While out scouting for a campsite near a creek, I brought my OM System OM-1 with me. I didn’t have any specific image in mind. Just making sure this area would be amenable to me camping. While wandering the waterway, I fired off a few frames.
Image capture
I found a few subjects that I felt might make a nice image. These were my two favorites with the boulders strewn by the water to be a little more special. Most images need a little massaging to take them from capture to final presentation.
Gear
When I’m only poking around and don’t want to gear up, I keep things pretty simple. For this day, my OM System OM-1 with the M.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4.0 pro lens was the choice. The 12-100mm has a full frame equivalent field of view of 24-200mm. This zoom range can create a solid wide angle but also can reach for compression of a scene. I am a fan of the Micro Four Thirds format because of the ease of weight and price versus a Full Frame camera. For me the only thing I might miss from Full Frame cameras is the ability to crop in a lot. With Micro Four Thirds, I try to make the final crop in camera. I have not found this to be a problem at all. Just something to be aware of.
If you are looking to move to the Micro Four Thirds format, I recommend the OM System cameras. I highly recommend the OM System OM-1 Mark II camera. It’s only $200 more than a new OM-1 and has some great new features and improvements. I’d own the Mark II but I had just invested in two OM-1 cameras just before the OM-1 Mark II came out. I did get the opportunity to review the OM-1 Mark II. You can read that review here.
On a budget but want to make the move? I was looking on MPB.com and OM System M-1 cameras are available used from around $675 to $1,259, depending on the condition.
As always if you have any questions drop them in the comments below or get in touch.
Yours in Creative Photography,
Bob
