Olympus E520 or Nikon D60?
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Get a Canon 450D, quite possibly as much of a camera as you can ask for, for a little bit more than the 2 you listed. :thumbsup: If you check out the reviews, it probably has the best set of features and overall picture quality. A 450D kit with 18-55 IS lens is about $1130/- new from the shops.
Well i love taking pictures and I hope to grow this into a 'serious' hobby. As of now, I'm just starting to learn photography's terminology .. i know nuts. haha! What I just did was some research online and found that Olympus are more feature-packed and cost-effective. And it seems that between Nikon and Canon, the latter is cheaper.
Used to own an Olympus .. not slr though, cost me around $600 10 yrs back, and it produced great pictures. Not sure of Olympus quality now .. or even Nikon.
What I'd like to achieve would be an dslr camera that can hone my photography skills to at least an intermediate level. And i would love to take pictures of the outdoors .. flowers, insects .. that kind of stuff. For a budget of $1,200 .. what would be my best buy?
Further advise?
Used to own an Olympus .. not slr though, cost me around $600 10 yrs back, and it produced great pictures. Not sure of Olympus quality now .. or even Nikon.
What I'd like to achieve would be an dslr camera that can hone my photography skills to at least an intermediate level. And i would love to take pictures of the outdoors .. flowers, insects .. that kind of stuff. For a budget of $1,200 .. what would be my best buy?
Further advise?
For that budget, and considering what you can get, I would say camp out a bit on the BnS section and get either a Canon 400D or a 450D (would be better choice), you can probably get a 450D kit (with 18-55 IS lens) for about $900+, be patient a bit and hunt for a 55-250mm IS lens, second hand probably around $250-$275 (definitely under $300), and you have a better camera, with some excellent introductory lens for within your budget. :thumbsup: Oh yes, to do rudimentary macro, you can either get a close-up filter ( about $20 for a Hoya 58mm +4 filter ) or you can some extension tubes.
And as a camera, the Canon 400D/450D is less limiting in lens choices down the road, and accessories are abundant ( meaning overall should be cheaper...).
Its not just the upfront cost that you pay, but downstream the things that need to be added that can kill.... :sweat: Do more research on this and you'll see the numbers hidden here and there.... :bigeyes:
And to add, if you're getting a second hand set, for Canon, make sure the "kit" lens is the 18-55mm IS version. It is a significantly better lens than the non-IS version and the price differences are not much in the re-sale section. Good Luck!
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I own an E-520 with twin kit lens... No regrets so far, it's great value for money as an entry level camera, and the 2 kit lenses are smaller, lighter and hence more portable than the competition while optically being just as good.
Noise above ISO400 will be obvious so if you hate noise or intend to take a lot of pictures without flash in low light it's honestly best to avoid Four-thirds sensors...
Taking flowers and insects will probably need a nice macro lens... When it comes to autofocus macro lenses for olympus there are only 3 choices - zuiko 50mm f2, sigma 105mm f2.8 and sigma 150mm f2.8. Each of these are excellent choices but the 50mm is rather expensive for a macro lens that only offers 1:2 magnification, although it can double up as a portrait lens very well. I am definitely not an expert in macro photography, try asking in the Four Thirds subforum for more experienced replies!
Finally and probably most importantly, i'd suggest you head down to any friendly camera shop to hold these cameras, E-520 has the most comfy grip for me while i found the grips on D60 and 450D too small to hold firmly. But your preferences in ergonomics may vary, so it's best to judge for yourself
Noise above ISO400 will be obvious so if you hate noise or intend to take a lot of pictures without flash in low light it's honestly best to avoid Four-thirds sensors...
Taking flowers and insects will probably need a nice macro lens... When it comes to autofocus macro lenses for olympus there are only 3 choices - zuiko 50mm f2, sigma 105mm f2.8 and sigma 150mm f2.8. Each of these are excellent choices but the 50mm is rather expensive for a macro lens that only offers 1:2 magnification, although it can double up as a portrait lens very well. I am definitely not an expert in macro photography, try asking in the Four Thirds subforum for more experienced replies!
Finally and probably most importantly, i'd suggest you head down to any friendly camera shop to hold these cameras, E-520 has the most comfy grip for me while i found the grips on D60 and 450D too small to hold firmly. But your preferences in ergonomics may vary, so it's best to judge for yourself
Kangs thanks for the Canon features highlight! I will include it for consideration. Redlongan, appreciate you pointing out the low light issue .. considering that I could be taking pictures of plants in a forested area, noise will be a concern.
Thanks All for the great inputs, I really appreciate it! Guess I need to do more research on this.
Thanks All for the great inputs, I really appreciate it! Guess I need to do more research on this.
It's indeed rare that you would consider an Olympus as most people would only consider the 2 big players. I have used an old E500 before and I'm quite impress with the cam. It's pretty light (but too light for me) and the colours from the cam directly is awesome. Some people will comment that the noise is unbearable, but to me I'm still quite ok with it. Afterall, there are nise removal softwares around. It's better to have a good but nosiy picture than to have a noise-free lousy shot. With the newer models, there's Image Stabiliser build into the body, it's definitely better than the previous ones. Not to mention that the Zuiko & Leica lenses are fantastic. I would say that it's a very good system.
Eventually, it doesn't matter which camera you're using but rather are you able to put the camera into good use. Afterall, the camera is just a tool and I have a friend who's shots with a 'cheapo' kit lens are much much better than the shots I took with 'better' lenses.
I would suggest that you go to the showrooms/shops to try out the cameras to see which camera is more comfortable to you. Do try out the functions and see if it's easy to navigate around. But, please do not be affected by the salesperson's or your friend's comments as you are the one using the camera not them, so just listen to your heart when considering which camera to buy.
Eventually, it doesn't matter which camera you're using but rather are you able to put the camera into good use. Afterall, the camera is just a tool and I have a friend who's shots with a 'cheapo' kit lens are much much better than the shots I took with 'better' lenses.
I would suggest that you go to the showrooms/shops to try out the cameras to see which camera is more comfortable to you. Do try out the functions and see if it's easy to navigate around. But, please do not be affected by the salesperson's or your friend's comments as you are the one using the camera not them, so just listen to your heart when considering which camera to buy.
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So far Galdor is the only one to have pointed out that the E-520 you are considering has 'Image Stabilisation' (anti-shake) built into the camera body. A very important plus point for many, but typical that many Nikon & Canon users wouldn't think to mention it. Every lens you buy for the E-520 will automatically benefit from the image stabilisation which minimises the effects of camera shake (a totally blurred picture all over). This is especially important when shooting in low light (slow shutter speeds) and when using mid-range/long-range telephoto lenses since camera shake is magnified with powerful lenses -- think of using a pair of binoculars and how the slightest movement of your hands equates to a big movement in the distance. It's just the same with a telephoto lens mounted on a camera.
Now, of course, Nikon and Canon have image stabilisation also, but there's is in the lenses, but only some of their lenses, and apart from the one that comes with the camera (the 'kit' lens) their other image-stabilised lenses are quite pricey.
Arguing the toss about which is 'best' however gets nowhere fast. You need to get your hands on those you can afford. Get a feel for them. Only you know which one is the most comfortable and feels right. If you ignore those points you could end up with one that's awkward to hold and use, so you won't use it much and that would be a shame as well as a waste of your money.
But don't overlook the E-520's image stabilisation - it's in the camera body so every lens you buy for it benefits from it. And it's not a gimmick -- it works.
Now, of course, Nikon and Canon have image stabilisation also, but there's is in the lenses, but only some of their lenses, and apart from the one that comes with the camera (the 'kit' lens) their other image-stabilised lenses are quite pricey.
Arguing the toss about which is 'best' however gets nowhere fast. You need to get your hands on those you can afford. Get a feel for them. Only you know which one is the most comfortable and feels right. If you ignore those points you could end up with one that's awkward to hold and use, so you won't use it much and that would be a shame as well as a waste of your money.
But don't overlook the E-520's image stabilisation - it's in the camera body so every lens you buy for it benefits from it. And it's not a gimmick -- it works.
I think the a300/350 would be perfect for you , has actual usable liveview , unlike 450d which doesnt even show focus points. LCD is tiltable like the oly, and you get to use zeiss and some quality minolta lenses. Like the oly it has super steady shot.
Well I used to own an Olympus IS100 .. must have been 8 yrs back. It produced great pictures all the time.
But why I chose an Oly in my list is the fact that it has IS built-in, comes with high end lenses .. and definitely at a great value. I might even consider the Kit3 as well considering the savings in the long run.
There is two type of AF in 450D, the focus points in 450D does show up in LV if you are using phrase-detection AF. :nono:
yap, do head down to have a feel of the bodies and lens.
how the camera feels plays a very important part too.
my personal experience- I will follow the majority as when you encounter problem, there are many of them with the same brand cams will offer helps and that will made you days less stressso my take- D60
so my take- D60
Ha ha ha you got one more Oly supporter here.
As mention above is that firstly image stablisation function in the body which fit all(four thirds) the lens that is in the market.
Secondly the dust reduction that is consider better than the 2 contender brands.
Thirdly the live view(same as any digital compact camera) and face dectection function that is Nikon D60 don't have.
Lastly cheaper than 2 brands if you compare the price.
If you want to buy olympus E-520 remember to take the 3rd kit package which is 70-300mm lensbecause you will love the range it can go as your entry level in DSLR which cost you less than $1500, later you will be in the "dark" side(spend more $$$ in other stuffs like flash gun, tripod, camera bag, prime lens, higher grade lens etc) of our photography world and cannot turn back hahahahaha cheers!
As mention above is that firstly image stablisation function in the body which fit all(four thirds) the lens that is in the market.
Secondly the dust reduction that is consider better than the 2 contender brands.
Thirdly the live view(same as any digital compact camera) and face dectection function that is Nikon D60 don't have.
Lastly cheaper than 2 brands if you compare the price.
If you want to buy olympus E-520 remember to take the 3rd kit package which is 70-300mm lensbecause you will love the range it can go as your entry level in DSLR which cost you less than $1500, later you will be in the "dark" side(spend more $$$ in other stuffs like flash gun, tripod, camera bag, prime lens, higher grade lens etc) of our photography world and cannot turn back hahahahaha cheers!
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