As I rode with a friend to High Island rookery yesterday
(_www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm/MenuItemID/365.htm_ (http:
//www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm/MenuItemID/365.htm) ) , I commented about
having just bought what was the most
expensive lens I've ever owned. The Zuiko 7-14mm was the lens in question
and it had stayed at home for this trip as the weather was rather touch and go
and I wasn't planning on doing anything that the 11-22mm couldn't handle.
While reflecting on my statement, I decided perhaps this was not the most
expensive when today's price was adjusted for inflation. In 1968, for some
reason
known only to the great photography gods, I purchased a Nik*n full circle
fisheye. Seems like it was a 7.5mm or there abouts and from a practical stand
point was as useless as teats on a boar hog. This day I was carrying the
"big guns" which in my case was the 50-200mm Zuiko for my e-1, the 1.4X to
give
me a 35mm equivalent of 560mm and I also packed the 400mm f4 Tamron with the
e-1 adapter. I used the 50-200mm for a bit and then switched to the Tamron
400mm for my 35mm equivalent 800m f4, which was the perfect focal length for
the task in front of me. Make no mistake about it, the e-1 is no where near
as easy to focus for my experienced eyes as say an OM with a 2-13 screen.
The images which were in focus were beautiful and I probably came close to
getting the same number in focus as I would have with the auto focus lenses.
When I put things in perspective I decided the Tamron 400mm f4 was as good for
me at a few hundred dollars as would be the Zuiko 300mm f2.8 at 6 or 7
thousand.
The point to all of this is simply that we all have a bunch of great glass
which does nicely on the e-1/e-300 cameras and migrating to digital need not be
an "all or nothing" transition. Although I have thinned my collection out
a bit, there is still a nice 35mm kit available. Having a stable of Zuiko
glass available can make the transition a bit less painful.
You don't have to kick your old friends out just because you have a few new
ones. The old friends may just find they like your new friends. There may
even be a marriage in the making. {8^) Bill Barber
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