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[OM] Re: Digital Dilemma

Subject: [OM] Re: Digital Dilemma
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 16:24:34 -0700
KFrohling@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>Hi Zuiks and Zuikettes, I haven’t posted in a while, but I’ve been lurking.  
>(Although I have to admitting to giving up on most threads as they began to 
>drift into the grate OT).
>
>Like many on the list, I’m suffering from digital envy.  In addition, I’m 
>approaching middle-age (I’ll be 50 next month) and my eyesight isn’t what it 
>once was and I have been considering transitioning to an auto-focus system. 
>
>Anyway, an opportunity has presented itself and I need to make a decision.  A 
>fellow I work with yesterday bought a new C*n*n EOS 20D.  He’s offered to sell 
>me his “old” 10D for 750$US.  Although that appears to be a good price, it is 
>still a lot of money to me.  Here are my questions:
>
>1)  Will any of my glass be of practical use with the 10D (I have about 20 
>lenses from 21 to 500) with an adapter?
>
Yes, all of them will work on the 10D with an adapter, which is $175 
last time I looked. The field of view (FOV) multiplier is 1.6 because 
the digital sensor is smaller than 35mm film. So the 21mm becomes the 
equivalent of 35mm and 500mm becomes 800mm eq. For people who like 
normal and tele lenses, this is great. For those who like side and super 
wide, it is a problem with existing lenses, although wider lenses for 
these camera are available and more are coming.

The big loss in using OM lenses on the 10D is auto diaphram operation. 
The adapter can be set up 2 ways. 1st. it simply pushes the diaphram 
stop down tab on the lens as the lens is mounted on the adapter. Then 
moving the aperture ring opens and closes the aperture as you do it, 
rather than when you press the shutter release. This means you have to 
open the lens up to focus, then move it to shooting aperture before 
pressing the release. One learns to count clicks. 2nd. because the OM 
DOF preview button is on the lens, not the body like most makes, the 
other mode leaves the diaphram stop pin untouched, so the aperture only 
closes down when the DOF preview button on the lesn is pressed. So you 
frame and focus wide open, but have to press the DOF button to see what 
shutter speed will be selected and when actually taking the picture.

I think the 1st method is what most people end up settling on. Shutter 
speed can be either auto in AE mode or manually set. Obviously, all  the 
other modes that depend on the camera body seting the aperture, won't 
work with MF lenses.

For relatively slow/fixed work MF lenses work very well. Really no 
problem at all for macro and landscape or posed portraits For taking 
pics of active kids, sports, etc. it's not a great solution unless you 
are shooting wide open, where it makes no difference. I have a 300D and 
have used my OM mount lenses to good effect. I also bought a used 
24-85/3.5-4.5 USM AF lens for snapshots and other casual shooting where 
AF and auto diaphram are really the way to go. It's really quite a good 
lens as it turns out.

The other issue is focusing. The viewfinder is smaller and possibly a 
bit less bright (depends on who you listen to) than on a 35mm SLR and 
the viewing screen is not designed to assist manual focusing. Some 
people find it hard to focus normal and wide angle lenses. I find 
moderate WA through tele lenses pretty easy to focus. For super wides, 
the distance ring on the lens and good DOF may have to be your friends.

>2)  Since people on this list shoot both, what are the relative merits of the 
>10D versus the E1?  Is there any real advantage to staying with Olympus?
>
C.H. bought a 10D and used it a lot with his OM lenses. He later sold it 
and bought an E-1. I'm not sure if anybody on the list has real 
experience with both. His oddessy, with valuable comments and sample 
pics, is in the archives. Some of his resons centered on the Can*n AF 
lenses, others on the body/sensor system. In broad perspective, both are 
excellent cameras.

I didn't buy an E-1 for reasons that are also in the acrhives. One 
simple reason was that I didn't want to have to pay lots of money for a 
flash, remember to put it on the camera and watch out for that big 
thingie on top the camera  for casual snapshots which is my primary use 
for flash. The E-1 doesn't have a built in pop-up flash for fill and for 
casual snaps. That's fine for a true Pro camera, but I wanted some Am 
too. Pop the flash, push the shutter release and I've got a snap of 
grandkids, family, friends. Makes sense to me.

>3)  Is the 10D obsolete already?
>
Yes, the 20D has better specs and the 300D will do almost everything the 
10D will. If you need the latest to feel cool, it's not.

No, it's a first rate camera that takes excellent pics and better made 
than the 300D. If you wnat to take excellent pictures for printing up to 
at least 11x14, it will never really be obsolete in the same way that 
even an OM-1 is not obsolete. Of course, It won't last as long nor be 
repairable as long as an OM-1.

>4)  Have I gone completely insane?
>
Sure, if you like. Join the club.

>Any and all replies are appreciated.  I know most of this topic has been 
>covered many times recently, but until this morning, I really was trying to 
>ignore the digital gorilla in the corner.
>
I don't know what use you want the camera for. If the new E system 
camera being announced in the next few days is what it appears it may 
be, and it works with the OM adapter, it will be another possible 
solution. Of course, if Oly delivers actual retail presence as slowly as 
they did with the E-1, you would be a lot older by the time you could 
buy one.

Moose




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