Avotius
Some guy
the silver black one is better then I had hoped, and at a suggested price of 750 dollars it is a little bit more within sanity, about the same price as a new old stock Canon 40D here in China now. Very compelling.
majid
Fazal Majid
Amazon has the various kits up for preorder already. It's kind of amusing DPReview (which is now owned by Amazon) mentions "Unfortunately none of our merchants are currently listing this product".
$699 for the body alone, $799 with the zoom, and $899 with the pancake.
$699 for the body alone, $799 with the zoom, and $899 with the pancake.
FrozenInTime
Well-known
The MTF figures for the 17mm lens - seem to show that it's a bit of a compromise - not quite as good with fine detail as the 25 f/2.8 ( which itself is not that good ). I hope the chromatic abberation has been bettered.
Never mind I've ordered one anyway - as I find the E420 + 25 is certainly not pocket size and I sold my GRD-II in anticipation of this launch last month.
Never mind I've ordered one anyway - as I find the E420 + 25 is certainly not pocket size and I sold my GRD-II in anticipation of this launch last month.
Attachments
"Computerized focal-plane shutter"
Prices
(Body only) • US: $749
• UK: £599
• EU: €749
Prices (with 14-42mm) • US: $799
• UK: £699
• EU: €749
Prices (with 17mm pancake + viewfinder) • US: $899
• UK: £749
• EU: €849
kywong
Established
woo, cheaper than rumoured, hooray!
AJShepherd
Well-known
That cuts it, I'm buying one of these at the earliest available opportunity.
Wiyum
Established
Well, I think I can say that I probably won't get one, but that I'll almost certainly get either the next generation Olympus Pen or the rumored Panasonic ultracompact m43 camera. If this were in black and had true multi-aspect, I think I'd be sold.
All that said, it appears to be the camera I've been looking for, I'm anxious to hear about more glass, and I have to give Olympus respect for their "go big or go home" approach to retro styling. Say what you will about the two models (I think the silver/black actually looks good... the other not so much), but they get the look right. They also got the style right with all of the accessories. When was the last time a non-rangefinder camera launched with OEM Everready cases (which reminds me... after making the black one look good, they couldn't do a black everready case to match)?
Finally, a note on desired glass: I'd love to see a 10, 12, 25, 45, and a 12-25 zoom.
Oh, and am I the only person that is glad the VF is available for those that want it, but wishes the camera could be had in the prime kit without it to save money?
All that said, it appears to be the camera I've been looking for, I'm anxious to hear about more glass, and I have to give Olympus respect for their "go big or go home" approach to retro styling. Say what you will about the two models (I think the silver/black actually looks good... the other not so much), but they get the look right. They also got the style right with all of the accessories. When was the last time a non-rangefinder camera launched with OEM Everready cases (which reminds me... after making the black one look good, they couldn't do a black everready case to match)?
Finally, a note on desired glass: I'd love to see a 10, 12, 25, 45, and a 12-25 zoom.
Oh, and am I the only person that is glad the VF is available for those that want it, but wishes the camera could be had in the prime kit without it to save money?
Matus
Well-known
looks potentially interesting - could replace my Oly XA as a "take me everywhere" camera, but f2.8 is bit too slow for a camera with a 2x crop factor. I guess the DOF will be comparable with f5.6 on FF. But still - interesting and much better than other P&S.
Still I would say that the development of compact digital cameras starts to go in an interesting direction after all these years.
Still I would say that the development of compact digital cameras starts to go in an interesting direction after all these years.
theprez
Newbie
but no all-black version...yet
but no all-black version...yet
I know the silver/black colour nicely continues the Olympus Pen livery, and the white/brown one will appeal to many (especially female) customers, but I think a basic all-black version is a must, with a black 17mm. A lot more stealth (and masculine) than white.
I'm guessing there'll be more colour options on the way after the initial launch. Plus the aftermarket accessory makers will have a field day with this model, so a black half-case/eveready case and various L-brackets and viewfinders won't be far away. A workable M-Mount adapter would be even more fun for those with Leica or CV glass.
But why, oh why is the LCD so low-res when the norm these days is at least twice that? Something to use as a excuse for an upgrade a year from now I suppose.
This is turning out to be an interesting new camera year.
but no all-black version...yet
I know the silver/black colour nicely continues the Olympus Pen livery, and the white/brown one will appeal to many (especially female) customers, but I think a basic all-black version is a must, with a black 17mm. A lot more stealth (and masculine) than white.
I'm guessing there'll be more colour options on the way after the initial launch. Plus the aftermarket accessory makers will have a field day with this model, so a black half-case/eveready case and various L-brackets and viewfinders won't be far away. A workable M-Mount adapter would be even more fun for those with Leica or CV glass.
But why, oh why is the LCD so low-res when the norm these days is at least twice that? Something to use as a excuse for an upgrade a year from now I suppose.
This is turning out to be an interesting new camera year.
jdvf
Established
Looks nice. (I am referring to the camera not to the TV commercial...)
Now I am curious how easy the handling with MF lenses will be.
Greg
Now I am curious how easy the handling with MF lenses will be.
Greg
aizan
Veteran
af speed has me worried. dpreview said the beta was kinda blah, like the sigmas.
Avotius
Some guy
I too am surprised Olympus decided to use a low resolution LCD on the back of this camera since that is all you go to work with if you dont have the viewfinder. The norm now is at least double or triple what they have stuck in there, which really does make a difference if you have ever used one one of those high resolution screens.
Also initial response about sluggish AF is a bad sign and all we can do it hope it is just a beta test thing and not the final word.
Also initial response about sluggish AF is a bad sign and all we can do it hope it is just a beta test thing and not the final word.
kywong
Established
I read that too, it is worrying, but hopefully they'll sort it out before the release. If Oly went through all the effort to ensure it ticks all the boxes in terms of design and handling, I don't think they'll let something so important slip when G1 (I've read) has proved that it is indeed possible to build a m4/3 camera that focuses fairly quick.
Avotius
Some guy
I can confirm that, the panasonic g1's auto focus was very very responsive and when the light got bad it was still comparable with any other dslr I have used. I too would have a hard time believing that Olympus would go through all this trouble then totally drop the ball on the fundamentals.
Timmy P
Established
Ahhhh, as I predicted earlier, Oly wouldn't have the awesome screen of the Panasonic G1. This is definitely the weakness of their own company, considering that Panasonic makes Professional movie cameras & thus has access to far superior LCD screens & EVF's.
It will be curious to see how much difference there is between the two screens, but the Panasonic has literally twice as many dots. I have several non photographinh friends exclaim that the rear LCD of the panasonic is awesome.
And the lack of inbuilt flash kinda kills it. It's not d700 low light calibre so it's hard to justify why they didn't include it. Styling yeah blah blah, but the market it's geared towards, would want inbuilt flash. I was pretty set on getting the Pen but now it seems like it's better to keep the G1 for it's benefits & just scoop up the pancake lens. The pen's smaller, but not THAT much smaller.
Honestly I think the benefits of the G1 outweigh the Pen at the moment. By all means I think the next Pen will include a built in flash. But for the time being other than it's size, it aint got much.
Anyone know when/how much the Panacake will be once it's released on its own?
It will be curious to see how much difference there is between the two screens, but the Panasonic has literally twice as many dots. I have several non photographinh friends exclaim that the rear LCD of the panasonic is awesome.
And the lack of inbuilt flash kinda kills it. It's not d700 low light calibre so it's hard to justify why they didn't include it. Styling yeah blah blah, but the market it's geared towards, would want inbuilt flash. I was pretty set on getting the Pen but now it seems like it's better to keep the G1 for it's benefits & just scoop up the pancake lens. The pen's smaller, but not THAT much smaller.
Honestly I think the benefits of the G1 outweigh the Pen at the moment. By all means I think the next Pen will include a built in flash. But for the time being other than it's size, it aint got much.
Anyone know when/how much the Panacake will be once it's released on its own?
Avotius
Some guy
This Pen just came out today and people are already talking about the next one.
Timmy P
Established
Well, Panasonic introduced a newer G1H 2 months after they brought out the G1, so I don't think it's unreasonable. Speculation is Panasonic has it's own pen like body coming out too.
I'm talking about the next one because, frankly, this one isn't that great. Cool but flawed in many ways. If Panasonic & Oly joined teams, now, then, they'd have a complete product. But at the moment, they're both about half way there.
I'm talking about the next one because, frankly, this one isn't that great. Cool but flawed in many ways. If Panasonic & Oly joined teams, now, then, they'd have a complete product. But at the moment, they're both about half way there.
historicist
Well-known
I wouldn't go so far as to say it is flawed, in many ways it seems like an excellent, well thought out camera.
I'm quite surprised that they left the flash out mainly because the mass market expects one built in (it doesn't really bother me, or I imagine most RFF users, who use flash rarely), but there probably isn't enough space for the charging capacitor in the body (which is fairly large even on a tiny compact, much larger than the flash tube). They did manage to make the accessory flash way uglier than it could have been, though.
The only thing they seem to have really got wrong is the low resolution LCD on a camera which depends on the LCD for manual focus, and, apparently, has slow enough AF to make manual focus useful in a lot of situations. Further, since the manual focus is fly by wire and the lens has no distance scale presetting focus as you might on a DP1 or DP2 is more awkward.
But apart from that they got a lot right:
+ all metal body, classic design, small size
+ two control dials
+ in body IS
+ uses regular strap lugs (maybe its just me, but it really annoys me when I can't use a normal strap)
+ iso up to 6400, seemingly at decent quality
- slow af in low light
- low res lcd
While it's not perfect, the best thing about the EP1 is that Olympus haven't simply gone for the lowest common denominator, but made a camera which really shows the size advantages of micro 43rd over the DLSR and gives people the option of a small but high quality second camera. The G1, however great in other ways, didn't really do that.
I'm quite surprised that they left the flash out mainly because the mass market expects one built in (it doesn't really bother me, or I imagine most RFF users, who use flash rarely), but there probably isn't enough space for the charging capacitor in the body (which is fairly large even on a tiny compact, much larger than the flash tube). They did manage to make the accessory flash way uglier than it could have been, though.
The only thing they seem to have really got wrong is the low resolution LCD on a camera which depends on the LCD for manual focus, and, apparently, has slow enough AF to make manual focus useful in a lot of situations. Further, since the manual focus is fly by wire and the lens has no distance scale presetting focus as you might on a DP1 or DP2 is more awkward.
But apart from that they got a lot right:
+ all metal body, classic design, small size
+ two control dials
+ in body IS
+ uses regular strap lugs (maybe its just me, but it really annoys me when I can't use a normal strap)
+ iso up to 6400, seemingly at decent quality
- slow af in low light
- low res lcd
While it's not perfect, the best thing about the EP1 is that Olympus haven't simply gone for the lowest common denominator, but made a camera which really shows the size advantages of micro 43rd over the DLSR and gives people the option of a small but high quality second camera. The G1, however great in other ways, didn't really do that.
Timmy P
Established
True, but remember that the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. Something that is cured by a viewfinder or EVF. While the 17 f2.8 has an external finder, you still have to switch back & worth between the LCD & the finder to check settings. Seems like a PITA.
This problem could be cured by having a distance scale on the lens to set hyper focal, however this can't be accomplished since there is no distance scale. This is a bit of a pet peeve with ALL of these types of lenses now days though. It's really pretty poor when they leave them off, it isn't that hard to paint them on. Nikon, Canon etc all do it. Stop please! Then again the DOF at 17mm should be quite adequate anyway. But it's still frustrating.
I was just hoping for some form of a Contax g2 like camera. The Finder was a bit crappy, but it was there. I'm hoping either Panasonic or Oly will eventually release one. Or at least for Oly to shrink that damm external flash. That thing looks huge! The g'2s was a much nicer size.
Again, I think both Panasonic & Oly have shown off the capabilities of m4/3 but neither have really touched base on everything. It'll be interesting to see if Panasonics rumoured compact body resembles a RF or their Lx3 line. Eitherway I suspect their LCD/viewfinder implementation will be superior to Oly because they have their video camera skills behind them.
For everyones information, the 17 f2.8 is 40,000 Yen, which is the same price as the oly 25 f2.8. Nice. How ever due to the stronger yen I think it'll sell a little higher than the 25 f2.8 does. Might scoop up both if I can ever find that damm 4/3 to M4/3 adapter that panasonic makes. Haven't seen it anywhere in Australia.
This problem could be cured by having a distance scale on the lens to set hyper focal, however this can't be accomplished since there is no distance scale. This is a bit of a pet peeve with ALL of these types of lenses now days though. It's really pretty poor when they leave them off, it isn't that hard to paint them on. Nikon, Canon etc all do it. Stop please! Then again the DOF at 17mm should be quite adequate anyway. But it's still frustrating.
I was just hoping for some form of a Contax g2 like camera. The Finder was a bit crappy, but it was there. I'm hoping either Panasonic or Oly will eventually release one. Or at least for Oly to shrink that damm external flash. That thing looks huge! The g'2s was a much nicer size.
Again, I think both Panasonic & Oly have shown off the capabilities of m4/3 but neither have really touched base on everything. It'll be interesting to see if Panasonics rumoured compact body resembles a RF or their Lx3 line. Eitherway I suspect their LCD/viewfinder implementation will be superior to Oly because they have their video camera skills behind them.
For everyones information, the 17 f2.8 is 40,000 Yen, which is the same price as the oly 25 f2.8. Nice. How ever due to the stronger yen I think it'll sell a little higher than the 25 f2.8 does. Might scoop up both if I can ever find that damm 4/3 to M4/3 adapter that panasonic makes. Haven't seen it anywhere in Australia.