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Having fun with the E-P1

Diane B

New member
Clay, try Monza at Precision PHoto. I have one coming from them--not sure if they have any more. Someone also said 17th Photo (NYC) had the 17 kit this morning, so likely have the 17.

I'm looking forward to putting the 17 on the G1--though I love the design of the EP-1-----still not sure its a good tool for me.

Diane
 

Terry

New member
Onward - Here is a wow factor the Panny 7-14 on the E-P1 is a GREAT combo!
The internal leveling indicator is a godsend for this lens when not on a tripod and trying to minimize distortion!

I adjusted exposure and fill light on this.


tiny bit of rotation




I blew the flower in the jpeg I will have to see what the RAW looks like but you can get pretty close with the lens.




yes, the danger of wide....my shadow LOL
 

Terry

New member
A couple with the Panny 45-200. It was not that easy to see the LCD (in detail - framing was OK) at some points in time today - this is as bright as it gets along this coast.



Not sure how the guy with no shirt got to the rocks but he looks to be wearing regular clothes and shoes but they are a wee bit wet.




 

Godfrey

Well-known member
... My main question is how responsive is the shutter when run in manual focus?
It seems as responsive as my DSLRs (E-1, L1, K10D).

Does it have any indicator of focal distance ala the sigma DP1? I would run it as a scale focus machine primarily so auto focus is of little concern really.
No. Olympus ZD SLR pro lenses have a focusing scale, but the ZD standard and current M.Zuikos for the E-P1 have no focusing scale.

Is there lag if it's run in Aperture Priority and Manual Focus?
No more than a DSLR that I could observe.

As well how is the iso 800-1600 performance. I work on a d700 and d3 and I am not looking for that sort of performance. I am fond of tri-x and neopan 1600 if that is any yardstick.
ISO 1600 quickie test shot, slightly underexposed:

 

Diane B

New member
Onward - Here is a wow factor the Panny 7-14 on the E-P1 is a GREAT combo!
The internal leveling indicator is a godsend for this lens when not on a tripod and trying to minimize distortionG]
Terry, how does the internal leveling indicator work--is it a meter type graphic giving an indication, like a level, that the camera is level?? I occasionally use the grid on the G1--mainly because I really like my grid screen on my 5D--so that works, but it is a visual check of your own.

Diane
 

Diane B

New member
Now--a question that may be premature, but I'm curious. For those of you that have both the G1 and the EP-1--or are contemplating adding one or the other, when will you use each of them? Will you carry them in tandem with 2 lenses or choose one for a day's shooting (I know that Terry will carry both for her Icelandic workshop)? Will you tend to use the EP-1 with a very small lens like the 17 or use any lens for the m4/3rds? How will you carry each--one as a 'system' (i.e., the G1 with several lenses)--and perhaps the EP-1 in hand for street shooting?? An inquiring mind wants to know.

Diane
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Since the E-P1 will use all the same lenses as the G1 and is a very trim shape, I could either do as I do now ... carry one body at a time and one to three lenses or add it as second body to the bag, fitted with one of the lenses.

I see using the E-P1 with primarily the 17 and 35 or 40 mm lenses as a very compact and lightweight street/people shooter, something I can have with me all the time even more easily than the G1 is now (which is certainly pretty small and light as it is!).
 

Terry

New member
Terry, how does the internal leveling indicator work--is it a meter type graphic giving an indication, like a level, that the camera is level?? I occasionally use the grid on the G1--mainly because I really like my grid screen on my 5D--so that works, but it is a visual check of your own.

Diane
Hi Diane.
It is actually quite useful and probably the reason why my flagpole and lighthouse aren't out of whack as i was holding the camera sort of low to not cut off the contour of the land.

There are two scales and depending on how the camera is tilted they will show how far you are off in each direction.

Easiest to illustrate stealing from DPreview

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/page9.asp

View attachment 18960
 

Mike Hatam

Senior Subscriber Member
I have had the G1 for a few months, and have used it as my travel / light kit (to compliment my 5D Mark II). I just picked up the EP-1, as even the G1 is a little too big for my taste when I'm traveling or walking the street.

Here's what appeals to me about the EP-1:

- Form and shape (more retro, like my beloved M8, which I'll probably now be selling)
- 720p video (I think the GH1 is overpriced, so the EP-1 is a better route for video)
- in-body stabilization (very handy for shooting with my M lenses on the E-P1)
- All the high-end Olympus shooting controls and options that you would find on the E-620
- Collapsable Olympus kit lens to save space
- Easier access to "zoom" the center of the image on the LCD during manual focusing

After just one day with the EP-1, I am already convinced that I don't need to keep both cameras. I'll be able to use the EP-1 for any situation that I used to use the G1, and have all the additional benefits I listed above.

I will likely add an optical view finder, as I enjoy shooting that way. I'm thinking of putting a fairly large/wide view finder on, and then "marking" my own set of frame lines onto the view finder for some key focal lengths, mainly for when I use my Leica glass.

By the way, my 50 pre-asph lux is a dream on the EP-1, and gives me a tremendous portrait lens (equiv 100 f1.4). That lens is going to be spending a lot of time on my camera :)

My kit very similar to what Terry seems to have:

- Panny 7-14 (coming in a few days)
- Oly 14-42 kit lens
- Panny 45-200

For primes, I'm waiting for the Panny 20/1.7 (if it ever comes), and using my Leica glass in the meantime.

One other note - you can have the EP-1 in-body IS turned on, and the OIS on the Panny 45-200 turned on at the same time. The combo works very well, and I can get very stable images at 200mm (400mm equiv).

Mike
 

Terry

New member
Now--a question that may be premature, but I'm curious. For those of you that have both the G1 and the EP-1--or are contemplating adding one or the other, when will you use each of them? Will you carry them in tandem with 2 lenses or choose one for a day's shooting (I know that Terry will carry both for her Icelandic workshop)? Will you tend to use the EP-1 with a very small lens like the 17 or use any lens for the m4/3rds? How will you carry each--one as a 'system' (i.e., the G1 with several lenses)--and perhaps the EP-1 in hand for street shooting?? An inquiring mind wants to know.

Diane
Diane,
After Iceland, I'm really not sure yet. I like them both. There is no question, that yesterday in some instances, the EVF would have made life MUCH easier. I've been thinking about things I wanted to write in a more formal "what's it like compared to the G1" but here are some things. Someone needs to do a detachable EVF. Best of both worlds use it when needed and ditch it when you don't. A PEN with articulating screen could also be nice. I will say the viewing angle is better than I expected. Once I got the basic framing I just went by the audio beep.

Very strange but I hold the two cameras very differently and both are fun in their own way. I need more time to give my impressions on this. For some reason I feel more comfortable with my Leica lens on the Oly but it could be the way I held the M8

Big bonus of both Oly lenses: they focus closer than any of the Panasonic kit lenses. I will post some close focus shots after this post. Initially was not going to buy or keep the Oly kit lens but the close focus has changed my mind. I don't have a macro lens right now and didn't buy the Oly 50 macro (which is a fantastic lens) because it wouldn't focus on the G1. It will on the E-P1 and that is a big thing for me.

There are definitely items on my Oly really needs a firmware update list:

Too much shooting info is mutually exclusive. If you want live histo you give up other shooting info. If you want the level, you give it all up. If you want to get to manual focus with only one button push, there is no shooting info and if you are in the detail and then you want zoomed view it can be 6 button presses.

Bracketing is buried in the menus and should be a choice in the two custom buttons.

Whatever people say about the G1, they got A LOT of the buttons and menus and access VERY VERY right.

For some reason the burst capability to continue to see what is being shot seems better with the OLY. A lot more fluid. I have a 9 shot burst that I will post after this post (I don't use a lot of burst shooting but this will make a difference for kids playing sports BUT there is no focus tracking so depending on what direction the action is happening the subject may go out of the focus range).

I took a picture of my bag with my m4/3 kit. Small bag with lots of stuff. So the whole thing is very easy to grab and go for the day. The casualty might be my 25 lux. That is on the big side and I don't need it for outdoors that much (didn't take it yesterday). More time to figure that out.

In my small Lowepro Terraclime 100 bag I had both bodies, 7-14, 14-45, 45-200, 17, 14-42, 50 lux.

Meanwhile my "cube" tripod head arrived yesterday and it is hilarious sitting on the cube (picture in the anniversary cube thread)

Another day. Time to go learn some more. :D
 
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monza

Active member
Very good info, Mike and Terry. First G1 owner that I have seen, that is switching completely to the E-P1. :)

I noticed the close focus of the 17 on one of your photos, Terry. This is a *big* thing for me. I'm looking forward to when the 17s are readily available so I can get one for me. :)
 

Howard

New member
Jono,

Very nice photo's-- I really liked the photos of people at the wedding shot at high ISO's. I also appreciate your hands on comments regarding the EP-1.

Howard
 

Diane B

New member
Thanks a lot Terry, Godfrey and Mike. I have the 17 coming, so that part is covered and have the m4/3rds lenses (9-18 w/adaptor instead of 7-14) plus my FDs and Hexanon--no Leicas *smile*--and likely not. I've been really tempted by the 25 f/1.4 but it is really larger than I'd like for this system.

I was interested in how others would use it if they had the G1/GH1 and I can see everyone has a bit different way/reason. I'm still honestly not sure w/o the VF if I would get a lot of use out of it. I'm not a tele shooter (thus less interest in IS)--my 45-200 is rarely on my camera-- I'm not a street shooter--and sometimes critical focus (MF) is very important to me and I'm just not sure about that with only an LCD.

I wouldn't ask these questions and go on LOL--if I really wasn't tempted by it--but I am, admittedly. I just really like the form better than the G1's but I like the EVF and the tilt LCD--so there I am LOL. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Obviously I agree with Terry on the 'want' for an external EVF. UH OH--the one decent camera store in Charlotte has added it to its web page--that may be the deciding thing for me--guess I'll head there next week. That could be the determining thing for me--hope they have a demo and give me a chance to try it out, both with my 14-45 and an MF lens and adaptor.

Thanks all. Its been helpful.

Terry--did you post your photo of your packed bag??? I saw the Cube with the EP-1 LOL.

Diane
 

Terry

New member
Diane - moving a little slowly this morning. First up here are my 7-14 shots on the E-P1 and compared to the the Oly kit lens. A little bit startling that they are so similar in size.

I was asked for these at DPReview so you should have them as well.









 
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