Is the Oly E-P1 good enough as a dSLR replacement?

[nightpiper]

......its not only the image output i am after, controls, wireless commander, flash, viewfinder, lens options, grip, AF speed, etc.

U r talking about the whole sys right? And yes, everyone shud purchase based on how the entire sys works for them. I heard of people starting up a small studio but not enuf dough so they went with a sys that gives the best wireless flash results & control instead of the usual studio lights.

Personally i feel the LCD LiveView is a very good idea. How is it not comparable to OVF? When the 1st LiveView came out, E330, i was impressed with what was achieved on a DSLR. No doubt the E330 was not ideal in many areas but it was still very useable in composing shots, & it took awhile to get this far today with many more brands adopting it & refining it.

Hmm... come to think about it, i can forsee this becoming a new trend among other brands as well, ie, drop the OVF & go fully LiveView. It'll cut the cost & make the cams lighter/smaller, & OVF will remain solely juz for the pro range where people willing to pay a premium. Also when u look at it, many entry level DSLRs has such small OVF & some even labeled as "tunnel" like, useability not very friendly, so i think LCD LiveView will kick off.

Not forgetting technology advances, so next 3 gens later, u might get what u wish for, a DSLR replacement.

Touch screen & gesture navi anyone? :bsmilie:

 

[ttmmfast]

Not for me, I cannot hold a camera and shoot using the LCD as my hand shakes when extended and I find lock and recompose non-intuitive; slight movement move image too much.

I still want one:
1 Good looks
2 FD to m4/3 adaptor; can use my old L lenses but will look silly
3 Looks even better with the M mount lenses
4 17mm makes it an overpriced P&S replacement in terms of size
5 Lumix has a nice 7-14mm on m4/3

But I will wait:
1 Too much to pay for a toy
2 No view finder (except the one for the 17mm lense
3 No flash so cannot really replace a P&S
4 Never buy the first model or at least wait for the firmware updates
5 GH1 more my type of camera but no image stabilizer in the body

I think who will buy
1 First time buyer
2 Owners of iPhones
3 FD lens owners
4 M mount lens owners

I do not see a need for any DSLR user rushing to buy this camera unless your DSLR is at least 5 years old. Easy of carry is never a top priority when you go into SLR of any kind.

 

[wire]

I do not see a need for any DSLR user rushing to buy this camera unless your DSLR is at least 5 years old. Easy of carry is never a top priority when you go into SLR of any kind.

Some (D)SLR owners detests the relatively larger size of their systems but had no choice when they want better images. I kept myself from owning a DSLR and continued shooting film exactly because I will never carry a DSLR around.

I personally love this camera as it sets a new standard/compromise. Instead of continuing with the compromise carried over from the film/analogue era, rethink what photography should be like in this digital age. btw, the Lumix 7-14mm is a good hint of what's to expect in this format.

Hopefully, something equivalent will appear in the Nikon/Canon/Sony camp and really push the competition.

 

[ed9119]

the EP-1 can NEVER replace a DSLR

the DSLR can NEVER replace cameras like the EP-1

same same rangefinders vs slrs

each occupies its own area of footprint

what is the point of this thread?

 

[wire]

the EP-1 can NEVER replace a DSLR

the DSLR can NEVER replace cameras like the EP-1

same same rangefinders vs slrs

each occupies its own area of footprint

what is the point of this thread?

All good points.

I read the purpose as a individual question if it replaces your DSLR. No agreement needed in such threads since it's finally an individual choice .

 

[Oly5050]

Not for me, I cannot hold a camera and shoot using the LCD as my hand shakes when extended and I find lock and recompose non-intuitive; slight movement move image too much.

I still want one:
1 Good looks
2 FD to m4/3 adaptor; can use my old L lenses but will look silly
3 Looks even better with the M mount lenses
4 17mm makes it an overpriced P&S replacement in terms of size
5 Lumix has a nice 7-14mm on m4/3

But I will wait:
1 Too much to pay for a toy
2 No view finder (except the one for the 17mm lense
3 No flash so cannot really replace a P&S
4 Never buy the first model or at least wait for the firmware updates
5 GH1 more my type of camera but no image stabilizer in the body

I think who will buy
1 First time buyer
2 Owners of iPhones
3 FD lens owners
4 M mount lens owners

I do not see a need for any DSLR user rushing to buy this camera unless your DSLR is at least 5 years old. Easy of carry is never a top priority when you go into SLR of any kind.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But have u tried the camera for a reasonable amount of time yet to make those points? I also note that this is ur first post in CS.

To address your post :

1. Firstly, it is not a P&S. It is a PEN - dunno mentioned how many times liao.

2. Secondly, it is not a toy. It is a camera. A tool to quote microcosm.

3. As mentioned, u gotta try the camera and u will realize, as has been mentioned many times before in this thread, (did u read the prior posts?), the lack of flash and optical viewfinder is actually not an issue. At least to me and to some other seasoned photographers. I do admit that prior to trying the camera, I was concerned about the lack of flash. But seriously, go try the camera out for yourself to see. And to be fair, there is no point testing it in the shop. If u were at Singapore Art Museum yesterday and u got to try it in the darkened auditorium and indoor situation, what flash? No need flash at all. Optical VF? Man....what for? The range finger OVF does not give u WYSIWYG. So what is the point? It is like taking a step backward. Am I glad the OVF is not in the camera. It would have taken additional space for not much benefit. Also, EVF? OMG....try the G1HD and u will realize the redundancy of an EVF.

 

[Fotophilic]

Personally i feel the LCD LiveView is a very good idea. How is it not comparable to OVF? When the 1st LiveView came out, E330, i was impressed with what was achieved on a DSLR. No doubt the E330 was not ideal in many areas but it was still very useable in composing shots, & it took awhile to get this far today with many more brands adopting it & refining it.

Personally, since u asked, i feel that the VF and the Liveview has its best use in different situations. Despite the LCD on Pen being already good, its not extremely usable in very bright outdoor conditions. In such a situation, the VF comes in, be it EVF or OVF, doesn't matter. The VF and Liveview options are not meant to be "compared" to one another. They have best usage under different conditions.

Pen and dSLRs are different things. It works for some, but not for others. I quite like the Pen as a general usage, day to day, light-weight camera.

 

[terencek888]

Top it off, I don't like the E-P1. Looks like a brick, feels like a brick, handles like one.

You like your camera handles like a jello?

 

[intosite]

i actually quite like the weight of the ep1. feels even better with the voigtlander 40mm lens (173g not including adapter).

like it's box shape too.

 

[christysg]

I think who will buy
1 First time buyer
2 Owners of iPhones
3 FD lens owners
4 M mount lens owners

I do not see a need for any DSLR user rushing to buy this camera unless your DSLR is at least 5 years old. Easy of carry is never a top priority when you go into SLR of any kind.

I am one of those people who will buy the Pen, but I am not any of the people you listed. In fact I might be buying MF lenses just for the Pen because Panny/Leica lenses are so much more expensive (why on why can't they be used on Canon?).

Like I stated in another thread this is a good in between camera because 1) PnS are still PnS, and they will never match DSLRs. When I use the LX3 I still feel something is missing. 2) DSLRs are heavy to carry out. Ease of carry is definitely something to consider. I'm certainly not going to stuff a DSLR in my handbag when I go for a dinner date. If DSLRs get so heavy you won't even bother to bring them out on normal occasions, then what is the purpose of owning one? I can foresee myself using the Pen 70% of the time. But I still enjoy using a DSLR and composing using the viewfinder.

And also, if anyone is expecting it to weigh like a PnS, then too bad. It's not a PnS. I think a little weight is necessary.

What is holding me back is 1) It's a tad on the expensive side, can upgrade my DSLR liao. However...that is so not the point 2) I can't decide if I should only get the 17mm or dual kit. Thus I am forcing myself to wait for at least a month or two before I spend the money.

But I know resistance is futile

 

[intosite]

...
What is holding me back is 1) It's a tad on the expensive side. 2) I can't decide if I should only get the 17mm or dual kit. Thus I am forcing myself to wait for at least a month or two before I spend the money.

But I know resistance is futile

i got the dual lens kit for the 'value', but so far out of 2000+snaps i made, less than 10 were done with the zoom kit lens. ~400+ were by the 17mm pancake, the rest using my voigtlander 40mm f1.4..

on travel trips now, i think i will bring my sigma dp1 (for landscape pics) and the ep1 for all else

 

[YSLee]

i actually quite like the weight of the ep1. feels even better with the voigtlander 40mm lens (173g not including adapter).

like it's box shape too.

That's the thing that put me off. It's incredibly boxy, and not very pleasant to hold. It's strange, because I started off with an OM1, and I recall that wasn't bad to use.

 

[christysg]

i got the dual lens kit for the 'value', but so far out of 2000+snaps i made, less than 10 were done with the zoom kit lens. ~400+ were by the 17mm pancake, the rest using my voigtlander 40mm f1.4..

on travel trips now, i think i will bring my sigma dp1 (for landscape pics) and the ep1 for all else

Ah, yes, the voigtlander. I want ;p

Thing is if I only get the 17mm I won't know what to do if I need to shoot landscape. I don't have a DP1 lying around leh :bsmilie: But the 14-42 doesn't really appeal to me because I don't like the protruding part, and it's just too slow for my taste. Hmm.

The dual kit is considered value for money meh?

 

[bousozoku]

the EP-1 can NEVER replace a DSLR

the DSLR can NEVER replace cameras like the EP-1

same same rangefinders vs slrs

each occupies its own area of footprint

what is the point of this thread?

A lot of people attempting to use dSLRs right now should probably have such a camera as E-P1 or DMC-G1 and stop faking being a professional because we're not convinced. So, for many people, the E-P1 can replace a dSLR easily.

Those who want high quality without the research and education should have something simple, shouldn't they? These are the cameras for them.

 

[Oly5050]

A lot of people attempting to use dSLRs right now should probably have such a camera as E-P1 or DMC-G1 and stop faking being a professional because we're not convinced. So, for many people, the E-P1 can replace a dSLR easily.

Those who want high quality without the research and education should have something simple, shouldn't they? These are the cameras for them.

Wow! U hit the nail right on the head!

 

[Rurouni]

If you're shooting events be it wedding, functions etc, you will definately need a DSLR to complete the job with the minimum of fuss. You could possibly also use the EP-1 but the speed at which you need to capture various shots will not be found with a CD-AF of the Pen and the less confidence you have to capture a shot quickly when covering an event the more stressful its going to be for the photographer.

The pen is designed to be compact and pack in good IQ, and to those two objectives it delivers. The IQ is easily very close to any entry level DSLR in the market right now and the jpeg engine is looking very good. I'll probably get the pen as the in between btween my compact and DSLR, it should pair very nicely with my film rangefinder

 

[bousozoku]

Wow! U hit the nail right on the head!

Don't I always? :bsmilie:

...The IQ is easily very close to any entry level DSLR in the market right now and the jpeg engine is looking very good. I'll probably get the pen as the in between btween my compact and DSLR, it should pair very nicely with my film rangefinder

You think it's that bad?

Besides, Olympus' JPEG engine is always the best, as has been shown test after test. You get approximately the same output from a JPEG image as you get from a raw file->JPEG conversion, which is very different from other brands.

 

[DiGdUb]

having used a few days, i think its certainly a very good compact camera with changeable lens. IQ is there with the other 4/3 and aps-c dslr. downsides is the focussing is slower than most, if not all dslrs, and sometimes i do not get a focus lock under not so bright conditions where a dslr would have no problem.

 

[ek35vkva]

I just want a camera to let my creative juice flows.

Something that is light, same or near DSLR image quality and a 35mm prime (17mm F2.8 Pancake is just perfect). :thumbsup:

Try this. For those of you who are used to lug 5 to 10 kg of gears :nono: for every outdoor shoot; one day try shooting with 1 camera and single prime. You'll realize that it opens up your horizon of creativity and give you a different perspecitve.

If I reduce my load/weight, more 'qi' can be used for the right-side of the brain,,,,, eerrrhhh which ever side that is creative.

With technolgy pushing fast and furious:devil:, its hard not to be a sucker debating :devil: about sharpness, micro-contrast, DR, noise, etc.,..... Did you realize that some award winning photos were soft and grainy,,,, deliberate or accidental, I don't want ot debate about it.

I prefer to be a creative photographer than a technical photographer.

 

[aloskimo]

EP 1 or M4/3 will not replace DSLR...
still some specific moments/ requirements that call for a DSLR...

the marketplace has just created a new market segment with M4/3..that's all
and the camera market has just grown bigger....and that makes the companies happier...
bigger potential revenue...

consumers on the other end just get spoilt with more choices....

win win!