I've been lurking here for a while and would like to ask the list for
some advice on a complex philosophical / technical problem. You all
seem a reasonably thoughtful lot.
My primary interest is wildlife, especially birds. I've been using
a small Nikon system (remember, I just said you were thoughtful) and
am considering essentially replacing it with an OM system. Most of
my shooting is on foot, so portability is important.
The philosophical side of the question is, is it really sensible to
use a manual SLR system which is now essentially unsupported for this
sort of shooting? I much prefer the aesthetics of the OM system
(metal vs. plastic).
A technical approach to the same question might be, is everything I
need available? For example, what would you recommend in the 300 and
400 mm range for OM? The Zuiko 300/4.5 would probably be fine, but
are there 3rd-party lenses available new or used that I should consider
instead? I'd also like to have something in the 400/5.6 neighborhood,
but the only possibilities there seem to be Tamron or Tokina 80-200/2.8
zooms with a 2X TC (whose?). I would definitely want a 500/8 reflex
or maybe even the Sigma 600/8. Any comments on these or other choices
would be greatly appreciated.
Other technical matters are viewfinder quality and metering. I really
like the big, bright, high eyepoint OM1 finder. On the other hand,
I really like evaluative metering and aperture-priority AE.
So, what do you think?
Wayne Angevine
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