Are you going OM-D?

Are you going OM-D?

  • O yeah, here's my pre-order confirmation!

    Votes: 36 10.4%

  • You bet! just have to de-GAS a few gears to fund it

    Votes: 23 6.7%

  • Positively, but only when it hits street price level

    Votes: 65 18.8%

  • I don't know, I like it, but won't my APS-C buddies shun me?

    Votes: 50 14.5%

  • Heck no! I won't be caught dead with a dinky m4/3rd camera

    Votes: 110 31.9%

  • OMD? Are they coming out with a new album?

    Votes: 61 17.7%
  • Total voters
    345
  • Poll closed .
It is amusing to me that so many firm pronouncements are made about a camera that few, if any, of the respondents have actually held in their hands or 'taken out for a spin' photographically speaking. I 'might' purchase one. it depends on finances (house needs a new roof first) The concept is appealing to me because I have a collection of Zuiko's for my film Pen F that will fit, as well as OM mount Zuiko's and the odd Takumar in M42 mount I've picked up here and there when they were silly cheap.
 
I voted maybe because there are a lot of factors to weigh, primarily finance$. I would want to sell a lot of gear to help fund this. I'm still shooting 4x5 and plan on getting an Epson V750 to scan those negatives, so the funds designated for that can't be reallocated. I figure a decent m4/3 fast wide prime will set me back a fair bit, so going OM-D will likely be north of $1500 unless street price of the body decreases. I don't see that happening anytime soon. This thing will be in high demand for quite a while once it starts shipping.
 
I've only had my E-p3 for about 6 months. And I really do like it. I'd be tempted (I AM tempted!) by the OM-D except that I haven't had the E-P3 for all that long. So I probably WILL get it, or the next model-assuming there isn't as much time between this model and the next as there was after the E-1!- but not just yet.

Of course, that all may change once we get them in the shop and I start to play with it.
That's how I ended up w/ the E-P3 too... 🙂

-Brian
 
shadowfox said:
When you say amateur camera, do you mean:

A camera that is good enough for amateurs but not for professionals

or

A camera that cannot be used to make a picture that meet commercial standards such as:
  • AF not fast enough for fast-action sports
  • Not reliable
  • Cannot withstand even light rain
  • The pictures don't have enough resolution for 300 lpi/dpi prints
  • The color balance is so bad it can't be reliably split into CMYK for offset printing for magazines/posters/etc.)
  • Not enough lens selection
  • Existing lens selection is so bad
  • No image stabilization for low light / caving expedition
Just want to clarify.
Click to expand...

I'm certain this camera has the ability to produce great images in the right hands and with the right post processing. However, I consider this an amateur camera (and these are solely my opinions), because:
- the build does not seem rugged. My leicas and canon 1 series take an intense beating and come out fine. I highly doubt this camera can take the same abuse
- I shoot my cameras in rain and snow all the time without issue. Can this one?
- Lens selection - I *need* fast primes, just because of the way I shoot and the lighting situations I shoot in. While the m43 does offer some fast primes, they just don't seem to have great fast wide primes or fast super teles (400 2.8 etc).
- and another big point is the level of support. Whenever I'm shooting a big event - be it the NCAA tournament or a big awards show, etc. Canon and Nikon have people to offer support if I need it. I have never seen Olympus, Pentax, Fuji at these events. So if my camera were to die, I'm SOL. Where as Canon and Nikon would have loaner gear right there. Likewise, when my gear needs servicing or fixing, I can send it into Canon CPS and have a guaranteed turnaround time or they will give me loaner equipment. Will Olympus do that?

Really I can go on and on why these m43 cameras are amateur, but I think I've made my point.
 
zuiko85 said:
It is amusing to me that so many firm pronouncements are made about a camera that few, if any, of the respondents have actually held in their hands or 'taken out for a spin' photographically speaking......
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The voice of reason.

Much as I wouldn't even consider buying a new car before I had a chance to test drive it, I won't consider buying this new Olympus until I have a chance to use it.

Jim B.
 
I am am Olympus fan. I don't have any OMs now, but have an E1, E400, E5 - been using Oly digital since 2001 with the E20. However, I like OVFs and that will be the main deciding factor for me. Of course, all the other IQ and usability factors will also be important. I bought an X100 because I wasn't happy with the EP series so unless it is a significant improvement I'll probably pass. It is very nice looking though.
 
I like it, i started photography with an OM camera so looking at the OMD brings me feelings of nostalgia. But i slightly suspect thats why Olympus designed it that way. If i had to choose between the X-pro1 and the OMD i lean towards the OMD because of the choise of lenses. I feel the Olympus line-up contains lenses that are a better complement to my film RF gear. Still, i got lots of time to think about it.
 
Pablito said:
I've never seen an amateur camera, but I've seen plenty of good cameras in the hands of amateurs!

(Is a Hoga an amateur camera?)
Click to expand...

Well for what it's worth I'm really using "amateur" and "consumer" interchangeably.

A holga is a plasticky toy camera. I dunno if you can really define it as amateur or consumer. It's sort of in it's own class (with Dianas, sprocket rockets, etc).
 
Mike Ip said:
- Lens selection - I *need* fast primes...While the m43 does offer some fast primes, they just don't seem to have great fast wide primes or fast super teles (400 2.8 etc).
- and another big point is the level of support. ...So if my camera were to die, I'm SOL. ...
Really I can go on and on why these m43 cameras are amateur, but I think I've made my point.
Click to expand...

I agree it's certainly an amateur's camera - look what happened when they tried to target the E-1 into the professional market : despite great fast lenses, it was outclassed by the Canons and Nikons. The 4/3 system really lacked a wide prime - that why I abandoned the E-3.

The µ43 system seems to have learn some lessons - the 12/2 , 20/1.7 , 25/1.4, 45/1.8 seems like a good set of fast wide/normal primes to me.
There's nothing at the longend yet to satisfy sports or birders yet.
Because of the E-1 pro experience, I don't think they will go into the 150/2, 35-100/2 or 300/2.8 territory again. Perhaps instead a 200/4 ?

As for backup, at $1K and 425g each, just get 3 bodies.

I think it will be a great lightweight 2nd camera for someone toting a M9 kit - occasionally something to shoot video or use single handed with AF is really useful.
 
FrozenInTime said:
The µ43 system seems to have learn some lessons - the 12/2 , 20/1.7 , 25/1.4, 45/1.8 seems like a good set of fast wide/normal primes to me.
There's nothing at the longend yet to satisfy sports or birders yet.
Because of the E-1 pro experience, I don't think they will go into the 150/2, 35-100/2 or 300/2.8 territory again. Perhaps instead a 200/4 ?
Click to expand...

You forget the m43 is a 2x crop FOV vs a full frame 35 mm. So really the 12/2 (24 mm fov) and the 20/1.7 (40 mm) aren't as great as first impressions might suggest. Likewise, your depth of field on these lens will also be far deeper than their 35 mm counterparts.

I think the thing is though, is to accept this system for what it is and not expect it to be a 35 mm system.
 
Mike Ip said:
I'm certain this camera has the ability to produce great images in the right hands and with the right post processing. However, I consider this an amateur camera (and these are solely my opinions), because:
- the build does not seem rugged. My leicas and canon 1 series take an intense beating and come out fine. I highly doubt this camera can take the same abuse
- I shoot my cameras in rain and snow all the time without issue. Can this one?
- Lens selection - I *need* fast primes, just because of the way I shoot and the lighting situations I shoot in. While the m43 does offer some fast primes, they just don't seem to have great fast wide primes or fast super teles (400 2.8 etc).
- and another big point is the level of support. Whenever I'm shooting a big event - be it the NCAA tournament or a big awards show, etc. Canon and Nikon have people to offer support if I need it. I have never seen Olympus, Pentax, Fuji at these events. So if my camera were to die, I'm SOL. Where as Canon and Nikon would have loaner gear right there. Likewise, when my gear needs servicing or fixing, I can send it into Canon CPS and have a guaranteed turnaround time or they will give me loaner equipment. Will Olympus do that?

Really I can go on and on why these m43 cameras are amateur, but I think I've made my point.
Click to expand...
Not rugged? Underneath, the body is a magnesium alloy. As announced in a Q&A on Thursday, the shutter is rated at 100K.
Rain and snow? Watch someone pouring water over the camera while taking shots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhO9YDI8cHk.
During the Q&A, Olympus stated that they are evaluating putting the E-M5 into their Pro Service program.
 
Trius said:
Unless some professional uses it to make photos that make him money.

A "professional camera" is a camera that a professional uses. Period.
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I disagree here. A professional using a digital rebel doesn't make the rebel a professional camera. Likewise an amateur using say a Nikon d3 doesn't make the d3 an amateur camera.

The photographer and the gear he uses is not necessarily related. I see amateurs with better gear than me all the time, but to them it's a hobby. They are amateurs but their gear is still professional.
 
plummerl said:
Not rugged? Underneath, the body is a magnesium alloy. As announced in a Q&A on Thursday, the shutter is rated at 100K.
Rain and snow? Watch someone pouring water over the camera while taking shots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhO9YDI8cHk.
During the Q&A, Olympus stated that they are evaluating putting the E-M5 into their Pro Service program.
Click to expand...

Also no prism? I'd be curious to see how fast and accurate their contrast detection autofocus is.

Also pouring a bottle of water over the camera is not the same as shooting in misty or constant rain for hours. Very different. This camera might have some weather seals, but what are their tolerances?

And once again, I refer back to my statement about Canon and Nikon pro-services. They have people on call at every big event. Where is Olympus at these events?
 
shadowfox said:
- People being people are still thinking "bigger sensor must be better" not "how much is big enough for *my* need, let's see what else the camera offer as a total package." I happen to think the latter, but of course everyone is entitled to his/her own view.
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Let's put it like this: If I were to start from scratch it would be OM-D all the way. It simply can do everything I need, in a pretty, small package.

It's just that I have a closet full of carefully selected primes that I use on my analogue Nikons and want to use (without a crop factor) on my main digital camera as well. A D7000 would be a fine camera for me, but with the D800 on the horizon, the lure of a D700 is too much to resist.

As for a Leica M9... well I'd rather buy a new car and keep on shooting Tri-X with the M2 and Summicron DR 😉
 
Funny how this thread has devolved into trivialities.

Be careful not to confuse a label with the real thing.

I suggest that how you label a camera is far less important than the ultimate utility/image. I label myself smart, but that doesn't make me so. You label me to be an idiot and that may not be descriptive. To argue if a camera is professional, a compact camera, a rangefinder camera.. all of these arguments are a waste of time. Buy what gets the job done.

Perhaps, application of Advaita to photography might be of some use.
 
Mike Ip said:
Also no prism? I'd be curious to see how fast and accurate their contrast detection autofocus is.

Also pouring a bottle of water over the camera is not the same as shooting in misty or constant rain for hours. Very different. This camera might have some weather seals, but what are their tolerances?

And once again, I refer back to my statement about Canon and Nikon pro-services. They have people on call at every big event. Where is Olympus at these events?
Click to expand...
Prism???? Since the M43 standard is mirrorless, I'm not sure how a prism would work.
 
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