Thanks Joel for your comments. I'll add in between yours below....
On 12/01/07, Joel Wilcox <jfwilcox@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> I passed my C5060 on to my son, who is oblivious to the inaccurate
> optical viewfinder (i.e., he never uses it).
Yes you're right! It is inaccurate and often with the C5060 I have to revise
my handholding technique to keep things stable especially when I shoot in
quite lowlight handheld (no tripod with me). I find that even as I hold it
differently, my 1/8 sec shots were astoundingly good so long as I do not
enlarge beyond what is deemed acceptable. Having said that 8x10in is still
fine. Says a lot about the C5060's inner damping and not just handholding
techniques.
I have to do all these because, like you said, the optical viewfinder is a
little difficult to use properly.
The C8080's EVF has the
> drawbacks of EVFs, but I much prefer it. Still the C5060 is very
> fine.
Perfect comment. I've been having nothing but debates on the C8080's EVF.
According to one of my peers at Shinju-ku, the C8080 has an EVF because it
wanted a comprehensive info system built into the viewfinder but I hated it.
I think they could've done much the same - if not a little better - than the
OM-4 where I was perfectly happy with. Although never quite perfect - what
is, anyway? - what I know of my exposure readings in the OM-4 suited me to a
tee. So I would have liked the C8080 to be that way. I'm not comfortable
with the EVF being so close to my eye - maybe that's my prejudice - and
there's yet another source of sapping battery power not to mention adding
more complication and cost. Having said that, I do use the C8080's
viewfinder more often than I do with the C5060's.
It sounds like when you find the "live view" on the C5060 to be better
> than the E-330, you are mainly referencing its range of movement
> ("articulation"!), no?
Yes, you're absolutely right with that query. I know that the C5060's LCD is
significantly smaller and more prone to direct sunlight etc. After all,
there is at least two plus years of technological differences between the
C5060 and E330. With the C5060, I learned to use LiveView at acute angles,
"reading" the image in almost polarised form (reversed image) especially if
I hold the camera way up overhead at ridiculous perspectives. Of
alternatively I get pretty much the same with the camera right on the
bitumen and I'm looking down at almost 10 degrees to the plane of the LCD.
I simply love the C5060's multi-adjustable LCD because it opens up a whole
new world of what I now can do. Even if I do have to cope with polarised
images at such angles, to me it's a matter of being able to capture or not
being able to. Polarised image viewing is still better than not being able
to see at all, I suppose!
Otherwise, the E-330's two LV modes simply
> take one to a whole new level, not to mention the sheer size of the
> LCD on the E-330. To me, when you talk about the LCD on the C5060 and
> E-330, you are simply talking almost about two different things!
I agree. The thing I like to add to your comments is that I need to see
before I can capture. Everything else aside, what I see defines the image I
want. So I shape my imaging workflow to take full advantage of the C5060's
strengths to get the most out of it and to a great extent, I believe I have
been successful. Being able to twist the panel here and there is so cool
it's unbelievable. The results from my wedding assignments have given my
images that give me justification to charge more!!!
I never use multispot with the C8080 because the live histogram and
> AEL combination is the ne plus ultra of exposure methodology IMHO.
You're not the only one to have made a comment on using the histogram.
Technically it is better but again, each to his own, I guess. For me the
histogram IS more accurate but slower. To minimise workflow encumbrances, I
forego it and instead look at the view (EVF or LCD) and spot, then check the
multispot metering bar below the image frame. I check to see where the spots
are clumped up to the left or right of centre. My mind works this way. From
here, I can mentally translate it to a histogram that resides in my brain. I
will know from looking at the spots what shape the histogram will take and
from thereon, I have a fair but very very quick idea of how the overal tonal
density of the image looks like. I shoot. And I get the quality I was
looking for. It's very fast and fuss-free. When I use this method I am only
one step from pressing the shutter release. I guess that this approach is a
legacy of how I used to use my OM-3/OM-4....
RAW capture is lamentably slow, but it really isn't essential because
> one can shoot jpgs with complete confidence with the C8080 live
> histogram and AEL.
True but we have members at our club who persist with RAW. Not me unless I
truly want ultimate colour balancing control.
Anyway, I never use multispot so I can't comment
> on how good it really is. Even with the OM-4 I rarely used multispot;
> I usually just used one spot (and maybe a couple more just to make
> sure I picked the right spot the first time -- oops, I guess that
> would be multispot after all).
Hahahaha......multispot is such a wonderful tool it's unbelievable that it
only appears in a few models within the range but we're likely to see some
interesting changes this year.
I have the C7000 too. What a feature laden P&S! I would have been
> happy with a 4-5 MP version of this camera. I think they tried to
> squeeze a little too much blood out of the turnip by upping a sensor
> that small to 7 MP, but if the C8080 is too big for the occasion, the
> C7000 gets the nod. With one of the faster xD cards, RAW write times
> are half that of the C8080.
My sis uses the C770 Ultrazoom to devastating effects and you can see her
shots at flickr.com under the nick "maycos60." Check out her images and let
me know what you think. The C770UZ is small and fits into her handbag and
even though she too has a C8080, her heart seems to be drawn to the little
bugger!
I like the cameras you like for very different reasons. I think
> that's pretty cool, actually. :)
You know, if the E-400 had multispot metering, I might even sacrifice the
lack of LiveView and bought that damn thing.
K.
Joel W.
>
> ==============================================
> List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
> List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
> ==============================================
>
--
Khen Lim
XIOS Network Solutions
IBM Business Partner
+60 +16 528 6010 / 016 528 6010
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|