Olympus EP-1?

[farfisa23]

I know PG just got one. I have been wanting this camera for a while.

What lens and accessories look good to you all?

Anyone know anything about it? I am looking for a small rangefinder camera for my kit bag as my Canon G9 is too big for certain situations.

 

[Rambo]

It's been getting fairly mediocre reviews so far. Why so hard up for one?

 

[robin]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Why so hard up for one?
It's smaller size I think.

 

[ratboycom]

I played with one at Bic Camera a couple weeks ago. Its pretty nice and the size is good, but with lenses and all its really not much smaller than a G9/10

 

[Huntsman]

It's not really a rangefinder as it doesn't have any sort of optical viewfinder that I can see. It has interchangeable lenses which is awesome, but it is not small, and it doesn't have a viewfinder -- if it did (TTL, that is), I'd be all over it. Size-wise, compared to the Panasonic I just picked up (image linked from Dpreview.com)

 

[aizan]

i would just get the pancake lens, and not even bother with the accessory viewfinder or the zoom.

actually, i wouldn't bother with the camera at all. olympus is going to release the higher end model toward the end of the year.

 

[farfisa23]

Originally Posted by Rambo

It's been getting fairly mediocre reviews so far. Why so hard up for one?

I like the size and the pancake lens and the optional viewfinder. I also like the aesthetics of the camera too.

My G9 is a great camera, I just wanted something smaller that I can change the lenses on.

I have a small highend Lumix, but dropped the camera and broke the screen....fail.

 

[poly800rock]

Originally Posted by farfisa23

I like the size and the pancake lens and the optional viewfinder. I also like the aesthetics of the camera too.

My G9 is a great camera, I just wanted something smaller that I can change the lenses on.

I have a small highend Lumix, but dropped the camera and broke the screen....fail.

the leica version has a 3 year warranty.

 

[yfyf]

I've had it for almost two weeks now, originally with the 14-51 zoom and since three days ago with the pancake. I've been following the development of the camera since the early, early prototype with the brown wood/Altoid tin look from near two years ago. I even have an angry, ranty, dpreview style thread on it somewhere in this forum.

Pros:

Great size
Feels solid
Reasonably responsive
For this size, unbeatable image quality
Dynamic range is pretty nice, especially at lower ISO

MAJOR Cons:

Autofocus is slow, slightly faster with the pancake vs the zoom lens but more like P&S speeds than DSLR speeds.
Can't do precise autofocus? i.e. autofocus still seems to be done on "areas" rather than "lines of contrast". This is a problem if you are trying to focus on a tiny near-field object and the camera refuses to lock onto because of it's size.
Controls are a bit fiddly. It has two control wheels: one silver vertical roller and one circular dial around the menu buttons. The dial is poorly designed. While spinning it, I often press the menu buttons by accident.

Minor Cons:

Not DSLR responsiveness
Unnecessary menu animation everywhere (slows down usage)
No flash and viewfinder
Olympus's RAW software is crap
Histogram is placed in the bottom middle of the image and is huge

Misc comments:

I much, much prefer the pancake, the zoom has to be extended before it can be used.
Olympus's RAW software is crap, try using their "Studio" version instead of their "Master" version in trial mode until Adobe releases an updated Lightroom or ACR.
No specific comments on lens performance yet though no show-stoppers so far.


Conclusion:

Flawed but still fun to use. Capable of good results but people who like cameras with a very "seamless" feel (like a rangefinder) will be disappointed.

 

[maomao1980]

I'm still trying to get used to taking pictures using the screen rather than VF, but other than that I find this a great camera if you are willing to pay for it. Otherwise, I say get a cheaper SLR.

 

[yfyf]

I look over the top of the flash mount as if a lens were there and glance briefly at the LCD to check framing and histogram. I look like an idiot doing it but it works. I never feel comfortable holding a camera out to see the LCD while taking a picture.

 

[farfisa23]

Originally Posted by yfyf

I look over the top of the flash mount as if a lens were there and glance briefly at the LCD to check framing and histogram. I look like an idiot doing it but it works. I never feel comfortable holding a camera out to see the LCD while taking a picture.

Did you get the viewfinder?

I want one with just the pancake lens and the viewfinder.

 

[yfyf]

Nein no VF, I've used external VFs like that before on rangefinders and they often seem superfluous.

 

[GuidoWongolini]

I'm a novice in the camera world, but I like it & it is good for now..

Nothing is perFUCT..

 

[Canal Directo]

I just read a review in a local (french) photo magazine. While they point out few major issues in the design of the camera (lack of electronic VF, lack of flash,...) , they seem to be very satisfied with the quality of the lenses (both pancake and zoom) and CMos captor, DSLR-quality worth

They except the major flaws to be corrected with the next model coming out in december.