Olympus future direction

[Ross the fiddler]

I've been an Olympus owner for 2 years now. My first (and still current camera) is the E-500.

I'm still very much a beginner and have a lot to learn, but I have loved the E-500. It was so easy to learn on. I still capture great images on it even though it's so ancient now.





The only issue I have with it is the noise level as mentioned already numerous times at ISO > 400.

I currently own the kit lenses (14-45, 40-150), a Zuiko 9-18 SWA, and an old OM mount 50mm 1.8. The 9-18mm is the lens I use the most as most of my photography is automotive and I like getting up close. I love the quality of the images the SWA produces and I like the perspective. I've been using the 50mm as well quite a fair bit as I love shooting wide open, and at night. This is the only time I don't really mind the noise, as it gives the images a bit of a film feel (to me anyway as I've never shot film) so I edit my images to reflect this.





Recently I've been considering upgrading to the E30 for the meantime as I want to wait until the E3 replacement is released and there have been enough tests and reviews. If the E3 replacement is not up to standard, I will most probably jump ship and go to Nikon. I will still keep my Oly gear though.

Anyone who owns an E30 have any good / bad things to say about it?

I love the E30 after starting (with DSLR's) on the E410, then E520 (because my son got the E410) & now the E30. There are a lot of features & improvement in IQ. Where you would take the auto ISO up to 400 in the E410/520, the E30 would be normally set to go up to ISO 800, but ISO 1600 is still quite usable (but not while using auto gradation as well) & ISO 3200 is OK if there isn't too much dark area & can be cleaned up quite well in Noise Ninja or Neat Image. I also like the ZD 14-54 II lens with aperture being f2.8-3.5. It performs really well. BTW, there are some excellent deals going for the E30/ZD14-54 II outfit right now at http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod2406.htm for $1399.00, what a bargain!

A friend of mine bought his last week & they have dropped the price now by $160 down to $1399. He would be peeved if he knew that.

Pros: Stacks of features, including larger viewer, flipout articulating screen, many dedicated buttons, top LCD display, inbuilt level, ISO 100 - 3200, I could keep on going. Check Wrotniaks site too. http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/e30-rev.html

Cons: Heavier than the E500 series, not as clean in high ISO as some other cameras, but still good, a bit slow to focus in live view (but if used for appropriate use, who cares).

Checkout DP Review for an indepth review & many others (but some do have a Canikon bias in their thinking).

Hope that helps,

Ross

[Pearly]

Thanks for that. I've read a few of the reviews online, but I want to hear from real life users like yourself.

I guess the next step is to go in store and have a play with one. Cheers.

[Ross the fiddler]

Thanks for that. I've read a few of the reviews online, but I want to hear from real life users like yourself.

I guess the next step is to go in store and have a play with one. Cheers.

The reviews say it fits like a glove. I find it really nice in the hand with all the buttons easy to hand. The double button at the top left works effectively for getting into bracketing with either of the wheels (front or back) for selection & the double [+/-] & [ISO] (top right) buttons for reset (custom reset is useful when changing things drastically). The preview button down the front is unmarked but is in a very useful position. I like using the articulating screen for macro shots down low when the 5x to 10X display in LV is so great for accurate focusing. The level bar in the view finder is something else I use a lot (when there is time to wait for it to show, such as scenery shots). The viewing of thumbnails are great with the wheel zoom & showing up to 100 thumbnails (would be on E620 too). Of course, the RC flash control on all the later models (since E420/520) is a real useful tool with the controls happening from the camera which saves a lot of running around.

You need to have a go with one for yourself, but the price at DCW is really good now, considering the camera/lens outfit started over $2000 then came back to $1900. The lens (14-54 II) is selling at DCW for $859 & the E30 & ZD14-54 II lens outfit is only $1399, since the lens is as nice as it is (I bought mine last year to go on the E520 & it helped there, but even better on the E30), the above outfit price gives you the body rather cheaply. So if your thoughts are to have this while you wait for a new model, then for that price, with that lens...well

The other thing (also on the PEN models) is the ability to fine tune the AF (for a specific lens or combinations) when there are slight issues with front or back focusing on a lens & save the data for up to 20 lenses. I haven't had to use it it for any lens yet, but there are sometimes issues with E3 users with an occasional lens that can't be adjusted without that feature. The E30 has a good shutter speed range too, from 60 secs to 1/8000 sec & up to 5 frames a sec. I have to wonder why other brands will only go up to 30 secs for theirs.

You can see I appreciate what the E30 has for me as I keep rabbiting on about it.

Ross

[Pearly]

Thats great, thanks a lot for your input. You're right at that price it's very attractive.

I'll have to go and get my hands on one now to see how it test drives.

Cheers

[Dave Fulton]

Here goes the first post:
The first DSLR for me was a used E1 & then some weather sealed lenses & has been out in all weathers with no concerns.Recently bought a new E3 cheaply.
One day I will get hold of my D700 & E3 try some side by side tests at various ISO settings & long exposures but suspect it would be a pointless exercise trying to compare as focal lengths & glass quality need to be matched.Leave it to the labs.
Have done long exposures with the E1 at ISO 100 exposure was six seconds with noise reduction.
Beyond 400 ISO the E1 gets ugly.Have yet to try the E3.
As far as the future is concerned a lot of uninformed comment has been made all over the net,will they ditch the mount & render some expensive glass to obsolete?
Minolta did it in the move from manual to auto focus.Where are they now?

[Pearly]

Well, I did go out and try the E30. I really liked it, it's a huge step up from my current camera.

I will be placing an order for one hopefully this next week.

[Dave Fulton]

The first DSLR for me was a used E1 & then some weather sealed lenses & has been out in all weathers with no concerns.Recently bought a new E3 cheaply.
One day I will get hold of my D700 & E3 try some side by side tests at various ISO settings & long exposures but suspect it would be a pointless exercise trying to compare as focal lengths & glass quality need to be matched.Leave it to the labs.
Have done long exposures with the E1 at ISO 100 exposure was six seconds with noise reduction.
Beyond 400 ISO the E1 gets ugly.Have yet to try the E3.
As far as the future is concerned a lot of uninformed comment has been made all over the net,will they ditch the mount & render some expensive glass to obsolete?
Minolta did it in the move from manual to auto focus.Where are they now?

[swifty]

Did canon not also do it from FD to EF?? I won't pretend to know what Olympus will do but if a significant advantage exists then they should probably take it. But I do agree that maintaining backward compatibility is very important and the technology probably exists now to make that a viable option. Every rumour says that modular is coming (not necessary the e3 replacement) and how they implement the modularity will be very interesting so even with a significant change, I doubt the nice existing 4/3 lens will become obsolete.

[hoffy]

Its sad to see that Olympus has less direction then even the Sony range (but Sony at least are concentrating on their NEX range at the moment, which has the makings of something big).

I picked up a whole bunch of photo magazines from the late 70's and early 80's just recently. Its suprising to read how many of the professional photographers were using Olympus gear.....it nearly seemed that they were the default camera of choice by anyone who knew anything about cameras.

I hope that they can re-light the flame (so to speak). Olympus have made some really magnificent glass over the years. It would be nice to see the legacy continue.

[jaqson]

I just reckon Olympus have always been great cameras.

Even the 4/3 (e520) I had took great pics, vivid colours etc. so long as the light was good.

However, it was its pathetic performance in low light ISO >= 400 or long exposure that made me ditch it.

Scotty

Yes I agree with you in regards to low light level performance. I have an e410 and love it. Again like some it was the DSLR which got me into photography, however I notice it's limitations in low light levels. I don't particularly like processing RAW either. Probably because of the substandard software I have.

I have been thinking of moving onto a Canon too, but am reluctant due to a sentimental connection with the Olympus "girls camera" as a work colleague one put it.

[JM Tran]

I personally would crusade against Olympus to hurry up and ditch the 4/3 sensor and embrace APSC and beyond for much better noise control at mid to high ISO. I see no benefits in a 4/3 sensor for amateurs and pros.

Some on here might try and argue that 4/3 is acceptable or fine by their standards. By trying to justify their purchases and ownership. Oh well, hate to be in their position and pick up a Canon/Nikon/Pentax etc and see ISO at 1000, or 2000, or 12800 on some full frames

[peterb666]

I see no benefits in a 4/3 sensor for amateurs and pros.

Smaller lenses, smaller bodies, lighter weight?

These features also enable reasonable cost f/2 zooms like the 14-35 amd 35-100. No one else has anything like that and equivalent lenses, say a f/2 28-70 or 70-200 would require a small truck to transport around.

[TOM]

from what i can gather, the 4/3rds system is almost defunct in favour of the micro 4/3rds system. there certainly are advantages to the m4/3rds over the larger sensors, like peterb666 says, smaller lenses (and normal lenses too, not those retrofocus contraptions that dslr's use), faster lenses (see the new 0.95/25mm Voigtlander), smaller cameras, more dof at a given fov (can also be a disadvantage also), plus the versatility to use almost any lens one can find.

[peterb666]

from what i can gather, the 4/3rds system is almost defunct in favour of the micro 4/3rds system.

Current rumour is that there will be no more entry level 4/3rd cameras (i.e. E-620 and under), with this market turned over to MFT. That would tend to indicate that there may be a E-30 replacement or that the other rumour, a modular 4/3 camera that will take both MFT and 4/3 lenses may be in the works (which I would expect would become the eventual replacement for the E-30/E-5 line-up).

The E-5 is a real disappointment and indicates a relatively low development cost output to provide a very modest stay of execution of less than 2 years.

[JM Tran]

Smaller lenses, smaller bodies, lighter weight?

These features also enable reasonable cost f/2 zooms like the 14-35 amd 35-100. No one else has anything like that and equivalent lenses, say a f/2 28-70 or 70-200 would require a small truck to transport around.

moot point, DSLRs from other makers are not any bigger or heavier, nor are its lenses.

sorry but the 4/3 sensor sucks at mid to high ISO range, no ifs or buts about it, and for Olympus to vehemently stick with it, will only push users onto Canon or Nikon like some members on AP have been doing.

I would rather carry a few hundred more grams, or a kilo and have vastly superior photos with clean high ISOs - I think most ppl would agree too.

A Pentax KM/KX with a DA40 pancake lens is as small as an equivalent Oly 4/3 camera with a pancake lens, yet deliver much superior high ISO.

Like I said, only an Oly user would try to defend the limitations of the 4/3 sensor. Those that have used all types of sensors extensively would beg to differ.

[TOM]

moot point, DSLRs from other makers are not any bigger or heavier, nor are its lenses.

so are you referring to the 4/3rds, or the m4/3rds here JM?

[JM Tran]

so are you referring to the 4/3rds, or the m4/3rds here JM?

both Tom, I currently own a micro 4/3 EP1, and used to own an old E1 I bought for bush bashing due to its rugged build.

[TOM]

i knew you had the ep1, but surely you can see advantages with it over your dslr gear?

[peterb666]

I have the E-P1 with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and Olympus 9-18mm M.Zuiko lenses amongst others. I reguarly go shooting with others with their Nikons and Canons and have yet to see a dSLR kit with lenses of a similar scope that are anwhere near as small or light.

While the E-P1 does have some limitations, neither size, weight or obtrusiveness are amongst those.

[JM Tran]

i knew you had the ep1, but surely you can see advantages with it over your dslr gear?

How I see it Tom, its all about the image or photo - that is the end product and result of being a photographer, right?

If I use an Oly body with brilliant glass, yet it fails or disappoints me or a client when it is needed most, all that weight saving, brilliant engineering, ergonomics and blah blah is not gonna bring that photo back Yeah it has its advantages, but not where its required the most - in the final product.

I relate an Oly to the M4 carbine rifle, lovely piece of kit, can mount about anything on top of under it, light and easy to carry for all front line and support personnel even in vehicles etc. BUT, it lacks what is the most important - killing power - from a lower muzzle velocity, shorter range due to shorter barrel and design, and even suffers from a much louder noise signature - NOISE, lol