Olympus EPL 2

[gusgus]

Hi there,
I have been lurking about here for a while, trying to teach myself all about photography - I think I understand the basics of aperture, ISO and shutterspeed. After a fair amount of research, I bought myself my first camera - an Olympus EPL 2, which comes highly recommended as a step up from a P&S - I also bought the Panasonic 20mm lens that is also highly regarded.
My problem is my photos do not have the same quality as my old Olympus C760 - - I have been practicing quite a bit - but I am just not happy with the quality. I have had the camera about 6months now. (2500 photos from an overseas trip!!! - only a few worth printing)

Is it possible that there is ever inherent problems with either the camera or lens or is it just me??? If there could be a problem with the camera, I would like to know before the warranty expires.

Please help a newbie.

[ravncat]

I think we need images to troubleshoot.

But, you've doubled resolution, 3 - 12 megapixels is a big jump and likely to show flaws in your shot technique . Hang in there.

[inkista]

It could be the gear, but it's more likely to be you. Sorry.

Moving from a "point and shoot" small-sensored camera to a larger-sensored interchangeable lens camera does require adjustment to technique and acquiring knowledge on how to make photographs to get the best out of things.

I just acquired a micro four-thirds camera myself (the Panasonic DMC-G3), that same 20/1.7 lens, and I can tell you, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with mine.


Panasonic G3, Lumix G 20mm f/1.7. iso 160, f/8, 1/500s.

But I also drive it in M and A most of the time, and I have 30 years' experience shooting with SLRs, and about 5 years' experience with digital SLRs and a range of lenses and gear. I have the edge, here.

The one big thing that a P&S camera does not teach you is how to focus. Because a P&S camera has a tiny sensor, and an equally tiny lens, you have a huge depth of field--the range of distances at which a subject appears acceptably sharp and in focus. Focusing is not particularly critical. But with a larger sensor (and a micro four-thirds sensor is about 4x the size of one in a P&S camera), and larger lenses, that depth of field narrows, and focusing becomes much more of an issue. Particularly when you use larger apertures like f/1.7 on the 20mm. Then you really have to select what you want in focus and get it in focus.


Panasonic G3, Lumix G 20mm f/1.7. iso 200, f/2, 1/1600s.

You also need to make sure that your shutter speed is fast enough. Your EPL-2 is stabilized, and that should help, but camera shake and handholding technique can create blur. The rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should be 1/focal_length. With a micro four-thirds camera, I'm finding that adding the crop factor in isn't a bad idea, either. So, 1/40s is probably your limit with good handholding technique. That doesn't mean holding the camera with one hand at arm's length while looking at the LCD, btw. It means, holding it in steady with both hands. This is why some folks like having EVFs on their cameras.

You need to know about metering and exposure, and how to use your iso/aperture/shutter speed settings and the meter together to get the exposure you want. The book I recommend for this is Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure.

And last, but not least, post-processing is a necessary evil in getting the most from your camera. I'm not only shooting in M or A, I'm also shooting in RAW, using the Adobe RGB color space, and then processing everything in Adobe Lightroom 3 (and possibly tweaking in Photoshop CS5). You don't have to go whole hog like that, but if you're only using Picasa or iPhoto, then you may not have all the tools at your command that you want. Consider RAWTherapee and the Gimp if you want free tools.


Panasonic G3. Lumix G 20mm f/1.7. iso 160, f/2, 1/4000s. Burst shooting, 3 of 4 shots in burst montaged together with masks/layers in Photoshop CS5.


Panasonic G3. Lumix G Vario 14-42 f/3.5-5.6 (kit lens). iso 160, f/8, 10s. tripod/timer. Hoya R72 infrared filter. Auto-Curves and red/blue channel swapped in Photoshop CS5.

Post an image you think has a problem, with the basic EXIF information (iso, aperture, shutter speed, shooting mode) and we might be able to help you with some of the technique issues.

A camera is just a tool. You still have to know how to use it. The nice thing is, it's easy to learn technique, and a lot less expensive than the camera was.