...so it's dang near Dave-proof and does pretty good uw shots, but it takes crappy (non-Pomoxis) macro fish shots. The Olympus is great when you've got a big old buffalo on deck that's spraying slime and scales all over the place, but I just can't seem to get it dialed in for tank photos of little bitty stuff. I think this is about the third trip where I dragged the Olympus along because I needed to travel light and/or didn't want to risk getting water/mud/etc. in my dSLR, and I think it's going to be the last. I loved my Pentax Optio W10 but, alas, it wasn't crushproof... I have a bunch of pics of cool gobies and estuarine stuff from Florida that I accidentally shot on IR mode (which put the ISO about 800, grainy as heck), and I got some really cool critters today that I took ~100 pics of (assuming at least a few would be in focus)... the BACKGROUND is in beautiful focus in all of them! Aargh!!!
Anyway, I've been poking around South Carolina for the past couple of weeks, and have a couple of days left to go on the trip. Despite hitting high water, we've been getting cool fish, but I don't have enough time to do photos right. Anyway, some of the not-quite-so-horrible pics are in the NANFA Gallery.
love/hate relationship with my Olympus 1030SW
Started by
Guest_daveneely_*
, Jun 14 2009 06:02 PM
10 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_PhilipKukulski_*
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Posted 14 June 2009 - 06:40 PM
<clip> ~100 pics of (assuming at least a few would be in focus)... the BACKGROUND is in beautiful focus in all of them! Aargh!!!
<clip>
Olympus Stylus 850 SW
And the other problems is
if the subject is moving, or the wind blows, or you move,
the auto-focus won't lock.
My not-so-good solution:
focus on something else that is still and lit similar to your subject,
remember that focal distance,
then move so your subject is that distance,
then finish pushing the shutter button.
At least there is a chance that your picture will be in focus and
be a picture of the correct subject.
One plus, less time between pushing the shutter and when the picture is taken.
Edited by PhilipKukulski, 14 June 2009 - 06:41 PM.
#3
Guest_UncleWillie_*
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Posted 14 June 2009 - 07:40 PM
I am etremely pleased with my Olympus, butMy not-so-good solution:
focus on something else that is still and lit similar to your subject,
remember that focal distance,
then move so your subject is that distance,
then finish pushing the shutter button.
I have had to use this same technique when taking extreme close-ups in my tanks - especially on the glass.
With fast, darting fish, I try to get the auto-focus right, then next time the fish swims to that same area and distance from the glass - I take the picture. When taking pics of something on glass of something translucent like ghost shrimp, I have had to focus on something else in the tank and then move to the subject I want to take.
It's a bit of a pain, but it isn't very time-consuming.
Dave, where are you in SC? I just returned this afternoon from the coast. I wish I got to spend more time mucking around, but only had enough time to scoop some rainwaters and sheepshead minnows for the tank.
#5
Guest_daveneely_*
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Posted 12 August 2009 - 10:32 PM
It's good for decent pics, and it's certainly lived up to the shockproof claim. I've worn almost all the paint off the body (a good going-over with a sharpie avoids the silver reflection off the phototank), and it still works pretty good (although lately the exposures seem to be a bit wonky).
I'm still equivocal about the merits of the 1030SW vs a dedicated dSLR (in my case, a Canon D400 with a 60mm macro). It all depends on just how slick you want the final product to be...
Photo below is of a "slimy sculpin" (the Columbia basin variety) from the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage in BC, taken with the Olympus. I've got a bunch of new pics to post, but can't find enough time to edit them and don't forsee such time until about November....
I'm still equivocal about the merits of the 1030SW vs a dedicated dSLR (in my case, a Canon D400 with a 60mm macro). It all depends on just how slick you want the final product to be...
Photo below is of a "slimy sculpin" (the Columbia basin variety) from the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage in BC, taken with the Olympus. I've got a bunch of new pics to post, but can't find enough time to edit them and don't forsee such time until about November....
Attached Images
#6
Guest_schambers_*
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Posted 13 August 2009 - 05:17 PM
I have an Olympus 850 SW. I sometimes have trouble taking macro pictures. I'm getting better, but the camera will claim it's focused when it's not. Farmertodd took some pictures with it that were so much better than the ones I take, that I've assumed my bad shots are user error.
#7
Guest_farmertodd_*
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Posted 13 August 2009 - 09:07 PM
Has anyone figured out why the 1050's are less than the 1030's?
Does the 1000 line come with the LED prelight on the macro? I couldn't figure that out from reading either.
I screwed up our Nikon D-70 body so I ended up buying a D-60 for my DSLR. We'll have to see if that proves a mistake or not. We were looking at the D-40's, and apparently they were discontinued. I hate electronics. Well, at least the buying and replacing part. Neither Nature or myself are very friendly with them
Todd
Does the 1000 line come with the LED prelight on the macro? I couldn't figure that out from reading either.
I screwed up our Nikon D-70 body so I ended up buying a D-60 for my DSLR. We'll have to see if that proves a mistake or not. We were looking at the D-40's, and apparently they were discontinued. I hate electronics. Well, at least the buying and replacing part. Neither Nature or myself are very friendly with them
Todd
Edited by farmertodd, 13 August 2009 - 09:08 PM.
#9
Guest_Uland_*
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Posted 14 August 2009 - 09:08 AM
Josh,
I have a canon UW case for the PS A570IS. It is a few bucks more than the camera which is a hard pill to swallow but this option is over $1000.00 less than a case for the DSLR. WP-DC canon case is tough, easy to use and allows for full function underwater. The major drawback is the fact that the case will likely outlive the life of the camera.
I have a canon UW case for the PS A570IS. It is a few bucks more than the camera which is a hard pill to swallow but this option is over $1000.00 less than a case for the DSLR. WP-DC canon case is tough, easy to use and allows for full function underwater. The major drawback is the fact that the case will likely outlive the life of the camera.
#11
Guest_smilingfrog_*
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Posted 17 August 2009 - 01:34 AM
The major drawback is the fact that the case will likely outlive the life of the camera.
Ahh, but if the camera outlasts the UW case there's a pretty fair chance it will only do so by a couple minutes.
Edited by smilingfrog, 17 August 2009 - 01:35 AM.
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