copyright of Andre Arthur.

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This is a guest post from Andre Arthur. If you want to write an article for 43rumors just contact me (Ale) at 43rumors@gmail.com. Thanks!

All images on this post are under copyright of Andre Arthur. Credits:
Fashion Editorial for The Gallerist / http://www.gallerist.com.br
Photography: Andre Arthur / http://andre-arthur.com
Model: Carolina Thelin / Women Management NYC
Styling: Mari Cassou
Hair & Make Up: Emma Jean

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Hi! Here`s my story shooting with the OM-D.

My name`s Andre Arthur and I`m a brazilian fashion photographer. My main gear is a Canon 5D Mark III with a 24-70 II and a 70-200 II. But I always loved the M 4/3 system. My first camera of this system was a Panasonic GF1, with a 20mm and a 14-45. That was something that I used most for casting and location scout, but never for something really big.

When I went to NYC last year, I`ve changed my M43 gear for an [shoplink 29074]Olympus OM-D[/shoplink], with a [shoplink 23110]25 PannyLeica[/shoplink] and a [shoplink 34914]17 Oly[/shoplink] and [shoplink 23577]45 Oly[/shoplink].

On the beginning of this year, on April, I went back to NYC to shoot a fashion editorial. Well, I had no photo assistant and I must shoot a lot of looks. So I decided not to take my Canon gear, but the Olympus one. That was when I realised how powerful is that big little camera.

FIRST OF ALL, IT`S FAST.

I used to shoot a lot of continuous shots, with the girl walking and crossing the streets. That was amazing how fast and accurate the OM-D could be.

IT`S NOT HEAVY, SO YOU DON`T GET TIRED

As I wasn`t with a photo assistant, I had to carry my laptop and all my Olympus gear. So I bought an ONA Bag called The Bovery at B&H. It`s a messenger bag, with a shoulder strap, that`s light and divided inside. Using that bag, I could change lenses and carry batteries and memory cards without the help of a photo assistant. My laptop was inside a backpack.

FOCUS

Even using the widest apertures, focus was accurate. I could completely trust on my camera and worry with the composition and not with the focus.

Gallerist A/W 13 from Andre Arthur on Vimeo.

VIDEO

While I was shooting, I made a fashion film. So I was using a small Manfrotto Shoulder to shoot this movie clips. That was amazing and video quality really surprised me.

LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE AND HIGH ISO

For this editorial, I shot a LOT of night shots. I was really afraid of how the focus would be. Well…again, highly accurate. ISO is amazing until 800. 1600 is extremely usable. As I was using a lot of prime lenses, I didn`t have to shoot with ISO higher than 800.

LENSES

One of the great reasons to buy a OM-D are the lenses. I really don`t like the zoom. But the primes are a joy to use. Light, clear, beautiful. I even think that images created by those lenses are better than the prime lenses from Canon.

APPEARANCE AND LAYOUT

Well…that`s something important for me. I bought the silver OM-D, because I really wanted it to not look like a professional camera, but a vintage one. That`s better for me, because I shot a lot of street photograph. People who look at my camera, just don`t realize that I`m doing something really important. And that`s great, because I can take photos anywhere. Police, robbers and civilians just don`t give a damn for you, when you`ve got an OM-D in hands.

About the buttons layout, I`ve got big hands. Sometimes my fingers pushed the wrong button, but that`s something I can live with. And I really think the next OM-D will have a better layout. I really think it can get a bit little bigger. I don`t want to buy a Battery Grip.

BATTERIES

I have two batteries. One is not enough for an all-day shooting. The perfect environment is to have three of them. But two can get you there.

COMPARING WITH THE FUJI X-PRO 1

I used a X-Pro 1 for a moment. For me, it`s a slow camera with a weird appearance. It`s lighter than it should be, looks like a plastic camera. Image is great, but it`s not a pleasure to shoot with. M 4/3 lenses are way better.

WHAT I DO EXPECT FOR THE NEW OM-D

– A slightly bigger camera
– 20+ megapixels
– Better buttons layout
– Better viewfinder (like the EV-4)

CONCLUSION

Me and the client just loved the result. I could worry only about the photography itself. With the 5D Mark III, I don`t think I could do this job without at least one photo assistant. And even if I had one, I probably would not be able to explore nice angles all the time. And the most important, I wouldn`t be able to shoot the video.

Andre Arthur Photography & Fashion Films
+ 55 11 983 514 000
Sao Paulo, Brazil
http://andre-arthur.com
contato@andre-arthur.com
http://vimeo.com/andrearthur
http://www.facebook.com/AndreArthurPhoto

Short break from E-M1 talk. If that camera is too expensive for you then look at the cheaper and brand new alternative, the Panasonic GX7. There are two new reviews praising the camera:

Trustedreviews writes:

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 is a real leap forward in comparison to its predecessor, the GX1. It’s a solidly designed CSC with some real stand-out features, including the tilt-angle viewfinder and exemplary touchscreen LCD, that takes great photos, too.

And Whatdigitalcamera says:

The GX7 is a very polished and well-made camera that not only delivers excellent results, but is also a pleasure to use at the same time. Panasonic has made a bold statement saying that the GX7 is their best Lumix camera to date, and we have to say we fully agree.

GX7 preorder list (Click on store name to open the GX7 price, specs and preorder page):
Silver GX7 body at Amazon US, BHphoto, Adorama, Samys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK , Amazon JP.
Silver GX7 with 14-42mm lens at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Samys, Henrys, Wex Deutschland, WexUK, Amazon UK.
Black GX7 body at Henrys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.
Black GX7 with 14-42mm lens at Henrys, Wex Deutschland, Wex UK, Amazon UK.
Black GX7 with 20mm lens at Henrys, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.
Silver GX7 with 20mm lens at Henrys, Wex UK, Amazon UK, Amazon Japan.

Big question, what’s the difference between the two 20mm pancake versions? ePhotozine (Click here) find it out for you:

The Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II with a redesigned styling and metal parts, and this gives a very slight improvement in resistance to flare, as well as a slight improvement in contrast. The redesign has very slightly improved the position of the surrounding plastic closest to the lens, which results in a very slight improvement in shielding light from hitting the lens at oblique angles.
The improved build quality should make the lens last longer, although unfortunately there has not been an improvement in focus speeds with both the old and new lens giving the same focus speeds in our testing. With the same excellent image quality, reasonable value for money, and compact size, this new model should be just as popular as the original and is an excellent choice for Micro Four Thirds users. The new colour options also better matches the new cameras from Panasonic and Olympus.

Be sure to read the full review at ePhotozine (Click here).

The new version is alreayd in Stock at BHphoto (Click here).