Canon EOS 10D or Olympus E-1

AlexLum · 25th December 2003

Hi all,

Just like to ask if any of you guys compare this 2 Camera before.
Hope to find more about this 2 camera before deciding which one to go for. Canon 10D user(Since this a Canon user thread) please kindly highlight what so good about EOS 10D.

Thanks!

mpenza · 25th December 2003

The more expensive E1 is a very capable camera and is significantly lighter than the 10D. I think the only minuses are slightly slower AF speed (compared to the 10D with a fast L lens), smaller range of lenses (if Olympus ones are good, you may not need others) and slightly more complicated controls (from what I read from reviews).

clive · 25th December 2003

the olympus system just came out..u may like to wait for it to consolidate first n let more of the pros or some other guys play with it first then disseminate their reviews then u can take yur time to form ur own conclusions. the 10D is more or less "proven" oredi..still, theres no rush, dude.

blurblock · 25th December 2003

The 4/3 system does sound good on paper, but whether the standard set by Olympus will be catching up in the industry is questionable.

Moreover, when people talk about Camera (nowadays) it would be either Canon or Nikon, you can be assured of support from third party to created lenses for at least these two mount. A third mount will be minolta, heard their DSLR will be coming out in 2004.

fevernova · 26th December 2003

I am no fan of both cameras but from reviews, the 10D has a significantly lower noise at higher ISO than the E1..

ST1100 · 26th December 2003

Ignoring 10D/E1 specific issues for the moment, i would say the 10D would be an easier (not necc 'better') purchase:

- Easier to buy used, easier to sell
- Easier to find second hand lenses and accesories
- Easier to ask for advice and help bcoz of larger user base
- Much wider range of lenses to choose from; besides Canon's offerings, you can get stuff from Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Vivitar, Cosina, and don't know what else. There also EF-adaptors around to mount Contax, Zeiss, Nikon, blah blah, lenses. One reason is that the EF mount is larger than most.

- If your most regularly printed size is 4R, you will need to crop every picture from the 4/3 ratio of the E1.

i don't have anything against the E1, but i think only those who know exactly what they want should consider it. As a package, it's not as flexible (ie lenses, support, accesories), so you need to be able to find workarounds.

You might also want to consider the Canon 1D.

To answer your qn, what i like about the 10D...
(Note: not in comparison to the E1 - i've not handled one.)

- very silent mirror slap
- goes to ISO 3200, no noise when printed at 4R, ISO800
- 10x zoom
- 3rd party BP-511s are cheap
- quite light

There are some things i don't like about it, too, but i won't mention them.

Terence · 26th December 2003

ST1100 has pretty much said it all. Made some very valid points about third party support and the second hand market.

I'd just like to add that with the 10D, you'd have the opportunity to use the fantastic L lenses. That was 50% of the deciding factor for me when I bought mine.

sehsuan · 26th December 2003

my four main gripes about the E1:

1. noisy lens (50mm f/2 macro)
2. lenses (50mm f/2 macro, 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5) are extending designs for zoom/focus. currently only four lenses available in market. actually 3, since the 300mm f/2.8 is a custom order lens (saw that on the olympus site) check it out at http://www.olympus-esystem.com/dea/p...ns/300_28.html "Built to order"
3. funny digital compact camera-styled controls. have to hold down main button before rotating main/sub dial to change setting - that means you have to use at least a finger on the left hand free to change setting, and HOLD IT THERE. at least true for iso change.
4. comes with no flash for convenience. then again, i got the 550ex for my 10d for more flexibility.

ST1100 · 26th December 2003

Originally Posted by sehsuan

my four main gripes about the E1:

3. funny digital compact camera-styled controls. have to hold down main button before rotating main/sub dial to change setting - that means you have to use at least a finger on the left hand free to change setting, and HOLD IT THERE. at least true for iso change.

Two hand operation seems to be a deliberate design - present on EOS 3 and all the EOS 1-series cameras as well. Suppose to prevent accidental changes. And yeah, i find it a pain too. On the 1D and 1Ds, you need two hands to scroll through images and make menu changes.

erwinx · 26th December 2003

Bhphotovideo ('in stock' prices)

Olympus 300 f/2.8 : US$6999
Canon 300 f/2.8 IS : US$3899
Nikkor 300 f/2.8 : US$3599 (after rebate)

denizenx · 26th December 2003

Originally Posted by erwinx

Bhphotovideo ('in stock' prices)

Olympus 300 f/2.8 : US$6999
Canon 300 f/2.8 IS : US$3899
Nikkor 300 f/2.8 : US$3599 (after rebate)

um maybe u shd convert them to equivalent focal lengths?
eg Canon will be 480mm and Oly 600mm.
maybe compare the canon L 400mm DO...
and maybe compare the weights and dimensions etc..
specs for one part alone does not make the whole picture.

but ultimately best img quality (body only) goes to 10D, overall pricing 10D, peripherals + features 10D. LOL...
the E1 is nice but still quite niche, get it if u need weather seal, lighter gear, and can live with less peripherals (for now).
if u're the one body-one lens (kit user) with at most a flash, then the E1 is for you.

ST1100 · 26th December 2003

Originally Posted by erwinx

Bhphotovideo ('in stock' prices)

Olympus 300 f/2.8 : US$6999
Canon 300 f/2.8 IS : US$3899

Oly 300/2.8 at one quarter the image area, no IS, against one of Canon's legends, at nearly double the price? Whoa...

sehsuan · 26th December 2003

thanks for highlighting that, ST1100. i haven't had the chance to figure out the operations of the higher end cameras yet...

AlexLum · 26th December 2003

Thank you so much for the valuables inputs from u guys so far, really appreciate them.

zombiez · 27th December 2003

Originally Posted by ST1100

Ignoring 10D/E1 specific issues for the moment, i would say the 10D would be an easier (not necc 'better') purchase:

- Easier to buy used, easier to sell
- Easier to find second hand lenses and accesories
- Easier to ask for advice and help bcoz of larger user base
- Much wider range of lenses to choose from; besides Canon's offerings, you can get stuff from Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Vivitar, Cosina, and don't know what else. There also EF-adaptors around to mount Contax, Zeiss, Nikon, blah blah, lenses. One reason is that the EF mount is larger than most.

- If your most regularly printed size is 4R, you will need to crop every picture from the 4/3 ratio of the E1.

i don't have anything against the E1, but i think only those who know exactly what they want should consider it. As a package, it's not as flexible (ie lenses, support, accesories), so you need to be able to find workarounds.

You might also want to consider the Canon 1D.

To answer your qn, what i like about the 10D...
(Note: not in comparison to the E1 - i've not handled one.)

- very silent mirror slap
- goes to ISO 3200, no noise when printed at 4R, ISO800
- 10x zoom
- 3rd party BP-511s are cheap
- quite light

There are some things i don't like about it, too, but i won't mention them.

Since when 10D have 10X zoom? Is it built-in?

Matrix · 27th December 2003

Originally Posted by zombiez

Since when 10D have 10X zoom? Is it built-in?

I think he refer to this Canon EF 35-350 f3.5-5.6 L USM.

sehsuan · 27th December 2003

Originally Posted by zombiez

Since when 10D have 10X zoom? Is it built-in?

yes, there is the 10X playback zoom.

ashbaby · 28th December 2003

And E-1 no internal flash....though be using external ones but
a bit short change

chriszzz · 28th December 2003

Another thing to consider is future expansion and upgrades.

With the 10D, you have the EF mount for the lens. You CAN BE SURE that Canon will keep churning out successors to the 10D, with better ergonomics, even lower noise, higher resolution, bigger sensors and lower FOV crop. What this means is that when you do buy another Canon in future, all your investments in your lenses and flashes is protected. I have lenses I bought 10 years ago for my first EOS that are still working fine.

Will Olympus keep making successors to the E1 ? WHo knows ? The 4/3 system is too new for anyone to speculate what will happen in a few year's time. If I'm not mistaken, the sensor size is fixed. Which this means that they do not have the flexibility to introduce bigger and better sensors like Canon or Nikon can. This is an important thing to consider for DSLRs, since bigger sensors means lower noise and smaller FOV crop.

Tweek · 28th December 2003

Hi Alex, good to see you here. If you still need anymore comments about the two, can find me in office to talk anytime. Cheers!

25th December 2003	#1
AlexLum Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 256	Canon EOS 10D or Olympus E-1 Hi all, Just like to ask if any of you guys compare this 2 Camera before. Hope to find more about this 2 camera before deciding which one to go for. Canon 10D user(Since this a Canon user thread) please kindly highlight what so good about EOS 10D. Thanks!

25th December 2003	#2
mpenza Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,397	The more expensive E1 is a very capable camera and is significantly lighter than the 10D. I think the only minuses are slightly slower AF speed (compared to the 10D with a fast L lens), smaller range of lenses (if Olympus ones are good, you may not need others) and slightly more complicated controls (from what I read from reviews). Last edited by mpenza; 25th December 2003 at 07:52 PM.

26th December 2003	#7
Terence Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: I'm a Llama! Posts: 4,716	ST1100 has pretty much said it all. Made some very valid points about third party support and the second hand market. I'd just like to add that with the 10D, you'd have the opportunity to use the fantastic L lenses. That was 50% of the deciding factor for me when I bought mine. __________________ Visit my photo blog Email only please, NO PM!

25th December 2003	#3
clive Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 2,573	the olympus system just came out..u may like to wait for it to consolidate first n let more of the pros or some other guys play with it first then disseminate their reviews then u can take yur time to form ur own conclusions. the 10D is more or less "proven" oredi..still, theres no rush, dude.

25th December 2003	#4
blurblock Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,837	The 4/3 system does sound good on paper, but whether the standard set by Olympus will be catching up in the industry is questionable. Moreover, when people talk about Camera (nowadays) it would be either Canon or Nikon, you can be assured of support from third party to created lenses for at least these two mount. A third mount will be minolta, heard their DSLR will be coming out in 2004.

26th December 2003	#5
fevernova Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 162	I am no fan of both cameras but from reviews, the 10D has a significantly lower noise at higher ISO than the E1..

26th December 2003	#6
ST1100 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Singapore, Bedok Posts: 1,801	Ignoring 10D/E1 specific issues for the moment, i would say the 10D would be an easier (not necc 'better') purchase: - Easier to buy used, easier to sell - Easier to find second hand lenses and accesories - Easier to ask for advice and help bcoz of larger user base - Much wider range of lenses to choose from; besides Canon's offerings, you can get stuff from Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Vivitar, Cosina, and don't know what else. There also EF-adaptors around to mount Contax, Zeiss, Nikon, blah blah, lenses. One reason is that the EF mount is larger than most. - If your most regularly printed size is 4R, you will need to crop every picture from the 4/3 ratio of the E1. i don't have anything against the E1, but i think only those who know exactly what they want should consider it. As a package, it's not as flexible (ie lenses, support, accesories), so you need to be able to find workarounds. You might also want to consider the Canon 1D. To answer your qn, what i like about the 10D... (Note: not in comparison to the E1 - i've not handled one.) - very silent mirror slap - goes to ISO 3200, no noise when printed at 4R, ISO800 - 10x zoom - 3rd party BP-511s are cheap - quite light There are some things i don't like about it, too, but i won't mention them.

26th December 2003	#8
sehsuan Deregistered Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,674	my four main gripes about the E1: 1. noisy lens (50mm f/2 macro) 2. lenses (50mm f/2 macro, 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5) are extending designs for zoom/focus. currently only four lenses available in market. actually 3, since the 300mm f/2.8 is a custom order lens (saw that on the olympus site) check it out at http://www.olympus-esystem.com/dea/p...ns/300_28.html "Built to order" 3. funny digital compact camera-styled controls. have to hold down main button before rotating main/sub dial to change setting - that means you have to use at least a finger on the left hand free to change setting, and HOLD IT THERE. at least true for iso change. 4. comes with no flash for convenience. then again, i got the 550ex for my 10d for more flexibility.

26th December 2003	#10
erwinx Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,492	Bhphotovideo ('in stock' prices) Olympus 300 f/2.8 : US$6999 Canon 300 f/2.8 IS : US$3899 Nikkor 300 f/2.8 : US$3599 (after rebate)

28th December 2003	#18
ashbaby Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 149	And E-1 no internal flash....though be using external ones but a bit short change

28th December 2003	#19
chriszzz Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 655	Another thing to consider is future expansion and upgrades. With the 10D, you have the EF mount for the lens. You CAN BE SURE that Canon will keep churning out successors to the 10D, with better ergonomics, even lower noise, higher resolution, bigger sensors and lower FOV crop. What this means is that when you do buy another Canon in future, all your investments in your lenses and flashes is protected. I have lenses I bought 10 years ago for my first EOS that are still working fine. Will Olympus keep making successors to the E1 ? WHo knows ? The 4/3 system is too new for anyone to speculate what will happen in a few year's time. If I'm not mistaken, the sensor size is fixed. Which this means that they do not have the flexibility to introduce bigger and better sensors like Canon or Nikon can. This is an important thing to consider for DSLRs, since bigger sensors means lower noise and smaller FOV crop.

28th December 2003	#20
Tweek Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: East Posts: 2,149	Hi Alex, good to see you here. If you still need anymore comments about the two, can find me in office to talk anytime. Cheers!