Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Slate Blue)
by Olympus
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: OlympusModel: E-PL1 Slate Blue Kit
Color: Slate Blue
Product features:
- 12.3-megapixel interchangeable lens digital camera; Micro Four Thirds format
- Includes 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 digital zoom lens; features built-in flash
- 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD with Live View function; Continuous Autofocus (C-AF) tracking system
- Capture HD video with high-quality audio; new "Direct Button" for easy recording
- New Live Guide interface simplifies great photography; capture images to SD/SDHC cards (not included)
- Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Lens
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 [OLD VERSION]
- Serif PhotoPlus X3
- Aperture 3
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Slate Blue)
Customer Review: The E-PL1 is the perfect Assistant SLR. (or is it Assistant to the SLR :)
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent several months on trying different cameras to co-reside with my trusty Kodak Z712 IS that was still producing wonderful pictures at a very high success rate. During the process I also learnt a lot about them and having kids, I was very interested in the quality aspect of the images since I did not want to lose the well, Kodak moments :)
Just like most consumer electronics, everybody has different needs. I learnt that you cannot have everything in one camera because if you did, the industry would shut down and quit making any more upgrades.
Here are some key things that I learnt that I want to share with people scratching their heads between cameras and SLRs vs P&S.
1) It is ALL about the sensor. NO MATTER what P&S you get, no matter what is built around it (touchscreen, front screen, a tank (G-10), uber zoom lens, you will ALWAYS be stuck with a small sensor compared to SLRs and therefore always have a liability in low light and high ISO pictures.
You need to look at sensors like Dart Boards. Bear with me, I am trying to clarify this. Imagine you have two dartboards that you are aiming at. One is a much smaller dartboard where the circles of quality (points) are pretty small and one which is 7-8X times the size of the first dartboard with correspondingly larger circles including an easier to hit Bullseye (the best picture).
The odds of you hitting the bullseye and high points on the second board will always be higher no matter how much you try to screw up. (auto modes). On the smaller board, you can still hit the bullseye but the chances are much lower UNLESS you shoot 50 darts at it (multi shot modes) and hope one sticks OR you are one of the best dart throwers in the business who knows all about wind speeds and trajectories and somehow manage to squeeze a high point shot frequently.
So there you go. Either you need to be really good at the photo process (and speed of decision is critical sometimes at the perfect moment) or you simply take a high volume of shots and utilize the percentage of good to great shots you can get out of the bunch. Do not try to compare some random shot from a P&S to a SLR because it just meant you happened to hit the bullseye somehow and not that they are equal by any means. SLRs will CONSISTENTLY out perform a P&S for HQ pics.
2) Portability - The best camera is the one with you. Unfortunately that means the cell phone for most people. However, the E-PL1 gives you hope to salvage the memories at a formal lunch or a party where unobtrusiveness is critical and you dont want to stick a huge SLR in someone's face. The kit lens is small, not very small but enough to avoid nervous glances anytime you try to click. Stick the pancake 20 mm Lumix Lens and they won't know what hit them. I consider SLRs to be EVENT based items where you have to plan to take them to a birthday function, wedding etc and its OK to have a piece of luggage with you while everyone else use a compact. The E-PL1 would make an Excellent Assistant SLR. (or is it Assistant to the SLR :)
3) Price - while the price is reasonable for the basic lens kit it is not cheap and I agonized over the 20 mm LUMIX lens and finally got it since it is simply a match made for the EPL1 form factor with a huge low light advantage. However, you need to remember that a lot of P&S lose value a lot quicker than SLRs that will take good pics no matter the date of manufacture. Since this is a new technology still evolving, your return on investment should be very good for this camera since it has all the necesssary features in it. (the next one could have a view finder, doubt it since the whole size thing would be compromised), there is already flash and high MP to take you through several years (get an accidental warranty and you might be set for much beyind in case something should happen to your camera and it is discontinued)
4) Megapixels are a very misunderstood concept. On a P&S, the higher the MP the more noise and issues at high ISO you will have since the PIXEL DENSITY is reduced (MP/Sensor size). That is why my 7 MP Kodak stays awesome for regular prints upto 8x10 since it does not falsely advertise its capabilities. A 12 MP on a small sensor on a P&S is asking for trouble. The key in my (very limited) experience is that you need to use the Flash as little as possible and use natural light and proper framing and placement with minimal zoom (use your legs). As such high ISO usability is very important to get at least a nice 8x10 print if desired, 4x6 would be more common.
The E-PL1 is fantastic at high ISOs and pictures are not burnt out by the flash
5) Software/Editing is the main element of good digital photography and I am still a novice on this one so it is all the more critcal for me to have good art option ON BOARD the camera (stitching, diorama, sepia etc) This makes it a lot easier to see the after effect of the shot before it happens and saves you time later on the PC.
RAW files while large and not commonly used by the average consumer are good to save for the important pics as a DIGITAL NEGATIVE if nothing else.
So, after the long expose, here is the rundown.
I ended up keeping the camera. I like my toys cheap and usable so its never easy for me to make a major purchase regardless if I have the money.
I did not miss the view finder as much as I thought I would.
Pictures are consistently good and the Olympus JPEG engine is awesome.
I got the 20mm LUMIX pancake lens and use the flash as little as possible
The art filters are great. The Sepia is a nicer type not the washed out brown pics like others.
The cool/wow factor is high and will remain as such for the near future since its a new type of technology (not just model)
Auto focus for the kit lens was improved with the firware upgrade but still not as speedy as you would like
The 20 mm lens on the other hand.....
This camera will need work for very young kids and pets that don't work as well with you for posing. 3-4 yr olds and above will be fine and there are burst options/modes you can play with to utilize the dart board theory to take multi-pics in those situations.
Get a tripod for shots that you can plan out like in a glamor shop (makes you look cool and like a pro) and minimizes errors and blurs. Essential for night and fireworks etc. The 20 MM will give you some extra help and onboard Image Stabilization will help as well on any lens.
Oh, and I am actually having fun taking pics now. I am taking more random pics of my kids and ending up framing even the unplanned poses. My facebook albums are like a gallery now for even regular pics.
More Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Slate Blue) reviews:
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Description of Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Slate Blue)
OLYMPUS 262861 12.3 Megapixel E-PL1 Pen Camera (Blue with M. Zuiko 14-42mm lens)Digital Cameras
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