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Why MicroFourThird (Olympus, Panasonic etc.) at all?

Well, when you say that you haven't seen a digital 30x40 'up close,' that's just the point - you don't want to see it up close, just as you don't want to see tri-x at 800 at 30x40 'up close' - you want to see it from 3, 4, 5 feet away. ;-)

You may well be right about subjects and digital - and, as you note, I shoot people, not landscape. And you also may be right about the old Zuikos and the adapter. I haven't tried that yet, but it may be one way to go. The 50 1.2 may be a bit soft, but soft or not, as a low-light 100 on the E-1 it might be pretty amazing....
 
My introduction to Olympus happened back in 1982. My brother had gotten a Nikon EM for Christmas the year before. I wanted an SLR too, but didn't like the idea of a camera with no manual control.

I went to the camera store and I remember that I may have been interested in an AE-1. The salesman talked me out of it, though. He basically thought it was a piece of junk. I looked at a couple of Nikons-- an EM and maybe an FM. I don't think the FG was out yet, or I may have gotten it. I ended up with an OM-10 FC with the manual adapter. (Interestingly enough, I've never used the camera on manual in the 20+ years since I got it).

Although I got to pick my camera out, it was a Christmas present, so I had to wait to actually get it. I don't think I actually knew much of anything about Olympus, but while I was anxiously awaiting my new camera I bought Carl Shipmans' book, How to Select and Use Olympus SLR Cameras and read it from cover to cover about 100 times. I began to realize from page 1 of the book that I had chosen something special with the OM system.

I have stayed with Olympus ever since. I still have the OM-10. I have also had an XA-2 (none of the point and shoot cameras made by anyone including since are as good as the XA's) a cheapo Trip camera and a digital C-5000. Recently I have begun to acquire more OM cameras and lenses. They are the best kept secret in photography.
 
If you're in an acquiring mood, pick up what is arguably the best film product Olympus ever produced - The XA. A really outstanding 35 2.8 lens, bright viewfinder, and a coupled rangefinder - all in that wonderful little clamshell that you can dump into a pocket, backpack, purse and never worry. It's a real camera posing as a p&s. Second best? The basic stylus, an autofocus version of the same thing. This is not to say that the OM line isn't and wasn't terrific - but the XA for me sums up all that's outstanding about the OM - innovative design in which form improves function, compact size, excellent optics. I know you said you have an XA2 - but go for the 'real deal.'
 
Wish I still had the XA-2. It had a slower lens, but that tended to result in a high percentage of in-focus shots (I wish I could always say that about my OM shots!)

I few years ago I bought a Stylus Epic after reading lots of good reviews about it. Unfortunately I have had poor results from that camera-- the XA-2 was much, much better. Olympus seems to have gone backwards in quality of point and shoot cameras.

I hope to get another XA-2 or an XA soon.
 
I have given all three of my kids - two of whom are professional photographers - Stylus Epics, and they've had just the opposite experience; the cameras have been totally reliable and produced great results. Go figure. :)
 
I'd guess that's it - because that particular camera has gotten pretty universal high marks. I was really surprised, for instance, how good the fill-flash, and close flash capability was for a camera under $100.
 
Now you've got me to thinking about the Stylus. I notice that the lens is pretty fast, f2.8, but that the smallest aperture for it is I think f16. Do I need to use really slow film (100 or less) for outdoors with this camera? I wonder if sometimes the fastest shutter/smallest aperture is still resulting in improper exposures on bright days?
 
Whatever happened to "sunny 16?" 400 iso =500th @ f16, no? Certainly you can shoot 200, or 100. Why not shoot slower film if you're going to be in bright sun? I wouldn't take tri-x to the beach - beach, snow - time for Fuji Acros, or the color equivalent.
 
Getting back to Songura Wang's original post in this thread, is it wise to continue to use Olympus SLR's? The biggest concern for me is with the st&ed to go digital. Many ebay listings for OM system components say "am selling all of my OM equipment to because I am going digital." Will there even be readily available film and film processing for 35mm photography in 5 years from now? 10 years?

Who would have thought just a few years back that typewriters would be completely replaced by personal computers? I remember feeling a bit upset the first time I went into a store to look at movies and found that the shelf space for VHS had been cut in half to make room for DVD's when I did not yet even own a DVD player. Now VHS is almost gone. So are vinyl records.

I would like to remain optimistic-- over the years millions of film cameras have been purchased and continue to be purchased which still work well. Will people simply abandon it?
 
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