Did I buy the wrong brand??

[iolair]

The 50mm lens produces results with more contrast because there's less elements in the glass eating up the light. The pancake lens on your camera would sort this out for you to an extent.

Also, though, it looks to me that on the canon photos above, the subject was correctly exposed but on the shots from your setup, it's more like the background is properly exposed but the main subject isn't. You can probably fix this by changing your camera to spot metering (so it just reads the light level from, e.g., the centre of the frame).

 

[ann]

you are using very slow shutter speeds , which being handheld aren't going to be as sharp as your friends camera.

also, you have engaged your exposure comensation dial, did you mean to do that.

your ISO is 400 which may be creating some noise issues. There is no metadata attached to your friends photos but the difference in sensor size is going to produce a different quality image.

Every camera has limitations, and i mean every one. It is important to learn to work within those limitations. I have students with point and shoot cameras who make terrific images as they have learned how to use the camera and are aware of how to work around it's limits.

Since you seem to indicate that cost is an issue, why not practice and learn your present camera and save up for something "better" later on. It is always good to have a back up or something smaller for those grap shots

 

[Kofman13]

@iolair. Thanks alot. I will try spot metering asap hope it works.
@Ann. Thank you for input. Well my iso was on auto actually. And yes my images were pale and dark so I thought to put the exposure dial up to +0.7.
And about shutter speed, I was using program mode. I don't know how to correctly tweak shutter and aperture for indoor or low light

 

[manaheim]

I tend to think you're going to have similar issues with any camera. You're just new to it, and that's kinda part of the game.

Consider that you have limited exposure to both of these cameras you describe. Statistically speaking, it's hard to tell if your camera is a bad fit based upon just a "few" shots.

Even when accomplished photographers pick up a new lens or new camera, it often takes them a little while before they really get comfortable and get the hang of it.

Photography is rarely about instant results... it's about patience and dilligence.

My advice is to stick with what you have for a little while and figure out why it isn't working for you. You'll be a better photographer in the end, and it probably won't take you quite as long as you think.

 

[bigtwinky]

Don't mean to be too direct (but I can't help it) but I think you need to look beyond your gear right now. You said yourself that you took good shots with your friends XT while knowing jack about dSLR.

Maybe its time you invest in knowledge instead of equipment?

I find alot of people these days think that amazing photographs will be had if you get a nice camera. Yes, it will help, but it is not nearly as important as understanding the basics of photography... what makes up an exposure and how they work in sync (aperture, shutter, iso), composition rules, metering,...

This will go WAY further then just getting a new camera. A new camera will be a quick fix, but you will find yourself stuck in the same position if you don't LEARN how to shoot.

I had a friend in the same situation. I shoot an XSI, she shoots a E510. She complained about crappy pics. She didn't know much about photography. She borrowed my camera and loved it, but instead of just buying one, I took time with her to run her through some basics and she invested the time in learning. Her pictures are much better. She still has the limitations of her camera, but for her level of photography, its really fine.

I've seen some great shots with an E510. I just did a search on flickr for the word "e510" and got some nice results. I scanned a bit deeper to find some indoor people shots that were nice (although I suspect they also had extra lighting).

Just throwing this out as something else to think about.

 

[Village Idiot]

Olympus's camera system will limit you when you finally decide to spend $3000 on a professional camera body and $10,000 on professional lenses.

See that coming anytime soon?

Then you get my point.

Your next purchase should be something along the lines of the book Understanding Exposure. If you have no idea what you're doing and why you're getting the results you're getting, then spending $400 or $4000 on a lens isn't going to do anything for you. I could take beautifful pictures with your setup. Want proof? Mail it to me and let me use it for a week. Trust me, I won't keep it for longer than that.

 

[SrBiscuit]

it's a settings thing for sure...not a cam thing.
buy 'understanding exposure' by bryan peterson (i believe).

you will be disappointed tenfold if you buy more expensive gear only to realize you;re still unsure how to use it.

keep the kit you have. soak up info. shoot a LOT.

:thumbup:

 

[bigtwinky]

keep the kit you have. soak up info. shoot a LOT.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Kofman13]

I took some pics today with new settings and in the same cloudy overcast lighting as the canon pics and i I got pretty much results I wanted I'll post soon

 

[taskoni]

Being unexperienced I wouldn't say that your Canon photos are better than the Olympus ones. May be the more advanced guys feels the difference in the quality but to me they are all soft and noisy. I have Olympus myself and I really like the quality it delivers and in the same time I know that my pictures are bad not because of the camera
Regards,
b.

 

[Kofman13]

Being unexperienced I wouldn't say that your Canon photos are better than the Olympus ones. May be the more advanced guys feels the difference in the quality but to me they are all soft and noisy. I have Olympus myself and I really like the quality it delivers and in the same time I know that my pictures are bad not because of the camera
Regards,
b.

Post some of your Olympus pics taskoni!

 

[taskoni]

Being unexperienced I wouldn't say that your Canon photos are better than the Olympus ones. May be the more advanced guys feels the difference in the quality but to me they are all soft and noisy. I have Olympus myself and I really like the quality it delivers and in the same time I know that my pictures are bad not because of the camera
Regards,
b.

Post some of your Olympus pics taskoni!

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...94-night-shots-handheld-seems-baaad-idea.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...orum-photo-gallery/183999-first-b-w-noob.html

Regards,
b.

 

[Kofman13]

I like them!!

 

[taskoni]

Thanks man, you must be the FIRST one
Keep shooting, your camera is not that bad. I didn't mention I had the same thoughts as you to change the Oly but the more I read and shoot the more I like it cause my photos are getting better and better to me (but I DO shoot for myself,right?)
Good luck on your quest and hope you'll find what you really need!
Regards,
b.

 

[PatrickCheung]

i'm no pro but i guess i'll offer some feedback, forgive me if i'm wrong, and if i am, then someone please correct me haha.

your third shot... it seems to me its the same problem as shot number one, and your DoF is too big. the bokeh is also bad compared to the canon shots

the canon shots have better bokeh (blurred area or quality of it) because theres more light availible.

well having more light doesn't necessarily mean better bokeh. The bokeh is given by the aperture and the number of blades the diaphragm has. a wider aperture (meaning a smaller number: 1.8 in the case of the 50mm canon) will give a very shallow depth of field which results in bokeh. the quality of the bokeh is given by the number of blades, more blades means creamier bokeh. that being said, its just a matter of using a good lens vs a bad lens, kit lenses are bad... i use mine just i when i desperatily need a wide one.

thanks thanks so more blades = more smooth, less blades = more circles?