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Olympus E400

dirk

dirk

CI-Founder
jsmisc

jsmisc

Well-Known Member
Thanks Dirk,
That looks very nice indeed. It also looks like "a proper camera" and being small and neat, maybe a true successor to the OM's?
Looking forward to learning more about it.
Best wishes,
John
 
dirk

dirk

CI-Founder
Hi John,

you see, it is worth to wait until Photokina...

I do not know whethert this will be a good camera, but its is good to know what wll be offered over the next 6-12 months before you buy something as discussed in the Olympus forum.

I have not heard anything yet about the successor of the E1. But an E-3 will not come cheap and as long as Olypus ignores more or less FFLs, it will be hard to convince me. We will see...

Fuji seems to come out with a S4 next spring (probably PMA time)....
 
jsmisc

jsmisc

Well-Known Member
Yes, thanks for the advice Dirk, I am glad I waited.

I had thought that the E3 (why is it not an E2 by the way?) might be beyond my budget until it had settled down anyway and come down a bit and so this one might be "the one" but I would want to study some user tests. I notice it doesn't seem to have anti shake.
I found somewhere that it will be about £700 (about 1,038 euros) with a kit lens. The kit lenses are apparently very light but they are slow. I like the look of the 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 lens.

I wonder why the E400 is not called an E600. E400 indicates it is below the E500 in spec but I don't think that is the case.

The S4 is another possibility but if that is not coming out until next Spring... Our daughter's wedding was shot on an S3 and we were most impressed with the results but it was a big camera and had a small viewfinder.

There is the new Pentax as well and I am interested in the Sigma with its Foveon sensor and reasonably priced lenses.

And then there is the new Canon 400D

So many choices...
 
dirk

dirk

CI-Founder
AFAIK The Pentax system is limzed beacuse of its limted range of lenses for our needs. They just announce a new "limited" edition of a 2.4/70mm lens. But this is IMHO only marketing hype. Because of the lens range at pentax, I do not consider it a valuable alternative.

Same wit Sigma. You are ctched with teh Sigma lenses, which are not known to be excellent performers, especiall with lens flare.

Fuji is interesting because of the sensor and the Nikon mount. But I am sure, it will not be cheap. The S3 has such a good reputation because of ist sensor, they can afford to offer it at a high price. I guess at least 600 USD but max. 1500 USD more than a Nikon D200.

I am sure the S4 will have better viewfinder and better controls and monitor than the S3.

All brands have now their new generation models out there and a new standard is now born: 10MP, 2.5" LCD screen, bigger viewfinders, higher dynamic range etc.

The next "step" over the next 2 yeras will be IMHO the additional offers of fullframe sensors with brands that can afford it depending on their lens mount. Nikon might start with it, then Sony et alii. Canon is already there...
 
jsmisc

jsmisc

Well-Known Member
The Pentaxes so far do not seem to receive very good reviews.

I didn't know about the flare problem with Sigma lenses. That would put me off but the idea of the Foveon sensor does appeal.

That would make the S4 expensive and I don't think I can wait until Spring.

Full frame also appeals much more than the smaller sensors. Perhaps Olympus as a separate system out of the sensor size debate is a good compromise then, while retaining a CZ film system. The E400 seems to be very nice and small and good looking too unlike some of the funny looking ones that Olympus have brought out not that that should be important I suppose.

My wife says I should not sell my Contax gear but it is a question of funds!
 
G

grumpoid

Well-Known Member
Hi Dirk, I think you are doing Pentax a dis-servise here. Every single pentax K bayonet lens ever made will fit and work on their DSLR's. As long as you like manual focus, you have a vast array of lenses to use. Also the later 'A' series Pentax K lenses will work easily in aperture priority or manual mode. Although I am a Contax C/Y user, I chose a Pentax DSLR because of this backwards lens compatitblity, which Nikon also has in it's favour. I would also say that Pentax DSLR's have had favourable reviews here in the UK although Pentax do tend to be conservative and behind the market leaders.. cheers Steve.
 
dirk

dirk

CI-Founder
Hi Steve,

you are correct, maybe I was little unfair in this point. I have to excuse myself for this. I just looked at their website what they offer:

smc DA 14 mm / 2,8 ED (IF)
smc DA 21 mm / 3,2 AL Limited
smc FA 31 / 1,8 AL Limited
smc DA 40 mm / 2,8 Limited
smc FA 43 mm / 1,9 Limited
smc FA 77 mm / 1,8 Limited

and new DA 2.4/70mm Limited

smc DFA 50mm / 2,8 Makro
smc DFA 100 mm / 2,8 Makro

smc DA 10-17 mm / 3,5~4,5 ED (IF) Fisheyezoom
smc DA 12-24 mm / 4,0 ED AL(IF)
smc DA 16-45 mm / 4,0 ED AL
smc FA J 18-35 mm / 4,0~5,6 AL
smc DA 18-55 mm / 3,5~5,6 AL
smc FA 20-35 / 4,0 AL
smc FA J 28-80 / 3,5~5,6 AL
smc FA 28-105 /3,2~4,5 AL (IF)
smc DA 50 - 200 mm / 4~5,6 ED
smc FA J 75-300 / 4,5~5,8 AL

I have not had it in my memory, that there are so many FFL already.

Maybe they should market it more


According to internet tests, Pentax DSLRs are not that bad. But I am over sensiitive when it comes to new lens design because of our Contax experience. They offered also at the beginning "only" zooms and the number of the few FFL in the N system were never increased.

What is the diameter of the Pentax lens mount? Is it bigger/equal to Nikon F or Sony/Minolta mount?

If they woud have the possibility technically to offer one day fullframe, this could be interesting too...
 
jsmisc

jsmisc

Well-Known Member
Sorry Steve, I did not mean to be disparaging about Pentax which of course is an illustrious make but the AP reviews that I have seen did not seem to rate the DSLR's as highly as some others. Still the proof is always in the pudding so to speak and I have never actually tried one. I hear that new Pentax's are on the way too.
 
G

grumpoid

Well-Known Member
Hi, Dirk..I am surprised you do not know more about the Pentax K mount... .....it was designed in conjunction with Zeiss. Before Zeiss linked up with Yashica they had a short (approx 12 month) link up with Pentax, who apparently was their first choice as partner in the then forthcoming Contax RTS system. The partnership foundered for some unknown reason..but Pentax got their new bayonet mount, which is almost identical to the Contax C/Y mount in almost all respects and dimensions. The Pentax SMC-K 28mm f2 lens of that era is also eerily similar to the Zeiss C/Y 28/2..... cheers Steve.
 
D

djg

Actually the proof of the pudding is in the eating, but I'll be damned if I'm going to eat anything digital ... even if they're chicken digits (I'm a vegetarian).
 
dirk

dirk

CI-Founder
@Richard

1. I am not aware of this, I do not know where you sent the emails. In case you sent your inquiry to a real e-mail address, you will have certainly got te autoresponder with exact descriptions of what to do.

2. As stated really everywhere in every FAQ and help section of Contaxinfo and as the standard procedure of paypal which all paypal costumers know, you have to do any changes in your own paypal account yourself.

We do not have access to your paypal account. For you it is only one click within your account, so please do so.

@steve

I know the old Pentax lenses are compatible, but I was looking for NEW designs made over the last 5-7 years specifically for digital photography, same like Nikon for ex&le did it with the DX lenses or Contax with the N lenses...
 
F

fotografz

Well-Known Member
Dirk, a friend of mine who freelance writes for automobile magazines bought a Pentax 6 meg digital camera to illustrate his articles, and uses all of his older lenses from his film days.

He let me shoot some frames with it using these lenses and the pictures were quite impressive. I posted some of these shots on the p.n. Leica forum to rave reviews (the camera was interesting to Leica users due to it's quite small size). From this little demonstration I concluded that some of the Pentax glass is under-rated and overlooked.

I'm not sure what you mean by "NEW designs specifically for digital photography". Do you mean those taking the crop factor into account ? ... which the N lenses did not do because the N digital is a full frame sensor. I could not see any resolution issues from even the most ancient of Pentax glass I experimented with. The lenses are probably better than the sensor can resolve.
 
G

grumpoid

Well-Known Member
Hi boys & girls.. Lots of Pentax lenses are over-looked and have been for years. Just because the pros do not use Pentax and never have much, lots of people ignore Pentax at their loss. History shows that Pentax have been at the forefront of lens making along with Zeiss and that other German lens maker since the 50's and 60's. Some of the first range of K bayonet lenses are particularly good and fully up with the best from Zeiss and Nikkor. Also the later SMC-A range, especially the A* (A star) are fantastic. The recent 'limited' lenses are also top notch. They fully deserve far more attention. cheers Steve.
 
D

djg

Of course, John, fish ain't fish unless it's fish & chips, but as a veggie-tarian I don't eat fish either :). I do occasionally lick my fingers after a particularly tasty veggie treat ...

I used to own a Pentax 645 but it got stolen after a couple of months. I placed the insurance money towards a Bronica GS-1. I think God wanted me to go larger format ...
 
F

fotografz

Well-Known Member
Veggie-tarian?

Wait a minute DJ ... I'm sure I have you scarfing a rare burger with blood running down your chin that I shot during our NYC meeting : -)
 
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