Author Topic: Newbie - E-P1 / E-P2 / GF-1 (Read 1687 times)

periskop · « **on:** January 20, 2010, 05:42:00 PM »

Hi everybody,

Just started with the art of photography, inspired by Estevan Oriols art of taking pictures.
I got a Nikon D50 with a Nikkor 18-55mm as I was in Seoul and an old Zorki 4 made in USSR I traded with my dad for a Sony Cybershot.

The D50 is just to big and doesn't suites me for street photography. I just got it 'cos it a good camers to start off with DSLR and it was cheap.

So ... should I get a Pen or a Pana? IS or faster AF? Like i said, would use it for street photography. And I don't got a big lens collection. I think, for the start, a pancake should do the work. And yeah, I don't care about a EVF. The money isn't a big issue but the E-P1 special kit is smiling at me.

E-P1 Double Lens Kit, ED 14-42mm & 17mm inkl. FL-14 would cost me $1050.

E-P2 Pancake Kit, 17mm would be around $1220.
GF-1, 20mm is $1250.

Would be happy if somebody who's more into urban street art and photography could give me some advice. Didn't got yet my hands on none of them, but heard that GF1 menu is way better than E-P1, so what's about that?

Thanks in advance.
Greets from Switzerland.

voyager · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2010, 08:16:00 PM »

The 20mm is the best lens for street photography, so have you thought about getting either the E-P1 or E-P2 and the 20mm? You can sell me your D50 too.

Delphititan · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2010, 08:37:45 PM »

A simple list might look like this;
E-P1
Pros
1. Excellent out of camera jpeg files
2. A retro style that many find attractive
3. Well placed buttons and external controls
4. In body image stabilization (Very nice with older lenses such as Leica, Voightlander, Canon, Pentax,
Nikon, Olympus OM, Zeiss, and the list goes on...)
5. Better high ISO than the GF1
Cons
1. No electronic viewfinder
2. Some don't like the learning curve in the menu system
3. No built in flash
4. Focus not quite as fast as the GF1 (But has improved with recent firmware upgrade)

GF1
Pros
1. Built in flash (Though not very strong)
2. Slightly faster focusing than E-P1/E-P2
Cons
1. No In body image stabilization
2. Default jpeg output not as good as E-P1/E-P2
3. No image stabilization of any kind if purchased with the 20mm 1.7 as a kit

E-P2
Pros
1. Excellent out of camera jpeg files
2. A style that many find attractive
3. Well placed buttons and external controls
4. In body image stabilization (Very nice with older lenses such as Leica, Voightlander, Canon, Pentax,
Nikon, Olympus OM, Zeiss, and the list goes on...)
5. An electronic viewfinder that E-P2 users say is amazing
6. Better high ISO than the GF1
Cons
1. Some don't like the learning curve in the menu system
2. No built in flash
3. Focus not quite as fast as the GF1

Dan

count_zero · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2010, 08:55:30 PM »

You forgot to mention EP-1/2 stereo microphone vs GF-1 mono. A huge improvement in sound quality over the GF-1.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2010, 09:20:27 PM »

think if a zoom or a prime suits your shooting style more, can you live without a decent evf?
i own the gf1 with kit zoom 14 -45 and evf
and the ep1 with 17mm prime and optical finder

they are both great machines and i adapt to their strengths and shortcomings as necessary

the gf-1 is more practical with mf , but lacks stabilization for all lensews like the ep1\2
if you really love a good viewfinder option the only choice is the ep2 ,the quality and eyepoint relief of the finder is superb , i would love to own it

in short any machine you get is the best........... because thats the camera that will be with you, to borrow a great comment i read at this forum some time back

Ian Tindale · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2010, 12:05:03 AM »

My previous digital was a D50 as well*, and the E-P1â€™s zoom is approximately similar range to the D50â€™s 18-55mm coverage in terms of angle of view.

I get by with the E-P1â€™s zoom, although Iâ€™ve got a m4/3 to Nikon mount adaptor, on which I use a few of my other old Nikon lenses (eg: 50mm f1.8; Kiron 30-80mm; Micro-Nikkor 55mm; knackered and abraded 20mm; and a few others Iâ€™ve not tried on it yet). I donâ€™t like manual focus on it with the old routine of open aperture, press a few buttons to get the focus, press another few buttons to get back to the levels view, forget to put the aperture back, shoot an overexposed shot, put the aperture back, shoot the final shot in which the subject has moved left and gone home. Even more tedious than when I used to use an old perspective-correction 35mm on my Nikon F4 years ago. I find the kit zoom to be superb for most of my candid shooting http://www.flickr.com/photos/iantindale/. Itâ€™s the least hassle for an adequate return.

I donâ€™t miss the D50 at all - because I still use it when I want a camera thatâ€™s not designed by software cretins, and itâ€™s right here beside me as it always was. In fact, I appreciate it all the more since my E-P1 - the E-P1 is just plain badly designed for usability - it constantly annoys me and infuriates me and I hate Olympus for it and expect them to go bankrupt and all eventually die in poverty and obscurity. However, the camera that comes with me pretty much every time is the E-P1 now (plus spare battery - thatâ€™s essential). Although, I have loaded up my Olympus Âµ[mju:]-II with a roll of Tri-X Pan a few days ago, so Iâ€™ll probably be returning to film again. However, the E-P1 is a serious enough competitor to film for me that a few months ago I stashed all my developing gear up in the attic and havenâ€™t touched it at all since I got the E-P1.
* but with several years of returning to shooting film and ignoring digital in between the D50 and the E-P1.

Delphititan · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2010, 07:54:37 AM »

Quote from: Ian Tindale on January 21, 2010, 12:05:03 AM

I donâ€™t miss the D50 at all - because I still use it when I want a camera thatâ€™s not designed by software cretins, and itâ€™s right here beside me as it always was. In fact, I appreciate it all the more since my E-P1 - the E-P1 is just plain badly designed for usability - it constantly annoys me and infuriates me and I hate Olympus for it and expect them to go bankrupt and all eventually die in poverty and obscurity. However, the camera that comes with me pretty much every time is the E-P1 now (plus spare battery - thatâ€™s essential).

Although I love my E-P1 and don't share some of the emotional angst that you have about its design, I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at your "I hate Olympus" comment. (Very, very funny.)

Thank you for the great sense of humor.

Dan

cosinaphile · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2010, 02:22:02 PM »

second the praise for the software cretins comment ............. very funny and sadly TRUE

periskop · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:14:18 AM »

Quote from: voyager on January 20, 2010, 08:16:00 PM

The 20mm is the best lens for street photography, so have you thought about getting either the E-P1 or E-P2 and the 20mm? You can sell me your D50 too.

that was also my thought. but not thinking about selling my D50, sorry

periskop · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:15:24 AM »

Quote from: cosinaphile on January 20, 2010, 09:20:27 PM

in short any machine you get is the best...........

WORD!

periskop · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:25:38 AM »

yesterday i got my hands on the Pan and the Oly and I have to say that the Pan is a cheap & ugly looking camera. The wheel on the backside up right aint as handy as OlyÂ´s. Overall, the Oly just feels better build and more handy. And to handle the menu itÂ´s up to you. No "con" at all.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions and advices. Looking forward to take my baby to Lyon and Amsterdam next month and take some nice bw pics!

Greets.

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Newbie - E-P1 / E-P2 / GF-1