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Olympus E-620 (1 Viewer)

pshute said:
I haven't heard that before, can you elaborate? Are there particular situations where the E-520 has trouble?

I don't have any AF lenses yet, so it's not something I would have noticed.
Click to expand...

Hi there , sorry late to reply, well as Christian said i am a MF fan, this is first second, i am not very aware of the technical terms and my poor english will not make me explain right, but when i had the E 520 as 7 6 weeks trial period i was only doing MF as i lost many shots when i used the AF it just did not work well for me, but when i got the E620 i did not experience these problems, i had the same lens on both, the ED 70-300, defiantly the EX 1.4 and the lens works better with the E 620.
My analysis that Olympus know that and they fixed many of the draw backs on the E 620, by the way i had a friend who say that the E 510 focusing is also far better then the E 520.

but no problem of this sort i had with the ED 45-150, unfortunately it is not a suitable lens for birds. but its macro capabilities are wonderful. and also the E 520 works superbly with the ED 50mm macro, no problem what so ever, even with the EX 25.
 
The E-620 is very good technically and is capable of taking very good photographs (which is why I own a pair - (don't ask - explanation too long)) however if I want to enjoy using a camera, following my heart rather than my head I will grab an E-510 - for some reason I just don't like the E-620.

This is totally irrational but for anything other than straight record shots or serious planned shoots using tripods etc., I take better photos with the older camera.
N.B. For me 'better' is measured by 'man in the street' wanting a copy, as well as my own opinions. Perhaps its something to do with being a photographer who also watches birds?

Anyway I have now decided that my birding interests are now better served by video, so I have gained a different set of frustrations and will leave this thread to others.

J
 
When do you use the 70-300 and when the 50-200 + EC-14?

Cristian Mihai said:
I think that the combo E-620 + Zuiko Digital 70-300mm it's what you need.
I use E-520 + ZD 70-300 and E-520 + ZD 50-200 SWD + EC-14.
Click to expand...

I am basically a Canon DSLR shooter (7D + 100-400 or 500 f/4), but just ordered an E-620 for travel and times when I want a lighter camera that is still capable of wildlife shots. I already have an Oly 70-300 that I bought for use with a Panasonic G1 but found the combination of no in-camera IS in the G1 and no tripod ring on the 70-300 - an unfortunate combination. The E-620 appeals because of its in-camera IS, and low price--($455 at B&H Photo).

I understand that the Oly 50-200mm lens and the 1.4X TC are better optically and faster lenses. However....the lens & TC cost about $1,200 - and that's AFTER the $200 rebate on the 50-200.

So what do you make of the differences between these two lenses? Why would you use the more expensive lenses on the E-520 rather than the E-620? Do you use the two lenses for different purposes?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Jim
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimscarff/)
 
Hi Jim,

It is a history issue. When I decided to buy a DSLR camera E-620 wasn't on the market. So, I bought an E-520 camera plus 70-300. After that I decided to buy the E-14 converter. I wasn't very pleased with the combo 70-300 plus EC-14 (maximum aperture about f8). So, I decided to buy the 50-200. Based on the reviews I would say that E-620 is a better camera, but for the moment I have no intention to replace my "old" E-520.
 
Last edited:
Hi Cristian,

Thanks for your quick reply. However, my question was about your choices of lenses, not cameras. Has the 50-200 + EC-14 teleconverter been worth the >$1,200 it cost when you already had the 70-300? I can see why the 50-200 would be better with its greater aperture and better glass, but that much better?

Jim
 
Hi Ian, I've no personal experience of the camera, but it gets good reviews if you can get used to the small size. See here:
Olympus E-30

The E-30 is built with the basis of "faithful reproduction of subjects = reproducibility," with further features to enhance expression such as Art Filter and Live View Multi-Exposure.Photographers can take daily images into a "new imaginative world" using the features of the E-30 will be better
 
Hello Ian,
The e620 is a great combination with the 70-300 in daylight for birding and very lightweight. (The larger e510 actually feels more comfortable in the hands though).early mornings this lens is not so useful.
My wife has taken the e620 off me and even she feels that the body is a bit small (she got used to the my earlier E510 ..which i lost to sea water dunkiing).
The 50-200mm lens is a much better option (bit costly).
I feel that a hand grip on the E620 would take care of body+lens balance and it would also give you longer battery run.
I use the E3 mostly for my photography and so i miss the independent dials for aperture and shutter under my fingers with the E620.
the ec14 is of course handy for any birder. where the ISO is concerned ..its much improved but if you get the exposure right at the time of taking the picture, you've got nothing to worry about unless you are taking pics in very low light (not much birding in the night|:D||=)| ).
All in all i think its a handy lightweight package package to quietly creep up close to the birds.

regards.
 
jimscarff said:
Hi Cristian,

Thanks for your quick reply. However, my question was about your choices of lenses, not cameras. Has the 50-200 + EC-14 teleconverter been worth the >$1,200 it cost when you already had the 70-300? I can see why the 50-200 would be better with its greater aperture and better glass, but that much better?

Jim
Click to expand...

The 50-200, even with the EC-14 attached, is a lot better optically than the 70-300. It's performance is remarkably consistent throughout the zoom range and and all apertures with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, good contrast and no CA problems. And of course it's dust-proof and splash-proof. In optical terms it's actually very good value for money.
 
paulthomas said:
The 50-200, even with the EC-14 attached, is a lot better optically than the 70-300. It's performance is remarkably consistent throughout the zoom range and and all apertures with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, good contrast and no CA problems. And of course it's dust-proof and splash-proof. In optical terms it's actually very good value for money.
Click to expand...

Correct.
 
The 50-200 is quite a large and heavy lens. I would have thought that it would feel a little unbalanced on the E-620. However, if you were using the lens mounted on a tripod, the light weight of the camera should be an advantage.

From my brief ownership of the 50-200 (about 16 hours!) I can see that it is a fine lens which focuses faster and more reliably than the 70-300 and is a bit sharper. However, I still maintain that the 70-300 is an exceptional lens for the money and is much more portable. I am very satisfied with mine.

Ron
 
I decided to order an E-620. My "old" E-520 has some problems with autofocus now. Is still a functional camera, but... Probably I will repair it, after I will receive the new camera.
 
Cristian Mihai said:
My "old" E-520 has some problems with autofocus now. Is still a functional camera
Click to expand...

Cristian, Have you tried giving the AF sensor in the bottom of the camera body a good blow out with a puffer brush?
The Giottos Rocket Blower is pretty good, just don't use canned or compressed air. The same goes for the area under the mirror, again be careful as the mirror surface is easily damaged.
It cured my AF issues.

I think you will like the E-620 :t:
 
Cristian Mihai said:
My first impressions...
Pros for E-620 (comparison with E-520):
Click to expand...

what you are saying here is remarkable CM, because this is exactly what i felt when i got the E620 after using the E 520 for only about 6weeks. although they may seem to be much alike.

did also use the EP-1 for a couple of hours, seem to be a bet odd not to have a view finder but the screen is very clear and gives sharp images.

for my 22 years of using Olympus cameras, i have to say they make a real impressive ones. just wish they broaden there line of lenes to fit the needs for wildlife photographers.
 
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