GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Acquisitions Big and Small

Oh come on… you know that you will own a G9 again (for awhile anyway):)
Maybe so. I’m so conflicted on which one I like better. I keep coming back to the EM5.3 and the G9. I know the logic might be to own both, so maybe that’s what I’ll do eventually. I think I prefer Olympus lenses, so at least I have that part worked out!
 
Maybe so. I’m so conflicted on which one I like better. I keep coming back to the EM5.3 and the G9. I know the logic might be to own both, so maybe that’s what I’ll do eventually. I think I prefer Olympus lenses, so at least I have that part worked out!
I’ve always wanted to try a G9, but it seems so big. Still, maybe I’ll look again if the OM-5 is uninteresting. :ROFLMAO:
 
Haoge Grip and Olympus large eyecup arrived today. None of the regular camera places I purchase from carry this grip, so I had to resort to Amazon. Naturally, they delivered my stuff across the street, while I got their package. A quick porch exchange later and I'm in business. Something about humans and multitasking....
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I'll post a mini-review of this grip over in the M43 section. Initial impression is that transforms the camera handing substantially, and is quite comfortable for my size-large hands.
 
Hey, without a hole in your head, you can't take in food. That makes living a lot harder. ;)
Quite so, Randy. I need seven. An eighth might be uncomfortable ...

My new f/4 8-25 Pro plus 72mm Hoya HD filter arrived today :D. Just lovely. Made in Vietnam. The camera is locked unless the lens is unlocked; nice touch.

Smaller than I anticipated. Beautiful on the camera. Reminds me again of the importance of holding UWA lenses absolutely level and square!

Appears to be better corrected overall than my FTs f/4 7-14, and far more versatile.

The VF-4 is on backorder, expected in 1-2 weeks.

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In Oregon where I live, there is an immense amount of avian fauna - aka birds - both outside of my old farmhouse - and in the multitude of local and state parks, mountains, rivers and coastal areas. I've succumbed to the siren song of taking bird pictures, and my compact and eminently affordable small Olympus 75-300ii zoom lens covers 90 per cent of what I want to do. For the other 10 per cent though, I've occasionally thought about the superb Olympus 300mm f/4 prime (which seems to have become the weapon of choice among serious mu4/3 birders, but its stratospheric pricing (over $2K new) leaves it beyond my reach. Enter my budget alternative, freshly acquired from a thoughtful eBay seller in London: the (relatively ancient) Sigma 300mm Tele-Macro APO prime. Like the newer Zuiko, it has a fast f/4 maximum aperture; and like the Olympus, it's a relatively large and heavy lens, though definitely hand-holdable.

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It's also beautifully built, a solid bit of engineering. My version has the relatively rarer HSM focusing (most of the used ones for sale don't) and came in a Canon EF mount. I was lucky enough to score a Metabones EF-MFT 'smart' adapter at a stupidly reasonable price. The 'smart' designation means it preserves automatic aperture functions (as in most Canon EF lenses, there is no actual aperture ring, it's all electronic), and though the non-HSM versions have been faulted for (glacially) slow AF-focusing, this one seems to focus relatively quickly. Theoretically it might focus even more rapidly on the newer Olympus bodies, but (so far at least) it works nicely on my older E-M1.1.

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Though you can't see it in these photos, it has a relatively nifty slide-out lens hood, which retracts over the front element of the lens. There's a usable tripod adapter ring but I can already tell that there's going to be a significant learning curve for handheld photography.

The funny thing is, size is relative: I used to think my 75-300mm Olympus zoom was large but in comparison, it feels svelte, almost 'petite'. Go figure.
The Sigma is definitely an impressive chunk of glass, though.

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Total cost of lens + (necessary) smart adapter = more or less what a used copy of the nifty Olympus zoom sets you back. In other words, if I can figure out how to get some decent images with it, it will be a good addition to the wildlife lens quiver. The downside? I'm going to have to start going to the gym, working out, or lifting weights, in order to lug it around on longer hikes. Hmmmmm....
 
In Oregon where I live, there is an immense amount of avian fauna - aka birds - both outside of my old farmhouse - and in the multitude of local and state parks, mountains, rivers and coastal areas. I've succumbed to the siren song of taking bird pictures, and my compact and eminently affordable small Olympus 75-300ii zoom lens covers 90 per cent of what I want to do. For the other 10 per cent though, I've occasionally thought about the superb Olympus 300mm f/4 prime (which seems to have become the weapon of choice among serious mu4/3 birders, but its stratospheric pricing (over $2K new) leaves it beyond my reach. Enter my budget alternative, freshly acquired from a thoughtful eBay seller in London: the (relatively ancient) Sigma 300mm Tele-Macro APO prime. Like the newer Zuiko, it has a fast f/4 maximum aperture; and like the Olympus, it's a relatively large and heavy lens, though definitely hand-holdable.

View attachment 330356

It's also beautifully built, a solid bit of engineering. My version has the relatively rarer HSM focusing (most of the used ones for sale don't) and came in a Canon EF mount. I was lucky enough to score a Metabones EF-MFT 'smart' adapter at a stupidly reasonable price. The 'smart' designation means it preserves automatic aperture functions (as in most Canon EF lenses, there is no actual aperture ring, it's all electronic), and though the non-HSM versions have been faulted for (glacially) slow AF-focusing, this one seems to focus relatively quickly. Theoretically it might focus even more rapidly on the newer Olympus bodies, but (so far at least) it works nicely on my older E-M1.1.

View attachment 330357

Though you can't see it in these photos, it has a relatively nifty slide-out lens hood, which retracts over the front element of the lens. There's a usable tripod adapter ring but I can already tell that there's going to be a significant learning curve for handheld photography.

The funny thing is, size is relative: I used to think my 75-300mm Olympus zoom was large but in comparison, it feels svelte, almost 'petite'. Go figure.
The Sigma is definitely an impressive chunk of glass, though.

View attachment 330358

Total cost of lens + (necessary) smart adapter = more or less what a used copy of the nifty Olympus zoom sets you back. In other words, if I can figure out how to get some decent images with it, it will be a good addition to the wildlife lens quiver. The downside? I'm going to have to start going to the gym, working out, or lifting weights, in order to lug it around on longer hikes. Hmmmmm....
Miguel, I can't help but think bird photography should be right up your alley: what with the patience and keen observation of little details in your surroundings which your photos readily demonstrate all the time.
 
@MiguelATF Congratulations on the new lens, mate. May it serve you well.

You might consider the E-M1 MkII in the future. It has all double cross type PDAF points, and more of them than the E-M1 MkI. Far better with my PDAF lenses. Faster and more accurate. Also better when the light is anything but ideal.
And it's getting really cheap these days. I've seen "Like New" E-M1.2s at MPB pop up for under $700. If you can live with "Excellent," it's closer to $600. Considering the durable nature of Olympus bodies, that's a pretty solid buy.
 
And it's getting really cheap these days. I've seen "Like New" E-M1.2s at MPB pop up for under $700. If you can live with "Excellent," it's closer to $600. Considering the durable nature of Olympus bodies, that's a pretty solid buy.
That looks pretty good.

I have also never come across any suggestion that the E-M1 MkII had any systemic problems, unlike the E-M1 MkI. To their credit, Olympus seemed to fix all these under warranty, even when the camera wasn't. Those were: 1) strap lugs; 2) rear wheel; and 3) viewfinder burn when eye correction was set to high positive (+) dioptre correction.
 
That looks pretty good.

I have also never come across any suggestion that the E-M1 MkII had any systemic problems, unlike the E-M1 MkI. To their credit, Olympus seemed to fix all these under warranty, even when the camera wasn't. Those were: 1) strap lugs; 2) rear wheel; and 3) viewfinder burn when eye correction was set to high positive (+) dioptre correction.
Olympus permanently fixed all of those problems in the E-M1 II and III, plus improved the fit of the grip.
 
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