OLY, Nikon, Canon

[srsuser]

Hi guys,

I'm very new to DSLR's but I've learned a lot.

Im looking for advice on what to do. Should I sell my OLYMPUS E500 w/ the 40-150 lens and get a Nikon D80? Or maybe a Rebel XTi?

Or should I invest in better lens for My Olympus?
The photos turn out crappy on my olympus heres an example:

Keep in mind though, that this was set in full auto and taken before i knew anything about manual exposure, shutter speeds, aperture, etc

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/2838080010_2ffee6025d_b.jpg

So what would you guys do if you were me?

[joedlh]

What's wrong with that shot? I mean other than a static composition and uninteresting subject. These are problems for the photographer, not the camera. Exposure and focus seem okay.

Olympus is not a bad camera. If you're new to DSLRs, then I would hold on to it for a while until I could identify something about it that really displeased me.

[srsuser]

What's wrong with that shot? I mean other than a static composition and uninteresting subject. These are problems for the photographer, not the camera. Exposure and focus seem okay.

Olympus is not a bad camera. If you're new to DSLRs, then I would hold on to it for a while until I could identify something about it that really displeased me.

Picture looks too bright, but after that, i always shot in manual and picked the shutter speeds and the aperture myself, and the pics turn out better than that.

So if you're saying i should keep it, what lens would you get for it?

[Wilt]

You shot a fire scorched darkened field in the center of the frame, what else would be expected than a slightly over exposed shot?! That would be true of a manually set shutter + aperture or an automatically set one (even the dummy mode, Evaluative, would be fooled by that combination!) Do NOT think that equipment solves all of the problem situations that an unknowing photographer will throw at it. Master the Oly, then opt for something else only if the feature you want is not available in the Oly.

What lens should you get? Well, what car should I buy??? You have no idea of my car needs, we have no idea of what you shoot, if you need fast apertures, if you need image stabilization, if you need telephoto or wide angle, if you shoot portraits or scenics...get my drift?

[Jamie Holladay]

Welcome to POTN. If your here to do research into Canon you have come to the right place. I do suspect that you will get a lot of Go with Canon as some of us are a little biased. :) Personally if you are wanting to make a change I would consider Canon rather than upgrading lens. You will have many more options in the future. It might help if you offered us some more information, such as budget so we could give you a better educated opinion (and remember everyone has one of those and the other thing - just choose the one that smells best to you). Enjoy your stay here even if you decide to stick with Oly.

[srsuser]

You shot a fire scorched darkened field in the center of the frame, what else would be expected than a slightly over exposed shot?! That would be true of a manually set shutter + aperture or an automatically set one (even the dummy mode, Evaluative, would be fooled by that combination!) Do NOT think that equipment solves all of the problem situations that an unknowing photographer will throw at it. Master the Oly, then opt for something else only if the feature you want is not available in the Oly.

What lens should you get? Well, what car should I buy??? You have no idea of my car needs, we have no idea of what you shoot, if you need fast apertures, if you need image stabilization, if you need telephoto or wide angle, if you shoot portraits or scenics...get my drift?

Ahh i see. Well I'm mostly looking to shoot cars, and nature and maybe even landscapes later on.

I'm pretty sure im going to be selling my OLY anways because i got it for real cheap, so yeah.

Someone from another forum recommended that if i switch to nikon or canon i should go with something like
17-50 or 28-70. I was also recommended the Tamron 17-50 f2.8, im still looking into it, and was wondering if thats a good lens for what I'm doing...


Thanks for your help guys.

[Wilt]

Cars (from any distance) = telephoto, often the longer the better.

Landscapes = wide angle (for many, but a telephoto works for some!)

[srsuser]

Cars (from any distance) = telephoto, often the longer the better.

Landscapes = wide angle (for many, but a telephoto works for some!)

So is the lens i mentioned good for both of them? Because I don't really care about zooming that much...

[Wilt]

'the lens I mentioned'...

...the 17-50 is a' wide angle' to 'short telephoto'
...the 28-70mm is a 'normal' to 'medium telephoto'

on the Canon APS-C format (or Nikon)

Focal lengths mean different things on the Oly 4/3 format, and different again on the FF format

[Jamie Holladay]

I like shooting cars with both a 17-40 and a 70-200 and sometimes with 24-70

70-200
http://www.24zero.com/Modifications/images/240sx_1.jpg

24-70
http://www.jamieholladay.com/images/index/zqtr.jpg

17-40
http://www.jamieholladay.com/RecentWork/images/Zdayz.jpg

Just grabbed some quick examples.

[srsuser]

'the lens I mentioned'...

...the 17-50 is a' wide angle' to 'short telephoto'
...the 28-70mm is a 'normal' to 'medium telephoto'

on the Canon APS-C format (or Nikon)

Focal lengths mean different things on the Oly 4/3 format, and different again on the FF format

Thanks for the info.

Now the only question is what body would you Get if you were me, the Canon XTi or the Nikon D60/D80?

[Wilt]

Thanks for the info.

Now the only question is what body would you Get if you were me, the Canon XTi or the Nikon D60/D80?


I don't consider myself well read enough to render a judgment about the Nikons.

[ImRaptor]

My order of preference: D60 < XTi < D80

However, when I was buying instead of the D80 I opted for the 30D instead. Same price point as the D80 and a much better camera for me.

[qtfsniper]

You need to look up the features of each. I personally would go with the D80 just from preference. No matter what body you get, I wholeheartedly recommend getting the:
Sigma 10-20mm,
Tamron 17-50mm f/ 2.8,
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8, and
Tamron 90mm Macro f/2.8

edit: forgot you have no in body stabilization; get the equivalent stabilized lenses for those lengths.

[Tessa]

Well, I was an Olympus shooter for three years and just like you my camera was E500. I shoot racing and got plenty of nice pictures with it but finally had to admit it just wasn't really meant for action. So about two weeks ago I switched to Canon - bought a 40D and 70-200 F2.8.

No regrets :)

[vkalia]

Dont buy a camera.
Dont buy a lens (unless 80-150 is your only lens.. in which case get something like a 14-50 or similar focal length as well).

Use what you have till you figure out what it is about the camera or lenses that is holding you back.

It is easy to get into the trap of "oh, if I had THAT camera or THAT lens, my photography would be so much better." Unfortunately, that is rarely the case.

Buying a Canon or a Nikon wont make you a better photographer. Spending time improving your skills will. And you can do that with any camera.

Vandit

[srsuser]

Dont buy a camera.
Dont buy a lens (unless 80-150 is your only lens.. in which case get something like a 14-50 or similar focal length as well).

Use what you have till you figure out what it is about the camera or lenses that is holding you back.

It is easy to get into the trap of "oh, if I had THAT camera or THAT lens, my photography would be so much better." Unfortunately, that is rarely the case.

Buying a Canon or a Nikon wont make you a better photographer. Spending time improving your skills will. And you can do that with any camera.

Vandit

I have the 40-150mm f3.5 lens using the four thirds mount

Thanks for your input.

[srsuser]

You need to look up the features of each. I personally would go with the D80 just from preference. No matter what body you get, I wholeheartedly recommend getting the:
Sigma 10-20mm,
Tamron 17-50mm f/ 2.8,
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8, and
Tamron 90mm Macro f/2.8

edit: forgot you have no in body stabilization; get the equivalent stabilized lenses for those lengths.

So lets say i get a D80 and all the lenses you mentioned (yes i have heard of all of them before) will they work on the D80 perfectly and will they autofocus fine on the D80?

[vkalia]

I have the 40-150mm f3.5 lens using the four thirds mount


That's a good enough telephoto for the time being, but you'll also need something wider. I am not too familiar with the recent Oly lineup, but I am sure they have something like a 14-40. Get one of those to supplement what you have.

About 80% of the people in my photography workshops are convinced that if they have a better camera or a better lens, they'd be able to take better images. And when we review images at the end of the day's shoot, it is *very* rarely the camera that held them back: either they were not prepared, or they did not meter properly, or they didnt see the photographic potential.... the shortcomings are overwhelmingly due to aesthetic reasons as opposed to technical reasons.

I will re-iterate: dont buy another camera/lens until you can specifically point out what it is about your current lenses or camera that is holding you back. By specific, I mean:
- my camera cannot focus well enough on a running deer
- my images dont look sharp when printed to 16x20
- when I take a portrait, I dont get a nice blurred background
and so on.

When you start encountering these limitations, then you know it is time for an upgrade, and you'll also know WHAT to look for in an upgrade.

Asking people on a forum if you need a better camera is like asking people on a car forum if you need a better car - the answer will usually be yes, it will usually point you in the direction of a Porsche 911 GT and it will rarely take into account your specific needs.

Vandit

[Mark]

If your going to become more serious I would jump to canon... I did.

[PhotosGuy]

Well I'm mostly looking to shoot cars, and nature and maybe even landscapes later on. Depending on the angle for cars not in motion, I usually use 28mm to 70mm.

Whatever you shoot, start with the best light:
A few Car Lighting Tips - Updated (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70290)

And... : MOVE YOUR FEET! A <rant> of sorts. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=536323)

[srsuser]

Well I have made my decision, and I'm going to buy a Nikon D80 Body only, and then buy a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens or a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens.

I have a guy who wants to sell his Nikon D80 body (member from POTN), it is in great condition and has about 5,000 shutters on it.

Anyways, thanks for your responses guys.

[Jacc]

I would advise to look into new D90 Nikon, seems to have rave reviews, not much expensive than D80

[srsuser]

I would advise to look into new D90 Nikon, seems to have rave reviews, not much expensive than D80

Yeah, but I don't think I'm ever gonna use the video mode...

I mean i have tried the D90 at best buy w/ the 18-200 VR lens, and the picture quality is awesome. But idk i think im just gonna stick w/ the D80.

Plus i don't have too much money to spend, im still in high school :confused: