Panasonic Lumix GF1 or GH1
Trying to board the camera upgrade reality train. Sigh.
GH1 = $1,200 minimum.
GF1 = $700-$800 (possibly even less, if I score on eBay)
It's a massive amount of cash, I know, but I really don't want anything else... I'm not a Starbuck's fiend, or a manicure-pedicure, high-maintenance kind of gal. I rarely, RARELY "do lunch", or go on shopping sprees for myself. Hell, I even feel guilty buying a foodie mag on occasion. In the past year alone, I've stayed home while K traveled to Mexico, France, England, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China -- all on the company dime, of course, but those trips still count as adventures! Oh, and we also sacrificed our summer beach vacation last year in order to move for Anna's school, so the only "holiday" I've had in the past two years was visiting family in Ohio for Christmas.... justify, justify, justify.
Long whine short -- I'm lowering my expectations a tad and bidding on a used GF1 right now, which means: no strereo audio, no articulating screen, no HD movies at 60 frames per second (incredible slow-motion capability when converted to 24fps), and no EVF (electronic viewfinder). Surprisingly, it's the loss of an EVF that pains me the most -- nothing beats composing with a cam at eye level, especially when intricate focusing is involved. Of course, I can buy an add-on EVF for the GF1's hot shoe, but not for less than a couple hundo, and the options I've seen are really, really ugly, to boot.
Okay. Bottom line? I will be buying a new G-series micro four thirds cam before summer's end (hopefully within the next three weeks), and for that, I'm grateful!
Flickr HiveMind: GF1
Flickr HiveMind: GH1
Manual Focus Lens Forum
$743.95 GF1 + free EVF, free ship