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OM system

zaryaman

Member
Hello. My name is Alexey.
I am amateur photographer during 4 years. I am a user of OM - 4Ti only 1 month. Now I have some maine guestion for Oly-fancy:
- which wide-angle lense are more often advisible for landscape (and is a most sharper) ;
- which medium-telephoto lense are best (more softer and have a best boke) for portrait;
- which is the more efficacious method to buying usage Zuiko & Olympus ?
Thanks.
 
Alexey, Good for you to use Olympus gear. Your question about wide angle lenses if difficult as the answer depends greatly on your view (literally). I personally prefer a 21 mm and the 35 mm but also the 28 mm is advisable. The 28 is the sharpest. For medium telephote I would like to recommend the 3,5/135 for its softness and good boke over the 2.8/135 or the 100 mm. IMHO the best way to buy used Oly gear is via ebay. Just be patient and you will end up with lovely stuff for little money.

Good luck!

Marc-paul

P.S. I have a 1.4/50 for sale.
 
Hi Alexey:

Although I've never been fortunate enough to be the proud owner of an OM-4ti, which I understand is one of the best slr cameras ever designed, I have owned an OM-1MD and an OM-2n MD for almost three decades and have found the following lenses to be a nice array:

Zuiko 55mm f1.2 as a "normal" lens which I think can be a little tricky for a beginner because of its large aperture and the reduced depth of field associated with such large aperture. But if you learn to choose your aperture, you will be mastering such a wonderfully luminous lens in no time.

For landscapes I love my Zuiko 35mm f2.8. It does not show the usual probles with image distrotion, compared with a 28 or 24mm when shooting landscapes. Is is also a beautifully light and portable lens and happened to be one of the most affordable zuiko lenses when I bought it.

For a medium telephoto lens, my zuiko 135mm f2.8 is the best choice for any amateur like us. It is light, portable and produces sharp and very pleasing portraits.

As for buying used Oly equipment, I advise you to search in the internet a lot and, if possible, look in local classified ads and through fellow photography enthusiasts. I have been able to purchase fine used equipment by keepeing contact with the local authorized Oly service center in my city. They have helped my locate excellent used Oly accesories in perfect working condition and reasonable prices.

I hope I have been of help,

regards,

OMfanforever
 
Hi Alexey,

I recommend the 28mm 2.8 or 3.5 for wide angle. I have the 3.5 and it is sharp and the pictures are not distorted. I also have the 135 3.5 and can recommend that, too.

Ebay is without question the best place to get OM products. Be patient, study the pictures carefully and read the descriptions very closely. Prices on ebay seem to be coming down a little recently for some OM stuff. Some of the faster lenses are going for a lot, though.

You have made an excellent choice to go with Olympus.
 
>Hi Alexey,

I've had good luck with a couple of questions about lenses and on-line purchases from B & H, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home

I've also heard good things about KEH, http://www.keh.com/hmpg/index.cfm Either way, you won't have to deal with Paypal.

I've slowly been adding to my lense collection by visiting used camera shops in Tokyo, but fungus in the lense is something you really have to watch for here. I've found that the small camera stores seem to have more (though not a lot) Zuiko lenses, and that the staff is a lot more helpful and knowledgeable than at the chain stores here.

Ever consider buying a 50 mm or 135 mm macro lense? A little more expensive, but you'd have a few more options.

All the best,

Loren >
 
Hi Alexey:
For landscape, I always use 28mm or 50mm. In crowded cities, sometimes I use 24mm. For portraits, I prefer 100mm. 135mm/2.8 is softer than 100mm.
you can have other options too. Say 35-105mm zoom or 75-150mm zoom.
Regards,
Songura
 
More on ebay. I must confess to be an avid watcher (and bidder) (and buyer!) of OM gear on ebay. Has anyone noticed that recently that prices on some OM items have plummeted?
 
Alexey,

I don't have an 85/2 but I have heard a number of Zuiko users wax eloquently while passionately extolling the virtues of this lens. I take it the lens must be good. They are expensive, though. If budget is not a factor, I'd say get one and see if you like it.

If budget is a factor, I recommend that you try getting a 75-150 zoom. This underrated Zuiko covers all the focal lengths normally recommended for portraits. That way you can experiment to find the one you like best. Then you may want to buy the prime in that length. The zoom is available in abundant quantities and is normally very inexpensive on ebay. It's fairly fast, too (f4). Another nice feature is that it is a 2-touch zoom. Back in the early 80's these were pushed out of the market because everyone thought they needed one-touch zooms. A lot of people, once they have had an opportunity to try the "old" way, find that they like it better.
 
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