What should be next?

[NY_Trekker]

I purchased an E-510 dual lens kit. My question is what should I be looking at to purchase next for the camera? What are the essentials?

I'm looking at definetly a good tripod and not sure wether to get a flash or another zoom lens.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

[Greg McCary]

I purchased an E-510 dual lens kit. My question is what should I be looking at to purchase next for the camera? What are the essentials?

I'm looking at definetly a good tripod and not sure wether to get a flash or another zoom lens.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

It really depends on what type of photography you are interested in. If you are going to do any landscape work, even when you go out on vacation I would recommend and ND graduate filter system like Cokin and a poloarizing filter. The two kit lens should do you a great job unless you get real serious and want to shoot sports. But for day to day shooting the two lens you have will work great. I have had really good results from the built in flash as well and have no need to get an external one. If you play around with the exposure compensation when using the built in flash I think you will be happy. The only complaint I ever get is the pre flash for focus.
As far as a tripod you can pick one up, but since the 510 has image stablization I really use one rarely compared to when I owned the E500. I can shoot as low as 1/6 to 1/10 a second. But I would pick a tripod up. You will need one sooner or later if you plan on night shooting.
Congrats on the camera and the best advise I can give you is , practice, practice, practice. Once you get the hang of things the 510 will make awesome pictures. I have made enlargments as big as 16x20 and the detail is beautiful.
I think a good investment would be Adobe Lightroom. Learning to process your images makes a huge difference with the end product. That and PhotoShop 7 or higher. Taking the picture is just half of it. Learning what to do after you get the picture on the computer will make you a better photographer.

[NY_Trekker]

Thanks Greg. The reason I was thinking a tripod is my buddy has taken some fantastic waterfall pics and a tripod is a must. Also I have been looking at some infrared and that looks like something I really want try. They recommend a hoya R72 filter.

I bought a circular polarized filter and have been reading a little on ND filters.

Thanks for the input.

Jeff

[Greg McCary]

Thanks Greg. The reason I was thinking a tripod is my buddy has taken some fantastic waterfall pics and a tripod is a must. Also I have been looking at some infrared and that looks like something I really want try. They recommend a hoya R72 filter.

I bought a circular polarized filter and have been reading a little on ND filters.

Thanks for the input.

Jeff

I use a Hoya 72 as well, it works great. And yes a tripod will be needed for falls.

[Jaedon]

For any long exposure shooting like night work or, as you mentioned, waterfalls, you will definitely need a tripod. There are tons to choose form in the market but I would recommend not doing what I did. I bought a cheap one from Best Buy that would hold the weight of my current gear. Then when I got a heavier lens I needed to upgrade.

I would recommend getting a tripod that can handle a weight of 15 lbs right off the hop. It may be a bit more expensive but you will not need to replace it anytime soon. That way if you decide to go to a longer lens for sports or nature shooting you will already be ahead of the game. Also the heavier duty tripods are much more stable for any kind of work as they generally weigh a bit more themselves and sit easier on the ground regardless of the ground conditions (ie: gravel, grass, loose floorboards, etc.)

Lastly if you are going to be shooting slow exposure shots I would recommend getting a wireless remote shutter release for the camera. They are fairly cheap (I got mine for less than $10 after shipping, from Ebay) This will allow you to set the shot and step back from the camera so that it remains perfectly still as you trigger the shutter.

When you start looking for lenses come back around and ask more questions. That's what we all did around here and our pictures show the results of what we have learned by asking. And like Greg said, Practice Practice Practice. The more times you press the shutter the more opportunities you have to learn from. Enjoy and we'll see you around soon I am sure.

[Sushigaijin]

My suggestions:

A spare battery.

A spare memory card.

A bag to protect it all.

That will probably add up to around $150, depending on how budget you go. Still, I think this should be your first investment.

[NY_Trekker]

Any ideas on a tripod? I heard to go with a fluid head. I dont have a huge budget right now but need to get one soon. Somewhere around the 100 dollar range maybe?

[Greg McCary]

I have a Slik. I am unsure of the model. It sets up fast and is rock solid. Check out B&H Photo Video and Adorama. I think I paid $60.00 for mine.

[metallicblack]

Lastly if you are going to be shooting slow exposure shots I would recommend getting a wireless remote shutter release for the camera. They are fairly cheap (I got mine for less than $10 after shipping, from Ebay) This will allow you to set the shot and step back from the camera so that it remains perfectly still as you trigger the shutter.

Jaedon, I'm in the same boat, just buying the E-510 today. This wireless remote you suggest...how does it work? That is, is the camera already infrared-capable? Does Olympus sell one specifically for it? I searched and found nothing by Olympus.

Here's something cheap I found on eBay...will this one fit the bill? $9 delivered.

[albot976]

Jaedon, I'm in the same boat, just buying the E-510 today. This wireless remote you suggest...how does it work? That is, is the camera already infrared-capable? Does Olympus sell one specifically for it? I searched and found nothing by Olympus.

Here's something cheap I found on eBay...will this one fit the bill? $9 delivered.

Yes, the E-510 is infrared capable, all you need to do is buy the remote for it. Olympus does sell one specifically for its cameras, the RM-1 Infrared Remote (it works with all the E-series cameras). They usually sell for around $20-30, you can find them at most major camera stores online. The instruction manual for the E-510 tells you how to use it. I have one, it works well.

The one you're looking at on ebay looks like it's for Canon's cameras, so I'm not entirely sure if it is compatible with Olys...

edit: this is the remote

[metallicblack]

I ended up ordering that remote I linked to previously. It's supposed to work with Olympus, Nikon, and Canon. If it doesn't work, it's only $9.

For a tripod I ended up going with a Slik Pro 700DX. It's $140 shipped, but is getting rave reviews from both B&H and Amazon. I, too, originally made the Best Buy/Sunpac mistake, buying a $20 tripod which was unstable, plastic-y, and unable to be leveled. I returned it and am awaiting the Slik.