Epson or Olympus?

[Huck Finn]

I'm toying with the idea of adding a digital option to my photography. I currently own a Zeiss Ikon with a handful of ZM & VM lenses. This is what I'm looking at as my options:

1. Epson so I can still use all my lenses.

2. Olympus 4/3 because it's compact. I would probably not make use of my existing lenses her because the adapters are expensive enough that I might as well just invest an Olympus lens or two which are very good in their own right.

3. Wait for new technology - maybe a digital ZM which would hopefully be full frames

Any thoughts? I probably won't be making a decision for another month so I can see what news comes out of Photokina. But I am surveying the landscape now.

Thanks & cheers to all!

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I can't give specific advice, but I can tell you what I have found. I'm pretty well welded onto B&W film but I can see the advantages of having a digital option. So I waited until the m43 cameras appeared. Didn't much like the idea of the EP1 as it had no EVF and went for a GF1 instead. With the 14-45 kit zoom, so it was 'versatile'. And anyway I had a 40mm full frame Nokton for the R3A so it didn't make sense to replicate that focal length only with the 20/1.7.
Image quality straight out of the camera is very good.
The EVF is better than no VF but it's not all that wonderful. My old Nikon is better.
The body is nearly as compact as my M6 but with the zoom attached I might just as well carry my Nikon SLR as far as size goes. Not convenient at all. I can carry the M6 and one of the Bessas in the space the GF1 and zoom take up.
Tried an M-adaptor so I could use my M-mount lenses and got very frustrated with the menu and manual interfaces. Slow and clunky for me. Not intuitive.

Upshot? Bearing in mind my main interest is B&W and that colour and digital are secondary options for me, today I would make a different decision. I'd get a Panasonic LX5. Due out about now.

 

[jerdjets]

I have 2 digital bodies, an M8 and GF1. I don't really use my M lens on GF1, they always seems too long and they can't do close focus. If I were you, I'd go for the epson.

 

[thegman]

Out of those two, I'd get the Epson. I don't like the manual focusing on a screen, and the optional EVF for me is a bit of a kludge. You could look at the Panasonic G1 or G2, the built in EVF is very good, and does not pop up like a periscope like on the EP-2 or GF-1, just begging to be snapped off.

 

[djonesii]

the complament, not replace

the complament, not replace

For me, I have not found a substitute for rangefinders.

You can argue till your blue in the face, but, I find rangefinders harder to use that auto focus, and RF manual harder than a SLR with a micro-prism ring. YMMV, it's just me.

That said, when I take the time, and the effort, in certain setting, the Epson just sings. The above paragraph is what keeps me from getting an M8/9.

On the other hand, as a travel rig with some occasional street shooting tossed in, either the Oly EP 1/L1/2 or the Pany G1/G2 are excellent. I have the EP-1 and the G1 both have their place. Either can replace my D300 for travel.

Dave

 

[jsrockit]

Olympus E-P2 body with a Panasonic 20mm lens is a very nice combo...

 

[Krosya]

The way I see it - if you love RF - get Epson - it's a great and fun camera. The way I see RF experience - my M and LTM lenses are only good on true RF camera - everything else is just to play around. If I want to use SLR lens - I use an SLR camera. Not something that was adopted and re-adopted. Same with Rf lenses and cameras. I'm not saying that this is the way - but it's MY way. Thats why I have Epson for the DRF, and also DSLR and Digital P&S camera - all have their own functions based on my needs. So. I say - evaluate what you want to use it for and go with an appropriate camera.