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I love my E-410... How is the E-3?


rapyke

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As stated, I love my E-410. It does exactly what I want it to, it does it very

well and I can think of no fault except for weather proofing... it (of course)

does not have any.

 

I am a street photographer. I sometimes get stuck in the rain or snow or...

well, just about any kind of environmental trouble you can think of. But, it is

small and light and quick and if it lacks image stabilization, so did my

analogue Nikon FE.

 

Olympus has won my heart, but I want a weather proof, or at least weather

resistant, camera... it seems the only choice is the E-3, but, it weighs twice

what the 410 does and costs more than twice as much too...

 

Is it worth it?

 

Will it work on the street?

 

Anybody have any experience using 'the big one' day-to-day shooting street stuff?

 

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

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You always could find a clean, used E1.

 

I use an E510 and this past week, while in the store buying a new 70-300 Digital Zuiko, I tried an E3 (without the accessory battery pack) that had a 12-60 Digital Zuiko mounted.

 

It's an impressive camera, but you need to keep something in mind....a sealed camera is only as good as it's weakest point, and unless you have a set of lenses that are also sealed, the E3 is not sealed. The sealed Digital Zuiko lenses have an o-ring around the lens mount that completes the seal with the body. You don't have a sealed unit without both...the body and the lens.

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Hey Greg... thanks! This is a fact that had escaped me... one of those oh so obvious things that I might never have considered until it was too late... and on checking, the 12-60 costs just about half what the camera costs... oh my!

 

Think maybe I'll wait. Even if the nice 410 dies a horrible water-related death, I will be able to replace it several times over for the price of an e-3.

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Ron, the 14 - 54 is weather sealed and costs less than $400 US dollars. An excellent lens that focuses closer than the kit lens, is faster that the kits, focuses faster than the kits, eliminates the barrel distortion that the kits have at the wide end. The extra f/stop makes my E500 handle much better in low light than the kit lenses.

 

True it doesn't have the focusing speed of the new 12 - 60, but it isn't a $1000 lens either.

 

In my opinion, a great 'walk around' lens and inexpensive enough that despite its ruggedness,if it should get damaged somehow, it will not be all THAT expensive to replace.

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I shoot street stuff with several cameras and lenses ... Panasonic L1 + Nikkor 20, ZD 35,

Pentax 50 or E-1 with the same and ZD 11-22, or Pentax K10D + 21 and 43 and 70 mm

lenses ... and have been shooting street stuff with non-weathersealed cameras for thirty

years or more. In all kinds of conditions.

 

I've *never* once had a problem with damage to the camera or lens due to weather. Just

take reasonable care not to let it get too wet. A little water spray won't hurt anything. It's

not like you're on a rafting trip when an unforeseen wave can literally submerge everything

in the boat... !

 

The E-3 is similar in size, as a body, to the Pentax K10D. Fit an 11-22 or 14-54 lens on it

(the 12-60 seems much larger) and it should work fine, although it's a little bulky. Fit a 35

Macro or an adapted Nikkor 20/3.5 and it is a piece of cake.

 

Godfrey

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Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the advice and suggestions... have NO idea what I will ultimately decide, but in the mean time, I really do love the 410... especially its size and ease-of-carry.

 

I think I will go hunting around for a 14-54. I have the kit lenses and I find I almost never use the 40 - 150 except when I beat myself up about being versatile... try a different style of seeing etc...

 

This is probably the best Oly/photo forum I have ever met... great group!

 

Thanks again.

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