Olympus EP-1 opinions

[drewdlephone]

Hey everyone. I was hoping to get some feedback from those who have played with this camera a bit more than I have, or perhaps they own one, and to hear what they think of it.

I've been on the fence for awhile (having sold my K200D early this year) and have been shooting with two Spotmatic bodies, but am missing the freedom that digital provides; i.e, let's go out and shoot a million pictures just for fun! The K7 was at the top of the list but sadly that's just too much cash for me. I didn't really like the K200D, I don't like the size of the K20D, and despite looking around, I haven't found much in the way of entry-level DSLRs that appeal to me, excepting Olympus, whom I haven't really given much of a look at yet (the E-620 would be where I would be aiming).

But then there's the EP-1. I got to play with this little camera at Lens & Shutter in Victoria while I was down there for other reasons (I always manage to sneak in there though!) and I was about to lay down some hard cash for some film, when I thought to myself, well, why not go and look at the cameras. I really liked the size and the feel (it feels like a little brick house, like a camera made 40 years ago), and while I wasn't totally sold on the omission of a viewfinder (and the subsequent purchasing of batteries that will entail) I loved it's output in terms of color and noise handling.

It would take some getting used to (the shooting style is obviously different than an SLR), and I'm curious as to how many lenses will get released for the system. I'm still thoroughly interested however.

[vinzer]

Well, if you're fond of using film and manual focus, then it might interest you that the m4/3 mount is the most adaptable mount out there right now, which helps bide the time until Panasonic and Olympus come out with new lenses for the system.

The AF is the biggest downer on the camera (especially for the price), so if you shoot sports/action on a regular basis and intend to use the E-P1 for that, then I'd suggest you go the Panasonic route instead (if you really intend to go into m4/3) or some other DSLR which will have faster AF than the E-P1.

And like you said, if you're very much used to a viewfinder, then you might find transitioning to an LCD-only camera quite jarring.

Everything else, though, is A-OK for me. The batteries hold out for some 300 shots, not world-beating, but it's doable enough for me. It probably depends on how many shots you take on a regular basis. The output is excellent, and even in higher ISO settings, the noise is more luminance than chroma, so it's pleasant for me.

The art filters, though it sounds gimmicky at first, is really fun to play with, on a Lomo-kind of level. The HD video works nicely, though limited to a couple of minutes (7, I believe) and the continuous AF is wonky.

I'm happy with mine, though, and the plus factor for me is that I'm able to bring it everywhere I go, even in places where DSLRs are barred inside (it's a quirky thing where I am - stadiums and concert grounds bar people from bringing in "professional" cameras, professional cameras defined as any camera that's a DSLR, regardless of features).

Good luck with your decision. It's really not for everyone, like DPR says in their review.