Lightning may indeed strike twice.
Has Olympus done it again? Has Olympus finally raised
the standards for photography as we know it? In the
early '70s Olympus introduced the OM-1 which
immediately defined the new standard in 35mm cameras.
For about 12 years, Olympus reigned supreme and was
considered to be every bit a professional camera as
the Nikon F-series cameras. Has the paradyne of the
SLR with interchangeable lenses run its course?
We have lamented at great length about Olympus'
abandonment of the professional 35mm SLR market.
Unfortunately, they lost pace when Canon introduced
the EOS line and they never came back. Instead,
Olympus focused on creating a new category of camera
called the ZLR-Zoom Lens Reflex. I've owned both the
IS-1 and now the IS-3 and can vouch for its
excellence. However, the IS-3 appears to be the end
of the line for their 35mm development and they never
fleshed the camera out with proper professional
ergonomics. (zoom/focus buttons).
The introduction of the E-10 raises the stakes of the
new age of photography. Digital is rapidly replacing
film in so many areas of photography, but severe
limitations in digital cameras have limited their
usage to glorified snapshot form. The Nikon and Canon
SLR digital bodies, although professional bodies,
introduce the problem of telephotoness due to the
smaller sensor size than the film format the
cameras/lenses were made for.
Does a ZLR format work? Will it be accepted by the
professional photography world that is set on Nikons
and Canons? Good question. I can say that the lens
quality of my IS-3 is supurb and the ergonomics
decent. The E-10 looks as though Olympus has finally
gotten their act together and produced a true
professional camera with features and controls that
the IS-3 needed. I can see this camera getting
immediate acceptance by the news media.
Sports/wildlife photography might prove to be a
problem unless the 420/2.8 really produces sharp
results. I can easily see this camera fitting into my
kit alongside a quality medium format rig and my XA.
I'm excited to see this camera introduced. The
Camedia models are lousy examples of "professional"
cameras. Things that I will be looking closely at is
the viewfinder quality, quietness of operation
(focusing especially) and external flash
features/options. The telephoto lens adapters are
definitely up on my list of test areas.
This could be a big moneymaker for me (and like Mike
V.) am thinking about "instant" sales. Imagine being
able to shoot a wedding and having the prints
available for sale at the reception! People that
would never buy 8x10's would cough up $25 on the spot
because the event is still real. The couple would
still get their "proof book" and album, but the sales
to relatives and friends could increase greatly. This
would possibly even pay for an assistant running the
computer/printer in the corner. I could even offer
Digital Only, Digital+some film, or Film Only wedding
packages. For high-quality chemical prints I can
always have certain pictures digitally outputted to
Fuji Crystal Archive at a nearby lab.
Anything I can do to decrease my fixed costs (film,
processing, proofs) and bring printing back inhouse is
a good thing.
Yes, folks, the E-10 has really got me re-evaluating
my photographic needs and makes far more sense at this
time than investing in anything else out there. I've
also been studying the printing industry's acceptance
of digital photography, and although a bit slow to
accept, they are changing over. Speed to market is
becoming an issue. I've got ~20,000 images in my
files that helps provide a nice stable analog base,
but at this point does it make more sense to dive into
digital with its "renewable" resource? Event
photography is again a major part of my photography
business and quality digital imaging makes sense
there.
For personal photography, I'm looking seriously at
abandoning 35mm anyway and going strictly with medium
format. The E-10 could easily replace my OM kit. I'll
probably still keep the IS-3. Of course, I won't buy
anything until a major evaluation is completed.
Does lightning strike twice? Olympus just may have
done it again 27 years after the first strike!
Ken Norton
Image66 Photography.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|