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Is it worth buying a camera in 2022?

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I got into photography in 2018 and I haven’t been able to put down the camera. Photography is one of those hobbies that feels so surreal that gives you the power to convert a memory into a physical photo. I can’t think of a better hobby to recommend to others. Sure there’s many that can pick up a phone and snap a picture and share it on social media… but how can you separate your photo from others? What makes a good photo? There’s so many elements of photography that need to be mastered before you can answer that question.

Learning photography can help you express your stories visually to be best of your ability. One of the main reasons to own a standalone camera is so you can focus on your craft. A smart phone is much more than a camera. A standalone, mirrorless camera is only that. It can’t receive text messages, phone calls or other disturbances while taking a photo.

Photography is a craft and it can be an intensive process. Photographers love this process and don’t mind spending the extra time working on their craft. If that sounds interesting to you – you need to pick up a camera now!

If you are absolutely brand new to photography, I’d highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix GX9 or the Panasonic Lumix GX85.

$75 Manhattan Photography Tour

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I visited Manhattan in June and decided to tour the city. I had been there a couple times, but never had the opportunity to immerse myself in the city. After speaking to family members about traveling throughout the city, I decided on a bus tour with the company, Top View (by no means is this a sponsor – there’s other companies as well). The Double-Decker bus tour was under $50.

The List

I made a list of places to visit:

  • Times Square (just because)
  • Washington Square Park (Dosa Man)
  • SoHo (just because)
  • Chinatown (Casey Neistat popularized this in his film class)
  • Battery Park (Statue of Liberty)
  • IAC (I heard it was cool)
  • Hudson Yard (for that interesting-looking structure)
An Empire State of Mind

Times Square

I took an Uber from Central Park to Times Square. It was about $15. I visited Times Square before, but never alone with a curious eye. It was very lively with many tourists. There was a TV show being recorded – I didn’t bother with it. I took some photos of the architecture in the area and walked towards Broadway.

I got on the bus in the Theatre District (Broadway). Unfortunately the bus broke down before the first stop and everyone had to exit to wait for the next bus. The clouds cleared and the sun emerged, making it much hotter. I ducked into Macy’s and changed into shorts.

Interesting Architecture in NYC

The Dosa Man


I got on the next bus and was looking forward to Washington Square Park – to see the “Dosa Man“. Unfortunately, the bus didn’t stop at Washington Square Park and kept going. I was stuck upstairs in the back of the bus. I took the next stop at SoHo. Determined to eat dosa at the park, I got out Google Maps and mapped a way back to the Dosa Man. It was a 20-minute walk North. Well, I was hoping for an immersive experience and I received exactly that!

The entrance to Washington Square Park

It was a pleasant walk to the park, but unfortunately, it turned out that the Dosa Man was not working that day. I spoke to a couple locals to get this information. Apparently the Dosa Man posts his updates on instagram, so definitely check before making a trip out there.

I got back on the bus – I had to walk a few blocks, but the stroll was peaceful. Again, if it’s not clear from my writing, I was excited to be exploring NYC!

EXITVS AC TA PROBAT : THE OUTCOME JUSTIFIES THE DEED

Chinatown

I stopped in Chinatown to buy a couple hats for the kiddos. I ate at Bodhi, a vegan restaurant. Great reviews, a cute little lunch spot that brings in tons of locals and tourists. I saw the reviews for dumplings but since I was there by myself, I ordered the Vegan Kung Pow. It was delicious with a generous amount of sauce.

Outside the Bodhi Vegetarian Restaurant

It was nearly 2pm when I finished my late lunch. I needed to get back to the family, but alas, I hadn’t seen the Statue of Liberty. As an immigrant to this country, the Statue of Liberty is symbolic to our freedom.

Pro tip: Don’t get off at the stop immediately before “Battery Park”. Battery Park is closer to the Statue and there’re ferries available from the park. I don’t know the price differences.

I took some photos of the statue and sat down to have a chilled beer.

Statue of Liberty

The wind in my hair

My back to the city

The lady by the water

Helicopters and planes in the sky

Boats on the water, ferries too

Trains underground

Double-deckers all around town

My pulse with the city

The torch’s flame

Burning for freedom

On the way back from Battery Park, the stop was crowded with people. A bus arrived and it was already packed, so hardly anyone was able to get on. I realized I was next to the train station, Bowling Green.

I made a quick call to get some 411 about the subway system back to Central Park. It turned out to be a $3 subway ride.

NYC City Hall

If I could do it again, I’d start with a subway to China Town – visiting it first, then resume the journey onward to Battery Park. You can see my recommended list below. In fact, the next time I return, I think I’ll do this exact tour.

My recommended tour in Manhattan:

  • Subway ride or Uber (more immersive) to Chinatown
  • Chinatown (Casey Neistat popularized this in his film class)
  • Battery Park (Statue of Liberty)
  • IAC (I heard it was cool)
  • Hudson Yard (for that interesting-looking structure)
    Times Square (just because)
  • Washington Square Park (Dosa Man)
  • Subway ride to your final destination

Pro Tips

  • The best seat on the bus is at the back row of the bus on the top level. Because you at the back of the bus, you get a much longer focal range to choose from. And because you sit on the top level, you can shoot over obstacles such as vehicles on the street. The elevation helps you take better photos.
  • Bodhi vegetarian restaurant is known for their dumplings.
  • Check Dosa Man’s insta before heading there.
  • Chinatown is fun if you like to haggle for good deals
  • Camera setup: I recommend two bodies with a 24-105mm and the other with a 70-200mm lens. For one body, I’d recommend a 28 to 280mm focal range.
  • I used a Panasonic Lumix GX85 with Leica 12-60mm and Leica 100-400mm.

Canon M50 producing black bars with Clean HDMI out

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I had an issue with Canon M50 Mark II showing black bars on the top and bottom of the image when using HDMI out. I struggled with this for about an hour, Googling, going through Canon Community forms and Reddit… however, nothing helped. One post mentioned something about checking the HDMI cable, and sure enough… I replaced my Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable with this one and it worked!

If this helped you, please drop me a comment letting me know!

Thanks!

-OpenFilmmaker

In-camera bounce flash on the Panasonic Lumix GX-85 with wedding photography samples

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Panasonic Lumix GX-85 with Hot Shoe cover
Panasonic Lumix GX-85 with Hot Shoe cover

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a wedding near Dallas, Texas. Of course, like any photography-opportunity event, I first had to decide which camera to take. It actually didn’t take long this time because the more I use the Panasonic Lumix GX85, the more purpose I see in its portability. In my 15 Reasons for the G85 over GX85 video, I detail why the G85 is a better buy, but not before calling out how great the GX85 is.

The Olympus EM1 Mark II was the runner-up camera to take. The deciding factor was the built-in flash on the GX85 which could be handy in the dimly-lit venue. Although the 20 MP of the EM1 would helped with noise, I didn’t want to carry around my Godox V1 along with it. That would’ve increased the weight to a sizeable amount. At that point, I might as well have taken my Canon R5 with 24-105… anyway, I digress…

I was aware of how direct flash photography would look like: harsh highlights and shadows. I noted that the flash can be pressed back and held down so it becomes a bounce flash. So the first night I was manually holding the flash so it would fire upwards towards the ceiling. The pics came out good. By the way, I used the Leica 25mm f/1.4 due to the low-light. While I liked the photos, I thought the highlights could’ve been softer. Anyhow, I was curious if there was another solution to make it softer when using in-camera flash.

That night I went home and started researching diffusers and other flash modifiers made for the GX85… and no articles were helpful. Why hasn’t Panasonic made a diffuser to use with the built-in flash on their own camera? No idea… but then I stumbled onto this reddit post that showed a photo of the GX-85 flash aimed upwards with the help of a hot shoe cover and BINGO!

Panasonic Lumix GX-85 hot shoe hack
Panasonic Lumix GX-85 hot shoe hack

While it wasn’t the diffused solution I was seeking, the fact that I didn’t have to hold down the flash was helpful. My left hand was free and I was able to hold the camera steadier.

I tried this method the next day and I was pleasantly surprised at its capability. I didn’t have to hold down the flash and it stayed pointing upwards. To do this, make sure you place the hot shoe cover with the pin side down.

Hot shoe cover with pin
The hot shoe needs the pin sticking out on the right side, otherwise it wont work!

I saw many hot shoe covers on Amazon, but none with this pin sticking out. If anyone has a link, please comment below! This was the original hot shoe cover I got with my camera.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE GX-85 HOT SHOE HACK.

OpenFilmmaker

Here’s some sample images with this hack:

Sample Photo 1: Panasonic Lumix GX85 - Hot Shoe Hack
Sample Photo 1 (GX-85 and Leica 25mm @ f/2.2, 1/125s, ISO 1600)
Sample Photo 2: Panasonic Lumix GX85 - Hot Shoe Hack
Sample Photo 2 (GX-85 and Leica 25mm @ f/2, 1/160s, ISO 2500)
Sample Photo 3: Panasonic Lumix GX85 - Hot Shoe Hack
Sample Photo 3 (GX-85 and Leica 25mm @ f/1.4, 1/125s, ISO 200)

Not only did the flash hack perform well, I was also amazed at this little 25mm Leica lens. If you’re looking for a small portable option, I’d highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix GX-85 and Leica 25mm f/1.4. As you can see, it did a great job, without the need for an additional flash.

With that said, I did order another flash, LOL. Mainly because when using the in-camera flash, the shutter speed is limited to 1/160s. While that worked okay for my photos, I’d like to avoid that limitation to get slightly sharper images.

I ordered the TT350O Mini Thinklite TTL Flash for Olympus/Panasonic Cameras and it should come in within a few days – just before we head out for spring break. I reckon I’ll have another article about that flash upon my return.

Happy hacking and happy shooting!

Olympus OM1 vs. Olympus E-M1X

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OM-1
OM-1

OM Digital Solutions has nicknamed the OM1 the WOW camera. Let’s take a look at it and compare it with the E-M1X.

Price

OM-1E-M1X
$2199$1699
(original $2999)

The OM-1 is at a great price point of $2199 USD. The E-M1X is currently at $1699, $500 less than the OM-1. But not so fast… the E-M1X comes with an integrated battery grip and includes a two-battery charger. Let’s look at some math.

OM1 Battery grip: $349.

OM1 Dual battery charger with 1 battery: $249

The Math: $2199 + $349 + $249 = $2799

So what does this mean? To get the same setup as the E-M1X, you’d have to pay an additional $1100 on the OM-1. This shows what a great value the E-M1X is at only $1699.

Size and Weight

OM-1E-M1X
134.8mm x 91.6mm x 72.7mm
599g / 1.3lbs		 144.4mm x 146.8mm x 75.4mm
997g / 2.2lbs

The difference is mainly in the integrated battery grip of the E-M1X.

Weather Resistance

While both are weather proofed, the OM-1 has an IP53 rating, which is better than the E-M1X. I don’t use my cameras in extreme weather conditions, but I read that the OM-1 has the best weather-sealing out of all cameras.

IBIS | ISO | LCD Screen

All seem to be similar across both camers.

Sensor

OM-1E-M1X
BackSide Illuminated SensorCMOS Sensor

E-M1X and OM-1 both offer the same resolution. However, the increase in image quality comes from the BSI sensor in the OM-1. This type of sensor is typically found in full-frame cameras. It should increase burst shooting and noise improvements in low-light.

Burst Shooting

OM-1E-M1X
10 (Mechanical with AF)
50 (Electronic with AF)
120 (Electronic Fixed-focus)		10 (Mechanical with AF)
18 (Electronic with AF)
50 (Electronic Fixed-focus)

This is where the camera really shines. While the 18 FPS mechanical shutter is the same in both cameras, the 50 FPS (electronic) on the OM-1 just blows away E-M1X. It’s even faster than the Canon R5 (full-frame) camera.

Video

OM-1E-M1X
C4K/60p
H.265 (10bit)
12 bit 4:4:4
HLG		C4K/24p
H.264 (8bit)

OM-1 takes a leap on the video specs, but it’s only playing “catch-up” and not innovating here. The E-M1X only does 24p in C4K.

Autofocus

OM-1E-M1X
1053 cross-type AF (100% of frame)
2x more accurate
3x faster
Multiple recognition modes		121 cross-type (70% of frame)

Battery Life

OM-1E-M1X
BLX-1 battery
520 images
160 video minutes		two BLH-1 batteries
870 images
170 video minutes

Conclusion

The OM-1 can shoot and focus faster than the E-M1X. Video has been improved, but if you’re buying this camera, you’re probably going for the 50 FPS. However, there’s not a clear winner here…

Hear me out… yes the OM-1 is a great camera and if you want the 50 FPS and faster+better AF, then go for it. Both of these cameras are amazing. OM-1 for it’s sensor, 50 FPS, quick AF. The E-M1X for being a great value for what it offers (18 FPS, battery grip, extra battery with charger). If you’re looking at the E-M1X, there’s no better time to buy than right now because at $1699, it’s a steal. If you want the latest and greatest, the OM-1 is priced really well at $2199. Either way, you’re not going to regret it.

I hope this article has helped you make a decision. Which one do you think is a better deal? Let me know in the comments! If you happen to pick one up, please use the links in this article to support my website. I’m an Amazon Affiliate and receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.