Camera Choices

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

Hi everyone, I narrowed down my choice of cameras to the following two:

 

Olympus Evolt E520 10-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera or

Nikon - 10.2-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera

 

Just wondering if anyone has one of these cameras and if they have any suggestions that would help me with my decision on which one to buy.  Are there any pros or cons with either camera that anyone could share with me? 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Linda and "Toby"]

Hi Barb, There is a website (Steve's Digicam) that has a TON of great info/reviews on camera gear. Here's Steve's "conclusion" on the Olympus Evolt E520: http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/olympus/e-520-slr/oly...

Which Nikon model were you thinking about? You can type it into the search bar on his page to compare it to the Olympus.

For what it's worth you might also want to check out the Canon cameras. (I'm biased towards their cameras/lenses.)

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

Nikon D3000

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

Thanks Linda for the useful info....

[F, Calla & Luca]

I looked at a lot of reviews before I recently bought a Nikon D90. I think it's great although I barely know how to use it. Here is an earlier discussion on this.
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/Photographygroup/forum/topics/wha...

[Diane Margetts]

I have an Oly e-510 which is the predesessor of the e-520. It's really good that you are asking this question because they are two very different cameras in terms of the sensor. Once you make the decision, you are best off making somewhat of a lifetime commitment to the brand because lenses are not interchangable between brands for the most part. I love the Olympus system--it very much suits my needs because I love wildlife and action phtography. (Im NOT EVEN SUGGESTIONG that nikon and Canon won't give you awesome pics but what I really like about the Olympus 4/3 sensor is the crop factor is 2 that means that if I have a 300mm Olympus lens, I effectively get 300x2 or 600mm equivenent. For me that means I can get more range with a smaller lighter lens than Canon or Nikon which have multipliers of 1.5 and 1.6 (not sure which is which). There are other differences in performance of the shutter settings. The M for example has more flexibility for the e-520. Also, Olympus die-hards will tell you that Olympus and Leica share the world's best glass (lenses)--that, of course, would be agrued by Nikon and Canon die-hards. I will be happy to share more about Olympus because that's my camera and I know it well--I'm looking, in fact, to step up to the Olympus e-30 because I have made my lifetime commitment. HOWEVER!!!!! Olympus, Nikon and Canon ALL MAKE EXCELLENT CAMERAS and don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise!! Just know what you want and need in terms of photography and them find the gear that works best for YOU!!

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

I just want to make sure that I understand the camera e-520 has a crop factor of 2...does this mean 2 times the lens focal length? What does that allow me to do? Does that allow me to zoom in more or is it digital zoom? Also what do you mean when you say the "M"?

For example if i have a lense of 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6...what will the crop factor allow me to do?

Thanks.

[Diane Margetts]

Let me find you a good link to some Olympus information and maybe even a site that will give you a comparison of the cameras you are considering. But yes 2 means the Olympus gives you two times the focal length of the lens mm. And it is true zoom--not digital zoom . . . For example, if you put a 100mm Olympus lens on the e-520, you will get up to the = of a 200mm lens. A Nikon, on the other hand, has a 1.5 crop factor so with a 100mm lens, you will get the = of 150mm. The greater crop factor of the Oly can be useful if you like to do distance shooting (birding or wildlife that are hard subjects to get close to). But again, this is only a real plus if it helps you do your type of photography. There are many other considerations that Nikon and Canon lovers would jump on here. I will check around for some comparison info. But I also must say, I'm quite impressed that you are asking the questions and doing the research--as I said before each brand has its own particular strengths and any way you go, you will get a good camera!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Like Diane said, make sure you understand the lens situation and what will and will not fit on your camera. I found this when I went from my Nikon D50 to Nikon D5000. The D5000 has motor driven lenses in the lens and the D50 lenses are driven by the camera body motor. Therefore, my older lenses don't work on the new camera...though I love both cameras. I think the best way to make your decision is which one you are more comfortable with and which is more "user friendly" to YOU! Some cameras are a bit more intuitive than others and that helps too. Like she said, you can't go wrong so it needs to be your decision and what you feel most comfortable with and how much you are willing to spend! Good Luck!

[Diane Margetts]

I sent you a friend request so I can pm you . . . I found this site which allows yiou to do camera comparisons:
http://www.camera-catalog.com/compares/dslr

Also, if considering Olympus, please also consider the e-620. It is a newer model that the 520 and I think you'll find that for not much more cost, it will give you a lot more capability . . .
D

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

Are the Olympus cameras pretty user friendly? I am comparing the two olympus cameras. Thanks for the suggestion on the newer model. The camera comparison website is really helpful...thanks again.

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

i just wanted to make sure that this would be the correct memory card for this camera...here is the link:

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-SDCFH-008G-A11-Retail-Package/d...

thanks

[Diane Margetts]

Are you talking about the Olympus? I actually has space for two memory cards. Compact Flash & xD Memory Cards. And the one you show comes up as good for the e-520. I also use an Olympus xd card and switch cards when I use up memory on one. The xd card also comes in a "fast speed" which is good for consecutive shots.