Olympus Pen E-P1 in White or Chrome
This week saw the launch of the Olympus Pen Ep-1 camera. I feel I want to talk a little about it today......as a photographer who prefers small discreet cameras I'm a prime target for this camera, but will I bite?
How it looks
Make no mistake, looks are important. This camera has won me over with its looks, in my opinion it's the most stylish digital camera made to date. It's made of metal which I prefer to plastic.
A lot of thought has gone into the design of the accessories - look at those leather cases, they're sleek and stylish.
The design of the Pen E-P1 borrows a lot from Olympus cameras from the 50's and 60's like this 1962 Olympus Pen F.Sensor quality
The Olympus Pen E-P1 has a bigger image sensor than most compact digital cameras, it has the same sized sensor Olympus use in their digital SLR cameras. Bigger sensors (not more pixels), produce higher quality images than smaller sensors, they also produce clearer, cleaner images in low light. So I have no doubt the images from the Pen E-P1 will be good enough for me.
Lens types
This camera has the ability to change lenses. This is a big plus for me because I prefer small fixed focal length lenses (prime lenses). Also Olympus have a very good reputation for producing sharp, contrasty lenses.
Features
The camera has lots of features, personally I like the shake reduction. There's no flash built into this camera, but with the shake reduction which allows you to hold the camera by hand and take photographs in very dim light. This is a great feature.
Is it for me?
There is always a compromise to be made with any camera, some I can live with and some I can't. The Olympus Pen E-P1 (like all other digital compacts) compromises the viewfinder. Unlike the classic Olympus cameras of the 50's and 60's the Pen E-P1 doesn't have a traditional optical viewfinder. On this camera you view and compose the image by holding the camera at arms length using the lcd screen on the back of the camera. This is something I find impossible to use. In normal daylight I'm squinting to see anything on the screen, and in bright sunlight the screen is useless. Remember, I live in Spain and we have a lot of sun.
I applaud the Olympus for braking the mould of bland camera design. The Olympus Pen E-P1 looks wonderful and will be a great success, but it's not for me.
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It does look stylish, with its leather and metal combination. I kinda imagine someone using this on a safari expedition. It also looks discreet, perhaps a good choice when you don't want too look too touristy or too "photographer-y". But I agree, it will take some kind of getting used to without the viewfinder, pro or not. Too bad this one's a dealbreaker for you.
ReplyDeleteIt is a cutie, but I also need that viewfinder.
ReplyDelete