I thought it might be a good idea to start off by letting everybody know a bit about just where I’m “coming from” with this blog. So, here’s a quick treatment of my gear history, in appropriately photographic fashion:
On the left is the first real camera I ever owned, an Olympus OM-1. On the right is my new favorite toy — an Olympus E-510.
In between these two, I’ve owned some other film cameras (also Olympus), as well as a handful of digital ones (various manufacturers).
I still have the OM-1 in no small part because it has a special place in my heart, much as does my first car (which, in contrast, headed to the scrap yard years ago). I asked for the OM-1 as my High School graduation present because at the time, it was the tool of choice for photojournalists. I wasn’t exactly heading into any war zones, but figured that if the camera could survive such heavy duty, it could survive me. While it’s basically retired now, it’s still in fantastic shape — testimony to the quality of its original design and construction.
When I decided to get a DSLR, I had to do a bit more thinking. I needed to keep within a “prosumer” budget, about $700. Meanwhile, I’d been stung by point-and-shoot digital cameras that took ridiculously grainy pictures in low light. I also wanted a camera that would do well at astrophotography, since I’ve got a telescope that’s just been begging for more exercise. The choice came down to the Nikon D40X, the Canon EOS 400D, or the Olympus E-510. I’ve had good luck with Nikon optics (in some previous non-SLR digitals), and had heard good things about the Canon, but settled on the Olympus for a few reasons:
1) Liveview screen — allows me to frame images even in awkward positions, when I really can’t see directly into the viewfinder.
2) Dust reduction via an ultrasonic sensor “shaker”
3) Focus assist on the Liveview screen (this should be a big help when I start applying the E-510 to astrophotography)
4) Image stabilization — a big help in low light situations
5) My good personal history with Olympus cameras (in terms of build quality, durability, etc.).
So not to disparage Nikon and Canon owners, but these are the reasons why I opted for the E-510. If the D40X had dust reduction and something like Liveview, I most likely would have gone that route…
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April 6th, 2008 at 06:31
[...] other people, I didn’t need to hunt down an old 50mm / f1.8 on eBay — I just had to pull the lens out of its resting place in a closet, and screw on the adapter. You can expect to see some [...]