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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

CCD Resurgence: Image making with a legacy Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle prime mounted on a 2x crop sensor Four/Thirds digital SLR camera.

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A highly recommended digital SLR and lens kit combo for CCD enthusiasts is the Olympus E-500, a vintage digital SLR camera launched in 2005 with an 8MP Four Thirds sensor from Kodak, fitted with a legacy manual focus from the 1080s, the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8. The camera and lens combo, light in the hand, and swift on the take, should do well for enthusiasts enamored with the low-light, high-quality film-like images CCD sensors are known for.

The Olympus E-500, although not the smallest, was the lightest DSLR camera on the market when it was launched in 2005, and, unlike the preceding E-300 model, featured a body shape similar to that of a conventional SLR. The camera is fitted with the highly acknowledged 8MP Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD sensor, has good ergonomics, a comfortable hand grip, and a body that is built stiff and strong.

The Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, on the other hand, is a lens known for its good contrast and color rendition, and is a later version of the original Mini-Wide. The lens, a compact, manual-focus wide-angle lens, was made available in various camera mounts from the 1980s to the early 1990s.

Construction-wise, the Mini Wide II is mainly of plastic construction with a 6-element, 6-group optical design, multi-coated glass, and 6 matte blades that form a hexagonal aperture shape. The lens measures 43–50 mm in length, depending on the version, weighs around 210 grams, and takes 52mm filters.

To distinguish it from the original iteration, the Mini Wide II features a plastic aperture ring and a diagonal pattern focus grip, while the original Mini Wide has a metal aperture ring and a square pattern focus grip. On PentaxForums, the Mini Wide II enjoys a favored rating of Sharpness (8.6), Aberrations (7.4), Bokeh (7.7), Handling (8.7), and Value ( 9.2).

Reviews indicate that the lens shows moderate sharpness when used wide open. Sharpness, however, improves significantly from edge to edge when the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 or f/8, a characteristic that makes the lens well-suited for shooting in bright daylight with smaller apertures.

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

On the 2x crop sensor E-500, the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, with its standard normal 56mm equivalent offering a field of view similar to that of a short telephoto, is a good choice for street photography, cityscapes, and environmental portraits. The lens has a close-focus distance of 0.22 meters and is known for its macro capabilities at a 1:4.5 macro reproduction ratio.

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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CCD Resurgence, Preserving The Cult

A look at a low-cost vintage digital SLR camera and lens kit for CCD enthusiasts.

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If there is a call for a camera and lens kit that CCD digital SLR camera enthusiasts would want to keep longer in their collection, rather than letting it go when they are looking for a change or upgrade to the camera and lens they are using, my nomination for such a setup will have to be an Olympus (Evolt) E-500, a Four/Thirds System digital SLR camera introduced in 2005, and an Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm 1:3.5-4.5 telephoto zoom lens, introduced in 2004. This low-cost setup will not cost you an arm or a leg, and is a pleasure to use.

The Olympus (Evolt) E-500, a re-find in the resurgence of interest for the unique image characteristics, is a 10MP CCD Kodak KAF-8300CE Four/Thirds entry-level digital SLR camera designed to provide professional-quality features at an accessible price point. The camera, with a sensor's performance that is particularly noteworthy for its generation, is compact and lightweight, praised for its solid build quality and ergonomic design, and image quality equated with excellent sharpness, color reproduction, and tonality.

The camera features a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 215,000 dots, with an active control panel that allows for quick access to most camera settings without diving into the menu system, a 49-zone metering system with Digital ESP, center-weighted, and spot metering modes, and a basic autofocus system with three focus points. ISO range is from 100 to 400 as standard, with extended settings up to 1600, shutter speed range is from 1/4000 to 60 seconds with a Bulb, and flash sync speed is 1/180 second. In burst mode, the E-500 can capture approximately 2.5 frames per second for up to five frames in Super High Quality JPEG mode.

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm 1:3.5-4.5, a very affordable Four/Thirds mount option for vintage enthusiasts looking to add basic telephoto capabilities to their kit, is a versatile lens that offers an equivalent focal length of 80-300mm in 35mm terms on the 2x crop sensor E-500. The lens is suitable for photography genres including portraits, sports, landscapes, and wildlife, and has also been a popular choice among Olympus DSLR users for many years.

The 13 elements in 10 groups lens, which offers impressive sharpness across most of its focal length range, more so when stopped couple of f-stops down, has an aperture range from 1:3.5-4.5 to 1:22, 7 diaphragm blades, is 107mm x 77mm in size, weighs 425 grams, has a minimum focusing distance of 1.5 meters, and takes 58mm filters. Though designed for smaller Four Thirds sensor cameras, this metal mount lens is comparatively large and heavier than some APS-C lenses as found on the market. What it does, however, is provide a positive feel when attached to the camera.

Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

Using the camera and lens combination is easy and convenient. The E-500 has the standard PASM (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual) exposure modes, an additional 15 scene modes, three color (Vivid, Natural, Muted), and two monochrome modes (Black & White, Sepia) that can be customized for contrast, saturation, and sharpness. The lens, though slightly bulky, works well in good lighting conditions, delivers fast autofocus performance, produces sharp, high-contrast images with signature Olympus colors and pleasing background blur, particularly with subjects at longer focal lengths.

Note: CCDs, known for producing images with a distinct color profile that many describe as more natural, vibrant, and film-like, with a smooth highlight roll-off, were the gold standard for camera sensors from the early 80s till the late 2000s. While they have been largely displaced by the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) variety in consumer digital cameras, CCDs are still valued for certain specialized applications, including Optical Microscopy, Space Photography, and Near-Infrared Imaging.

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

CCD Resurgence: A look at vintage primes and legacy lenses equivalent to the standard normal primes on 4/3 mirrorless or APS-C digital SLR cameras.

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The Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5 was the smallest and lightest super wide-angle legacy lens introduced for the OM-System 35mm SLR film camera system when it was introduced with the launch of the OM 35mm SLR film camera series in 1972. The lens, with 7 elements in 7 groups, is acknowledged for its ability to deliver unusually high resolving power with excellent contrast even at full aperture, measures 31mm long, has a diameter of 59mm, weighs 185 grams, and takes 49mm filters. The ultra-wide-angle is highly recommended for landscapes and is equally suitable for architectural, interior, and other creative options.

When mounted on vintage 4/3s or the more modern Micro 4/3 digital cameras with 2x crop sensors, the lens is equivalent to a 42mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera, near enough to the 43mm focal length considered the perfect 'standard normal' lens. The focal length is a favorite with many photographers.

The strength of the focal length is a natural and realistic field of view that mimics what the human eye sees. Images offer a perspective view slightly shorter than a 35mm wide-angle but noticeably longer than the ubiquitous standard normal 50mm, sharper, and with minimal distortion. Physically, the lens, as with the Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5, is normally compact and lightweight.

Shooting with a 40mm focal length lens is also less intrusive than using wider-angle lenses, which require the photographer to be closer to the subjects. A 40mm lens is the sweet spot for street photography, with just the right coverage for a balanced composition, including background details and isolation of the main subjects. The focal length is comfortable and equally usable for other photographic genres, including video making, portraiture, and everyday candids.

Though the focal length can be tight in smaller spaces, documentary photographers and photojournalists favor the focal length for storytelling with a more engaging narrative and a 'bigger picture' for a better depth of the story. For portraits, the focal length allows for capturing full-body shots with enough background details for storytelling.

Handling is best with a compact camera setup, say a small DSLR body with a 40mm pancake lens, which is a good option for travel photography, particularly for landscapes and street life. The setup, without the bulk of a larger camera, is more convenient for discreet and unobtrusive image making, light enough for mobility, and a space in the shoulder bag, instead of a more cumbersome backpack or carry case.

The Olympus E-500, fitted with the highly acknowledged 8MP Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD and mounted with the Olympus OM Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5, is a vintage kit you'll be proud to have and happy to lug for your travels or other documentary endeavors. The E-500, successor to the E-300, was introduced in 2005. The camera incorporates Olympus' patented Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system and Olympus' TruePic Turbo system for image processing.

Olympus E-500, Zuiko OM 21mm f/3.5

The Zuiko 21mm f/3.5, first launched as the Olympus OM G Zuiko Auto-W 21mm f/3.5 with the introduction of the OM system 35mm SLR film cameras in 1972, was later updated to the Olympus OM Zuiko MC Auto-W 21mm f/3.5. Both have the same optical construction, and a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters.

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

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Olympus Evolt E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5

CCD Resurgence: First impression images with the Olympus E-500, the DSLR camera with the 8MP Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD imaging chip.

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Managed at last, recently, to strike an item off my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) list, an 8MP CCD Olympus E-500 (Olympus EVOLT E-500 in the US), a very affordable consumer-oriented Four/Third digital SLR camera system introduced by Olympus in 2005. The camera is fitted with the much-talked-about Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD sensor and was launched as an update to the E-300 introduced in 2004.

Unlike the E-300, which also has the Kodak 4/3 Type CCD sensor, a flat top, and fitted with an unusual Optical Porro Finder, the compact E-500 is back to a traditional SLR built with a pentamirror viewfinder, and a hump on top of the camera which houses the camera's built-in flash, hot shoe, and viewfinder eyepiece.

While the camera I acquired was almost still brand-new, spick, and span all around, and had only 1787 shutter counts to its credit, it was untested and was offered as a low-cost buy due to a dead battery. All it needed was a fully charged replacement battery to get the E-500 humming and running perfectly.

Being closer to old-school AF 35mm SLR film cameras than current mega-electronically controlled DSLRs, the camera is well endowed with the functionalities to get you up and running in no time, almost without the hassle of referring to the instruction manual to comprehend the dials and function buttons that are fitted to the camera.

The E-500 is also fitted with a 2.5-inch 215,250 dot LCD, dual (CF and xD) card slots, a manual ISO speed range from 100 to 1600 (100 to 400 on Auto), a shutter speed range from 60 - 1/4000 second, and Bulb (up to 8 mins) in Manual mode (1 - 1/4000 sec in AE mode), and saves image in RAW and JPEG file formats./

Exposure selections include Program AE (with shift), Aperture priority AE, Shutter priority AE, Manual, Creative Modes with Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, and Night Scene + Portrait, and a further selection of 15 different Scene modes.

Olympus E-500, Zuiko Digital 40-150mm 1:3.5~4.5

These quick test images were shot with the 3.8x zoom Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 lens (80-300mm in full-frame equivalent), the second lens that ships as part of the two-lens kits with the E-500. Constructed with multicoated 13 elements in 10 groups, and a sturdy metal mount, the lens is quite hefty in the hand and weighs 425 grams.

Fairly usable for everything from portraits to sports scenes, the lens does pretty well across most of its focal length range, but is rather soft at its widest as you go from 100 to 150mm. Looking forward now to more shoots, other lenses, and the ubiquitous manual focus legacy lenses, which are abound.

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