THE OLYMPUS E-P1 REVIEW - PAGE  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

PAGE 6 - the HD video and high quality audio capabilities of the E-P1

Ever since I reviewed the Canon 5D Mark II, I was amazed at the video quality of that camera. Shooting with a Canon 85L MKII 1.2 lens, I have seen video from that camera that rivals $30k dedicated video cameras. No Joke.

Since then, I have tried the HD video modes on the Sony HX1 and Leica D-Lux 4 and they were seriously lacking compared to the Canon. Why? This is simple. The Canon has a HUGE full-frame sensor and when combined with a super-fast lens like the 85L 1.2, it will create cinematic-looking video due to the shallow depth-of-field control you have, just like they do when making Hollywood films.

The Olympus E-P1 sensor is less than half the size of the 5DII, but what if you used a fast lens like a Leica 50 Summilux to record video? It may not be as rich and smooth as the Canon, but it should be able to destroy the smaller sensor cameras in the HD video dept.

Not only can the E-P1 record 720P HD video (note, it can not do 1080P like the Canon), but it also has high-quality audio recording. What better way to test the video with some interesting SIGHT and SOUND?? Be gentle on me, I am not really much of a guitar player, but the mic did handle the LOUD guitar without distortion.

BTW, after shooting this, I realized the E-P1, when using the kit lens and uto focus in shooting video, will have one issue. You will hear a horrible grinding noise as the lens constantly hunts for focus. This ends up being louder than what you are recording. I suggest using MF for video!

Keep in mind YOUTUBE cannot show you the full quality of the video.

Also, I managed to find some pretty cool video on youtube on the E-P1. Check this out:

So, not only can the E-P1 record great video and audio, it CAN auto focus when using an AF lens (just be prepared for the camera grinding noises during AF that WILL be embedded to your video).

So did I like the E-P1 enough to keep the one I bought? Click on to the next page to read my final conclusions on this camera.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAGE 7 >>>>>>>>>>>>>