Lens advice needed

[aureliaaurita]

im considering swapping into the Olympus micro 4/3rds, having held one the other day it is markedly smaller than my current camera.

I am aiming at purchasing the ep-1 with pancake lens and viewfinder

I take a lot of photos of my horses however, and for this I often need a zoom - if I were to buy the adaptor to be able to use non-micro 4/3rds lenses with this camera, what lens would I be best off investing in?

 

[david.elliott]

vf-2 does not work with the ep-1

 

[aureliaaurita]

no but the vf-1 does 😉

 

[Finder]

The viewfinder you are thinking about is an optical viewfinder for the 17mm lens only. You will need other viewfinders (which can get expensive) or use the camera monitor for other lenses.

Why did you decide not to get the E-P1 with the zoom?

What other lenses do you have? They could be adapted to the E-P1.

 

[aureliaaurita]

yep I know, hence im buying them alongside one another.

I only presently have the money for the 17mm, body and viewfinder - so cannot buy the twin lens kit.

I may well invest in it at a later date but think that perhaps buying an adaptor would give me more flexibility on what lens I use.

I also aim to photograph more competitive riding this summer and next year, for which I will need a whopper of a zoom as you really don't get that close, particularly at the bigger competitions - i wanted one at badminton this year- so having the adaptor would give me more flexibility there and potentially access to cheaper second hand lenses?

am i mistaken?

 

[aureliaaurita]

oh and re. lenses, personally, none but I know my father has a small stash of old olympus lenses

 

[Finder]

No, it sounds like a good way to go.

The problem with long focal length are what is practical to hold. In-body image stabilization will help a bit, but I thing you will at least need a monopod which may be usable in crowds.

What focal length is tougher. If you had a fast lens, I would look for something in the 150mm–300mm range. Anymore and it may be too long to use, although the 300mm will be hard. The fast lens will help you maintain a fast shutter speed.

 

[aureliaaurita]

and how would I adapt them? :

http://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/productdetail.kmod?Productid=9526

I know of that...but am unsure as to what the difference between an olympus 'om' lens and something else might be?! *talking to a newbie as far as interchangeable lenses are concerned! only just venturing out of point and shoot*

 

[aureliaaurita]

oh and I have a monopod and a tripod 🙂

 

[johnny9fingers]

Hello aliceelizabeth,

The Oly 17mm kit lens is very nice and you will enjoy the results you get with it. There is a new firmware download available that improves the AF speed as well as some other isues.

As far as other lenses, take a look at the lenses your father has and see if they have OM, or OM System printed on them. You can then take a look at the CameraQuest site and look at the adapter info there. The Rayqual OM to M4/3rds adapters go for $125... This might be the most ecconomical way to go for starters. And remember a 50mm OM lens will be a 100mm lens on the E-P1, and thus a 150mm would be a 300mm and so on...
I shoot with Super & Super Multi Coated Takumars and love the look you can get with these older lenses, but the little Oly 17mm is my go to lens......
John

 

[aureliaaurita]

Thank you john 🙂

I'm going to have to do my homework evidently

I think I will buy the adapter anyway and have a fiddle with the old lenses, if they aren't the right ones then I'm sure I can grapple hold of some fairly cheaply by comparison to the new m 4/3rd lenses

 

[biomed]

I also aim to photograph more competitive riding this summer and next year, for which I will need a whopper of a zoom as you really don't get that close, particularly at the bigger competitions - i wanted one at badminton this year- so having the adaptor would give me more flexibility there and potentially access to cheaper second hand lenses?

am i mistaken?

In my experience with the EP1 and GF1, adapted lenses are sometimes difficult to use for action photography. They just seem too fiddley for my taste. Remember these lenses will use stop down metering on a M4/3 body. You could always prefocus and press the shutter when the horse and rider enter the field of view. M4/3 lenses talk to the camera body via the lens and camera software and correct many lens "flaws". I am not trying to discourage any use of adapted lenses, but a M4/3 lens would be much easier to use. I really like my Panasonic 45 - 200 M4/3 zoom.

Remember to use a lens tripod mount and not the body tripod mount if you mount a long heavy lens on you M4/3 body. Otherwise you can damage the bottom of the body or the lens mount.

Good luck. I hope you find some lenses that work well for you.

 

[PCB_RF]

IME, it is difficult to shoot action outdoors with manual-focus long zooms on the E-P1, whether handheld or on a monopod. It is difficult to see the screen well enough in bright light to quickly focus accurately. It is especially tough with a two-touch zoom. If you go this route, I would advise using a one-touch zoom.

Having an evf makes this much easier. Easier to focus, easier to frame. My Panasonic G1 works much better than my E-P1 for outdoor action. I think an E-PL1 or E-P2 with the evf would work much better for your action/horse work.

I do find that, even with the native af m4/3 Panny 45-200 zoom, shooting sports with m4/3 is a bit weird. The screen refresh rate can't keep up with the burst frame rate, and there's no apparent way to truly turn off image preview, so after the first shot you're effectively shooting blind. I shoot a lot of soccer, and with the G1 I start a burst with the player framed, then just try to track the action using my peripheral vision. I can't watch the player run between each frame the way I can with a DSLR. I don't think follow-focus with a manual focus zoom during a burst would be possible. In-between separate bursts would work, but I can't see how you'd focus during a burst.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

You might check out the Panasonic 45-200, Alice...you might find one used for not much more than the cost of an adapter and vintage zoom, and it is super sharp and has fast, quiet autofocus.

 

[aureliaaurita]

You might check out the Panasonic 45-200, Alice...you might find one used for not much more than the cost of an adapter and vintage zoom, and it is super sharp and has fast, quiet autofocus.

brilliant, thank you

 

[Federico Alberto]

Adapted OM and ZD telephoto/zoom options for your new E-P1

Adapted OM and ZD telephoto/zoom options for your new E-P1

Congratulations on purchasing an E-P1.

I have tested extensively three OM telephotos with mine:

OM 100mm f/2 ED:


OM 135mm f/2.8:


OM 200mm f/4:


Hopefully in your dad's stash of OM glass you'll find one of these.

By relying on their focusing scales, you can very well prefocus your shots in burst mode, setting the sensor stabilizer manually for the respective focal length of these lenses.

Another adapted lens you can consider is the ZD 70-300mm f/4-5.6 ED together with the Olympus MMF-1 adaptor. In my experience, AF performance with my E-P1 is vastly superior than with my E-3. I guess it's just because this lens is CDAF native.

Enjoy your new baby.

And don't forget to share those shots!

 

[aureliaaurita]

very good federico - I am heading back to London tomorrow so I'll have a rummage 🙂