Hi, I'm Peter, and I am deep in the digital dumps. :-)
Seriously, I am a confirmed rangefinder shooter. I also have an OM-2 and a
few Zuikos. I really prefer the look and dynamic range of film. But like
many, I don't have a lot of time and I hate scanning. Sometimes, you just
need digital convenience and speed, and don't want to deal with film.
About a year and a half ago, I decided to get a DSLR. I read lots of
reviews and pixel
peepings. I played with several DSLRs at a local camera store. It came
down to three cameras--the Pentax *ist D, the Olympus E-1 and the Canon
10D. (The 20D, *ist DS, E-300 and E-500 were not out yet).
The Pentax had the nicest viewfinder (and the easiest to focus
manually). It felt a little small. I have a bunch of old Olympus
OM lenses, and those wouldn't work on the Pentax. They would work on
the Canon--with a $175 adapter. I didn't like the Canon
viewfinder, nor the huge size of its lens mount and many lenses.
I liked the E-1 viewfinder almost as much as the Pentax'. Olympus was
giving away the OM-E-1 lens adapter. The E-1 price had dropped from overly
high to fairly reasonable. The E-1 felt good in my hands. And though
Olympus was not making any fast primes yet, they appeared to be on the
lens "road map."
Fast forward to the present. I feel like I made the wrong choice, and
I'm feeling rather fed up with Olympus. I'm an available light hound,
and the Oly is one of the noisier cameras at high ISOs. Yes, I can clean
up ISO 800 images with Neat Image, but it's a lot of work.
Olympus changed the road map. There are no fast digital Zuiko primes,
except a 50/2, which is too long for most indoor work. The OM lenses work
OK, but only with stop-down metering. Metering and exposure are off at
widest apertures--in different directions. Using a 28/2.8 as a normal lens
is an exercise in frustration--I just can't focus it. The 50/3.5 macro is
wonderful. So is my late-serial 50/1.4 But, due to some fluke of the 4/3
design, the 50/1.4 only gives me a f/1.8
worth of light at the sensor, so using it wider than f/2 is pointless. And
it's a portrait/medium tele lens on the E-1. Stop-down metering is a PITA
except for static subjects.
I like small and light. I realize the E-1 plus standard zoom is smaller
and lighter than the better Canon and NIkon offerings, but it's a lot
bigger an heavier than an OM or Leica and a prime.
So I'm stuck with a triple whammy--noisy camera, no fast lenses in the
normal range, and I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is fairly
light-deprived a good part of the year. I find myself putting Pentax
*ist DS bodies into my E-bray "watched items," along with the occasional
20D or R-D1.
Oh, yeah, the R-D1. As I said, I'm an RF kind of guy.
Despite the absurd price, I would have bought and R-D1 long ago but for the QC
issues, the question of Epson's long term commitment, and the fact that
I can only use it with contact lenses. With glasses, I can only see the
50mm viewfinder frames (effective 75mm).
So, what would you do if you were me?
1. Shut up and keep shooting film for now. There's a digital Leica M in your
future. Start saving big-time.
2. Olympus is what it is. Sell the E-1, along with your OM stuff, take
your losses, and buy a used Pentax *ist body and 50/1.7 or 50/1.4. Use
it to satisfy your digital lusts until the digital RF of your dreams comes
out, be it Leica, Zeiss, or
Epson R-D2.
3. Sell the E-1, but get a used Canon 20D body. Or one of the digital
Rebels. Plus a Canon 50/1.8 or 50/1.4 and a Katz Eye screen. And the
CameraQuest adapter for your OM lenses.
4. Olympus will come through eventually. Hang tight. The new sensor
in the Olympus E-330 shows promise. A Japanese Olympus executive did
say recently that they recognize that primes are needed and they will
come eventually. Your 14-54/2.8-3.5 is a great lens, better than any
other kit lens. It will work well on a newer body.
Sorry for the rant, but my frustration level hit some critical point this
week. Any thoughts?
--Peter
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|