Portrait shot using the 35mm Lens

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi Folks,
I've been reading that you can take portraiture shots using the 35mm macro lens, but I have not found a way of doing this on my E-300.

Can anyone help me on this?

Thanks.

[Sushigaijin]

the 35mm lens equates to 70mm on a full frame sensor - within the normal range for portraits. If I recall correctly, the 35 is an f/3.5 lens - so stay wide open, and adjust the shutter accordingly, Perhaps set the camera to P or A mode. At F/3.5 the background will fall out of focus but the subject will be sharp. either that or stop down to keep the background discernable. The rest of portrait photography is in the lighting, which is never easy!!

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. I've tried this and it still will not focus on anything past 30cm.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[dumpy]

Manual focous?

FWIW I was playing around with one of those lenses in a shop the other day and it seemed pretty versatile. Very sharp

[fjhleger]

Do you have the latest E-300 firmware installed?

I am pretty sure i tried this combination successfully (e-300+ 35mm 3.5) but i will double check this evening european time.

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi Dumpy, tried manual focus and that didn't help. I am very impressed with this lens. It has given me great macro shots. If you go to www.flickr.com and look up HELIFAXNZ you will see my photo's I've taken with this lens.

Hi fjhleger, I will check my firmware again tonight as I haven't checked it for a while.

[dumpy]

Nice Macro shots!

Was the purple flower reflecting on water? Very nice.

[HelifaxNZ]

Thanks. There was actually another flower behind it so its an illusion. )

[fjhleger]

as you can see in the photo attached, i have no problem with the E-300 and long distance focus for this lens.
the DOF reported in the exif is "Depth Of Field 0.30 m (1.73 - 2.03) ", far more than your reported limit.

[HelifaxNZ]

Thanks fjhleger for doing this. At least I know it should work with the E-300. So something is wrong with either the E-300 or lens. I will check the firmware tonight and fingers crossed it will work after that. What setting did you have the camera on?

[fjhleger]

The camera was set with speed priority a little to the slow side. Ambient light + internal flash as fill in, so this gives these double soft shadows, with the ambient light one clearly visible, tricking the brain in forgotting the hard one of the flash.

[fjhleger]

The latest E-300 firmware is version 1.3 and is required to get the camera working with the newer and futur lens (as stated by Olympus).

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi, I've upgraded to the latest firmware which is now v1.5 so you can use the EC-20 teleconverter (which I plan to purchase). Unfortunately it still didn't work, so today I'm taking the camera and lens to a camera shop and see whether I can test the lens on another Olympus. I'll let you know what happens.

[Photo-John]

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. I've tried this and it still will not focus on anything past 30cm.

I just want to make sure I understand correctly. You can focus it close but not farther than 30 cm? Because if that's the case, then it really may be broken. Lenses always have a minimum focus distance. but there's never a maximum focus distance. At least not that I've ever heard of.

[Greg McCary]

Here is a link to the lens specs. Yes you should be able to use this as a landscape or portrait lens. Can you give us more info on the camera settings you are using to try you portarit shots with? You don't have the EX-25 tube on it when you are trying do you?

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_se..._35M/index.asp

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi Folks, I went to the local camera shop and they tested the lens on an E-410 and it had the same fault, so I've taken it to the Olympus distributor here in New Zealand and they will take a look. I'm just glad it wasn't my camera that had the fault. Will see what they come up with.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

[Greg McCary]

Good luck, come back and let us know what it was, You might be helping someone else with the same problem out and I will also be curious. Thanks for the post.

[fjhleger]

i whish you a full working 35mm lens as soon as possible!

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi Folks, just got my lens back today. They said it must have been knocked at some stage so they pulled it apart and reset the focus. It cost me NZ$96.00 to get repaired. Still cheaper than buying a new lens!

I am just sooo happy that it is working the way its suppose to without costing too much.

Also I have ordered myself the EC-20. It's on it's way to me now so it should come end of this week or Monday next. Woohooo!