D-SLR Lens question...

[derby007]

I recently purchased a D-SLR, an Olympus E510, with 4 lenses. One of the lenses is a older Zuiko 40-150mm f3.5/4.5 (non-ED).
But....I haven't managed to take a non-blurred photo with it yet, note: I'm just a novice and am just using the SCENE settings at the mo. This is strange as the other 3 lenses give me good quality pictures, even 2 cheepie/older lenses, especially the manual Pentax 100-300mm, which took good pics at the 300mm length 'hand-held' !!!!
Could the 40-150 lens be bad, damaged etc, or should I learn how to use it with Manual settings, apperature/shutter speed etc. ?

[lisati]

When I bought my film-based SLR camera many years ago, I made the deliberate decision to make it a manual camera with no automatic settings. This was so that I would have to learn to use it.

[Nick Lake]

I've got many Olympus cameras - going back to the OM1 (and now the digital E series too)... Are you using the Zuiko using the OM adapter? - If so this doesn't work with the auto focus because it is a manual focus lens.

I prefer manual focus lenses and have purchased a custom made prism focus screen for my E1 (which I'm happy with). I did notice once (after my camera took a bit of rough & tumble and abuse) that although I focused through the prism - the resultant picture was slightly out of focus. After a day the problem seemed to sort its self out?

If there is some sort of weird focus problem you could probably check this by using your manual focus setting:

1] Set up camera and set F stop as low as possible.
2] Set up so that the camera has close focus targets (along a table or something).
3] Take a series of photos along the table where you are focusing on targets at different depths (like a salt shaker or something).
4] Analyse the resultant photos in terms of where your real focus point is and where your marked (pepper shaker) focus point is.

- Let us know how it turns out.

- Over

[Nick Lake]

When I bought my film-based SLR camera many years ago, I made the deliberate decision to make it a manual camera with no automatic settings. This was so that I would have to learn to use it.

lisati,

You've touched on something that is close to my heart... I've been using manual 35mm and medium format (67 and 645) cameras for years and I'm annoyed using full digital cameras (which is why I spent quite a bit of money getting my DSLR to behave like a old-school manual SLR). To be blunt I think it dumbs down the pure technical aspects of photography.

I still love using my really old school TLR with a 120 film roll loaded... Only problem is over here why I live its becoming increasingly difficult to get the film processed.

I'm gonna rant about this on my blogsite... will let you all know when its done.

- Over

[Dixon Bainbridge]

I recently purchased a D-SLR, an Olympus E510, with 4 lenses. One of the lenses is a older Zuiko 40-150mm f3.5/4.5 (non-ED).
But....I haven't manages to take a non-blurred photo with it yet, note: I'm just a novice and am just using the SCENE settings at the mo. This is strange as the other 3 lenses give me good quality pictures, even 2 cheepie/older lenses, especially the manual Pentax 100-300mm, which took good pics at the 300mm length 'hand-held' !!!!
Could the 40-150 lens be bad, damaged etc, or should I learn how to use it with Manual settings, apperature/shutter speed etc. ?

I would say damaged. Take it to a repair place and get it looked at. If its an old lens, a service will do it good anyway.

[derby007]

The lens in question is this one : http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/zd-040-150.html

I'm not using an adapter for this. I do use one for the other manual lenses, the Pentax 100-300mm f4.5 & Centon 50mm f1.7. When I said earlier that I hadn't taken 'a non-blurred photo', I meant 'hand-held'. I presume its possible to take non-blurred photos (in the 40-150mm range) without the need for a tripod etc.
I will do more tests when I get the time & post back.

Also: could you help me with my Live-View Q. When I click the Live-View, the camera clicks and the image comes up on screen but its very grainy, should the Live-View be as good as my Sony P43 compact, ie. pretty sharp ????1

[derby007]

Samples: taken 'hand-held'.
The 40-150mm is more blurry than the 100-300mm when zoomed in.

[Nick Lake]

Looks like you have some motion blur on the image. So that's just because you haven't held the camera still enough (back off the coffee).

You can see this in the imagery:
* IN the 40-150 the power line is double-imaged and the same thing can be seen in the mid-ground bushes.
* In the 100-300 the foreground bushes have a similar effect.

I bet there was fairly low light when you took those photos so either:
1] Use a tripod
2] Step up your f-stop and therefore increase your shutter speed.
3] Increase your ISO setting and therefore increase your shutter speed.

I've got the same lenses on my E1 and have stopped using them in favour of my older manual OM lenses - no particular reason - just never felt happy with them.

Wow - that Centon 50mm f1.7 is a really FAST lens - you should use that more :)

- Nick

[Nick Lake]

PS: The picture of the monkey under my name was taken on my E1 with an 800mm lens! (I obviously had to use a tripod) - the light was pretty low too so I set ISO 800 and shot at 1/60s.

[derby007]

After much messing around, I eventually found my problem was the Polarizer on the 40-150mm lens. It took me a while to get it off, but now I'm getting much better (sharp) pictures. Any ideas why the polarizer is affecting my images ?

Yeah, the Centon is a lovely Portrait lens.

[ReiKn]

After much messing around, I eventually found my problem was the Polarizer on the 40-150mm lens. It took me a while to get it off, but now I'm getting much better (sharp) pictures. Any ideas why the polarizer is affecting my images ?

Yeah, the Centon is a lovely Portrait lens.

Is is a linear or circular polarizer? Digital cameras have problems with linear polarizer - the automatics of the sensor assume the incoming light to be circularly polarized and make mistakes with linearly polarized light (or at least something like that.. it has been a while since I read on the subject).

[derby007]

I don't know. I'll find out later & post back.

Is there a way to manipulate the polarizer? ie. do you have to move it around, twist it, stamp on it !! to get it to focus ?