How many of you considered jumping ship

[Ixon]

I must admit last week i considered selling everything & moving over to Nikon with either the D90 or the D300.

I think the hype got to me for a moment moreso with the D90.

Anyroads i soon came to my sences & relized i have 2 great camera's & good lenses & to sell them at a loss only to buy into a new system again would leave me with empty pockets for a while, plus a new camera with all new updated features won't make me any better a photographer.

Anyroads im now looking forward to the E-xx & investing in some more glass moreso the 9-18mm, Sigma 50mm F1.4 & 50-200mm SWD.

So how many of you have considered it in the past to switch to either Nikon or Canon.

--
Olympus E-520 & E-420
Zuiko 25mm Pancake
Zuiko 12-60mm SWD
Zuiko 70-300mm
Olympus FL-50 Flash

 

[Joesiv]

I do fairly often, although a lot of that would change olypus had some more lens' at more affordable prices at the 300+ mm range.

But realistically for me it will likely not be a "jump ship" but just an additional system. I like the portability of fourthirds, and will likely migrate to mFT to further that avenue, and get a FF or larger for cleaner and faster shutter speeds.
--
Cloverdale, B.C., Canada
Olympus e-510 L1
http://joesiv.smugmug.com

 

[PaulSnowcat]

I am a rather new OLY user, came from Pentax, and have no regrets at all.

Color rendition is VERY important to me, and I know that no other camera, except Oly can give me that beautiful colors without alot of postprocessing. Well, actually Fuji can do that, but 6Mp is too little if you crop sometimes...

Sometimes I go for a walk with my photographer friends, and we shoot same things. Each time I see photoes taken by other cameras, including D300 BTW, I think something like "thanks god I have the E3". Other camera's colors are not even close to what my E3 gives even with minimal postprocessing.

So I am definetely staying with Olympus as long as it will release new cameras.
--

Your soul and heart are the true optics that make a picture, not lenses and camera.
My photo page http://public.fotki.com/snowcat8/

 

[Don Richardson]

Olympus 4/3 system with IS and Zuiko lenses have kept me from considering it. Now with the new tweener on the way the only juimping I will be doing it to it from my trusty E-510 and maybe the Sigma 50 1.4 lens.

 

[LeeA]

I've toyed with the idea and bought a Nikon system (D300) just to see how it measured up. After a few months, I can say that there is no reason to dump E3 in favor of a D300. I'll continue to use both, but when I'm in the mood to take beautiful still photos, I grab the E3. Nikon is great for action and travel (the meter and AF are really good, especially in less than optimal light). There is a huge degree of latitude in a .nef so if you are less than totally skilled (that would be me) you can salvage the vacation shots once you get back home!

Certainly the D300 is no better than E3, it's just different. Not worth switching to. As a first choice? Don't know. If I was starting from scratch, it would be a toss up. I'd be thrilled with either.

Lee

 

[baschwek]

If you mean ship like a brand, then not. Still consider Oly to be the best solution in crippled sensor size market, only jump to FF make sense to me. Maybe with some nice fast primes I will stay with 4/3. I will decide when the answer of canon and nikon to m4/3 will be known too.

 

[Leejay Wu]

...back when I was using an E-1 + 50-200mm (non-SWD) to shoot softball in the late afternoons/evenings on poorly-lit fields. However, it was (and is) a completely unpaid hobby for me, I was mostly shooting other subjects, and I judged that the additional cost, weight and the overall hassle of switching wasn't really justifiable.

I don't have that particular motivation anymore, as the players I'd been shooting were mostly co-workers of whom sufficient numbers are no longer co-workers so that there ain't no team to photograph. So superb C-AF tracking is not nearly as important for me now except for the rare attempt at BIF -- same reason why I haven't bought the SWD version of that lens. shrug

 

[ljclark]

Owning both at one time I thought the E-3 felt a little nicer in the hand (with battery grip) than the D300...But I far, far prefer the control layout and menus of the Nikon. There is no size advantage (as in smaller) to the E-3 when you mount lenses that give similar performance.

I bought a second D300 and sold the E-3. For the sports work I do, I felt that the Nikon was a better body with better features, and I saw no reason to ditch my Nikon lenses for equivalent Zuikos.

For 95% of shooters and shooting, however, there may be no real justification for switching systems. It is probably better to grow with the system you have become used to. That allows more time for improving your images, and less time fussing around with learning new hardware. (The D300 factory defaults, btw, are obtuse.)

The point where you should consider switching is when you consistently encounter situations where the equipment stops you from taking the kind of picture you want -- and you determine with certainty that it really is an equipment problem (and not a loose screw behind the viewfinder).

--
If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?

 

[WMann]

I bought Olympus because it was the best system available for what I do. Long as that's true, I'm here. Soon as it changes I'm gone.

"The right tool for the job."

--
W.

NSFW -- My alternative portrait and figure photography
http://www.silvermirage.com

 

[Bob tucker]

Hi.A few years ago i jumped ship from canon DSLR's to Olympus and i coulden't be happier.Last year i wanted a nikon too so i bought a D80 i already had a bunch of lens's from my nikon Film cameras.My D80 takes nice pictures but so do my Olys

so im staying with Olympus because there smaller and do just as good as my nikon.
Save your money and injoy your olympus Cheers Bob.

Former Marine Semper Fidelis { Always Faithful}
From 1957 to 1960
http://Senior-Bob.smugmug.com/photos/54093592-Th.jp
Olympus E-1,420,330,300
25 pancake,50 macro,14-54,14-45,14-42
40-150,18-180,70-300,EX-25
FL50,FL36

 

[fldspringer]

So how many of you have considered it in the past to switch to either
Nikon or Canon.

--

More and more noise is being made about less and less difference between cameras. All do a nice job. Sure, there are differences, but the crop sensors vs something like the E-3, they are not earth shaking.

I'm done shopping. The E-3 suits my needs. I'm really pleased with the output and the camera. That may change in the future, but I see no need to obsess over something like the D300 of 40/50D.

Too many worry about the possibility that someone may have a better camera than they do. The jump, then a new kid shows with another new camera. Its alot like a dog chasing its tail. The dog will never catch up.

-
Greg

http://www.spanielsport.com/

 

[Art_P]

even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford it.

Doesn't help that I still have almost every Oly I've ever bought... If I could just part with one or two I might be able to afford that new 9-18 lens... but I don't think that OM-PC or -707 will net me much anyway, and how could I part with the OM-4?
--
Art P



Select images may be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8131242@N04/

 

[nrg35]

I'm absolutely certain I'll be jumping ship at some point from 4/3rds. Nice setup, but they clearly are abandoning the serious camera market in my mind. I figure I'll use my current cameras until they stop working until all these full frame offers settle down a bit and the price drops somewhat. Maybe this time next year I'll be shopping for my first full frame.
--
Neil
Nanaimo Canada

 

[runrom]

Please give us forum users a heads up on what you're selling your gear for...I'll take that lagging edge technology of your hands...

 

[Wolfe_boy]

I fully agree with your desire to remain onboard the good ship Olympus, but... well, did no one else notice you contradict yourself?

You were amazed by new technology and wanted to invest in a new camera and new glass for it. Good thing that you came to your senses and decided to invest in a new camera and some new glass for it.

Heh.

 

[chystokletov]

...FF, more pixels and bigger lenses are not going to make me better photographer…my E-1, E-3, E-510 serve me well.

best regards

 

[Bo Lorentzen]

Noooo,

I was reading the olympus forum a year ago around the time the E3 came out... lots of people excited, and lots of people saying "too little too late.." sure they all have a point.. but its not about jumping ship.

Any camera will do, its just about what makes you happy taking pictures just now.. if a new Nikon is what gets you hot.. then thats it..

Please everybody - forget loyalty to any brand and instead be loyal only to pictures. as long as you are inspired any boxcamera will do.

• that said, I still like Olympus and have stuck around with it since my E10... so guess it will be a bit longer yet.

Bo

http://www.bophoto.com/panos

 

[craig w garland]

considered adding the Canon 5D and a good L series landscape lens-- ever since it came out. But there's no better glass than ZD. IMO.

Besides, I don't want to spend a lot of time swabbing a sensor.

Cheers. Craig
--
'Shoot freely and edit ruthlessly' me, November 2002-- after purchase of E-1.
Equipment in profile.

 

[wmsson]

Well, if I jumped it would not be for less noise at high ISO with other systems. I don't do enough fast action or any action in really low light to warrant another brands cropped sensor cameras or full frame.

Check out this E510 photo: It was just one shot of some I took at different ISOs to see the difference and play around with a noise removal method I used with my digicam as even at 100 ISO and a good exposure I had to try to minimize noise. I wanted to see if it would work for the e510s 800 and 1600 ISO images or I should invest in something better. So I take the photos, load them on the computer and load up the 1600 ISO photo and I couldn't try out my noise removal method because there's just no noise to remove. This photo was taken with the noise filter off. A little soft, not sure if there is a diffraction issue from using f11, por autofocus or it was just a bad handholding day for me (1/160th at 1000 mm equivalent). But where the heck is the noise? Geez, what a letdown from what I was expecting.



And here's a 1.5 stop underexposed E3 3200 ISO jpeg with the noise filter off and I wanted to see how terrible it would be by pushing push it to 8000 ISO brightness (if I had 8000 ISO on the camera) with limited software (the Master2 brightness slider, a touch of contrast and saturation, and relying only on jpeg compression to hide the noise.) Yea, I was really bored that day, nothing on TV and lots of complaints on the forums of everything peoples gear can't do and dreaming of cameras that don't exist yet...and then they'll be able to take really good photos. I can only take so much of that.

Anyway, I won't be printing it large and hanging it in a gallery but it's nice to know what I can do in a pinch with my gear if I really have too.



OK, some of the people from other brands are lying about the noise of 4/3 sensors for typical presentations. Good thing I did not listen to them in choosing the best system for me.

 

[Raist3d]

I have found that I am very lucky, that I have been able to buy cameras when looking at the past years at the rate I have. I work and earn the good money that I can pay for that (or I have deluded myself into thinking I have the means and cash).

When I examine this, I realize I do this partly because of the geek toy lover that still exists in me, partly because of new photographic convenience, partly because of the excitement in the challenge of "learning a new guitar and how to make it sing" which is a bit related to the first reason, partly to feel a bit alive which is at least partially empty since these are all material things (but through the other reasons, there's a part that is not that material but human).

In the end, it seems the photographic equipment you have is more than good enough for photography, and then I think it's important to ask ourselves (I- ask myself, you ask yourself) as we as individuals in the end are the only ones who know or can now for sure, why we want to buy something new. Very often if not the majority of the time it has very little to do with photography.

Update: many photographers stuck with a camera in the past for ages.

--
Raist3d (Photographer & Tools/Systems/Gui Games Developer)
Andreas Feininger (1906-1999) 'Photographers — idiots, of which there are
so many — say, “Oh, if only I had a Nikon or a Leica, I could make great
photographs.” That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life. It’s
nothing but a matter of seeing, and thinking, and interest. That’s what
makes a good photograph.'