Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Why Olympus and why care?

On the Olympus forums there is much angst and dismay towards Olympus. Why can't they compete with Nikon and Canon? When will the new professional 4/3rds camera arrive? Will they continue to support 4/3rds? Blah, blah, blah. I often wonder why these people bought Olympus in the first place. I bought my first Olympus DSLR for these reasons: It had in camera image stabilization, It had more of the features important to me a the lowest price point, and the lenses got good reviews. I really didn't understand what I was getting myself into as far as 4/3rds vs APS vs FF sensors. I was interesting a Fuji DSLR, but all they offered was the S3 which was out of my budget. I ended up with a E510 and loved it from day one. Compared to my previous point and shoot, I was in hog heaven, enjoying the benefits of  interchangeable lenses, fast shutter speeds, and 3 fps. It was and is a beautiful thing.
 
Now I have three Olympus DSLR's and assorted lenses. I have a lot invested in the system. Does it worry me that the system may go away? Not really. I had a lot invested in VHS tapes and players, and they went away. I had a good bit invested in Minolta film cameras and lenses, and they went away. I suppose if Olympus quit making DSLR's tomorrow I would use my cameras until they died and move on. These things happen. So be it.
 
I am happy with Olympus. I like not being one of the Canon/Nikon guys. I like the results I get. Cameras come and go. If you to feel that your camera will be supported for the next gazillion years you are probably better off buying a Canon or Nikon. Otherwise, grab your Olympus and "don't think about it".
 

1 comment:

  1. I'm sold on Olympus and have been since May 2002, when I purchased my first Olympus point and shoot camera (D-370L). A year later I purchased an Olympus C-730. In December 2005 I realized that I needed something better than a point and shoot camera. I kept outgrowing the features of a point and shoot camera. Besides I wanted interchangeable lens. At that time I looked at Canon and Nikon, but the Olympus E-500 fit my budget better than either of those cameras. I was hooked on my camera the very minute I received it. Late last year I purchased the Olympus E-620. I didn't give Canon or Nikon even a fleeting glance. Why should I? I've been happy with the performance of Olympus since 2002.

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