Crazy - But I'm Going Old School Digital

I have to say that one of the lenses I really miss, is my 70-300 (140mm to 600mm equiv.) Olympus. After selling of a lot of my 4/3 gear a couple of years ago - E-3, 50 f2 macro, 50-250 SWD, FL50R - I gladly gave an Olympus 4/3 using Nicaraguan fellow I have come to know, my 70-300 as a gift ---- figuring that I would soon get a new one in the micro 4/3 designation.

Fact is that until it was gone, I didn't realize how much I depended on and missed that lens for my travel work. And then the reality of having to spend serious money ($600 plus with taxes) on the 75-300 version for my micro 4/3 bodies, I was left in a quandary about what to do to fill that need.

My decision came yesterday when I perused through Kijijji Classified ads, to see what was available used for 4/3 gear in my area of Ontario Canada. Turned out to be a fair bit.

And so today I picked up a virtually new Olympus E-520 to hang any lenses that I get on to. The owner (from Argentina), purchased it new 5 years ago, to take pics of her newborn baby with but instead ended up using her iPhone to capture most of the moments. It has a measly 2,000 actuations on it - about what I would shoot in one average wedding day. I purchased it for what I consider a steal at $150 (no 13% taxes added on obviously). It's a good thing because I still have and can benefit from my favourite lens of all time - - - - my 12-60 SWD. I have it because I haven't been able to sell it, even at give away prices

Moments later I came across a fellow who had switched to Pen cameras and found his 70-300 4/3 lens not suitable to focusing and rather unwieldy on the bodies. He was firm at $175 (again without adding 13% taxes) - - - but that was great being it was in mint condition and came in at $50 to $150 less than what was being asked for the same lens by other sellers on the classifieds.

So instead of moving ahead with my micro 4/3 purchases, I am finding myself digressing to the slightly less spec'd but wonderful system I enjoyed up until just a couple of years ago. Guaranteed that for 80% of my work - especially in travel and street - I will be using one or all of my 3 Pen cameras, kit lenses, and a few manual primes with adapters, that I have been using successfully recently. But now I can benefit from two wonderful lenses that I really miss - my 12-60 f2.8/4 and 70-300.

I hoped and tried going with just one system (mirror less micro 4/3), but for the next few years at least, it looks like I will be sticking with 2 systems instead. It is just plain more economical for me. Heck I was even tempted by a couple of good condition E-1's, but the reality is that the E-520 will serve me much better. I loved and many times preferred my E-510 over my E-3, at least until it died.