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[OM] MF, digital resolution, shooting techniques

Subject: [OM] MF, digital resolution, shooting techniques
From: Albert <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 09:24:05 +0800
6 megapixels is enough for most people. That's a pretty sad statement actually. For the most part, the lens is the weak link; as films like velvia from one of the technical discussions I've had, technically produces 29 megapixels. But when you think about how most shots are done without a tripod, etc.. then high resolution seems pointless except for the few. Also, you think that most are saved as jpg's (lossy) and what's the point of higher resolution then? I don't see it.

I had a friend, we were both camera hunting when we starting to get into photography. He bought an C*non wunderbrick Elan 7E, with a lens the size of my head. He (to date) has taken less then 1/100th of what I have taken. I think he's totalled 7 rolls thus far... where as my trip to Thailand yielded 40 rolls. Also, his AF makes it "so easy it's like a point and shoot" and unfortunately for him, his pics look like they were taken with a point and shoot. I know he's got a capable camera, but the camera makes it so that he doesn't have to think, and trust me, he doesn't think about his pics.

Had I purchased something like him, instead of my Om1 (BTW, my entire system is cheaper than his body, or his lens) I think I would be a worse photographer then I am today. I look at what I use to shoot like, and it looks like crap to me... now that I've seen a lot of good photos and shoot more often myself. The MF forces me to ask myself, what's my main subject? What do I want sharp and what do I want blurry in this pic? What's my DOF? DOF preview? Am I shooting handheld so I would like a higher shutter speed to offset the shakes? I also don't own any zooms, and my friend only has 1 lens, a zoom. I have found that prime glass makes me think about the composition, so I can pick what glass I want. I will probably buy a zoom as it is very convient on a vacation; but I am glad that I started out with primes. I also wish I started out shooting only B&W, the lack of my own darkroom kind of made me not go that route, but I have found that the last 6 rolls I've shot are B&W, it makes me think about composition more then depending on color filling my negatives.

The OM system might be dead, but so what? It has made me a better photographer, and until my photography skills exceed my equipment or my eyesight fails me, I will keep using it.

I have gotten my gf to start shooting with my camera, even though she wants a digital one. One of the things I am afraid of is that because she will buy a digital one, and can take "unlimited" numbers of shots, she will totally disregard learning how to shoot, and what she will end up with is thousands of shots of crappy pictures. This is the part of me that is most afraid of digital; the push for "umlimited" haphazard shooting. Digital is the biggest blessing to come to photography in years; but it's also the biggest curse.

As for resolution; Kodak's 14megapixel is tempting; but until the XD cards do move to 8gig's and there's not shutter speed lag anymore, we'll see. 2007 is the year of the digital cameras, but 2005 is when you have to make your stance and pick a line if you are going the digital route. But I can tell you, nothing like a mechanical shutter to make you really happy. I love my OM.
Albert


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