Talkback
peterb666 says...
It would be a lot more helpful if people submitting reviews have actually used the camera in question.
Oct 12, 2009 02:15 PM
It would be a lot more helpful if people submitting reviews have actually used the camera in question.
Oct 12, 2009 02:15 PM
fierywise says...
Also to add, if the E-P1 were to be built with an on-board flash, flashlight would have been blocked by the mounted lenses, causing a black shadow in the bottom part of the photograph. Which is why it would be useless to have an on-board flash, especially when using telephoto lenses.
Aug 15, 2009 12:44 PM
Also to add, if the E-P1 were to be built with an on-board flash, flashlight would have been blocked by the mounted lenses, causing a black shadow in the bottom part of the photograph. Which is why it would be useless to have an on-board flash, especially when using telephoto lenses.
Aug 15, 2009 12:44 PM
fierywise says...
First of all, the E-P1 is mainly targetted at general compact PnS users who want to move on to a camera that serves 2 purposes - Compact and dSLR quality photos. Professional photographers are definitely not the primary target, but it does offer them a camera that would appeal as a backup choice.
Common claimed flaws:
Viewfinder -
Most compact cameras do not have viewfinders, which is why the E-P1 offers a 3-inch LCD LiveView. For the general PnS users who are used to LiveView on their compact camera, it is a smooth transition and ain't a major issue.
Flash -
Many reviewers slammed the E-P1 for not having an on-board flash. Olympus had announced that they have the technology to build an on-board flash into the camera, however, it would have killed the camera design, which is based on the Pen F. To counter the problem of low light, the E-P1 has an ISO of up to 6400. Also with TruePic V LiveMOS, it has the ability to control noise better than most other Olympus dSLRs.
Lenses -
A selling point of a dSLR is the wide range of lenses. Given that Micro Four Thirds is at its early technological stage, there are not many lenses specifically designed for the E-P1. However, the standard kits that were offered would have offered a very good range for PnS users. The 14-42mm lens is effectively 28-84mm, which is pretty good for general use. You can use the Panasonic's Micro 4/3 lenses too. There are also adapters for the E-P1. Using the adapters, you can use the Four Thirds lenses from Olympus's available range of lenses. There are also other photographers who managed to find adapters that allow the E-P1 to mount Nikon or Canon lenses. I was shown by a COURTS promoter that one photographer mounted a 600mm Nikon lense, supported by a mono-pod, to take excellent photographs and videos! Check it out on www.dpreview.com.
In conclusion, the E-P1 is a camera for the currently saturated PnS market users who want to make a step up, without sacrificing compactness, and able to take photos like a dSLR. The design of the E-P1 satisfied these general users. There is no one design as complex as a camera that would satisfy every shuttlebugs. But, definitely, the E-P1 has what it takes to move the PnS market towards dSLR, without much adjustment in photo-taking habits for the general PnS users.
Aug 15, 2009 12:40 PM
First of all, the E-P1 is mainly targetted at general compact PnS users who want to move on to a camera that serves 2 purposes - Compact and dSLR quality photos. Professional photographers are definitely not the primary target, but it does offer them a camera that would appeal as a backup choice.
Common claimed flaws:
Viewfinder -
Most compact cameras do not have viewfinders, which is why the E-P1 offers a 3-inch LCD LiveView. For the general PnS users who are used to LiveView on their compact camera, it is a smooth transition and ain't a major issue.
Flash -
Many reviewers slammed the E-P1 for not having an on-board flash. Olympus had announced that they have the technology to build an on-board flash into the camera, however, it would have killed the camera design, which is based on the Pen F. To counter the problem of low light, the E-P1 has an ISO of up to 6400. Also with TruePic V LiveMOS, it has the ability to control noise better than most other Olympus dSLRs.
Lenses -
A selling point of a dSLR is the wide range of lenses. Given that Micro Four Thirds is at its early technological stage, there are not many lenses specifically designed for the E-P1. However, the standard kits that were offered would have offered a very good range for PnS users. The 14-42mm lens is effectively 28-84mm, which is pretty good for general use. You can use the Panasonic's Micro 4/3 lenses too. There are also adapters for the E-P1. Using the adapters, you can use the Four Thirds lenses from Olympus's available range of lenses. There are also other photographers who managed to find adapters that allow the E-P1 to mount Nikon or Canon lenses. I was shown by a COURTS promoter that one photographer mounted a 600mm Nikon lense, supported by a mono-pod, to take excellent photographs and videos! Check it out on www.dpreview.com.
In conclusion, the E-P1 is a camera for the currently saturated PnS market users who want to make a step up, without sacrificing compactness, and able to take photos like a dSLR. The design of the E-P1 satisfied these general users. There is no one design as complex as a camera that would satisfy every shuttlebugs. But, definitely, the E-P1 has what it takes to move the PnS market towards dSLR, without much adjustment in photo-taking habits for the general PnS users.
Aug 15, 2009 12:40 PM
javachan says...
I really cannot stand the immense hype behind this camera that has (almost) everyone I know blinded to its flaws:
- no viewfinder (forgivable)
- no flash (less forgivable)
- lack of available lenses (now its really pushing it)
- slow focus (unforgivable at its price)
Jul 31, 2009 03:56 PM
I really cannot stand the immense hype behind this camera that has (almost) everyone I know blinded to its flaws:
- no viewfinder (forgivable)
- no flash (less forgivable)
- lack of available lenses (now its really pushing it)
- slow focus (unforgivable at its price)
Jul 31, 2009 03:56 PM
drone1212 says...
Given that this is an interchangeable lens camera, it would be quite impossible to include an Optical Viewfinder (OVF). OVF need to synch with the lenses in order to be accurate. For PnS, this is easier because the lens is fixed. For interchangeable lens camera, there is practically no way to build in an OVF which can sync with all the lenses of difference focal length.
The solution that Panny adopted is EVF (Electronic Viewfinder). While they practically created one of the best EVFs around, there are limitations of EVFs. It is never as good as the LCD or OVF to begin with and gets very grainy under low light and sucks battery. When using the G1, I found myself framing with the LCD most of the time. The EVF also adds size and weight to the body. Which is why the G1/GH1 series are larger than the E-P1.
From the design of the camera, you can see that there is very little space left for a flash. A built-in flash on an SLR(like) camera needs to be raised high. Positioning it on the left or right of the camera would likely to cause shadow casts by the lenses.
Adding a flash would mean that a box needs to be added on top of the camera, making it very SLR like. This is the reason why the G1/GH1 has an SLR like box at the top of the camera. That, I believe is solely for putting in the flash.
Therefore, a detachable flash unit is the best solution. It would be high enough so that no lens shadow would be cast and when removed, would not add any size and weight to the camera.
Simply brilliant!!
Jun 21, 2009 01:50 PM
Given that this is an interchangeable lens camera, it would be quite impossible to include an Optical Viewfinder (OVF). OVF need to synch with the lenses in order to be accurate. For PnS, this is easier because the lens is fixed. For interchangeable lens camera, there is practically no way to build in an OVF which can sync with all the lenses of difference focal length.
The solution that Panny adopted is EVF (Electronic Viewfinder). While they practically created one of the best EVFs around, there are limitations of EVFs. It is never as good as the LCD or OVF to begin with and gets very grainy under low light and sucks battery. When using the G1, I found myself framing with the LCD most of the time. The EVF also adds size and weight to the body. Which is why the G1/GH1 series are larger than the E-P1.
From the design of the camera, you can see that there is very little space left for a flash. A built-in flash on an SLR(like) camera needs to be raised high. Positioning it on the left or right of the camera would likely to cause shadow casts by the lenses.
Adding a flash would mean that a box needs to be added on top of the camera, making it very SLR like. This is the reason why the G1/GH1 has an SLR like box at the top of the camera. That, I believe is solely for putting in the flash.
Therefore, a detachable flash unit is the best solution. It would be high enough so that no lens shadow would be cast and when removed, would not add any size and weight to the camera.
Simply brilliant!!
Jun 21, 2009 01:50 PM
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Olympus E-P1
In Tech : Digital PhotoDescription: The E-P1's good looks and large sensor will appeal to enthusiasts, but general consumers may find some features lacking in this camera.
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