Up until 2008 I was using my beloved OM2ns and my, almost as much
loved, OM4. I had been keen to go digital, as long as I could still
use my large collection of OM mount lenses. However, when I looked at
the newly released E1 in 2003 it was a great disappointment,
especially the viewfinder. One reason for reaching for an OM2n
instead of the OM4 was the slightly bigger and close to life-size
viewfinder image - one that seemed just as bright as the OM4 despite
that having a 2-13 screen.
In 2008 I had a series of eye operations that all went wrong.
Curiously enough all the problems were "1in 5,000 chances". As a
result I lost the use of my left eye, the one I had always used with
cameras. When I tried to take photographs with my right eye, I
discovered that I just could not "see" images the way I had before.
Eventually I just gave up and the cameras have sat in drawers ever since.
Now I am going to have another try. It has to be digital this time,
if only because of the rise in the cost of film since I stopped.
So the first question is, "what to buy?" I have a bias towards
Olympus (there are at least 16 of them in my office), but I'm not
fixated on them. I'm not keen on Panasonic, as everything I have
bought of that brand has broken down and their support of cameras
(from the UK) could only be described as hostile. My first priority
is the best viewfinder I can get.
Searching online for "best DSLR viewfinder", up pops the OM-D E-5 II.
Everything I have read about this seems positive. It looks like a
fitting replacement for the film OM range. I don't want a heavy/bulky
camera. When I used my Nikon F Photomic, I was always conscious of
the weight around my neck. I do want interchangeable lenses. I will
probably end up using primes rather than zooms. With the OM film
cameras I tended to travel with two bodies and 21, 28, 50 and 100mm
lenses. I have seen that the 12-40mm lens for the OM-D gets great
reviews, but it looks huge.
So is the OM-D E-5 II a good choice, or can you suggest something better?
One alternative is the digital Pen-F (I already have the film
equivalent Pen FT), but it seems that the viewfinder is not as good
as the OM-D. Any comments?
I have also seen that an OM-D E-M10 Mark III is on the way. Does
anyone know anything about a possible OM-D E-M5 Mark III?
Finally, this might not all work out. I might find that I am still
frustrated with not being able to imagine the end result using the
wrong eye. Rather than reach that conclusion after a month or so with
a perhaps a thousand or more Euro down the drain, I would like to buy
a fairly cheap DSLR or mirrorless camera to experiment with. Any
suggestions? It must have at least a half-way decent viewfinder though.
Thanks for any advice.
Mike
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