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

PAGE 7 - my final thoughts and more image samples

What can I say? When anyone asked me a month ago if I was going to buy the Olympus E-P1, I told them NO! I figured this was a gimmick that Olympus was throwing out there to capture the P&S/compact crowd. Retro looks, taking advantage of the film PEN anniversary, HD video and ART filters. Did not sound like a serious camera to me.

While I loved my Olympus E-1 years ago, I failed to really enjoy the E-3, E-510, and other offerings in the 4/3 mount. Usually plagued by mediocre high ISO performance, low-dynamic range, and due to the smaller sensor, it was always difficult to get shallow depth-of-field. They were decent cameras, but they failed to really “grab” me and hang on to me. I hear the E-30 is much improved.

After full-frame cameras appeared, I sold my Olympus gear and moved on. When the Leica M8 arrived, I dumped my full-frame gear and never looked back, as me and the M8 have a special connection...a bond. The M8 is a photographer’s camera. The look, feel, manual operation, and sensor quality all wowed me and continues to do so today (see my M8.2 review here).

With online forums going wild for the E-P1, the countless positive reviews, and finally some amazing images that were sent to me by a buddy of mine, I caved. I bought this E-P1 thinking I would sell it after I was done testing it.

After a couple of weeks with the camera, I realized that the E-P1 was not a gimmick, but more of a creative, fun, amazingly-useful photographic tool. As a sidekick to my M8, it is perfect. Smaller, lighter, and the quality is up there with some of the hottest NON-full frame DSLR’s out there today.

MY E-P1 POSITIVES:

The build is top-notch for the price point. Metal-covered body, solid feel, smooth, but solid dials and a great LCD.

The FUN FACTOR is through the roof!

The ability to use a ton of lenses! I had a blast shooting with my Leica M lenses and would love to see what it could do with others.

High ISO is amazingly improved for Olympus! I would use ISO 6400 if I had to. Hell, I only go to ISO 1250 with my M8, so being able to shoot the E-P1 at ISO 6400 is a major plus.

THE PRICE! $799 gets you the E-P1 body and either the 14-42 or 17MM prime lens. You also get the charger, battery, strap, and software.

I actually enjoyed a couple of the ART filters like PINHOLE and GRAINY FILM. They work well and can be used creatively to give you great out-of- camera results.

Ability to add an external flash, which will be of higher quality than a built-in flash.

The HD video and audio is superb (as long as you do not use AF with a zoom - see negatives)! Very easy to shoot and with the HDMI port on the camera, you can easily view your video on your HDTV.

Battery life is great. I shot for two days and still had battery life left. Much better than my M8 battery life.

In camera IS. Yep, you can use IS with any lens you attach. If you are using say a Leica lens, just tell the E-P1 what focal length you are shooting!

MY E-P1 NEGATIVES:

Many shooters are upset that there is no viewfinder in the camera. I agree. I prefer a VF. Maybe next time. But if you buy one of these, you already know there is no VF.

As of this writing, there is no “real” RAW support for the E-P1 RAW files. Just the Oly software included in the box. I would rather shoot JPEG than use that software. It is slow, clunky, and kind of a pain to use. This will change soon.

The 14-42 kit zoom, while a great lens, is VERY light and hollow feeling. It feels like the lens itself is all plastic. Still, it does its job. Maybe I am spoiled by Leica glass?

The autofocus could be a little speedier, but again, this is a $799 camera and lens and it cannot have pro-quality AF and still sell for $799. I had no issues with the AF, but use the center point only. I am also not a sports shooter. If I was, I would choose a Nikon D300 or D3.

The auto focus using the kit zoom lens while shooting VIDEO is awful. Why? Well, it is slow and while it hunts, you hear the grinding noise of the lens in the video loud and clear. I suggest shooting video with MANUAL focus.

The LCD is a nice, big size, but the resolution is not so hot. Still, much better than the Sigma DP2 POS display!

MY FINAL WORD ON THE EP-1

If you want a small-ish, well-made, high-quality digital camera, then BUY ONE. You will love it. I like the E-P1 100X better than the Sigma DP2 I reviewed last week (see review), even though the image quality of the DP2 is a bit better. I even prefer it to the Leica D-Lux 4 in many ways (though I still love the D-Lux 4) See my D-Lux 4 review here.

I would choose this as THE camera to buy in the under $1200 category. It beats the Canon G10, Sony HX1, Sigma DP2, and even D-Lux 4, though I love the D-Lux 4’s fast lens, macro mode and design. I will keep the D-Lux 4.

It’s fun, it’s slick, it’s stylish, and it is a fabulous photo tool.

This camera appeals to so many people I am sure Olympus will be selling quite a few of these little guys. I am keeping mine.

Who is it for? If you are a sports shooter, skip the E-P1. There are better choices in the normal Nikon line of DSLR’s.

With the kit lens the E-P1 is a great camera that you can take everywhere and get shots you may have not gotten otherwise. With an adapter and some fast, nice prime lenses, you bump up the creative uses. The E-P1 makes for a great “everyday” shooter for street, people, landscapes, and general use.

Do I prefer it to my M8? Nope, I still feel the M8 gives me better image quality and a much better user experience, but that comes at a cost. $799 vs $6,000.

Olympus has hit a home run with the E-P1! I bought mine from B&H photo and HIGHLY recommend them for your online camera needs. I have been buying from them for a loooong time and they get an A+ from me for price and service. Their website is as good as it gets, and if you buy from them using the links here it helps to keep this website going!

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE B&H OLYMPUS E-P1 PAGE TO CHECK STOCK, OR TO ORDER.

Here is a useful link to the available lenses for the M4/3 format.

Here is a list of lenses in the 4/3 format that can be used with an adapter.

One more cool link and a F.A.Q. on the E-P1 that will answer all questions.

Look for future reviews of 4/3 lenses on the EP-1 like the 8 mm fisheye, 12-60 and others! Here are a few more samples from the E-P1:

I THANK YOU!!

I thank you for reading my review and hope you enjoyed it. Running this free site costs me money, but my passion for for photography and gear has led me to create and share all of this info with fellow camera nuts. I work 7-10 hours a day on this site, as it consists of a lot more than writing these pages. When I am not writing, I am shooting with the lenses and cameras I write about, then going through the images and preparing them for the site. If you enjoy the site and find it useful, then you can help me to continue bringing these reviews and write-ups! How? Just click here to find out. Thanks!