Sandy Harris wrote:
> I mostly do travel photography, so size & weight is important.
> My last rig was a Pentax MX, and I was happy with only an
> 85 1.8, a 28 mm and a teleconverter. Most shots were with
> the 85; the 28 was only used occasionally, teleconverter
> almost never.
>
> So now I'm thinking E-400 and a few lenses. Some questions
> come up.
>
> Mainly, I'm thinking of using a Zuiko designed for OM series
> as a short tele. 50 1.4? 50 1.2? 55 1.2? Anyone care to
> comment on the relative merits of these? Or their suitability
> for use on e-400?
>
First question: is speed of operation important to you?
All MF lenses on DSLR bodies except Nikon lenses on the higher end Nikon
DLSRs operate in stop down mode only. An OM 50/1.4 on an E-400 would
require you to focus at full aperture, then stop down manually to meter
and shoot. Also, metering on all E-bodies so far has not worked all that
well with MF lenses. If you aren't in a hurry, it;s easy enough to
shoot, check the histogram, adjust exposure compensation and shoot
again. Or you may be willing to carry a little cheat sheet around with
EV compensation for the different f-stops.
So... If you are a leisurely shooter of mostly slow moving things, it's
a viable option. Otherwise, ti couls be quite frustrating.
> Or, since using old Zuikos requires an adapter, should I get
> a Canon
Same problems with OM, and all MF lenses on Canon.
> or Nikon
There aren't, for technical reasons, adapters for other brand MF lenses
on Nikon DSLRs. The D200 and D2 series can use many old MF Nikors with
full aperture automation. The cheaper N bodies can't use any old MF lenses
> or ... adapter instead? What would be the best lens for this use?
>
For travel with an E-400, I'd want the DZ 18-180
<http://www.popphoto.com/cameralenses/2695/lens-test-olympus-zuiko-digital-ed-18-180mm-f35-63-af.html>.
For more wide angle coverage, the 11-22 would be a pretty good match to
it. For a more modest expenditure, the 14-54 is an excellent lens. And
the new, small, light lenses introduced with the E-400 may be available
in an attractive package. Probably good lenses for daylight, a little
slow at the long end of each for less light, I suspect.
Moose
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