Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] Re: E1 vs. 10D, D100, D70, etc...

Subject: [OM] Re: E1 vs. 10D, D100, D70, etc...
From: Jim Sharp <jsharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 09:03:45 -0500
You're right about this I'm afraid. I read all the reviews before 
purchasing the camera. I should probably have focused on the problem 
areas and ignored all the Highly Recommended" and "Excellent" ratings I 
saw. Still, it is difficult to know the extent of these problems and how 
they'll effect you without owning and using the equipment for a while. 
And as we've seen with the E1, sometimes reviewers ratings and the 
reality of a product are at odds. The "expurts" seem to generally hate 
that camera while the internet is filled with people who absolutely love 
it and are taking wonderful photos with it. This is also another reason 
for asking if anyone had experienced any of this first hand.

My camera and software are completely up to date and I've been trying 
different tone curves to find something that is more to my liking. I've 
even gone back to using center weighted metering for now because while 
it my not be optimum, at least I have some understanding of how it is 
supposed to work.

I'm also very sure my skills ( or lack thereof ) are contributing to my 
problems. I'm just trying to find a way out...

Thanks.

--
Jim



Moose wrote:
> I have no leaning or interest, pro or con, relative to Nik*n DSLRs. On 
> the other hand, I'm pretty sure that it is accurate to say that none of 
> the 'big guns' is producing actively crappy cameras in so many aspects. 
> Both reviews and the experience of many users say the the D100 is 
> capable of capturing excellent images. I know Tom S. has been very happy 
> with his. So if you aren't able to get reasonable results, it seems 
> possible that there is a problem with your camera or something in the 
> way you are using it. Have you checked it against another D100?
> 
> Doing some very quick research, I discovered on dpreview, that the TTL 
> flash performance of the D100 is poor, underexposing with both on-camera 
> and external Nik*n flashes 
> <http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond100/page17.asp>. I always read 
> reviews before buying cameras. I would not have bought this one if auto 
> TTL  flash performance were important to me. In fact, I find it hard to 
> see how he could have given the camera a Highly Recommended rating with 
> the flash issue unresolved, but at least it is clearly documented in the 
> review. Have you checked the Nik*n forums and/or Nik*n themselves to see 
> if there is a firmware update that addresses this issue? Such things are 
> sometimes fixed with updates.
> 
> Further down in the review, in the conclusion, he says:
> 
> - Lacking in-camera sharpening leads to 'soft' looking images (to keep 
> noise down?)
> - JPEG files not tagged with correct colour profile when color mode II 
> selected
> 
> So blah and/or funny looking results may need sharpening and/or color 
> profile fixes.
> 
> - Internal / external D-TTL flash metering problem
> 
> So you are right, crummy flash results
> 
> Then he says:
> 
> "Image quality is also excellent, good colour and metering, nice tonal 
> balance (if sometimes a little 'contrasty', this can be modified using 
> the tone setting)."
> 
> Sounds like your "most contrasty slide film" problem is common and can 
> be fixed with parameter adjustment.
> 
> I've never considered Nik*n DSLRs for the simple reason that I can't use 
> my OM lenses with them. The only ones that make any sense to me are the 
> E-1 and the Can*ns.
> 
> Moose
> 
> PS, I see Tom has just weighed in. Perhaps you could compare firmware 
> versions with him. Perhaps your camera simply is in need of repair?
> 
> Jim Sharp wrote:
> 
> 
>>I'm curious if anyone has done any direct comparisons of image quality and 
>>overall performance between the other approximate $1500 DSLR's and the E1? 
>>The reason is simple. I'm considering buying one to replace my D100 provided 
>>I can really better myself by doing so. I've taken some really wonderful 
>>photos with my N$kon but honestly, it suffers from a few problems that are to 
>>me insurmountable. Such as  -
>>
>>Poor metering especially with flash. My early 80's OM2 and beater OM4 are far 
>>better in normal use, and in another league altogether as far as using flash. 
>>I can depend on them every time. The N$kon is more like a Holga. Whatever you 
>>get, just call it art.
>>
>>Lack of dynamic range. Think of the most contrasty slide film you've ever 
>>shot, but with less latitude. Dark subjects and blown highlights are the 
>>typical D100 shot and it happens so commonly it's almost impossible to guess 
>>what exposure to use for a given scene. Lots of bracketing and check the 
>>histogram.
>>
>>Tons of post process to get decent quality images. I work in front of a PC 
>>all day. I want to practice photography, not be a photoshop guru. Are the E1 
>>images any better straight out of the camera or is this just the current 
>>state of the digital world?
>>
>>Anyone that has any 1st or even 2nd hand information to guide me, I'd love to 
>>hear it...
>> 
>>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ==============================================
> List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
> List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
> ==============================================
> 
> 



==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz