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

does attaching files into this forum remove the sharpness ?
 
does attaching files into this forum remove the sharpness ?
I attach from my ipernity account using the BBcode method and don't have a problem, how are you loading your image onto here?
 
You can start a free Flickr account with up to 1000 free uploads .. enough to the hang of it anyway .. as always just ask
 
Well I decided I would enquire after the
New Olympus 150-400mm today.
So I contacted Clifton Camera's I expected a wait. But I was gobsmacked when I was told 12 months.

Tried 4 different shops all quoting next year
Delivery Jeff. 2 of them I have been dealing with for years and I am on first names with the mangers. So they know I'm not prone to chopping and changing systems.
With the information available it looks like the production of this lens was woefully under estimated.
I'm guessing Covid has also caused the supply of parts to be an issue if they are outsourcing the parts.

.... Olympus have underestimated the demand and pre-orders for this new lens. It is not as simple as some folks appear to assume about production lines.

Furthermore, supply delays to the UK from Japan, which still have to go via Germany and are not direct from Japan as they are to America, are made even worse by the wretched vat and other taxes still being sorted out due to Britain leaving the EU.

The worst case scenario might be a year if you haven't already pre-ordered.

Are Clifton Cameras on the Olympus list of only 4 main dealers in the UK to get their pre-ordered allocations met first? I didn't hear that they were but stand to be corrected.

@the black fox Jeff, you were at that zoom meeting, did you catch the names of the 4 dealers other than Wex and Park?
 
Saw on another forum that at least two people in the states are receiving their lenses at the end of this week.
At least proves some have been manufactured and are out and about in the world.

.... Indeed they have but Olympus have said that they under estimated the demand, likewise with the ED 100-400mm.

America is supplied direct from Japan, the UK isn't and has to go via Germany and the EU > UK path is full of bureaucracy and tax hurdles.
 
.... Olympus have underestimated the demand and pre-orders for this new lens. It is not as simple as some folks appear to assume about production lines.

Furthermore, supply delays to the UK from Japan, which still have to go via Germany and are not direct from Japan as they are to America, are made even worse by the wretched vat and other taxes still being sorted out due to Britain leaving the EU.

The worst case scenario might be a year if you haven't already pre-ordered.

Are Clifton Cameras on the Olympus list of only 4 main dealers in the UK to get their pre-ordered allocations met first? I didn't hear that they were but stand to be corrected.

@the black fox Jeff, you were at that zoom meeting, did you catch the names of the 4 dealers other than Wex and Park?

Hi Robin
I tried Park, London camera exchange, Clifton cameras and Wex to no avail.
Clifton Camera's do Olympus kit days they had Rousey there just before lockdown.
You can also trial Olympus kit for a day before you buy.
I tried 3 foreign dealers as well to see if I could get one quicker that way by all accounts they had already sold all the units they had planned to make by the end of November.
 
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.... Olympus have underestimated the demand and pre-orders for this new lens. It is not as simple as some folks appear to assume about production lines.

Furthermore, supply delays to the UK from Japan, which still have to go via Germany and are not direct from Japan as they are to America, are made even worse by the wretched vat and other taxes still being sorted out due to Britain leaving the EU.

The worst case scenario might be a year if you haven't already pre-ordered.

Are Clifton Cameras on the Olympus list of only 4 main dealers in the UK to get their pre-ordered allocations met first? I didn't hear that they were but stand to be corrected.

@the black fox Jeff, you were at that zoom meeting, did you catch the names of the 4 dealers other than Wex and Park?
I know I was quiet surprised to hear SRS Microsystems was one of them .. but they have always given good service the other but dont quote me is I think LCE
 
been having a internal brain fight with myself for a few days over whether or not to buy another macro lens , over the years for various brands I have owned sigma 105/150/180 lenses for olympus 1x 30mm and 2 x60mm and a samyang 100mm macro .. I never seem to settle with them I suppose because I prefer environmental close ups rather than the hairs on a spiders legs ... yesterday I came to the conclusion that in all honesty I would be better off using the 100-400 lens + 1.4 tc as my close up go to .. the rig focuses to 1.3mts or 51 inches . I tried it out yesterday on a couple of house window ornaments at just beyond these measurements .both shots hand held in natural light ..today I realised I would in fact be better off in single shot and s-af yet to p/p those heres a couple from yesterdays play .. think I just saved myself a few hundred quid .. plus I still have my working ring flash and godox flashgun to if needed ele @ 560mm .jpgwooden i.jpg
 
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been having a internal brain fight with myself for a few days over whether or not to buy another macro lens , over the years for various brands I have owned sigma 105/150/180 lenses for olympus 1x 30mm and 2 x60mm and a samyang 100mm macro .. I never seem to settle with them I suppose because I prefer environmental close ups rather than the hairs on a spiders legs ... yesterday I came to the conclusion that in all honesty I would be better off using the 100-400 lens + 1.4 tc as my close up go to .. the rig focuses to 1.3mts or 51 inches . I tried it out yesterday on a couple of house window ornaments at just beyond these measurements .both shots hand held in natural light ..today I realised I would in fact be better off in single shot and s-af yet to p/p those heres a couple from yesterdays play .. think I just saved myself a few hundred quid .. plus I still have my working ring flash and godox flashgun to if needed View attachment 309709View attachment 309710

Makes a lot of sense Jeff.
 
been having a internal brain fight with myself for a few days over whether or not to buy another macro lens , over the years for various brands I have owned sigma 105/150/180 lenses for olympus 1x 30mm and 2 x60mm and a samyang 100mm macro .. I never seem to settle with them I suppose because I prefer environmental close ups rather than the hairs on a spiders legs ... yesterday I came to the conclusion that in all honesty I would be better off using the 100-400 lens + 1.4 tc as my close up go to .. the rig focuses to 1.3mts or 51 inches . I tried it out yesterday on a couple of house window ornaments at just beyond these measurements .both shots hand held in natural light ..today I realised I would in fact be better off in single shot and s-af yet to p/p those heres a couple from yesterdays play .. think I just saved myself a few hundred quid .. plus I still have my working ring flash and godox flashgun to if needed View attachment 309709View attachment 309710
For butterflies and dragonflies a good solution Jeff
 
been having a internal brain fight with myself for a few days over whether or not to buy another macro lens , over the years for various brands I have owned sigma 105/150/180 lenses for olympus 1x 30mm and 2 x60mm and a samyang 100mm macro .. I never seem to settle with them I suppose because I prefer environmental close ups rather than the hairs on a spiders legs ... yesterday I came to the conclusion that in all honesty I would be better off using the 100-400 lens + 1.4 tc as my close up go to .. the rig focuses to 1.3mts or 51 inches . I tried it out yesterday on a couple of house window ornaments at just beyond these measurements .both shots hand held in natural light ..today I realised I would in fact be better off in single shot and s-af yet to p/p those heres a couple from yesterdays play .. think I just saved myself a few hundred quid .. plus I still have my working ring flash and godox flashgun to if needed View attachment 309709View attachment 309710
Have you considered using an extension tube as well. A set of kenko ones are worth having very light weight and take up very little room in the bag or pocket.
 
Have you considered using an extension tube as well. A set of kenko ones are worth having very light weight and take up very little room in the bag or pocket.
Then I would be getting back into the realms of the hairs on a spiders legs type shots . At the moment with the above rig I can shoot subjects at just over 4 feet away and with a bit of judicious p.p get the shots I want . The money doesn’t come into it ease of use does
 
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been having a internal brain fight with myself for a few days over whether or not to buy another macro lens , over the years for various brands I have owned sigma 105/150/180 lenses for olympus 1x 30mm and 2 x60mm and a samyang 100mm macro .. I never seem to settle with them I suppose because I prefer environmental close ups rather than the hairs on a spiders legs ... yesterday I came to the conclusion that in all honesty I would be better off using the 100-400 lens + 1.4 tc as my close up go to .. the rig focuses to 1.3mts or 51 inches . I tried it out yesterday on a couple of house window ornaments at just beyond these measurements .both shots hand held in natural light ..today I realised I would in fact be better off in single shot and s-af yet to p/p those heres a couple from yesterdays play .. think I just saved myself a few hundred quid .. plus I still have my working ring flash and godox flashgun to if needed

.... Good point Jeff. As long as you accept that macro shooting on an Oly ED telephoto lens has its limitations regarding the size of the target, as Alf @alfbranch says, dragonflies and butterflies but usually not smaller.

I even found my ED 300mm Pro good enough for 'macro' although I think that 'close ups' would be a more appropriate term. Until the minibeast world wakes up I haven't had the chance to test my ED 100-400mm on them.

And don't forget that mounting a MC-14 teleconverter gets you even closer < Much more flexible for a wider range of targets than faffing around with extension tubes. I have some Kenko ones I should sell because I don't use them.

Also, to help 'macro'/close up work don't forget that many Olympus lenses support focus stacking. The second posted image is on a monopod and is focus stacked.

SOUTHERN HAWKER by Robin Procter, on Flickr

THE REWARD FOR PATIENCE .... by Robin Procter, on Flickr
 
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What are these taken with Robin they really do stand out and are quite stunning.
Rob.
 
What are these taken with Robin they really do stand out and are quite stunning.
Rob.

.... Thanks Rob!

First image of a Southern Hawker on my very first session with the new Olympus ED 100-400mm + MC-14 in September 2020. Handheld.

Second image of a Broad-bodied Chaser with an Olympus ED 300mm Pro + MC-14 on monopod in May 2020. Focus stacked.

Both mounted on Oly E-M1X bodies. More info if you click each image and read on Flickr.
 
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.... Good point Jeff. As long as you accept that macro shooting on an Oly ED telephoto lens has its limitations regarding the size of the target, as Alf @alfbranch says, dragonflies and butterflies but usually not smaller.

I even found my ED 300mm Pro good enough for 'macro' although I think that 'close ups' would be a more appropriate term. Until the minibeast world wakes up I haven't had the chance to test my ED 100-400mm on them.

And don't forget that mounting a MC-14 teleconverter gets you even closer < Much more flexible for a wider range of targets than faffing around with extension tubes. I have some Kenko ones I should sell because I don't use them.

Also, to help 'macro'/close up work don't forget that many Olympus lenses support focus stacking. The second posted image is on a monopod and is focus stacked.

SOUTHERN HAWKER by Robin Procter, on Flickr

THE REWARD FOR PATIENCE .... by Robin Procter, on Flickr


Quite beautiful. Excellent shots
 
Re budget telephotos / zoom

what would you recommend for a budget 40ish to 200ish ? It’s for my em10.2 so I don’t need / want the Pro lenses..

What is people’s preference re O40-150 or P45-175 or P45-200 ?
 
what would you recommend for a budget 40ish to 200ish ? It’s for my em10.2 so I don’t need / want the Pro lenses..
What is people’s preference re O40-150 or P45-175 or P45-200 ?
I use an E-M10ii.

I've had the plastic Olympus 40-150mm since I got my first E-PL5.
I really rate it, it's very light and compact and the results are well ahead of it's very reasonable price (used or bundled)
Some of my best....

On a whim I picked up the Olympus 75-300mm for a very reasonable price from CEX online.
It's a much larger and heavier lens. The extra reach is really good but it's quite slow at 300mm and handholding in anything under great light means I've got fewer keepers.
I know the lens is sharp when fully supported so it's stabilisation, available light and probably mostly my technique.
Some of my best - until I stopped paying for Flickr Pro :)

I got some nice shots of the grey seal pupping at Horsey in December. I uploaded a couple earlier in this thread. I also got quite a few that weren't up to snuff.

In summary I'd pick up the O 40-150 without a moment of hesitation. I can't comment on either of the Panasonics.
If you want the extra reach the O 75-300 is a very good lens but the focal length creates a challenge perhaps more on the M10ii than on the higher end cameras with better stabilisation.
 
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in response to robin saying that dragonflies are the limit with the long lens , heres one from early sept just after I had bought the lens when a few insects were still around .shield bug on dandelion clock , natural light ,100-400, hand held . cant wait for summer again .
green shield stamps by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
Thanks @alfbranch and @AMcUK much appreciated

I had the 75-300 when i had the e-m1.1 and it readlly needed good light and technique at those longer lengths. Maybe I'll try the plastic fantastic as they're pretty reasonable by the looks of things
 
In summary I'd pick up the O 40-150 without a moment of hesitation. I can't comment on either of the Panasonics.
If you want the extra reach the O 75-300 is a very good lens but the focal length creates a challenge perhaps more on the M10ii than on the higher end cameras with better stabilisation.

..... The Olympus 40-150mm F/2.8 Pro is a superb lens and takes both MC-14 and MC-20 extremely well < Check out my Flickr album.

Worth buying previously-loved if you can't afford a new one.

Also worth checking HDEW's new prices (have used them for many years).

Gotta dash out (with cameras) - Had the shout that surf's up!
 
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I’ve had the pro and mc14 before but I’m not looking for the pro this time round
 
I’ve had the pro and mc14 before but I’m not looking for the pro this time round
I've had all the lenses you mention. I found the Panasonic 45-200 to be disappointing especially at the long end where it's noticeably soft. The cheap Oly 40-150 and the P 45-175 are both excellent. The 45-175 is a power-zoom so you have to push a lever to zoom and can't quickly turn it from short to long, but it's an internal zoom mechanism so doesn't change length which I like. The Oly 75-300 I also found disappointing - I could never get good results at the long end, and comparing it with a Sony RX10iii which I also had at the same time, the Sony results were always better. Of course, the pro lenses will always be better, but if you want a cheap and light carry-everywhere lens I would recommend either the cheap O.40-150 or P.45-175.
 
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