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[OM] Re: digital lenses and manual focusing

Subject: [OM] Re: digital lenses and manual focusing
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:23:25 -0700
John Hudson wrote:
> The precision focusing I experienced with my OM4T and M cameras has not been 
> carried forward to either of my E500 and E510 cameras.
>   
In addition to Chuck's excellent suggestions, I have some observations 
and ideas that may or may not either help or throw light on the source 
of the problems and answers to your larger questoins.

First, it seems fair to point out that the Leica M cameras are premium 
priced masterpieces of camera making.* They also used a completely 
different form of focusing than (D)SLRs. The OM-4T was right up there 
among the very best MF 35mm film cameras ever made in the area of 
viewfinder and focusing. Both represent the best their makers were 
capable of for their flagship cameras within existing technology.

The E-500-510-520 are quite different products. Rather than top of the 
line, they are very competitively priced consumer models. That means 
they incorporate many compromises not because of technological 
constraints, but because of cost constraints. The camera to compare to 
those icons from the past in the Oly line is the E-3. Yes, I know it's 
big, heavy and expensive. But the state of the art of technology at the 
moment is that getting all the performance still requires big and heavy. 
That will change at least somewhat. As to cost, I'm too lazy at the 
moment to do the calculations, but I'll bet the E-3 is no more 
expensive, adjusted for inflation, the the original OM-4T(i).

The E-400 & 500 series are inexpensive cameras. A good part of the 
reason they have been so successful is the nice balance/compromise of 
cost, size, weight and performance. But they are not cameras with state 
of the art 4/3 performance and IQ.
> The auto focus and manual focusing mechanisms just do not seem to measure up 
> when using the film cameras as a base against which to measure the results.
>   
Here, although I don't have those cameras, I would suggest that it is 
partly 'different'. I have quite a few shots with digital that are a 
great deal better than they would have been with MF film. That's for the 
simple reason that I wouldn't have gotten the shot at all, as I could 
not have focused and shot before the moment passed. Based on reviews, 
the E-500 series are competitive with other DSLRs in this regard.
> When these digital cameras have been used to photograph stationary objects, 
> landscapes and people who remain stationary during the photo taking stage the 
> results have generally been excellent.
>
> What is really missed is the split image accuracy of both film cameras 
> together with the immediacy of the exposure having depressed the shutter 
> release button.
>   
I think Chuck's suggestion of focus lock is a good one. It should speed 
shutter release in many cases.

There are a couple of possible causes for delay beyond inherent camera 
speed. One is the AF system. One thing to try is setting the camera to 
use only the single, central AF point. Then it doesn't have to spend any 
time deciding which point to use. That's how I have mine set all the 
time. Whether it will make a difference on your cameras, I have no idea, 
but it's easy to try. I do it to be sure where the camera is going to focus.

The second is to know that AF speed is a function of both camera body 
and lens. When I tried the E-1, part of the reason I ended up with 
another brand is that focus with the original 50-200 on the E-1 was slow 
and unreliable in anything but ideal conditions of light and with a 
contrasty subject. The one I tried would literally hunt for focus at the 
long end for several seconds or simply give up with the same subject and 
lighting where a Canon focused quickly and accurately.

I'm not suggesting that the E-500-10 are that slow, but that lens can 
make a difference. Oly didn't replace the 50-200 with a new model just 
as a marketing move. I know that focusing design in the lens can make a 
big difference. I have mostly Tamron AF lenses for my Canons, and their 
focus speed is quite adequate for my kind of photography, but the USM 
focus models of Canon's own lenses are noticeably faster (and quieter).
> Is there any reasonable expectation that the manual split image focusing 
> experience of the OM4T and the Ms will emerge in subsequent releases of the 
> Olympus E series camera?
>   
I don't understand the continued reference to rangefinders here. The 
E-series are SLRs, and an inherently different experience than an SLR. 
Perhaps Oly or Panny will come up with a rangefinder Micro 4/3 camera 
one day.

As to the experience of SLR viewfinder manual focusing, 4/3 and APS 
sensor sized cameras have a problem of optical physics to deal with. 
With a smaller viewfinder screen and a lens of the same speed, enlarging 
the apparent image seen by the eye to the same size as a 4T ( let alone 
the larger OM-1 & 2 finder images) requires more magnification than on 
the FF camera, and thus is inherently darker.

Then there is the lens speed issue. I don't recall which DZ lenses you 
have, but the kit lenses aren't as fast as the lenses we were ( and some 
still are) often using with our OMs. Slower maximum aperture equals 
dimmer finder image and harder manual focusing.

If you really want to know the answer, try out an E-3 with a fast lens. 
The cross section of the E-3 shows a huge pentaprism relative to 
viewscreen size and a large, complex viewfinder optical system. Just 
look at the viewfinder bulge on top of an E-3 vs an E-5xx The massive 
viewfinder system, specs and reviewer/user comments suggest that this is 
way better than any previous E-thingie and probably the best that may be 
achieved with 4/3.

One of the problems with MF on DSLRs, at least small sensor ones, is 
that the finder screens are optimized for brightness over the ability to 
show focus accurately. Oly does offer an alternate screen for the E-3, 
but it is supposedly not user changeable and has no split image focusing 
aid. I suppose after market folks will expand on that.
> Also, when will the E cameras come out with a version that does away with the 
> part second delay between pressing the exposure button and "exposing the 
> film"? I've had a lot of disappointments caused by this delay.
>   
In a way, this is unfair - to compare shutter release delay after you 
have manually focused to delay that includes AF. But Chuck has showed 
how to correct that with focus lock. On the other hand, the best current 
camera lens combos focus incredibly quickly in anything but quite dim 
light.

Again, try one of the newer, SWD motor DZ lenses on the E-510 and/or an 
E-3. I think you may find shutter lag due to AF considerably reduced.
> All of which makes me reluctant to even think about giving up my film cameras.
>   
I'm not doing that anyway! :-)

And just a blasphemous note relative to your last line: Oly is not the 
only one making digital cameras. There are others that outperform them 
in various ways, including the areas of concern you raise here.

Moose

* Although I don't like rangefinder cameras, for various reasons, I 
recognize the great quality of the design and manufacture of Leicas and 
their lenses. As long as I don't have to use them. :-D

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