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[OM] Re: Jumping on the E-1 bandwagon (was: E-1 FS in New Zealand)

Subject: [OM] Re: Jumping on the E-1 bandwagon (was: E-1 FS in New Zealand)
From: Andrew McPhee <macca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 01:06:28 +1000
Andrew McPhee wrote:
> > Would it improve the artistic and technical quality of my
> > photos?
> > - No.
>
>
>AG Schozz replied:
>Artistic quality?  Totally dependant on the photographer.
>Technical quality?  Highly likely!  I find that I shoot 20x the
>pictures with the digitals than I did with film. My edit process
>is pretty ruthless so I end up with the same number of pictures
>in the end, but they are much better than my one-offs on film.

For a while I had the use of a friend's Linhof 4x5 system and it taught me 
the value of slowing down, thinking about what I want to achieve and how to 
achieve it.  And I found that 'training' has rubbed off on my 35mm 
work.  Sure, I still bracket exposures and fiddle with various lighting and 
camera angles but these days I'm more of a sniper than a machine-gunner.

Not that I'm knocking AG's method.  Each to his own, etc.  I can see the 
advantage of digital that gives one a virtually endless roll of 'free' film 
but it doesn't mean that much to me because that's not the way I work.




> > Would it give me more satisfaction than using my OM-1 and 4
> > cameras?
> > - No.
>
>I've had mine for a few weeks now, and it's getting there.  I do
>miss the IMAX theatre viewfinder, though.  However, there is
>something REALLY special about the OM cameras.

Doug Smith hit the nail on the head in his post to the list a few days 
ago.  He mentioned the plethora of buttons, functions and menus on a DSLR 
that take a lot of learning.  And re-learning if one hasn't picked the 
camera up for a while.

Let me quote Mr. Maitani (the designer of the OM series):
"As a designer, I want to design a camera that becomes an inseparable part 
of the photographer, a camera that does not get in the way."

Granted, my OM-1 and I have had many years together and I know her 
intimately.  I do not have to think about the mechanics of using her - all 
I have to think about is the image I'm trying to capture.  Same goes for my 
(recently acquired) OM-4 - even though I haven't owned it for very long, 
operating it very quickly became second nature.  I think that getting to 
the same point with a DSLR would take me too long and I'm not keen on 
investing that much time.

And yes, the OM viewfinder really is something special.  So is the sound of 
the shutter and the feel of the controls.  I'm a tactile 'touchy feely' 
type person - the sounds and smoothness of controls turn me on.  I used to 
get a tingle every time I fired the shutter on the Linhof - the sound of 
that Synchro Compur in the crisp dawn air really did things for me!




> > So there you have it - even at one third of the normal price
> > an E-1 kit is not on my horizon.
>
>I'm a convert. After today's field trip with the E-1 and my
>ancient, SC Zuikos I'm very excited about photography again.  I
>bought mine (with 14-54) for about $1K USD.  It was, without a
>doubt, the best thousand bucks I've spent this month.

I'm genuinely pleased that your E-1 kit is giving you excitement, I really 
am.  Trouble is, I don't think it would push my buttons quite the same!

Kind regards,
Andrew McPhee


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