Time for a new camera? (Olympus e520)

[Justintoxicated]

I currently have and e520 and while it takes good pictures I'm pretty behind the times. I own 4 mid-grade olympus lenses though so I'm not sure what to do (mid grade is still very expensive for olympu IMO). I have been looking at picking up an E5 but it looks like Olympus isn't really producing SLR's anymore. Would I be crazy to just grab an E5 and be good for a few more years? I'm worried about my investment devaluing quickly due to lack of new olympus cameras (mostly worried about the lenses). I only grab my SLR maybe a a couple of handfuls of times a year but when I do I am very glad I have it. I'm no professional though.

14-54mm
50mm prime
Fisheye - personal favorite when I can find a suitable subject.
50-200mm
and a flash (Can't remember which one off the top of my head)

I hardly ever even print anything out so I do not want to spend more than I should.

E5's are going for about $800 used on ebay.

I know olympus E5 isn't the best SLR out but I can't afford the best anyways. Getting away from the E system I think I will surely miss the quality of olympus glass for the money it costs plus the losses I will incur on selling all the glass filters etc.

Suggestions?

 

[ecphoto]

I currently have and e520 and while it takes good pictures I'm pretty behind the times. I own 4 mid-grade olympus lenses though so I'm not sure what to do (mid grade is still very expensive for olympu IMO). I have been looking at picking up an E5 but it looks like Olympus isn't really producing SLR's anymore. Would I be crazy to just grab an E5 and be good for a few more years? I'm worried about my investment devaluing quickly due to lack of new olympus cameras (mostly worried about the lenses). I only grab my SLR maybe a a couple of handfuls of times a year but when I do I am very glad I have it. I'm no professional though.

14-54mm
50mm prime
Fisheye - personal favorite when I can find a suitable subject.
50-200mm
and a flash (Can't remember which one off the top of my head)

I hardly ever even print anything out so I do not want to spend more than I should.

E5's are going for about $800 used on ebay.

I know olympus E5 isn't the best SLR out but I can't afford the best anyways. Getting away from the E system I think I will surely miss the quality of olympus glass for the money it costs plus the losses I will incur on selling all the glass filters etc.

Suggestions?

I had the evolt 510 about 6 years ago. It was my first try at digital, that was 3 cameras ago lol. In other words your definitely behind the times lol. I think its time to ditch the m4/3 lenses and E system. I did eventually because their stuff is harder to find and tends to be pricey. They seem to have shifted a major focus onto the MILC cameras and less on DSLR. I would get a Nikon D5200 kit and a prime for your $800. IMO.

 

[Derrel]

Olympus has just released a BRAND-NEW model for $799 with the 14-42mm lens, within I think the last ten days. It their "10" model, the OM-D E-M10. I read a review of it from a beta tester who was loaned the camera, and is a street shooter who LOVES the other Olympus m4/3 cameras; that review was six weeks ago, and he was VERY enthused about the price/performance of the new model. I mean he was STOKED about this new camera, both in its performance, and in its price/value proposition.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olympus..._clickid=736c5659-c9c7-6589-eb17-000054e51e18

I agree: stay with Olympus, and their good optics, and your current investment. $800 on Nikon today comes with a middlin' 18-55 kit lens. Meh....

 

[jaomul]

If you go really upmarket the pro spec omd em1 will use your current lenses with a (supplied I think)adapter. This newish camera has got rave reviews almost everywhere

 

[Justintoxicated]

Yea I can use the existing lenses but I believe they will be manual focus only and people do not recommend them. In other words I may as well sell them all except maybe the fisheye sine its pretty unique... The m4/3 system is unique in itself and is the direction olympus headed leaving me stranded. The camera I would be best upgrading to is the 4 year old E5 released in 2010, I bought my non professional grade olympus in 2008. the E5 is a huge step from an e520 but it is still several years old now and surpassed by om-d models. I have a couple $1000 tied up into their now obsolete SLR system

"All lenses will autofocus. But, they'll do it with some serious limitations. Some are very slow to focus. Some are less slow. Some take two seconds to achieve focus, others take less. Even the 50mm 2.0 works well.In the end, they will all achieve correct focus. Even my Sigma 50-500 works well with my E-P3.
This means that you can keep all your precious lenses and enjoy their performance, provided you will not use them for sports photography."

 

[jaomul]

It's hhard to recommend anything if you are correct. From what I read I was under the impression that the dslr lenses focussed as well on the em1 as they do on Olympus dslrs. In your case I would definitely look into it more to assess the accuracy of your review quoted. I will say I have an EPL5 and it uses similar sensor. The image quality is great

 

[Justintoxicated]

Olympus has just released a BRAND-NEW model for $799 with the 14-42mm lens, within I think the last ten days. It their "10" model, the OM-D E-M10. I read a review of it from a beta tester who was loaned the camera, and is a street shooter who LOVES the other Olympus m4/3 cameras; that review was six weeks ago, and he was VERY enthused about the price/performance of the new model. I mean he was STOKED about this new camera, both in its performance, and in its price/value proposition.

Olympus OMD EM10 Digital Compact System Camera with M.Zuiko Digital 1442mm f3.55.6 II R Lens Black V207021BU000 - Best Buy

I agree: stay with Olympus, and their good optics, and your current investment. $800 on Nikon today comes with a middlin' 18-55 kit lens. Meh....

This one cannot use the older lenses very well since it has no PDAF focusing. At least form what I read so far, this appears to be hard to find information on review sites.

PDAF = phase-detection autofocus

"Four Thirds DSLR cameras designed by Olympus and Panasonic initially used exclusively PDAF focusing systems. Olympus then introduced the first live view DSLR camera, which incorporated both traditional DSLR phase focus and also optional contrast detection focus. As a result, newer Four Thirds system lenses were designed both for PDAF and contrast focus. Several of the latter Four Thirds lenses focus on Micro Four Thirds proficiently when an electrically compatible adapter is used on the Olympus and the later Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras, and they focus on Micro Four Thirds cameras much quicker than earlier generation Four Thirds lenses can."

I have no idea on where to find this information for each of my lenses.

"Many PDAF Four Thirds system lenses, when using adapters with proper electrical connections on Micro Four Thirds cameras, do focus much more slowly than "native" designed MFT lenses. Some Four Thirds bodies do not focus as quickly as others, or as accurately as does contrast focus. This is a downside of phase focus, which can shift focus to the front or behind the calculated focus position for each lens. Micro Four Thirds will also focus Four Thirds lenses faster than a Four Thirds camera focuses using the Four Thirds "Live View" focus."

Well thats good because live view focuses Extremely SLOW on my e520 I never use it really.

"Most Four Thirds lenses still work on Micro Four Thirds, and the relative speed will depend on the camera model and the lenses used. Overall, native Micro Four Thirds lenses focus much faster than the majority of Four Thirds lenses."

So The lenses I have will work on E-M10 just not very well.

OH I JUST FOUND THIS! here http://cameralabs.com/reviews/Olympus_OMD_EM1/

"The new OMD EM1 is in fact the long-awaited successor to the E5, which Olympus followers may recall was a high-end DSLR based on the original Four Thirds standard. Olympus produced 23 lenses for the Four Thirds standard, many of a very high standard, but since the launch of the E5 three years ago, it's fair to say the company's focus has been entirely on Micro Four Thirds. Original Four Thirds lenses may work on Micro Four Thirds bodies with an adapter, but the autofocus performance has always been disappointing, leaving owners of Four Thirds DSLRs and lenses wondering what their upgrade path should be."

"The OMD EM1 is Olympus' answer. A new 16 Megapixel sensor with on-chip phase-detection, allows the EM1 to quickly autofocus when fitted with old Four Thirds lenses via an adapter. But as a native Micro Four Thirds body with quick contrast-based AF, the EM1 is equally at home with the latest Micro Four Thirds lenses. So the EM1 performs double duty, surpassing the performance of both the EM5 and the E5 (not to mention the quality of the latter too), and therefore providing upgrade paths for owners of both, while also tempting owners of rival formats. The sensor is also the first from Olympus that fully dispenses with the optical low pass filter."

Sounds like the EM1 is the solution for me. Damn thing is expensive though!

So is the EM1 my best choice to upgrade to? Would it be a bad idea to just buy a used E5 for $800 instead (save myself some cash since I'm no professional)

I found this kit which appears to be pretty good considering the lens is a $1000 lens.... I guess I could get rid of my 14-54 with that bad boy on there. 2k though.... I am having a very hard time justifying that kind of cash

 

[minicoop1985]

My first DSLR was an E-450. Great color rendition, but crappy resolution/IQ for product shots, so i was forced to upgrade maybe two months ago. Anyway, enough about me. I'd skip the E-5. The EVOLT series and 4/3 mount just isn't going to be around much longer if it hasn't been cancelled yet. The OM-D series and M4/3 cameras allow you to use your current lenses (adapter) and open a whole new realm of other M4/3 stuff too. The EM-1 is a fantastic camera that's miles above the E-5, and will allow for upgrades in the future.

 

[Justintoxicated]

My first DSLR was an E-450. Great color rendition, but crappy resolution/IQ for product shots, so i was forced to upgrade maybe two months ago. Anyway, enough about me. I'd skip the E-5. The EVOLT series and 4/3 mount just isn't going to be around much longer if it hasn't been cancelled yet. The OM-D series and M4/3 cameras allow you to use your current lenses (adapter) and open a whole new realm of other M4/3 stuff too. The EM-1 is a fantastic camera that's miles above the E-5, and will allow for upgrades in the future.

The only problem is price. I guess I could just get the body though. Not sure if the body alone comes with the adapter either. The deal with the lens is quite good but out of my budget. Are all the now Olympus lenses made in china now?

 

[Justintoxicated]

Is there any hope of olympus fixing this issue?
Olympus OMD EM1 long exposure noise vs EM5 | Cameralabs

Seems like too much to spend for a camera with a serious long exposure flaw, My reason for upgrading is partially because long exposures are poor now....