Mini-review of the Olympus E-P1

(and – by extension – of the near-identical E-P2)

Page 3. Version 5.0, ©2009, 2010 by Dale Cotton, all rights reserved.

Suitability to task

click for larger version

Fig. 13: 09-0388 (E-P1 + kit zoom, 200 ISO)

Who is it for?

Novice/casual? Nope. Like most any digital camera, the E-P1 can be set on full automatic and used as a point & shoot. The novice may consider buying an E-P1 to have a camera he can grow into, but Olympus has already covered that ground with the more appropriate E-PL1.

Serious amateur? Not really. Lacking a pop-up flash and having less-than-stellar AF speed, serious amateurs wanting a compact camera will be happier with the Panasonic GF1 or G2.

Veterans/pros? Absolutely. Since the E-P1 is the digital equivalent of the 35mm rangefinder, it's appropriate uses for the veteran photog are much the same: It excels at street, candids, and discreet photojournalism; it serves fine as a carry-everywhere for vacations, hikes, what-have-you.

What is it good for?

Landscape 12 megapixels is really not up to the mandatory 16x20 print of some vast vista.

Portraiture/studio? Possibly; but there's no particular advantage of the E-P1's compactness in this environment and the lack of an optical finder will count against it.

Sports/wildlife? Not a chance. Forget it.

Vacations/hiking? Ideal. Put the E-P1 and kit zoom in a bag along with a spare battery plus the charger and you're good to go.

Street/candids/photojournalism? This is where it truly shines (if you take the time to learn how to use it.

The E-P1 is contra-indicated for those who just like the viewfinder experience (or who need reading glasses or bifocals but refuse to wear them) and those for whom flash is a non-optional part of the photographic experience. (Yes: you can put a flash unit on the hot shoe, but then you've defeated both the portability and the inconspicuousness of the camera. Yes: there is a cute flash unit designed for the camera, but it's crippled by lack of a bounce-flash swivel.)

The E-P1 weighs a few ounces more and measures a bit larger than a typical point & shoot. And that's really the litmus test for this camera: ultimately, if you don't understand in your bones why that extra bit of size and mass are worth carrying, then take a pass and move on.

Appendix 1: On-Line Resources

No larger version

Fig. 14: White-shell Olympus E-P1 cut in half

Documentation

  • Olympus: E-P1 firmware updater
    Olympus has issued four firmware updates in the past year; who knows how many more to come? Use this tool to install them.

    • Camera Reviews

    Lens Reviews

    Raw and JPEG samples

    (The E-P1 and E-P2 sensor and imaging engine are essentially identical, so samples are interchangeable between cameras)

    Video Reviews and Video Samples

    Usage Tips

  • Daystar Visions: Street Secrets of the E-P1 and E-P2