Stepping away from P/S and going DSLR, what do I need?

[ywen]

To the OP: Im glad you are happy with your new camera. They have a 70-300mm m4/3 lens for you now, great for wildlife.

Remember, that 70-300 is basically a 140-600mm lens when mounted on the m4/3!!! Another awesome advantage of the m4/3 crop factor.

 

[JohnLemieuxPhotos]

As long as it has manual controls it's probably fine. I'm a Nikon guy through and through because I can't stand canon ergonomics but you can take good photos with most any camera. The new nikon D7000 looks really sweet but it won't ship until later this month

 

[Lost Canadian]

And the second image sucks, the first is very nice. The second is so fake its not even pleasant to look at. How is a photoshopped image true photography? You could take that with a cell phone and make it look like that with photoshop, dont need a Hassleblad to do that. Photoshopping is not photography. If its your style than I recomend buying yourself a nice Mac with the camera money and using your cell phone.

I'm not trying to be mean here Leo, but your ignornace just shone through bright and clear with that comment. First off, that second shot was taken by Peter Lik, without question one of the finest photographers on the planet. You should click on the link Nathan provided. Secondly, that's not even a digital shot, it was taken using a Linhof 617 on Velvia 50, that would be film.

Lastly, as far as digital goes, almost ever single professional photographer utilizes, either photoshop or some other RAW converter to optimize their results. Your statements are so over the top ridiculous that it really brings into question your authenticity with respects to how much you really know and how long you've been around photography. If you wish to continue by all means do, but it's starting to look a little desperate.

 

[LeoLR]

I'm not trying to be mean here Leo, but your ignornace just shone through bright and clear with that comment. First off, that second shot was taken by Peter Lik, without question one of the finest photographers on the planet. You should click on the link Nathan provided. Secondly, that's not even a digital shot, it was taken using a Linhof 617 on Velvia 50, that would be film.

Lastly, as far as digital goes, almost ever single professional photographer utilizes, either photoshop or some other RAW converter to optimize their results. Your statements are so over the top ridiculous that it really brings into question your authenticity with respects to how much you really know and how long you've been around photography. If you wish to continue by all means do, but it's starting to look a little desperate.

If he shot it with saturated film all the power to him, its a good shot them, but it sure looks photoshopped. Alot of color. If its photoshop its just not real photography. Im sorry but its not.


I dont have to prove myself to a bunch of people on the internet I remove all my previous comments. As I said you take this too seriously. Im a phony, fake, dont know anything, whatever you want Im that, I really care about what you think about me, I lose sleep over it. But Im not continuing anymore in this thread its just turning into a circle of my ******** is bigger than yours.

 

[photoman]

Gentlemen,

Let's keep it down, this is photography after all and we aren't brawling about who's got the biggest lens or shot the best picture. I felt it has been a bit over the top and needs to come to a rest. Thank you for all that added to my learning and helped along the way. Since I'm coming out of a point and shoot (but have experience with 35mm (not the extent of some)) I chose the Olympus E-P1, I'm no pro but I felt this is a good transition and was the most comfortable.

Thanks

Aaron

Congratulations on your purchase. :wings:

As part of your learning please look to other forums which are specific to photography. You will find it more useful and factual than the opinions expressed in this thread.

Since you purchased Olympus here are a couple you may be interested in:

MyOlympus.org

Four Thirds User

Four Thirds Photo

There are even "Pro" photographers using Olympus and real photos. :ylsmoke:


Dgrin is another quality forum which is non brand specific. Tons of information on everything photographic.

 

[JohnLemieuxPhotos]

If its photoshop its just not real photography

I use photoshop on essentially every photo I take and still consider it real.

 

[Honu]

congrats the oly is a good setup

enjoy it and have fun I have a E-PL1 and love the thing

I also have a lot of other gear as I make a living with photography have for a long time and to me the camera is just a tool

take the best driver on this board give him a stock rig and put the worst driver in a nice rig I bet the best driver with stock does better !

best thing to do as I say is love what you are taking
another thing is I say about technical images is yes if you can make them perfect great but ? really when it comes down to it most photos are about feelings and emotions and connection

if you had one photograph to bring with you if you knew you were going to be stranded on a island somewhere what photo would that be ? chances are not perfect but something you connect with
at a shoot this last weekend had someone asking my about my gear ? I say its a tool I like it but dont get hung up on the tools
I can have the best snap on wrench set but that wont make me a better mechanic

one reason I like the Oly and M4/3 setups is I have them with me more ! nothing like dragging around a pro body and L glass all day ! but my oly can go with my in a small bag to the park if I leave it in the car to run into get a snack or something with kids its not so much I worry about it etc..


from a pro photographer who also has a post production company with over 300 pro photographers as clients I think you got a great camera

 

[ywen]

There's a good write up of someone's one year spent with the GF1 m4/3 cam.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=36528513

 

[Lost Canadian]

That's a pretty solid review and really illistrates the potential the EVIL camera's have. Good image quality and high portability. In time I can totally see these in conjunction with high quality mobil devices supplanting things like point and shoots leaving the market with high end DSLR's, EVIL's, and mobil.

If camera makers get contrast detect AF close to the performance of phase detection, especially in low light, the EVIL's could really prove to be a perfect travel camera system. Exciting times to be a photographer either way.

 

[ducktapeguy]

If camera makers get contrast detect AF close to the performance of phase detection, especially in low light, the EVIL's could really prove to be a perfect travel camera system. Exciting times to be a photographer either way.

The current generation of Panasonic M4/3 cameras have very repectable autofocus speeds, very close if not equal to entry level DSLR's. I'm not sure why Olympus couldn't make theirs comparable. It is the main reason I chose Panasonic over Olympus. But on their latest GH2 Panasonic managed to decrease their autofocus lag to .1s, claiming to be the fastest autofocus for any camera of it's type. Not sure if that means fastest of any contrast detect, or interchangeable lens in general. Either way it's impressive.

http://www.dslrphoto.com/dslr/video...dmc-gh2-light-speed-autofocus-demo,19513.html

Some reviews say the autofocus speed is as good as some of the high end DSLR's with phase detect. Even if it's not quite as fast, combine it with the shorter shutter lag from not having a mirror to worry about and you still have a very responsive camera.

 

[Lost Canadian]

Even the current generation of Panasonic cameras have very repectable autofocus speeds, which is the main reason I chose Panasonic over Olympus. But they managed to decrease their autofocus lag to .1s on the latest GH2, it's claiming to be the fastest autofocus for any camera of it's type. Not sure if that means fastest of any contrast detect, or interchangeable lens in general. But some reviews say the autofocus speed is as good as or faster than some of the high end DSLR's with phase detect.

http://www.dslrphoto.com/dslr/video...dmc-gh2-light-speed-autofocus-demo,19513.html

Even if it's not quite as fast, combine it with the shorter shutter lag from not having a mirror to worry about and you still have a very responsive camera.

My guess is it means, mirrorless. There's no way it's anywhere close to say something like the D3s or EOS-1D Mark IV. People using a mirrorless though don't necessarily need that kind of AF speed so it's somewhat irrelevant. I found the biggest challenge for contrast detect on both the GF1 and the EP-2 was in low light where there is not a lot of contrast. The EP-2 was actually rather abysmal and required manual focusing, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing when paired with the EV-2 but it was a little disconcerting for a camera with that kind of price tag. I'm certain though that this an area that will see a lot of improvement over the next little while.

 

[Michael Slade]

Doesn't anyone manually focus anymore?

 

[Lost Canadian]

Doesn't anyone manually focus anymore?

Every single time I'm shooting landscape.

 

[Lost Canadian]

Another thing with manually focusing, at least with respects to the mirrorless systems, is in order to see accurate focus they really do require a good high res. electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinders like the EV-2, are certainly getting better but it's not like looking through a rangefinders window or even a SLR/DSLR viewfinder. Finding focus can sometimes be difficult.

 

[ywen]

Another thing with manually focusing, at least with respects to the mirrorless systems, is in order to see accurate focus they really do require a good high res. electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinders like the EV-2, are certainly getting better but it's not like looking through a rangefinders window or even a SLR/DSLR viewfinder. Finding focus can sometimes be difficult.

manual focus on a high res EVF with zoom feature is also superior to pure optical VF, especially compared to today's DSLRs' focus screens, that makes focus difficult to discern.