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Olympus Pen E-P1 Compact System Camera (14-42mm Silver Lens Kit) - Silver | 
| Brand: Olympus
Rating:  1 reviews
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 1
Optical Zoom: 3
Display Size: 3
Maximum Focal Length: 42
Minimum Focal Length: 14
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 1.4 x 4.7 x 2.8
MPN: Pen E-P1
Model: Pen E-P1
EAN: 4545350025373
ASIN: B002CVTA06
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| Customer Reviews:
A niche product or the answer to many a photographers' prayers? December 11, 2009
PB (London, UK)
41 out of 41 found this review helpful
The E-P1 received much fanfare on launch because it is effectively a game-changing product. This was something of a gamble for Olympus, but also part of their heritage; Olympus have a proud history of innovative, high quality, small cameras including this product's namesake, the Pen, and the OM series of manual focus SLRs.
The four-thirds (FT) format has never truly convinced serious photographers for one reason or another. The sensor is considerably smaller than APS-C sensors on other brands' DSLRs which leads to comparatively more noise at high ISO shooting. The image format is a little different to the classic 35mm frame. The depth of field control is a little less pliable. But for all of that, the four thirds sensor is enormous compared to other compacts.
Compact digital cameras have seldom offered the serious photographer much to shout about. The E-P1 changes that - if you are willing to stretch your perception of what is "compact." The E-P1 is smaller than any DSLR... but bigger than anything you might consider a compact camera. It sits in between the two. If you want something to slip into your top pocket, you need to look elsewhere. This isn't the one for you.
The E-P1 produces lovely results in Jpeg and raw formats. I have nothing but praise for the images themselves. Even the ISO performance is more than reasonable at upto ISO 800 speed (and still useable beyond that).
The in-body image stabiliser is a fantastic feature as this means you can use any lens and still get IS-assisted shots. And speaking of lenses, the kit zoom is a fine example of a standard zoom. It is not particularly fast, but it is exactly the same speed (aperture range) as an equivalent Canon or Nikon kit zoom - and considerably sharper than wither.
Some others are unhappy about the lack of an in-body optical viewfinder and flash. I am inclined to go along with these criticisms, but only to a small extent. An optical rangefinder would have been nice, but it would also have meant a larger form factor and/or optical compromise. I don't really care for flash photography, but I can accept that sometimes, a shot of fill-in flash is nice to have in very contrasty light. However, neither of these omissions are show-stoppers for me because: if it's too dark to shoot, don't; if it's too bright to shoot, don't.
Another area where some web-based reviewers have been critical of the E-P1 is it's "slow auto-focus". I cannot agree with this one bit. The E-P1's auto-focus may not match the speed of a pro-spec DSLR, but then, neither do most DSLRs. I wonder whether people jump on imaginary bandwagons sometimes - if you're buying the camera to take photos at an F1 race, well, you will have to rely on good technique rather than the camera to get sharp shots every single time - and that would be the same for just about any DSLR, too. The AF system in the camera is perfectly acceptable - even 'fast' - for all the usual situations. I get as high a proportion of good shots of my restless children with the E-P1 as I do with a high-end DSLR. If you are unsure about the AF speed, don't take web reviewers' word as gospel (not even mine) - go to a store and try it out for yourself.
The ergonomics of the E-P1 are a joy. Lovely to hold and the switchgear is nicely machined and damped. You know you are using a quality product and you feel like you spent your money wisely when you use the camera. Am I over-selling it when I say that there is nothing as tactically orgasmic this side of a Leica or Contax? Probably, but it's so lovely to hold and use! This is where, for me, it is a hands-down winner over the Panasonic GF1, which is conceptually very similar.
Sadly, all digital products seem to be built with disposability in mind. Where film cameras were built with the expectation to work for 20-30 years, digital cameras seem to be replaced by the buyers every couple of years. The E-P1 feels like it would last well beyond 10 years.
Another bonus of the mFT format is that through the use of adapters, you can attach a great range of manual focus lenses to the E-P1. Leica, cine, Zuiko OM, Canon FD... all lovely optics bringing their own character to your shots. And that's not even mentioning the different film modes and frame sizes you can use.
This camera really brings the joy of photography back for advanced photographers, and introduces newbies to a whole new world of creative possibilities.
I cannot recommend the E-P1 highly enough.
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