Olympus camera owners out there?
Oct 10, 2011 10:55:32 #
I am interested in info from other Olympus owners and how they get the most out of their cameras. I am new to photography and appreciate any comments from anyone. I take Point and shoot Olympus and Lumix on my trips out of the country and have an Olympus E-620 for my US trips.
I am retired and have the time for travel, but want to make the bests use of opportunities for one time only quick shots of my foreign travels. I travel on tours, so there is no tri pod, lighting is sometimes awful and very little time to compose a shot.
I am retired and have the time for travel, but want to make the bests use of opportunities for one time only quick shots of my foreign travels. I travel on tours, so there is no tri pod, lighting is sometimes awful and very little time to compose a shot.
Oct 10, 2011 11:12:47 #
there are a few olympus out there. fivedawgs is queen of the olympians, send her a message. I shoot nikon myself. the reason there aren't many oly usuers in this forum is that this is mostly amateures who bought their cameras from wallmart, sams, best buy, target etc and olympus doesn't make an entry value camera to compete with the d-3100 and cannon digital rebels and isn't marketing to the big box discount houses. Personaly i like olympus since the days of the om-1 and om-2 great 35mm film cameras.
Oct 10, 2011 11:42:04 #
Thank you. I became an Olympus person by a whim. I think I get some decent pictures, but I am very much an amateur. I look at all the pictures I can find on line to try and learn as much as I can. I paid a lot of money for some workshops for beginners and wasted both my time and money. I wanted more info and less chit chat!
I am trying to send a photo from Lucerne
I am trying to send a photo from Lucerne
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Oct 11, 2011 07:03:42 #
Oct 11, 2011 08:04:41 #
photocat
Loc: Atlanta, Ga
I use an pen-1 , basically it is my p&s when I don't want to carry around a lot of equipment.
The results are terrific, light weight and I can put it in a LARGE pocket :)
The results are terrific, light weight and I can put it in a LARGE pocket :)
Oct 11, 2011 08:23:35 #
Hi Welcome to the world of Olympus camera, my first Olympus was the point and shoot from Walmart. And yes I was as green as they came. In time , I learned by like everyone just shooting. You have to get out there and just do it . Just from experience, and I can say I am still learning about the craft, because photography is a craft if you don't season it, you won't develop.
I am a person that learn by doing, I don't sit well anyways, all those classes they offer, they mean well... For me I have to do it for it to mean anything ... Guess we all have different learning patterns and that is my style.
Just keep shooting and you will do fine. I am attaching some pictures from my E-510 . I had to order it at Wolf camera did not find any Olympus SLR at Walmart. As my first SLR camera I was so amazed at it's user friendly menus, right now it is like my second breath . I take this camera everywhere, of course I still do take my Olympus SP with me too. Oh and the media card can be put straight into the pc slots, some media cards needs a card reader to process your pictures. I learned that when I bought me a cannon.So keep shooting and you will develop just like a pro. I don't do photoshop, I just try to take great pictures
I am a person that learn by doing, I don't sit well anyways, all those classes they offer, they mean well... For me I have to do it for it to mean anything ... Guess we all have different learning patterns and that is my style.
Just keep shooting and you will do fine. I am attaching some pictures from my E-510 . I had to order it at Wolf camera did not find any Olympus SLR at Walmart. As my first SLR camera I was so amazed at it's user friendly menus, right now it is like my second breath . I take this camera everywhere, of course I still do take my Olympus SP with me too. Oh and the media card can be put straight into the pc slots, some media cards needs a card reader to process your pictures. I learned that when I bought me a cannon.So keep shooting and you will develop just like a pro. I don't do photoshop, I just try to take great pictures
Oct 11, 2011 08:30:56 #
Oct 11, 2011 08:32:55 #
These pictures are great. I even took my camera to Canada and took great shot there of wildlife and beautiful countryside
Oct 11, 2011 09:00:38 #
I have the olympus e520 & the pen PL 1 ,both great cameras.
I also have the attachment so I can use my E520 lenes with my pen.
I also have the attachment so I can use my E520 lenes with my pen.
Oct 11, 2011 09:19:06 #
http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/index.html
This site will give you amazing results--I started out with a Canon s2IS and after about a year mastering that little magic box I graduated to the Olympus E-510 mainly for its small size and portability. Have found no reason to upgrade.
This site will give you amazing results--I started out with a Canon s2IS and after about a year mastering that little magic box I graduated to the Olympus E-510 mainly for its small size and portability. Have found no reason to upgrade.
Oct 11, 2011 10:48:12 #
BigD
Loc: The LEFT Coast
Nice to hear the Oly folks speak up. I shoot with Olympus cameras professionally and for some good reasons. I absolutely love both Canon and Nikon but the Olympus has some features neither of the big two do.
I have two Olympus E3, and two E5 pro bodies and an E520 and they all have built in Mechanical Image Stabilization so any lens is stabilized. The E3's and the E5's are also dust and splash proof when you use the pro level lenses and I have had the "opportunity" to test this all over the country and they really are. To top it all off the 3's and 5's have a shutter rated for a minimum of a hundred and fifty thousand activations before they need to be replaced. That's cool when you shoot thousands of images a week.
The best thing Olympus offers is their lens lineup. They designed their four thirds system from the ground up so the lenses are designed for the sensor and achieve full coverage of it. Olympus has some of the best lenses on the market and I am fortunate enough to own some of them. All the lenses have a 35 mm equivalency of double the numbers given so my 12-60 mm is actually the same as a 24-120 mm f/2.8-4.0 and it has macro abilities. I also have the 50-200 (100-400) f2.8-3.5, the 7-14 f/4, 14-35 f2.0, the 35-100 f2.0 and the 90-250 f 2.8. Those last three are "straight through" zooms that offer a fixed aperture that does not decrease as you zoom out. There lenses are HUGE and EXPENSIVE but man o man are they sharp. I'm not big on specs but all the test sites show super low distortions of pretty much all the usual things in lenses. I do know that in actual usage they offer some incredible images that some other systems will struggle to obtain. The only downside is the smaller sensor compared to Canon and Nikon. The Oly's High ISO performance (night sports) is a handicap that makes the super fast glass a must.
Overall I love my Olympus system and I'm in so deep I will stick with them as long as they are supported. I think what I like the most is getting a double take from the other pro shooters at sporting events. They roll up with the nice Canon 1D'xx's or the Nikon 3Gxx and usually a fairly nice lens. They sometimes try and bash on my Oly's (although most pro's could care less) until I tell them some of the features that they don't have and most usually leave with a different opinion of the system. It's the guys with more money than brains that roll up with their D300 or 5D and a consumer level kit lens and look at my stuff and they kinda turn their nose up and show me their camera. I swear cameras are such a "guy thing" for bragging rights, I just tell them they have a nice camera and move on. I usually don't tell them that the lens on one of mine costs more than two of their bodies alone. I actually would really like a Nikon 3Gs so if anyone has a spare they don't need I'll pay shipping LoL... Cameras are just so much fun just get out and shoot what you have and make it work, that's the adventure.
I have two Olympus E3, and two E5 pro bodies and an E520 and they all have built in Mechanical Image Stabilization so any lens is stabilized. The E3's and the E5's are also dust and splash proof when you use the pro level lenses and I have had the "opportunity" to test this all over the country and they really are. To top it all off the 3's and 5's have a shutter rated for a minimum of a hundred and fifty thousand activations before they need to be replaced. That's cool when you shoot thousands of images a week.
The best thing Olympus offers is their lens lineup. They designed their four thirds system from the ground up so the lenses are designed for the sensor and achieve full coverage of it. Olympus has some of the best lenses on the market and I am fortunate enough to own some of them. All the lenses have a 35 mm equivalency of double the numbers given so my 12-60 mm is actually the same as a 24-120 mm f/2.8-4.0 and it has macro abilities. I also have the 50-200 (100-400) f2.8-3.5, the 7-14 f/4, 14-35 f2.0, the 35-100 f2.0 and the 90-250 f 2.8. Those last three are "straight through" zooms that offer a fixed aperture that does not decrease as you zoom out. There lenses are HUGE and EXPENSIVE but man o man are they sharp. I'm not big on specs but all the test sites show super low distortions of pretty much all the usual things in lenses. I do know that in actual usage they offer some incredible images that some other systems will struggle to obtain. The only downside is the smaller sensor compared to Canon and Nikon. The Oly's High ISO performance (night sports) is a handicap that makes the super fast glass a must.
Overall I love my Olympus system and I'm in so deep I will stick with them as long as they are supported. I think what I like the most is getting a double take from the other pro shooters at sporting events. They roll up with the nice Canon 1D'xx's or the Nikon 3Gxx and usually a fairly nice lens. They sometimes try and bash on my Oly's (although most pro's could care less) until I tell them some of the features that they don't have and most usually leave with a different opinion of the system. It's the guys with more money than brains that roll up with their D300 or 5D and a consumer level kit lens and look at my stuff and they kinda turn their nose up and show me their camera. I swear cameras are such a "guy thing" for bragging rights, I just tell them they have a nice camera and move on. I usually don't tell them that the lens on one of mine costs more than two of their bodies alone. I actually would really like a Nikon 3Gs so if anyone has a spare they don't need I'll pay shipping LoL... Cameras are just so much fun just get out and shoot what you have and make it work, that's the adventure.
Oct 11, 2011 10:50:25 #
I have had an Olympus Pen e-PL1 for about two years and I LOVE it!! Most of my learning has been done on birds, flowers and GRANDCHILDREN!!   I have only used trial and error so far but am scheduled for a class next month so we'll see which works best for me. I can tell you now, though, that I am definitely NOT going for chit chat. I want to learn something!!! As this is my first time on this site, I don't know how to upload pictures but I'll do that as soon as I figure it out. :lol: :lol:
Oct 11, 2011 11:07:50 #
Hooray for Olympus! ! !
Besides my Canon AE1 and Canon Xsi/450D I have a really nice little Oly C-740 Camedia Digital.
It has some really nice features: 3.2 MP, 30X combined optical and digital zoom, (10X optical)ED lens, USB connectable, multi modes. With a simple adapter I have telephoto and wide angle lenses, it takes AA penlight cells, and also shoots quick time video and fits in the palm of my hand.
In auto mode it is a great little point and shoot camera but it is also capable of some pretty fancy tricks. I paid less than $100 for it and really surprised at the performance.
Besides my Canon AE1 and Canon Xsi/450D I have a really nice little Oly C-740 Camedia Digital.
It has some really nice features: 3.2 MP, 30X combined optical and digital zoom, (10X optical)ED lens, USB connectable, multi modes. With a simple adapter I have telephoto and wide angle lenses, it takes AA penlight cells, and also shoots quick time video and fits in the palm of my hand.
In auto mode it is a great little point and shoot camera but it is also capable of some pretty fancy tricks. I paid less than $100 for it and really surprised at the performance.
Oct 11, 2011 12:03:11 #
Nobbyness
Loc: Tallahassee, FL
I, too, have the E-620 and like BigD am now "in so deep" with investment in additional lenses etc that moving away would be a big wrench.
That said, I entirely concur with everything BigD had to say. They are very good cameras and absolutely hold their own with Nikon and Canon. The truth, however, is that the tool is irrelevent if the person holding it is clueless, and your model and amount spent equally meaningless if you don't know what you're doing.
It's grown on me. Once I got around the incredibly annoying flash-flash-flash which will sometimes happen on AF and drives the subject nuts (not to mention blinded). Easily fixed though.
"In so deep" also applies in terms of the time and effort I've invested in learning my way around the menus. Were I to move to another brand I'd be faced with the same learning curve, and that is a long way removed from being a trivial issue. If time is money (it is!) then I've invested far more in this fashion than in lens purchases.
As very much a beginner, it's proven to be a great choice for me. The wisdom and lessons so graciously shared in these forums are applicable regardless of model, and I've taken steps to getting away from the initial Auto-everything mode to learning how to use the other settings correctly and it's as easy (or as difficult, depending on your spin) as Nikon, Canon, Sony and everything else.
My only complaint is with bracketing. Yes, you have the same capability but are very limited - too much so, imo -1, -.7, -.3, 0.0 +0.3, +0.7 & +1. Three frames with a max range of -1 to +1 doesn't compare well with the competition.
The really galling thing about this is it's an easy fix if you can hack software (like the awesome Canon forum out there!), otherwise you're dependent upon Olympus upgrading the firmware and, customer satisfaction apart, there's little incentive for them to do that.
Overall, very very happy. It works as advertised and certainly has its oddities and quirks, but all in all a great camera which when used correctly and in skilled hands can capture images of the highest quality.
best, Pat
That said, I entirely concur with everything BigD had to say. They are very good cameras and absolutely hold their own with Nikon and Canon. The truth, however, is that the tool is irrelevent if the person holding it is clueless, and your model and amount spent equally meaningless if you don't know what you're doing.
It's grown on me. Once I got around the incredibly annoying flash-flash-flash which will sometimes happen on AF and drives the subject nuts (not to mention blinded). Easily fixed though.
"In so deep" also applies in terms of the time and effort I've invested in learning my way around the menus. Were I to move to another brand I'd be faced with the same learning curve, and that is a long way removed from being a trivial issue. If time is money (it is!) then I've invested far more in this fashion than in lens purchases.
As very much a beginner, it's proven to be a great choice for me. The wisdom and lessons so graciously shared in these forums are applicable regardless of model, and I've taken steps to getting away from the initial Auto-everything mode to learning how to use the other settings correctly and it's as easy (or as difficult, depending on your spin) as Nikon, Canon, Sony and everything else.
My only complaint is with bracketing. Yes, you have the same capability but are very limited - too much so, imo -1, -.7, -.3, 0.0 +0.3, +0.7 & +1. Three frames with a max range of -1 to +1 doesn't compare well with the competition.
The really galling thing about this is it's an easy fix if you can hack software (like the awesome Canon forum out there!), otherwise you're dependent upon Olympus upgrading the firmware and, customer satisfaction apart, there's little incentive for them to do that.
Overall, very very happy. It works as advertised and certainly has its oddities and quirks, but all in all a great camera which when used correctly and in skilled hands can capture images of the highest quality.
best, Pat
Oct 11, 2011 12:17:45 #
BigD
Loc: The LEFT Coast
Pat, one of the things I really love about the Olympus Pro bodies is the position of the front and rear dials. I shoot in manual mode only and I have the aperture on the front and the shutter on the back and it makes for a very fast setup. Nikon has the front dial too but Canon puts it up top and I guess I just prefer it on the front. Some consumer DSLR's don't even have a front dial forcing you to hit a button to switch the rear dial to control the aperture. My E520 does that and it really slows you down if your shooting fast action like sports.
Checkout the Elite Video DVD Manuals. They go over every single menu option for your specific camera as you follow along and you learn what everything does. It never seems to amaze me how many thingies they can stuff into a menu.
Checkout the Elite Video DVD Manuals. They go over every single menu option for your specific camera as you follow along and you learn what everything does. It never seems to amaze me how many thingies they can stuff into a menu.
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