For my weekend in Spain I took a new lightweight kit, Olympus E-500, Nikkor 300mm F2.8AIS and Nikkor 2x tc (Nikkor 301) and my trusty tripod kit.
Thoughts - very small viewfinder, sensor noise over 200ISO quite poor, difficult to accurately focus, but a magnifier on the way. In operation much quiter than Canon shutters and control layout and menu system better than Canon (heresy!)
This image was takn at 1/125s at iso 400 and noise ninja rescued - full size is softer than I would like, but for web presentation OKish
Black winged stilt at Santa Pola saltpans south of Alicanti - light conditions were hard, early morning dawn tended to be thick hazy cloud and overcast (this was 8.30 at dawnish in a brief break in clouds) by the time the clouds burnt away to give decent light levels it became too harsh!
I haven't given up on it yet, the E-1 body has lower pixel density and from early testing is much less noisy at 400ISO than the E-500 - plus the little Oly OM lenses are extraordinary quality for their size, and can be mounted on the E digital system as well, so for a lightweight holiday travel the system has great potential - my main reason for trying it out.
Mike
Forgot to mention the stilt image was taken with a 2x tc so is equivelent of 1200mm at F5.6 - depth of field for focussing is an issue as well......
The one really sharp shot but I clipped the tail feathers
Olympus E-500, Nikon 300mm F2.8 AIS and Nikon 301 (2x) tc, ISO 400, when it is in focus and camera shake tamed the camera system can produce the goods, but ging back to manual focus after several years of Canon AF USM lenses is an eye opener on how hard nature photography used to be
Apaet from the tail feathers the 2nd image is fine,The horizon on both needs correction which will clip the tail even more,The right ups were very promising so suprised at your comments,Hope they get it sorted so the big 2 dont become too complacent
Hey Mike, i didn't realise you could mount nikkor's to olympus!!
Hmmm, you have got me thinking {for when i eventually have to replace the D70}, as ive always felt that 35mm {and the DX format} is slightly too narrow for many 'portrait' format avian shots when near full frame. This is one of the reasons i liked the 645 format so much {when the opportunity/situation arose to make its use worthwhile.
The second shot is well captured and nicely crisp!!. Pity about the clipped tail, but very encouraging, as its not your usual system.
Time for me to do some research into the oly bodies
the Oly 4/3rds takes just about everything except Canon.....
Cameraquest adapters are expensive but definately worth the dosh, I had a couple of cheap adapters for OM lenses to mount to Canon EF but they rarely worked at infinity focus, the Cameraquest are just perfect - the poor mans Zeiss 21mm is the Oly OM 21mm F3.5 lens amongst other zuikos that I regularly use on the 1DsII
For me, it sounds like the oly is worth serious consideration for the future. Not sure if the slowish sync is a drawback by todays digital standards, but i guess its not much different to many old 35mm bodies, which we seemed to manage ok with.
Yes slow sync, but the Olympus FL-50 flash gun has high speed sync to 1/4,000s - (like the Canon High Speed sync 550 & 580EX 'guns) - with the E1 and E-500 so fill in flash as per normal
Warning the Metz 54i flash gun advertises HSS which it does with canon bodies, but the Oly SCA adapter required truncates the data flow so does not HSS - every other function works except HSS - guess who has a Metz 54 for sale now........
Discussion
8 repliesThoughts - very small viewfinder, sensor noise over 200ISO quite poor, difficult to accurately focus, but a magnifier on the way. In operation much quiter than Canon shutters and control layout and menu system better than Canon (heresy!)
This image was takn at 1/125s at iso 400 and noise ninja rescued - full size is softer than I would like, but for web presentation OKish
Black winged stilt at Santa Pola saltpans south of Alicanti - light conditions were hard, early morning dawn tended to be thick hazy cloud and overcast (this was 8.30 at dawnish in a brief break in clouds) by the time the clouds burnt away to give decent light levels it became too harsh!
Tim
Mike
Forgot to mention the stilt image was taken with a 2x tc so is equivelent of 1200mm at F5.6 - depth of field for focussing is an issue as well......
Olympus E-500, Nikon 300mm F2.8 AIS and Nikon 301 (2x) tc, ISO 400, when it is in focus and camera shake tamed the camera system can produce the goods, but ging back to manual focus after several years of Canon AF USM lenses is an eye opener on how hard nature photography used to be
Hmmm, you have got me thinking {for when i eventually have to replace the D70}, as ive always felt that 35mm {and the DX format} is slightly too narrow for many 'portrait' format avian shots when near full frame. This is one of the reasons i liked the 645 format so much {when the opportunity/situation arose to make its use worthwhile.
The second shot is well captured and nicely crisp!!. Pity about the clipped tail, but very encouraging, as its not your usual system.
Time for me to do some research into the oly bodies
Alan
Cameraquest adapters are expensive but definately worth the dosh, I had a couple of cheap adapters for OM lenses to mount to Canon EF but they rarely worked at infinity focus, the Cameraquest are just perfect - the poor mans Zeiss 21mm is the Oly OM 21mm F3.5 lens amongst other zuikos that I regularly use on the 1DsII
For me, it sounds like the oly is worth serious consideration for the future. Not sure if the slowish sync is a drawback by todays digital standards, but i guess its not much different to many old 35mm bodies, which we seemed to manage ok with.
thanks
Alan
Warning the Metz 54i flash gun advertises HSS which it does with canon bodies, but the Oly SCA adapter required truncates the data flow so does not HSS - every other function works except HSS - guess who has a Metz 54 for sale now........