Olympus E-5 in my hands

[Godfrey]

I usually don't buy anything new right out of the gate. Particularly pro-class cameras ... I usually wait until they get well into the market, until the issues and workarounds are known, until the prices drop a little bit.

I usually wait until my image processing tools can handle their raw files.

The Olympus E-5 manual is in front of me. The battery is on the charger.

I listed an order for one yesterday on Amazon but their vendors had already sold out the first shipment. No biggie, I'm patient. Today, the local store called and said, "We have one for you." I went up to see it, dickered a little on the price (sales tax here would be almost $160), we came to an agreement, and I just arrived home with it.

Now the learning curve begins. I hope Adobe hurries up with DNG Converter/Camera Raw and Lightroom.

 

[Godfrey]

While at the store, I put a 4G card in, fitted the Summilux, and tossed a BLM-1 battery in just to check that the camera worked. Set it on H continuous capture.

Sample Shot:

It was on Auto ISO, Auto WB, JPEGs. This is one of the quick snaps of the salesman. I brought it into LR and just lightened the face as it is backlit ...

Full resolution JPEG (about 2Mbytes) with no other processing at 75% quality.

http://homepage.mac.com/godders/P1010010.jpg
Olympus E-5 + Summilux-D 25mm f/1.4 ASPH
ISO 640 @ f/5.6 @ 1/60 second

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Congrats on your new camera, Godfrey !
Rafael

 

[jonoslack]

Well Done Godfrey
I hope it does really well - my E3 was my favorite camera for a long time, and if they'd moved forward a bit faster I'd probably still be there.

I'm really interested in how you get on with it.

all the best

 

[Terry]

Good Luck with it!

 

[Paratom]

congrats. keep us updaed on your experience and post some images if you find the time! ENjoy.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks all.

I like to read the manual all the way through first before going for a shoot, and there's a lot more to the E-5 controls and function than there is to the E-1, L1 and G1. I'm getting there. Also, I'll have to install Olympus' software as I don't have any other way of processing the .ORFs from this camera as yet.

But I did a few snaps at 800, 1600, 3200 and 6400 ISO. The JPEGs look goo and clean even at ISO 3200. 6400 seems about as noisy as ISO 1600 does on the L1. That's what I was hoping for: two more stops of sensitivity and it looks like it delivers it well ... the Summilux on this camera is going to be a delight for low-light work.

Plus the image stabilization in the body!

 

[Martin S]

Godfrey:

Do think that there is NO anti-aliasing filter in the camera???? If correct, that should make for some pretty highly resolved images.

Martin

 

[cam]

Godfrey,

i always found the best place to read a manual, any manual, is in the tub.

keeps you from getting side-tracked by taking away the option to play with your new toy

looking forward to more shots, especially with the Lux. and your opinion, of course!

 

[jonoslack]

Godfrey,

i always found the best place to read a manual, any manual, is in the tub.

keeps you from getting side-tracked by taking away the option to play with your new toy

HI Cam
I COMPLETELY agree - preferably with a LARGE Gin and Tonic . . . mind you, it isn't that often that I actually read manuals, but the principle is perfect!

 

[Godfrey]

Do think that there is NO anti-aliasing filter in the camera???? If correct, that should make for some pretty highly resolved images.

Not had enough time to evaluate the camera well enough yet ... I'm in no rush ... but my preliminary snaps seem to indicate its JPEGs resolve detail better than the G1 (same pixel resolution) with both cameras set at the defaults and using the same lens and target.

And I made a mistake before ... ISO 6400 is cleaner than I thought; I'd underexposed the snap I was comparing a bit. I think it has almost a three stop gain in useful sensitivity and a corresponding increase in dynamic range down in the ISO 200 range.

Until Lightroom is enabled for the E-5, I can't really make any definitive statements, though, as I use Lightroom for my raw processing. All the observations above are based on looking at OOC JPEGs.

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey,

i always found the best place to read a manual, any manual, is in the tub.

keeps you from getting side-tracked by taking away the option to play with your new toy

looking forward to more shots, especially with the Lux. and your opinion, of course!

I can't read in the tub at all. And never when I'm drinking ... a shot of scotch or wine puts me to sleep fast. No, my best reading is right here, in my reading chair. I'm halfway through the manual now. ;-)

 

[ptomsu]

Seems to be a great camera then - 3 f-stops more usable etc....

I am interested in more details, please keep it coming .....

Peter

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

HI Cam
I COMPLETELY agree - preferably with a LARGE Gin and Tonic . . . mind you, it isn't that often that I actually read manuals, but the principle is perfect!

I don't have a tub, I have neither gin nor tonic and I most certainly don't have an E-5. Do I exist at all, or is it time o give up, crawl back into my cave and take photos of dripstone formations with my obsolete, old Nikons

 

[jonoslack]

I don't have a tub, I have neither gin nor tonic and I most certainly don't have an E-5. Do I exist at all, or is it time o give up, crawl back into my cave and take photos of dripstone formations with my obsolete, old Nikons

Well, to be honest Jorgen, although I cannot deny the existence of said Bath Tub, I don't have any Gin either (if we buy it the children drink it first), and therefore no tonic.
However this doesn't matter, because I never read manuals, especially those for the E5, because, like you, I don't even have an E-5, let alone it's manual.

However, as a general principle, IF:
1. I did have an E-5
2. I decided to read the manual

Then I think it indubitable that I would go out and buy some Gin and Tonic especially to read it in the bath.

You would probably be able to borrow someone else's bath?

all the best

 

[Godfrey]

Well, to be honest Jorgen, although I cannot deny the existence of said Bath Tub, I don't have any Gin either (if we buy it the children drink it first), and therefore no tonic.
However this doesn't matter, because I never read manuals, especially those for the E5, because, like you, I don't even have an E-5, let alone it's manual.

However, as a general principle, IF:
1. I did have an E-5
2. I decided to read the manual

Then I think it indubitable that I would go out and buy some Gin and Tonic especially to read it in the bath.

You would probably be able to borrow someone else's bath?

LOL! I'm not certain whether this is a Philosophy 101 course or an Abbott and Costello skit. ];-)

 

[Godfrey]

ISO 3200 seems quite usable:

Olympus E-5 + Summilux-D 25mm f/1.4 ASPH
ISO 3200 @ f/4 @ 1/40 second

Click image above for unaltered, out of the camera, full resolution original JPEG. (about 6 Mbytes)​

Can't wait to work on files like this with the Lightroom 3 tools from raw!

 

[seakayaker]

Godfrey, looking good, wonderful shot with the 25/1.4 @ f4!

Looking forward to seeing more!

Life is Grand!

Dan
~

 

[jonoslack]

LOL! I'm not certain whether this is a Philosophy 101 course or an Abbott and Costello skit. ];-)

Aren't the best things in life always both?

 

[kevinparis]

Cam has the bathtub... I have the shower.... so reading the manual would be difficult for me... but on the other hand I could take the e-5 into the shower and learn to use it in my usual way by pressing buttons and see what happens.... the gin and tonic may be tricky though... perhaps I could rig up something with a bottle of red wine and a drinking tube

K

PS... congrats on getting the E-5 - I am in 2 minds on whether it is a direction i want to go - love my e-p1 and my 510 because they are small and light.... if i am going to carry big and bulky then my 5D is kinda hard to beat