Canon, Panasonic or Olympus!

[Kyo kusanagi]

Hi, I am new to this photography and wish to buy a Dslr to play with. My friend recently bought a dslr panasonic GF-1 kit. I am quite impressed with the shape and design but i know that it is not as good when u compare to canon dslr in terms of speed and lenses to go with. I happened to pass by funan it mall and by chance happened to know olympus Dslr Epl-1 which i fondled with it and was quite good in terms of quality and the price quoted is very cheap for Dslr and i am a bit of confused between this models olympus or canon eos 550d? Can i have your suggestions huh?

 

[spidey89]

firstly,DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras, both the E-PL1 and the GF1 do not have a mirror and do not reflex, all the cameras are good, it boils down to how much you're willing to spend and your taste, I like apple, you like orange, so take a look at the pictures on reviews site and decide for yourself rather than having people tell you what they think is good

 

[Rashkae]

The EPL1 and GF1 are not DSLRs, and they use a smaller sensor than a DSLR. If you really want to compare DSLR cameras, you should compare the Canon with Nikon, Sony, Pentax.

 

[cleonbus]

TS,no point you ask here.Might as well go to stores and try out all 3 and decide which one you want.Because,

Canon users will say Canon good.
Panasonic users will say Panasonic good,and
Olympus users will say Olympus good

 

[dingaroo]

Hi Kyo kusanagi!

Congrats on your new discovery to start on start on the journey called photography.

Firstly, I wouldn't be so bold as to be telling people that I have fondled a model ... of a camera. Might give a wrong idea ... LOL!

Just kidding. On a serious note, buying a camera is like buying a car. End of the day, it all boils down to which one you like and can afford. And if your friends share a similar make or even model. Cos then who knows, you can share accessories! Also, make sure you have a test drive (go and FONDLE the various cameras available) to ensure that you are comfortable with a normal seat or prefer a bucket seat (the camera feels comfortable in your hands, not want your hands to be cramping after 2 hours of hand holding it during a shoot).

Also, understand what genre of driving (photography) that you want to do ... sports, just from home to office and back home with weekend outings, drive family around, etc (whether you like to take pictures of landscape, portraiture, macro, sports, general, etc) will determine if you want to fit safety or sporty accessories or just use factory fitted tyres (lenses - can start off kit lens that comes with the camera, or you want to buy additional specialised lenses for your type of shooting).

Mind boggling right?

Like cleonbus said, Canon users will say Canon is good. And you've sadly left out real DSLR manufacturers like Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and even Sigma ...

No matter which camera you choose, what matters is the basic foundation and skills that you need to take a good picture, not how to operate the camera.

Hope I have not confused you any further! If you have any other queries, just ask. But what is important is the budget you have set aside for this expensive hobby. Do let us know and we can tell you if it is enough or not, and what you can generally buy.

Cheers

 

[madmartian]

Welcome to CS

 

[DarkPa1adin]

Like cleonbus said, Canon users will say Canon is good. And you've sadly left out real DSLR manufacturers like Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and even Sigma ...

Maybe a Pentax K-x would be good for a start?
Don't forget to ask the shop assistant to upload photos to a PC(w dedicated graphic cards, or a laptop w maximum brightness) to compare images btwn cameras... Most camera would look good on their small LCD screen even at zoom in, but on the bigger screen, things will be clearer for you. ;p

 

[dingaroo]

Maybe a Pentax K-x would be good for a start?

It certainly would be, but choice is for him to go and feel the camera. If the ergonomics don't work for him, it won't work for him no matter what. Kusanagi-san has to go and test it for himself. He can always try the various cameras on the market, and then come back with specific questions about the various models that he has whittled his selection down to.

Don't forget to ask the shop assistant to upload photos to a PC(w dedicated graphic cards, or a laptop w maximum brightness) to compare images btwn cameras... Most camera would look good on their small LCD screen even at zoom in, but on the bigger screen, things will be clearer for you. ;p

Really wonder there is a need for a PC with a dedicated graphics card. How about a Mac? Need dedicated graphics card too? You are not processing video to extrapolate the texture, so its fine even with discreet graphics. Unless you are talking about video, a desktop with duo processor should be fine.

Cheers!

 

[raccoon80]

Canon!!

 

[Rashkae]

Here's a new contender for you:

Sony NEX-5:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NEX5/NEX5A.HTM

 

[allenleonhart]

or get film?

if u ask us, those laojiao can literally use any camera and any lens. brands dun matter to us anymore.

 

[voxies09]

all is good.. depend on your taste and your friends' gear

 

[yc2005]

Those are m4/3 systems, which differs greatly from DSLR. You may go read up on the pros and cons of each system.

For DSLR, there are many brands in the market and all modern DSLR are capable of producing great pictures. Go to the shops and fondle each brand/model. Buy the one that is right for your wallet and feels the best in your hands.

 

[KrakenP]

Here are things I'd keep in mind when purchasing:

-Being able to share lenses with your friends
-Easily finding replacement parts (i.e. stick to bigger brands)
-Having a good resource/online community to help with your brand+equipment you choose

 

[allenleonhart]

Here are things I'd keep in mind when purchasing:

-Being able to share lenses with your friends
-Easily finding replacement parts (i.e. stick to bigger brands)
-Having a good resource/online community to help with your brand+equipment you choose

i wont share lenses with anyone or anyhow hmm.

reason being, from past experience, i seen so called close friends who broke each other lenses by accident never being friends again. better not bah

ts, once u advance on from the wad brand shld i use stage, u will realise tat u can use any camera. its just a learning process hahaha

 

[wildcat]

i wont share lenses with anyone or anyhow hmm.

reason being, from past experience, i seen so called close friends who broke each other lenses by accident never being friends again. better not bah

ts, once u advance on from the wad brand shld i use stage, u will realise tat u can use any camera. its just a learning process hahaha

Haha. Agree with this. When we first get our system, we think about how we can share lens amongst friends and such, but in the end, after getting it, most of the time is ownself get own lens one. The most is borrow a couple of days to try out before buying own.

Fortunately for me, I don't have friends whose friendship is compromised because of broken lenses, but I can imagine how it could be so. In any case, I always believe, if you break it, you pay for it :dunno: so I don't expect my friendship to be compromised even if I borrow lenses or equipments.

 

[DarkPa1adin]

Really wonder there is a need for a PC with a dedicated graphics card. How about a Mac? Need dedicated graphics card too? You are not processing video to extrapolate the texture, so its fine even with discreet graphics. Unless you are talking about video, a desktop with duo processor should be fine.

Integrated graphic cards won't work. like the intel integrated graphic card? The reason being although it is not processing video, it is needed to reproduce colours...on the screen/monitor. U can see the different between integrated and dedicated even though u copy the same photo to both computer. I have not tried colour calibration, maybe it can solve maybe it can't.

 

[Rashkae]

Integrated graphic cards won't work. like the intel integrated graphic card? The reason being although it is not processing video, it is needed to reproduce colours...on the screen/monitor. U can see the different between integrated and dedicated even though u copy the same photo to both computer. I have not tried colour calibration, maybe it can solve maybe it can't.

Oh good lord. Your PC knowledge is zero. You don't need a discrete graphic card with loads of RAM just to reproduce colors accurately! It's all a matter of calibration!! 2 PCs with different monitors, different color profiles will of course show it differently!!

I think I should open a shop in Sim Lim, and sell high-end graphic cards to n00b photographers who think they need them to accurately reproduce colors. I could make a lot of money...

 

[m102210]

welcome to CS, Check the Olympus models first...

 

[Fotophilic]

ask yourself if u like the form factor of micro 4/3 or DSLRs. the answer will be clear. these are all good cameras.