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What would you do if someone bought your entire kit off you for what you paid for it, everything so you were left with no camera gear at all but not out of pocket either.
Now with the chance to start with a clean slate and with all the hindsight and knowledge you have amassed what kit would you buy to replace it?
I'd definitely buy the same lenses, with the possible exception of the 70-300mm, if I had enough extra cash to add to it I'd get a 50-200m with Ec14 instead.
Concerning bodies, I'd love to get an E-5 but as I bought the E-3 used I think it would have to be another E-3, not that I'd be complaining.
Other systems? I would look closely at the latest and greatest but I don't think so. Full Frame would be too big and heavy for me, not just the body but lenses as well. Price is also an issue, you need very expensive glass to get the best from full frame and if I had that sort of money, well, Zuiko 14-35mm and 7-14mm here we come!
As for alternative crop sensors, no real advantage. The only one I think I might want a closer look at would be the Nikon D7000 but again lenses are an issue. What for the same price do Nikon have to match the Zuikos? And then there's the small matter of build quality. In their price range the E-3 and E-5 are in a league all of their own.
Heck, there is no alternative!
John
"A hundredth of a second here, a hundredth of a second there � even if you put them end to end, they still only add up to one, two, perhaps three seconds, snatched from eternity." ~ Robert Doisneau
A difficult (but good) question as we are in a state of transition from dinosaur SLRs to smaller and digitally more capable cameras. The latter aren't well enough developed to provide a completely competitive system. And whichever DSLR manufacturer you choose, you're likely to be left with a 'legacy' system in three or four years' time.
A system must have good glass - there being as yet no alternative to ancient glass-grinding. The manufacturer must be resilient enough to survive in the market for the forseeable future. Build, image quality and ease of operation are considerations as is value for money.
Olympus would still be a runner but have ruled themselves out by their statements on the future of 4/3 and their rather more worrying statement that if they can't make the camera division pay within five years they'll quit the field. Nikon with the D7000 and some good lenses would be a runner but I wonder whether they will be resilient enough to survive and they do not seem to have entered the new innovative market. Canon are resilient, committed, and at the value end of the market with a good new APSC DSLR but again no sign of competing in the new market. Pentax probably as vulnerable as Olympus.
So I'd look seriously at the D7000 or more likely for a second-hand good quality system to tide me over and perhaps go for a second-hand D3 if I could pick up a couple of quality lenses to go with it, with no intention of investing in a 'system' that would tie me down when the really interesting time comes a few years away. I'd also look at Sony NEX and Panasonic MFT as maybe the future is safer with electronics companies (using Other Manufacturers' lenses) than classic camera companies.
Or I might just say 'to hell with all the knobs' and put an extra thou to get a Leica M9.
If the soon-to-be-released Fuji X100 perfoms well, it would probably be this. A year or so ago, it would have been the Leica X-1, but time has revealed a couple of shortcomings that find me questioning/justifying the cost - expecially now the X100 is on the horizon.
At this moment I would probably choose my current kit: the E-5 with some pro lenses. (12-60/50-200/7-14/50/8FE) and I agree with David that I would choose the EC-14 in stead of my EC-20.
I would certainly not choose the D7000, I had a chance to use this camera for the weekend, but for me it was a disappointing affair. The ergonomics is totally wrong: If you take the camera by the grip you'll always change the setting of the front rotary wheel. And I am not the only one with this complaint.
But, as we all know, the glass is mightier than the CCD and this is where Oly wins hands down.
I'm also looking forward to the Fuji X100. I wouldn't want it a a main camera but as a carry round it could be great.
I probably wouldn't buy Olympus again. If I did I'd end up exactly where I am now with decent kit but very concerned that I may have to dump it because either (i) normal 4/3rd's is merged with micro 4/3rd's and I don't like the results or (ii) because they keep normal 4/'3rd but dump the optical viewfinder and I continue to hate EVF's or (iii) a combination of these two options.
The uncertainly over the future of 4/3rd is currently stopping me from buying any further 4/3rd lenses. Further, I also want a camera that has less noise than my E30: on occasion I get visible noise even at ISO 400 or less.
What to replace it with is a big dilemma. I'm not convinced that the other manufacturers, ie Canon/Nikon/Pentax, will all follow Olympus lead. Certainly, I don't think either Canon or Nikon would want to alienate their existing user base in the way Olympus continues to do. Either may come out with mirrorless cameras, but will they dump the optical viewfinder? I don't think so. Same goes for Pentax. I really think Olympus is wrong on this one.
So, the Canon 60D and Nikon D7000 are nice cameras but Canon/Nikon's APC lenses aren't as good as my existing Zukio glass (I have 14-54 F2.8-3.5, 70-300 F4-5.6 and 50 F2.)
Full frame is nice too, but decent fast full frame lenses weigh a ton and I don't think I would want/or even be able to lug a really heavy system around all day.
So most probably I'd go with Pentax. The K5 is a great camera plus Pentax make weather sealed, and relatively compact, 24-70 equivalent F2.8 and 70-200 F2.8 lenses along with an 82 equivalent F1.4 portrait lens. For when I need more than 200 mm the Sigma 120-400 F4.5-5.6 might suffice. The only thing I don't like about the K5 is that it hasn't got a moveable LCD.
This really is a very difficult question to answer.
Where we are now makes it difficult to commit to the 4/3rds line seeing as how it is apparently game-over for these small-sensor cameras (thank you DPReview).
I was back in the position I was in a few years ago, just getting back into photography after a long hiatus, I may well be tempted down the micro 4/3rds route, and that would be with the Panasonic bodies and lenses and not the Olympus ones.
But I am perfectly happy with all my current Olympus 4/3rds gear.
New chap here and first post so please be gentle with me.
I think I'd go up to medium format and get the Pentax 645D - if I could raise the cash (fat chance).
I don't see the value at this stage of moving to another manufacturer so I'd get another E-510 body (or maybe an E-1) and a 12-60mm and step out of the rat race for a few years and see what comes along.
well that's an easy one for me. I go out and buy a Bronica ETRS plus all the lenses.
I appear to have acquired all the necessary lenses together with a capable Digital body (e30) with all the bells and whistles - and yet I find myself now using MANUAL mode for 99% of all pics taken - progress or what?
What would you do if someone bought your entire kit off you for what you paid for it, everything so you were left with no camera gear at all but not out of pocket either.
Now with the chance to start with a clean slate and with all the hindsight and knowledge you have amassed what kit would you buy to replace it?
Funny you should ask this question, because I was talking about this with another photographer the other day and decided I'd still go for Olympus because it still does what I wanted it to do originally - which was offer me a good quality dslr and a range of lenses that I can carry all day without hurting my neck.
If I did have "all that money to spend in one go", and decided to spend it on photographic equipment instead of a new carpet, I might be tempted to go for the weathersealed body and lenses. But, realistically, they'd all weigh too much and as I'm not as waterproof as I used to be I think it'd be a bit of a waste of money.
What would you do if someone bought your entire kit off you for what you paid for it, everything so you were left with no camera gear at all but not out of pocket either.
Now with the chance to start with a clean slate and with all the hindsight and knowledge you have amassed what kit would you buy to replace it?
Paul
Think I would stay with Olympus, they dont desrve it really starting all the rumours .... But e3 with a 12-60 then maybe save for a 500 ... in my dreams I would have to sell the wifes car - Hmm theres a thought
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