Which would you take? Just a bit of fun...

[xtolsniffer]

I'm going down to Norfolk in a few weeks (for those not in the UK it's on the east coast, flat, but lots of wetlands, great sandy beaches, beautiful ancient woodlands and great skies). I'm just taking a small camera kit, mainly due to the family complaining about the size of my camera bag and the risk that I might stop somewhere and get the tripod out. Anyway, the choice is my old Olympus kit - bought mostly secondhand in the mid to late 1980's and now consisting of an Olympus OM-1n, a 50mm f3.5 macro, a Tamron Adaptall 28mm f2.5, green and orange filters and loaded with Tri-X vs a Nikon FM3a with 55mm f2.8 macro, a Nikkor 24mm f2.8, green and orange filters and loaded with HP5. What do you think? What would you take and why? It's just for fun, both are great systems and I'm really lucky to have the choice of both.

 

[pentaxuser]

I think I'd go with the Nikon, purely based on the greater range of the lenses. A 24 and 55 gives a better spread than a 28 and 50 but all of that could be wiped out depending on which of the two you think has the better "feel" in your hand. I have neither of these cameras so cannot pass an opinion on this aspect.

pentaxuser

 

[Bill Burk]

I'd take the Nikon set too because you have a brighter "normal" lens, and both lenses are manufacturer brand.

I took (Olympus) 24mm and 50mm on a jaunt a couple months ago and it was a perfect set. I stacked a polarizer and orange filter on the 24mm and got vignetting. Careful not to make that mistake.

 

[Chan Tran]

Body wise I would certainly pick the Nikon as you would have better metering. However, I would pick the 28 and 50 combo.

 

[Chuckwade87]

I'd take the Nikon, personally more familiar with them.


Taking 400 speed film, shooting outside for the most part I wouldn't think 1 stop on a lens would really matter, but I don't know if it's perpetually cloudy, like it is here either.

 

[BrianShaw]

I’d flip a coin.

 

[tedr1]

You say this is for fun? How about taking both, and the tripod, and leaving the family behind?

 

[Sirius Glass]

I just have a fondness for Nikons. I never used an Olympus so I have no opinions about them except I heard that the Greek gods were close to it.

 

[xtolsniffer]

You say this is for fun? How about taking both, and the tripod, and leaving the family behind?

Excellent suggestion!

 

[faberryman]

Tough choice. You can't go wrong either way. If you want a one lens solution, track down the Olympus 28-48 zoom, It's about the size of the 50 macro.

 

[MattKing]

I would take the Olympus, but that's because I could sneak my 35mm f/2 and 85mm f/2 Zuiko lenses into the bag as well and it would probably all fit.

 

[Rick A]

I'd take the Nikon set too because you have a brighter "normal" lens, and both lenses are manufacturer brand.

I took (Olympus) 24mm and 50mm on a jaunt a couple months ago and it was a perfect set. I stacked a polarizer and orange filter on the 24mm and got vignetting. Careful not to make that mistake.

Bill, that's why I always used 55 mm filters with a step down ring on my Oly lenses.

 

[JensH]

Hi,

you take a tripod with you, so I would use both:
One with TriX/HP5 and the other one with a low speed film like PanF.
A yellow filter (12 or B+W 022) for both systems would be fine, but that is a matter of taste...

Have fun
Jens

 

[Chan Tran]

You say this is for fun? How about taking both, and the tripod, and leaving the family behind?

Taking both doesn't increase lens coverage by much because the 2 kits almost duplicate each other. If the OP could find more lenses for either system would be much better.

 

[xtolsniffer]

I'm lucky enough to have a bag full of lenses for both systems, the idea is to travel with the minimum equipment. I tend to prefer a standard lens and a wide. If I use only one lens I take a 35mm, but a 50 and a 28/24 works for me and gives a little more scope, especially as the 50s are macros. I love the viewfinders on the Olympus, and the match needle metering is great, but with the Nikon you get shutter speed and aperture in the viewfinder too, though its not as big and bright as the Olympus. The Tamron 28mm is a nice lens but not great as its prone to flare though the Olympus kit is a little lighter and more compact than the Nikon.

 

[narsuitus]

I picked the Ilford kit because I no longer use Kodak products.

 

[shutterfinger]

Nikon with both films.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

FM3a, 'cause I've never used one.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Take both. Load one with black & white and the other with color.

 

[Ron789]

I would take the Nikon gear, umbrella, raincoat, warm sweaters, a pair of Wellingtons and a few flasks of whisky.

 

[Bill Burk]

Bill, that's why I always used 55 mm filters with a step down ring on my Oly lenses.

Makes sense... it was your OM-4 that I took, it worked flawlessly that day...

 

[rgeorge911]

I’d go Nikon, though I know both are capable. With HP-5, you can push to high heavens and still get reasonable contrast. It’s also nice to have a macro option with the 55.

 

[one90guy]

I would also go with the Nikon, have not held a Olympus slr in about 10 years.

David

 

[BradS]

For me, it would have to be the Nikon.

 

[jvo]

I would take the Nikon gear, umbrella, raincoat, warm sweaters, a pair of Wellingtons and a few flasks of whisky.

with the olympus you only need the wellies and whiskey, (maybe only the whiskey)!