Small size, low price, nice dynamic range, low noise, easy to use

Small button dial easy to knock off of settings, can not use a EVF, art filters write slow to card, lcd screen hard to see in bright light

I had a couple of reservation about the m4/3rd system when it first came out. Shutter lag and also the lack of a viewfinder. I own an E3 but was also looking for something smaller to do street photography with. I love my Leica M6 but sometimes getting film developed can be a hassle.
I read a ton of reviews and ask a million questions before I finally bought an EP-1. I was very suprised that there is almost no shutter lag. I bought an EP-1 with the 17mm and OVF. I find the lens to be lightning fast and very sharp.
The dynamic range seems better than my E3 and also noise seems less too. I never shoot over 400iso and noise has never been an issue with anything I do. I have a time or two went up to 1600iso just to see what it was like. I would never do landscape photography at that high an iso but for general shooting it would never be an issue with most people, I think.
I do find the control cumberson. Mostly the dial on the back to adjust shutter speed. I swapped, in programming, so the top dial adjusted shutter speed and the dial wheel adjusts aperature. If I am not careful I can knock the settings off because the dials are so easy to get bumbed around. I find myself shooting in aperture priority most of the time.
All in all I really love the camera. I find I use it more and more and the E3 less. I basically landscape with the E3 and street shoot with the EP-1. I find the OVF very accurate and easy to use.
In bright light the LCD screen is pain to see. But it is also very scratch resistant. I am fairly rough on my cameras and have yet to scratch the LCD screen.
I also like the fact it takes SD cards. The art filters are great but it takes a long time for an art filter shot to write to the card. But with that said it is really fun to use them and it cuts down on time spent processing. Would I buy again? Yes, but I might go with the EPL-1 so I could get an EVF.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus E3
Leica M6

- Small Size, Compact
- Good Build Quality
- Image Quality is excellent
- In-Body image stablization

- No View Finder, you have to by a seperate unit and then it's only good with the 17mm f/2.8 lens
- No Built in Flash

It's not a point and shoot, it's not an SLR, it's not really a range finder either...

What is it?

Well to take Olympus' catch phrase, it's a PEN. It's a new breed of digital cameras aimed at people who want to versatility of a SLR, but want a smaller form factory of a P&S.

The first thing that I found when I picked up the E-P1 for the first time was the weight and build quality, this is a solid camera, something I have found in older rangefinder cameras such as my Hi-Matic 7s or even the legendary Liecas. But even this is camera, it's compact enough, that you can slide it into a suit or coat pocket, especially with the 17mm pancake lens on it, making it a great side-kick for weddings where you're used to your dSLR, but don't want to interfere with the hired photographer.

Although there are a couple downsides to this camera, the first is the lack of a viewfinder, but in true Rangefinder traditions you can get one that mounts in the hotshoe, but it's calibrated for use with the 17mm lens. The second is the lack of a built in flash, which isn't really much of an issue, as the camera does have good performance up to ISO-1600.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the camera, and do use it on a regular basis when I don't want to carry a D300 with me. With both the 17mm and 14-42mm lens in my kit, it's the perfect camera for street or trip photography, with a low profile it pushes out quality images, that are nice and sharp, without the "HEY LOOK AT ME I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER" of a massive SLR system.

It's the perfect camera for those pros who want the same level of quality they get out of their SLRs, but without the bulk. It's also perfect for those who used rangefinders in the past but don't want to dish out the money for a Leica. And the best part is that there are enough adapters out there, that you can use many of your legacy lenses on the camera. Olympus even has an official adapter that allows you to use your old OM lenses. (Just remember the Micro 4/3 sensor will make the lenses behave as if they were double the focal length (50mm becomes 100mm)).

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Similar Products Used:

- Canon G9