Olympus E3 for weddings

Now that the E3 has been out a while are there any photographers that use them

for weddings. If so what do you like about this system that you werent able to

get with other cameras. Also do you use something like the 510 for backup. I

find a lot of the features the E3 has very appealing but unfortuneatly there

are no dealers around me that stock them.

Thanks for your commments

 

Jim

I don't know of any wedding photographers in my area that use Olympus.

 

About half of the people use Canon with the other half using Nikon and still a few who shoot film in medium format - Hassleblads and Mamayas.

I have a friend who uses Olympus. He likes it and looking at his prints, I cant really tell any difference in IQ.

If you have already bought into the Olympus system I don't see any reason why you should stray away. Olympus has a good lens line-up and seem to market towards semi-pros.

 

If you haven't bought into Olympus I think you will have more options with Nikon or Canon.

Jim,

 

I've been using the Olympus digital cameras since they came out. The E-10, the E-20, the E-1, E-500 and now the E-510.

 

It probably seems strange going from the E-1 to the E-500 & 510, but for the price you can't beat them. I've been very pleased with the results from all of them. While they aren't the fastest cameras, in terms of sports photography, they have improved quite a bit in that area and there has also been an improvement in the reduction of noise at higher ISO's which has always been one of their weaker areas.

 

While I haven't used the E-3 I'm sure it's a great performing camera. If I wasn't planning to retire in the next year I would have invested in the E-3 instead of the 510.

 

Jim Marby

A good photographer should be able to shoot a wedding with a P&S camera. The camera is merely a tool that works miserably in the hands of unexperienced, and works wonders in the hands of the experienced. I would be more concerned about pesonal skills than the skills of the camera. Use what you like and feel good using.

<b>"...unfortuneatly there are no dealers around me that stock them..."</b>

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This should really be a red flag in my opinion. DSLR's like all electro-mechanical devices can and do breakdown occassionally. A local camera shop that sells and even more importantly - RENTS a camera line is an invaluable resource for a wedding photographer.

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In my area (Minneapolis/St Paul) there is one professional shop that rents Nikon and Canon bodies and lenses. They also rent medium format equipment but nothing from Olympus or the other minor brands.

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Just another consideration when it comes to purchasing an entire system.

Pretty impressive spec's on some of these Oly cameras. Leica even makes a a few high

performance lenses for the format.

 

If service is a concern, simply ask. Get the number of the Olympus service dept. and ask if

they have a pro program for quick turn around.

I purchased two E3's and the fastest zooms they offer. I used them for a couple weeks and returned them. Noise at 1600 was not up to what I need/want and the focus system does not work that well in low light/real world use in my experience. I wanted to like them and worked hard to, but in the end there were too many bugs for my liking.

 

On the plus side the files below 800 are nice but I found that I could not get wide enough apertures to produce the type of image I like.

David, when was that? The Leica 50mm equivalent is f/1.4 and there was a 70-200

equivalent with a f/2 max aperture. That's pretty fast.

I had them about a week after they hit the shelves at the end of October I think.

 

Yes, the 35-100/2. Nice piece of glass too as was the 12-60, but the selective focus with them is not all that great for some reason (read: too much in focus at the widest aps.) and the speed to AF was not what it was touted to be in practice. In halfway good light it was very quick, but in low light (reception/really dark church) it struggled a bit.

 

The ISO over 800 was pretty rough too, though usable at 1600. In comparison to the D3/D300's they lacked by a mile IMO.

Why not.

 

But I dont think the highligts are smooth as in D300 or Canons. Pls check that on dpreview's full E3 review.

 

Other than that, its great as long as you use it under ISO 400.

David what planet are you on? What monkey shoots a wedding at 1600 asa or even 800 asa. I use the same speed setting I would use if shooting on film. Nothing over 400 asa. That way you get the best quality out of the equipment and if light becomes an issue you use flash or a tripod or both.

 

Glad I'm not getting your used E3 dressed up as new by the dealer. Also glad I'm not a customer if you depend on 1600 asa.

What monkey shoots a wedding at 1600 asa or even 800 asa.

 

James, lots of us monkeys shoot at 800 or 1600. If you're happy to disrupt ceremonies in

church by flashing away then fine, but I've had some superb 18x12s from shots taken at

1600 on a 5D, whick look much nicer than if they were flashed.

 

Some of the world's best wedding photographers regularly use 800 and 1600.

I am sure that nobody notices the all of the little guests flashes going off all over the place...