[ Technical ] - Interesting Articles Thread (Stickies within the Sticky) + PRICELIST

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This thread has been started to keep the the interesting topics relating to 4/3s that users of this forum section have contributed over time, like modifications, technical specs, etc. from being buried and forgotten as new threads are started for new gadget releases etc.

A way of consolidating resources and also in honour of the efforts these contributors have put into them.

Forum users feel free to PM me if you think that there is a thread that should be kept in here.

I have attached the first post of the threads so refresh the memory of those who are looking for the right content that they are searching for.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE PRICE GUIDE (Link)

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Discussion on Extension Tubes and Teleconverters started by nonski.

"Hi Guys! Been using my first DSLR for almost 2 months and I just found out how the extension tube works lately. Am thinking of buying one together with the 1.4x telecon but have some few questions.

1. Can I use both (ext tube & telecon) at the same time?
2. What's the effect if used both? Any loss in image quality?
3. Can I use my 14-45 and 40-150 kit lens with it?
4. Can use the teleconv with macro lens or not? How bout the ext tube?

Still newbie... Can anyone enlighten me on these?

Thanks in advance. All info given is highly appreciated.

Cheers!"

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Canon Shoe Cord 2 Used with FL-50 started by OlyFlyer.

I just received the cable. What can I say? It works as expected. Both the camera and the flash recognizes each other. TTL works as it supposed to. Not a very exciting thread but I decided to start it anyway. Just in case somebody is interested.



I even decided to include a self portrait to show the cord in action.



If you want to see more images and read some more, here is a link.

The summary is that I think it is a good replacement to Oly original cable at half price. I am going to modify this cable to be able to move the flash from the camera and use it from a stand. So it's going to be another DIY project.

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Story of my bellows started by OlyFlyer

Not many threads are started nowadays, so I decided to start a new series. As the title says, it will be about my fascination to macro bellows. When I started with SLR photography it was just a dream that will never come true. At least that was what I believed, because the prices were just too high for my budget. So, instead of bellows, I bougth extension rings, which served me well and made me forget about bellows. After buying my E-500 I quickly realized that there are a lot of macro bellows on the second hand market for an affordable price.



The first i fell for was this Novoflex. It is a very nice piece of German precision machinery. All the adjustments are smooth and precise, focusing rail included. The only two things on the minus side was the size of it. I planned to re-buid it to be able to fit to my E-500 and to use E-system lenses. Unfortunately the E-lenses diameters are all too wide for this bellows. Only OM lenses are usable. Anyway, I made an M42 - OM converter to be able to use it. The second problem is that the camera end is not movable so all the adjustments must be made at the lens end. I found this bellows a very good one anyway and was very happy with it for a while, until I laid my eyes on a much bigger one. When I won that auction I decided to sell my Novoflex, after two days on auction I sold it with a 300% profit. After that I was a happy owner of a Konica AR bellows.



The above is a front view image of the bellows with an OM 50mm mounted through my DIY OM - M42 adapter.



The camera end with an MF-1 mounted to my DIY M42 - OM adapter. The extra hole in the MF-1 is drilled by myself for another project, not needed for the bellows adapter.



Down on its side, both of my DIY adapters are clearly visible.

In a way I am sorry I sold this one. It was a very nice bellows.

End of part 1.

PS

If you decide to comment or quote, please don't quote the images. I find in most cases unnecessary and disturbing when ppl quote images when they actually just want to or need to quote text. It is very easy to cut out the images after you clicked "Quote". Use the "Preview Post" button before submitting your post.

If you are interested to read and have a look on my other bellows here are the links:

Click on this line to get to Part 2, my Konica AR bellows.

Click on this line to get to Part 3, my 3rd party OM bellows.

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Some FL-50 Questions started by OlyFlyer

I am about to buy an FL-50 and would like to get some answers to my questions.

1.) Is the AF assist in the flash IR or just red light. Some people call it IR but if it was IR it would not be visible for human, which is good. IR as AF assist light works fine for video cameras but does it work for dSLR? If it is visible light than it is wrong to call it IR.

2.) Assuming it is IR, is it possible to only use the AF assist in that case and not the flash itself with an E-500? There are cases when flash is a no-no but if it is IR than it is OK to photograph.

3.) What is the maximum range (distance to subject) if used with 40-150 at 150mm f4.5 or 5.6? Now, I know it has GN50 but is it really GN50 or just a gimmic like the FP?

4.) Talking of FP, what is the GN in super FP mode when used with the same lens at 150mm? It can definitely not be GN50 since in Super FP mode it emmits short bursts of light and not like in real FP flash that burns for a long time.

5.) Anybody know a link where I could download the manual from? So far I haven't found the manual on the Oly sites I visited.

6.) My old T32 got extra power from the grip if I had heavy duty batteries inserted into the grip. Is that the case also with the FL-50? Could it get extra power from the proper grip or only throgh an external battery pack hanging on my shoulder?

Please help if you can but don't quote, just state the question number you are answering. I think it would be easier to read. I am not asking if the flash is good or not, nor am I interested in alternatives. I know the flash is good (the best Oly has as of today) and it is this flash or none as I see it. I already have three other, older flashes and I am not interested in alternatives.

Thanks.

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Compatibility Information Resource Thread started by Jayan

Here's a link to a FAQ site for Olympus FourThird systems:

http://www.fourthirdsfaq.com

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Lens Adapters started by wstam

hi,

has anyone tried using other brands of lens on Oly E-1 with adapter? I am thinking of trying my old contax/zeiss lens on it. where can I buy such adapter here in SG?

Tks...

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DIY Diffuser for Pop-Up (built in) flash by OlyFlyer

A while ago I have commented another persons DIY diffuser on another forum. This guy simply covered his flash and proudly presented the results. Not that there was anything wrong with the image quality, much better than the direct flash could provide but the methode was all wrong. The pop up flash gets quite hot so I would not cover that, at least not if the flash is not allowed to cool down in between shots. When I read about his diffuser, I came up with a better idea. It works very well, not risking to cause fire and can be used in any orientation. It takes only a few minutes for somebody who is handy and maybe one hour for somebody who is not handy to make. It is made out of plastic coated fence wire. It is not necessary to use plastic coated wire but it protects your camera, bag and everything else it comes into contact with during use and storage. As a diffuser a white paper napkin can be used, fixing it to the wire frame with some scotch tape.



You can see more pictures of it here. I don't think there is a need for detailed instructions on how to do it, my pictures are explaining all there is to know.

I have also found another link and this guy has also done a good job. I believe it takes longer to make but the results may be better than with my diffuser since the light loss is much less with his more closed solution. I would be very careful even with his because just like the simple, covered flash, I guess it can get very hot inside that hood.

I just thought I share the idea here, in case somebody is interested.

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Panoramas on Olympus started by Blu-By-U

This may be in the wrong space so moderator, Pls move if in appropriate.

Me on holiday in KK... so what else, try panorama

large size here

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E-330 horizontal banding and lackadaisical Oly support by cjtune

I recently sent in my E-330 for 'service' to the North Bridge Road Olympus Studio service centre for serious image banding problems at high ISOs (ISO800 and above). Pictures taken at high ISOs, and when underexposed (<0.7 EV) or at shadow areas, tend to develop very obvious horizontal bands -resizing the image smaller makes them even more apparent, and I can't seem to find a suitable post-processing program or method to get rid of them. Shooting with or without Noise Reduction, mirror lock or not, or whether in RAW or JPEG doesn't matter much. Shooting slightly overexposed (>0 EV) minimises or totally eliminates the bands but in pictures with high contrast in lighting, the bands are unavoidable in shadowy areas.

After keeping my camera for a week, the service centre returned to me with an 'assurance' from the technician that "it's normal", and upon being asked whether she had asked Olympus Japan about it, the reply was a callous "Why should I?". But at least I was assured that they'll try to find out more but I guess it was forgotten as soon as I left as it's been over a week and I've heard nothing. I guess I shouldn't expect much from a service that doesn't respond to emails -I had originally sent emails with links to sample pics detailing this problem many weeks prior to my eventual visit to their service center.

Anyhow, I eventually got in contact with a Olympus Japan service rep through email and the communication was mostly generic and unhelpful suggestions ("use noise reduction! avoid shooting at high ISOs!") and ended with a "please send your camera to your nearest service center". I was hoping for a definite confirmation by Oly Japan on whether it is:
a.) A problem with the whole product line
b.) A problem with just a batch of the product line
c.) Neither a. nor b. so it must be something wrong with my camera alone.

I am suspecting it's either b. or c. as I have tried out another E-330 body at the service center and I could reproduce the banding, and I have not seen any worser pictures of banding than mine on the 'net. Through my searches, I was made aware of similar issues that plague the early batches of Canon 1Ds, 5D, 20D DSLRs but Canon acknowledged those as product defects and took appropriate steps to address them (mainly firmware fixes) even though they weren't always 100% successful fixes.

So, I wonder if anybody here has had similar banding issues (also with other Evolts like the E-300 or E-500) or any other serious hardware or support issues that they had to escalate past the Olympus service desk to their management and through which channels or contacts?

Thanks in-advance for any leads and advice.

Olympus S'pore support staff, if you are reading this, the Job Number assigned to my case is:
C2006090096


Sample pictures displaying banding (Warning! Large 4MB files!); you may need to resize the photos to fit your screen or smaller to better notice the bands:

http://www.box.net/public/zp5jfm85vs (ISO 100 + weak fill flash)
http://www.box.net/public/jey2l9fefb (ISO 800, natural lighting)
http://www.box.net/public/dmmg754km2 (ISO 1000, natural lighting)
http://www.box.net/public/lxvfgh4dy6 (ISO 1600, natural lighting)
http://www.box.net/public/2s7feivv4x (ISO 1250, natural lighting)

Here's a horrific one:
http://www.box.net/public/dke67zlr2q (ISO 1600, natural lighting)

Here's the 'horrific' example resized smaller for convenient viewing:

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ISO 10000 in E-330... by cjtune

Not sure if this has been posted before... but found this from:
http://fourthirdsphoto.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=1301

1.) Open CF card door and leave it open.
2.) Power on the body.
3.) Press menu and OK together.
4.) Press UP, down, left, right buttons individually in sequence.
5.) Press the shutter button all the way, and then press OK.
6.) Press down and it'll show a 'page 3' display with some bunch of metrics.
7.) At 'page 3', press in sequence: LEFT, up, right, down, shutter (fully), and then OK.
8.) Left entry choose 10, and right entry choose anywhere from 1 to 23 for ISO 50 till 10000. Press OK when done.
9.) Close CF card door and you'll be placed into the body's usual ready-to-shoot mode.
10.) Notice that the ISO is set to 'Auto'. As long as it's in 'Auto', it's the ISO you have set from step 8 just now. To reset, just choose some other ISO number and you'll have to do steps 1 till 9 again to get your super-high ISO setting.

Works on my E-330 but might also work on other E-series cameras. If Menu+OK doesn't work in step 3, use Play+OK instead.

Of course the higher ISOs are grainier than even ISO 1600 but hey, if you need it, you need it. Not to miss Bigfoot lurking in the shadows again!

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My EX-25 became an EX-41 and a general macro adapter by OlyFlyer.

A few weeks ago I finished my next DIY project. The idea I actually got about a year ago but had no time to finish it. Now it is done.



It is based on the EX-25 and a 12mm OM extension tube. What I did was I removed all electronics from the EX-25. The male part of the EX-25 was removed and the male part of the OM extension tube was replaced it. The male part of the EX-25 was installed on the OM extension tubes male side. A ribbon cable connected to the two E-system sides to enable the use without any trouble.

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Great resource for free and simple online photo lessons for beginers! by VSW

Great website for free and simple online photo lessons for beginers!

http://olympusdigitalschool.com/phot...ons/index.html

Some ideas on cheap DIY photo lighting

http://www.diyphotography.net

Please share any similar resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Digital Photography by Olympus by cyuxiang

The title is deceiving; this is more like a complete reference guide than an FAQ Found it from here: http://www.biofos.com/esystem/index.html (at the bottom of the page).

Lots of information. Provides newcomers to photography with a start if u have no time to drop by the library, or before you decide to spend some cash on books.

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FourThirds- What it is and What it isn't by drakon09

Hi fellas, in view of the upcoming gathering on the 5 Apr, I'd like to take this opportunity to first explain and reinforce what is FourThirds about, as well as debunking certain myths.

Now this is not a scientific paper; neither am I hired by Olympus in any way. This is, to my knowledge, what FourThirds is and isn't; it will be phrased as much in layman speak as possible.

I hope all new adopters to this system would find this helpful; at the same time, feel free to correct my inaccuracies wherever they appear, and they will be corrected.

Thanks all.

First up on the next post, sensor sizes!

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LCD Buyer's Guide - This is not directly a thread posted in ClubSNAP, but a very handy thread to discuss what to look for as a LCD buyer. This is taken from AnandTech forums.

My goal with this guide is to bring you the most accurate, practical, and up-to-date information possible on Liquid Crystal Displays. I hope you as a reader find said info helpful. Read on, and enjoy!

There won't be one question in here (that I can possibly answer) that I won't provide at least some kind of reply to, so if you have any concerns/suggestions/constructive criticism/need recommendations on what to buy, do not hesitate to ask! Everything is welcome. After all, that is the point of this thread.

We are in dire need of reviews, so if you own any LCD, no matter the size, please post the model and how you like it. Thanks!

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The story of my E-500 by OlyFlyer

OK, do you want to read my Oly E-500 life story?
Well, before you answer NOOOOOOO! Here it is anyway.

One day in March last year I decided dSLR technology is now up to my requirement and it is time to get a new camera. My OM2n was about 25 years old, so sooner or later it will just give up. I never had a digital photo camera before because I regarded P&S as expensive toys, compacts as even more expensive toys and dSLRs as very very expensive cameras. I noticed a price drop and performance rise last year on dSLRs and so I decided to make my move.

After doing some survey, not asking on any forum but looking for facts on my own, I was left to choose between Canon 350D and Nikon D70. After some more survey I ended up with Nikon D70. Why? I don't remember all the facts but I thought that was a better camera. I always dreamed about having a Nikon but my wallet always said NO. When I bought my OM2n I actually wanted the Nikon F3 but had no money for it. So I became a happy owner of Olympus OM2n and stayed loyal for 25 years. Now it was time to switch camp, I had the money and I selected the camera. What was left was to find the best price, go ask my local dealer and order the camera. When the price survey was done I switched off my computer, went to read a magazine. Within a few minutes, everything turned upside down. In the magazine I saw an ad for Olympus E-500 dual lens kit. How could I miss that before? I had no idea at all that Oly made ANY dSLR cameras; I have never seen their ad before, only for P&S and compacts. I immediately turned on my computer and found out some more about the camera, but within a half an hour I have completely revised every previous decision and decided THIS is my next camera. Why? Well, just a feeling. But here are a few of my points.

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E-500 Auto ISO by borisi

Hi just got my new E-500 and am fiddling with it.

Wanna check with you all how the Auto ISO works? It seems like no matter how I shoot it will use ISO 100 (setting set to Auto). Any other settings I need to on or off?

Thanks.

RELATED THREAD ~

Auto ISO on E-330 by cy_j

Just got my new (second-hand) E-330.Found out there's an auto iso function, so I switched it on pronto. But I found that my shots are stuck at the base ISO, with varying light conditions and/or different shutter speeds and apertures.

Read the advanced manual on cd. Barely mentioned. Bummer. Any of you guys have any idea?

(Note : This thread discusses Auto ISO setting on the Olympus E-xxx series cameras).

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External Flash Units for Four Thirds Cameras
(In this case, the thread started with "external flash for Olympus E-500)
by Dominant

Hi, are there any more compatible and reasonably priced external flashes that E-500 can use besides FL-36 and FL-50??

Heard a lot of negative feedback from friends regarding FL-36. Anyone using this flash care to give any feedbacks?

Looking to get an external flash, and so far, only FL-36 is within my budget.

Note : This is a good thread as it discusses about external flash units that can be generally used on the camera bodies of Four Thirds format cameras.

RELATED THREAD

METZ 58 AF-1 Digital - Olympus/Panasonic (58 AF-1 O/P)

Thought you guys would be interested.

Now, when will this model reach our shore?

• Guide number 58 with ISO 100/21° (105mm)
• Guide number 42 with ISO 100/21° (50mm)
• Olympus /Panasonic (58 AF-1 O/P)
• Included accessories: Belt Case

http://www.metzflash.co.uk/pages/metz27.htm

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Lens Reviews by casey4355

Four thirds lens review in German ColorFoto magazine (Oly, Sigma, no Leica/Panasonic)

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Here's a quick synopsis of a rather thorough and comprehensive test / review of four thirds lenses presented in issue 05-2007 of German ColorFoto magazine.

Sigma EX 1.4/30
69.5 of 150 points
"The Sigma lens is intended as a normal lens for APS sized sensors, and has shown to work quite well in that realm. For the smaller 4/3 sensor, results are less encouraging. Contrast wide open is moderate at best, with a notable decrease towards the corners. Stopping down improves the overall impression notably, and still makes a rather fast lens at 2.8".

Olympus Zuiko Digital 3.5/35 Macro
86.5 of 150 points - recommended
"This macro lens performs convincingly wide open, and stopping down will further improve contrast. Its moderate speed notwithstanding, this lens is recommended, especially considering its price point at 250 euros".