Anyone currently using an Olympus E-1?

[David Mantripp]

[font color=\'#000000\']Yes. I've been using one for 6 months, in a variety of conditions.

It is rugged, and so far has survived all nature has thrown at it, including being completely drenched.  Possibly it isn't as compact as you might expect: a bit smaller than the EOS 10D, but not much, although with the 14-54mm lens and without the battery pack it is fairly light. But no featherweight.  For backpacking where weight is a factor, the E-1, 14-54, and perhaps the 1.4x teleconverter would be pretty flexible. It has excellent battery life, even without the battery pack (which I would not regard as essential - I don't always use it).  And a great plus - the ultrasonic sensor cleaner WORKS.  I have never needed to manually clean the sensor (I don't even know how to do it, although there is a cleaning mode), and I change lenses frequently.

It certainly will put up with rough conditions.... oh, and it delivers great pictures, although note that RAW files require (and tolerate) fairly heavy sharpening.

p.s - rumour has it that prices are about to be cut (1st August), so might be worth waiting a bit....[/font]

[David Mantripp]

[font color=\'#000000\']Rob,

There is a big difference in cost as well as size & weight between an 8Mp digicam and an E-1 with 14-54mm lens.  I'm not sure about the robustness of, say, a Minolta A2 (the E-1 is considerably more robust than my Olympus 4040Z), but apart from that, IF you do not intend to change lenses, then a high end digicam like the A2 might be a more suitable choice. The other main difference between a digicam and any DSLR, but particularly the E-1, is the viewfinder. The E-1 has a fantastic viewfinder, and this can make a big difference to your enjoyment not to mention success.  

Warning: there are countless tales of people picking up the E-1 just to "see how it feels" and buying it on the spot. It is that well built :-)

Regards
David[/font]

[David Mantripp]

[font color=\'#000000\']

My major concern is the lack of manufacturers offering 4/3 lenses

Rob, Sigma have announced two 4/3 zooms which correspond roughly to the 14-54 and 50-200 Zuikos. General feeling is that these are aimed at the soon expected "E-1 Lite".  There is plenty of speculation about other lenses, especially from Fuji, but also from Panasonic/Leica (which can be classified under "wild expectation" :-) ).  Actually the 14-54 bought as part of an E-1 kit is an absolute bargain. It is a high standard lens (felt to be on a par with Canon "L" lenses), lightweight and gives equivalent 28-108.  That, plus the longer Sigma could make a good low(er) cost option.[/font]

[WisconsinRob]

[font color=\'#000000\']Matthew-

Please pardon the delay in my reply.

You are right about the ergonomic advantage provided by the LCD preview ability on the high-end digicams. The design of the F828 in particular provides a lot of flexibility without being terribly fragile.

Before I started playing with an old SLR, I didn't realize that I would change lenses so frequently. I'm going to burn through a lot more film before I make my final decision, but I leaning toward the SLR design at the moment. The initial cost is a lot higher, but I think the optical flexibility will be worth it in the end.

What digicam are you currently using?

Thanks
Rob[/font]

[WisconsinRob]

[font color=\'#000000\']I'm strongly considering the E-1 as a first SLR. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with the body or lenses that they would be willing to share?

I'm particularly drawn to the rugged design. I will be using whatever camera I choose on backpacking trips, so toughness, rain resistance, and compact size are desirable.

Thanks-[/font]

[WisconsinRob]

[font color=\'#000000\']David-

Regarding the weight/size issue, I was initially considering the group of 8MP digicams. (Sony & Konica/Minolta in particular).
For me, cost is a factor... and there is a lot of value provided w/ the F828 and the A2. Also, sensor cleaning is not an issue w/ the digicams.

However, when I borrowed an older film SLR w/  a variety of wide angle and telephoto zoom lenses, I did some experimenting w/ landscape and close-up telephoto shots. I realized pretty quickly that I enjoy taking shots that are at both extremes of the lenses on the digicams I was considering. It seems like any optical concerns would be most obvious when using a lens at its extreme ends. (My photography experience is very limited, so I may be totally off base here.)

Anyway, I guess I'm drawn to the flexibility of a DSLR; the option of adding lenses as my needs change seems like a good idea. Also, with the dust guard feature on the E-1, the sensor cleaning issue is at least minimized. I'm planning on going to look at a few cameras this weekend, so I'll have to see how I like the feel of the E-1 compared to the competition.

Thanks for the response; especially the tip on the potential price reduction!

Rob[/font]

[WisconsinRob]

[font color=\'#000000\']David-

Well, I made the trip to the nearest Oly dealer on Friday. You are certainly correct about the "feel" of the E-1. On first impressions, it beat the competition (D70, D-Rebel, *ist, 8Mp Sony & Nikon & Canon digicams) soundly.

Here are a few other observations from my limited time at the store:

1) The Sony, Nikon, & Canon 8Mp digicams are significantly smaller and lighter than all of the "entry" D-SLRs at which I looked. This is probably obvious to most users of this site, but I have to admit that I was surprised by the degree of difference.

2) The doors and buttons on the E-1 are VERY solid. Fit and finish is superb. I was surprised at how much more solid the E-1 felt... compared to every other camera listed above. I guess that if one doesn't need the strength/environmental sealing designed into the E-1 that it may be overkill and therefore an unnecessary expense.

3) Without quantifying actual times, I was impressed with the start-up & AF speed of the DSLRs. Here was my "test"... While holding the camera at my chest, I pressed the ON switch. I then lifted the camera, composed a shot (no zoom), and pressed the shutter release. I found that the E-1, D70, and D-Rebel were all "fast enough" to not slow me down. (They all captured the image without any perceptible delay as soon as I pressed the shutter release.) I freely admit that I'm a beginner and that others would probably be able to "quick-draw" and fire faster than me... but for my purposes, I'm satisfied with the start-up of all of the D-SLRs.  My time at the counter was limited so I did not test the *ist.

Since I like the ergonomics and quiet of a "manual" zoom, I have eliminated the Canon and Nikon digicams from my pool of potentials. The store I was visiting did not carry the Konica A2, so the F828 was the only digicam that I tested w/ respect to start-up performance. To make a long story short... no power = no composing. While the Sony actually started relatively quickly, I did notice that I was able to get the viewfinder (EVF) to my eye before it was ready to display a clean image. There wasn't much of a delay, but enough to notice. For real-world use, the speed difference for my purposes probably wouldn't matter.

However I did learn something altogether unrelated to the test. Composition is MUCH faster with an optical viewfinder than with the Sony EVF. I'm not sure why, but I noticed a real difference.

4) The lenses on all of the D-SLRs & the F828 were comparably "smooth" to operate (zoom rings, focus rings). No big differences noted.

All things considered, the E-1 put on a great show. My major concern is the lack of manufacturers offering 4/3 lenses. The Olympus glass is very nice but a little competition would help the prices! BTW, you were correct about the 1 August price reduction; according to the guy at the counter the new MSRP for the body is $1299. He hadn't received the memo on the lenses yet; I'm supposed to hear back next week. I'll update when I get the info.

Rob[/font]

[MatthewCromer]

[font color=\'#000000\']One thing you might find is that if you use an A2, Sony 828, etc. you will tend to compose landscape images using the live LCD instead of using the EFV/Viewfinder.

It's great to be able to compose an image on a tripod when the camera is 7 feet up in the air, 2 inches from the water, etc. without having to plaster your eye on a viewfinder.

Personally, this is the biggest reason I chose not to go dSLR at this time.  At some point I fully expect there to be dSLRs with live LCD (in conjunction with a MLU mode) but for now the only game in town with a live LCD is the high-end digicams.[/font]

[BJL]

[font color=\'#000000\']I am replying a bit late, but after a summer of travel photography with the E-1, 14-54 and polarizing filter all travelling comfortably in a holster bag, I am another "happy camper" due to its robustness, usability and image quality.

The new MAP reduction to $1299 is being discussed at DPReview
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums....9740302
with some info from camera detail Jim Porter.

One thing that this price drop tells me is that the cheaper consumer model that Olympus has promissed repeatedly, strongly expected by Photokina this September, will cost considerably less that the new $1299 E-1 price, so probably at about 300D pricing. But it will almost certainly not be as robust as its big brother![/font]