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Olympus Pen E-P2 Field Review on LL

jonoslack

Active member
I guess if this one had IS it would be completely a dud
Ah . . . Like this one you mean?



No time to turn it off:)

Still, clearly IBIS isn't the final answer for lots of shots (like this one), but it's nice to have, and it's the reason why I put up with the less good menus, lack of onboard flash and inadequate AF on the E-P1.
 

Pelao

New member
Interesting discussion.

I chose the GF1 primarily because of the interface. I find that regardless of whether I am using the LCD or the EVF the controls are where they should be. If I have to delve into the menus, they are simple and logical. I also like the faster AF. Together, these factors make for a camera that allows me to focus on composition, with management of controls being second nature.

It's always easy to get taken up with features. For me, it's the camera that is easy and fun to use. I find the GF1 and 20mm to be a joy. I just added the 14-45: the jury is still out.

Generations of photographers made incredible images without IS of any kind, and for me it is not a killer feature.

Still, just because we used to do without it does not mean we should eschew it now. I certainly don't miss it with my GF1/20 combination - but I will admit it would be nice to have.
 

Bill Gordon

New member
I guess coming from the M8 with no stabilization I don't really feel like I'm missing it.

I haven't really thought to myself if only this were stabilized I could have gotten the shot. typically I find if I need a shutter speed that low there is much greater chance that my subject is moving than me moving.
Hi Terry, I had a look at your blips and they are just..Mmmmmmm....fantastic!! I fell in love with the old shack and tree with the mountains in behind......
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
No, no more DR - just more headroom on auto exposure... which gives the impression of more DR.
I'm obviously the exception to the rule, but I prefer the look of the E-P1's ISO100 files to its ISO200 files. And because I rarely ever shoot on true auto -- I seem to tweak the exposure compensation for nearly every image -- I don't see any benefit to having more perceived headroom at the expense of less actual dynamic range.

YMMV, of course, but on those occasions when I need IS, there is no reliable substitute, which is why I put up with the E-P1's many idiosyncracies and carry it with me everywhere instead of one of my GF1s.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I didn't garner any bias toward either camera based on his review. The writer stated he prefers the Panasonic cameras based on the menu interface, familiar controls, higher resolution screen and faster AF. He praises the new EVF and the IBIS on the EP2 but the menus didn't "click" with him. Fair assessments and it's another reason choice is a great thing. I came to the same conclusions for myself. If the GF1 had an articulating screen akin to the G1 while remaining very near the same size it would be just about "perfect" IMO.
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
Still, just because we used to do without it does not mean we should eschew it now. I certainly don't miss it with my GF1/20 combination - but I will admit it would be nice to have.
I'm no GF1 basher, as I own a pair of them, but for some purposes, the E-P1 is simply a better tool, even if I don't like the experience of using it very much. :-/
 

Terry

New member
Hi Terry, I had a look at your blips and they are just..Mmmmmmm....fantastic!! I fell in love with the old shack and tree with the mountains in behind......
Thanks Bill,
I am having a lot of fun with it. Not saying it isn't hard to think of something to shoot each day! The unexpected part that is just as enjoyable is thinking of something to write about what was going on when I was taking the shot or what I was thinking about each day (which can make up for less than stellar pictures).
 

Amin

Active member
But likely more DR than using 100.
I don't see any benefit to having more perceived headroom at the expense of less actual dynamic range.
It isn't more or less actual DR. It is the same. The E-P1 and E-P2 settings for ISO 100 and ISO 200 set the camera to an identical actual ISO setting. Ie, what those cameras call ISO 100 and ISO 200 refer to the same base ISO.

The effects of choosing ISO 200 are: 1) Lower exposure (when using automatic exposure) relative to what you would get using ISO 100; and 2) Differences in the tone curve applied. If you shoot at the ISO 100 setting versus the ISO 200 setting with +1 EV exposure compensation, the only difference is the tone curve that gets applied.
 

pellicle

New member
Ah . . . Like this one you mean?
well I wouldn't call that a dud, but there is something sharp in there, the carpet.

I like the movement there ... but in my shot (at f2.8 and about 1/15th iirc) if I had not had the accidental fluttering of her dress then nothing would be sharp and only the blurry background would not have had as much movement (though I think it is not noticable)

but remembering to turn it on and off is important. I already struggle with remembering to change AF mode, what ISO am I using, have I got raw on ...
 

Brian Mosley

New member
I'm obviously the exception to the rule, but I prefer the look of the E-P1's ISO100 files to its ISO200 files. And because I rarely ever shoot on true auto -- I seem to tweak the exposure compensation for nearly every image -- I don't see any benefit to having more perceived headroom at the expense of less actual dynamic range.

YMMV, of course, but on those occasions when I need IS, there is no reliable substitute, which is why I put up with the E-P1's many idiosyncracies and carry it with me everywhere instead of one of my GF1s.
Well, if you're using the histogram to expose correctly - why not go the whole hog and use Manual exposure? no need for EV compensation then. :thumbup:

Cheers

Brian
 

Terry

New member
Another (non technical) way to look at it....If ISO 100 were truly better wouldn't Oly have the Auto ISO feature begin at ISO 100 instead of 200.
 

pellicle

New member
question

are the histograms based on what would be recorded to JPG if the image was made with the colour balance settings as they are?

I ask because I often see blinkies when there is definitely more head room in the RAW file and don't get clipping when I process the RAW but do when I extract the JPG.

if so then the histogram is really no better than snap n look then adjust ... on my G1 that takes a fraction of a second as my EVF displays what I see immediately post shot

I played with an E-P2 in the shop recently and it really slowed down the screen refresh speed using the live histogram
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
Well, if you're using the histogram to expose correctly - why not go the whole hog and use Manual exposure? no need for EV compensation then. :thumbup:
Actually, I do that ... sort of. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, I first meter the scene with my Sekonic L-758 (as a view camera user, I'm used to doing the heavy lifting with regard to exposure calculations myself and old habits die hard) to get a feel for the exposure range of the scene and determine my starting point. I then use exposure compensation to dial-in my calculated shutter speed because I find it quicker/easier to use the camera this way than in pure manual form. I also find it quicker/easier to bracket exposures this way and FWIW, I rarely ever look at the histogram.

(Yes, I realize my approach to metering is quite a bit different than that of most users but it's the way I've learned to work over the years, for better and worse...)
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
ISO 100 isn't any better... ISO 200 is the way to go.
Then it's obviously just me, but I've compared these two settings many times and in .jpg form, at least (for the type of stuff I photograph with my E-P1, I usually don't bother with the RAW files), I definitely have a preference for the ISO 100 images. That said, I will have to look into Amin's suggestion about shooting ISO 200 with +1 stop of compensation and compare that to the straight ISO 100 image as I haven't tried this before with this camera...
 

Brian Mosley

New member
Shooting ISO200 +1 EV compensation is almost exactly like shooting at ISO 100. You lose the headroom that's all.

This is really to do with auto exposure... and so affects raw too.

Be aware that the histogram is derived from the jpeg. I shoot raw, and set my Contrast to -2, Saturation -2, Sharpening -2, Normal Gradation, Natural colour mode, AdobeRGB.

I think this gives a pretty representative histogram of the raw exposure.

Cheers

Brian
 
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