Curious

[ShepherdLady]

For those of you owning Olympus SLR cameras, why did you choose Olympus over the other more popular brands out there?

No need to mention any other brand in your reply as I don't want to start a camera war or anything like that.

I'm just curious ....

[KodiakStar]

For me, it was the features for the price. I did a lot of research... Loved the images it took, and seemed like a great camera for the price range I was looking at. Glass is a bit more expensive...

The final test was going to the store and playing with them. The E-510 felt "right" in my hands compared to the Nikon D40's and whatever the Cannon one was (I forget now).

I don't need to buy a lot of glass, and I don't plan to own more then maybe 4-5 total in the end, so it was not a big need to seek out the extensive lines of glass the other companies have...

And I like going against mainstream

[mahree]

My dad shot with one when I was really little and it's the only brand that I've really "known". I've stuck with it since my first camera because the design is really familiar and my movements are almost automatic.

[ShepherdLady]

Thanks for your feedback! I appreciate it.

I'm so far very happy with my Olympus. And I've always heard Olympus had exceptional quality glass. Before my SLR, I had two Olympus digital point and shoots, that I liked a lot.

Have to say though that a good online friend of mine, gave me my SLR, with the two kit lenses brand new, never opened. I was even able to register it in my name.

It was just to much of a camera for her. So she gave it to me and bought herself an easier camera for herself and she is quite happy with it.

[Foxcow]

It was the best value. My dad shoots with Olympus and has been for a very long time so that kind of swayed me judging by some of the shots he has taken. He has an E-500 right now.

I think they are fantastic cameras and like another poster said, I hate being mainstream

[KodiakStar]

I need some new friends...

[ShepherdLady]

Originally Posted by KodiakStar

I need some new friends...

LOL! c Believe me, I was shocked she gave it to me!! She even gave me a brand new, still with the tags on it, camera bag. Everything was brand new. She even sent me the receipt.

And I never met her in person. We talked online, for years and years. And on the phone. Super nice lady. Even before she gave me it.

[mamcjreynolds]

I have the e 500 and have been toying with getting the E3. I have compared my pics to other brands and they are as good if not better. I am still trying to get the field of Dept/AF to work together. I think that the only draw bak to the Olympus E 500 is the AF Points

[fletch]

For me it was the best deal at the time and it felt good in my hand. Arround Jan 08 the E510 easily had the best features for the price. I wrote all about it here on my blog if you want the whole details behind my choice.

I still love the camera but don't think the new E520 represnets the same value. Canon and Nikon have added all of the features to their new models the made the E510 stand out and when you couple this with the extra lenses available at cheaper prices the olympus no longer stands out. When you then consider the better low ISO performace of the Canikons it does not seem the best option to go Olympus. The only thing it really has going is the quality of the kit lens. Plus I really hate the 4/3rd aspect ratio and end up cropping all my shots to 3:2.

[Heuristx]

I researched it, too.

1) Lenses:
No other system can give me the full range from 24 mm(!) to 600 mm(!!!) in only two, lightweight, small lenses - with perfect sharpness, no glare, highest definition and contrast! The other systems would make me pay twice as much and carry twice the size and weight.
The 4/3 system is often misrepresented. People expect some tiny cameras and are surprised to find that the bodies are not that much smaller. However, the system with its better ratio, near-telecentric lenses offers a smaller and lighter (and cheaper) overall package with more daring zoom ranges and flawless quality.

2) Sensor:
Other companies would like us to believe that the 4/3 is some Mickey Mouse size, a tiny, noisy sensor. But it's not all that much smaller than others, just more optimized. Look at pictures taken with them, that should straighten this out. These sensors have the most beautiful colours. (I know, this is subjective, but not many people dispute it.)
ISO noise is not bad at all, certainly not a problem, no matter what some reviewers say. And in every other aspect, too, you get a truly professional quality.

3) Features:
Lately I read some review and was shocked that a certain other famous manufacturer offers an SLR body with no bracketing feature. That was an eye-opener, many features that we Olympus users take for granted are simply missing from other makes.