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Home Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens) | |
|  | |  | | | Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens) | | | | | | | |
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| | Features | 12-megapixel interchangeable lens digital camera; Micro Four Thirds formatIncludes 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko digital zoom lensIn-body Image Stabilization; 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD with Live View functionRecord HD video with high-quality audio; in-camera creative features (for still images and video)Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
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| | Description | Olympus E-P1 Digital PEN Camera Silver Body w/ Black 14-42mm LensNot a Point & Shoot. Not an SLR ... It's a PEN. In 1959, Olympus designed a camera with the photographic optics of an SLR and the size and simplicity of a point-and-shoot-revolutionizing the way we take pictures. After 50 years, the PEN isback. And it's mightier than ever. Introducing the new Olympus PEN. It's totally digital, and offers unique and groundbreaking technology to a whole new generation of camera users.The PEN providessuperior optics, interchangeable lenses and multimedia capabilities-and combines the creative freedom of a sophisticated digital SLR with the simple controls and small size of a point-and-shoot.The Olympus E-P1 marks an innovative new era in digital imaging. Our new Micro Four Thirds camera upholds the legacy of the celebrated PEN family of cameras, with the photographic optics of an SLR and the size and simplicity of a point and shoot. Combining the still image quality of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with the A/V quality of both a High Definition camcorder and high-end audio recorder, the E-P1 is a virtual full-service imaging studio in one ultra-portable and stylishly retro body. With dozens of advanced features, the E-P1 makesdocumenting and sharing your everyday life easierand more creative than ever before.Includes a Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Standard Lens.Features:* View Autofocus: With the seamless precision and simplicity of a point-and-shoot, the E-P1's Live View Autofocus system displays the images to be shot in complete focus on the camera's bright LCD the moment the shutter button is pressed half way down. * Multiple Exposure: Multiple Exposure makes heightened creativity an easily-obtained objective. Two frames can be combined, andportions of one can be combined with those of another in any of the shooting modes. Images can be combined in playback mode or directly on the LCD through the use of the new TruePic V Image Processor.* Micro Four Thirds M | |
| | Product Details | | Product Weight: | 0.74 pounds | | Package Length: | 9.4 inches | | Package Width: | 6.2 inches | | Package Height: | 4.4 inches | | Package Weight: | 3.3 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 45 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 45 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
178 of 184 found the following review helpful:
 Small camera, big performance Jul 06, 2009
By David J. Elfering
This past holiday week-end I made the decision not to take my Nikon DSLR with me on a 3 day road trip to Minneapolis. The majority of my time was spent wandering the Mall of America, and the E-P1 was an absolute delight the entire time.
This little camera makes me smile each time I use it!
If you don't care to word a long, winding review let me summarize it. The E-P1 doesn't have to make any apologies for being petite, its a full fledged camera on its own merit.
Positives
* Great photo quality!
* Built in image stabilization (works pretty well too)
* Customizable and responsive interface/buttons
* HD movie mode with autofocus
* Low profile, doesn't get you noticed
* Quiet. I'd say quieter than my old rangefinders and way more quiet than my DSLR's
Could be better
* Battery life
* Perhaps almost too customizable (pretty good learning curve). Keep the manual handy!
I'm not a people shooter and certainly not a "street" shooter but my week-end was spent at the Mall of America, which is enormous but all in doors. It was an interesting challenge. I found that although I fumbled with the interface and settings a bit, it became very engrossing and almost mesmerizing to shoot publicly with the E-P1. It never drew attention, not once, where as I saw people clearing out from the obvious DSLR guys like fish around a barracuda in the reef.
Lens: My only lens is the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6, which doesn't sound too exciting. However in practice it has been a great general utility lens that has rendered quite nicely, showing nice resolution and sharpness. I can only anticipate what the E-P1 will do with a quality, wide aperture prime. I'm up in the air about my next move, but the 50mm f/2 sure looks tempting. But then again it would be great to try OM mount too! Arg....
Auto-Focus: I've read some questions about the auto-focus performance of this camera, but in normal operation haven't see an issue yet. Granted I haven't tried to shoot a basketball game or dance recital yet so take this with a grain of salt. For my people shooting in the mall the AF performance has been wonderful and spot on. When I've gone to outdoor settings or even just trying to snap something quick from my car, I've found that the autofocus is quite a ways behind my D90. I think it is real world quick, but it is probably a step slower to focus than any DSLR on the market. Not saying that's a bad thing, some worth knowing.
Sensor: The sharpness I see from this camera is well beyond what I expected, so there may be something to the talk that Olympus removed the strong anti-alias filtering most DSLR's are plagued with. The jpg results thus far haven't required any post process sharpening and the Olympus color engine is a breath of fresh air in my opinion.
Handling: Coming form a DSLR will make you take a little time to get used to the difference. Getting used to shooting with a LiveView display will also take some getting used to. There isn't a front/rear two wheel control system as I'm used to with the D90, but there are two primary controls for manual shooting and they can both be worked while shooting one handed. Very nice design! The buttons and functions are all fully customizable but expect to be nestled up with the manual a wee bit to do it. All in all composing from the LiveView LCD became very natural and fluid after a day. High marks to Olympus in designing such a usable system. The only thing I still have to figure out is a button to disable auto-focus so I can go fully manual.
Results: The bottom line to any camera is what it can produce. The E-P1 is not a D700, A900 or 5DII. Those are different kinds of cameras that excel at higher ISO and extreme resolutions. What the E-P1 is to me is a system capable of going toe-to-toe with any DX sensor system on the market in terms of deliverable results. No it doesn't shoot 8 frames per second. Again not that kind of camera.
This is a practical camera whose size and form factor make it usable in places that larger cameras wouldn't work as well or possibly not at all. I'm seeing very detailed and sharp results up to ISO 1,250. After years of shooting 35mm, DSLR and even large format I'd have to say this is the most fun I've had with any camera I've owned. Its a camera guy's camera that the beginner can use as well.
148 of 153 found the following review helpful:
 Great sensor, overall system needs work Jul 31, 2009
By Aravind Krishnaswamy
"thedigitalbean"
First a little background. I have a couple of other SLRs and was mainly looking for something to give me close to SLR quality files but in a considerably smaller physical package. A couple of downsides you should already be aware of from the product description.:
1. There is no pop-up flash. Not a problem for me, I don't ever use them anyway (your mileage may vary).
2. There is no viewfinder. Again not a problem for me, got used to that very quickly.
Now some observations from having used the camera:
- The sensor image quality is excellent. Dynamic range is at SLR quality. Noise levels up to and including ISO 800 is very clean. ISO 1600 has a bit more noise than the Rebel XSI (also 12mp)with the noise increasing relative to competitors from there.
- The user interface is intuitive. I used mostly Aperture Priority and Manual and found it easy to use. Stuff in the menus were also easily found. Changing the settings were at times challenging (like ISO) because of the smaller buttons, but given the camera's small size its something I could forgive
- Its heavy, almost as heavy as a basic, entry level DSLR. Now the lens is light as a feather, however I feel a lot of heaviness comes because of the build quality of the camera, which is superb
- The RAW processing software that comes with the camera is useless. The interface is horrible and the stability even worse. Wait for your favorite RAW processing software to add support and use that.
The deal breakers:
- The kit lens is slow. Really slow. So slow in fact that I found the system to not be very useful when the light levels got low or you were indoors. Now this could easily be fixed by having a series of fast pancake lenses, which I believe are coming, but sadly they aren't here yet.
- The auto focus is slow and unreliable, especially indoors. I found the AF to be very slow and borderline frustrating. Again, this was mostly indoors and in low light levels, so a faster lens may alleviate the issue.
Overall, this is a fantastic start for Olympus and once the system is fleshed out a bit more (with lots of those fast pancake primes at various focal lengths) I may consider it again. However with the limited lens selection available today, its not for me. You need to figure out if you can live with the kit lens (or the 17mm f/2.8 prime) while waiting for more lenses to come out for yourself.
48 of 49 found the following review helpful:
Exceptional out-of-the-box performance, great camera. Jul 09, 2009
By J. Davies
"shadowportland"
I had been considering replacing my Leica d-lux 3 with the d-lux 4 when the EP-1 news came out. I immediately sold the d-lux 3 and ordered my EP-1. It is a little larger than I was hoping, but out of the box, the first results were incredible, RAW format on a par with my nikon d-90 RAW, requiring very little post-production. Feels good in the hand, responsive and fast auto-focus and much more satisfying to use than the leica - which I loved. Initial results in RAW much better than the leica, which was always just a little noisy.
This is a top notch camera, that I hope will continue to deliver results. The only current drawback for me is that photoshop CS4 doesn't recognizethe Olympus Raw Format (ORF). I have to go through Olympus software to convert, which severely disrupts my work flow, and the software is slow and clunky. Shooting JPGs alongside Raw in case I need the results faster.
If they get the plugin updated soon, I'll be over the moon.
Very happy with this purchase.
28 of 31 found the following review helpful:
If I went to heaven... this would be what I would shoot with. Jul 12, 2009
By Smiley Boy
Yes, this would be the camera I would use to take photos of heaven.
I have had this camera for just over a week now and it is perfect for me - it just has the ideal balance of size, weight, features without sacrificing in DSLR standard IQ quality. If fact, it beats the IQ of my three previous DSLRs!!! (Canon Rebel XT, Olympus E-420 and E-620). I have heard from real users that the high-ISO comes close to the excellent Nikon D90).
The design and build-quality is stunning. When you hold it in your hands you just cannot help but admire it from all angles - it is a beauty! The ergonomics, although having that quality dense feel, is comfortable to hold even with one hand. Combined with the *really does work* IS and you can try a new-style of spontaneous shooting with one just hand (try doing that with a DSLR!).
Image quality is superb - sharp and with good colour. Olympus in-camera jpeg-engine is noted for being one of the best on the market for DSLRs. The sensor is the best from any Olympus camera to date. Although I think much of this is down to the latest Truepic V processor.
AF is similar speed to compact cameras. It is slower than the AF of the Panasonic G1/GH1 series, but much faster than the LiveView of current Olympus DSLRs. Speed will also improve with faster lenses. For me, it is nippy and is fast enough for me. If you want to take fast action shots or fast children, then you probably would be better off buying a DSLR. At least give it a try to find out if it suits your photographic style.
I have not missed the E-P1 in having no flash at all. I prefer more natural looking photos without flash and this camera is very good with shooting at ISO 1600. Even ISO 3200 in rare cases. Usually I would keep to ISO 400, but would not hesitate to shoot higher now.
Movie mode seems good (with HD and SD sizes), but have not explored that much yet. The audio sounds great! I have heard that Olympus has used their latest dictaphone technology in this, and you can tell. I think IS needs to be turned off though during movie mode. Also, it is great that it can take SD cards - they are so cheap.
LCD is large and bright, and refresh update is fast. Even though it is not as high-resolution as other cameras, I think it functions very well. Some have mentioned of low-battery life. I have not experienced that at all. Never during a day's worth of shooting have I run out of battery. There is a dedicated button that you can assign to switch off the LCD when not in use, but the camera is on standby-by and activates again by pressing any button. With this method and switching it off when not in use, you can save valuable battery life. It is just a matter of being prudent when using it.
Overall, this camera is a game-changer. By being able to carry it wherever, whenever, my photographic experience is taken to a new-level. Knowing I have a camera with DSLR IQ in my bag all the time without the bulk is a great feeling of freedom.
I would place my bets that this *gem* of a camera will win many design awards and, dare I predict, be crowned `Camera of the Year'.
17 of 18 found the following review helpful:
A good camera, but definitely a "niche" camera... Dec 17, 2009
By Harry M. Shin
1. For reference sake, I've used many cameras before (film and digital) and thus realize that there is no "perfect" camera. For most photographers who are "into" photography, they will agree with my contention that you need at least two cameras; one for "serious" work (ie typically a DSLR, but not always) and a compact camera for snapshots (which is also an important part of one's personal photography).
2. With the above said, I have a DSLR (currently E-620), I have a fairly compact camera (Ricoh GX200), but for various reasons, I wanted a smallish camera with HD video (a fair amount exist, most of which was much more compact than the EP-1) that also has good image quality (which for me also means the ability to shoot RAW)--> which really narrowed down the choice to the EP-1 and the Panasonic G1. I'll conclude this rambling point, by noting that it's important for folks to realize that the EP-1 is a niche camera; ie it does produce nice quality images, it has many (not all) performance features more similar to DSLRs than compact cameras, but it is NOT a compact camera... nor is it as big as a DSLR, even the smallest DSLR. I just wanted to make this point, because even though it is smaller than any DSLR, no matter what most folks say, unless you solely use the pancake lens, you are not going to be putting this into your pocket. Even if you did exclusively use the pancake lens, the entire unit is relatively hefty (which is a testament to the construction) and thus most folks wouldn't feel comfortable walking around with this thing in their pocket. Thus on a personal side note, I've come to the conclusion that I'll use / need a DSLR for my "serious" work, EP-1 for most family shots, family travel vacations (ie excellent image quality equal to that of my E620 but without the bulk, HD video etc...) AND a true compact for those situations where I actually need to carry something in my pocket (ie Birthday dinner etc...).
3. Sorry for the long personal ramblings above; so here are my other brief impressions:
a. Build: very solid. As noted via others, kind of relatively heavy, but for me, that's a good thing.
b. Image Quality: I shoot RAW all the time, very good image quality.
c. HD Video: I'm not a video expert, but it's overtly better than my regular resolution videos via my other digital cameras. Via apeture priority mode, you can set the apeture and then one can also adjust the exposure via exposure compensation. It would be nice if there was a manual focus assist like when one shoots photos (ie having an enlarged image). The continuous focusing mode is lame and thus one needs to focus manually or single focus lock (which is basically like shooting manually). Supposedly the EP-2 will be able to track subjects better in video mode. Unless one shoots subjects which come to / fro in the video and shoots long segments, the above problems should not be much of an issue.
d. Focusing: ... it's not bad. It's not great, but I didn't expect anything super great in the first place. When using the zoom kit lens, it is definitely fast enough for 90% of situations. I agree with many that it is irritating that the camera has to refocus each time you press the button, but in the end it's a minor annoyance. I haven't used the pancake lens with the EP-1 yet; I'll get it soon. Another very important point in regards to focusing, the EP-1 has this very cool feature that if one is in manual or S-M focus mode (I think that's what it's called), as soon as you touch the focus ring, you'll get a 7x or 10x view on the LCD--> translation, it is the quickest manual focus via LCD I've come across thus far. It's so quick and accurate (because you're actually doing the focus) that when I use my 4/3 Olympus lens on the EP-1 (ex: 12-60mm or 9-18mm) I always use the manual focus method and it works fairly well.
e. Lack of Flash? It's a nonissue for me because I rarely ever use an onboard flash. When I need a flash, I use a hotshoe flash (ex: Olympus FL-36 or better yet--> Olympus FL-50R). But I do agree that having a built in flash is important, especially the smaller the camera you have simply because the purpose of having a small camera is to avoid carrying other gear... like a flash.
f. IS: I assume it works. It works in my E-620 and this was one of the reasons I stuck with the Olympus Line; ie the G1 doesn't have in body IS. To me, this feature is more important than having an onboard flash that I might use 1% of the time. I use IS a fair amount.
g. LCD: I've used the camera in various conditions, including the worst LCD shooting situation; sunny day at the beach. Yea, it can be challenging in such situations but again, only in certain conditions: trying to manually focus at telephoto. For most shooting situations while at the beach, on a sunny day, using autofocus--> no problem. I just turn up the LCD to max brightness.
h. Other stuff: frame rate is decent, turn on / off time is ok, writing to card seems ok--> ie none of this issues have been noticeable or an irritating issue to me.
4. In summary, it's a no brainier that this camera is more than capable of producing great images and it has the flexibility that all serious photographers want. I would say the primary issue that one has to clearly figure out in one's mind is for what purpose one envisions using this camera. It is not a DSLR replacement, but in many instances it could provide similar images (at least non-full frame DSLRs) and it is NOT a replacement for a true compact camera. It is a niche camera that is capable of some very good images.
See all 45 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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