Olympus Cameras and Four Thirds System Digital SLRs Forum

Olympus Cameras Forum Discuss Olympus film and digital cameras as well as Panasonic and Leica Four Thirds System digital SLRs - forum moderator is Greg McCary.
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  1. #1
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    We need your Olympus Review

    If you have recently purchased an Olympus 4/3rd product, camera, lens or other item, or are new to the site and have never written a review please take the time to write one and share your thoughts with others. No matter your experiance, new to the DSLR world or a veteran please write one and also add some thoughts and post a link here in the 4/3rd forums. Thanks for your time in advance. We need to spread the word to others just how good the 4/3rds system is.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  2. #2
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I am a bit surprised to see almost no reviews on the Zuiko lenses. Anyway, in an effort to get things going, I posted one on the 12-60 - my 2nd favorite lens in the Zuiko line.

    I'll post more on the other lenses I own or have used extensively when I can.

  3. #3
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Quote Originally Posted by albot976
    I am a bit surprised to see almost no reviews on the Zuiko lenses. Anyway, in an effort to get things going, I posted one on the 12-60 - my 2nd favorite lens in the Zuiko line.

    I'll post more on the other lenses I own or have used extensively when I can.
    Thanks! Lens reviews are just as important as camera reviews! And I agree about the 12-60mm Zuiko. It's what I shoot with most of the time when I'm using the E-3 and E-520.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  4. #4
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I agree with John. I am more interested in lens reviews than cameras. I have no way where I live to test one before I buy one. So I depend on the words of others. Thanks for the post. You can drop by here and post sample pictures as well.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  5. #5
    Member ComicDom1's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    While I like Olympus Glass, it's performance is directly related to the camera its mounted on. Therefore, I do not think you can really review any lens independently of a camera. You can look at MTF charts all day long, but they will not tell you how they perform on your particular camera. So you not only have lenses to consider in the mix, but sensor quality, firmware, focusing systems and more.

    Just my opinion,
    Jason

  6. #6
    Member Robusto's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I bought an Olympus E300 about 3 years ago as a beginner and have taken lots of wonderful pictures
    I am still learning but was unlucky while camping away over the August BH to get flooded out and my camera suffered water damage. cost of repair £250 plus VAT :mad2: :mad2:
    I like the camera so much i managed to find a 2nd hand replacement E300 for a reasonable amount as nothing else in the bag sustained damage i can still use everything. so im happy to keep on with my oldish one and hopefully upgrade in another year or two.

  7. #7
    Junior Member dannn's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Ok... Here goes. I have an e3 and a 520. I have the 12-60 and 50-200 SWD lenses. On both cameras I love this glass. What's best, besides the photos, is the ripping fast CAF on both camera bodies. Really never saw anything like it. I often shoot night scenes and these lenses are fast. I'll try to get a more detailed review up later.
    Olympus System DSLR's. Canon Point and Shoots.
    Have a nice day...

  8. #8
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I just posted a 70 300 review. Since I just purchased the E 510 and the 70 300 I probably should have posted both. As I mentioned it's not prime or a 1000 dollar lens but for a 140 600 mm on a 4/3 system it's an unbeatable price for a very good lens. I do think the more I use it and realize it's limitation is directly related to good or poor light, that buying an
    EC 14 for an already light limited lens may not work well for wildlife shots. I shoot a lot of deer in the fall and evening is a big time for them to venture out. With a lens with a F8 sweet spot adding the EC 14 will only increase the need for more light. Has anyone used this combination with success ?
    Eric

  9. #9
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    70-300mm!

    eharrim-
    I just saw and commented on your 70-300mm review. That lens is one of my favorite things about the Olympus Four Thirds system. If you look through my gallery you'll find lots of ski and mountain bike photos taken with that lens. You can't beat it for a reach/size/weight compromise in the backcountry.

    Olympus Zuiko Digital 70-300mm User Reviews >>
    Olympus Zuiko Digital 70-300mm Gallery >>

    Please do post reviews for your other gear. We need reviews for everything!
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  10. #10
    banished Asmarlak's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I bought my E-510 in 2007 and wanted to upgrade to another Olympus of the same class since last year. I tried the E-520 and didn't like it at all, it was a step backward not forward. I loved the E-510, images are very sharp and full of details that come only from first class cameras but I wanted to upgrade because of the limited dynamic range of 510. Recently, I bought the E-620 which had excellent dynamic range and color rendering but lacked in rendering fine details. The details were smeared which means I can use it only for landscape but not for portraits and macros. The other problem with E-620 was the noise, noise was way too much for the competition even at low ISOs which means - images are less tolerant to post processing. In E-620 "Auto ISO" starts at 200 and not 100 which was shockingly odd for such a noisy camera. DPreview.com which I trust 100% gave it a very good review in general but said, "Our only concern about the E-620 would be that it seems to have inherited the rather strong anti-aliasing filter that has arguably held-back recent E-system cameras. This means it's not able to render the really fine detail that its rivals can (a shame given how good Four Thirds lenses can be)." However, for me the noise and lack of fine details issues were huge negatives. One other important thing, I noticed the the AF was not consistently sharp - sometimes it is others are not, something which was never of my concern with the E-510. I took the same shots with the E-510 and E-620 using the excellent 14-54mm lens and compared them side by side but images from 510 came out on top 100% of the time.
    I may have been spoiled by the E-510 and my concerns would not be an issue for entry level DSLR users who are making the switch from P&S which this camera is targeting, but for a manufacturer, things should move forward and not backwards, and admittedly they have in many categories but fell behind in critical ones. Finally, I returned the camera and kept my wonderful E-510. Now I have a strong feeling that my E-510 is going to be my last Four Thirds system camera that would tempt me not to switch to Nikon or Canon.
    Last edited by Asmarlak; 07-08-2009 at 12:55 PM.

  11. #11
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    E-620 Quality

    I often find myself contradicting others when it comes to the Olympus DSLRs. I agree with the E-620 review on DPReview. Olympus images are softer than other manufacturers' cameras and there is more noise. The question is, does it really matter? Right now I have a Canon EOS 5D Mk II, an EOS 50D, an XSi/450D, the Nikon D5000 and the E-620. Guess what camera I pick up most? Given, since I am on the bike with my gear a lot, I value small and light. But not if the images don't measure up. But they do! Because I'm shooting action outdoors I usually have to shoot dark to hold sky detail and freeze action. And then I have to push my images hard in post-processing to get the final balance that I want. For the most part, I'm very happy with what I've been able to do with the E-620. In my opinion, the final images are perfectly publishable. Would the 50D, 5D or D5000 have produced better image quality? No doubt. But that doesn't mean the E-620 is no good. You're definitely free to switch brands. But I recommend that you avoid getting into pixel-peeping. The truth is, there are no bad digital SLRs anymore. They're all excellent. Sure, some produce better image quality than others. But that doesn't make the the ones with more noise or softer images bad cameras.

    I'm including two images here that were shot last week with the E-620 They were shot at ISO 400 and pushed pretty hard in Lightroom and Photoshop. I am very happy with them and they speak well for the ability of the E-620.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails We need your Olympus Review-milosz-crest.jpg   We need your Olympus Review-florian-crest.jpg  
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  12. #12
    banished Asmarlak's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    John, I perfectly understand your point and agree with it. I said "I may have been spoiled by the E-510 and my concerns would not be an issue for entry level DSLR users who are making the switch from P&S which this camera is targeting,..." Or, in your case wanting a smaller and lighter camera that offer well balanced images. For someone who is already an Olympus E-510 user looking to upgrade, Olympus has not given me enough reasons to do so with this model. Those images you posted are great by the way. When it comes me switching, I wouldn't do that anytime soon or maybe not at all, who knows.

  13. #13
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Quote Originally Posted by Asmarlak
    For someone who is already an Olympus E-510 user looking to upgrade, Olympus has not given me enough reasons to do so with this model.
    I love the E-620. It's by far my favorite Olympus camera yet. And it's the 12-megapixel sensor that does it for me. I remember feeling a little frustrated and conflicted when I shot with the E-510 because I knew I could get better quality from one of the Canons. I don't feel that way with the E-620. And by the way, the new processor that's being used with the 12-megapixel sensor in the E-P1 is delivering even better quality. I think the E-P1 has the best overall quality of any Olympus digital camera so far. But for action photos, the E-P1 isn't the right tool. I need the speed and accuracy of an actual SLR to shoot the mountain bike stuff.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  14. #14
    banished Asmarlak's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Let me say this. Before Olympus came out with the E-510, Olympus was not a major DSLR market player. Their first major DSLR was the E-1 which failed to succeed in getting enough share of market. They made a big splash with E-510 which was one of the best featured and best selling DSLR of its year. Thats why I said I was "spoiled" by the E-510 and having hard time being satisfied with another Olympus model of the same class. And I think Olympus know that they lost big chunk of E-510 users market especially that they followed it with the "lousy" E-520 last year. The only way out for E-510 users in my opinion is to upgrade to a higher class such as E-30 or E-3 which requires budgeting more money or make the brand switch. Therefore, as an E-510 user I may not be a good judge of the E-620. The 510 is by far not a perfect camera but we just have to weigh our priorities. When it comes to the E-P1, I didn't try it yet.
    Last edited by Asmarlak; 07-08-2009 at 01:42 PM.

  15. #15
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Olympus does something very well, it gives you home run for your money. You can get a body that costs $600 and add the suburb 14-54mm (28-104mm equiv.) for $350 + the very good 70-300mm (140-600mm equiv.) for another $350 and you are set for many years to come. With Canon and Nikon yes you can spend around the same amount of money on a body of the same class as olympus but to make a good use of their great sensors you must spend an avrg. $1000 on each lens that gives only very limited focal range. It seems to me that Nikon and especially Canon make more camera bodies in order to make even more money selling lenses for them.

  16. #16
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Being a E-510 user, I just aquired a E-30 body, and from the first photos i took, i must say this body is a wonderfull experience and i am sure i well spent money. I await the end of the year vacation to have some real opportunities to use it.
    François

  17. #17
    Member 440GTX's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    It has only been 2 weeks since I got my E-520 with the 2 lense kit.
    14-50 40-150 ( I think )
    So far I have been IMPRESSED. I have very limited camera experience
    ( No DSLR experience )
    The IQ is great for only P or Auto settings for now.
    I like shutter priority for birds ( 640 or 800 )
    I am glad I did not buy a high end P & S for the same money I spent on my E-520
    I will give it a good workout next week as I am heading to Vancouver Island for a week.
    ( Nanimo and Victoria area )
    I am trying to talk myself into buying a 70-300 lense for the trip.

    Fred..

  18. #18
    Member Marc2B4's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I've been shooting the 620 w/ HLD-5 for about a year now. It's a nice little camera that does an admirable job. Not as instinctive as the E-1 in terms of ergonomics, but pleasant. If you have no experience with digital cameras it'll take you a while to get used to the different menus and settings, so take the time to thoroughly read the manual. Experiment, try different settings, get out and shoot with it. A big improvement is the focusing speed, additional focusing points. That was the biggest hang up for me coming from a Nikon D1x to the E-1. Once you get used to how the camera behaves in different shooting situations, it does the job. With the in-camera IS I've handheld down to 1/4 of a second. Impressive stuff.

  19. #19
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Thanks for sharing, Marc. If you haven't already, please add your review to the Olympus E-620 user review page:

    Olympus E-620 User Reviews >>

    There are only three user reviews for the E-620 so your review will be a valuable addition.

    Thanks!
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  20. #20
    Junior Member Camp.Freddie's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Hi!

    I have the E-450

  21. #21
    Junior Member Camp.Freddie's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Sorry...as I was about to say before it loaded up!

    I have the E-450, as an upgrade from a simple digicompact but as a previous OM10 user: so the e-series really appealed, especially after I saw the relatively expensive PEN range I might have liked !

    I got the body with a 14-42 f3.5 ED "Kit" and the ZD 25mm pancake to begin with, getting hold of a mega offer on the older 40-150mm f4 which takes the best shots for my use so far! All for less than half the price of the EP2 with EVF and two lenses.

    The little 25 mm f2.8 "pancake" renders the camera small enough to go in a trouser cargo pocket and is super quick to focus: it can even be used as a macro substitute on a tripod. I have quite little experience on it actually, as I await a 43-49mm ring convertor to fit some old prime filters I have.

    There are the usual "wheel" choices: A,S,Prog, FlashAUTO prog plus a pile of fairly useful art effects: fireworks for example, gave much better results than I could have managed on ordinary settings !

    Really everything is on there you would want, plus userdefinable bracketing which I leave on all the time: it then activates upon selecting the fast button to multi release. Useful for difficult contrasty days, low light or high lights.

    Drawbacks? Yeah it is noisy at high ISO and that is "Only" 1600. The P mode selects too slow shutter speeds for normal hand held use IMHO, often under 200 on fairly bright days. Some images can lack a crucial sharpness but go back to the RAW or just sharpen the jpeg in your software ( radius 5.0, amount 3 to 5 and threshold 0.5 does things nicely to the eye IIRC) . The body lacks the grip of the E-3/5, 500s and 600s but this makes it more compact..The 25mm comes with a stupid screw in lens cap, but it is best to get a 43-49 or 52 ring convertor to keep the range of filters you can use open. Oh and it isn't CF with SD card if you like me, had a pile from earlier and a slot in your laptop eagerly awaiting your shots. It is still CF with an XD. USB cable it is then.

    None of this shold put a keen amateur off buying a camera for general use on good, bright days for taking photos! I have taken some great shots, won a couple of local competitions on it so far, and will see if I get three shots of classic boats in a 2011 calendar.
    Last edited by Camp.Freddie; 09-20-2010 at 08:55 AM.

  22. #22
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    I'll post a thread about my new E-M5.

  23. #23
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Quote Originally Posted by thinkcooper View Post
    I'll post a thread about my new E-M5.
    I would appreciate it. I have an E-M5 pre ordered with the 12-50mm kit. I have been reading reviews here and there and it seems like a solid camera. Some things I would like to read about would be dynamic range and battery life. My NEX 7 really uses power and extra batteries is a must. I would think as quickly as Olympus put out a grip the E-M5 would be the same as the EVFer will more than likely put a drain on it.
    I also traded some unused gear and picked up a 9-18mm for landscaping. I know Liz loves that lens. I have mixed feeligs about the E-M5. I really think that mirrorless cameras are getting really expensive.
    My son pretty much uses my NEX 7 more than me. I rarely see it anymore. He is coming to get it again this weekend.lol
    So the E-M5 is going to be mine. I am going to use it as a light weight carry all. I am wondering if I should just pick up extra batteries and keep it small or swing for the grip later?
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  24. #24
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    It looks like I've hit the magic tenth post so I might be able to start a review thread with images!.

    Here it is: Week One with the OM-D E-M5


    Quote Originally Posted by Greg McCary View Post
    I would appreciate it. I have an E-M5 pre ordered with the 12-50mm kit. I have been reading reviews here and there and it seems like a solid camera. Some things I would like to read about would be dynamic range and battery life. My NEX 7 really uses power and extra batteries is a must. I would think as quickly as Olympus put out a grip the E-M5 would be the same as the EVFer will more than likely put a drain on it.
    I also traded some unused gear and picked up a 9-18mm for landscaping. I know Liz loves that lens. I have mixed feeligs about the E-M5. I really think that mirrorless cameras are getting really expensive.
    My son pretty much uses my NEX 7 more than me. I rarely see it anymore. He is coming to get it again this weekend.lol
    So the E-M5 is going to be mine. I am going to use it as a light weight carry all. I am wondering if I should just pick up extra batteries and keep it small or swing for the grip later?

  25. #25
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: We need your Olympus Review

    Thanks. I set and wait. I can't wait to try one out if it ever gets here...
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

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