Pro's Using Olympus Gear

<p>I would really like to hear some responses from full-time or part-time professional photographers who use Olympus. Right now I have a E-500, and I'm interested in investing more into my gear, like an external flash or two and better lenses. I'm interested doing lifestyle and studio portraiture. I don't have much of a tie to any brand yet (other than the E-500), and I want to make a good decision.</p>

<p>If you are a pro using Olympus, please tell me why you love your gear, or why you wished you had bought another brand.</p>

<p>There's a guy who posts from time to time over on the Olympus DSLR forum at DPReview.<br>

Here's his website:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.josephmarkweddings.com/site/#joseph-mark-photography-f48b4">http://www.josephmarkweddings.com/site/#joseph-mark-photography-f48b4</a></p>

<p>Here are his comments. Read a few of them. He makes some great comments about Olympus equipment. He also uses Canon equipment and makes comparisons in one or two posts.</p>

<p><a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/postersprofile.asp?poster=hhimieilhlid">http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/postersprofile.asp?poster=hhimieilhlid</a></p>

<p>Sorry. Duplicate post.</p>

<p>This question quite relates to my post some time ago. Hope it helps to answer your question :)<br>

<a href="00RKf6">http://www.photo.net/olympus-camera-forum/00RKf6</a></p>

<p>I am part-time pro and use OM gear. That probably doesn't help you.</p>

<p>I am a part-time pro and use both Olympus and Canon. I like both. The biggest problems with the Olympus are the limited range of lenses, the 2x "multiplication factor" and lack of 3rd party support in both hardware and software. Those might be sufficient reason for some to not go with Olympus. Do I regret buying the Olympus - no, not at all.<br>

I will not say that one is better than the other as far as quality goes, its sort of subjective. I have shown clients pictures taken with both and they can't tell the difference. That to me is the business end of the decision.<br>

If, however, I were doing architectural photography for a client, I would want to be able to use a TS lens and there is no way to buy or rent one for the Olympus - none exist. In other words, it really depends on what is your area of client focus (no pun intended).<br>

Which do I use the most - the Olympus. I use the Canon system when I have a special assignment and need to rent equipment that I do not have to accomplish the assignment. I guess system is too generous a word for my Canon - a body and a flash. I rent lenses when I need them.<br>

You need to figure out what you really want to do and go with what feels good to you. <br>

One other note, I still use my Mamiya 645 when digital just will not do it :-)<br>

Walt</p>

<p>Olympus D360L; 5.5mm @F2.8 1/30 sec iso 125; strobe fired on camera; 500 Watt Halogen Home Depot; LED worklite Harbour Freight; underlayment Titanium UDL; kitchen vent Home Depot. I have four of these cameras; first one cost about 350 bucks; last one about 20 on ebay. If the tar covered digitai goes off the roof; it is not a major loss. It is about a 9 year old camera. '</p>

<p><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/TOOLS/P1010063TINANUMUDL.jpg?t=1234924355" alt="" width="800" height="600" /></p>

<p>I have read Constantine Manos, a Magnum photographer has used various P&S cameras including an Olympus C5060 to photograph combat situations.</p>

<p>Sanford, I believe you're thinking of Alex Majoli. Costa Manos is getting on in years, uses Leicas.</p>

<p>Here's Majoli's work:</p>

<p>http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R13S3S3&nm=Alex%20Majoli</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks Lewis, I thought I might have gotten that name wrong. I do have a C5060 though, a camera capable of producing amazing results if you can live with the delay.</p><div></div>

<p>I shoot predominantly weddings now, but I've been a working pro in various capacities since 1970. I've shot commerical advertising, portraiture, forensic and crime scene work, aerial; pretty much everything and anything over the years. I shot Canon, Leica, Mamiya C330, and Hasselblad film cameras in the past. I still have my over thirty-year-old Norman corded studio lighting setup.</p>

<p>I've got two E1s and an E3, an 11-22, 14-54, 14-50, 50-200, 35-100, 25mm f/1.4, and two FL-50r flashes (along with, believe it or not, a Kiev 88cm system with a couple of bodies and six Pentacon 6 mount lenses including a Hartblei 45mm TS Super-Rotator and and a Hartblei portrait lens for the <em>very </em> occasional 6x6 negative). I sold all of my EOS1 and Hassy gear about ten years ago when I got out of the business for a while. Starting back up, I wasn't tied to any system any more. A few years ago, I bought a couple of Olympus E10/E20s and did a couple of weddings with them and was hooked. The Kiev stuff I bought on a whim, but was impressed with what they're capable of. I wouldn't shoot a wedding with them as they're just not reliable enough, but for studio work or other occasional film work they're actually pretty amazing. And cheap!</p>

<p>I love my Olympus digital setup. No camera system can do it all; and each brand has it's strong points and weak points. If you know the limitations of what your system will accomplish, and you stay largely within those constraints, any system that meets your needs (regardless of brand) will work for you. When you recognize that you need a different tool to accomplish your job, then rent that tool. You don't cut plywood with a hand-held jigsaw when you need the straight-line cut that a table saw provides. For that job, you go rent a table saw. If you do it frequently enough that having your own saw makes sense financially and from a time-management perspective, then you buy a table saw. Photography is no different.</p>

<p>I acquired most of my equipment used at fire-sale prices which helps my bottom line. As a working pro, money not spent is the same as income. The gear performs the same, new or used. It's the photographer driving the equipment who determines whether or not the equipment is successful.</p>

<p>Within it's system limitations, the Olympus digital system will handle 98% of what most photographers ever need, and the Olyumpus glass is just superb. For that other 2%, get the right tool for the job.</p>

<p>Roger</p>

<p>Roger - I have an E-10, a beautifully made camera but it would be maddening to shoot a wedding or any action with it. Sooooo sloooow and a battery eater. At one point a gave it to a starving artist that had her camera stolen and found it on my doorstep a few days later. I used to leave the house with four sets of fully charged batteries and be out of juice in less than an hour. It does represent Olympus craftsmanship at it's highest though.</p>

<p>If you have the itch to do studio portraiture you need more than a camera and lenses. You need a reliable lighting system with two or three strobes. Light stands. Backgrounds. Pocket wizards (not some eBay made in Macao gizmo) eventually. A decent lightmeter. A solid tripod and ball head. A couple of reflectors and stands. Possibly a heavy duty case with rollers to store and carry your gear. Maybe a high quality portable strobe with a power pack for field use or weddings. My advice, if that is worth anything under the conditions of the question, (only shot for money for a short time years ago) would be to buy just USED camera and used lenses. Unfortunately, the market for used high grade Olympus products is not quite as rich as Nikon or Canon but there are some deals if you look. ( An E-1 is now at give away prices and has been used professionally) Not so with the lenses-they don't get given away. Just a fact of life. Let your total budget lead the way. If you have all that other useful gear and knowledge of the business,then any of the name systems are going to work fine- none of them are stinkers. I kind of think roger has offered a smart take on the subect-it is all about profit and loss. And a little of personal preference as well thrown in.</p>

<p>I am a full time studio photographer with weddings being a large part of my business. I've used Olympus cameras since they came out including the E-10, E-20, E-1, E-500, E-510, E-520 and the E-3.</p>

<p>While they have some limitations such as not great at higher ISO's it's never been a problem in my work. They were not the fastest of cameras either so they weren't the best at action sports but a lot of that is changing.<br>

As far as the quality of the image I'd say it's on a par with any other brand. I come from a medium format background and I expect the same clarity and sharpness with digital and Olympus gives it to me.<br>

All the major brands are good, it's really your skill that makes the difference in a photo, not the camera.</p>

<p>Jim Marby</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Here is a link to another full time professional who uses Olympus,trusts the equipment, and has made a living at it, just to show there are more than a few and they are world wide. I happen to have followed Ray's comments over the years on another forum. He relies on the solid nature of the gear, and little downtime with it:</p>

<p>http://www.australianimage.com.au/</p>

<p>I'm a full time photographer doing fine art, portraiture, street, event and editorial work. I use FourThirds equipment from Olympus and Panasonic. The lenses are terrific, the bodies work very well: my clients are very satisfied with the results. </p>

<p>I use the Olympus E-1, Panasonic L1 and G1 bodies. My kit includes the Olympus 11-22/2.8-3.5, 25/2.8, 35/3.5 Macro and 50-200/2.8-3.5 as well as Panasonic/Leica 14-50/2.8-3.5 and 25/1.4 lenses. I have the usual complement of tripods, filters, and lighting gear. Not a huge collection of gear, but quite sufficient for my work. I do plan to add an E-3 to the kit soon, for the improved viewfinder and increased responsiveness. </p>

<p>Godfrey</p>

 

<p>Godfrey - are you still using Pentax or have you gone over to 4/3 completely?</p>

<p>I work for a publishing company that currently publishes 3 magazines. Our photographers currently carrying E-3, E-1, and Panasonic DMC-L1. "On the shelf" we have cameras for our writers and ad department to use when they need a quick photo. They are: E-500 and E-330.</p>

<p>Thank you all very much for your responses! It's reassuring to hear some photographers that like their equipment.</p>

<p>Sanford, </p>

<p>I haven't done anything with Pentax but charge batteries for the K10D since last March. It's up for sale. </p>

<p>Godfrey</p>

<p>Brad, I concur with Roger and Jim.<br /><br />I have taken the Olympus route with the E-10, E-20N, E-500, E-510, and now to the E-3. I also come from a medium format background, using a Rollei, Hasselblad 500 C/M and Bronica ETRSi. It is imperative that the camera system of choice provide the same image quality, ease of operation, and professional results that was obtained from the older technology; the E-3 has not only been a perfect fit but has exceeded my expectations. <br /><br />If you are serious about this profession and desire to have the results that we stive for, then you can't go wrong with Olympus E-series as being your camera system, especially the E-3. <br /><br />I have competed locally with the likes of Nikon and Canon professional users, and the results are of equal quality or better. Do I wish to have gone with another system? No way! <br /><br />Re: Lighting and the such, there are several options to shoot off camera and/or strobe lighting.</p>

<p>Just to chip in. I am semi-pro. I do freelance media work including sports and events. I also do portraiture and weddings. The Oly E series (I have the E3 & E500) are so versatile, especially when cropping as the 4/3 gives on more room to move. I have had ISO restrictions on the very odd occasion with the E3. The E500 doe shave major ISO restrictions. But good glass like the 50-200mm swd helps here. For 'bang for buck' you cannot beat Olympus.</p>

<p>Just on the subject....here in Australia, Nikon & Canon are the industry standard for media photographers as the high-end Nikons and Canons have great ISO capabilities....also they need to keep to a standard re lenses etc. But unless you are a media mogul with hundreds of thousands of $$$ to spend, then Oly is more bang for the buck.</p>

<p>I'm a semi pro as well shooting weddings. I have 27 weddings so far this year. I shoot all olympus. I have an e-30, a 510 and a 500. I use the new swd lenses. No regrets at all.<br>

would I like to have higher iso options? yeah but it's a trade off.<br>

why did I originally choose olympus? kinda silly. I like being different. Using canon or nikon and being like everyone else didn't really apeal to me.<br>

As someone already said we as olympus users are limited by lens choice. But it's aint that bad. There's a big whole in the prime 80mm-100mm range under f2. Wish i could get my hands on an 80mm 1.8 prime</p>