Choosing between Olympus e30/e5, Nikon d7000, or Canon 60D? Help!

[cubano07x]

Hey guys first time posting...just found this forum which is great!

I just had a question...I currently shoot with an Olympus e420, with the standard 17.5-45mm and 40-150mm lens. I got my camera back in Dec 2009 and my skills have rapidly out grown and surpassed this camera as I have always been into photography. It is a great camera and I bought it cuz I wanted to make sure I didn't jump into expensive equipment if I wasnt sure whether I would actually like it or not.

Long story short, it's time for an upgrade and I'll be dropping some decent $$ on new equipment which I intend on keeping and upgrading with lenses later on. So I have been torn between 3 cameras.... the Olympus e-30 with the 14-54mm II lens, the new Nikon D7000 with the 18-105 lens and the new Canon 60D.

I like the e30 cuz it's Olympus and love the quality that my basic camera has been producing, so I know that something higher end would just be lovely and that much better BUT Zuiko optics are very expensive, altho high quality. I know the e5 is out but that paired with a good lens would put me over my budget, hence why its out. Actually for this sake, let's throw that one in as well.

I like the Nikon d7000 due to all its features and having the choice of hundreds of lenses at not so expensive prices.

I like the Canon due to its articulating screen and Canon quality.

SO what do you guys think would be the best in your personal opinions and why?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Derrel]

Well, Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

 

[usayit]

(hope this doesn't turn into yet another Canon versus Nikon debate)

I'm sitting here wondering what type of opinions are you expecting given that neither Canon 60D nor the Nikon D7000 are available. As such, my recommendation is to hang tight and wait until they are readily available...

 

[prodigy2k7]

Well, Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

I wouldnt compare them to Canon. Canon's decision was an awesome decision.

 

[usayit]

Well, Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

Kinda expected it... Canon and Nikon are sticking to the "traditional" SLR design while the rest of the world is itching for more innovation. Smaller guys (Fuji too..) seem to be trying to find their niche. No reason to fight in an already crowded SLR market on a design that *might* just be obsolete in the near future..

on the other hand..

"There will be a professional Micro 4/3 body in 2011".. (NICE!)

"He mentioned that in Japan, mirrorless cameras have already captured 40% of the market, and he emphasized that Olympus has a big lead over some of its competitors in the development of these systems."

ahem.. "traction..?"

"http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2010/09/olympus-to-end-43rds-lenses.html



OP, honestly... wait until we all get more information regarding the yet to be in consumer hands 60D and D7000... It shouldn't be much longer.

 

[usayit]

Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

Derrel.. are you have a split personality day..? lol

 

[Derrel]

Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

Derrel.. are you have a split personality day..? lol

Yeah, we have a nice spammer here, inserting his for sale offer for exciting,genuine NFL jerseys for sale into my posts! He's spammed two of my posts in about five minutes! One has to love those slimey little spammers!!!

 

[cubano07x]

Well...this has left me completely in shock...I never knew Olympus was done with 4/3....it's actually quite disappointing cuz deep down inside I was hoping to hear some good words on Olympus, not so much anymore I guess. Oh well...

As for the d7000 or 60D, I obviously know they are not out yet...I was just going on what the preliminary previews have stated about each camera. I'll most likely go with the d7000 but I do want to hear on what the deal with the 60D is. I've heard that for the price difference between the 2 of them, the d7000 takes it for build quality and features. Like I said tho, I am a huge fan of that articulating and high res screen of the Canon. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the real price is and how they review!

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Don Kondra]

Olympus is Not "done" with dslr's.

What I get from sorting through all the BS is they are exploring using a mirrorless electronic viewfinder in future models.

R&D will be focused on the m4/3's area but any advances in technology will show up in a full body model.

Cheers, Don

 

[prodigy2k7]

The 60D is indeed out. I know of a few people who have bought the 60D from best buy. I checked online and it says they have some "available now" when checking for my zip code.

60D unboxing: (said he got it at best buy) haha

 

[Derrel]

It is soooooooo exciting to see a Canon shooter un-boxing a camera.

 

[Dao]

The 60D is indeed out. I know of a few people who have bought the 60D from best buy. I checked online and it says they have some "available now" when checking for my zip code.

60D unboxing: (said he got it at best buy) haha

Yes, it is out. In fact, someone got his and selling it back couple days ago.

Canon Digital Photography Forums

 

[Derrel]

Well, Olympus just annouced that they are stopping development of 4/3 lenses. Thanks Olympus....you just pulled a Canon, and abandoned all of your loyal customers by dead-ending your own lens mount....NICE MOVE OLY! Not!

Screw Oly. They just screwed you. Between the 60D and the D7000. Not much of a choice. The Nikon.

Kinda expected it... Canon and Nikon are sticking to the "traditional" SLR design while the rest of the world is itching for more innovation. Smaller guys (Fuji too..) seem to be trying to find their niche. No reason to fight in an already crowded SLR market on a design that *might* just be obsolete in the near future..

on the other hand..

"There will be a professional Micro 4/3 body in 2011".. (NICE!)

"He mentioned that in Japan, mirrorless cameras have already captured 40% of the market, and he emphasized that Olympus has a big lead over some of its competitors in the development of these systems."

ahem.. "traction..?" .

Yes, the JAPAN market is very highly concerned with new, miniature, or status-symbol cameras, as well as old, quirky, "cool" film cameras. Cameras are a fashion item in the Japan market, and crap that will not sell elsewhere in the world is often desirable in a culture where one can use a camera or phone as a status symbol in a country flooded with cameras made spanning the last 50 years. The camera companies are mostly based in Japan, and the country has a camera culture. Many products that are un-marketable around the world will sell in Japan; camera companies have a long history of making special Japan-market-only cameras, which will be snapped up by the camera collectors and camera style freaks that inhabit the country.

WHat sells in Japan, and the rest of the orient, is often a non-starter in other places, where more of the camera sales actually occur. The Japanese are flooded with cameras, but new, stylist, ultra-miniature, or "cutesy" electronic devices are quite popular in Japan...just like cute new jeans for teenage girls sell well, until the next fad comes along.

"traction"? Here you go. Grains rice consumption (per capita) by country. Definition, graph and map.

Rank**
Countries*
Amount*
# 1 *
Burma:
217.035 thousand metric tons per*

# 2 *
Vietnam:
211.885 thousand metric tons per*

# 3 *
Bangladesh:
182.927 thousand metric tons per*

# 4 *
Thailand:
158.913 thousand metric tons per*

# 5 *
Indonesia:
152.702 thousand metric tons per*

# 6 *
Philippines:
110.407 thousand metric tons per*

# 7 *
China:
103.344 thousand metric tons per*

# 8 *
Korea, South:
103.123 thousand metric tons per*

# 9 *
India:
78.9159 thousand metric tons per*

# 10 *
Korea, North:
71.5782 thousand metric tons per*

# 11 *
Japan:
67.9501 thousand metric tons per*

# 12 *
Taiwan:
50.2315 thousand metric tons per*

# 13 *
Iran:
45.5762 thousand metric tons per*

# 14 *
Brazil:
43.5219 thousand metric tons per*

# 15 *
Egypt:
42.5774 thousand metric tons per*

# 16 *
South Africa:
15.2219 thousand metric tons per*

# 17 *
United States:
13.1267 thousand metric tons


So....the rice must be awesome in Burma!!!!! Right????

 

[usayit]

Oh derrel...

Way to belittle our Japanese buddies!!! after all... Japanese brands only dominate the market.. Is it the Japanese that don't know cameras as photographer's tools or is it us just being a bunch of Luddites?

Let's see... ... Canon (Kwannon), Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony, Panasonic, Minolta, Asahi Optical, Tamron, and Cosina-Voigtlander (missing any?) are all Japanese companies. I know three photographers (1 american camera retailer who lived there, 2 japanese immigrants) that all have volumes to say about the Japanese obsession with photography.

Speaking about areas out side of Japan... they are all embracing the idea of not only m4/3rds but other mirrorless designs as well. Quick google even says the UK:

UK embraces Micro Four Thirds cameras: Digital Photography Review


To our Japanese TPF members... please excuse Derrel.. he's a good guy and I don't think he means what he says.



BTW..

Rice consumption is also based on culture. In the Philippines, you generally fill your plate 2/3rds of rice and 1/3rd "food". Northern and southern part of India are opposite of each other in terms of rice consumption even though rice is widely available throughout. In the US, rice is considered a side -dish... unlike other countries.



[EDIT]

HOYA!!! Forgot them.. Probably THE largest optical company in the entire world. Many of the off-the-shelf optical elements in all brands (yes.. Canon and Nikon too) are provided by them. Oh yes... based out of Tokyo, JAPAN.

[EDIT #2]

Darn... Can't forget Fujifilm!!! Especially with the X100 taking lots of attention at photokina.

[EDIT #3]

Grr.. I also forgot Epson.. well ok.. not a camera company but they make good scanners and printers. Lets not forget my Epson R-D1 too.