Anybody here have experience/opinion with Olympus

[flamin lib]

Evolt 500 DSLR?

I'm an old OM system die hard and am looking to go digital.

Gotta go to work for awhile but will check in on return.

Thanks!

[Robb]

1. I can't speak to that model

...but my C-2100 is absolutely bombproof. It's been sorely mistreated in its short life, with no problems whatsoever. :hi:

[Gregorian]

2. Why don't you go over to the Oly forum at Dpreview.

I have an Olympus E-10 that is a brilliant camera. I have been a forum member of the Olympus section at Dpreview since 2001. And here's what I can tell you. There is one member who has always blown me away with his utterly fantastic photos. He has a Nikon D200, but he still raves about his Olympus E-1. And he spends most of his time in the Oly forum. So I consider that a solid plus in favor of Olympus cameras. I know it's only one man, but he is the master of light.

The folks over there can give you a collection of good answers.

[flamin lib]

3. Thanks, just browsed the Dpreview site and it is most informative.

I was the OM sales rep for NE Texas from 1979 to 1983 and at one time had one hell of a 35mm system. 21mm to 600mm lenses, macro capability to to 12X life size and more flash than most folks know what to do with. Long ago and far away, sigh. I still have an OM-1n with Mr. Miatani's autograph on the back. I met him in 1980 at a sales meeting in CA. Interesting fellow.

Most of my 35 stuff was "class two" or sales rep samples, demos and warranty returns refurbished. They used to sell to retail sales people and company employees. Employees could buy at pennies on the dollar. No more. Now they sell through select resale outlets.

Thanks for the lead to Dpreview, I'll peruse it a lot.

[regnaD kciN]

4. The OM-1 was a great camera...

I never owned one, but my girlfriend did, and I wound up borrowing it quite often. I wish someone would come up with a DSLR equivalent, but I don't think Oly's digital offerings qualify. Nothing wrong with their DLSR lineup, but, IMHO, they simply don't have that special quality of the OMs.

[flamin lib]

5. There is nothing today that is equalivent to the OM system.

The OM-2n could control flash exposure of 9 T-32 flashes and integrate them into a single exposure (per the literature). As a rep I borrowed as many flashes as I could and found that up to 27 flashes could communicate with the camera. I'd have tried more, but couldn't find enough TTL cords and flashes. I lit a hotel lobby with flashes and just set the OM-2n to Auto.

One of those images I lost when I left a job later. Like the one shot from inside a toilet bowl with an 8mm fish eye. Sigh, I really wish I had that slide back.

[TommyO]

6. My experience is with the E-1

but the 500 seems like a great camera, and a bargain if you get the two-lens kit. I'm seriously considering adding just the body to my camera bag to use with my existing 14-54 and 50-200mm lenses for when I need the extra few megapixels that it offers over the E-1.