Bits and Pieces of E500


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reaper

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Apr 25, 2006
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www.phlog.net
Hey!

Just wanted to know if any FL-50 owners are having the same problem that I have with my flash. It seems that the batteries in my FL-50 is heating up (can barely hold them after I take them out, its that hot) after 30 - 40 continous shots in a dark hall. Set it on TTL Auto and I suspect that it is firing at its maximum capacity. I also have a problem with that black spring plate that is mounted in the hotshoe. Going to lose it one day, as it tends to fall out. Don't know what sin did I do to deserve this, but it falls out once in a while.

On another note, was planning to get a 14 - 54mm f2.8 - 3.5 Zuiko lens this week... however, having second thoughts about it. Wasn't it the kit lens for the E-1 when the E-1 was released? Got the 17.5 - 45mm kit lens with my E500 and currently using the 14 - 45mm kit lens that I swiped from the work camera at my work place (It should be fair; using my flash most of the time taking pictures for my employers). My bro asked me about why should I need another lens and my mom said that I should be happy with what I am currently using now... It's just that I feel that the 14 - 45mm lens is a bit too limiting... want something that can reach out and nail an object at a distance as well as do a kick-ass macro. After saying that, maybe I should get the 18 - 180mm or an extension tube.

Need feedback please!
 

I don't know anything about FL50, but I must say I don't really understand when you say 14-45 mm is limiting compared to 17,5-45mm. 14-45 is a bit wider but it reaches out exactly the same as the other, since both end up at 45mm. I got 14-45 and 40-150 dual zoom kit, and the 40-150mm really reaches out. BTW, isn't 17,5-45 much faster than 14-45 when it comes to auto focus?
 

The 14-54mm is a much better lens than the kit lens. A real optical upgrade. Search the forums and you will see the comments of the past. Also, going to the Oly official website to look at the masters' work with the 14-54mm and it says it all.
 

Yes, the 14-54mm was indeed the kit lens packaged with the E-1 kit but do remember that the E-1 is a professional model, not an entry level model. Back then, the price of the E-1 kit reflected that and the results certainly do.

What you will gain with the 14-54mm over the 14-45mm are the faster max aperture, weather-proofing, distance guage, noticeably faster focusing speed and much less distortion at max wide angle. It is also very sharp at F2.8. These are reasons enough to get it. But I must say that when I was using the 14-45mm kit lens with my then E-300, I got very pleasing results already. It is still a very capable lens, probably the best entry level kit lens available on any make. The price that it is going for in the used market do the performance of the lens no justice at all.

But if you need a wider lens, you might wanna consider getting a 11-22mm F2.8 as an addition to your 14-45mm so you add extra range to what you currently have, which was what I did before getting the 14-54mm.

If you want to do macro, the EX-25 is a good option to consider but getting a 'proper' macro lens such as the 35mm F3.5 or 50mm F2.0 will give you much better results. The 35mm, in spite of the price, is amazingly sharp.
 

14-54 may be faster and better that 14-45 but, I guess you have to be a pro to need that, and if you are a pro then you don't spend your money on E-500 and 14-45 and 17,5-45 but you go direct to 14-54. I can not see any point in having those three all together. With 14-54 you'll cover the same area at 14mm as with 14-45. If I only had money to buy one more lense, I would certainly not go for an other wide angle zoom, but for the 40-150 or similar. That is really a very good lense for portraits and other things where you want to be more discrete.
 

OlyFlyer said:
14-54 may be faster and better that 14-45 but, I guess you have to be a pro to need that, and if you are a pro then you don't spend your money on E-500 and 14-45 and 17,5-45 but you go direct to 14-54. I can not see any point in having those three all together. With 14-54 you'll cover the same area at 14mm as with 14-45. If I only had money to buy one more lense, I would certainly not go for an other wide angle zoom, but for the 40-150 or similar. That is really a very good lense for portraits and other things where you want to be more discrete.

True, but when I bought my E500, the 17.5 - 45 was the only lens available... plus, the salesperson was kind of blur, because if he had told me that the E500 comes with the 17.5 - 45 or with an added 500 Baht 14 - 45, I would have paid the extra money and gotten the 14 - 45. As with having all three lenses, the 14 - 45 isn't mine... it's a "borrowed" lens from my workplace (heck, using most of my equipment there anyway, so it's a fair trade). The 17.5 - 45 is on the workplace's E300... just swap the lenses, that's all.

Really appreciate all the feedback to this post. I'm a firm believer if that you want to do something right, get the correct equipment for the job... homemade stuff is an option if the local market place does not have it (made my own Flip-it, none available in Thailand), but at least if you can afford it (don't have a girlfriend, car, or any other financial obligations), spending a bundle of money on a good glass is a good investment, as it can last for the next 10 - 15 years.

Still wondering why my FL-50 heats up the batteries when there is high useage.
 

reaper,
I don't know much about FL-50, but I know a whole lot about batteries and current, charging and discharging. To charge a flash you need currect. The current for your flash is taken from the batteries. Since batteries have some internal electric resistance also, when you draw current from a battery, there will be some heat generated also. Even batteries need some time to recover and cool down. If you discharge/charge the flash very often the batteries wont't get time to recover and the heat will eventually increase. Good qality batteries can deliver quite a lot of currect, and good quality flashes can charge quite rapidly, meaning they need a lot of current to be delivered in short time. Your heat problem can be normal (=no problem), but it can also be a fault in your flash that can actually be a serious (read: really serious) fault, that can actually cause a fire or explosion.

I suggest you contact Oly for an opinion. If that is too complicated (you can always send a mail to Oly representatives) or if you want to make some measurments by yourself, then I suggest you do the following. Get a set of fresh batteries, same brand you are mentioning here. Get a digital thermometer, one that you can rely on, and attach the sensor for outdoor measurments to the flash batteries. Do not hold the sensor, use Scotch tape. Do as if you have taken a lot of flash pics, by manually discharging the flash repeatedly and as soon as the flash is charged. Take note of the temperature increase. Contact an expert with your values. I think a camera shop or Oly should be able to tell you if that is normal or not. Please remember, don't ever short circuit your batteries (connecting + and - with a piece of wire) because you really risk explosion or fire. Do temp measurments as I described. Best is however if you contact Oly first before doing any experiments.
 

Just for your info :)

Battery heating during flash use is normal provided it isn't superheated to some ridiculous temperature where the plastic starts melting/you smell something burning up.

Battery heating when the flash is NOT in use is on the other hand a *very* big problem. It means one of the capacitors in the flash is malfunctioning. (Flash guns uses several capacitors to store and charge electricity beyond the battery's capability - don't believe me? Try disassembling and touching a bare part of a flash gun - you might get electrocuted and thrown across a room - of course, don't do that unless you're intending something suicidal.)

If the capacitors are malfunctioning, you should not leave the battery in the flash - it might leak or even worse, explode.
 

Hot batteries are normal when you are using the flash.

14-54mm? Get it. However, since you already have the 14-45mm, maybe consider the 11-22mm instead. Optically, it is better than the 14-54mm, which is already very capable.
 

Hacker said:
Hot batteries are normal when you are using the flash.

14-54mm? Get it. However, since you already have the 14-45mm, maybe consider the 11-22mm instead. Optically, it is better than the 14-54mm, which is already very capable.

The 14-45mm belongs to my workplace's camera... I have the 17.5-45mm kit lens. Planning (schemming) to get the 14-54mm lens next month
 

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