| Author | Thread |
|
|
02/02/2011 02:08:34 PM · #1 |
I meant lens in my topic subject--just saw that mistake!!! I have an Olympus EVolt 500 since 2007....bought the kit ( I know the packaged lenses were not very good!). I also have a Panasonic LX3 which is my pocket camera and I love it! I've got an interest in getting something new. I am wondering if my best bet would be to keep the Olympus body I already have and invest in some really great glass ( around the $1,000 range) or totally switch brands ( looking at Canon or Nikon (mid-range price body) and buying one nice lens ( at least in the beginning). If I keep the body I already have I would probably in the future up-grade the body, but then I would still be tied to the Olympus brand. It seems very overwhelming...beginning to research the idea....I thought I would ask for ideas.
Message edited by author 2011-02-02 14:10:20. |
|
|
|
02/02/2011 02:21:19 PM · #2 |
| If you can buy lenses from Sigma or another 3PP company that will work on your olympus, you won't be locked into using Olympus and can always move to a different camera company at a later date. New glass is always a great solution. |
|
|
|
02/02/2011 02:32:23 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by DChap:
If you can buy lenses from Sigma or another 3PP company that will work on your olympus, you won't be locked into using Olympus and can always move to a different camera company at a later date. New glass is always a great solution. |
If you buy Sigma lenses for your Olympus, they will only work on the Olympus.
I would suggest you look for the best glass to meet your needs, without worrying about the camera manufacturer. Plan ahead..what will you buy next, then next, etc.
If you find that the bes lenses to fit your needs are for a Canon or Nikon body, then plan to switch now.
I did that a while back and switched from Canon to Nikon--mainly because I wanted the 18-200 VR lens as a very flexible walkaround lens, it got great ratings and nothing on my Canon would match it. Three years and two Nikon bodies later, the lens is still my favorite, though I've expanded my Nikon lens collection. I'm still in the process of selling my Canon stuff (not a very active seller), but you can generally resell lenses (and even bodies).
|
|
|
|
02/02/2011 04:26:57 PM · #4 |
| thanks....I guess what I was really wondering would it be a waste of my time and money to buy a really good Olympus lens ( new or used) and use it on my barely used 4 year old Olympus camera body---the Evolt 500? I would like to eventually up-grade the body too, but it would be in the future... |
|
|
|
02/02/2011 08:20:21 PM · #5 |
| anyone care to give me advice....I am really questioning what I should do... |
|
|
|
02/02/2011 09:19:35 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by dagaleaa:
anyone care to give me advice....I am really questioning what I should do... |
Questioning is good. The trick is, asking the right questions ;-)
The right questions are:
- Where do I want to take my photography in the next year? 5 years?
- What glass I might need to serve those needs?
- What body features do I need to serve those needs?
- Will my current body serve my needs? If not, are there other systems that might better serve my expected needs?
Once you have some answers to these questions, you may find yourself in a better position to answer your original question.
It would be easy to say "switch to Nikon or Canon, they have the most choices" and that's true, but a switch may not be the best thing for you personally. |
|
|
|
02/02/2011 11:28:28 PM · #7 |
| actually if you buy a lens that will fit olympus (a 4/3rds camera body) then it will also fit panasonic and Leica 4/3rds bodies and all micro 4/3rd bodies. I've also been considering upgrading lens and body and am going through the same thought processes. |
|
|
|
02/03/2011 03:23:51 PM · #8 |
before investing in new glass you should look at the 4/3 lineup and see if it is what you want to be tied to or not, and also look at the expense of the lenses and lens selection for Canon and Nikon.
Olympus makes great glass but it is very expensive.
And why do you think your kit lens isn't any good? How big do you want to print? |
|
|
|
02/03/2011 04:07:16 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by dagaleaa:
thanks....I guess what I was really wondering would it be a waste of my time and money to buy a really good Olympus lens ( new or used) and use it on my barely used 4 year old Olympus camera body---the Evolt 500? I would like to eventually up-grade the body too, but it would be in the future... |
You say you "have a Panasonic LX3 which is my pocket camera and I love it!" And your Olympus body is hardly used after 4 years. Makes me wonder whether a DSLR is really the right thing for you.
Message edited by author 2011-02-03 16:08:26.
|
|
|
|
02/03/2011 11:27:36 PM · #10 |
| Excellent point Gina, also makes my wonder why they kit lens isn't good enough? |
|
|
|
02/04/2011 08:27:08 AM · #11 |
| thanks everyone for the advice! I do love the LX3...it has a very fast wide angle lens. I shoot in raw, and it is a great camera for capturing candid photographs and HD videos, etc. There are also limitations with it...no telephoto, and very little attainable brokah. The things I love about the LX3 I would like to have in a DSLR---a much faster lens than the one that came with the standard kit. Also, I was hoping to eliminate the limitations of the LX3 with a faster telephoto lens. Also, I take photos and video for a family company business which is a Christmas Lighting business and many of the events I cover for them are outdoors in the dark photographing lighted Palm trees ( live in Florida) etc.. I also photograph interiors of fancy country clubs and hotels which are decorated for the holidays, and many times they are poorly lit---dark with lots of wood, etc.. Last Saturday I spent the day at our local dog park with friends who had this canon camera with a very nice telephoto lens and they took photos of my two corgis and their two corgis and he got some fantastic action close-up shots of all the dogs. So..I began thinking about next Christmas and the photography work I will be doing again, and thinking about making some changes to better meet my needs. I won't toss the LX3 aside...love it for the HD video, and all I've been able to do with it---but, I do want to start using my DSLR more and have it fit my needs and desires. Say if I was going to spend $1000 to possibly $1500 at this moment I began to think would it be better to buy another camera body and a good lens or keep my Olympus Evolt 500 and purchase a very fast lens ( new or used) with the intentions of buying another Olympus body later on down the road. Or do I buy a new or used Canon or Nikon body and a new or used faster lens with the intentions of buying more lenses down the road---knowing the Canon and Nikon lenses are cheaper and I can easily find used ones too. |
|
|
|
02/04/2011 10:21:28 AM · #12 |
Ah, there you have it. You have though hard about your immediate needs, and you know where your current system fails you, and what you need to fill the need. You certainly have two paths to consider. In order to figure out which is appropriate, try to look a little further into the future, and ask where your photography is going. That may illuminate the path a little more.
Just offhand, I think you would be well served by moving to Canon or Nikon, specifically for the wide variety of lenses available, perhaps more economically than for your current system. It certainly is a more expensive path in the near term, but may well wind up being a more economical path in the long term. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Prints! -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/23/2024 10:58:21 PM EDT.
