SLR Camera...

[Chris Sykes]

Please dont deleate me this time! Ok im looking at having a camera for chrimbo and after extensive looking we have pointed fingers at this one...

Please can i have any tips hints views that you may have on this camera, also the price is currently hugely reduced with goodies thrown in too...

Click Me

[DaveB]

Hi Chris,

I don't really know a great deal about this camera but like you.. I've seen it advertised on TV. It all depends on what you're looking for in a camera against what you can afford. There are an awful lot of 'NO's' in the spec list but these may not be of any consequence to you. Olympus is a very well established company and I've always had the highest respect for their 35mm cameras so that is a bonus. It might be the case that PCW are selling it so cheaply as it's an 'end of line' or 'old' model but regardless.. it'll be brand new so it should give you a few years of faithful service.

Check around other outlets for this camera package and see where it sits in the current Olympus range. If possible.. go in store and get a bit of 'hands on'. Read up on it first and don't take what the PCW 'experts' say as defacto ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Quixoticish]

It's not a bad bit of kit to be honest Chris, but unless you're made of money I suggest getting yourself to a camera store and trying it out in person. It may be too big or too small or uncomfortable for you to use, no two people are built the same and it's worth getting your hands on a few until you settle on something. Technically it's a great camera and I haven't heard many complaints about it, but you should always check them out "in person" first before forking out your hard earned pennies.

[Chris Sykes]

Yes weve been proding and playing with them both at Jessops and other stores, PC world's dont work as they cant charge them up, but this one seems ok. Whats the "no's" on the specs?

[DaveB]

Here you go Chris. There IS a link on that page but it's not as obvious as some..

Full specification Benefit
Picture Resolution 10 million pixels Resolution refers to the number of pixels (picture elements) that make up an image. The more pixels will mean a better quality of print
Lens Kit Included YES
Lens mm Range 17.5-45 mm
Continous shooting mode NO The camera will continue to take photographs whilst the shutter button is depressed. Ideal for capturing sports events
Frames Per Second 3
Supersonic Wave Filter YES
Fastest Shutter Speed 1/4000
Slowest Shutter Speed 60
LCD Screen Size 2.5 inches Size of the LCD screen measured diagonally across the screen
Record RAW+JPEG Simultaneously NO
Memory Type CF / XD
PictBridge Compatible NO
Aperture/Shutter priority NO Under the aperture/ shutter priority mode, you select an aperture and the camera chooses an appropriate shutter speed. The main purpose of using this mode is to control the zone of acceptable sharpness
USB Connection NO These cameras plug directly into a port on your PC with an appropriate USB cable
View Finder NO
Manual Focus NO Essential for situations when the auto focus can?t cope such as shooting through a window or when you want to concentrate on something closer to the lens than the main subject
Manual ISO overrides NO
Video Output NO Allows you to connect from your camera to TV so you can see your pictures on your TV
Resolution Settings NO
Auto/Manual exposure NO Guarantees optimal exposure under any shooting conditions
Multi mode flash NO Allows you to change the flash mode according to the type of shot you are taking
Exposure compensation NO Adjust the exposure compensation according to the level of brightness or darkness in the image and always get the perfect picture
Self timer NO Allows you to set up the camera and get into your own photos
Picture Effects NO Get creative when viewing, recording or playing back your videos and photos with various picture effect modes
Camera Weight 435 g
Body Colour Black
Battery Supplied YES
Wrist Strap Supplied NO
Case Supplied NO A bag for your digital camera is the ideal way to protect your investment and store memory cards and batteries
Software Supplied NO
Lens Compatibility Zuiko

There you go. I've highlighted the No's though in this format, it's not as easy to read as on PCW. ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Chris Sykes]

Ah Sorry i think PCW have messed up their information, this is the information i have on the camera which matches the E400 one...
Click Me

[Tomliner]

Hi Chris.If you haven't already done so,have a look at http://www.dpreview.com where you may well find some user reviews.ATB EricT.

[DaveB]

Good old PC World There are similarities between the two but a lot less 'No's' on that second link. Most reliable source will be HERE though that link of Eric's is pretty cool too ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[ianhind]

I'm not clear what PC World are selling - they show the camera plus lens and another telpehoto lens in the ad but there is no info on the telephoto lens.

Like DaveB, I had good experience of Olympus film SLRs (still have them - an OM-2 and OM-10). But I bought a Nikon D70s when I went digital - nice chunky feel for my big handsa and much bgger than the old Olympus cameras. But my petite wife is also happy with her D70 ;-)

So, as Chris H suggested, try out the possibilities - it is all down to personal preference since the specs for all the different manufacturers are going to be similar. And, if you choose Olympus and this is the same kit:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_ce? ... y=10&Go=Go
you can save some money.

[forthbridge]

HI Chris/All,

I use a canon digital SLR, and I know two people who use Olympus DSLRs. Previously I used an Olympus 'high end' digital compact before moving to SLR.

I'd like to offer the following advice.

First off, Olympus DSLRs come with VERY good lenses - better than the lenses supplied by Canon for example.

They also give lovely smooth tones and rich colour. If the price was right, I would not hesitate to recommend going down the Olympus road.

There are a few pointers I'd like to fire in as well however. First of all, while any digital SLR gives far superior results than a compact, and it is possible to shoot in JPEG, the ONLY way to fully realise the benefit of a DSLR is to shoot in RAW format. This means that you must process the shots afterward, and once they are converted to a TIFF format, any final editing such as colour correction can be done. This takes time to learn, and means you MUST get capable software. To put it another way - using a DSLR to only take JPEG images is wasting the potential of the camera - it's as simple as that.

Do NOT be blinded by megapixels. Most DSLRs are between 8-10 MP - but you will notice no difference on screen, and unless you print images the size of your front door, a 2MP increase is not the be all and end all. (Compare any shot from a 2MP camera to one with four or five, and you will see).

My advice is: decide what you will use the camera for (what will you be shooting most of). Then set a budget.

For anything except static aircraft photography, (assuming you will take aircraft shots) you will need a zoom lens of at least 150mm - or more.

Hunt around on the net. Search fotopic using the camera type. Look at images others have managed. Read about lenses used. Basically, if YOU like what you see that is what matters - not what reviews say.

I hope this amble isn't putting you off - you will wonder why you waited to go to SLR when you get going - I promise! But I do feel it necessary to say that while you will see vast quality improvements with an SLR over compacts, you do need to 'work' on the RAW images to get the best.

Again, the Olympus is a highly capable and excellent piece of kit. It is to some degree horses for courses.

Good luck and happy photting!!