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Author Topic: Olympus Pen EP-1  (Read 1627 times)

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Offline JWC

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Olympus Pen EP-1
« on: November 01, 2013, 11:14:03 am »
Though I probably shouldn't have spent the money, I bought a used Olympus Pen E-P1 from Keh for $100.  Instead of buying one with a lens, I bought a body and a lens adapter so I can use the manual focus OM system lenses I have.  (I also bought an adapter for Minolta MD lenses since adapters are cheap.)  For the past couple of days, I've been taking and deleting photos. 

So far, I'm quite happy.  I was tired of carrying around the Mamiya 645AFD along with a Canon 5D.  I rarely shoot digital for personal use and wanted something lighter because of my back problems.  The Olympus Pen seems to fit the bill for a high end P&S. It operates with very little shutter lag and seems to be on par with Olympus DSLR's that actually use the same sensor.  Using the adapters causes some DoF issues and I lose about a stop. The crop factor is 2X so a 50mm is closer to 100mm.

Once the weather calms down some, I'll take more but for now, this is a studio shot.  Studio strobe with remote triggers.



Resizing for the web loses some detail, but it is very sharp even with this lens and adapter.  The mug is my favorite....was my favorite mug. I bought it when I worked for a Benz dealership in 1995.  I was drying it by hand last week and the handle snapped off. I'll glue it back together and use it to hold pencils for now on.
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline 12,000 RPM

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2013, 11:32:56 am »
MFT is interesting. If I ever went that route, this would be it. I am loving my NEX-C3 though. It's like a toy, but it takes great pictures.
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Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2013, 08:22:23 am »
I shot my daughter's cap & gown head shots for her college grad announcements.  During the session, I took about ten shots with the Pen as an experiment.  I actually prefer them.  I haven't seen prints from the Pen's files so I didn't use it exclusively.  But, if WYSIWYG, I will next time.  People will just have to get used to the fact it isn't the camera but the photographer.
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline 12,000 RPM

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2013, 02:54:51 pm »
Which 5D do you have? If it's the OG I can see why you would like the EP-1 better. Expensive body though!!! The EP-1 + 2.8 standard zoom cost more than the new Sony NEX full frame + kit lens. A little crazy IMO, but the better platform if you need reach.
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Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2013, 03:27:21 pm »
I have a 5D MkI, but I prefer a 30D for studio work, but when I get a 85mm portrait lens, I'll probably retire it to backup.  I use filters on the strobes to calm down the skin tones.  I feel they are a little bit on the cold side with digital, especially older cameras.

A lot of prosumers and retail photographers fail to appreciate the original 5D. The old "gotta have the newest thing" syndrome.  A lot of us feel the colors are truer than the software of the MKII and III. If the II hadn't had movie mode, most probably wouldn't have bought the hype and replaced their MkI.  If I get another FF body, it will probably be the 6D. 

The Pen has warm skin tones.  Very complimentary to the subject. Unfortunately, the IQ isn't up to my standards for some other work.  Of course, that may just be me figuring out the different format.  But, as I said, the truth is in the prints.  I have a feeling that an 8x10 will be fine, 11x14 might be passable.  Anything larger....who knows?

When you posted here before about what camera to buy, I said then if I could shoot weddings with a Pen, I'd do it. Customers just expect that big ass, heavy DSLR.  Otherwise, they believe they are getting cheated.  I asked customer once if she wanted any B&W for her daughter's wedding.  I had to know up front, because B&W was (and still is for me) hand processed and more expensive. If she wanted any B&W, I had to increase the price. Her reply was to accuse me of trying to cheat her by using black and white instead of color film.

It was that kind of attitude that took me away from retail photography and more to commercial photography.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2013, 03:29:00 pm by JWC »
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2013, 09:17:25 pm »
Btw, I'll be out of touch for a couple of days.  I go in for back surgery tomorrow.  I assume I will return safely. ...LOL.
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline 12,000 RPM

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2013, 11:17:55 am »
Speedy recovery dude.

I just had a huge epiphany stemming from some DPR forum... "debates". I thought the exposure triangle was format dependent. Turns out its not. IQ advantage in format jumps is also not that big of a deal, at least to the naked eye. Point being, it is starting to seem to me like FF's only advantage is razor thin DOF wide open, which turns into a disadvantage when you need the speed but deep DOF as well.

Point being, for general shooting, smaller sensors seem like the more logical way to go, especially considering the advances and technology that can be put onto smaller sensors vs big ones. If the E-P1 can generate images that are to your standards, FUCK the FF bodies.
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Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2013, 02:42:13 pm »
I don't want to get into my feelings very much, but I stopped going to DPR years ago because I didn't agree with a lot of what was being promoted as "must have", "highest quality" etc. I've read a lot of misinformation on those forums.  For such reading, I prefer Luminous Landscape.

I've won awards with photographs from my 5D, 30D, 10D, and my daughter's Rebel XS.  I let others worry about megapixels and such. I just keep on working. 

Heck, in a side-by-side comparison, with the client not knowing which was which, they have almost always preferred a wet print from film over a digital b&w print.

Also, keep in mind that a print will be viewed from an average distance of four or five feet. You'll never see a difference at that range.
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2013, 12:12:47 am »
Speaking of graduation.....my daughter.  Next stop grad school.

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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline Laconian

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2013, 12:20:59 am »
Good genes!
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Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2013, 12:31:35 am »
Quote from: Laconian on November 10, 2013, 12:20:59 am
Good genes!

Yeah...mom's.  LOL.

Her major is environmental health sciences.   I would never have imagined that she would enjoy traveling around the county taking water samples etc.
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals

Offline Rupert

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2013, 01:40:17 am »
Good major!
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Offline JWC

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Re: Olympus Pen EP-1
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2013, 02:45:24 pm »
Well I'm off to senior graduation dinner tonight.  Graduation Saturday morning.



*Well, that was fun until I had it out with the inlaws.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2013, 06:35:51 pm by JWC »
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I believe everything that man just said---because it was exactly what I wanted to hear.  Space Ghost


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!  ~Ted Grant

Art should be vulnerable....images should be about what something feels like as well as what it looks like. Duane Michals
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