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Replacment for an E-10?

V

Vinny

pfm Member
I infrequently use a camera, but know enough about the basics to get good results (mostly), and to recognise what good images are, and to want to get good images when I do get the camera out.
About 10 years ago, I bought a used Olympus E-10 (for something like £250 if memory serves), mostly because I had used one at work so knew enough about it to be confident that it would do all that I needed and was simple and comfortable to use (I have large hands, so many cameras are awkward for me to use).
For my uses, the E-10 is still absolutely fine, despite what is, by current standards, a very low pixel count, except that the rubberised grip has turned to something like soft liquorice and has started to disintegrate and become very sticky. I can’t find anything online about replacing the grip, so I assume that fixing/replacing it is impossible or uneconomic.
So, what do I buy, second-hand? I assume that the E-10 has essentially no value? The zoom lens appears to be fixed, so presumably can't be salvaged???????
Not sure about total cost, but would like to end-up with something with similar facilities/capabilities to the E-10.

Not knowing a great deal about it, and it probably matters little, but I am toying with the idea of getting kit to try digiscoping.
 
Basically, the camera you have is an all-in-one, and when it fails, there's basically either getting it repaired or chucking it (which is sad, but there we are!). I'd probably first approach Olympus and state your problem, just in case they have a solution. Camera companies are funny about stuff like this, and may indeed be able to offer you a repair.

It's not a small camera, and you state you have big hands, so this does rather suggest that a basic DSLR is probably the place to go, as there are heaps of them on the second hand market, but the new ones aren't huge amounts of money. The problem is to get something with enough zoom to suite your needs, and the olympus had a basic 4x zoom, but not very wide (35mm - 140mm 35mm equivalent), so kit zoom lenses from DSLRs will typically start wider, and stop shorter than that (say, 28 - 80mm as a 35mm equivalent), so if you are happy with this, then there are plenty of decent options.

In your position i'd probably see if I could get a basic nikon or canon DSLR with kit lens. I'd be looking at their basic consumer model, which will offer fantastic image quality (this is rarely compromised in the cheaper cameras) and simple operation. It'll probably suite your hands. The cheaper cameras usually limit things that people don't care about (limited frame rate, less fancy auto-focus) but everything will be a step up from your old camera, so if you are basically happy with this, then you're laughing.

So, i'd suggest as a start you go and try something like a nikon D3400 with kit zoom, as this current model is very good, and is around £400 new. If you like it, but don't want to stretch that far, then go on the lookout for the previous D3300, or earlier cameras in that range, and they will basically offer the same experience with some reduction in pixels and features. You should be able to get a D3000 for around £150-200 with kit lens (I would guess, and looking at ebay), so if you have a budget from £150 up to around £400, then all of these are very good starting points.
 
Thanks - I did have to Google "kit zoom" though :)

To be honest, my demands are so modest, buying other than second-hand seems crazy..............
How about the Bay? I am very wary - presumably buy only from a reputable seller with high score, preferably a dealer? Or just search online dealers who do used kit.

Thinking ahead a little, what are thoughts about using a multiplier, of which I have precisely no experience at all.

Also, the E-10 has what, to the semi-ignorant such as me, is effectively a macro option for close-up work, which I find very useful at times. How does this equate to a DSLR?

My use is 90++% general home and garden subjects, nothing too taxing.
 
I've got an E-10 with sticky rubber bits too. Anyone want it to play with? Free to a good home. The main problem is the batteries go flat quickly and the memory cards are small and a pain.

My replacement is an Olympus E-M5 mk 2. You could get a mark 1 and lens updating to a mark2 when funds allow.
 
Well, i've bought plenty of cameras from eBay - it's really just a matter of feeling confident that the seller is for real, as these cameras were sold by their thousands, and people upgrade to newer ones all the time, so there's plenty of supply.

Here's the sort of thing at the lower end that you could have:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=322494473414

The D3100 seems like a sensible lower end as it has features missing from the D3000 which may be of interest (some support for live view, and a movie mode) and more pixels (14mp which is plenty).

I generally go for sellers who offer a return. If you ask in the photo classifieds, you'll probably find someone on here who has a spare nikon or canon and can do you a deal.
 
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mudlark said:
...................The main problem is the batteries go flat quickly and the memory cards are small and a pain.................
Click to expand...

So very, very true ;)

Cesare said:
. If you ask in the photo classifieds, you'll probably find someone on here who has a spare nikon or canon and can do you a deal.
Click to expand...

That had crossed my mind.............................................
 
Apologies for not getting back to this thread, thanks for all the input.

I sort of got side-tracked when one of my speakers “died” and I realised that I might be looking at a large or very large bill (12 inch woofer with split foam and possible further damage). So, spend on any new anything is on hold for a couple of weeks at least.

I got as far as looking seriously at Cesare's suggestion of a Nikon D3100 and kit zoom as I have a Nikon film SLR with a fixed lens that could be swapped – a possibility that had not occurred to me previously. Looking on FleaBay, there are quite a few 3100s plus 18-55 lenses that are selling for anything from about £130 up – which seems crazy low money to me.

Other options considered though if anyone thinks I might gain by going some other route (when I have the £££ again).

I know that I could do some searching online, but does anyone know if the macro setting on the E-10 is a feature of the Nikon, or even DSLRs in general?

The one thing that has horrified me, having been thinking about buying the kit to do some digiscoping, is the cost of an adaptor for my Kowa scope – on a par with a used 3100 + lens!!!
 
Macro is a feature of a lens, not the camera body. The Kit lenses on any DSLR will focus quite close, but not anything like real Macro (ie, 1:1). Many 'point and shoot' cameras DO get almost that close however, and there are lots of those that might suit you better (not all tiny, so big hands are ok). Maybe invent a list of your exact needs as and when the budget is back and post it here?
If you want a good site to review cameras in general, try the camera chooser here:
https://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras#!
 
Rockmeister said:
Macro is a feature of a lens, not the camera body.
Click to expand...

I knew that well enough :(
Thinking too laterally, E-10 and replacement - my excuse anyway.............. I had even read the thread here about macro lenses!!!!!

I had not thought this through well at all - the E10 has built-in flash, macro and zoom facilities - I had never sat back and thought about it before - precisely why I find it so convenient.

So, if I go the SLR route, second-hand, I am looking at body, plus zoom, plus macro lens. I have an old flash that should work, plus the lens on the film Nikon, if I choose to go the Nikon route. With luck and patience that is looking like £250-300, or even a little over.

Thanks again - I will peruse the camera-chooser link too.
 
:)
The E 10 was a great package in it's time, and a damned expensive camera to boot. I nearly bought a Panasonic FZ1000 recently as a holiday camera, but for it's price, prefferred a CSC (Olympos OM D 10 mk2 in my case). I'm sure you know this, but sensor size affects image quality far more than pixel count. Micro 4/3rds is an excellent compromise, being far less bulk thatn the full DSLR and Panasonic esp make some very good all in one type cameras, some of which are now a bit older and knocking on a tad. They may well do all you need for your budget??
Panasonic TZ60 maybe, about 270 new.
 
Thanks for the warning about the flash - probably too old.............

Looks like I am spoilt for choice in many ways, although I would be much more inclined to go the DSLR route as of now. I need to do some serious background investigation.

You are absolutely right about the price of the E-10 when launched - as I mentioned, I bought a used one because we had one at work so that QC problems, part failures etc. could be photographed, and emailed. That was several £100's (700 or so???), about 15 years ago.

Thanks for the tip-off about the sensor - I know more than I ought about photography as I worked in a closely allied industry for nearly 20 years and was surrounded by camera geeks, but I do not keep up-to-date.

Rather frustratingly, I have all but abandoned the digiscoping idea as my scope (Kowa FS611) is also old and has standard optical glass, rather than fluoride glass, lenses, and apparently photo' quality would be iffy.
If anyone has experience of digiscoping, would a fluoride eye-piece on my current scope get anywhere near the performance of a full fluoride lensed scope? (At far from insignificant cost!!!)

Thanks again all.
 
P.S. I see that the E-10 without grip linked above by TFN sold for nearly £70, so I am even more inclined to hack mine in for a few £10's and get a DSLR replacement.
 
Cruising the Bay, Nikon D3200's are selling for much the same price as equivalent D3100 packages. Presumably in major respects they are directly equivalent except for the 24Mp of the 3200?
 
Better all round I think. My wife had the 3100, and we leaprogged to the 5 series next but looked at the 3200. Better processor working on those extra megapixels (a LOT of megapixels...BIG change in image defenition) and a much sharper rear screen (old one tough in sunlight). Otherwise yup, near the same I remember. Buying used, check or ask for the shutter actuation number. 3 series will easily be good for 120000 shots according to Nikon, but I see some with picture counts well over 50,000 and I'd avoid that. An amateur is unlikely to take 10000 shots a year!
 
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