Olympus E-P1 First Photos

[Liz]

I took the E-P1 out this afternoon for the first time and really enjoyed using this beautiful camera! I didn't think the camera was slow - it's faster than my LX3. I was also surprised that I could see the LCD screen as well as I could in the "very" bright sun. I have a very hard time seeing the screen on the LX3, but the E-P1 surprised me because I didn't really find it a problem. Obviously it could be better, but I'm happier than I thought I would be with it. I love the feel of this camera.

These images were taken on auto - and there is no post-processing at all. A few could use a little sharpening, but over all I'm pleased with the results, considering this was the first time I used it.

Let me know what you think.

Liz

14mm


25mm


42mm

[Greg McCary]

Not to shabby. The exposure looks good for a mid day shot in auto. I think you will be happy.

[rubeel]

these are excellent, now EP-1 sounds like a handy little camera to have

[Photo-John]

The thing I notice is the great highlight detail in the clouds. That definitely sets the E-P1 apart from compact cameras with tiny sensors. Shutter lag is faster than compact cameras like your LX3, but a little slower than digital SLRs. For most people that will mean no noticeable shutter lag. For action photographers it means there is some shutter lag to deal with. But it's reasonable for the compact size and low weight of the camera. I took the E-P1 on a mountain bike ride yesterday that topped out at over 10,000 feet. I was very happy to have such a small light camera that can deliver serious image quality.

I am pretty confident that this will be a good camera for you, Liz. While I'm not using it much on the trail, I love it for a walkaround and even a landscape camera. Olympus definitely has a winner here.

[mjs1973]

These look very nice Liz. The colors look great. Is the weight of the camera/lens acceptable?

[Dave6223]

Great photos, Liz.

I hope you are very happy with the camera as you get to know it.

Dave

[Asmarlak]

They are nice shots but lets face it most cameras will take as good images in that weather condition including P&S. What I would like to know is how this camera performs in picking up the fine details in macro shots for example, I'd like to see some macros if possible. How do you feel about the lack of built in flash and electronic viewfinder?

[Liz]

Thanks Everyone!

Yes, I love the feel of this camera, and I've enjoyed using it immensely. I took it out again Sunday and had a great time with it. Still on auto! I just wanted to relax and enjoy the beautiful day and the new toy, and not get into the learning curve yet.

I just installed PSElements7 and can't figure out how to edit the photos and upload them. Another learning curve. So I can't upload any here yet.

Greg - this camera does amazingly well exposing in the (very) bright sun and in low light without a flash. Also - I was worried about the low resolution LCD, but I can see the LCD better on this camera than any other camera I've used - even the really high resolution LCD screens. I don't know what Olympus did with this LCD - but it works.

Rubeel - yes, this camera is great for just about anything I've tried so far. And your night shots show how well it does there too.

John - I'm lovin' this camera! It's perfect for me. I haven't gotten out of the auto mode yet since Sunday was only my 2nd try. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to just enjoy the natural beauty - and the E-P1. I didn't want to attack the learning curve yet. Hmmmm...

Mike - thanks for the comments. Yes, this camera comes close to those beautiful Canon colors - so I won't miss them as much now. The weight is perfect! It's heavy for the size, just slightly heavier than the G9/G10 which never bothered me. It's much lighter than my XTi was. The zoom lens is light too, so it works fine.

Dave - thanks for checking the photos out - and yes, I think I will be quite happy with this camera.

Thanks again everyone for looking - and you're encouraging comments.

Liz

[Liz]

Asmarlak,

Thanks for looking. Yes, these are just snapshots straight out of the camera. However, I'm personally very happy with what I've seen so far, both in bright sun and indoor low light and some in-between shots. The camera exposes quite well.

Macro - I haven't tried macro and it will probably be a while before I do. I need to learn more about how to use the different settings, etc on the camera. For me personally, this has a good size learning curve (I'm a bit "technically challenged" so to speak). I also have to figure out PSElements7 which I just installed over the weekend.

In the meantime, maybe Rubeel or Photo John could post some macros for you.

ETA: Actually I was concerned about no flash or VF. However, since the LCD screen can be seen quite well in bright sun, I'll do fine with it. However, your interest in macro might require the VF. Regarding the flash, or lack of, I thought that would influence my final decision on the camera. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the camera does quite well in low light situations. And I've seen some great photos that other's have done in low light.

Liz

[Frog]

I, too, am impressed with the detail in the clouds. Looks like you used a polarizer but I don't think you did. Good detail in the shadows too.

I'm very glad you are happy with it and hope its weight is rigbt for you.

[Liz]

I, too, am impressed with the detail in the clouds. Looks like you used a polarizer but I don't think you did. Good detail in the shadows too.

I'm very glad you are happy with it and hope its weight is rigbt for you.

Frog,

Thanks for the comments. No polarizer. I was surprised at the exposure since it was a brilliantly sunny afternoon - nothing was over-exposed and no glare.

The more I use it, the happier I am that I purchased this camera. The weight is perfect. It is heavy for the size, but I wouldn't want anything lighter - and it's much smaller and lighter weight than my XTi.

Liz

[Liz]

For anyone interested in seeing E-P1 sample videos, I found some short "test" videos by Uwe Steinmueller. I haven't tried the video - I'm just beginning the learning curve on this camera, and it will be a while before I get to the video. I just thought someone might want to see some samples.

http://vimeo.com/5882154

Liz