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[OM] My Olympus DSLR rant

Subject: [OM] My Olympus DSLR rant
From: Peter Klein <pklein@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 22:15:10 -0700
Hi, I'm Peter, and I am deep in the digital dumps.  :-)

Seriously, I am a confirmed rangefinder shooter.  I also have an OM-2 and a 
few Zuikos.  I really prefer the look and dynamic range of film.  But like 
many, I don't have a lot of time and I hate scanning.  Sometimes, you just 
need digital convenience and speed, and don't want to deal with film.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to get a DSLR.  I read lots of 
reviews and pixel
peepings.  I played with several DSLRs at a local camera store. It came
down to three cameras--the Pentax  *ist D, the Olympus E-1 and the Canon
10D. (The 20D, *ist DS, E-300 and E-500 were not out yet).

The Pentax had the nicest viewfinder (and the easiest to focus
manually). It felt a little small.  I  have a bunch of old Olympus
OM lenses, and those wouldn't work on the Pentax.  They would work on
the Canon--with a $175 adapter.  I didn't like the Canon
viewfinder, nor the huge size of its lens mount and many  lenses.

I liked the E-1 viewfinder almost as much as the Pentax'. Olympus was
giving away the OM-E-1 lens  adapter.  The E-1 price had dropped from overly
high to fairly reasonable. The E-1 felt good in my hands. And  though
Olympus was not making any fast primes yet, they appeared to be on the
lens "road map."

Fast forward to the present.  I feel like I made the wrong choice, and
I'm feeling rather fed up with  Olympus.  I'm an available light hound,
and the Oly is one of the noisier cameras at high ISOs.  Yes, I can  clean
up ISO 800 images with Neat Image, but it's a lot of work.

Olympus changed the road map.  There are no fast digital Zuiko primes, 
except a 50/2,  which is too long for most indoor work. The OM lenses work 
OK, but only with stop-down metering. Metering  and exposure are off at 
widest apertures--in different directions.  Using a 28/2.8 as a normal lens 
is an exercise in frustration--I just can't focus it.  The 50/3.5 macro is 
wonderful.  So is my late-serial 50/1.4  But, due to some fluke of the 4/3 
design, the 50/1.4 only gives me a f/1.8
worth of light at the sensor, so using it wider than f/2 is pointless. And 
it's a portrait/medium tele lens on the E-1.  Stop-down metering is a PITA 
except for static subjects.

I like small and light.  I realize the E-1 plus standard zoom is smaller 
and lighter than the better Canon and NIkon offerings, but it's a lot 
bigger an heavier than an OM or Leica and a prime.

So I'm stuck with a triple whammy--noisy camera, no fast lenses in the
normal range, and I live in the  Pacific Northwest, which is fairly
light-deprived a good part of the year.  I find myself putting Pentax
*ist DS bodies into my E-bray "watched items," along with the occasional
20D or R-D1.

Oh, yeah, the R-D1.  As I said, I'm an RF kind of guy.
Despite the absurd price, I would have bought and R-D1 long ago but for the QC
issues, the question of Epson's long term commitment, and the fact that
I can only use it with contact lenses.  With glasses, I can only see the
50mm viewfinder frames (effective 75mm).

So, what would you do if you were me?

1.  Shut up and keep shooting film for now.  There's a digital Leica M in your
future.  Start saving big-time.

2.  Olympus is what it is.  Sell the E-1, along with your OM stuff, take
your losses, and buy a used Pentax *ist body and 50/1.7 or 50/1.4.  Use
it to satisfy your digital lusts until the digital RF of your dreams comes 
out, be it Leica, Zeiss, or
Epson R-D2.

3.  Sell the  E-1, but get a used Canon 20D body.  Or one of the digital 
Rebels.  Plus a Canon 50/1.8 or 50/1.4 and a Katz Eye screen.  And the 
CameraQuest adapter for your OM lenses.

4.  Olympus will come through eventually.  Hang tight.  The new sensor
in the Olympus E-330 shows promise. A Japanese Olympus executive did
say recently that they recognize that primes are needed and they will
come eventually.  Your 14-54/2.8-3.5 is a great lens, better than any
other kit lens.  It will work well on a newer body.

Sorry for the rant, but my frustration level hit some critical point this 
week.  Any thoughts?

--Peter 


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