Help Please: E300 twin lens kit, FL36, Power grip OR E1 and 14 -54 ?

[ziuko]

I have decided on Olympus I am a current OM4ti user.
I can get a really good deal on the E300 kit as above for about the same price as an E1 with 14-54.
I could also buy the E300 with 14-54 for a similar sort of price.
I am tempted to go for the E300 twin lens kit flash and grip, but something in me worries that I would be happier with less kit but better quality. The intangible is whether the 8MP of the E300 produces better images than the E1. I have viewed hundreds of images and it seems to me that the E1 "look" has something a film like quality or a signature that sets it apart from the other brands. To my eyes ,on the web images of the E300 don't have this same look, but this may be because higher resolution images can look worse at 100 %, or when downsampled for the web. If somebody owns both could they tell me which they tend to prefer and use from the image quality perspective (I can suffer worse handling if the image quality is there)

Thanks

[hartcons]

I can't answer your question directly but it seems to me that even if you have two cameras from the same manufacturer with similar firmware and the same lenses as long as the ccds are different then the pictures will be different (and if the target markets for the cameras are different then maybe the firmware will be tweaked differently as well). I've been thinking of the ccd kind of like film for a film camera (and I think different film gives different results). Also I wonder if cramming ever more megapixels into the same size CCD at some point leads to degradation in image quality (more cross-talk between the individual sensors, etc.) That said I don't have any complaints about my e-300 images (as long as I'm not viewing them onscreen at 100%).

I do know that the e-1 has an external WB sensor which I guess in theory would make it more reliable in terms of WB. Plus the e-1 is built like a tank and weather-sealed for rough conditions (but with my e-300 I just put a clear shower cap over the body). 5.5 megapixels should be plenty unless you need to crop and then print big. My d70 only has 6.1 megapixels I believe.

I would suggest that if you feel there's a quality difference then you should definitely get the e-1 regardless of what other people think. The two bodies are different though so make sure you handle them. For me I was open to getting either one but I preferred the feel of the e-300.

Too bad they don't offer the e-300 as a kit with the 14-54. Now that would be a sweet combination.

[orthogent]

HI[b]
Since you say you are using an OM4T1, I am guessing you would appreciate the little quality touches of te E-1 and its durability. I am suggesting the sensor difference will not be of critical imporance over the long haul. I have handled both and I must say the E-1 has got it over the E 300. The finder is brighter and there is the LCD and the weather seals (which remember, keep out moisture, and might even inhibit mildew formation.) The E 300 was built to meet a price, and it does a damn good job of it. The lenses, the first tier ones seem to command the kind of praise I would expect from Zuikos. The second tier kit lenses do not get all the complliments and lack the last bit of aperture and design oomph. However, there is some merit to getting the whole kaboodle at once for the budget. If the budget is a real issue with you, and only you know that. If I had the decision from the start, whoah boy, for the price of the E-1 and the 14-54, oo la la. I paid more. I think it =undevalued, like goat milk cheese futures or something similar Be well, Orthogent , Marketing Dept., House of Irwin, Purveyor of Kosher Delicacies and Dog Treats since 1936.

[Amateur]

Hi Zuiko,
I'd like to put in a word for the E-1. I considered both and bought the E-1 kit, no contest really because I wanted the weather-proofing and the 14-54mm lens. Months later I got to handle an E-300 more extensively and go through all the menus. That's when I discovered that I would surely have been disappointed with the E-300. You see, I hate menu-diving, and several commonly used settings are accessed only through menus on the E-300.

th0t gives a good comparison above. It all depends on which advantages carry the most weight with you. If the E-1's advantages are really important to you, remember that you would enjoy those advantages each time you pick up the camera, long after your wallet stops stinging.

may you choose wisely
David

[hartcons]

Originally Posted by Amateur

Hi Zuiko,
I'd like to put in a word for the E-1. I considered both and bought the E-1 kit, no contest really because I wanted the weather-proofing and the 14-54mm lens. Months later I got to handle an E-300 more extensively and go through all the menus. That's when I discovered that I would surely have been disappointed with the E-300. You see, I hate menu-diving, and several commonly used settings are accessed only through menus on the E-300.

There is an OK button on the back of the e-300 and you can assign a specific function to it. So for example you can assign DOF preview or manual focus mode (I think) or you can use it as a shortcut into Contrast if you fiddle with that a lot or as I do frequently have it go into the Drive area which controls multi-shot mode and self-timer. Many things can be done directly all together on the LCD screen using the Info button (and this is one of my favorite things about the e-300 and it works especially well at night with that nice bright LCD). I love the weight and compactness of the e-300 but I guess they had to leave a few things off (like dedicated dof preview button and 2nd command dial) to achieve that (but for me the trade-off is very worthwhile).

[Amateur]

I think I know what you mean hartcons, it is kind of like the DRebel in that way where you could assign several of the buttons to certain settings of your choice. The E-1 just has more physical buttons and dials on it as well as the custom presets. BTW, you even switch between custom presets without going into a menu. For many settings you don't even have to take the camera away from your eye.* Here is a list of the things you can change on the E-1 without even looking at a menu:

Shooting Mode (of course) - P, A, S, M.
Exposure compensation
Auto Exposure lock
Image quality 3JPGs, Tiff, RAW
ISO Sensitivity
White Balance / color temp - auto
Custom White Balance
Auto focus point select
Flash mode
Metering* Mode
Drive Mode
Bracketing
Focus Mode - M, A, C.
DOF Preview

Most all of these are set by pressing a button and rotating either dial
I don't know if the 4-way and OK* buttons can be assigned to functions while shooting, can't think what else I would need.

It might be interesting to Ziuko to see this list for the E-300 though I'm sure not everybody attaches as much importance to these physical controls as I do. I like the same in the audio and video gear I work with - I most always prefer dedicated controls to menus.

You're right hartcons that the E-1 hasn't the compactness and light weight of the E-300. I would acknowledge that the scene modes can give access to a lot of settings if that's the way you like to work. There is always a trade-off isn't there?* There are certainly a lot of satisfied E-300 owners out there.

David

[hartcons]

Originally Posted by Amateur

You're right hartcons that the E-1 hasn't the compactness and light weight of the E-300. I would acknowledge that the scene modes can give access to a lot of settings if that's the way you like to work. There is always a trade-off isn't there? There are certainly a lot of satisfied E-300 owners out there.

What's the problem? Just get an e-1 and an e-300 and a barrel of zuiko digital lenses and all your possible needs will be covered!

If the prices on e-1s drop low enough I might be inclined to add one to my arsenal for the weatherproofing, external wb and other factors that you've mentioned.