Small is Beautiful

I’m a convert. I have realised I’ve been chasing a false premise for over three years. I see what those people who shoot micro four thirds camera systems see. I just had to make a leap and boy have I found my new home. Sounds a bit hyperbolic I know but I had a eureka moment the other day whilst walking a stretch of canal close to home. It hit me about halfway in and I thought, ‘I really love using this system’. The last time this happened was ten years ago when I started using a Fujifilm camera.

So why not just go back to Fujifilm then? Well the truth to me is that OM System and Olympus make some of the most advanced affordable cameras in the world. They have brought in technology way before the big companies who favour full frame. They make extremely rugged cameras and lenses that are small, reliable and effective. I did a landscape photography workshop many years ago where one teacher used Canon DSLR full frame and the other used Olympus mft. The examples from the Olympus user were stunning and in every way, equal to those of the full frame shooter. When I moved to full frame, I told myself if I’m going to go semi professional, I need to use full frame cameras. This seemed the logical choice but the truth was and has stuck with me for some time now; I wasn’t making a choice from a position of knowledge. I just followed the herd. Since then, I’ve done much research, tried out pretty much every main brand and every time, my kit got larger, heavier and more expensive.

A month ago, it dawned on me that maybe there’s something in this micro four thirds photography and maybe I just hadn’t looked into it properly. I made the decision to ditch my Nikon gear and go to OM System/Olympus. I felt nervous, wondering if I could still do photo shoots with this system and would the quality stack up against the brilliant Nikon full frame gear. It took four to five sessions before I realised I could do.

There are a few well known micro four thirds YouTubers (Emily May Lowrey- Microfournerds, Robin Wong, Jimmy Cheng- Red35) who are enthusiastic about all things mft. I have recently discovered two inspirational channels however that made me see the possible. Swedish photographer Jimmy West is a young enthusiast/hobbyist who is not only a brilliant photographer but an extremely eloquent and informative person. I got to understand the physics behind using smaller sensor cameras and that they can actually work for you rather than against. The other channel is Chris Eyre Walker, a Belgian landscape/adventure photographer and OM System ambassador. His work is breathtaking, his enthusiasm infectious and he sells the brand better than anyone I’ve seen.

You need inspirational figures to show you the possible even if you’ve been doing photography for some time. You need people in the know to explain how to get the best out of your gear. My long time favourite YouTube photographer, James Popsys, was a micro four thirds shooter. He produced stunning work mainly with the Panasonic G9 before moving eventually to Sony full frame. His style has changed over the years but his work using the G9 still holds up as fine examples of what is possible.

I have chopped and changed over the last few years. I haven’t had a true eureka experience during this time until this week. Bigger sensors, more megapixels doesn’t make your photos better. I never print images larger than A3 and really don’t need several kilograms of gear weighing me down as I trudge along. My OM System OM-1, Olympus 12-100 f/4 pro and my Leica 9mm f/1.7 are all I need to do landscapes. This covers the full frame equivalent focal range of 18-200mm. My tiny Olympus 45mm f1.8 and Leica 15mm f/.7 cover 90mm and 30mm. All that weighs less than a Nikon Z7II , a super zoom and two primes. I have rediscovered my joy with photography because truthfully, it was leaving me. I still made myself go out and do it but it was harder to love. The last few photo sessions have been a blast. I think about the next trip out, the next set of possibilities. I’ll always love photography but now it feels good again.