Fellow Olympus owners

[kgreen]

Hi, I have been looking for post's about olympus camera's & accessories. I have also enjoyed looking at photo's in the olympus thread. I am not a photographer, but I love taking photo's & learning as much as I can to take better photo's. I have posted here a few times & everyone has been so helpful & quick to reply.

I have an Olympus C-5060 wide zoom camera. I have had it for a long time, & started looking to purchase a newer camera. The more I looked I just couldn't bring myself to purchase a new camera, because I still love mine as much as I did when I first got it. Since I've had my camera I've never bought any extra len's or other accesories that didn't come with my camera. So I decided instead of getting a new camera I could upgrade mine.

In the last couple of weeks I have purchased a 2nd battery, a super comfortable neckstrap, a filter set.. the polarizer is the 1 out of the kit that I really wanted. A 3x telephoto lens, & 0.5x wide angle lens with macro lens. Then I just ordered a 10' remote switch cable, lens pen cleaning kit, & a lowpro slingshot 200 aw camera bag.

So I've been taking photo's around the house with my new lenses. I have noticed that the outside photo's are Great! I like the polarizer, the telephoto lens let's me get really close, & I can capture so much more with the wide angle lens. But I have noticed a couple photo's that I took out side that my son was in.. he had a slight greenish cast to his skin tone. My white balance was on auto, so I wonder if when i'm out side & it's sunny I may need to change it to "sunny day" lol.

My camera can go all manual but I haven't learned how to go completely manual yet, so I still use a lot of pre sets. I do have to get used to the vignetting, I know with the telephoto lens if I don't want vignetting I have to shoot in the telephoto range & not wide angle. I think that also apply's to my wide angle lens.

Now I have noticed that I can only use the polarizer filter in some what sunny places, not good for indoor photos. I think because it requires good lighting.

Also I am concerned about some of the photo's I took inside with the lenses. Not all but some will have this dark shadow near the bottom of the lcd screen?? So I'm wondering if I should invest in an external flash, it only appears indoors, not outside where there's good light.

So I have found a flash on ebay.. it's kind of pricey, the olympus FL-50R Flash. Do you know much about this flash?? I read that it is recommended to also purchase an Omni-Bounce flash disfuser. It showed photo's with & with out the disfuser. With put a lot of light in the center, & left it darker in the surrounding areas. But with the disfuser it not only gave the center great lighting, but the rest of the photo too.

I was just wondering if someone could guide me in the right direction. I have been so excited about all the new purchases, & doing some hands on learning.

One thing I was worried about after getting the lenses.. I didn't realize they would just fit over the existing lens, so I hope it doesn't down grade the photo quality. I did get a lens pen so I could keep them sparkling clean. Thank so much! -Kristi

 

[JoeDif]

I don't know anything about that camera but I'm guessing the FL-50R might be a bit overkill. You should check out the FL-36R which is smaller and less powerful but half the price. I've used this flash for a few years and it works well.

What kind of lenses are you using? The camera doesn't look to have an interchangeable lens mount system.

 

[kgreen]

JoeDif- Thanks for your response! I guess since my camera is a slr, I can't attatch a lens directly to my camera with out the adapter tube. It fits over the exzisting lens. As for the lenses I purchased I have a 52mm digital high def. 0.45x super wide angle lens with macro. And, a 52mm digital HD 3.6x telephoto lens. I will have to go check out the FL-36R flash. Do you also use the omni-bounce flash disfuser. When I was reading about the flashes I seen a photo comparison using the flash with & without the disfuser. The photo using the flash without the disfuser lit the subject that was in the center of the photo very well but left the sides of the photo a bit dark. But with the disfuser the whole photo was lit up bright & clear. Do you only attach the flash when you really need the extra boost of light, like indoor or low light situations? I am assuming when outdoors with adequate light there would not be a need for the extra light from the flash. Thanks!

 

[ukcatfan]

With as much as you are investing on an eight year old p&s camera, why didn't you just go with a DSLR? There are some for around $400 now and you would get much better performance. It was a nice camera for its day, but a lot has changed since it came out.

 

[ukcatfan]

Now I have noticed that I can only use the polarizer filter in some what sunny places, not good for indoor photos. I think because it requires good lighting.

There is no need to use a polarizing filter inside a house. It has almost do effect on anything since the light is not polarized. It is best used outside when the sun is low in the sky (i.e. not noon) and used at a 90 degree angle from the sun. Directly towards or away has very little effect. It is also good for minimizing glare on glass or water. That brings me to the one thing inside where it is useful and that is aquariums to get rid of reflections on the glass.

 

[kgreen]

ukcatfan-
oh I know I debated that with myself over & over. I just didn't have the total amount all at once to upgrade, I know I probably should have waited & saved. But I think I'll be happy with the upgrade, I just enjoy taking photo's & would like to improve where ever i can.

JoeDif- I have been looking at the fl-36r flash & it seems that it would work well for me. I have read that the charge time is longer, but for me I think the pro's out way the cons. Thank you both for your suggestions, I really appreciate all the help I can get.

 

[kgreen]

I'm bummed out. I've spent 200.00 on my older camera in the last couple of weeks, in hopes of giving it an upgrade. When in reality my camera all ready takes good photo's that i'm satisfied with. Comparing photo's it seems the best photo's are still the ones with none of the accesories I bought. I just got it in my head that since my camera is an older model I needed to either buy a new camera or upgrade the old. Of course buying a new one wasn't in the budget.

 

[ukcatfan]

I didn't want to discourage you, but it sounds like you got there on your own. I suggest returning the lenses if you can. The polarizing filter is worth it. You might consider returning the other filters though. Those lenses are not actually made for your camera (or any other p&s camera). They are actually re-purposed lenses for analog camcorders from like two decades ago. They might have been made recently, but the design is old. You are always going to see strange things when they are on because the camera really doesn't know how to perfectly interpret what it is seeing. They also cause strange effects like making straight lines curve, vignetting, etc.

If you can get your money back, you might still be able to consider a DSLR. Best Buy always offers 18 months interest free financing.

 

[Pugrpooh]

I agree with ukcatfan. Sell the lenses if you can. Then get some books and read up on the basics of photography to improve your technique using the camera you have. One book which is highly recommended and I have is Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure. Also Scott Kelby's Digital Photography series is good to learn settings and tips for different occasions and subjects. Kelby's books are written with DSLR's in mind, but if your camera has full manual controls you can glean a lot from them. There are also lots of websites, online tutorials, and message boards where you can learn about photography.

Are you using any post processing program? Picasa is a free one where you can do basic editing and effects. Olympus also has a free one you can download. Then when you get more knowledgeable about photography and you've reached your camera's potential (or it breaks down, which is quite possible - happened to my Canon p&s a few years ago which came out around the same time as your camera), you'll be wanting to get a DSLR, or at the least, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.

I don't know about other brands' models, but you can pick up used Olympus cameras relatively inexpensively. My brother-in-law bought an E-520 for my nephew from a photography teacher at his high school for $350 this summer. Olympus makes very good lenses so you'd get great results from the kit lens. Models to consider would be the E410, E420, E510, E520, E600, E620 and the newer PEN cameras. You can get a good deal on an E-PL1 right now.

Good luck! This is a nice forum to ask questions on - I've learned a lot from here.

 

[kgreen]

Thank you both. A lesson learned the hard way is not always fun, but we grow & learn from our mistakes. Later this afternoon, I'll take a look on the Olympus site. There are so many camera's..

I'll start with these recommendations:
E410, E420, E510, E520, E600, E620 and the newer PEN cameras. You can get a good deal on an E-PL1 right now.

Are the PEN camera's considered DSLR'S??
I remember looking at the E camera's, I looked at the newer E camera's on the Oly. website.
If you can recommend any more for me to check out let me know! Thanks

 

[kgreen]

Sorry, Real quick before I leave for work I forgot to mention a price range. Between 4-800.00. I'll have to save, but I know it will be worth the wait! Thank you!

 

[ukcatfan]

How long you see going to take to save enough will impact your model decision. The market changes a lot in only six months of time. Four months from now puts you in the holiday shopping season where there will be deals to be found. Keep all brands in your consideration and use this time to go out and handle the different brands in person to see which feel the best to you. Then when you get close to your savings mark, start comparing the available models on your range. Remember that one too expensive today might not be when you go to buy.

 

[boBQuincy]

Are the PEN camera's considered DSLR'S??

No, although the PENs have interchangeable lenses like an SLR. SLRs have a reflex viewfinder (optical) and PENs have an LCD screen. PENS also have an optional electronic viewfinder that makes the PEN very similar to an SLR (we are viewing through the lens).

 

[kgreen]

I think I've given myself a headache looking at camera's. I really need some hands on, but we live a good distance from a camera store.. or best buy. I feel completely out of the loop, the camera I have now is basically the only serious camera I've ever had. What I'm trying to say is I have no clue what I'm doing! Other than I'd like to upgrade to a dslr. I have never used lenses other than what was allready attatched to my camera, so I could really use some help in that area too. I've looked at a Nikon D5100, Canon EOS Rebel T21, Nikon D3100, Olympus E-620, & to me they look like good camera's?? Can you recommend a good, better than my old olympus c-5060 wide zoom p&s, but appropriate for a first time DSLR. Thank you all for being so helpful & patient!

 

[Pugrpooh]

I think I've given myself a headache looking at camera's. I really need some hands on, but we live a good distance from a camera store.. or best buy. I feel completely out of the loop, the camera I have now is basically the only serious camera I've ever had. What I'm trying to say is I have no clue what I'm doing! Other than I'd like to upgrade to a dslr. I have never used lenses other than what was allready attatched to my camera, so I could really use some help in that area too. I've looked at a Nikon D5100, Canon EOS Rebel T21, Nikon D3100, Olympus E-620, & to me they look like good camera's?? Can you recommend a good, better than my old olympus c-5060 wide zoom p&s, but appropriate for a first time DSLR. Thank you all for being so helpful & patient!

It can be pretty overwhelming! There are so many different models floating around out there. But basically, any entry level model from Olympus, Sony, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and Pentax will give you much better results than your camera, even if you buy a used one, 2-4 years old. And all DSLR's also will have an Auto mode so you could start shooting right off the bat while learning how to manipulate the settings and what effect they have on your photos.

As far as lenses go, you want to buy the camera with the kit lens. You can purchase the body only and the lenses separately, but that will end up being more costly. The kit lens is usually a standard zoom lens, 14-42mm with Olympus, 18-55mm I think with Canon and Nikon. These are 3x zoom lenses.

You can also buy the cameras with a two lens kit, the second lens being a telephoto zoom. With Olympus, it's the 40-150mm. These lenses are useful for when you want to get closer to the subject, useful for zoo animals, up close architectural details, close up portraits without getting in their faces, you get the idea. The advantage of buying the two lens kit is a much cheaper price for the second lens than what you could buy it for separately. For example, if you buy the Oly two lens kit, the 40-150mm usually adds about $100 to the cost vs. $300 for it to purchase it separately. (This is for the PEN cameras since Oly is not making entry level DSLR's anymore, although you can buy them used and refurbished.)

Now for the mirrorless cameras. This is a new class of cameras which use a larger sensor than point and shoot cameras and rival image quality from DSLR's. Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are the big players with these. In fact, Oly and Panasonic use the same size sensor in these that they do in their DSLR's. The benefit is that the camera is much smaller than a DSLR. These are the Olympus PEN's, Panasonic G series and the Sony Nex series.

Now, the most important requirement! You need to handle the cameras. When I was looking for my first DSLR, I thought I would get a Sony because that's what my superzoom was and I really like it. But as soon as I picked one up, the grip was much too large for me and it was uncomfortable to hold. Now when I go in stores where they have cameras displayed, I'll pick up some of them and from doing that I know I'll probably never end up with a Nikon and probably not a Canon either. Only because they're not comfortable for me to hold.

Is there a Target or even a Walmart near you? Sam's or Costco? They sell DSLR's and will at least have the entry level Canons and Nikons. I've seen the Oly PEN's at Sam's at times too. I've never seen Pentaxes in stores. I think most Pentax owners order them online. If you do have to purchase one from an online source, I'd stick with B&H, Adorama, Amazon which have easy return policies just in case it absolutely doesn't work out.

I hope this helps! Have fun looking!

 

[kgreen]

Wow, Thank you for your in depth response! That's exactly what I needed. After doing so much looking last night it made me realize while my camera was great for my needs at the time, these newer DSLR's have really come a long way! They can do practicaly anything, so I can't wait to see the improvement's in my photo's. The last camera I really got to look at last night was the Nikon D5100 & I really like it. I'll keep searching & reviewing after work this evening. Thank you all! -kristi

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I guess since my camera is a slr

I'm sorry you've had such difficulty. But that's the thing, your camera is not a dSLR, it's a point and shoot camera. As such, it's really not worth buying all that stuff for it because, in the end, you're still going to have a point and shoot camera and its capabilities will be very limited.

Olympus is a very worthwhile brand if you do choose to go with a dSLR, as Joe, Pug, I and others can attest. PPs have listed the choices but I'd stick with the 600 and above. You can find one used on Craigslist for a reasonable cost. If you go with Olympus you might be able to salvage some of the things you've bought (haven't examined them that closely, though) and you might already have some familiarity with settings and software, etc. Olympus is known for beautiful colors (when you get the settings right, lol, as with any camera) and, as Pug mentioned, excellent glass. Olympus uses the 4:3 system in their dSLRs.

A PEN or another micro 4:3 camera, or a Sony NEX might be another option for you. They aren't cheap, however, so if price is an issue you may be better off with a used dSLR (though it will be bigger). I've bought a lot of my equipment and lenses used and they're generally babied by their owners so are in excellent shape for half the cost of new.

If you have any specific questions about Olympus when you start looking, you can either ask here or on the Oly thread.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[kgreen]

I'm sorry you've had such difficulty. But that's the thing, your camera is not a dSLR, it's a point and shoot camera. As such, it's really not worth buying all that stuff for it because, in the end, you're still going to have a point and shoot camera and its capabilities will be very limited.

Yes, I finally figured that out. Personally I am leaning towards an olympus. I just haven't found the right model yet. Although I do like the Nikon D5100, but I will keep reading & find the right one. I would like to get to a best buy so I can see & handle them in person. Thanks so much!

Pea-n-Me what olympus camera do you have?? Or have had in the past.

 

[ukcatfan]

Like I mentioned before, be careful deciding on one right now if you are not going to buy it for some months from now. The market and even available models could change by then. Some fluctuate in price up and some down. I would personally not make the decision until you are within a few weeks of buying it.

 

[kgreen]

ukcatfan- Yes I will keep that in mind. I've done the math, but still haven't talked it over with my dh. I should have 800.00 to spend the end of September. Not to far away!