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Hi all,
I've been asked to introduce myself here. My name is Mike, and I joined this forum to get guidance and ask questions about the OM-D system.
My primary photography interests are wildlife, especially birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and the interesting landscapes that I visit in search of wildlife. I like to get good images of wildlife that I see in their natural surroundings, rather than being a dedicated bird photographer sitting in a hide or using props like old logs and hidden food in order to get close-up photos - probably because I don't have the patience!
Many many years ago my first SLR was an Olympus OM-1, which I loved. I used slide film rather than print film, for the superior quality.
As digital replaced film, I found that DSLRs were too expensive for me, so I tended to use point-and-shoot cameras and the bird photography lapsed.
In 2011 I bought a used Canon EOS40D and a used Canon 400mm f5.6 lens. This was a good set up but I found that on trips I was constantly switching lenses in order to photograph birds, landscapes, and flowers, and usually having the wrong lens at the time. I often had my birding telescope and tripod with me, so there was also the question of what I should have on my tripod. I found the bird photos taken handheld with the 400mm lens were often not very sharp, as there was no IS. As a consequence, while I got some good shots, I also had a high percentage of rejects or missed the opportunity entirely. My friend had just bought a bridge camera, and was getting much better results (within the limitations of a small sensor) as well as not having to swap equipment round all the time.
Therefore I sold the DSLR and 400mm lens, and bought a Canon SX50HS bridge camera. This is so versatile and light that I took it everywhere with me. It has a fantastic reach as well as good macro capabilities, so I could easily switch between close-ups of wild flowers, butterflies and dragonflies (using the zoom capabilities to get in close while keeping enough distance to avoid disturbing the insect) as well as distant birds, just by zooming. I was generally much happier with the results.
However, I was still disappointed with the clarity of my bird photos, while recognising that the small sensor does have image quality limitations compared to a DSLR. I started to hear about the Olympus E-M1 ii and the 400mm f4 PRO lens, and how the system was much more affordable (relatively-speaking), lighter and more compact than, say, the better Canon DSLRs and telephoto lenses (which were far too expensive for me to justify the expenditure, as I'm a birder / wildlife watcher first and photographer second).
So when I retired last year I took the plunge and bought an E-M1 ii and 12-40mm lens in Olympus's October 2020 promotion, and bought a 400mm f4 PRO lens on eBay. I've been very pleased with the sharpness of the results, and the portability of the system. Initially it felt quite heavy (in comparison to my bridge camera) and I noticed the weight when carrying it on a walk. But I've now got used to it and don't really notice. I bought a Peak Design Slide strap, which makes it much easier to carry across the shoulder (with one end attached to the tripod foot on the lens.
In terms of post-processing, I've always taken JPEGs and only done minor adjustments, such as cropping. I'm now taking RAW+JPEG just in case I want to do more sophisticated post-processing, but that will be a huge learning exercise which will require a lot of time.
So now, my rubbish results are down to my photographic skills and I can't blame the equipment! And, I'm so pleased to be back using a fantastic Olympus camera.
When I manage to travel again, I will still have the dilemma of switching lenses to photograph landscapes, but the 300mm may well still work with flowers and butterflies, due to its relatively close focussing. As mobile phone cameras have vastly improved since 2011, I now have the option to use my mobile for landscapes.
Mike
I've been asked to introduce myself here. My name is Mike, and I joined this forum to get guidance and ask questions about the OM-D system.
My primary photography interests are wildlife, especially birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and the interesting landscapes that I visit in search of wildlife. I like to get good images of wildlife that I see in their natural surroundings, rather than being a dedicated bird photographer sitting in a hide or using props like old logs and hidden food in order to get close-up photos - probably because I don't have the patience!
Many many years ago my first SLR was an Olympus OM-1, which I loved. I used slide film rather than print film, for the superior quality.
As digital replaced film, I found that DSLRs were too expensive for me, so I tended to use point-and-shoot cameras and the bird photography lapsed.
In 2011 I bought a used Canon EOS40D and a used Canon 400mm f5.6 lens. This was a good set up but I found that on trips I was constantly switching lenses in order to photograph birds, landscapes, and flowers, and usually having the wrong lens at the time. I often had my birding telescope and tripod with me, so there was also the question of what I should have on my tripod. I found the bird photos taken handheld with the 400mm lens were often not very sharp, as there was no IS. As a consequence, while I got some good shots, I also had a high percentage of rejects or missed the opportunity entirely. My friend had just bought a bridge camera, and was getting much better results (within the limitations of a small sensor) as well as not having to swap equipment round all the time.
Therefore I sold the DSLR and 400mm lens, and bought a Canon SX50HS bridge camera. This is so versatile and light that I took it everywhere with me. It has a fantastic reach as well as good macro capabilities, so I could easily switch between close-ups of wild flowers, butterflies and dragonflies (using the zoom capabilities to get in close while keeping enough distance to avoid disturbing the insect) as well as distant birds, just by zooming. I was generally much happier with the results.
However, I was still disappointed with the clarity of my bird photos, while recognising that the small sensor does have image quality limitations compared to a DSLR. I started to hear about the Olympus E-M1 ii and the 400mm f4 PRO lens, and how the system was much more affordable (relatively-speaking), lighter and more compact than, say, the better Canon DSLRs and telephoto lenses (which were far too expensive for me to justify the expenditure, as I'm a birder / wildlife watcher first and photographer second).
So when I retired last year I took the plunge and bought an E-M1 ii and 12-40mm lens in Olympus's October 2020 promotion, and bought a 400mm f4 PRO lens on eBay. I've been very pleased with the sharpness of the results, and the portability of the system. Initially it felt quite heavy (in comparison to my bridge camera) and I noticed the weight when carrying it on a walk. But I've now got used to it and don't really notice. I bought a Peak Design Slide strap, which makes it much easier to carry across the shoulder (with one end attached to the tripod foot on the lens.
In terms of post-processing, I've always taken JPEGs and only done minor adjustments, such as cropping. I'm now taking RAW+JPEG just in case I want to do more sophisticated post-processing, but that will be a huge learning exercise which will require a lot of time.
So now, my rubbish results are down to my photographic skills and I can't blame the equipment! And, I'm so pleased to be back using a fantastic Olympus camera.
When I manage to travel again, I will still have the dilemma of switching lenses to photograph landscapes, but the 300mm may well still work with flowers and butterflies, due to its relatively close focussing. As mobile phone cameras have vastly improved since 2011, I now have the option to use my mobile for landscapes.
Mike
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