Dear Olympus

[Larry C]

OK, I can't afford to house my D300 and probably won't in the near future. I still get great service out of my SP-350's, but they're getting a little long of tooth if you know what I mean. Everyone in the digital camera world seems stuck on two ends-fit in your pocket or superzoom. The Canon A series are quite nicely in between, and they have the G-9 for the top end (still a little too super zoom).
Come on Olympus. It's been 3 years now since the SP-350 and I think 7 since the C-5050. It's time to step up to the plate. Stop trying to be everything to everybody and build a great camera. How about sticking the C-5050 f1.8 lens, an awesome unit, on the SP-350 or similar size body. Upgrade the sensor and engine to your newest technology. Leave all the existing features on: RAW, full manual control, hotshoe. While you're at it, step down the minimum aperture to f16 and allow full ttl flash sync up to 1/500. If you want to do the superzoom thing, have a really good add on lens for topside users as you have in the past. I'll happily pop for $599 + another couple of hundred for the housing. I'm sure there are many others in the wings as well. While you're at it, how about using the Nikonos flash signal protocol so it will do ttl sync with every strobe on the market. (dream on)

 

[cudachaser]

My Olympus housing PT-023 is a piece of crap...flooded a C-8080 due to dome port issues, latches come undone...I love the camera...but I don't trust the housing and I don't want to loose another c-8080

 

[merxlin]

OK, I can't afford to house my D300 and probably won't in the near future. I still get great service out of my SP-350's, but they're getting a little long of tooth if you know what I mean. Everyone in the digital camera world seems stuck on two ends-fit in your pocket or superzoom. The Canon A series are quite nicely in between, and they have the G-9 for the top end (still a little too super zoom).
Come on Olympus. It's been 3 years now since the SP-350 and I think 7 since the C-5050. It's time to step up to the plate. Stop trying to be everything to everybody and build a great camera. How about sticking the C-5050 f1.8 lens, an awesome unit, on the SP-350 or similar size body. Upgrade the sensor and engine to your newest technology. Leave all the existing features on: RAW, full manual control, hotshoe. While you're at it, step down the minimum aperture to f16 and allow full ttl flash sync up to 1/500. If you want to do the superzoom thing, have a really good add on lens for topside users as you have in the past. I'll happily pop for $599 + another couple of hundred for the housing. I'm sure there are many others in the wings as well. While you're at it, how about using the Nikonos flash signal protocol so it will do ttl sync with every strobe on the market. (dream on)

.......and ditch the XD cards for something more normal (i.e. more universal, cheaper, etc.).

 

[Larry C]

.......and ditch the XD cards for something more normal (i.e. more universal, cheaper, etc.).

The 5050 had dual card slots. How about an SCHD slot. Doesn't take much room at all. They can put their silly xD slot in, just give us a choice of something that you can get elsewhere. I know Sony has their Memory stick, but they use it in a thousand different products, from music to games to photos to video. Oly and Fuji built a product that has no market but their cameras. Even Sony gave up on Betamax. You have to know when to fold'em as the song says.

 

[rwe]

Larry,
Your signature indicates you have home made loc-line strobe arms. I am in the process of building some arms using the 3/4 inch loc-line components. A few questions:
1. Are your arms sealed; i.e., do they fill with water or remain filled with air during dive? I would perfer air but if they leak will drill a few holes for filling/drainage.
2. How did you do the attachment from loc-line to strobe.
3. A picture of your arms would be really helpful.
Thanks,

 

[RTW]

I also built my own tray and arms, so I'll chime in.
I've only had this rig on four dives so far, but it has performed well.

1. Are your arms sealed; i.e., do they fill with water or remain filled with air during dive? I would perfer air but if they leak will drill a few holes for filling/drainage.

They are not water tight. I drilled four small drain holes at top, middle, and bottom for drainage.

2. How did you do the attachment from loc-line to strobe.

This is a Loc-Line "mounting elbow" partially filled with 2-part epoxy and tooled to fit strobe.

3. A picture of your arms would be really helpful.

I attach the arm to the tray with a threaded brass insert heated and melted into a Loc-Line "fixed mount base" secured with a stainless steel thumb screw.

I also made a duel-strobe tray.

 

[rwe]

Thanks for the quick response and great pictures. I was planning on ~ 18" but yours appear to be longer. I may reconsider. One more question. Is the loc-line stiff enough to support the strobe out of the water? I was considering inserting a piece of small diameter copper tubing to add rigidity if it is not. Thanks again,

 

[John512]

I was actually pleasantly surprised when my new olympus camera came with a XD --> microSD adapter so you can use a microSD in the carmera. Not the same as another slot but close enough for me. Very handy now that my laptop, pda with internet, and camera take the same card. I can take a few pictures, pop the card into my phone, and email them off

 

[Nemrod]

Larry, I will second your request, both Nikon and Olympus need to return to the "professional" class range finder (non slr) niche in the market and give us slr haters something to buy. I do like the A series but they are kinda chintzy and cheap amateur quality cameras but they do have a good design and decent image quality for sub 200 cameras. Surely between a five pound DSLR sawing into my neck and a 20X bazillion MP credit card sized P&S there could exist a digital range finder. Not a pocket camera, pocket cameras are to small, it needs to have a full range of controls, good balance in the hand, use a neck strap or holster, instant shutter, performance, not features, use a full size or at least a DX size sensor.

N

 

[Charlie59]

Give em heck Larry!

I bought a dSLR and I had thought I would like to take it diving. Then I went diving with my sp-350 again. The thought of having to lug a camera that takes up three times the space and would require its own carry on bag makes me a little weak in the knees. The cost doesn't make me too excited, but I could live with it if the new set up were anywhere near as convenient.

Guess we'll just have to depend on Canon to come through.