Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (
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Howard wrote:
> I tried posting before but it didn't seem to take. I'm seeking advice
> about which of the $1000-1500 DSLR cameras to buy. Thanks for any ideas.
> Howie
Here's why I chose the model I did. The only two I've used much are a 10D
that a friend of mine owns and the E300 I just bought. The images from the
10D looked fine when I borrowed his camera for a weekend, I just didn't
like the way the camera handled. Felt "plastic" and the viewfinder was too
cluttered for my tastes. It didn't fit my hand well and just felt like I
was fighting with the camera using it. Then again I'm coming from full
manual, non-autofocus cameras. I shoot mainly landscapes with wide lenses
on a tripod at low ISO and am very impressed with the processed RAW images
from this E300 olympus camera. I also like the flash system that can use
the on camera flip up flash along with the larger flash used as a bounce
unit with both bulbs adjustable to each other, very nice and hard to tell a
flash is even being used. The controls seemed easy to learn and use as
well. I like aperture priority and the thumbwheel by the shutter defaults
to adjusting the fstops. The OK button does DOF preview and anything else I
need to adjust seems simple enough to get to. I like the review screen,
seems very sharp and allows you to blow up the images in the camera on the
screen easily to check focus/details/DOF etc. The in camera Jpeg processing
isn't perfect but since I knew I was going to shoot RAW, it doesn't bother
me. I tried the other olympus, the E1 but it too just didn't fit my hand
very well and I didn't like the FOV in the viewfinder as well.
Also you should look at the color palette as each camera produces a
different "look". This was the other thing that swayed me to the olympus
E300. I was able to take my flash card to the store I use, go outside and
fire off a few frame with a couple of different cameras and then look at
the results later. I just liked the look the E300 images had.
It boils more down to you need to go handle a few and see which appeals to
=you=. I posted why I bought the camera I did as an example of the things
YOU have to consider. No one else can tell you which is best for you. If I
had just asked here, most would probably say buy the canon but it wasn't
the best choice for me. Look at the features, read some reviews at
somewhere like http
/dpreview.com/ and see what the good and bad points of
each model is, look at the lenses available and see if it can work for you
and what you shoot. If I needed long fast IS glass or great noise free high
ISO performance, I wouldn't have bought the camera I did. I wanted a good
wide zoom and a fast 100mm macro lens and this line has what I wanted in a
camera body I liked at a price I could afford.
--
Stacey
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