New Olympus E-P1 Pen series released

[gkarris]

Hoping for Olympus to come out with a much less expensive fixed-lens version.

Why?

because it would cost less?

I think this is awesome for Olympus.

This shows that Olympus is still in business and is dedicated to photography.

Looking forward to models that are lower cost with a fixed lens!

Then, I can toss my P&S with the tiny sensor out the window!

As in my previous posts.... FYI, I take my P&S to meetings so that there is no shutter release noise from the dSLR while the person is speaking (Model Rocketry Club, for example). Would be nice to have a larger frame P&S camera with a quality sensor (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus....)

I just took this shot at the Rocketry Club meeting. Wish I had a larger sensor (hate the noise, and I don't like flash).

 

[ajpl]

Factor in the fact that the UK prices are with VAT and the US prices are without, closes the gap a little bit between the two RRP's.

Not really, VAT is whopping 17.5%. And that is the price one has to pay unless you are VAT registered, which most people aren't, even many pro-photographers are not registered.
Besides even if one discounts VAT/Sales tax, UK prices are usually much higher. So much so that if I wanted to say buy say Adobe software or some camera gear, it can work out cheaper to fly to the states, pay import taxes on return and you've still covered your air fares. Though the pound's recent decent against the dollar means you have tobuy a few more items to pay for your holiday.

 

[Padaung]

Not really, VAT is whopping 17.5%. And that is the price one has to pay unless you are VAT registered, which most people aren't, even many pro-photographers are not registered.
Besides even if one discounts VAT/Sales tax, UK prices are usually much higher. So much so that if I wanted to say buy say Adobe software or some camera gear, it can work out cheaper to fly to the states, pay import taxes on return and you've still covered your air fares. Though the pound's recent decent against the dollar means you have tobuy a few more items to pay for your holiday.

Erm, you may wish to read this. Been this rate for a few months now.

Also, the plummet in the value of the pound against the dollar means you would really have to buy a lot of items to make such a shopping trip worthwhile in savings and potential warranty hassles. 18 months ago it was a totally different story, I agree - the potential savings then were huge when buying from America (esp. software).

 

[kreuzberg]

From the reviews I've seen so far the picture quality seems quite good but there are a couple of major flaws.

One is that the screen is un-viewable in bright sunlight so you cant see what your taking a picture of and the second is that it is extremely slow, both in start up and shut down and in picture taking.

Both of these factors totally negate its benefits over a regular point and shoot as P&S cameras a third of its price have a much better screen, and in bright light I dare say the difference in picture quality would not be vast, and in the case of an amateur, totally unnoticeable.

Maybe this time next year Olympus will bring out a camera worth taking notice of. We can but wish...

 

[tony-in-japan]

Just received my new E-P1... to clarify...

From the reviews I've seen so far the picture quality seems quite good but there are a couple of major flaws.

One is that the screen is un-viewable in bright sunlight so you cant see what your taking a picture of and the second is that it is extremely slow, both in start up and shut down and in picture taking.

To clarify as I have just received my new E-P1, start-up takes one second. Shutdown? Switches off instantly you press the off button. As for Auto-Focus, it is faster than a normal compact and noticeably faster than the latest LiveView on Olympus cameras (E-620/E-30). So ‘extremely slow’ is incorrect from my user experience. Speed of focus is dependent on lenses too. Have a research on the Oly forums on dpreview to find multiple users’ real experience of the E-P1. The majority have found the AF speed very adequate without any problems.

Both of these factors totally negate its benefits over a regular point and shoot as P&S cameras a third of its price have a much better screen, and in bright light I dare say the difference in picture quality would not be vast, and in the case of an amateur, totally unnoticeable.

Also, with regards to viewing the LCD, many have been surprised how well it has performed. Again, have a look on the Oly forum and you can find real users’ experiences – most have had positive experiences.

I got off the ‘buy a new compact each year to try and get better IQ’ train because I came to my senses. I was wasting money on buying cameras with the same small sensors (it all adds up in the end). Now that I have the E-P1 I am delighted! No need to keep buying a new camera each year, so the initial cost is actually good value in the long term. The IQ wipes the floor with any compact I have ever owned and is even slightly better than the E-620 DSLR that I own. The E-620 is no slouch – it just got a highly recommended from dpreview and is a match for either of the new Nikons or Canon equivalent DSLR models.

Maybe this time next year Olympus will bring out a camera worth taking notice of. We can but wish...

They just have with the E-P1. Many are taking notice, even users of other brands. Have a look on the Oly forum.

I will bet this will win many awards this year. For design... possibly, dare I say: ‘Camera of the Year’?

 

[UnclePaulie]

In case anyone on this forum is interested, I have one on order and should be receiving it today. I recently bought a Nikon D90 but I feel like sometimes it's too big to carry around. Depending on image quality and size, I might end up selling the D90 and using the E-P1 as my only camera.

 

[gkarris]

They just have with the E-P1. Many are taking notice, even users of other brands. Have a look on the Oly forum.

What Oly forum are you speaking of? I would like to know (see sig... ).

 

[jywv8]

No built-in flash. This is a deal-killer for me. No one else?

 

[tony-in-japan]

pulling my leg?

What Oly forum are you speaking of? I would like to know (see sig... ).

are you teasing? (because you already have 2 oly cams)

why, the oly forum on http://www.dpreview.com of course!

 

[tony-in-japan]

give it a try... you might be impressed.

No built-in flash. This is a deal-killer for me. No one else?

I think one reason they left the flash off was the improvement in high-iso/low-light shooting. You can shoot up to 6400iso - not bad for a compact-sized camera!

I know some are using the E-P1 for street-photography at night. I gave it a try the other night and was pleasantly impressed.

 

[toxic]

No built-in flash. This is a deal-killer for me. No one else?

you're ruling out the first viable alternative to an SLR because it doesn't have a crappy built-in flash?

and before someone mentions this, no, the G10 and LX3 aren't viable alternatives to SLRs - they still have tiny sensors and no DoF control.

I think one reason they left the flash off was the improvement in high-iso/low-light shooting. You can shoot up to 6400iso - not bad for a compact-sized camera!

all sorts of cameras can shoot at ISO 3200. this doesn't mean they're any good at it. the same applies to the EP-1, though it's not as terrible as most cameras.

 

[UnclePaulie]

all sorts of cameras can shoot at ISO 3200. this doesn't mean they're any good at it. the same applies to the EP-1, though it's not as terrible as most cameras.

I half agree and half disagree with this statement. I don't think any APS-C or 4/3 sensor SLR cameras look particularly good at ISO 3200. That said, my Nikon D90 does a more than acceptable job at ISO 1600. While the EP-1 from my real-world testing isn't as noise-free as the D90, but it's close.

That's exactly why I bought it, for more portable available light photography. With an f/2.8 lens and in-body IS, I hopefully won't need more than ISO 800. No point-and-shoot camera would come close at this sensitivity.

 

[tony-in-japan]

E-P1 ISO1600 close to the D90?

all sorts of cameras can shoot at ISO 3200. this doesn't mean they're any good at it. the same applies to the EP-1, though it's not as terrible as most cameras.

I agree. Even DSLR cameras that go up to ISO 12800 - is it a marketing gimmick? Who uses ISO 6400 or 12800?

What I was implying was that the low-light shooting impressed me. Usually with cameras I have used in the past I keep to ISO 400 and would hesitate to go any further. With the E-P1 I would confidently use it up to ISO 1600 for shooting in low-light without any hesitation now.

I half agree and half disagree with this statement. I don't think any APS-C or 4/3 sensor SLR cameras look particularly good at ISO 3200. That said, my Nikon D90 does a more than acceptable job at ISO 1600. While the EP-1 from my real-world testing isn't as noise-free as the D90, but it's close.

That's exactly why I bought it, for more portable available light photography. With an f/2.8 lens and in-body IS, I hopefully won't need more than ISO 800. No point-and-shoot camera would come close at this sensitivity.

Good to hear your comparisons of the E-P1 with Nikon. I have never used Nikons but I hear they are very good for low-light shooting. If the ISO 1600 is close to the ability of the D90 which is a fully-fledged and highly-rated DSLR, then that is great.

I tried some ISO 1600 low-light shots in the dark streets at night with all in-camera noise filters turned off. Then I dealt with the noise with Noiseware Pro (such an amazing program). It cleaned up all the noise without losing any detail! What I had left was a very nice, clean image.

I am eagerly waiting for Oly (or Lumix/Leica) to come out with some higher-grade lenses to do the sensor some justice.

 

[gkarris]

are you teasing? (because you already have 2 oly cams)

why, the oly forum on http://www.dpreview.com of course!

Oh, I thought there was some sort of dedicated forum like Canon users have...

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I am eagerly waiting for Oly (or Lumix/Leica) to come out with some higher-grade lenses to do the sensor some justice.

You can just use the Panasonic Micro 4/3 lenses and those have in lens OIS...

 

[toxic]

I half agree and half disagree with this statement. I don't think any APS-C or 4/3 sensor SLR cameras look particularly good at ISO 3200. That said, my Nikon D90 does a more than acceptable job at ISO 1600. While the EP-1 from my real-world testing isn't as noise-free as the D90, but it's close.

you misunderstood. just because a camera offers higher ISOs doesn't mean the camera is useful at that ISO, as the poster implied. all sorts of point-&-shoots have ISO 3200 now. does that mean they're any good at low-light? no. furthermore, the Canon 500D and 50D have ISO 6400+, but that doesn't mean their respective noise performance is any better than a 20/30/40/5D, which only go to 3200.

 

[tony-in-japan]

Found a dedicated forum for the E-P1

Oh, I thought there was some sort of dedicated forum like Canon users have...

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

Actually, I found one:

http://e-p1.net/index.php

 

[ajpl]

Erm, you may wish to read this. Been this rate for a few months now.

Duh! Course it is, though it cost many business more in readjusting prices than the increase in sales.

Also, the plummet in the value of the pound against the dollar means you would really have to buy a lot of items to make such a shopping trip worthwhile in savings and potential warranty hassles. 18 months ago it was a totally different story, I agree - the potential savings then were huge when buying from America (esp. software).

Most things are the same in dollars as pounds or less and even with the exchange rate not being as good as it was, it can still be worthwhile shopping abroad for certain items.
I went to States recently and it was $1.45 to £ on way out and $1.78 to £ on my return a mere two weeks later. Even worse I came back with more dollars, than I went out with, so I lost in both directions.

 

[ajpl]

Even DSLR cameras that go up to ISO 12800 - is it a marketing gimmick? Who uses ISO 6400 or 12800?

I certainly would. I often shoot with no flash in dingy lighting.

I had a go with the camera a couple of days back and had to really resist buying one there and then. More excited by this camera than the 5DII when it first came out. Why didn't I buy it? It's a v1.0 and I've sworn never to buy another v1.0, plus there are other variants coming out, inc a pro version. I'd rather wait to see if that does anything I need that the current one lacks before buying. At £850/$1380 for pancake and zoom, it's not exactly cheap for a pocket camera, that's actually a bit too big to fit in a pocket.

The quality of images at higher ISOs is simply amazing for a diddy camera. I'm used to 200 ISO being unusable despite 1600 ISO being present.

Despite my like of high ISOs for low light I also love to use fill flash in brighter conditions, so that being missing is a serious bummer.

 

[butterfly0fdoom]

I manhandled one the other day and I felt so tempted to sell my D90 to get an E-P1. I really like how it automatically magnifies to 7x if you even slightly tweak the focus ring. And it just feels. so. nice. :O

And as for the high-ISO, I would use it; it's the main reason I was stoked with the idea of the E-P1. I pretty much leave my camera at 1600 or 3200 (and noise hasn't really been a big issue for me at all, and it seems the E-P1 isn't doing too poorly compared to the D90).

 

[tony-in-japan]

Dpreview has just created a dedicated forum...

just for Micro Four Thirds... here is the link for anyone interested.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1041

 

[tony-in-japan]

Really AMAZING ‘The PEN Story’ video...

IF you have not yet seen this awesome video, have a look! Ripped off or not, it is still great.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Et7UQh1tg

 

[147798]

From the reviews I've seen so far the picture quality seems quite good but there are a couple of major flaws.

One is that the screen is un-viewable in bright sunlight so you cant see what your taking a picture of and the second is that it is extremely slow, both in start up and shut down and in picture taking.

Both of these factors totally negate its benefits over a regular point and shoot as P&S cameras a third of its price have a much better screen, and in bright light I dare say the difference in picture quality would not be vast, and in the case of an amateur, totally unnoticeable.

Maybe this time next year Olympus will bring out a camera worth taking notice of. We can but wish...

I have the camera. The LCD is NOT unviewable in sunshine, and it's not "extremely" slow, but it is slower than a dslr. With the 14-42 kit lens, it's a tad slower than a point and shoot, but not much slower. With other lenses, it's reportedly faster.

My take on it (after owning about a dozen pocket cams in the last 12 months). If you are interested in the G10 or the LX3, then look at the PEN instead. If you really want a "pocket" cam, then the PEN will be too big for you.

 

[gkarris]

Anyone on this forum that bought one can you post a review/pics here?

Thanks!

 

[UnclePaulie]

I actually did sell my Nikon D90 in exchange for the Olympus E-P1. Let me first qualify by saying I'm a gadget-freak more than a photographer. My only concerns switching was really high ISO performance at night time. I felt that my D90 did an excellent job, especially compared to my previous D40. However, I found myself taking my camera with me less because of it's size.

Taking sample photos around my apartment in dim lighting conditions, I felt that while the E-P1 is not quite as good at ISO 1600 as the D90 is, it's more than acceptable for making average size prints or for web gallery viewing. The kit lens performance (Olympus 14-42, Nikon 18-105) I felt was about the same. But having in-body IS on the E-P1 opens up much larger image stabilized lens selection (via the 4/3 adapter) versus the Nikon. In the Nikon's favor, I do enjoy using a viewfinder more than an LCD screen. The autofocus in dim light actually works better on the D90 with AF assist light than the contrast-detect on the E-P1. Weighing all these reasons, I decided to stick with the E-P1 in hopes that I'll actually take more photos. No particularly good samples to share as of yet, but I plan on taking a trip this weekend and hopefully I'll have some photos to offer. If anyone is interested in the size difference between a Nikon D90 and the Olympus E-P1, I posted a gallery at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliskander

 

[147798]

Anyone on this forum that bought one can you post a review/pics here?

Thanks!

My (very quick) synposis:

The IQ is in between the Canon G9 and my Canon XTi (and very much closer to the XTi) in ISO 100-400. Above ISO400, the G9 isn't anywhere close to the EP1. The EP1 is comparable to the XTi (and actually better) in JPGs. I didn't get to test RAW in the EP1. JPGs are very good up to ISO 2000 and even 3200 in the EP1 (the XTi only goes up to ISO1600 anyway). The XTi output seems richer to me, and depth of field control is about 1-2 stops behind with the EP1 (that is, the EP1's depth of field is naturally deeper because of the smaller sensor, which is a positive for some folks, and a negative for others). Overall, it's a great photo cam.

Auto focus is a tad slower than the G9, but not noticeably. Of course, it's much slower than a DSLR. Although in video, the EP1 actually focuses faster with AF than the T1i, but I use MF, so it's not an issue for me. LCD screen and ergonomics are wonderful. Collapsing lens is wonderful.

I'm not keeping it, because the low-light video quality is not up to what I want. There is strong vertical noise/grain in low light and shadows during video that I could not get out through either camera settings nor pp. I spoke at length with Olympus, and their conclusion was "functions as designed." But, if you don't care about video (or at least consider it just a nice add-on), then you woudn't care about this issue.

If you love your DSLR and size/weight is not an issue, then you may want to stay there. If you love your DSLR, but need something lighter OR you want a companion smaller camera, then take a long look at the EP1. If you want a pocket camera, the EP1 is too big but WAAAAAY better IQ. If you are looking at the G10 or LX3, then stop immediately, and go look at the EP1. They are comparable in size, and the EP1 is lightyears ahead of either of those.

Hope that helps.