Olympus OM-D E-M5, E-M1, E-M10 - Mk1, Mk2 & Mk3 Owners Thread

Morning everyone,

Im after some advice, I’m look for the best lighting option for macro photography (insects, flowers etc..) for my Olympus & am trying to decide whether I’m better of getting the STF-8 Macro Twin Flash or use a single speadlight with some kind of diffusion?

many thanks,
Joe
 
the black fox said:
just put in for a quote from MPB and its only just below what im asking for it , will be doing a bit of ringing round this morning ,to see if anyone can improve on that first . as its in the acceptable range .
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I’ve always haggled and got them to raise their offer a bit if they’re not far off what you want.
 
snerkler said:
I’ve always haggled and got them to raise their offer a bit if they’re not far off what you want.
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Got two local camera shops who will both match the mpb price , and got a pre.order in with the one I normally deal with ,there all waiting on stock at the moment . No rush but shows my selling price on here etc is not far out
 
the black fox said:
Got two local camera shops who will both match the mpb price , and got a pre.order in with the one I normally deal with ,there all waiting on stock at the moment . No rush but shows my selling price on here etc is not far out
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I find WEX more generous with their quotes.
 
the black fox said:
just put in for a quote from MPB and its only just below what im asking for it , will be doing a bit of ringing round this morning ,to see if anyone can improve on that first . as its in the acceptable range .
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I think if I was in your position Jeff, already owning the PL and getting the results that you are, I think I'd wait and see how the Oly compares in real world use with others that have used both and can give a honest opinion.
I am buying for the first time so the Oly is the option for me. Of course I'm sure (if you are anything like me) you'll want the Oly as soon as it goes on general release.
I bought the Tamron 150-600mm for Nikon when it first came out, It cost me an arm and a leg at the time and all because I couldn't wait.

Im also sure that by the time I'm ready you'll have given it a good run and taken a few thousand shots and will be able to tell me if it's worth it or not [emoji41]
 
the black fox said:
just put in for a quote from MPB and its only just below what im asking for it , will be doing a bit of ringing round this morning ,to see if anyone can improve on that first . as its in the acceptable range .
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Maybe I should get a quote from some of those stores for my stuff. Never done it before but read that it's easy. Might save a bit of hassle
 
c22w1 said:
Maybe I should get a quote from some of those stores for my stuff. Never done it before but read that it's easy. Might save a bit of hassle
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I had a figure for private sale in mind, but contacted some stores. MPB weren’t far off what I was going to sell them for, pushed them a bit and probably got what I’d have sold them for privately tbh. Maybe slightly under, but for the difference it wasn’t worth the hassle.
 
It does save a lot of messing around Chris yes everyone wants a bargain me too but you can spend ages checking your sales and often MPB are very close and they arranged collection too .

I do try here and other forums first on some gear but only for a few days just to see if there is interest but generally buyers are waiting for you to drop your price even if its a good price to start with.

Rob.
 
I'll give it a go and see what they come up with. I've got far too much gear acquired over the years and too many different systems. I need to consolidate and go with just the one manufacturer.

A few questions if I may -
Are they anything like the car buying sites that give a good offer price till you turn up and then reduce the offer drastically?
Are the items FULLY insured for loss or damage during transit?
What happens if they drop the offer when they receive the said items, do you have to pay for the return postage?
What's the general satisfaction rate of the sales?
Thanks
 
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A bit off the topic of Olympus, but i decided to go all in with the 4/3 system and got a quote from MPB for my old Nikon stuff and the quote was quite reasonable. As others say it was not far off what I would have wanted for each item but the big advantage was selling about 7 items all at once rather than having prolonged bidding. There was no charge for the pick up, which was easy to arrange, and they checked it within 24 hours of receipt and paid 24 hours later.
One item was not up to their standard for resale and they told me that within the first 24 hours and I agreed that they would send it back, again with no charge. No big problem.

Like everyone else on this forum I try to bargain sellers down, and so in a way I am my own worst enemy, and the trade on here seems pretty slow to me.
Just my experience.
 
I can answer the first you give a true indication of the condition they will then check the gear most of mine were agreed however 2 lenses had a bit of dust so they did adjust them down a little .I did not check for dust so that was my fault .

They did give me a little more for a battery i had sent but did not put on the list.

I think they fully insure too.
Rob.
 
mazdaman said:
A very positive review from ephotozine with MTF charts for those who care for the teccy stuff

www.ephotozine.com

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 IS Review

John Riley reviews the new Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.6-6.3 IS telephoto zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds. Find out how this weather-sealed long telephoto zoom performs.
www.ephotozine.com www.ephotozine.com
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.... I don't bother to read the charts etc but there's enough other info in that review to convince me further about the lens being well up to standard for my purposes. If it wasn't so weatherproof it would be a deal-breaker.

the black fox said:
robin as you already have the t.c's its a no brainer go for it
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.... Definitely a no-brainer for my particular arsenal of lenses and subjects. Funnily enough I would only be mounting either of my TCs on an Oly 100-400mm for more distant wildlife. For surfers I find that my Olympus 40-150mm + MC-20 (equivalent 600mm) usually suffices and most are shot at about 500mm but it depends on venue how far out the waves are there. My Oly 300mm + MC-14 (equivalent 840mm) being a fixed prime has no flexibility and so the new 100-400mm (200-800mm equivalent) promises to be ideal. I usually shoot fast 1/2000s shutter speeds on surfers but keep the ISO to less than ISO 800.

So, for my surf vibe pics, one body + 40-150mm and second body + 100-400mm with TC options IF needed. That arsenal will cover both surfers and beach life plus TG-6 Tough in a pocket.

I have yet to read or hear of anything to put me off buying this lens so far. I will then sell my ED 300mm F/4 Pro.

www.instagram.com

Robin Procter (@robinsurfpix) • Instagram photos and videos

684 Followers, 518 Following, 262 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Robin Procter (@robinsurfpix)
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
superpippo said:
Like everyone else on this forum I try to bargain sellers down, and so in a way I am my own worst enemy, and the trade on here seems pretty slow to me.
Just my experience.
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.... I never try to bargain sellers down! And neither do I respond well to buyers trying to knock my prices down because I have already arrived at and am advertising a fair price.

Interest in TP Classifieds seems slower than slow compared to how it used to be unfortunately.
 
RedRobin said:
.... I never try to bargain sellers down! And neither do I respond well to buyers trying to knock my prices down because I have already arrived at and am advertising a fair price.

Interest in TP Classifieds seems slower than slow compared to how it used to be unfortunately.
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The trouble is that’s not how it works for many unfortunately, most of the time people set a higher price knowing people are going to bargain with them so if someone does this on one of your sales it’s probably worth bearing it in mind. They’re not being rude, just ’playing’ the usual game (y)
 
snerkler said:
The trouble is that’s not how it works for many unfortunately, most of the time people set a higher price knowing people are going to bargain with them so if someone does this on one of your sales it’s probably worth bearing it in mind. They’re not being rude, just ’playing’ the usual game (y)
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.... Yes but I'm not one of those who sets a higher price in the first place. Potential buyers can ask of course but I politely say no. It's a game I don't want to play. I have always been that way.
 
snerkler said:
The trouble is that’s not how it works for many unfortunately, most of the time people set a higher price knowing people are going to bargain with them so if someone does this on one of your sales it’s probably worth bearing it in mind. They’re not being rude, just ’playing’ the usual game (y)
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It's a game for some buyers and an annoying one too for some sellers. If you advertise an item that's worth £100 but put it up for £50 you will always get someone ask of you'll take £40 or the classic "what's your best price"

What I find annoying is that if someone is buying an item, whatever it might be, they must also know it's value and already know if said item is on at a good price or not.
 
Its easier to put "No Offers Thank You"

My main complaint is when told I can get it cheaper at (insert random retailer)
Go there and buy it then, you are an idiot to even enquire if its dearer here

I'm not desperate for the money so if someone mucks me about too much I just say no longer for sale and mean it too.
Happened recently when I got lowballed by a fair bit then a few days later offered the asking price, yeah right.
Sat in my cupboard unopened for six months, another six or more won't be a problem, just gives me the hump.
 
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With mine I researched what dealers and the bay were selling at and offered it at a reasonable price based on that ,I have now taken my lens off of e.bay due to fees , so it’s still a bargain price for a sharp lens On here .If it doesn’t go i now have firm offers from several retailers in PX and have put in a reserve on the new one once in .

On a side note I have also watched lots more u.tube vids on it today and they can’t ALL be bulls***ting over iq .

I also just watched robin Wong’s latest u.tube offering where he tested it with a 2x tc impressive results hand held, and I still have my C/F tripod and jobu gimbal if required , not used them since changing to olympus
 
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snerkler said:
I had a figure for private sale in mind, but contacted some stores. MPB weren’t far off what I was going to sell them for, pushed them a bit and probably got what I’d have sold them for privately tbh. Maybe slightly under, but for the difference it wasn’t worth the hassle.
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Well, I'm glad you thought it worth the hassle for the 12-40mm (y)
 
GyRob said:
I can answer the first you give a true indication of the condition they will then check the gear most of mine were agreed however 2 lenses had a bit of dust so they did adjust them down a little .I did not check for dust so that was my fault .

They did give me a little more for a battery i had sent but did not put on the list.

I think they fully insure too.
Rob.
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So if I'm reading this correctly, it's better to underestimate the condition and MPB will still pay what it's worth, rather than over estimate the condition and get the quote knocked down. In other words they are TOTALLY reliable and trustworthy?
 
Well all this money changing hands l hope we will be seeing some stunning photos soon with the 100-400 Olly lens. I will need convincing to chop in my metal panny 100-400 for the Olly plastic fantastic.
 
Ajophotog said:
Well all this money changing hands l hope we will be seeing some stunning photos soon with the 100-400 Olly lens. I will need convincing to chop in my metal panny 100-400 for the Olly plastic fantastic.
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The extra reach is the real temptation alby , 160mm Extra with the 1.4 x 2 is a deal breaker for the winter owls plus most reviews are commenting on sharpness wide open .it will give 1120mm reach which is a whole new ball park and puts it back into the range of a sigma 150-600 with a crop sensor at 1260 mm .. or if I decided on the 2x it’s 1600 mm although a tripod and gimbal would be advised
 
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the black fox said:
The extra reach is the real temptation alby , 160mm Extra with the 1.4 x 2 is a deal breaker for the winter owls plus most reviews are commenting on sharpness wide open .it will give 1120mm reach which is a whole new ball park and puts it back into the range of a sigma 150-600 with a crop sensor at 1260 mm .. or if I decided on the 2x it’s 1600 mm although a tripod and gimbal would be advised
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That extra reach is probably the only reason to change in my mind but the problems like heat haze and the like is making me hold off. I will be watching on with interest Jeff.
 
c22w1 said:
So if I'm reading this correctly, it's better to underestimate the condition and MPB will still pay what it's worth, rather than over estimate the condition and get the quote knocked down. In other words they are TOTALLY reliable and trustworthy?
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I can only speak for my dealings I try not to over estimate that way your less likely to be disappointed, iv got around £13,000 for my Canon, Olympus, and Sony gear from them, I did sell my EF 600f4 mkII privately but the end result was it let me buy the new gear i have now so i'm back to using the best again :)

It's the fact they have been hassle free sales that has to be worth something well it is to me :)

Rob.
 
RedRobin said:
.... Yes but I'm not one of those who sets a higher price in the first place. Potential buyers can ask of course but I politely say no. It's a game I don't want to play. I have always been that way.
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Me neither tbh, it’s just the way I’ve always had to ‘play’ it on here (y)
 
c22w1 said:
So if I'm reading this correctly, it's better to underestimate the condition and MPB will still pay what it's worth, rather than over estimate the condition and get the quote knocked down. In other words they are TOTALLY reliable and trustworthy?
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I wouldn't suggest that you underestimate on the basis of my experience with them. Just give your honest opinion of the items.
 
superpippo said:
I wouldn't suggest that you underestimate on the basis of my experience with them. Just give your honest opinion of the items.
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Agree with this, I’ve always given honest descriptions and they’ve always honoured the price.
 
Ajophotog said:
That extra reach is probably the only reason to change in my mind but the problems like heat haze and the like is making me hold off. I will be watching on with interest Jeff.
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.... [This is re the new Olympus 100-400mm]: Heat haze and atmospherics due to distance are naturally present and currently unavoidable in all telephoto lenses - As I understand it, it's simply optics.

So the solutions are to shoot at much closer distances or to reduce haze in post-processing. Affinity has quite an effective AI haze reduction filter, not that I often use it.

I think that, as discussed already, a photographer's decision to buy this lens or not will depend largely on what he/she already has in their arsenal. It's not needed by some and an absolute no-brainer for others (like me) for a number of reasons.
 
jakeblu said:
You had 2 then, or did you forget you sold it to me. :)
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Oh yeah that’s right, I was going to sell it to Harrisons but sold it to you instead. My memory’s great isn’t it :LOL:
 
Just had someone offer me more than my asking price on faceberk ,when I said I’ll deliver it personally for that they said they wanted it shipped to the u.s.a wrapped in birthday paper . And he wanted it because all u.k items are unique . Obvious couple of Nigerian spelling mistakes to ... god loves a scammer ... but I don’t
 
the black fox said:
Just had someone offer me more than my asking price on faceberk ,when I said I’ll deliver it personally for that they said they wanted it shipped to the u.s.a wrapped in birthday paper . And he wanted it because all u.k items are unique . Obvious couple of Nigerian spelling mistakes to ... god loves a scammer ... but I don’t
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Hmmmm! perhaps tell him that if drop off in UK not good for him.........tell him you can drop it off in the USA in (pick a timeframe?) when you return, via the USA, from Antarctic McMurdo station at the end of your tour there..... ;)
 
the transcript
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I once based in United Kingdom before coming back to the state permanently, UK product are always unique and different that is why I appreciate buying all my gadget from Uk thanks for asking.


I want it ship to my cousin in United States also want it wrapped with bubble wrap as in birthday gift is that okay with you ?


-------------------:cool::cool::cool::cool: seems a genuine sort of guy:wave::wave::wave::wave:
 
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