3 Legendary DSLRs Head to Head in a Challenge

Here's a showdown between three fantastic old DSLRs and high quality optics. We have the Pentax K10D + Pentax 77mm f1.8 limited lens, the Olympus E-300 + Olympus 50mm f2 macro lens, and the Sigma SD14 + Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro lens. Which combo do you prefer for portrait photography based on the sample images and why? I'm curious to hear your responses!

Use coupon code "snappiness" for 10% off

0:00 - Introducing the cameras and lens setups
0:55 - Why different sensor sizes and lenses
1:58 - Portrait setup
2:25 - SIRUI C60B Light setup
3:07 - First shot setup
3:28 - First shot Pentax K10D
4:31 - First shot Olympus E-300
5:12 - First shot Sigma SD14
6:18 - Second shot setup
6:47 - Second shot mystery results
7:18 - Light specs SIRUI C60B
8:31 - Third shot setup
8:53 - Third shot mystery results

This is where you should be buying used camera gear (to get great prices)

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#pentax #olympus #sigma

[snappiness]

(answers to which pictures are which camera below)

P36E-S7PM7B-NH2RAF
P3AA-6MGV2D-4QB6AJ
P3TF-39KZ3M-SK6FAZ
P3S3-SRSA83-DEV3AX
P3X7-QMZE5T-USWRAK
P3KL-W593MB-2YK4A8
P3JJ-K3CD7W-HSVCAA
P3JU-PATSJL-XHZZA9
P3FE-LBUY7Z-W4FCAB
P328-BV52FN-VFRFAJ

Spoiler alert!! Make your guesses before reading the rest of this comment!

The answers for which camera/lens combo took which picture are (for both sets of mystery pictures):

1. Olympus E-300 + 50mm f2 macro
2. Sigma SD14 + Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro
3. Pentax K10D + Pentax 77mm f1.8 Limited

Did you get it right? Does it matter? (No 😄) But I thought it was fun. Hope you did too.

If you liked this format of video, let me know what variations you'd like to see in the future!

[michaelbell]

The Fuji S5 Pro has legendary status among us portrait and wedding shooters. Ive used a TON of cameras and it has the best skin tones Ive ever seen. Mostly due to the excellent SuperCCD sensor in it. Mine finally died last year and I havent replaced it but I really should. Between these cameras, I actually preferred the Pentx but I would have much rather seen SOOC images. Once you start tweaking the colors in post, they are to YOUR liking and not what the camera produced. Good video though.

[Big.E]

My favourite photograhy channel by far, long live Pentax and older gen dslrs

[thissidetowardscreen]

Brilliant video! Being an owner of a retired K10d! Love to see this type of comparisons. All the cameras did a great job! 1:Olympus. 2: Sigma 3: Pentax

[shipbuilding]

Wish I still had my E300….it gets my vote between those 3 cameras. The closest thing I’ve found to the look of those Kodak 4/3 CCD’s in the modern era has been the sensor on the Fuji XT1. Love Fuji’s Mirrorless system but also shoot Pentax like you, and like you I haven’t sold any of my older gear for at least 10 years. I started Pentax with the K5II….thought about grabbing a used K10 many times over the last few years since they cost almost nothing these days. Great video

[xmeda]

K10D has focusing adjustment... in service menu.

[neilgrover]

Well done! All three setups are interesting for different reasons. I do really enjoy your channel content. It's nice to see these kinds of comparisons. Not many channels do this kinda thing (or it isn't done as well). It's easy to find content on the latest-and-greatest but that doesn't reflect everyone's interest or reality.

My guesses:

@6:52
- (1) Sigma. Something about the skin color (warm) and reflections (cold) make the colors look a bit "off"? I dunno, I'm no expert.
- (2) Olympus: Noticeably soft.
- (3) Pentax: looks natural, sharp (in a good way) and my favorite of the three

They are all great images so to me it's splitting hairs. This is a good showcase of what can be achieved with older gear.

[martinvanbakel]

The E-300 is the best.
I bought my E-300 in 2005 and still use it as an everyday camera.
Never regret buying it.
A matter of fact I have 3 of them so I don't have to change my lenses.
I also have the E-330 and the E-410 and the 420.
I love the colours, and the quality is great.
After 17 years the 300 work's and looks like new.

[victor.shpakov]

Thanks James, nice work as usual! I personally love color comparisons. All three yield a good image, each having its own character. Though, I like the Pentax more: Oly and Sigma had more magenta/violet cast to it.
PS. Wife is lovely.
PPS. It’s so convenient to hold the camera on the vertical grip when shooting in portrait orientation. Noticed you were still doing it in a hard way with Pentax😀

[kenblair]

I'm an Olympus guy. And I love my 50mm macro. KB

[gideonliddiardphotography]

Nice video, you should pick up a Fuji Finepix S3 Pro or S5 pro, Nikon F mount, bonkers Super CCD sensor and is great for skin tones. I still have and use an S3 Pro for that very reason

[jaymikevillanueva]

If I had to be pick, I'd say I'd choose the Olympus E-300. I like the compact size and Olympus, to my mind, usually get the colors right and it's very responsive on the autofocusing.

[dedclownsRfunny]

I preferred the colours of: 3 > 1 > 2 for the first set, then 2 > 1 > 3 for the second. In the first set Photo #2 looked a little washed out.

These three are all cameras I’ve been looking at while in the CCD obsession. I tried a Pentax K200D and I just couldn’t gel with it. It has a cracked back screen which doesn’t affect anything and doesn’t bother me, but I don’t know it didn’t feel right. The Oly E-500 I then bought was instant love! One of the Sigmas is on my to-buy list now, but which one depends on a few factors

[danny_r]

Love seeing the E-300 again! I recently got one for $85 in mint condition with 1, 244 shutter actuations and I love it to death. The fact that I got it for $85 with 2 kit lenses is insane and I’m glad that One month Two cameras video sold me on it. The CCD sensor is what I hoped it would be and I couldn’t be happier.

Hope to see more videos on and and I’ve already been recommended the 25mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/2 Olympus lenses. I’ll have to look into them more for sure but it’s nice to see you using that 50mm.

Great video and hope to see more E-300 or old four thirds videos!

[Lee.Freeman]

Thank you. I’m interested in the Pentax. I loved my old Pentax ME and took it hiking all over the Australian outback in the early 1980s. 🦘

[markhoffman]

I used the E-1 and E-300 for a few weddings and magazine articles - colours and sharpness were as good or better than what C or N had on the market.The macro lens had a reputation as one of an almost optically perfect design and superb resolution at dpreview.

[fthprodphoto-video]

2 things that CCD need to offer perfect portraits are :
Good and even lighting on the subject to keep the iso lower than 400 ideally(background doesn’t matter)
And don’t underexpose the shot by more than 0.3 stop, it’s better to overexpose by 0.3 stop to avoid mushy shadows

If the weather is a bit overcast with clouds, results will be great with ccd cameras. If the contrast is high, use the pop up flash with a diffuser or a reflector.

For landscapes, just expose well or bracket 2 raw stops and blend them after

[wyattgaw]

Nice review, thanks, I have a sigma dp2s, I set the colour profile to vivid and raw in camera and find I hardly ever tweak the files, lovely image quality

[VanijaMi]

Hey if you have chance try the legendary Canon 5D Classic

[herus]

My sister had olympus e-300. She loved it and she also let me use it aswell. Very good camera. She had both of the kit lenses. Loved that camera and now im looking to get one myself