olympus e-1 or canon 350d?

olympus e-1 or canon 350d? Help me make up one's mind, please.

I traded in my 300D for an E-1, it is a far superior camera, mostly because you can buy some very high quality lenses for it that don't break the bank or your back, unlike the Canon system. And don't even get me started on difference in built quality and ergonimics. :) But that is of course comparing it with the 300D, I never used a 350D.

 

There are rumours going around of an "E-500" comming out soon, marketed between E-300 and E-1 (or most likely it's pro replacement) with a more traditional design than the E-300.

I don't know- why don't you tell us what's important to you? For pro build quality the E-1 is up there with the best. Up to ISO 400 it'll be fine. The Digital Rebel XT/350D on the other hand is obviously a consumer body, with cheaper consumer build quality, but it'll spank the E-1 in high ISO performance because it's technology is over 2 years ahead of the E-1 at this point. If you like to shoot available light, you can buy a Rebel XT and a lens such as the 28/1.8 EF or one of the fast zooms, crank up the ISO to 800 or even 1600 and it'll produce images the sensor on the E-1 can't touch.

 

The E-1 is getting a little long in the tooth from a digital technology standpoint- that's why the prices are where they are today-it's probably about to be replaced with something newer, better, and probably much more expensive. Back when it first came out the body only was close to, if not over $2,000. I was looking at it as I was shopping for my first DSLR because it was an unusual offering compared to everyone else, but it was simply out of my league price-wise when combined with the cost of the (few) very expensive lenses that were being offered at that time (late 2003). High quality they were- affordable for many they were not.

Not a rumor anymore:

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<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0509/05092604olympuse500.asp">http://www.dpreview.com/news/0509/05092604olympuse500.asp</a>

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Hope someone will sell them with 14-54/2.8-3.5 lens and you'd have a great camera.

This E-500 is very interesting looking, as are those estimated street prices. Prices in pounds sterling are always inflated compared to what we wind up seeing here in the US, so I'll be looking with interest at where the prices fall. Olympus goes to their own beat for sure when it comes to design, but there are some options on that camera that would cost me $4,000 in the Canon line and I like that look of the E-500.

 

Not too long ago I was in Best Buy and handled an E-300. Didn't care for the feel at all of that camera- too clunky, but the kit lens fitted to it was a first class unit. Silky smooth zoom action- everything about it said first class.

Probably depends on whether you need the advantages of a complete system or not. Either will take fine pictures in the right hands. In most respects, the E-1 may have an edge. But what happens after you invest in a body and 3-4 lenses and then decided you need a newer, more advanced body (like FF or weather sealed) or multiple lighting options/remote control/etc? If you're just buying to take snapshots, either will do. If you plan on relying on the kit to make money over a longer period of time and reduce you investment cost for reuse, going with Canon may have more benefits.

Steve, that's a tough choice especially since the e-500 was just announced. From my initial impressions the E-500 and the 350D is more of an apples-to-apples comparison.

 

I have an E-1. A friend has a 350D and I got to play with if for a few minutes. The viewfinder of the 350D was darker than the E-1.

 

What I like about the E-1:

 

-- High-eyepoint viewfinder for eyeglass wearers.

 

-- 100% viewfinder coverage. What you see is what you get in the file.

 

-- Build quality and weather sealing of the E-1 and the 14-54. The 14-45 is not weather sealed.

 

Get these cameras in your hand and try and make some images and see how they feel. It's pretty subjective. A store like B&H will allow you a ho-hassle return.

 

As someone mentioned the E-1 is a little long in the teeth but at $999 for the body it's a great deal if the pluses of the E-1 matter to you and you can live with the downsides.

 

Jim

E-1 plus the 14-54 and 50-200 for around $2,500 through B&H. Had that been the price two years ago I would have seriously considered it. It even sounds nice now. That two lens setup with this new E-500, depending on sensor performance, looks very nice too.

 

Hmm.....

That new E 500 looks like you ought to add it to your choice list if you can hang on for a month or so. A two lens kit will set you up for a good price. The E-1 is a very fine camera. For the average shooter, it is more of a pro model and I would steer you away from it even though I love the beast. Example: The E-1 has no pop up flash.<p> It gets down to what camera system you prefer to get involved with. The dust feature is under-rated. But Olympus still has no image stabilized long lenses. The competition is getting tougher all the time.Options:- Toss a coin. -Ask the unbiased people on photonet. -Let your wife or girl friend decide which looks sharper/schnitzier. Don't wait too long,though.

Why would Olympus choose to make an upgrade for the Evolt instead of a replacement for the ageing yet excellent E-1? I was just looking over the spec sheet and it looked as though there weren't really enough changes over the Evolt to warrant the new model's introduction. I see no mention of it having the features that would let it play in the same league as the E-1 or the 1 series canons, and this is the area where olympus really needs to work on their offerings.

My guess would be this model will given them the opportunity to sell more units than an E-1 replacement. When they do replace the E-1, I don't doubt the new model will be priced in the range of where the E-1 was when it first came out- it may even have some sort of body image stabilization, which would probably make it quite expensive compared to where the E-500 will fall. The body style alone of the E-500 is a big upgrade to the E-300, which I didn't care for too much. The listed specs have some pretty cool options.

 

It does have me thinking, but I want to see about how some things like the noise filter works.

Yeah, I was never too fond of that whole sideways pentamirror thing in the Evolt. Fear of the unknown, yes, but it also made the body look silly.

Depends on what your goals and interests are. Long term, Canon is probably the better bet and it gives you a broader set of options for the future. Down the line, you can always upgrade to a FF digital body. On the other hand, if you feel comfortable with sticking with 4/3 sensors, then the Oly system might be a good place to stay. Personally, I have an interest in Canon's wider breadth of offerings, from IS lense to FF DSLR bodies. I'm not sure how much the smaller 4/3 sensor (the smallest sensor format currently used in DSLR cameras) has room to grow, especially as resolution levels increase. For the same megapixel count, a 4/3 sensor is always going to have smaller photosites which tends to result in higher noise at higher ISO because of the lower sensitivity of smaller pixels.

The biggest changes I can see in the latest E series are selling points in this market level, the Circuit City/Best Buy family types. Appearance just looks great w/ balanced design,handsome. A brighter LCD and larger LCD w/ super big enlargement zoom -in mode are what every mfr is going for too. When the ultra, no holds barred, all engines ahead full, professional model is eventually (w/in a year?) released I predict it will be stunning. Olympus, per coporate designer's comments following, is not rushing to market until they have a genuine unique product in the professional realm and one to compete for attention. If you have time read the brief interview with an Olympus insider,if you choose to

http://www.webpersonal.net/fotoimagendigital/olympuse500e.htm :

Andrew, I think an "E-3" will not be far off; it is no good introducing some decidedly pro f/2.0 zooms and not back it up with a body to match.

 

I'd say Gerry probably has it right about not releasing until it is ready. They could have put the E-500 sensor and electronics in an E-1 body and call it their new pro model, but it wouldn't be right. Everybody who has used both says the E-1 sensor is better despite it's lower resolution, so Olympus wasn't going to go 8MP until it really was an improvement.

 

Like Gerry, I too expect to be a stunning camera.

thank for mind.

 

i?m choose for E1 and 1454 zuiko + FL50 it s a 2,5 years over.)

joy to work with oly

 

thanks

stefan