Does This Sound Like a Good Start?

[Cold]

After beginning to take my photography seriously (beyond a simple gather, smile, click), a little over a year ago, I've been casually reading up on, pricing, comparing, and evaluating possible entries into the realm of dSLR photography. I still love my little Pentax P&S, but I'm getting to the point that the little thing is frustrating me because I know better than it does what I want to do, and it doesn't give me the options to do it. In short: I'm tired of having to try to fool the camera, and I feel like its starting to hinder my learning progress.

That said, I can't justify dropping 4 figures on a camera, and, in all my hobbies, I'm focused on getting maximum bang-for-buck within my given budget. A few months of searching, and I'm closer than ever to making a purchase.

First, I found an Olympus E-600 kit w/ the two kit lenses (14-42 & 40-150) for $450. It seemed to offer a great balance of features, customization options, and design, at a price that I could afford.

Just a few days ago, though, I came across someone selling their Nikon D80 w/ 50mm f/1.8 for the same price. (The seller says just 3,800 actuations.)

Now I'm strongly leaning toward the D80. I can pick up a standard zoom as cheap or expensive as I like (and have already started the browse & compare process for them), and in the mean time, the 50 should be able to handle a variety of situations well.

I bring this to you, the community, because of the centuries of combined experience found here. I'd like to hear your opinions on this decision and reasons for it. Any known pitfalls/drawbacks/quirks with either the D80 or E-600?

I like the idea of the D80 having the focus motor built in, though the 600 1-ups that by having both the focus and IS in-body, but the biggest cons there being the smaller sensor (with more MP crammed onto it), and the much smaller field of lens options down the road. On the flip-side, the D80 is used equipment, older technology, and won't come with any sort of warranty.

Also, from advice here and elsewhere, I've held both models (actually the D90 in a store), and these are two of the few comsumer SLRs that I actually like the feel of. The D3000 & 5000 and the Canon Rebels just felt too cramped together...Sony even more so.

I understand that the nice people here get pelted with the same 'beginner slr' questions day in and day out, hopefully this one is slightly better than the newb who hasn't done any homework of their own.

I look forward to hearing from you all!

[kuvahmagh]

I've never used either of those particular cameras but I do use Olympus.

Is there anything in particular you want to shoot, sports, portraits low light?

You mention the smaller choices in lenses from Olympus compared to Nikon, while I agree there are fewer lenses from Olympus, mostly due to their lack of Primes vs companies like Canon and Nikon, if you look at the quality of zooms offered they many times meet and in some cases can surpass competing primes in terms of image quality. Is there a particular lens or lenses that you are looking at that aren't available?

I also don't trust that actuation count, pretty much all cameras that I know of have a roll over point where their counter resets, mine claims it has under 8k however in the past 2 years for 20 nights a year I have put well over 1k shots on it each night and my camera model is newer. I'm not saying it is wrong just suspect based on the limited information I have.

[Cold]

First of all, thanks for the reply! I was starting to think I wouldn't get an opinion from anyone! :P

How do you like Olympus SLRs overall?

I would be doing mostly nature, landscapes, and wildlife for the majority of my photography, but with a good bit of macro thrown in. I'd also like to try street photography, but as of now, I only do a little bit on occasion. No sports and no portraiture planned.

As far as specific lenses, one of the big ones is a fast standard like the 50mm. Oly has their 25mm pancake, but it isn't terribly fast for a prime. Aside from that, it's just the general sense that Oly is far more focused now on Micro 4/3, and that within a given description, there's just one lens, or maybe two, as far as options within a given price range.

The actuation thing is news to me. How often have you encountered the improper readings?

I sent the seller an email asking why he's selling and why paired up with the 50 (a lens that people usually tend to hang on to). So far no reply, but that was just a day ago.

If I do meet up with the seller to check out the D80, anything specific to look for when examining the camera?

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by Cold

The actuation thing is news to me. How often have you encountered the improper readings?

It depends how the person is judging the shutter actuations. If they're judging it based on the file name, that's potentially hugely inaccurate. If they're getting the shutter actuations from the data in a file, then that's likely to be much more accurate. That doesn't roll over.

What you could do is ask the person to send you an unedited jpg and then open it in something like Exif viewer : Opanda IExif - Professional EXIF / GPS / IPTC Viewer & Editor in Windows, IE & Firefox (it's free) and from there you can view the number of shutter actuations.

[kuvahmagh]

Originally Posted by Nicole

It depends how the person is judging the shutter actuations. If they're judging it based on the file name, that's potentially hugely inaccurate. If they're getting the shutter actuations from the data in a file, then that's likely to be much more accurate. That doesn't roll over.

What you could do is ask the person to send you an unedited jpg and then open it in something like Exif viewer : Opanda IExif - Professional EXIF / GPS / IPTC Viewer & Editor in Windows, IE & Firefox (it's free) and from there you can view the number of shutter actuations.

I don't think Olympus puts it in the EXIF, I just tried the program you cited on a file and it doesn't say anywhere what the actuations is.

As far as specific lenses, one of the big ones is a fast standard like the 50mm. Oly has their 25mm pancake, but it isn't terribly fast for a prime. Aside from that, it's just the general sense that Oly is far more focused now on Micro 4/3, and that within a given description, there's just one lens, or maybe two, as far as options within a given price range.

Its true, I share your concern about their focus or lack of it on the FT standard. I guess the only real consolation I can offer regarding m4/3 and 4/3 is that since the sensor is the same so as long as they continue to develop one then it is a possibility we will see both on the market.

As to Olympus in general. I use them for low light action, something they are not known for and it works though Canon or Nikon would be better for that. For just general shooting it works well, at this point in the game they are all pretty comparable when looking at the same level and in general. My personal advice would be to go with the glass, your not just buying a camera your buying a system, if Nikon has Glass you really want then go Nikon, for me Olympus offers glass no one else does, for me the sole reason I want to stay with Olympus are lenses like the 35-100 2.0, faster than any other lens that I know of in that focal range or the 90-250 2.8, again faster than anything else in that range on the market.

[Cold]

Thanks, Nicole! I'll definitely ask him to email me a recent, unedited photo from the camera. That's some great info.

kuvahmagh, there's no specific glass that I have my eye on, but because of that very reason, I'm leaning toward the nikon. Both of those fast zooms you mentioned will always be out of my price range, no matter what. While I enjoy photography, I can't see myself spending that kind of money on glass.

I also agree that you can't really go wrong in this market today, but I still do have to make a choice.

Also considering the fact that I can get an adapter for OM glass too...

By the way, I checked out your site and your shots are beautiful!

[kuvahmagh]

Originally Posted by Cold

Thanks, Nicole! I'll definitely ask him to email me a recent, unedited photo from the camera. That's some great info.

kuvahmagh, there's no specific glass that I have my eye on, but because of that very reason, I'm leaning toward the nikon. Both of those fast zooms you mentioned will always be out of my price range, no matter what. While I enjoy photography, I can't see myself spending that kind of money on glass.

I also agree that you can't really go wrong in this market today, but I still do have to make a choice.

Also considering the fact that I can get an adapter for OM glass too...

By the way, I checked out your site and your shots are beautiful!

Either one will give you good results, after a lot of thought I believe I will be sticking with Olympus, their Cameras may not be the best but they offer some Glass that I could really use that no one else does so for me the 4/3 system is the 'best match'.

One thing I would say, look very carefully at 'price comparisons' and keep in mind that when you are talking about 4/3 you have a 2x Focal Length Modifier compared to 1.5 I believe for Nikon and 1.6 for Canon. I did the math and I could pick up a E-5, currently priced about $100 more than the 7D, the 35-100 2.0, equivalent to 70-200 2.0 on FF, for less than it would cost to get the 7D, a Canon 70-200 2.8 and a short lens, the difference was close to $1000 for Olympus, granted that is mostly because of adding a lens I don't need to buy if I stay Olympus but my point is that prices really aren't that different between the brands.

Also all those shots on the site and on Flikr are taken with a E-410, 14-42 & 40-150 Kit lenses, I'd put the Olympus kit glass up against anyone else any day of the week until you get into the higher end stuff. Like I said, this day in age the equipment is roughly equal when comparing similar levels and a lot of it has to do with skill and practice.

[Cold]

Oh absolutely. I've done a lot of reading and comparisons, and for the price of admission, I think Oly has the best kit lenses in the game. Don't worry, I'm STILL strongly considering the E-600 w/ both kit lenses. Especially if the seller for the D80 doesn't reply to my emails soon lol. Like you said, hardware-wise, I don't really think you can go wrong in the consumer-level SLR market.

Particularly attractive with Oly is the ability to use OM lenses with AF and IS.

[kuvahmagh]

Originally Posted by Cold

Particularly attractive with Oly is the ability to use OM lenses with AF and IS.

IS yes, you just have to enter in the Focal Length so the camera knows what it is doing, AF I don't think so. I'm far from an expert having never played with it but I am pretty certain that using OM glass through the adapter is just like any old glass on any new body through an adapter, you are reduced to Aperture Priority and Manual, you loose AF and a whole bunch of info in the EXIF along with a few other things I've never really paid any attention to. Hopefully someone who knows can answer that part of things.