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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jaff" data-source="post: 1224506" data-attributes="member: 42340">I think you're wrong on many a point here. Firstly the days of Canon's cheap and nasty kit lens has gone. The new 18-55mm with IS has been said to have IQ better even than the more expensive 17-85mm kit lens that comes on the more expensive bodies. The other thing is that besides the 3rd party options, which by the way at the moment only stands at the Sigma 50-500 and 135-400mm as far as telephotos go, you're left with nothing to upgrade to once you've got a 70-300mm and upgrade you will because 300mm is widely acknowledged as a bit too short for birding photography. I know this myself as I cut my teeth on a Nikon D80 and a 70-300mm and it works well as a beginner setup, no matter the brand.Now there is the 300mm f2.8 but at £4750 (warehouse prices) but you could get a Canon 40D and a Canon 500mm F4 for that money with change to spare, I know what I'd get even if I already owned the Olympus DSLR, you cannot seriously tell me that 300's value for money. Furthermore, you would need TC's to get the most out of it and again we see that the Olympus 1.4 is over £300 <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />eek!<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> and it has to be the Olympus because Sigma and Kenko's don't fit! Besides that there is no middle ground and as good as the two Sigmas are they don't compare to the similar Canon and Nikon glass - not to mention there's a reason the 50-500 is affectionately known as the 'Bigma'.You say there's a small choice of quality long glass on any system, well the choice is virtually non-existent with 4/3rds! If Olympus are in the process of changing this then good on them, it's nice to get another hat thrown in the wildlife photograpy ring. Personally I don't think it is very likely though as that requires some major funds to research, manufacture and market such lenses. Olympus are probably quite happy to surrender that market to Canon and Nikon; let them duke it out and concentrate instead on the beginner and studio/general photography market where they're doing quite well.Phew! I don't think I forgot anything. Regards.Adam</blockquote>

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