BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Does anyone have experience with an Olympus DSLR? If so, which model? For some reason, Olympus just doesn't get as much press as Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. Does anyone have an opinion as to why this is so? I know that Olympus lenses have been used for years in the medical industry so there must be a measure of quality with the company.

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

Yep I have a bunch of Oly's. I have two E3's two E5's and an E520. I also have most of their Super High grade lenses and a few of their "High Grade" Lenses.

I believe that the reason they are not as popular as the big two is they don't bring out a new camera every three weeks. They also use the controversial four thirds system which has pros and cons. The one thing they do have are some of the best lenses on the planet and their quality is absolutely excellent. My E3's and 5's are dust and water proof so I don't get excited if its dusty or if a little rain starts to fall during a shoot. Overall I love my Olympus system :thumbup:

OnTheFly Loc: Tennessee

Just a thought..... They may not be as popular just because they don't put as much $$$$$ into marketing and advertising. If this is the case it doesn't mean that they aren't as good as the others.

photosbysexton Loc: Knoxville, TN

I have the E420 and E620, with 5 lenses, including the 50mm 1:2 that I just picked up a couple of weeks ago. I absolutely love my Oly's. Hands down, the best in camera processing available. Most Canon and Nikon users will tell you that you have to shoot in RAW to get the best images. With they Olympus DSLRs there is no need as the in camera processor does a much better job than any post editing software can possibly do. Try it for yourself, shoot raw/l-sf and compare.

algieB Loc: Georgia

I own several of the Olympus DSLRs (E-410, E-620, EPL-1, and EP-2) and each time I purchased, I questioned my intelligence in light of most magazines and shops promoting equipment other than Olympus. However, with each of the cameras that I own I have been very happy with the performance, reliability, and durability! My wife in fact owns three of the point and shoot cameras by Olympus. The only negative is the availability of the XD memory cards in some smaller markets where I have visited.

Sensei

I moved away from Olympus and got rid of my Olympus equipment when they moved to a lens format that was incompatible with legacy lenses that I owned. The smaller sensor inherent in the new cameras together with a number of owned lenses for Nikon and Sony also influenced my decision. They make a good product and I liked my Olympus equipment but the change in format also required reinvesting in a ton of lenses.

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

There is a cheap adapter that allows you to use the older Olympus "OM" mount lenses on the new 4.3rds mount. No autofocus but they work fine in the manual mode.

Sensei

I was aware of the adopter but with so many Nikon and Sony lenses around here, there was no reason to move in that direction Just gave an OM88 and 7 lenses to someone to put on Ebay. .Along with a Nikon F2. Polaroid back, winder and several lenses for the camera. I think 3 from Nikon and about 5 from Vivitar. I considered using some of the older lenses but they seemed to heavy for most of the newer cameras that I own. and all were manual focus. which doesn't seem to work as well as they did when my eyes were younger.

cymond

Thanks for the good words on Olympus. I have been shooting with the E520 for a couple of years and do like it. I have always questioned my choice what with all the Canon and Nikon users out there I have taken courses and been the only Olympus user there But at least I find I am not alone. Thanks for the information

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

I too am usually the only Oly shooter in the crowd but all of us 43rds stalwarts have perked up with the release of the new OMD-eM5. It has a 16+MP backlit 4/3rds sensor, a high ISO of 25,600, a continuos shooting mode of 9 FPS, and a new 3D Autofocus System (oh yeah and 1080P video if that matters to you). Now they are hinting at the release of a new E7 professional body that will combine all these new features with the awesome Professional E series to make one hell of an awesome camera. Anyone who has used the Super High Grade Olympus Zuiko ED-Series lenses knows how amazing they are easily matching the finest in the world. When you make a list of the pro's and con's of using the 4/3rds system you realize that they are about to address all of the con's with this new camera. When that happens, Canon and Nikon will have something to worry about.

cymond

Thanks for the information on whats in the future, OH well there goes the budget. written from the Right Coast, actually Central Connecticut

Thanks again for the update

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

No problem at all. Olympus is doing this in the shadow of the 1+ billion dollar scandal. Shows how strong the company actually is. I'm afraid I am saving my lunch money for that E7 as well haha.

1941Buckeye Loc: home is Miami Co., Ohio

Back in the late '70s when I was looking to get a good, working, professional camera I studied for weeks on the big-time brands and kept coming right on back to Olympus time after time. My Mom worked for a doctor and told me that all the lab equipment was Olympus, and told me the glory of the Olympus lenses. I finally made my decision and got an OM-10 with 3 different lenses..I have not regretted it once at all! And when I am able to go to a "larger" kind of camera it will be an Olympus. Happily!

gleneric Loc: Calgary, Alberta

Just posted a reply to another question about Olympus ... sounds like the start of an Oly revolution to me :) I love my Olympus e-520 and the EP-2 ... wish I had the funds to get an e-5 (or maybe the new EM5) and at least one of the top-of-the-line lenses, but not in the stars right now :( Same experience that others have noted about being the only Oly shooter in any photog classes I have taken ... to each his own is all I can say. I'm happy with the photos I am getting and that is what matters to me. Definitely not a believer in the "you need the most expensive camera to get good shots" mentality as I have seen some phenomenol photos from some cheap cameras, and a lot of crap from some high end gear.

BigD Loc: The LEFT Coast

Here Here Brother I started my Olympus love affair with an E520, still have it. I am a working professional photographer and I really use all my stuff. I take it to nasty places every day (well not EVERY DAY) and the Oly stuff is simply made for battle. I carry three bodies (2 E5's and an E3) and have two more E3's (and that E520) at home for backup. I carry five lenses (two High Grade and three Super High Grade) and I can shoot dang near anything. I am usually the only shooter at an event where there is more than one photographer who is using the Olympus system. Occasionally I get questions from the others (usually they could care less what I have) and I just compare what my lens can do compared to theirs. When they see what Oly has it always makes them take a step back and think about their system choice. I know that the 4/3rds system has some serious limitations such as low light (high ISO) quality and slower continuous shooting speed (5 FPS) but there are ways to overcome these limitations. And the reward is a system that can take some amazing images. I'll stick with the Olympus system as long as Olympus sticks with me. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: