I was largely blind to the Digital tidal wave until, in the fall of 2003, my wife managed to borrow the Nikon D100. An evening field trip into the countryside was all I need to convince me that digital photography’s time had come.
Farewell to Velvia. Olympus Goodbye.
Hello Nikon. After checking out Canon and Olympus equipment and photographic results, we settled on the Nikon D7o. They had produced the first affordable quality DSLR that appealed to us.
I deserted My Proud Olympus Heritage at the drop of a memory card.
But now, for me at least, Olympus has returned!
In the newly released E-P1, Olympus has stepped back to their renowned Pen-F camera for inspiration, creating a retro-looking rangefinder style camera which takes interchangeable lenses, yet has all the latest ‘bells and whistles’ for the digital era.
The Olympus Pen E-P1
Some of the main features of this new camera (from Olympus FAQ):
The Olympus Pen EP-1 is designed for today’s visual generation who live active lives online and offline. It blends the high-quality imaging of a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera with High Definition (HD) video capture, stereo Linear PCM audio recording and creative in-camera multimedia tools in an ultra-compact body. No longer do you have to choose between powerful and portable; the EP-1 will make you re-think what a small camera can do.
As Olympus’ first Micro Four Thirds camera, the E-P1 introduces many technological breakthroughs.
Start with the impressive form factor. Olympus leveraged its expertise in miniaturization and engineering to create a slimmer body, replacing the optical viewfinder and mirror box found in traditional, bulky DSLRs with a 100% accurate, 3-inch, full color HyperCrystal LCD. The stainless steel body is durable and fashioned in a retro-chic styling that pays homage to Olympus’ innovative and beloved PEN series. So solid and compact, it slips comfortably into a jacket pocket or handbag to take on any spontaneous adventure.
By reducing the lens mount diameter, Olympus has also enabled the production of smaller and lighter lenses. In fact, all of the E-P1’s accessories – like the FL-14 flash – are scaled to match the diminuitive body.
Don’t be fooled by its small stature. The E-P1 uses the same size sensor as the E-30 and E-620 DSLRs, and it has all the features you’d expect from a high-performance DSLR.
Its 12.3 megapixel Live MOS image sensor delivers excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.
The 11-point autofocus (AF) system provides numerous setup options and accurate autofocus in low-light situations.
Olympus’ proven Supersonic Wave Filter (SSWF®) dust-reduction system makes it easy to change lenses anywhere without worrying about dust ruining a shot.
The E-P1 boasts Olympus’ most advanced anti-blur technology: Sensor Shift Image Stabilization. This technology is built into the body of the E-P1 so it works with every lens, unlike legacy film technologies that are built into individual lenses.
With the new Live Control function, icons appear on the LCD, making it easy to compose, edit and shoot pictures or videos without stopping to navigate menus. While you’re composing, choose from a variety of aspect ratios so you never lose resolution to cropping.
The E-P1 also has six Art Filters that can be used to achieve creative, artistic effects, such as mimicking pinhole and pop art photography or the look of grainy film. The filters can be applied to still images and to video, and you can preview the effects on the Live View LCD before shooting. What you see is what you’ll get.
HD video capture and stereo audio recording will add such richness to your home movies that you’ll want to share them on your favorite social networking site or blog.
Once you’ve captured your works of art, seamlessly mix your still images and videos in-camera to create a multimedia slide show. Dub in one of the available background music options to provide a soundtrack for your cinematic creation, and play it back in the camera or on any HD television. (HDMI cable not included).
Lets look at what the E-P1 can do with our old manual focus lenses:
Adapter for old manual focus lenses.
Olympus OM-series lenses can be mounted on the E-P1 with the optional MF-2 OM Adapter. OM-series lenses are unable to communicate with the firmware in the camera’s body. Therefore, their use in this fashion has the following restrictions:
Autofocus is not available. OM- series autofocus lenses cannot be manually focused. Stop-down metering is used. Spot metering does not work properly. Although it is possible to use the A (Aperture priority AE) shooting mode in auto exposure, the aperture display is not available. The aperture display in the M (Manual) shooting mode is not available. In P (Program Auto) or S (Shutter Speed priority) shooting mode, the shutter releases, but the auto exposure control does not work. The distance scale on the OM-series lens may not indicate the actual distance. Use the Live View screen (or optional viewfinder VF-1) for focusing. ♦Because the OM-series lenses were designed for film rather than for use with a digital sensor, the image quality may not equal that produced by M.Zuiko® Digital and Zuiko® Digital lenses.
The Image Stabilizer function in the E-P1 can be applied to OM-series manual lenses.
- The Image Stabilizer function must know the focal length of the attached lens in order to apply the correct compensation to the sensor when the camera senses camera shake. Zuiko® Digital lenses, being “smart” lenses, automatically provide this information from the firmware in the lens to the firmware in the camera body. Manual lenses contain no electronics, so focal length information must be entered manually by the photographer.
This is amazing. None of the limitations seem insurmountable. I would love to get my hands on the E-P1 so I could test the compatibility and quality of the resulting pictures. There is hope yet for our old lenses, despite the precautionary note above♦.
This has the potential to re-awaken a lot of mothballed Olympus lenses and accessories – including specialized equipment for scientific and medical uses. I am looking forward to learn how people are adapting this new technology to the old equipment in new and creative ways. Just think about it – HD video, vibration reduction…
Anyone want to get rid of an Olympus endoscope? How about a microscope…?
Contact me to share your ideas or suggestions.
See more on the E-P1 at:
29 June, 2009 at 6:54 PM
This is the information I looking for, thanks for sharing it
1 August, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Hi Adrian, check my blog for more PEN pleasure.