Axle wrote a great review for the Olympus E-P1 – their first Micro Four Thirds Digital Pen camera. Olympus has come out with two Pen cameras since, but the E-P1 uses the same sensor as the new bodies and the price has come down a lot making it a really good buy.
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Featured Review:
Olympus E-P1
by Axle (Expert)
| Price Paid: $700.00 from Vistek Review Date: May 20, 2010 Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year Overall Rating: |
5 of 5
Summary:
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)).
Strengths:
- Small Size, Compact
- Good Build Quality
- Image Quality is excellent
- In-Body image stablization
Weaknesses:
- 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
Similar Products Used:
Canon G9
Customer Service:
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Related Content:
All Olympus User Reviews
Olympus Cameras Forum
EVIL & Micro Four Thirds Cameras Forum
More Olympus Camera News And Articles
More Micro Four Thirds Camera News And Articles
Olympus Digital Cameras Web Site
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