Olympus vs. Canon

[kswanson88]

I'm getting a camera, my first DSLR, and I've got it narrowed down to the Canon Rebel XS or XTi, or the Olympus E-520, and I'm reading tons of reviews, trying to decide which one to get.....any thoughts and/or experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[brucep]

We've all had to make that same decision, kswanson88. Here are some of the things I considered when choosing.

I looked to see which brands had the greatest choice of lenses. I only intended to buy a few lenses (I didn't know which at first, naturally), but I wanted to be sure "my" brand of camera offered several lenses in each category I thought of. I looked to see which lenses were reviewed as having high quality optics.

I also checked which brands had a broad selection of dedicated flash units, since I might not want to buy the top of the line flash at first but might want that later.

Since "3rd party" equipment (such as lenses, flashes) is often less expensive, I looked to see which brands were being replicated by 3rd party manufacturers.

I checked rental companies to see which brands of lenses they offered for rent. I don't picture owning a 600mm, but I might want to rent one for a project, and I'd need one which would fit my brand of camera.

I'd already owned film SLR's and I'd handled others' DSLR's, so I knew I didn't find any of the brands I was considering to be awkward in my hands.

I chose to buy a Canon 20D at first, and I saved and bought some pretty good lenses for it. When it was time to move up to a full-sensor DSLR, I was glad I'd invested in those lenses because I now enjoy using them on my Canon 5D (I still have the 20D and use it as a backup).

I gave my granddaughter a few lessons on my 20D and she caught on so quickly that I bought her a used 350D which she's enjoying fully.

Not to make your choice more difficult, but you might look at the equivalent Nikon cameras, too. My first 35mm SLR was a Nikon. I've had no second thoughts since going with Canon DSLR's, though.

Welcome to the Photozo!

[Cadwell]

I looked to see which brands had the greatest choice of lenses. I only intended to buy a few lenses (I didn't know which at first, naturally), but I wanted to be sure "my" brand of camera offered several lenses in each category I thought of. I looked to see which lenses were reviewed as having high quality optics.

...

Since "3rd party" equipment (such as lenses, flashes) is often less expensive, I looked to see which brands were being replicated by 3rd party manufacturers.

I checked rental companies to see which brands of lenses they offered for rent. I don't picture owning a 600mm....

I saved and bought some pretty good lenses for it. When it was time to move up to a full-sensor DSLR, I was glad I'd invested in those lenses because I now enjoy using them on my Canon 5D (I still have the 20D and use it as a backup).


Not to labour the point that Bruce has made so excellently, but it really is all about lenses

Pretty much all of the camera bodies from all of the manufacturers at any given price point are capable of doing more or less the same thing. The "features" of a camera body is really the wrong thing to consider when making your decision.

The single most important component (leaving aside the photographer) in any photograph is the lens the light has to pass through so make that whichever brand you eventually choose to go with has all the lenses you need, all the lenses you think you might need and all the lenses you have no idea that you'll need.

Good luck with your choice.

[AJ]

Bruce and Glenn have given you good advice but I'll ask one question - will you be shooting in low light conditions? And here's why. I have a friend who started with Olympus cameras because the sales people at the local camera store really push Olympus. I think they must get a nice sales incentive. Anyway, after purchasing top of the line Olympus (E-3) and investing a lot of money in lenses, he learned that Olympus isn't the best camera for what he wants to shoot. Why? He wants to shoot low-light high ISO indoor sports. His Olympus E-3 handles noise well up to ISO 800 but has trouble over that. My Canon 50D and another friend's Nikon D300 handle noise quite well up to ISO 3200. So the friend with the Olympus E-3 wants to switch brands but has way too much invested and will lose money if he tries to sell.

Bottom line - I think the Canon XTi and XSi only go up to ISO 1600 and their noise is a little worse than the Canon xxD, 5D and 1D lines but you can start to build your kit with camera, lenses, flashes and other accessories and then upgrade just the camera without having to start all over with a new system.

Remember - this is only my observation after shooting with people who have different cameras. You may never need high ISO capability in low light conditions so this may not be an issue with you. If you will always have good light or can use flash that will allow ISOs under 800, Olympus will work for you.

[kswanson88]

Thanks for the advice everybody. To maybe make things a little more specific, this will be my first nice camera of any kind. The camera I have now is an HP Photosmart 435, so I have no experience with or equipment from any other brands. I haven't tried any yet, but I'm sure I will do at least a bit of low light shooting, but of still subjects, not sports photography. Another question if you don't mind: Any thoughts on the pros and cons of the Four-Thirds system?

[brucep]

Alice, I sometimes shoot in wonderful studio light, but at other times I do need fast lenses for dim light. I also enjoy their shallow depth of field even in the studio or out in the sun. I don't shoot sports, but none of us know when we're going to want to capture something moving fast in dim light. For me, that could be workers hustling in the pre-dawn vineyards or people dancing in our wine caves.

Regarding the four thirds system: Are frames and albums of that proportion readily available? I often crop with no regard to traditional shapes and simply hang the mounted enlargement with no frame or have one custom built, but for me, a choice of native image ("negative") size would be driven by my target print shape. Most of my enlargements are proportionate to 12x18, but many aren't. Most im my images are used in advertising, so they're often odd shapes. Neither the 2/3 proportion nor the 4/3 proportion would be a deciding factor for me in choosing a camera.

I noticed Pocket Wizard, a very popular radio remote used by many photographers, has come out with two new models. They'll only work on Canon cameras with Canon flash units. They say they'll soon be coming out with Nikon versions. No word on Olympus models or any for other brands, either. That's a small example of the availablity of equipment for various brands of cameras.

[AJ]

kswanson88 - pros and cons of the Four Thirds system? Pros - very good in good light, with flash or strobes, etc. Friends who have Olympus dSLRs tell me they like the color much better than any of the other systems out now. Personally, I don't see it but to each his/her own beliefs. Cons - even on their flagship model (Olympus E-3), low light situations requiring high ISO result in lots of digital noise at ISO 1600 and above. Also, there are not as many third party manufacturers making lenses or other accessories for the Four-Thirds systems. A lot of people seem to buy into the Olympus Four-Thirds system because they can get a consumer grade camera (E-420 or E-520) and 2 kit lenses for real cheap but when they go to upgrade to better lenses they find the lenses aren't all that inexpensive.

I'm not saying that Olympus is a bad camera. I just think you need to look at everything about the system - the good points and the bad - before you decide. Think about what you might want to do a year from now, 2 years from now or even 6 months from now. If a year ago someone had told me I would be shooting as much sports as I am, I would have told them they were crazy. But here I am and I need ISO 3200 and occasionally ISO 6400 when I'm not allowed to use flash indoors. Before you buy, go into a camera store or even one of the big box stores and hold each of the cameras that interest you. The ergonomics are different for each camera and one may suit your hands better.

Bruce - people I know who use Olympus tell me that the 4/3 system format is much closer to the traditional sizes than 3:2 systems like we use. Ok - I'm not getting that one either - probably because I've been shooting 3:2 for so long that I just naturally leave some room for cropping or I print to sizes that have the 3:2 ratio.

One last note, I've seen posts on other forums indicating that, when Olympus photographers hit the wall because of high noise, they invest in a 2nd system such as Nikon or Canon for those times when they need the low light high ISO capabilities and use their Olympus systems for all the other times. Just seems like a waste of money to me to have to have two systems.

[sacstoy02gt]

Pentax!

[chimbos_matt]

Of the two you listed i would probably go with Canon, since you lens choices would be much greater.

[xjblue]

The only thing I don't think was mentioned yet that I would add, in the pro catagory for Olympus, is compactness and light weight.

[AJ]

Isaac - unfortunately, I don't know anyone shooting Pentax so I can't really give an opinion.

Jared - size is one of the reasons I suggested that the OP go into a store where he/she can actually hold and compare the cameras. The Canon XTi and XSi are about the same size and weight as the Olympus E-520.

[kswanson88]

Oh I'm a guy, by the way. Name's Kurt, nice to meet you all. Thanks for the advice.
@ Alice-I guess I kinda fell into that group, only thinking about the camera I'm getting soon, and not about upgrading in the future. And thanks for the advice about "the wall" because, as new as I am at this, I really have no idea what kind of shooting I'll end up doing.
@ Jared-That was one of the big things I noticed when I went to a camera store, the E-520 is quite a bit lighter and smaller than the XTi or the XS, but I'd rather have a camera thats a bit bigger and heavier if it's a lot better camera. Thanks everybody!

[AJ]

Kurt - whatever camera you finally purchase use it often and have fun.

[xjblue]

Alice, I've read that high end Olympus glass is lighter and smaller compared to counterparts from other systems so thought it was worth a mention. I will second you on handling the product in the store as I fully agree with you there. Doing so was one of many deciding factors for me.


I'd rather have a camera thats a bit bigger and heavier if it's a lot better camera. Thanks everybody!
Kurt, I also wouldn't argue against that, and welcome to the ZO!

[AJ]

Jared - Some of the higher end Olympus lenses are lighter but some aren't. For example, the Zuiko 35-100mm (70-200 equivalent) f/2.0 lens is heavier than the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS lens. The Zuiko 35-100 f/2.0 weighs 1,650 grams and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS weighs 1470 grams. But the Zuiko 300mm f/2.8 (600mm equivalent) is only 3290 grams compared to the Canon 600mm f/4 at 5360 grams. So it depends on the lens.

I've also heard arguments that the higher end Olympus lenses aren't as expensive since they were designed specifically for the Four Thirds system. That's not always true. The Zuiko 35-100mm at B&H is $1946 while the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS is $1780. The Zuiko 300 f/2.8 at B&H is $5542 - cheaper than the Canon 600 f/4 at $7600.

So weight and cost is dependent on the lens and no one can categorically say that lenses for one system or the other are lighter/heavier or more/less expensive.

Another thing that is important for me is the "crop" factor. I need all the reach I can get so probably will never go full-frame. The Zuiko 35-100 on your Olympus E-510 with the 2x factor is equivalent to 70-200mm. The Canon 70-200mm on my Canon 50D (1.6x) is equivalent to 112-320mm. I would love to have the f/2.0 of the Zuiko but need the extra reach of my 70-200 on the 50D.

Kurt - I apologize for hijacking your thread. Whichever camera you purchase, have fun with it! And welcome to the ZO.

[kswanson88]

Kurt - I apologize for hijacking your thread. Whichever camera you purchase, have fun with it! And welcome to the ZO.

Thats alright Alice. All for the sake of learning.

[Hitokiri_2000]

I got the Olympus E-520 with the following lenses Zuiko ED 14-42, Zuiko ED 40-150 and a Sigma 55-200 all with UV-filters on them and the Olympus FL-36 flash and i'm very happy with it all. I can only recommend it. I never were a canon fan to be honest i'm mainly a Fuji/Olympus man so i'm most likely baised but i just don't like the canon cams i have had several in my hands but they don't really do anything for me i find them flimsy and yes i'm sure there are ALOT of you out there who use canon who would slaughter me if you had the chance but well bottom line is that's how i feel.

[ALwin]

This forum seems to have a Canon majority. Nikon, Olympus and other users need to get more representation.

[Hitokiri_2000]

Alwin I can only agree to that, I love the Fuji and Olympus cams since those are the ones I have used.
I would like to try a Nikon but they cost a fortune where i live.

One of the things that made me choose the E-520 over a Fuji DSLR is that SSWF the Olympus cams have (Super Sonic Wave Filter) Dust reduction system if you like, the Fuji DSLR cams don't have that feature. I know the Canon Eos 450D has something similar, but as I don't like Canon I never considered a canon cam when I wanted a DLSR, so Olympus was the obvious choice for me.

I must admit i don't know if Nikon has some sort of feature like the SSWF in the Olympus.

[ALwin]

Alwin I can only agree to that, I love the Fuji and Olympus cams since those are the ones I have used.
I would like to try a Nikon but they cost a fortune where i live.

One of the things that made me choose the E-520 over a Fuji DSLR is that SSWF the Olympus cams have (Super Sonic Wave Filter) Dust reduction system if you like, the Fuji DSLR cams don't have that feature. I know the Canon Eos 450D has something similar, but as I don't like Canon I never considered a canon cam when I wanted a DLSR, so Olympus was the obvious choice for me.

I must admit i don't know if Nikon has some sort of feature like the SSWF in the Olympus.

As I'm not familiar with the Olympus, would you kindly tell me what SSWF is?

[Hitokiri_2000]

Alwin

SSWF stands for Super Sonic Wave Filter. It's a membrane that's suspended over the Live Mos Sensor (the optical eye) and each time the cam is switched on and off it vibrates 350.000 times a second to remove any dust particles that should have come into the house while changing a lens. this ensures crisp and perfect pics every time.
http://www.olympus.ch/ here have a look i took the liberty to find the Swiss Olympus site but i didn't know if you speak German or French and i don't speak nor read either very well so i can't navigate very well in those languages.

Hope it helps you to a better understanding of the SSWF feature

[ALwin]

Ahh ok I see, well the Sony A350 I have does something similar each time I switch it on/off. And my D90 though by default it doesn't do it everytime the camera is turned off, I can either have it done manually or set in the menu to do it everytime it turns off.

[Hitokiri_2000]

Cool it's a great feature for sure any help we can get obtaining a crisp and bright picture is a valueble addition to the cams reputation and applies to more uses