The ever-wonderful Jes is in the market for a new DSLR! She sold her entry level Canon DSLR and is ready to move up to the heavy-hitting power of a Nikon D90 (or similar).

So Many Choices!

Anytime a friend is considering a new camera purchase, it always gets me thinking about the different DSLR systems. Here is are just a few: Canon (full frame, non-full frame), Nikon (FX, DX), Sony (full frame, non-full frame), Olympus (four thirds, micro four thirds), Pentax, Panasonic (now primarily micro four thirds). Whew, that’s a lot to choose from!!!

DSLRs have come to the point where all the top brands product excellent cameras in the $800-$1500 range. Any of these cameras can take excellent photographs. It comes down to a choice between systems and philosophies.

The following is not targeted at Jes, who already knows what she wants, this info is targeted at people planning on entering the DSLR world. It’s easy to struggle with choosing a system, so hopefully this info will be helpful! I’ll keep this focused on two popular cameras

PREFACE ABOUT LENSES:

In my photography I’ve found that lenses make a bigger difference than cameras. Most cameras today can proficiently capture a large amount of detail with minimal noise. However, a bad lens on an expensive camera is always going to produce bad images. An excellent lens on an economical camera can produce excellent results. So, if I was starting fresh, my first priority would be to peruse the lenses available for each camera system. When I found the lenses that I liked best, only then would Iproceed to choose a camera body.

Specifically, a good lens may last through many camera bodies. Take for example the 50mm F2.0 Digital Zuiko, it has lasted me through a number of camera (E-1, E-410, E510, E620…) and will continue to. Eventually your investment in lenses is going to be more than your investment in a single camera body, so choose wisely!

Now back to cameras…

I’m all for the D90. It takes the stellar characteristics of the D300 and finagles them into a more compact body while simultaneously lowering the price.

However, having chosen Olympus as my DSLR system, I am obligated  to put in a plug for the E620 .

COMPARISON OF THE D90 to the E620

In the comparison below I am BOLDING the points that I feel are most important.

The D90 may ultimately be the better camera for most photographers, for a number of reasons:

1. FOCUSING: Nikon focusing is uber quick / Olympus focusing is often only super-quick with SWD lenses
2. VIEWFINDER: The D90 viewfinder is larger
3. HIGH ISO: ISO 3200/6400 are better on the D90 than on the E620
4. COMMITMENT: Nikon is committed to the system and they are one the top 2 manufacturers (Canon/Nikon) in sales numbers
5. FRIENDS: You will likely have friends/family with Nikon DSLRs that you can commiserate with and share lenses/gear
6. VIDEO: the D90 can take video
7. UPGRADEABILITY: you can use full frame lenses on the D90 and later if you upgrade to a FX  (full frame) Nikon, your lenses will still be useful
8. KILLER LENSES: an avid Nikon user will know this better than me, but the 18-200mm is a popular lens…

However, the E620 has some nice features for certain purposes:

1. IMAGE STABILIZATION: the E620 has effective in-body image stabilization, so you get IS (or “VR”) for ANY lens
2. COMPACT SIZE: very compact size, ideal for carry everywhere
3. PRICE: the E-620 price is substantially lower

   http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=e620

4. LCD: articulating LCD is actually pretty darn handy for photos of cats, flowers, other low/odd subjects
5. EXCELLENT LEGACY LENS COMPATBILITY: the four thirds system can utilize more legacy lenses (manual focus, manual aperture)  [with mechanical adapters] than any other system (except for micro four thirds). This means you can pickup a F1.4 57mm lens for <$100 (114mm equivalent when mounted on the E620) whereas a new Nikon F1.4 85mm lens (approx 128mm when mounted on the D90). is > $1200
6. UPGRADEABILITY: if you add a compact micro four thirds camera (like the Olympus E-P1 or to a lesser degree the Panasonic GF1) you can still use all your  four thirds lenses
7. KILLER LENSES: the 35-100mm F2 is an AMAZING lens, the 12-60mm is a nice all around lens. 50mm F2.0 is razor sharp, but Nikon may have a similar lens with better focusing.
8. FUTURE OF THE SYSTEM? Olympus may focus more on micro 4/3 development rather than 4/3. I don’t think this will necessarily be the case.
9. -NOT THE BIG TWO: Olympus is often right around number four in DSLR sales behind: Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

Recommendation for the photographer: Nikon D90

For someone who wants to take good photos, simply and reliably go with the  Nikon D90, you just can’t go wrong with it as a mid level (price) camera.

Recommendation for the tinkerer and experimenter: Olympus E-620

For someone who wants to experiment and play with a variety of lenses at minimal cost, the Olympus E-620 is an extremely capable camera at an extremely reasonable price.

FINAL CONCLUSION: Both great cameras!

To reiterate: DSLRs have come to the point where all the top brands product excellent cameras in the $800-$1500 range. Any of these cameras can take excellent photographs. It comes down to a choice between systems and philosophies. The Nikon is an effective  solution, widely renowned, that can produce excellent results. The Olympus system is not as widely known as Nikon, but it can be equally effective (in my opinion).

BONUS Fun photos:

Two fun photos from some flickr folks that use Olympus:

My Perfect Wife

My Perfect Husband

(if you have time, browse some of their other photos… they do amazing stuff!)

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Small tripods (some tiny, some tabletop, some misc.)

I’ve been looking for a great travel tripod to use with my Olympus E-P1. So far I haven’t found the perfect match. However, I have found some cool tripod stuff…

Sweet looking Leica tripod:

Turn a tripod into a laptop/notebook desk:

Cool desk attachment for tripod

“Table top” tripods

One of my favorites: Amazon.com: Manfrotto 709B Digi Table Top Tripod with Ball Head

Also cool and functional, will probably support quite a bit of weight: Amazon.com: Cullmann Travelpod 3090 Shoulder / Table Tripod with 2-way Video Head:

A bit ugly, but will probably get the job done for most purposes: Amazon.com: Vanguard VS-82 Table Top Digital Camera Tripod

Smallish travel tripods

Not quite small enough for my purposes, but from reading online it seems like a great tripod: Amazon.com: Slik Sprint Mini Tripod with a Ball Head & Tripod Case, Black Color: Electronics

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[photos for this entry to follow later]

I didn’t bring a strap with me for the E-P1 on our two week Colorado trip. That meant I either:

(a) carried the camera handheld
(b) kept the camera in my backpack, a Lowepro CompuDaypack (<$40 new on eBay) which has a quick access compartment for the camera
(c) kept the camera in a pocket of my cargo shorts (not many DSLR like cameras can fit in a pocket!)

All three worked fairly well, but I want to find a camera strap that will help me secure the camera but not interfere with any of the previously mentioned options. Some straps are too bulky or obtrusive, often getting in the way more than helping.

So I’ve been researching a good camera strap for my Olympus E-P1. I looked throughout Colorado and didn’t find anything satisfactory. So right now I have my own homebrew solution in mind. However, here are some interesting strap and hook resources I found while researching online:

The “Y strap”

Flickr: Discussing y strap in Olympus EVOLT E-400, E-410 & E-420 Users

Engineering Adventure: Y Strap: First Impressions

STRAP – I believe this has been around long before the “Y strap”

“Swiss made” Le hook

Where to buy, option 1: Russell’s For Men | Swiss Made le Hook

Where to buy option 2: Get HOOKed!

More colors, more sizes, but at a greater cost: le hook.co.uk

Uglier version: Pincher Key Chain and Clip: LazerDesigns.com

Forum discussion: Swiss Made le Hook

What do you EDC in your pockets? – Page 11 – CandlePowerForums – the “le hook” is pictured in some photos and discussed (scroll down)

Cool misc. straps and accessories:

Artisan&Artist* Straps

Op/Tech USA | System Connectors-Adapt-Its | 1301322 | B&H Photo

Various Olympus straps:

Olympus | Leather Neck Strap (Brown) | 260244 | B&H Photo Video

260245 Olympus Black Synthetic Leather Camera Strap for Evolt Series Digital SLR Cameras

Strap hacking:

Hacking the R-Strap – James Duncan Davidson – James Duncan Davidson

Camera Strap Update – James Duncan Davidson – James Duncan Davidson

Camera Strap Update 2 – James Duncan Davidson – James Duncan Davidson

E-P1 being comfortable as a “neck strap” camera

E-P1: the third way… neck strap camera ! and use-ability: Micro Four Thirds Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

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