Interesting new E-P1 Micro 4/3 offering from Olympus that takes legacy glass.

Sweet retro styling.

Lack of viewfinder/low-res LCD is problematic IMHO.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/

w/Olympus 420:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...vsE450-001.jpg
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/page2.asp



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...sDiag2-001.jpg
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/page2.asp



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...lenses-001.jpg
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/page2.asp

The obsession with legacy design in virtually all cameras today is just hilarious. Here, not only do we see the lack of viewfinder/rangefinder and built-in flash, but we also see the lack of an articulating LCD screen, simply to accommodate retro styling. At least we can be glad that it doesn't have a fake pentaprism hump, like Panasonic's ridiculous Micro Four Thirds offerings. What should be a radical and fascinating new direction for photography turns out to be just the same old, same old. But still, Olympus and Panasonic are doing far better job pushing digital photography forward than either Canon and Nikon, but it is not enough. I will stick to my "point-and-shoot" camera for now, though I am considering getting an SLR as well.

wrabbit, thanks. That looks really neat. i've never used a camera like that.

Olympus nixed the viewfinder on the E-P1 to make the thing as small as possible - but this neither explains nor excuses the curious lack of a higher-res articulating LCD, which becomes doubly important with the viewfinder gone IMHO. But I differ with you in actually liking the swinging-60s retro styling.

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I hear you on the G1's hump. My guess is that Panasonic put the mock pentaprism on it as a not-so-subliminal inducement to dealers to shelve it with the DSLRs rather than with the P&S cameras. They were playing it very safe with what is otherwise an innovative product.

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Thanks people for previous advice on which nikon i should get as
a starter camera.While a d40 was recommended i went for the d70.
I bid for it today on ebay for 380euros for body and two lenses..
...should have it in a few days and cant wait.:cheers:

So for the kinds of photos we take I would need to know what's the minimum recommended resolution to get clearly in focus images of far away objects and buildings with it's maximum zoom.

3 of the settings I've lately used is of course "Landscape" for skylines and stuff, and then "Twilight" when it got a bit darker, but obviously a camera with a much higher resolution and much higher zoom would be the way to go.

Then there could be additional settings I'm not aware of for certain types of pictures to take.

And plus should I buy some $1300 camera to be properly satisfied with it....

Here's an informative site


http://www.dpreview.com/

I like the retro styling as well, but it should not get in the way of functionality. Perhaps I was bit harsh, the E-P1 is still a very good design overall, despite its flaws. At least, it does look cooler than all their dSLRs so far.

I can think of other "retro" features than Olympus can bring back. I would like to see a lot of compact prime lenses, each with its own external viewfinder attachment. And DOF scales on the lenses would be nice too...

It is funny, for their first DSLR they tried to make it look like a classic rangefinder as much as possible, but for their first interchangeable lens non-SLR cameras, they try to make look as much like an SLR as possible...

What is most disconcerting about m4/3 so far are the reports I have been reading about distortion of the lenses being so great that the camera bodies are automatically applying in-camera correction, even when shooting RAW, and apparently Panasonic lenses are worse than Olympus in this respect.

Would you guys recommend buying a camera from ebay/amazon/internet?

^ I have been buying all my books and CDs from Amazon for a few years now, and have never had a problem. I have never bought any 'large' items or electronics from them though...

Also bought from Ebay several times, mostly computers and computer equipment. Ebay is tricky, because most items are sold 'as is' with only a DOA warranty if you're lucky. That said, I again have had no problems, just make sure the seller has a decent amount of positive feedback.

Amazon is okay. I like http://www.bhphotovideo.com and http://www.adorama.com which I have both used, in addition to Amazon.

I've been trying to get a D90 FOREVER! And I want this package. Costco had it a while back and they also had a bag and more accessories but they stopped selling it for some reason... So now I either buy a package from an online retailer or everything separately which will end up costing more.

I've been a customer of http://www.bhphotovideo.com for more than fifteen years, mostly for accessories that don't sell enough for the local guys to keep them in stock, and I've always found them to be a reliable source. They have good prices, prompt shipment, and a broad inventory.

That said, I've bought all my high-dollar stuff, film cameras in 35mm SLR and medium format, DSLRs (Nikon D70, D200, D700), Epson printers (2000P, 2200, R2880), and film scanners (8000ED, 9000ED), plus all my consumables (photo paper, ink) from the local camera shop. Those items aren't discounted much online, and it's about a wash between shipping from an online vendor and paying state sales tax.

The camera shop is just a few blocks from my house and is independent and locally owned, and staffed by friendly, knowledgeable, helpful people. It's a plus to be able to walk into a store, find almost anything I need, and take it home, and I'm willing to pay an occasional premium because the local guys have gone the second mile to treat me right on out-of-warranty repairs a couple of times. For anyone within a reasonable drive of Fort Wayne, Indiana, I recommend Sunny Schick Camera Shop on West Washington Boulevard downtown. They've been in the same location for more than 80 years.

I have no personal or commercial interest in the business.

D90 kits on ebay...some of these are pretty insane.

I know, which is why I think most of those kits are too good to be true. First I need to get some monayyy! Damn, why didn't I enter that photo contest? It's gonna be tough saving up monayy for a new camera. I have to get a job, work, then I start school in September then I have to start worrying about college and blah.

This is why I need to meet a sweet old filthy stinkin rich lady [or guy] who's time is up and they have no relatives so I make them give me all their monayyy! Just kidding, that sounds heartless. But it'd be pretty cool if some random old guy came up to me and said "you want my fortune"


ANYWAYS! I'll see what happens. Step 1 will be getting off this site. It's too fucking addictive. Step 2 will be getting a job and saving money. Step 3 will be buying a D90! Which will probably be cheaper by then anyways.

Just saying... some of us get to do both at once! Sometimes I even take a picture or two.

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Have been taken pics with my nikon d70(lenses af nikor 70 t0 300mm)
As im a beginner im using automatic settings and taking pics of landscapes.
Iwas expecting good quality images but im getting loads of noise
especially in skys and things far away,im having to do a bit of editing.

e.g

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7863/dsc0046i.jpg

should this pic be clearer ,the image is full of noise,what should i be
doing or is this to be expected..????????

is that particular lense anygood,

You could sell copies of your photos or something, they're fantastic. Money-worthy, I'd say. Sell enough, and wham! You have enough money for your camera. just a thought.

First off the question is what iso are you shooting at? For shots in those lighting conditions you should be at 200 or 400. You should also try using your aperature setting instead of auto. The lower the number the bigger the aperature and the more light your camera lets in. The golden rule with a long lens like yours is your sutter speed should be faster than the inverse of your lens length or if you shoot at 70mm you should have a shutter speed of faster than 1/70 of a second and at 300mm faster than 1/300 to get the best shots. The use of a tripod in darker settings will help too.

A few questions of my own:

1. I know the rule of shutter speed faster than 1/focal length to make clear images. Now, does this mean absolute focal length or focal length in 35mm equivalent? For example, my lens on my Olympus E500 has a maximum focal length of 180mm (360mm in 35mm equivalent) so should I be shooting faster than 1/180 or 1/360?

2. Filters. I want to go buy a filter or two to put on my lens this weekend. Should I get a polarizing filter or a UV filter? Why?

3. Noise Reduction. What is the best way to reduce noise in pictures without resorting to in camera NR? I know that in-camera noise reduction makes pictures softer, but I'm wondering how much extra work it is to reduce through software.