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[OM] Digital decisions

Subject: [OM] Digital decisions
From: Lawrence Woods <lmwoods@xxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 19:20:33 -0500
After 32 years using OM-1s and 2s, it is time for me to go
digital.  I have to do it on a budget for now, with a limit of
about US $800, excluding memory cards.  

The features I would like include manual focusing capability,
a big, bright SLR-style viewfinder, no (well, very little)
shutter-lag, good high ISO and/or image stabilization,
excellent optics, and finally the small size, quality
construction and sturdiness I am used to in the OMs.  I know I
won't get it all, and may not even get much to stay in budget. 

Assuming I stay in the Olympus world, the first question is
whether it is worth choosing the 14-54mm lens over the
14-45mm.  Is the 14-54 visibly sharper?  The wider maximum
f-stop seems important to me, especially without image
stabilization.  

If the answer is to go with the 14-54, then I have no further
questions.  I don't see many loose 14-54s on the used market.
 They are mainly found as part of a used E-1 kit. 14-45s
however are easy to find used.  Is that an indication that
people dump them after getting them in a kit with an E-x00?

If the 14-45 is good enough, the next question would be 
whether to go with an E-300, E-500 or used E-1.  (The E-330 is
out of my price range for now.)  I have only handled an E-300,
and that was in a big-box store where there was neither a
salesman nor a working battery in the camera to help me
evaluate it.  From reading the reviews, I get the impression
that the E-500 has better ergonomics and build quality, but
the viewfinder is less pleasant in spite of using a prism.  Is
that so?  Would the viewfinder be a deciding factor coming
from an OM-2?  

How does the E-1 compare in ergonomics with either of the
Evolt models?  The 5 MP sensor doesn't bother me, but is there
anything else in its older technology that makes it an
inferior tool?  It doesn't have a built-in flash. Can I use an
OM T20 flash with it?  How about a Vivitar 555? I assume that
neither would work in TTL mode on any of the E-series.

Are there any other considerations I should be thinking about?  

I realize that this sort of inquiry could very easily become
troll-bait, but that is not my intention.  I really  am
looking for some guidance in what to do.
     ----- Larry Woods
           lmwoods@xxxxxxx

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