Olympus EP-1?

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by 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.

What other cam would you recommend MaoMao?

I'm waffling between a DSLR and a good point and shoot. In the end, I think I'm coming down on the side of compact for convenience, as much as I might want to "get into" photography more I don't have the time to focus on chasing after lenses and kits etc. Just need something great for WAYWN, family get togethers, random shots etc.

What I have seen from the Olympus looks great, especially the low-light work.

 

[zubat]

I have a 400D.

It's bulky and ugly, so it's usually left at home.

I need to take photo's at night.

I hate flash photography.

I need something that can do ISO 1600 with little noise. I need a fast regular prime.

The EP-1 delivers the former. The latter is on the way from Panasonic, although there are some fast four thirds and manual focus lenses to suit with an adapter.

See here and here.

It ***** all over everything but the Nikon.

 

[aizan]

picures of the panasonic gf1 have been leaked. if you don't want an eye-level viewfinder, i'd get that instead of the e-p1, since it will have better autofocus. that's one of the e-p1's primary shortcomings, and one of the strengths of the panasonic g1/gh1.

 

[milosz]

$900 for the EP-1+17/2.8? Not bad at all.

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by aizan

picures of the panasonic gf1 have been leaked. if you don't want an eye-level viewfinder, i'd get that instead of the e-p1, since it will have better autofocus. that's one of the e-p1's primary shortcomings, and one of the strengths of the panasonic g1/gh1.

Thnks for the tip- looks very interesting and at least the rumors make it look like it might be a bargain price too.

 

[robin]

GF1 looks interesting. I'm guessing they haven't announced a street date for it yet?

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by robin

GF1 looks interesting. I'm guessing they haven't announced a street date for it yet?

A couple of the rumors site speculate it coming out mid-october.

 

[zubat]

Originally Posted by aizan

picures of the panasonic gf1 have been leaked. if you don't want an eye-level viewfinder, i'd get that instead of the e-p1, since it will have better autofocus. that's one of the e-p1's primary shortcomings, and one of the strengths of the panasonic g1/gh1.

I'd also speculate that the GF1 will preform worse at high ISO then the E-P1 unless Panasonic lift their image processor game.

 

[aizan]

they already did. the gh1 is noticeably improved over the g1, and virtually identical to the e-p1. that's in raw. in jpeg, the gh1 is better, imo, because it retains detail at the cost of noise, while the e-p1 removes noise at the cost of detail.

 

[maomao1980]

Originally Posted by Cary Grant

What other cam would you recommend MaoMao?


Olympus E-620, it is pretty much the DSLR version of the EP1. It is still light and small with the pancake lense.

 

[Obbi]

I'm looking at EP-1 too, what does digital PEN means?
Anyone knows?

 

[chronoguy]

Originally Posted by Obbi

I'm looking at EP-1 too, what does digital PEN means?
Anyone knows?

Pen is the original half frame camera they sold in the 60s. This camera pays tribute to it.

I picked up the have the e-p1.
I added a leatherette skin and it looks amazing. The camera IQ is good (compared to my SLR). In fact, it has better low light at 3.5 (kit lens) versus a f/1.4 prime on my Canon T1i.
I am waiting to put some Leica glass and Voigtlander prime lens on it. From the picts I've seen with Leica glass, the camera is sexy.


Here is my camera next to an OM-1. I may take pictures of it with the leather half case when I have time.

 

[yfyf]

The sensor in all the m4/3 cams are up to scratch. What needs to be improved is the quality of the pancake lens, which is OK but nothing spectacular, and most importantly ... autofocus. On the E-P1 it is barely acceptable.

 

[chronoguy]

Originally Posted by yfyf

The sensor in all the m4/3 cams are up to scratch. What needs to be improved is the quality of the pancake lens, which is OK but nothing spectacular, and most importantly ... autofocus. On the E-P1 it is barely acceptable.

Who needs autofocus when you use these completely manual lens (not my picts). Cheapest camera body to take Leica M mount lens, as well as M42, as well as OM lens. I shoot completely manual - arperture, shutter, & focus. Just give me a good metering system.

 

[yfyf]

Originally Posted by chronoguy

Who needs autofocus when you use these completely manual lens (not my picts). Cheapest camera body to take Leica M mount lens, as well as M42, as well as OM lens. I shoot completely manual - arperture, shutter, & focus. Just give me a good metering system.

Manual focus is great with a wider angle lens, but I wouldn't be confident with it on anything over 50mm unless you were going to check focus using the screen. A field of view of 100mm equivalent is not practical. If the 17mm was a proper manual focus lens, then it would be a hell of a lot of fun to use but it's focus by wire with no distance scale. A real shame, really. Maybe Voigtlander will step up and do a manual lens specifically for m4/3. As for metering, with the E-P1 in live-view all the time, you get a whole HISTOGRAM. That's even more effective than a spot meter. It'd be neat if you could change the screen to be only a basic readout of histogram, ISO, ap/sht and WB. That would be a true modern successor to the rangefinder.