400D to E-510?

I'm just interested to find out if any of you fellow 400D owners are inspired by the latest offerings from Olympus such as the E-510 to an extent that you would trade all your gear and switch over.

The added features like the superior Dust Reduction system, IS and Live View looks very attractive on paper and I'm kinda swayed to switch.

I've only had my 400D for 3 months and I loved every minute of using it, but what has bothered me all these time were the ergonomics of the camera (I'm only speaking for myself, so for those of you who has no problem with the 400D's handling then please disregard this) and this is the only cons I have with the 400D. The pros: I love the huge list of lenses available as well as the relatively low noise high iso performance.

I'm the type of person who likes to adopt the latest technologies and innovations whenever they come out and I'm not a very brand loyal person. But, if Canon in the present time have a DSLR that has the above mentioned features that the Olympus has, then I would definitely choose Canon over Olympus.

I have yet to decide as to whether I'll switch or not, it all comes down to reviews from reputable sources like dpreview and price.

Feel free to share your comments.
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Canon EOS-400D & Sigma 17-70

There is always another camera out there with more features and if that is the only thing that is important, change. Some people enjoy the new technology above taking photos.The trouble with that is that you will never 'bond' with your present camera and will always be looking for something else.

When the 400D came out, I upgraded the 350D as it had features I liked, but there is no way I would change to another brand. I know what my camera can do, but more importantly I know what my lenses are capable of.

Huge pros. To reproduce either the low-light or even shallow dof performance on the Olympus platform, you'll have to spend a pretty penny on their rightfully touted but very expensive big f-stop lenses. I would expect other handling features like Canon's USM lenses, fast AF performance, typically deep burst modes, etc to also be missed.

If you like innovation, then you can expect other Canon bodies to keep up the pace. Then again, if you're a product or landscape shooter, Liveview alone could sway your decision - but that's not "innovation", it's just a new feature in the ever-churning cycle of feature introductions. Sure, don't be brand loyal, but pay attention to your pocketbook and not buy what you don't need or go swapping systems and lenses on a whim.

urxtream said:

The pros: I love the huge list of lenses available as well as
the relatively low noise high iso performance.

I'm the type of person who likes to adopt the latest technologies
and innovations whenever they come out and I'm not a very brand
loyal person.

Click to expand...

urxtream said:

The added features like the superior Dust Reduction system, IS and
Live View looks very attractive on paper and I'm kinda swayed to
switch.

Click to expand...

I suggest you try out the live view on the E510 before making your decision. I tested it in a shop... And I will just say that I agree with Phil's opinion. Having to hold the camera steady for several precious seconds as you wait for the mirror to flip, AF and AE to lock before the capture can make you lose shots. Olympus should have implemented contrast based AF on the sensor (like compact digicams).

Initially, I thought I will use the live view for macro photo. But now, I've changed my mind... response is just too slow for me. If you are taking macro shots of stationary targets, it's fine. Personally, I much prefer the faster AF, rapid response and excellent high ISO performance of the 400D.

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See the colors of my world in:
thw.smugmug.com

I will because I owned an E500 and like the images better. Canon images can appear to be two dimensional while Olympus' have more a three dimensional appearance. I think that it is the lenses and the Olympus focus, slower but more accurate. You can see both on my flickr site.
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Olympus 40-150, 50-200
c-50,
Canon Elan 7, XTi 28-90, 100-300, 50 f/1.8, sigma 10-20
http://www.flickr.com/photos/75673106@N00/

Live view isn't so important to me where as the in body IS is the main driving factor for me to consider the olympus systems cos I really can't afford the IS lens in the Canon range
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Canon EOS-400D & Sigma 17-70

If you were just starting out, I would definitely consider the Olympus (and other brands) cameras. I used to have an Oly E-10 and it took really beautiful pictures, especially with that fat F2.0 lens on it. Other features like the in-camera IS and the live view- which has its specific uses like still life and portrait work- certainly are attractive.

But switching from one brand, especially a capable brand like Canon, just for those features is kind of iffy. Like it or not, Canon and Nikon will always have the resources to put out more equipment and options than the smaller brands, who have to work much harder to gain a market. Depending on how much I have invested, I would probably not consider a switch, especially since the really good lenses for Oly are not exactly affordable.

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Dan Murrell
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danmurrelljr/

I'm a Canon 30D users, who just bought the 400D for lighter weight. The 400d is good enought that I may end up selling the 30d. If I do, I may pickup the Olympus E510 just for fun.

However, Olympus cannot replace either Canon nor Nikon. It has been my experience that Sony / Minolta / Pentax / and Olympus cannot cut it as a single system supplier. Meaning when you want critical lens, you can buy them in either Nikon or Canon mount anytimes, but you can't do the same with other brand. I used to own Konica Minolta 5D and I hate having to pay a huge premium for minolta lens on ebay. The pentax situation isn't much better. I'm facinated by Olympus, but I would think twice about SWTICHING. I would ADD an oly rather than a complete switch.
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FANBOY(i)sm is a NEUROSIS, Get Help!

Clark666 said:

I will because I owned an E500 and like the images better. Canon
images can appear to be two dimensional while Olympus' have more a
three dimensional appearance. I think that it is the lenses and
the Olympus focus, slower but more accurate. You can see both on
my flickr site.

Click to expand...

The 3D look usually comes between 50/1.4 and 80-85/1.8 range lenses. The perspective has to remain as you see it (in and around 50mm) and the subject well separated from the surroundings (as with larger sensor + very wide aperture). The background has to blur in gradually, as if in distance increments. The last time I looked this combination is permanently out of reach for Olympus.

More accurate focus is also something you can read about in Olympus forum only. You simply can not compare Olympus focus to neither Canon nor Nikon. Definitely not with either of your 40-150 or 50-200 and 3 point only.

I do not think LV is such a big innovation. It slows the camera down and you can not use it in bright, sunny environment. I might change my opinion when I see superb macro shots done with the help of LV, but I have not seen those either.

For whatever it is worth I would stick with Canon and possibly upgrade to a 30D for better ergonomics. The battery pack also balances lower models quite nicely, adding precisely to the ergonomics of the camera. I might consider trying out Nikon, just for curiosity, but Olympus - no, thank you.

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*******
Walter

The Canon 1D mark III has liveview and dust reduction, plus superior handling. Have you consider this body? Obviously, it is more costly and bulkier than either the Rebel or Olympus and that may be a factor for you.

Robotnik12356 said:

The Canon 1D mark III has liveview and dust reduction, plus
superior handling. Have you consider this body? Obviously, it is
more costly and bulkier than either the Rebel or Olympus and that
may be a factor for you.

Click to expand...

That would the ideal camera wouldn't it? but I really can't afford such an expensive camera and judging by my skills at the moment I don't think I'll be able to explore the full potential of the 1D mark III anyway.

Thanks for your suggestion anyway.

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Canon EOS-400D & Sigma 17-70

...I gotta just scratch my head!

Robotnik12356 said:

The Canon 1D mark III has liveview and dust reduction, plus
superior handling. Have you consider this body? Obviously, it is
more costly and bulkier than either the Rebel or Olympus and that
may be a factor for you.

Click to expand...

that's one of the main reason I considered switching to Pentax K10d (a sweet nice handling camera). Alas the lenses I wanted were not available, or hard/impossible to find used making that system more expensive after all for me.

I don't really want live view. I DO want a brighter VF and not a tunnel, thank you...

Anyway, I would check the Pentax system. 2 models with body IS and lots of interesting primes. Long zooms (300+) are it's weakest point as there are very few (sigmas).

urxtream said:

Live view isn't so important to me where as the in body IS is the
main driving factor for me to consider the olympus systems cos I
really can't afford the IS lens in the Canon range
--
Canon EOS-400D & Sigma 17-70

Click to expand...

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Alain D

Rebel X T / 3 5 0 D
sigma 1 7 - 7 0 mm f2.8/4.5
tokina 8 0 - 4 0 0 mm ATX-D f 4.5/5.6
canon 5 0 mm f 1.8
sigma 1 8 - 2 0 0 mm f3.5/6.3
flash 4 2 0 E X