I am "building" my p&s

Ok, nowI got your attention and made you read this thread.

Actually I would like to ask Olympus why there is no useful super zoom for 4/3. For all these great small cameras we don't have nice 28-300 eq lens for times that low weight and no lens changes are needed. I know about 18-180, but that one is not the ONE.

Yeah I also know about "mythical" PanaLeica 14-150. I wrote mythical because it is so rare and expensive.

I own C-7070 but it is just not for me - it is slow (compared to DSLR), not that much smaller as E30+lens and it has less reach as 12-60. So I decided to get rid of it.
Now my "p&s" will be Nikon D40 and Nikkor18-200. :O

Both dirt cheap, both second hand. So even if one "dies" I won't loose much. Beside since it is cheap, I will not care about it that much and will really be my take everywhere combo!

Not to mention good Hi ISO and in lens stabilization. No LV and only 6MP are of no big concern to me.

I really hope Olympus will release super zoom lens similar to Nikkor 18-200 or panaleica 14-150.
Oh, and Ken Rockwell really like D40 and also 18-200 lens!

Regards!

steppenwolfer said:

Ok, nowI got your attention and made you read this thread.

Actually I would like to ask Olympus why there is no useful super zoom for 4/3. For all these great small cameras we don't have nice 28-300 eq lens for times that low weight and no lens changes are needed. I know about 18-180, but that one is not the ONE.

Click to expand...

Are you in the right forum?
There are lots of good zooms out there. 70-300, 50-200, and much much more.

How much do you want to spend?

Given what I see on DPR's test of this lens I'd rather get the Oly 18-180 and just back up as necessary. Needing F16 at 135mm to get contemporary levels of sharpness plus rather bizarre distortion is not something I'd want to buy a whole nuther body for. Starting at 35mm equivalent instead of 28 is a huge relief to the lens designer.

Let's face it, unless the bill is Leicaesque and the production runs slow and/or small, you can't get around the huge tradeoffs that such a wide range forces on the designer. For this sort of lens the software correction route is the only logical path, and that's what I expect Oly to do - eventually. If that's the best that Nikon can do without it at a marketable price, it's unlikely that Oly can better it for the same price given their inherently smaller market.

As long as you're realistic about its limitations, the combo is just fine and a lot more capable and fun than a P&S - if you're willing to carry it.

brycesteiner said:

steppenwolfer said:

Ok, nowI got your attention and made you read this thread.

Actually I would like to ask Olympus why there is no useful super zoom for 4/3. For all these great small cameras we don't have nice 28-300 eq lens for times that low weight and no lens changes are needed. I know about 18-180, but that one is not the ONE.

Click to expand...

Are you in the right forum?
There are lots of good zooms out there. 70-300, 50-200, and much much more.

How much do you want to spend?

Click to expand...

He's talking about a superzoom that goes from 28-300mm (eq). Currently our only options are the 18-180 (awkward wide end focal length) and the 14-150 (awkward on your wallet!).

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I assume you prefer the convenience to the IQ?

Also, while many UZ compacts have remarkably wide zoom ranges, (which is much easier to accomplish with fingernail sized sensors) their lenses also suffer from degrees of chromatic abberation, purple fringing and vignetting that would be unacceptable for a dslr lens (at least for Olympus).

At the time the ZD 18-180 was introduced, Olympus' UZ camera didn't have a wider low end. It was a matter of maintaining optical quality. Hopefully, Olympus has an up to date version available that will offer the image quality expected of ZD glass together with a competitive range at the wide end. A ZD version of the 14-150, priced in the range people expect of ZD mid range lenses, would be great.

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Some people operate cameras. Others use them to create images. There is a difference.

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steppenwolfer said:

Ok, nowI got your attention and made you read this thread.

Actually I would like to ask Olympus why there is no useful super zoom for 4/3. For all these great small cameras we don't have nice 28-300 eq lens for times that low weight and no lens changes are needed. I know about 18-180, but that one is not the ONE.

Yeah I also know about "mythical" PanaLeica 14-150. I wrote mythical because it is so rare and expensive.

I own C-7070 but it is just not for me - it is slow (compared to DSLR), not that much smaller as E30+lens and it has less reach as 12-60. So I decided to get rid of it.
Now my "p&s" will be Nikon D40 and Nikkor18-200. :O

Both dirt cheap, both second hand. So even if one "dies" I won't loose much. Beside since it is cheap, I will not care about it that much and will really be my take everywhere combo!

Not to mention good Hi ISO and in lens stabilization. No LV and only 6MP are of no big concern to me.

I really hope Olympus will release super zoom lens similar to Nikkor 18-200 or panaleica 14-150.
Oh, and Ken Rockwell really like D40 and also 18-200 lens!

Click to expand...

I agree that 4/3s lacks a nice and affordable travel lens or a superzoom. I had started a thread regarding this once:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=32541579

And there was another discussion here:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=32716047

I owned the 18-180mm lens initially, but then sold it as the wide end is just not wide enough. The 14-150mm offers the perfect range but as you said is rare and ridiculously priced.

In all honesty, I don't expect a new superzoom lens, which is very unfortunate as it would be nice to have something in the $500-$650 price range that we can use for travel and general purpose. For me, the 12-60 currently serves as my primary lens and for more reach I have the 40-150mm lens. But 60mm is usually where I max out, I guess I've trained myself to remain within my focal range constraints
--
Raj Sarma
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rssarma
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Follow me on Twitter: rssarma

Olympus enthusiasts from NYC Metro, join UKPSG:
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OK, here's your superzoom DSLR setup that you can achieve today with the Olympus brand. It is what I have done, with the less expensive lenses. Buy two DSLR bodies and attach a lens to each of them. The 4/3rds system provides for relatively light cameras and lenses, so this is easy to use this way. Now you don't have to change lenses for most of your photo opportunities.

If you could purchase a Zuiko 12-60mm lens and use it with the Zuiko 70-300mm lens you would have a 24mm to 600mm EFL (equivalent focal length) reach. That's one of the best things that you could do for now, at a reasonable price. You could purchase some of these used, to save money. There you have it...end of discussion...your affordable 25x superzoom system that will be the envy of all your friends.

Oh, to explain things further -
my current Oly kit is: E-30, 12-60, 50-200 (MKI), 50/2, 40-150 mkI.

But I noticed lately that there are occasions that I am just too lazy to carry additional lens when I don't specifically expect photo opportunities. And at such times I would usually need that other lens I leave behind...

Regards,

That's my point...get another DSLR body which I often jokingly call a large lens cap, and put it on the second lens. What's the extra weight? A few pounds? If you have a nice bag, it's no big deal. I carry with me two bags on my sides, with both cameras (with lenses attached). I'm ready at any moment's notice for a wide range of photos. I'm not going to change lenses, and miss that opportunity. I just pull out the camera and lens that I want. Actually, a lot of people do that...maybe not many...but enough who need that versatility. It's really great, especially at events...try it. My ability to take photos has increased enormously.

Digirame said:

That's my point...get another DSLR body which I often jokingly call a large lens cap, and put it on the second lens. What's the extra weight? A few pounds? If you have a nice bag, it's no big deal. I carry with me two bags on my sides, with both cameras (with lenses attached). I'm ready at any moment's notice for a wide range of photos. I'm not going to change lenses, and miss that opportunity. I just pull out the camera and lens that I want. Actually, a lot of people do that...maybe not many...but enough who need that versatility. It's really great, especially at events...try it. My ability to take photos has increased enormously.

Click to expand...

I fully agree with you. Since a few months I have my old E510 with 14-54 for the wider end and on the other shoulder hangs E620 with 50-200. For macro I screw a Canon 500D on the 50-200. 50-200 is too short for serious birding though, but for the rest it is really perfect to me.

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Bas Dekker
Steenwijk, Netherlands
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