Why Olympus?

[SecondFocus]

I have finally got around to doing a blog post about my shooting with the E-3 and the 12-60 lens. You will also find some photos from a couple of my shoots with the system which were for actual magazine features.

Just go to my website at SecondFocus and click on blog.

[Paul Shields]

Excellent blog SecondFocus. Your enthusiasm for the E-3 shines through. Are you going to move over to it completely or are you still evaluating?

[SecondFocus]

Originally Posted by Paul Shields

Excellent blog SecondFocus. Your enthusiasm for the E-3 shines through. Are you going to move over to it completely or are you still evaluating?

Yes I do expect to add the E-3 and lenses soon. It is more like a transition. I also shoot medium format and considering making some changes there too. I have an assignment over the next week where I can tell you that if it were not for the rush, I would shoot it all medium format film.

But as far as evaluating the Olympus, I'm done. It is just great!

[Robert999]

Originally Posted by rjones315

I have the evolt 500. I like the camera, but my main pet peive is a lack of selection of lenses. I want to shoot wildlife photos, but would like a longer lens.

Have you taken a look at the relatively new 70-300mm zoom (140 - 600mm 35mm equivalent) from Oly? Many are getting great birding and other wildlife photos with it...and it's a consumer grade lens, and is rather inexpensive. The only real challenge will be that it lacks a tripod collar, and the E-500 doesn't have image stabilization. Still, it's light enough so that with a decent tripod and head you should be fine using the tripod straight on the body of the E-500...

Then of course, there is the Bigma, from Sigma, which is even larger...but if cost is an issue, take a hard look at the 70-300...

[ditto1958]

I have been interested in photography ever since I can remember. My mother gave me a roll film camera when I was in about the 4th or 5th grade.

When I was in my early 20's I received and slr camera for a Christmas present. I remember going to the store and asking the salesman about the Canon AE-1, which was hugely popular then. The guy showed one to me and pretty much said it was a piece of crap. He recommended the OM-10. I also looked at a Nikon FM, but didn't know what a "manual" slr meant, so I didn't buy one (I wonder what kind of cameras I would use now if I had bought the Nikon instead). I got the Olympus, though, and, with a couple of exceptions, have pretty much used Olympus cameras ever since.

When the time came to buy a dslr, I went to the stores with an open mind. I looked at the Rebel and immediately set it back down. It looked cheap and felt terrible in my hands. I looked at the Nikon D70. It was nice but too expensive. The D50 was more affordable, but it creaked when I squeezed it. Then I tried the E-300. It looked weird, but it also felt like a camera that should cost about twice its price. I went home to save up my nickels and pennies (this was 3 years ago when dslr's still cost over $1,000. Soon after that, the 2 lens came out, and I was sold. For $999 I got a beautiful dslr with not one but 2 zoom lenses that looked a lot better than the kit lens that came with the Canon and the Nikon. An unbeatable value.

It seems as though it has always been that way with Olympus. Their products are innovative, and are tremendous values. It always seems as though their products just look, work and feel better than what the competition is offering for sometimes up to twice the price.

[Paul Shields]

That's the thing - innovation. Combined with excellent image quality I don't feel like I'm missing out by using any other brand, and I've used a few in my time .

[keepright]

I originally included this is another message, so I apologize for repeating myself, but this should be here:

Before I bought an SLR, I was out photographing my (now ex-)wife in a spring running race. It was typical spring weather: heavy rain, wet snow, hail, and sleet. Counting the pre- and post-race times, I was in it for about two hours, and I came away soaked to the skin through three layers of clothing, a heavy jacket, and an umbrella. I was using a Canon Elph in a diving case, so I had no equipment concerns, but all around me were people with SLRs wrapped in garbage bags. That day I decided to get the E-1. There was no way I was going to spend multiple thousands of dollars on a camera system to wind up looking like an idiot, or worse, put it away when it rains.

Here's a photograph from that day. Take a look at the gutter and how much water is running in it; I'm near the top of the hill so there's relatively little draining past me. If I shot that race today my only concern would be wiping off the snow that accumulates on the viewfinder eyepiece.

Danny Kassap, the lead runner, on his way to finish first overall with an 8km time of 24.41.6 in the 2005 Spring Run-Off.

[Paul Shields]

Those conditions do look quite horrible. I'm a fair weather photographer and if it's horrible outside I'll try my best to stay inside with a nice cup of tea and maybe some photo editing. Even so, I've always appreciated the robustness of the E-1 (a camera I will NEVER sell ), and hopefully that will stay true with the E-3.

[keepright]

I have to admit that's I'm not a big fan of being cold, wet, and miserable. Being with a runner, though, made that less than optional some times. But with the E-1 getting out into the rain became more of an adventure, and some of my favourite photos were taken in damp weather. The rest of the time it's just nice to know that I can do it if I want to.