After lots of deliberation, I've done it! I've booked myself on a one day workshop with my long term landscape photography tutor Steve Gosling. The purpose of the workshop (for me anyway) is to try out the Olympus OM-D range of cameras.
Let me try and summarise why.
I've shot with a Canon for years. My first was an EOS3 (film) which alongside the chosen subject of the time, Formula One, was a joy to own and use. I partnered it with an original Sigma EX 50-500mm lens and whatever happened, I had the camera and the lens to capture it. Then came a D30, and eventually a 10D. Why did I chose Canon? Well, quite simply every other serious photographer in the pitlane at Silverstone shot with a Canon and I went with the herd. To be honest I was quite happy. The cameras were easy to use, robust as tanks, and gave me results that I could use. Even when I managed to claim a part time photography contract with what was then Midland F1 Racing (which became Spyker F1, and now races as Force India), the Canons kept on rocking.
After parting with the world of Formula One racing (Force India cancelled my contract shortly after buying Spyker F1) and turning to the world of landscapes, I seized the opportunity to go full frame with the 5D. Over the years, using this great camera, I've honed my choice of lenses and filters and now have a comfortable and familiar kit bag which I use instinctively to create the images I want.
But here is the thing. Technology and innovation move on. The 5D was rapidly replaced by a mk2, and a mk3, and at the time of writing there is even a 6D. But essentially, for the purposes of landscape photography, upgrading to one of these newer models doesn't move me forward. I get bigger sensors etc, but I already print as large as I need to. Processing speed and a gazzilion frames per second is of little use sheltering from the drizzle under an umbrella in the Lake District making the most of the changing light. Full HD video (whatever that is) doesn't do it for me either.
Every time I've upgraded with Canon, I felt I was getting something extra - a step up, a step forward - something that I could use to feed back into my creativity. Suddenly, this extra step isn't there any more.
Having become aware of the age of my 5D I'd started to look around at what else was out there.
The Photography Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and Focus on Imaging before it, was always a great opportunity to handle camera gear. Even when I chose my D30, I went to Focus and handled the offerings from all the manufacturers before deciding. For me, a camera has to feel right in my hand. It has to "click" with me in some unexplained way.
This year, I did the trawl - Canons, Panasonics, Fujis, Nikons... - they all passed through my hands with each stand representative patiently answering my questions. I'd long worked out that each will claim that their camera is the best, so that sales pitch always gets ignored :)
This time it was Olympus that "clicked". As soon as I picked up the OM-D EM-1 it felt kind of right. I did the same with an EM-5, and the new Stylus-1 with the same result. Questions ensured, all patiently answered. Myself, and another chap alongside me, joined forces in our questioning especially with regard to the merits of the different models (which was most useful). During this conversation, it was mentioned that Olympus run one day workshops to try out their gear.
When I swapped from Formula One to landscapes I put myself through a number of workshops run by Harrogate based photographer Steve Gosling. Steve had come to the local camera club some months before to do a talk, and talked openly about his approach and technique and did so very easily using straight forward language. I've lost track of how many workshops I did with Steve - a lot - but I owe my early landscape photography progress to Steve and those workshops.
As it turned out, Steve has also swapped to Olympus, and was working with Olympus running these one day try out workshops.
And there you have it. I'm going back to my landscape photography roots to see whether that gut reaction I felt at the Photography Show was right. Roll on the 16th May.
Let me try and summarise why.
I've shot with a Canon for years. My first was an EOS3 (film) which alongside the chosen subject of the time, Formula One, was a joy to own and use. I partnered it with an original Sigma EX 50-500mm lens and whatever happened, I had the camera and the lens to capture it. Then came a D30, and eventually a 10D. Why did I chose Canon? Well, quite simply every other serious photographer in the pitlane at Silverstone shot with a Canon and I went with the herd. To be honest I was quite happy. The cameras were easy to use, robust as tanks, and gave me results that I could use. Even when I managed to claim a part time photography contract with what was then Midland F1 Racing (which became Spyker F1, and now races as Force India), the Canons kept on rocking.
After parting with the world of Formula One racing (Force India cancelled my contract shortly after buying Spyker F1) and turning to the world of landscapes, I seized the opportunity to go full frame with the 5D. Over the years, using this great camera, I've honed my choice of lenses and filters and now have a comfortable and familiar kit bag which I use instinctively to create the images I want.
But here is the thing. Technology and innovation move on. The 5D was rapidly replaced by a mk2, and a mk3, and at the time of writing there is even a 6D. But essentially, for the purposes of landscape photography, upgrading to one of these newer models doesn't move me forward. I get bigger sensors etc, but I already print as large as I need to. Processing speed and a gazzilion frames per second is of little use sheltering from the drizzle under an umbrella in the Lake District making the most of the changing light. Full HD video (whatever that is) doesn't do it for me either.
Every time I've upgraded with Canon, I felt I was getting something extra - a step up, a step forward - something that I could use to feed back into my creativity. Suddenly, this extra step isn't there any more.
Having become aware of the age of my 5D I'd started to look around at what else was out there.
The Photography Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and Focus on Imaging before it, was always a great opportunity to handle camera gear. Even when I chose my D30, I went to Focus and handled the offerings from all the manufacturers before deciding. For me, a camera has to feel right in my hand. It has to "click" with me in some unexplained way.
This year, I did the trawl - Canons, Panasonics, Fujis, Nikons... - they all passed through my hands with each stand representative patiently answering my questions. I'd long worked out that each will claim that their camera is the best, so that sales pitch always gets ignored :)
This time it was Olympus that "clicked". As soon as I picked up the OM-D EM-1 it felt kind of right. I did the same with an EM-5, and the new Stylus-1 with the same result. Questions ensured, all patiently answered. Myself, and another chap alongside me, joined forces in our questioning especially with regard to the merits of the different models (which was most useful). During this conversation, it was mentioned that Olympus run one day workshops to try out their gear.
When I swapped from Formula One to landscapes I put myself through a number of workshops run by Harrogate based photographer Steve Gosling. Steve had come to the local camera club some months before to do a talk, and talked openly about his approach and technique and did so very easily using straight forward language. I've lost track of how many workshops I did with Steve - a lot - but I owe my early landscape photography progress to Steve and those workshops.
As it turned out, Steve has also swapped to Olympus, and was working with Olympus running these one day try out workshops.
And there you have it. I'm going back to my landscape photography roots to see whether that gut reaction I felt at the Photography Show was right. Roll on the 16th May.