Well, this particular rant certainly provides a lot of perspective.
I didn't realize 10MB was the minimum for stock now but I suppose it
was inevitable. If memory serves, not so long ago 2-1/4 was the
minimum at some agencies and 4x5 was really preferred.
Frankly, I'll be surprised if you will be able to stay with Oly
digital long term. The company simply isn't oriented to supplying and
supporting professional photographers. It never was and I doubt it
ever will be.
Sure, some pros use Oly digi-products effectively, but for what you're
doing, C@non & N!kon and the digibacks gang are clearly better
choices. The facts have been discussed in this forum in great detail
so I won't belabor them. Had you made the switch to C@non rather than
getting an E1 your course of action would be obvious. Heck, you'd
probably already be where you need to be as clean used 11~12MP FF
bodies are available used for ~$2k or so all day long. The first
product in that range has been available for about four full years.
How much is two man-weeks worth? Also, as a working pro you have
access to priority service at standard prices with loaners available.
But you know all this already. It ain't about loyalty any more. For
you, it really *is* about business.
I'm sure a couple of list members would be happy to send you a bullet
-- to bite, of course. ;o)
my two lux worth/ScottGee1
On 9/29/06, AG Schnozz <agschnozz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Ok, maybe I need to beg forgiveness for trash-talking Olympus
> these past few days. I would hope that you all understand that
> this is out of supreme frustration with my current situation.
>
> I'm not a hobbyist. Photography is an "interest" but also a
> "business". Cameras, such as the OM-2S and E-1 satisfy most of
> my "interest" side quite well, and for *MOST* of my business
> side too.
>
> However, I am losing money here. I'm running into restrictions
> with stock agencies and for high-detail art shots, I have a
> maximum print-size I can go up to with 5MP. A year ago, 11x14
> was an acceptable "large" print. Nowadays, 20x30" is. The
> average sale prices haven't necessarily gone up, but the
> quantity of sales of the smaller prints have gone down. The
> price I got for an 11x14 two years ago is now the average price
> for a print with double the surface area. Smaller 5x7 sized art
> prints (with big matting) are still the same, and any camera
> will suffice.
>
> The Canon 5D has completely changed the "landscape" here. In
> the stock world, I'm now competing against these. The 20D/30D
> with 8MP is now no longer acceptable. What totally flipped me
> out this week was getting a rejection on over 125 images which
> were carefully worked to get absolutely the best quality on.
> The total time-loss on these images was around two man-weeks.
> They were not rejected for any reason other than "interpolation
> artifacts" and "lack of clarity/detail". Previous submittions
> with lesser quality were easily accepted, but no more. When I
> inquired about it, I was told that they were no longer going to
> accept any images taken with a camera less than 10MP.
>
> Now, YOU TELL ME what I'm supposed to do? If this is a source
> of income required to buy food, it pretty much defines my
> minimum equipment needs.
>
> I've been eyeballing used 1Ds cameras. I've considered getting a
> loan for a 5D. I've even considered bailing totally out of my
> current equipment and going Nikon. However, I choose to keep my
> business as close to debt free as possible as I already have too
> many other debts to worry about. I know, run the numbers... I
> am, and I might have to bite the bullet, however, I can't until
> after taking care of $70,000 in other business purchases.
>
> Olympus announces the E-400. A camera that *could* meet my
> needs for the 20% of the business which I need the extra
> resolution for, but doesn't have to be an ergonomic masterpiece.
> I get all excited because it's also relatively affordable. Then
> the announcement that they'll not be making it available in the
> USA. "Livid" doesn't even come close to expressing how I felt.
>
> Olympus shows a block of wood. Not unexpected, but then the
> unofficial-official statement that sometime in 2007, probably
> late, is made. Ok, for the E-1 replacement, I can handle that,
> but what am I supposed to do between now and then? Khen says
> "sooner", but there is no promise.
>
> When compared to the 8MP cameras, my E-1 could hold its
> own--because of user-technique and workflow. But, 10MP is a
> much bigger dragon to slay. I was hoping that my images would
> all slide through this time, but these didn't. Not only did I
> lose two-weeks of productivity, but I lost the revenue those
> images would have generated. A double-whammy.
>
> As a professional photographer, I'm required to have the tools
> needed to handle the market demands. Olympus "claims" to have
> an interest in serving the professional, but without a valid
> tool, this is just so much noise on their part. I don't need
> something in late-2007, I need to start shooting stuff with
> 10MP+ now. Unless I buy a Canon, I'm stuck with shooting film.
>
> This is my story, and why I'm ranting.
>
> AG
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