Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier for Olympus Evolt E-300 & E-500 Digital Cameras

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

I bought to use on EOS 5D viewfinder for better manual focusing. It's not too bad, but I feel the benefit to be very small. Eg-s / Ee-s finder screen is a LOT more useful if you were to do just one thing to improve manual focusing. On the positive side, it doesn't significantly worsen the quality of image in the viewfinder, compared to higher mag eyepieces. It's rather easy to come off from the camera, so don't lose it while you're walking with a camera on a strap, or putting the camera in and out of the bag.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Pro, makes the view larger so that you can see more detail of what you are taking a picture of. Easier to get focus right in low light or when focus is really tricky.

Con, magnifies so that the edges are slighting cut off. Meaning the actual pictures captures a wider angle than you now see in the viewfinder. slightly annoying when trying to take a picture and leave a part out (ie cars/fence when taking a landscape picture). Its easy to change so I just keep both in the bag.

Origonal was slightly more comfortable, thought might just be more used to it.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Just used this eyecup for the first time yesterday. It is a great aid in terms of seeing more clearly what your picture composition and focus is.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Bought this for use on the Olympus E-620, which is a great camera but with a small view finder. With the ME-1, the view finder is larger like that of the E-30 which i also own.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

I think this made it easier for me to get my eye on the subject faster and in focus quicker.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Great eye cup, easy to focus reticule. Only drawback is that it is easily "slid off" when you are putting your camera into a case or bag. I lost my first one, and had to reorder as I had become so accustomed to using it all the time.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

In order to use the old MF lenses on the camera and the Olympus E-3 has advised me to replace the focusing screen. But a colleague gave ME AS-1. And, behold! Work with old lenses has stopped providing for me problem. Now I'm really not sure what my camera needs a redesign.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Makes focusing with my 1200mm lens much easier. Helps in seeing info in the viewfinder. Would be better if it were a little larger. Is rather expensive for what you get.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

I read that this eyecup can be used with Canon's entry level DSLR camera's, so took a chance and bought the AS-ME1. Turns out is is a nice fit and the small 1.2x magnification really improves the view. With this eyecup, the XSi gains a view that is similar to the 40D. There is a small penalty in terms of the eye relief, which may bother someone who wears glasses. The optics are quite good and I do not notice any degradation of the image quality. I think the improvement is enough to justify the cost.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Install it on your Olympus E420/450 and see how easy it is to work!

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

I like this; I only limited it to four stars because I'd prefer it to be a bit more powerful - perhaps 1.5x.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

The Olympus Eyecup Magnifier is excellent for focusing in Manual Mode on my Olympus E-Volt 500
camera with a non-digital lens and OM adapter.

Comments about Olympus AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier:

Since first purchasing my Evolt 500, my most ongoingcomplaint has been regarding the small viewfinder which isdisappointingly small in proportion to those found on 35mmsystems. Naturally, this is because the CCD is roughly halfthe size of a 35mm negative. Having a large viewfinder seems fundamental to thoughtfulcomposition, and after regularly finding myself basking inthe delicious vista offered by my OM-4, I decided to givethe AS-ME1 eyecup magnifier a try on my digital body. Looking something akin to a porthole on a ship, the eyecupslides easily onto the viewfinder mount. Actually, itslides on and off rather too easily; There is no way tosecure it apart from improvising with a small piece ofelectrical tape, and without, it routinely ends up gettingknocked off the camera. Unlike the stock rubber eyecup, therim around the ME1 is hard rubber, and I find that itsrather uncomfortable to position against the supraorbitalprocess. Most importantly, this accessory affords littleeye relief, and while it does magnify by about 20%, onecannot easily view from one side of the frame to the otherwithout shifting position. In addition, it seems to degradeimage quality the point that manual focusing becomesdifficult in lower light. Ten minutes into my first shootwith the ME1, I found that it was easier to work without it. Fifty dollars has now been wasted on a poorly-engineeredaccessory that will live more-often-than-not, off the camera. Having owned many Olympus systems over the years, I feelthat I can soundly express my dismay in the AS-ME1. It issurely the worst SLR product of late to bear their name. The twenty dollars the company might make off a sale fromthis item is not worth the subsequent loss of respect oftheir customer. If Olympus wants to attract and maintain aloyal fan base of devoted photographers with their digitalplatform, they need to focus their approach on ingenuity,quality, and usefulness, not poorly-made, nearly disposableconsumer gimmickry as is the AS-ME1 Eyecup Magnifier. Forthe time being, I will make do with the stock, E-500viewfinder, and remind myself that the advantage of the 4/3small viewfinder lies in the 2x conversion factor, makingfast super-telephoto available on the relative cheap.

Problems Encountered: Overpriced; falls off easily; uncomfortable; offers littleeye relief; degrades image quality.

Items I Recommend: electrical tape