Did I buy the wrong brand??

Kofman13

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In my sig you can find my camera info. I'm unhappy with the un-lifelike results I'm getting with my camera. I used my friends canon xt with 50mm 1.8 lens and I got amazing results with knowing Jack about dslr. Now I'm using my setup and just I can't get results I got with friends setup. I get great out door shots with lots of light. But terrible indoor. I've tried every combination of setting and I just can't get it I'm getting frustrated. Is it because my lens? Should i spend $200 on a 25mm pancake 2.8 lens? A 50mm 1.8 lens is $400 but I can't afford that. But canon xti with 50mm 1.8 is a little more used than just the Olympus 50mm alone. I'm going nuts? What should i do? Should I get a pancake for $200? I will post comparison shots between the shots I like from the XT and 50mm and what I hate from my camera when I get home
 
Well you're probably getting better results with his because he has a great fast lens. 1.8 is very fast compared to 3.5-5.6 especially indoors in poor lighting. Have you tried increasing your iso? That is about all you can do. I would most likely try to save up for another camera such as the d40 or xt if you just want a good intro beginner dslr that will have many nice features. One of those paired w/ a 50mm 1.8 is a nice combo if you can afford it. It seems like that olympus 50 is a bit over priced when the canon and nikon 50 are around 100 dollars. GL
tj
 
Well my camera is not refundable to new egg because it was decertified that's great... Now I have to sell it.. Hate my life
 
what's this decertified you speak of? Put it on ebay and craigslist it's holiday time so people are going to soon be wanting to get cameras for people so it just might be a good time to sell.
 
As I posted in your other thread on this subject, you can use an older Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 OM mount lens with an adapter. No auto focus, no auto modes, but it gets the job done well.
 
Who wants to have no autofocus or anything all the time when it's their primary lens? It would be best to just save up not try and get by soon that will be no fun at all.
 
I meant recertified. How much could I get for my kit? All originial packaging accesories and box.. Pretty much like buying retail....
 
Well, the Olympus has a 2x crop, and the canon is only 1.6, so The larger sensor of the canon and the much wider aperture available can give you a very shallow Depth of field. That is the main visible difference that I would notice, but post some pictures so we can have a look, and offer some advice.
 
well I mean you didn't get the wrong brand because any brand will work. However I'll say two things. When I first used a 50mm 1.8 on my old D60, it was amazingly different than the kit lens, like you experienced. There are many factors for this, but mainly it's because kit/slow zoom lenses aren't that 'great' and when you compare them to faster primes there is a huge difference.

The point being is if you do decide to invest A LOT in lenses and more cameras in the future, you might want to consider other routes.

For me after getting into this hobby, I couldn't go with any other company (besides Canon) because my biggest interest is in fast glass, and if you look at the lens selections from the top DSLR company's, Canon and Nikon in my opinion have some of the best glass. Also, when compared to some Zeiss lenses and Leica for instance, their fast glass is not CRAZY expensive.
 
Ok here are some comparisons.
here are some pics i took with my friends canon XT and 50 mm lens:
12952_337800275025_661350025_968524.jpg

14769_333039090025_661350025_960998.jpg

14769_333039040025_661350025_960998.jpg



Now here are gross results on my setup:

PB179247.jpg

PB179260.jpg

PB189384.jpg


if anyone could tell me whats wrong here.. thanks
 
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what were your settings for those shots? and like everyone said, you do realize that the 50mm lens is a better lens than the kit lens you have.

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 first shot seems to be a bit blurry, probably because of a slow shutter speed, seeing as if you're using the kit lens indoors.

your second shot... well your subject and background are insanely close, so if you want the blurred background, shallow depth of field, then you'll have to move him farther.

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. i'm pretty sure 1 and 2 are shot outside, which gives you a LOT more light than shooting indoors. canon shot number 3, it was indoors, correct? well the subject and the background seem to have enough space between to blur the background nicely

hopefully that explains it. it just seems to me that you're using your camera in the wrong places with the wrong lenses. <--- no offense meant, just didn't know how else to word that.
 
what were your settings for those shots? and like everyone said, you do realize that the 50mm lens is a better lens than the kit lens you have.

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 first shot seems to be a bit blurry, probably because of a slow shutter speed, seeing as if you're using the kit lens indoors.

your second shot... well your subject and background are insanely close, so if you want the blurred background, shallow depth of field, then you'll have to move him farther.

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. i'm pretty sure 1 and 2 are shot outside, which gives you a LOT more light than shooting indoors. canon shot number 3, it was indoors, correct? well the subject and the background seem to have enough space between to blur the background nicely

hopefully that explains it. it just seems to me that you're using your camera in the wrong places with the wrong lenses. <--- no offense meant, just didn't know how else to word that.

thanks for your input!
im trying to see whats better for me, to sell my whole setup and get a xt or xti with 50 mm lens? or keep mine and suffer... because a 50mm for olympus is $400
 
:p the way i see it, if you're not enjoying the camera, then why stay with it. i dont know much about your camera, but i'm pretty sure it can produce some pretty nice stuff given the right settings and techniques are used. try searching the lens or camera body on flickr for any groups that contain photos taken with your camera and lens, you'll be surprised as to what it can do. also keep in mind your budget and long term spending
 
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.
 
Kit lens = the cheapest lens they could get away with, but still sell it.

Craigslist, ebay the paper, check them all. Do a quick "lens review" search when you find one in your price range. Go to the nearest camera store. They will usually let you try their lenses out on your camera. Take a friend and a few things to experiment photographing with you. That way you can make sure it's your lens, not your camera. If you have to save the images on your camera for closer inspection on your computer at home.

Also another correct me if I'm wrong, but a 50mm is a portrait lens? So I imagine your gonna get better results, with your examples being portraits. It's also a matter of choosing the correct settings. Your examples are in different lighting conditions, so they don't even compare. Try taking the exact same shot, with different cameras/lenses
 
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