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Ok I'm frustrated! E-p1 driving me nuts!

jonoslack

Active member
I think we expect certain things--but I shot with a D30 and D60 back in the days LOL--and a 10D and a 20D LOL---it got better and better--but I still often go back to those D60 shots and am more than pleased. So--I would spend some time with the camera if it appeals to you for more than just looks LOL--and see if your 'inward' biases may be playing a part in you not liking it. No--the files won't be butter smooth and you'll find other things to compare to--but OTOH--consider that inside that little camera is the best 4/3rds sensor that's come down the pike, as I understand it, and realize there are lots of people shooting with a 4/3rds and not being defensive in any way about their images.

Diane
Excellent - you couldn't put it better.
:clap:
 
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Burningalive

Guest
After a day of shooting yesterday I would have to say that I am in fact very happy with the images I'm getting. There are certain situation that I am just unhappy about but I'll get over it! I find that taking pictures in low light (Like dusk) of my kids the images are just unacceptable. This probably is just me expecting to much from the kit 14-42mm lens. It's not a fast lens and I guess I'm probably pushing it into territory it's just not meant to cover. I ordered a FD lens adapter and will be able to put some faster glass (in the 1.8 range) on it soon and I'll know for sure then. With that being said it proper light I find anywhere from ISO 100 to 1600 to be quite nice.

I do feel like the shutter is slow, I think it's just the sound of it that confuses me though. The shutter speed can be set quite high and it still "sounds" like it's opening and closing slowly to my ears. Anyone else feel this way?
 

gDallasK

New member
The shutter speed can be set quite high and it still "sounds" like it's opening and closing slowly to my ears. Anyone else feel this way?
Absolutely agree. I was taking some photos yesterday evening for eBay of a couple of cameras I no longer need now that I have the E-P1. These were long exposures (black cameras under inadequate lighting) and the sound of the shutter made me think it was broken. Fortunately the shutter works better than it sounds.
 

simonclivehughes

Active member
Sitting back reading this post, and having decided early on that the E-P1 was not for me (no EVF or articulating LCD like I have with my G1/GH1), it reminds me of the posts about the Sigma DP1/DP2 and its appallingly bad user interface, but great IQ. I guess it comes down to what you're willing to put up with and how you can alter your workflow to suit the foibles.

Cheers,
 

Joan

New member
... I have Noise reduction ON, Noise filter OFF, JPEG Large Superfine. Gradiation NORMAL. Using the natural color setting. IS1 for image stabilization. I can't figure out anything else, also I'm using the 14-42 kit lens. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
Maybe I'm remembering wrong from my E420, but isn't "Noise Reduction" for dark frame subtraction at high ISO's whereas "Noise Filter" is what you set for regular noise reduction on jpegs? Someone blast me if I'm wrong!

You might want to double check what you've got for these settings and try Noise filter on Low (If "Low" is available) to smooth things out a little?
 
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Burningalive

Guest
Any feedback on the last users comments? I though I had read people saying to use NR and not NF.
 

Joan

New member
BurningAlive,

I just downloaded the user guide, and if you look on p. 107, you'll see that "Noise Reduction" is for long exposures (night scenes). "Noise Filter"" is noise processing for jpegs, they say to use "Standard" for general shooting and "High" for high iso's. Now, on other Olympus models, there was also a "Low" setting, but the E-P1 manual doesn't mention that.

Many users dislike losing some detail to noise processing so they advocate turning "Noise Filter" to OFF, but then you WILL see noise, no matter what ISO.

Hope this helps.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Sitting back reading this post, and having decided early on that the E-P1 was not for me (no EVF or articulating LCD like I have with my G1/GH1), it reminds me of the posts about the Sigma DP1/DP2 and its appallingly bad user interface, but great IQ. I guess it comes down to what you're willing to put up with and how you can alter your workflow to suit the foibles.

Cheers,
HI Simon
Not like that - I got rid of the G1 after a month, I just didn't like the way it worked. The E-P1 seems a huge improvement to me - mind you, I've always cordially disliked EVF viewfinders (paint me as odd)

The Olympus user interface is pretty good, and if the autofocus is slower than the G1 . . . it's close enough. Throw in a rather delightful ergonomics and autofocus with all the 4/3 lenses.

So, it might be 'what you're willing to put up with' with the DP1/2, but the E-P1 is (and I'm not alone in this feeling) a delightful camera, which the G1 wasn't quite (good - yes, delightful - no).
 

simonclivehughes

Active member
Hi Jono,

Interesting, isn't it, how different we all are? I find the G1 to be almost perfect. I love the EVF, especially the way I can use it for manual focus lenses. It has the right resolution depth for me. And, I love the LCD's ability to move, giving more holding opportunities.

As interested and intrigued as I was by Oly's teaser about the E-P1, I want to have a VF on my cameras, whether OVF or EVF. I don't think I'd see enough difference in the final image to go to the E-P1.

Ciao,
 

nostatic

New member
Any feedback on the last users comments? I though I had read people saying to use NR and not NF.
I turn all NR off. I'd rather keep the detail and grain and then decide later if I want to clean it up. I almost never want to though...if the camera gives a good looking noise I"m happy.
 

pellicle

New member
...
Interesting, isn't it, how different we all are? I find the G1 to be almost perfect. I love the EVF, especially the way ...
...and, I love the LCD's ability to move, giving more holding opportunities.
yes that's about how I feel, although I wonder about the way it makes one grip the camera ... there might be something in the E-P1 that reminds me of the sort of thing I would do with my IXUS. Sure I couldn't see 'detail' on the finder, but I could take stuff like I have. (sorry, can't locate sample just now)
 

Brian Mosley

New member
Hi Jono,

Interesting, isn't it, how different we all are? I find the G1 to be almost perfect. I love the EVF, especially the way I can use it for manual focus lenses. It has the right resolution depth for me. And, I love the LCD's ability to move, giving more holding opportunities.

As interested and intrigued as I was by Oly's teaser about the E-P1, I want to have a VF on my cameras, whether OVF or EVF. I don't think I'd see enough difference in the final image to go to the E-P1.

Ciao,
Hi Simon,

actually the E-P1 LCD is qualitatively very similar to the G1's EVF... and superior to the G1's LCD.

I know what you mean about the importance of an eye level viewfinder and articulating screen in such a compact package - but the E-620 serves this purpose for me much better than the G1, and feels better in use (the small height / grip combination of the G1 is a bit uncomfortable imho).

Here's a shot from the E-620 with the Hexanon 85mm f1.8 - stabilised with in-body IS, and focused via the OVF.

E-620 + Hexanon 85mm f1.8
1/400s f/4 iso200


The E-P1's in-body stabilisation being applied to all legacy lenses is also a big advantage. I don't find manual focusing and framing any more difficult than the G1 - just a different holding technique.

I used it at the British Bouldering Championships recently.

E-P1 + Hexanon 135mm f2.5
1/160s f/2.5 iso400


Kind Regards

Brian
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Jono,

Interesting, isn't it, how different we all are? I find the G1 to be almost perfect. I love the EVF, especially the way I can use it for manual focus lenses. It has the right resolution depth for me. And, I love the LCD's ability to move, giving more holding opportunities.

As interested and intrigued as I was by Oly's teaser about the E-P1, I want to have a VF on my cameras, whether OVF or EVF. I don't think I'd see enough difference in the final image to go to the E-P1.

Ciao,
Hi Simon
I'm with Brian on this one, if I'm going to have a VF then I'll have an optical one, and the E620 is hardly any larger than the G1. In body IS is a great bonus, especially if you want to use legacy lenses (or other 4/3 lenses which don't have IS built in).
 
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Burningalive

Guest
Joan I have to tell you I think you solved my issue! I turned off noise reduction and set the noise filter to standard and instantly the photo's looked great. Here's a few examples.

ISO 1600


ISO 800


ISO 400 B&W
 

Mike Hatam

Senior Subscriber Member
Jono,

I've had the same reaction to the E-P1.

I had the G1. I thought it was a nice camera, and well conceived/designed for it's purpose. But I just never really loved shooting it. I always felt like I was using a super-zoom digicam, and the visceral experience of shooting with it just wasn't great for me. I was happy enough with the images, and would use the G1 when traveling, but only when my larger Canon system was too inconvenient.

Along comes the E-P1, and it's completely different for me. The shooting experience is far more like the M8 (which seems odd, given the lack of a VF) than it is like a G1. The feel and handling of the camera is completely different, and just fits me much better. I actually look forward to shooting the E-P1, and will grab it in situations that I could just as easily take the Canon system, just because the E-P1 is so enjoyable to shoot.

With my Leica M lenses (50 lux and 75 summarit), I can walk around for hours, having fun just shooting stuff with the E-P1, the way I used to with my M8.

The E-P1 certainly still has it's limitations and flaws, which need to be addressed in future generations. The AF is far too slow to use for sports/action shooting, and doesn't work at all in very low light. And at some point, some type of VF will be necessary (rangefinder style, EVF, etc).

Even with its flaws and limitations, I'm really enjoying the E-P1, and it's put the fun back in "walk-around" photography for me, which I haven't had for a while.



HI Simon
Not like that - I got rid of the G1 after a month, I just didn't like the way it worked. The E-P1 seems a huge improvement to me - mind you, I've always cordially disliked EVF viewfinders (paint me as odd)

The Olympus user interface is pretty good, and if the autofocus is slower than the G1 . . . it's close enough. Throw in a rather delightful ergonomics and autofocus with all the 4/3 lenses.

So, it might be 'what you're willing to put up with' with the DP1/2, but the E-P1 is (and I'm not alone in this feeling) a delightful camera, which the G1 wasn't quite (good - yes, delightful - no).
 

jonoslack

Active member
The E-P1 certainly still has it's limitations and flaws, which need to be addressed in future generations. The AF is far too slow to use for sports/action shooting, and doesn't work at all in very low light. And at some point, some type of VF will be necessary (rangefinder style, EVF, etc).

Even with its flaws and limitations, I'm really enjoying the E-P1, and it's put the fun back in "walk-around" photography for me, which I haven't had for a while.
Hi Mike - I prefer to think of them as limitations rather than flaws - it isn't a 'do everything' camera any more than any other camera (and less than some).

As far as it's feeling more like the M8, I think it's because you can 'eyeball' your victim whilst shooting, which is one of the joys of the M8, and which makes one feel so much more involved.

Like you-I felt the G1 felt like a digicam to use (which is fine, but not to my taste). I simply don't like looking at an EVF, it makes me feel very detached and although I know the refresh rate is faster than my reactions, I still feel like I'm looking at history. With the LCD on the E-P1 this doesn't matter, because I'm getting my cues from real life rather than the LCD (it's also why the number of pixels in the LCD is a non-issue for me).
 
J

JRS11

Guest
I brought one in and tried it out. I am not a professional, maybe not even advanced, far from it, but I like nice equipment. The feel of the E-P1 is great, the one I tried came with the zoom. While bigger than my small digicams (which I have been shooting with since selling my Contax stuff) I thought it was a nice camera. I did not notice noise, but I am not a DSLR user. What I did not like was the manual and how difficult Oly makes it to understand and to set up and customizations in the menu. I did like the Super Control Panel. I did not keep the camera, I may at some point buy one but for now I have decided to wait. Also, I am not sure I want to buy into a system again, I have gotten used to having a small camera and this has worked for my needs (not perfectly but pretty well) over the past few years. I think if I was more serious this might be my first choice due to size, but to be honest I would want AF lenses and that makes this limiting for me.
 
O

OzRay

Guest
Having been an Olympus 4/3s user for many years, starting with the E1 and now using the E3 for sports and news photography, I've never really felt hobbled by the format, or the cameras and lenses. And the system has never let me down regardless of the conditions in which I've had to work. Similarly, I've never received a bad comment about any of my submitted work. That must say something about the system.

So I've literally been waiting years for the Pen to arrive and, apparently, I was the first one to take ownership in Australia (according to the Olympus sales rep) when it was finally released. Having used a Panasonic LX2 for some time for simple work, sometimes in parallel with the E3s, I took to the Pen like a duck to water. Perfect it's not, but then no camera is, but it has all the qualities of 4/3s that I've come to like.

People have had too great an expectation of the Pen and that's the problem. It's not a camera for everyone, but those who are open minded will find it a pleasant surprise. For those who are blinkered by the fact that it doesn't have an OVF/EVF, it's a pity that they can't have the opportunity to try one out for some time, as I'm sure they'd change their tune. For those who bemoan the fact that it doesn't have a pop up flash, buy a P&S, a pop up flash is just not worth it for this sort of camera.

Cheers

Ray
 

Riley

New member
a popup would yield significant lens shadow too.

quite frankly, I think its just a case of those that for whatever reason have taken a dislike to Olympus or four thirds or both, to degrade it in whatever way they can
 
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