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  1. #1
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    I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Hello!

    I dont mean to bother and Im sorry that I have such a "stupid" question! But I have no clue about cameras!

    I bought a olympus E-400 a while back and its still in its natural state. It came with a lense and I never bought more (the word on the lense are Zuiko digital 14-42mm 1:3,5 - 5,6)

    now we are planing a trip with our daughters to disney world and I want to take awesome pics of that! I mean thats a memory of a lifetime you know ;)
    Well I want to enhance the pics of the girls mostly. I really really really want even better pictures! But I have NO idea what I need to look for! Can anyone help me?

    Also I would like to take better pictures at night! like of fireworks and such. Maybe someone can help me with that too?

    I really really apreciate your help!

  2. #2
    Member Iguanamom's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    I'm not sure what you're asking. The camera is a fine one and the lens is, too, you just need to take it for a spin.

  3. #3
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    thank you for answering! and well I took a bunch of pictures in the past years but a lot of them turn out blurry and night pics are pretty much not possible. Also I just want more life in the pics I guess.

    some examples:




    Maybe Im just doing something wrong :mad2:

  4. #4
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    I agree with iguanamom. You just need to learn more about how your camera works and the basic principles of photography. I moved your post to the Olympus forum where I think you'll get some more advice and encouragement from our passionate Olympus shooters. Thanks for posting a couple of photos. I think they look pretty good for someone who professes not to know much about their camera

    How about you tell us more about what kinds of pictures you take, what works and what doesn't? I guarantee we can help you get more out of your camera.
    Photo-John

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

  5. #5
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    well thank you for the nice words and trying to help me! I really appreciate it!

    and well I mainly want to take pictures of my family. Especially when we go somewhere like the planned vacation or trips to zoos etc. So I usually dont take pics inside the house.

    Also I would really like to take pictures of awesome settings of lights outside when its dark (like fireworks, the castle in disney etc.)

    my pictures only work out if we are in the bright sun. the first picture was in the shade and its ... I dont know .. weird ... the second was inside and extremly blurry!

    I would like to learn how I focus on one thing and have the background blurry!
    Some cool tips to make good looking pics!
    I would appreciate that a whole lot!!

  6. #6
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    I agree just learning more about exposure control and how to handle different lighting situations would be a big benefit. Get a simple book on exposure and a lightweight tripod for the fireworks. Also learn how to use the timer.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  7. #7
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    is there maybe a book or author you could recommend?
    and thank you for the tip!

  8. #8
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    There is one called Teach Yourself Photography. It is dated some but exposure is still the same. It is an easy read and easy to understand.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  9. #9
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    thanks so much! I will look for it at my local bookstore today!

  10. #10
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Online Exposure Article

    We also have a very good article on exposure right here on the site. It has all the basics and should get you started without needing to buy a book. Not that you shouldn't get the book, too. But the basic principles of exposure are pretty simple:

    Photography Exposure Primer >>

    There's even a depth-of-field explanation and sample photos in the article. Depth-of-field is what you're talking about when you want the background out of focus and your subject sharp
    Photo-John

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

  11. #11
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    thank you very much!

    I read it and then read the manual of the camera but I can only change it to f/5 or higher ... this is really confusing ...

  12. #12
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Quote Originally Posted by Smores
    thank you very much!

    I read it and then read the manual of the camera but I can only change it to f/5 or higher ... this is really confusing ...
    You should be able to go higher than f/5.6 something Isn't right with that. What mode are you shooting in? If you are in portrait mode that may be the case. But you should really stay out of preset modes if you are learning. Maybe aperture or shutter priority. But try and learn to shoot full manual.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  13. #13
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    well I did what the manual said in "S" Mode which ist supposed to be A: Aperture priority shooting?
    i just tried it again and got it to 3.6 I think and then it switched to 4 something and then to 5 something and if i turn the wheel that is supposed to manage it i can only go up ...
    if i go to M which i think means M everything is just dark and i cant adjust that number at all

  14. #14
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Let me recap the basics of exposure for you.

    Aperture / f-stop is the size of the hole in the lens.

    Shutter speed is how long your shutter is open.

    You adjust those two controls to allow more or less light into the camera. A faster shutter speed will require a larger aperture and a smaller aperture will require and slower shutter speed.

    There's a third element - sensitivity, or ISO.

    You're saying it's too dark. If you increase your ISO setting to 800 or 1600 you should be able to adjust your aperture and shutter speed more. The reason you haven't been able to adjust the aperture more is it's dark and you need more light. As I said, you can do that with a larger aperture or a slower shutter speed.

    It takes a bit of time and practice to get a handle on these things. Keep playing with the settings to see what happens. At some point it will click and you'll get it. Just don't get frustrated and quit. We're here to help
    Photo-John

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

  15. #15
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Quote Originally Posted by Smores
    well I did what the manual said in "S" Mode which ist supposed to be A: Aperture priority shooting?
    i just tried it again and got it to 3.6 I think and then it switched to 4 something and then to 5 something and if i turn the wheel that is supposed to manage it i can only go up ...
    if i go to M which i think means M everything is just dark and i cant adjust that number at all
    In "s" mode you determine the shutter speed and the camera determines the aperture. In "a" mode just the opposite. In "m" mode you determine both. Once you learn the basics of exposure and how aperture and shutter speed relate to each other you will begin to get many more keeper shots. You will not rely on the camera to determine either one and you can correct for backlit subjects, bright subjects against dark backgrounds, snow and many other situations that will fool your camera into thinking it has it right.
    Take a couple of shots and post all of the settings and we will do our best to point you into the right direction. By default the front thumb wheel changes aperture. I switch that in the camera setting since I like to change shutter speed with the front wheel.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  16. #16
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Thank you for the tips again!
    I bought a book last night and will try to study as much as i can out of it this weekend!
    I will post on monday if i understand anything ;) and some shots too!

    Thank you sooooooooooo much for helping me though!!!
    I really really appreciate it!!!

  17. #17
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    That's what we are here for. Hang out here and you will be a pro before you know it.
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  18. #18
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    well i just wanted to let you know real quick that i did NOT lose interest or anything! but everything here is so busy that I cant figure anything out ...
    I read the first 58 pages of the book I bought and learned nothing but to take a million pictures and to always have the camera with you ....
    I still am trying to read the book soon! and then I will get back to you!

    Im still very very thankful that you offerd to help me!
    and i have just over 2 weeks left until our vacation to figure out how to take good pics! ;)

  19. #19
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    well I read another 30 pages yesterday and learned about ISO setting and tried something.
    I like the pictues below because they were made inside the house and the dogs both dont glow from using flash!!!! the flash made them look completely different so this is really awesome!
    I wanted them to be a bit "different" I guess and I wanted everything to be nice and light in the background even though the picture was taken inside with closed curtains. well what do you think?

    they are all ISO 1600


    _3090659 von sweet as Smores auf Flickr



    _3090660 von sweet as Smores auf Flickr


    _3090677 von sweet as Smores auf Flickr

  20. #20
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    Look at this link, i think this explains very well about the exposure and concepts

    http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...a-exposure.htm
    Olympus E-5
    Olympus Zuiko Digital Ed 14-35mm F2.0 Swd
    Olympus Zuiko Digital Ed 50-200mm F2.8-3.5
    Olympus Zuiko Digital Ed 12-60mm F2.8/4.0 Swd
    Olympus Zuiko Digital Ed 7-14mm F4.0
    Sigma 30mm F1.4
    Olympus FL-50R Flash

  21. #21
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    Re: I need help finding new accesories for Olympus E-400!

    the dog pictures are MUCH improved. I like the first and third better than the second, because his nose is out of focus.

    There are two things going on in the first pictures in the post.

    The first shot is a hard shot to get right because it is a high contrast scene. The bright background and the shadowed foreground compete for the exposure - there isn't really a good way to reconcile that problem without changing the whole scene. Try moving the people into the sun, or the background into the shade. The scene will be exposed better if it doesn't have so much natural contrast. You can get the people exposed right, or the background, but not both. That's an innate limitation of cameras.

    The second shot is pretty cool, actually. It's just blurred because the shutter speed is too slow, which you've obviously figured out by now.

    if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, the Zuiko 50mm f/2 macro might make a nice addition. It's small, relatively lightweight, a good length for portraits and is fast enough (f/2) to blur the background and keep the subject in focus. it also won't break the bank. It has some limitations, like its loud and slow focus motor, but it's a really great lens and is VERY sharp.
    Erik Williams

    Olympus E3, E510
    12-60 SWD, 50-200 SWD, 50 f/2 macro, EX25, FL36's and an FL50r.

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