  Under controlled settings, I would say it is a toss between the two cameras, but under hand-held shooting, the OMD wins.  The sharpness of an image for moving objects is possibly more a factor of the image stabilization than anything else, but I will go into greater detail about that below. Edge goes to the OMD  

Voltron - Childhood toy taken on Tripod - Base ISO

Noise - I will be the first to admit, I am guilty of pixel peeping.   I have in the past judged a photo FIRST on the sharpness/cleanliness of the file, THEN the composition or other elements that create a memorable photograph.  Regardless, I include this section because I know I will continue to pixel peep especially if I have an image I want to present to a client.  At ISO 100 to 400, Sony's files are very clean.  But when the camera is pushed to 800 and above, the digital noise begins to rear its not-so-ugly head.  Luckily for me, Lightroom's luminance slider can solve this problem in a pinch.  However, I do have to note that I spend most of my time shooting in Aperture priority mode and one of the features I love about the OMD is having the ability to set my ISO range. The a58 does not have this ability. To my knowledge the a99 (it's full-frame big brother) and the a77 (thank you, digitalandfilm, for helping me out in this area) is the only modern SLT that can do this.  The default auto-ISO setting for the a58 is 100 to 3200.  In a perfect world, I would limit the ISO to 800 or even 1600 under more extreme conditions.  I would rather have the camera lengthen the shutter speed than increase the sensor's sensitivity to light.  When I shot the Mad T Party, I would just manually set the ISO to a prescribed value (400/800) and call it a day in manual mode.  This isn't a deal-breaker in my eyes, but a misstep nonetheless on Sony's part.  It is hard for me to believe that adding an ISO limit adjuster to the menu is a taxing feat for developers/manufacturers nor would it increase the manufacturing cost.  For this reason and the fact that the OMD produces much cleaner files from ISO 800 and on, I give a definitive edge to Olympus in this department.  

Captured with the kit lens - ISO 1600 - Disney Artist

Color -  There is not much to say about the colors other than they vibrant and pretty much close to true-to-life.  The auto white balance works very well and correctly compensates with changing light temperatures.  The only thing I noticed when adapting an m42 mount lens to the a58 is that the camera has difficulty getting the white balance just right - it tends to lean on the yellow/orange side.  Since I shoot raw, this really isn't too big of an issue and easily corrected in post.  However, spending less time in post is always a plus and for this reason the OMD gets a slight edge, as it doesn't struggle color correcting when adapting vintage glass.  Note: The Takumar 50mm f1.4 was used and who knows the radioactive gasses could have played a part in this =)

The color rendering is just great - March Hare 

JPEG - I exclusively shoot in raw mainly because I enjoy the control in white balance and highlights/shadows.  I prefer to let my brain process a raw image rather than an internal processor that might not always capture my vision for that particular image.  The JPEGs from the Olympus OMD seem to have a slight edge. These files contain slightly more detail and do not aggressively apply as much noise reduction on the default setting.  The noise reduction creates unrealistic skin tones/smoothness I don't really like. With the noise reduction set to low, the JPEGs are more comparable.  However, the default JPEG setting on the OMD is slightly too orange/red for my tastes and I had to turn off the warmth feature to get it to the color levels I like.  So the winner here is the OMD, by a slight margin.  

Taken using the crop zoom feature in JPEG - with low noise reduction - Mad Hatter

Handling and Features

     

Ergonomics - When I first bought the OMD, I found the handling to be a bit difficult due to its small size.  When adapting my heavier OM glass, the camera felt unbalanced and at times front heavy (this was not the case for native lenses, except for the 75mm).  For this reason alone, I bought the 2 piece grip/battery adapter and I pretty much leave the grip on at all times.  As far as the a58 goes, the camera fits perfectly in my hands. All the buttons are easily accessible with my thumb/pointer finger and the on/off switch is perfectly placed (unlike the OMD).  The a58's buttons have a nicer tactile feel whereas the OMD's buttons are a bit "mushier" (to help with weather sealing), but this is really a non-issue.  The a58 would have won hands down in this department if it weren't for the fact the OMD has two dials to change settings.  For this particular SLT model, you have to press and hold a button and turn the aperture dial in order to change exposure compensation in Aperture Priority mode (as an example).  As much as I like having two separate dials, this felt immediately familiar as it reminded me of the GF-1.  The edge goes to the a58, especially since I had to pay an extra $300 to get the desired feel with the OMD. 

Weight - Surprisingly enough, the OMD with grip (no lens) is slightly heavier than the a58 body despite being physically larger.  I have not weighed nor do I care to get the exact differences because I know that once I slap a zoom lens on the a58, it will be heavier than my m43 camera.  I knew this when I purchased the camera and the size/weight was something I was willing to compromise to get my desired zoom lenses (ie the Sigma 18-35 f1.8).  As mentioned in a previous post, the size-to-cost benefit just wasn't there for me. Panasonic's premium zoom lenses go for about the same price as a Carl Zeiss zoom.  Not to say that the Panasonic lens performs any better or worse than CZ glass, but my pockets cannot justify the cost thus my purchase of the a58.  However, if overall weight is concerned, then the OMD has the edge. 

          

LCD Screen/EVF - Both cameras have a similar tilting screen, so shooting above your head or below your waist becomes extremely easy.  That's where their similarities end.  The OMD's screen is far superior by leaps and bounds.  Oly's screen is so crisp and clear that composing/metering your subjects is effortless.  I would even say that its rear screen is better than the display in the EVF.  I bought the OMD for its built in EVF, but I have fallen for the LCD especially when I do product photography (in fact, I rely solely on the rear screen for this).  The inverse is true about the a58.  The screen has a lower resolution but the EVF is phenomenal.  The resolution, the refresh rate and the EVF screen size is everything I want in an EVF.  You would think the a58 would win in this department, but the OMD offers a touch screen that is pretty darn useful.  Being able to tap-to-focus/shoot has been very resourceful if you find yourself needing to take a quick and dirty shot.  In fact, on the very rare occasion I hand my camera over to someone, I tell them to tap-to-shoot.  At least this way, I know the shots will be somewhat in focus.  For the LCD screen, the OMD has the edge.  For the EVF, the a58 has a very slight edge.

Matterhorn, Disneyland - Composed using LCD

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - Again composed with the LCD 

Image Stabilization: There's nothing really to argue here.  The OMD has the best image stabilization systems over all cameras.  The 5-axis system is simply phenomenal.  I can attest that I have taken a long exposure shot at 2 seconds hand-held and came away with an acceptable/usable picture.  I have heard from rumor-based websites that Sony and Olympus will partner up and introduce the 5-axis system to their future Sony NEX and Alpha line of cameras.  At the moment, Sony uses the Steady Shot system, which unfortunately is not as impressive or stable as the OMD's, but incredibly useful when using vintage glass (with a chipped adapter).  Although I can't take 2 second long shots, I would gladly take this over anything Canikon offers, which really isn't much since it relies on the built in stabilization within the lens.  Without a doubt in my mind, the OMD has the edge. 

My first panning shot taken with the a58 - Great continuous focus and image stabilization

Focusing - The age old question: What is better, contrast detect or phase detect auto focus? This is a fairly tough decision to make a call on, as I believe these two systems strive under different applications.  The OMD's contrast detect system is fantastic when taking shots of people who aren't moving around a lot or coming at you at high speeds, while the phase detect is fantastic with continually focusing on your subject, especially when doing video.  Having the right tool for the job is what I have always heard and is part of the reason why I purchased a more traditional camera system.  If auto focus speed is the determining factor, I would say the OMD wins by a land slide, but that does not translate well for some reason with continuous focus.   The a58 really shines in this department and when I tested out the AFC at the Mad T Party, I was amazed at how well it could track the performers.  However, in poor lighting conditions, I would rely on the OMD's AF accuracy over the a58, as I noticed a bit of focus hunting with the Sony while in a dimly lit room. I find it difficult to give any system an edge here, especially since I haven't had the opportunity to test out other pieces of glass.    

Tomasina - The AF held up with this fast-moving artist

Manual Focus: Manual focusing is a whole different department.  Part of the reason why I love EVFs is because you can fine focus on your subject by electronically zooming in to the desired area (like a model's eyes) to confirm critical focus.  Nothing irks me more than a portrait that is focused on the eyebrows or a nose.  Pro photographer, Jeff Cable, says you don't have a portrait if you don't focus on the eyes, and I agree wholeheartedly.  Couple the fine focus feature with focus peaking and I have myself a dream set up when shooting with manual glass.  The focus peaking is not only accurate, but nicely implemented on the a58.  Under high contrast areas, the focus peaking color is very clear and one can easily determine when you have reached critical focus.  I really wish the OMD had this feature and is one of my biggest gripes with Olympus.  It appears the Company is purposefully holding back tech so that they can sell what is seemingly an identical camera in the EP-5 (the EP-5 has focus peaking).  Ergonomics also plays a key role here.  Legacy lenses tend to be a lot heavier due to its metal construction and on a stock OMD, the feel is just off.  Not only is it front heavy, but it also feels awkward trying to resist the camera pitching forward with 4 fingers.  The traditional DSLR grip/ergonomics really helps and is my preferred way of shooting with m42 mount glass. Edge in Manual Focus - a58.
      

Focus peaking worked great for this long exposure shot - taken with the kit lens - Base ISO

Closing Thoughts

Some might argue purchasing an "entry-level" camera is a step back from my "flagship" OMD.  I bought this camera not as a replacement to my OMD, but to supplement and backup my workhorse.  In a previous post, I talked about how this was a numbers game for me, but I failed to mention that I was also extremely curious/excited with what Sony is doing.  In fact, I will go as far to say that Sony is one of the big movers and shakers in pushing camera technology forward.  In 2014, Sony is rumored to completely remove all mirrors from their line of cameras (both Alpha and NEX lines) - a bold move that could open the doors to new tech and force Canikon to question their future strategies (who knows, this could fail completely too). I wanted new tech that would meet my needs and not be the end-all-be-all device, which does not exist.  My wallet has forced me to be a satisficer and not a maximizer (please read this article posted by Eric Kim to get a better understanding of what a satisficer and maximizer is: What to consider when buying a new camera for street photography) and I am truly satisfied with my decision.

There are still so many things I still need to explore with the a58 and these are my initial thoughts about both systems.  You can bet I will post more and more things about the a58 once I get more accessories or delve deeper in world of Single-Lens Translucent cameras.  Thanks for stopping by and reading.

More Sample Photos Below

Disney Parking lot - HDR

Nathan Shrake as the Mad Hatter 

Dan Franklin, Jenny Kidd

The fabulous Tomasina

Johnny Gomez - Tomasina Band

So say we all,

Dino