Neare
Well-known
It's quite ugly IMHO.
I hate zooms, but a 9-18 zoom on a u4/3 camera was very tempting...until I found out how damn slow it is. Why can't they make these at least f/4 throughout the whole mm range?
Wiyum
Established
I think they certainly can, I just think they wanted to hit a price point that would be demonstrably lower than the 7-14mm from Panasonic, which is both wider and has the constant f/4.0. Bearing that in mind, I think they should have gotten the price even lower. $400 seems a reasonable amount to pay extra for the Panasonic.
I'm with you, I hate zooms for most use, but I find them sensible at focal lengths shorter than 24mm/e and longer than 135mm/e, two pools I play in rather infrequently.
kuzano
Veteran
Exactly... further validation
Exactly... further validation
Undermanufacture of the primes is more validation that Oly does NOT believe the primes will sell as well as the zooms in the intended market. Just about the time they ramp up the sales, the ravenous hunger for prime sales may fall flat... Or Not.
It's a tough call, but I think they won't regret the decision to point these cameras at the less serious but very hungry "bridge" market.
Please mind you that I am not denigrating the need for the primes. I'm just saying that Oly, Pana, and now Fuji are intent on scraping in all the dollars they can right now before the competition wakes up. This economy is the decisive factor. The primes will likely come, but only when the easy money gets harder to pull in.
Frankly, if it were my ship, it would be pointed in the same direction. The number of serious prime buyer may not be as small as is being manufactured for, but it's too small to steer the ship off course at this point in time.
Exactly... further validation
Undermanufacture of the primes is more validation that Oly does NOT believe the primes will sell as well as the zooms in the intended market. Just about the time they ramp up the sales, the ravenous hunger for prime sales may fall flat... Or Not.
It's a tough call, but I think they won't regret the decision to point these cameras at the less serious but very hungry "bridge" market.
Please mind you that I am not denigrating the need for the primes. I'm just saying that Oly, Pana, and now Fuji are intent on scraping in all the dollars they can right now before the competition wakes up. This economy is the decisive factor. The primes will likely come, but only when the easy money gets harder to pull in.
Frankly, if it were my ship, it would be pointed in the same direction. The number of serious prime buyer may not be as small as is being manufactured for, but it's too small to steer the ship off course at this point in time.
gavinlg
Veteran
I don't like these unlocking unfolding zoom lenses olympus are doing. The 9-18mm looks tiny and brilliant..... until you see it "unlocked" and in shooting mode. It's like 2-2.5 times the length. And it has this massive ugly inner barrel that's extended. At least this time it has a lens hood. It's a square one too.. I guess that's pretty cool.
NickTrop
Veteran
Look, y'all... this is the down market model. It's aim is at the "value" buyers of which I'm one. Of course it's not going to have all the features of the up market model. The goal of any down market model is to sell to the value buyers by offering as close to their up model camera (or whatever) in terms of functionality and feature but not so many as they *******ize the up model line's sales that has higher margins.
Mcary
Well-known
Agree!
I used to be a member of a certain Canon fan site/forum and the idea that someone would actually go out shooting without having every focal length from 17-300mm cover by zoom(s) was simply amazed most people.
hkrz
Long Life Itch
Have a look at this interview with Olympus representative, he reveals in the last 7 seconds or so, that the concept of m4/3 was to be developed down (E-PL1), and rather hasitantly admits, that m4/3 will be also developed up. This means that E-P1/2 is the middle of the range.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu4FqR1AMug
So maybe wait for a while?
Al Patterson
Ferroequinologist
I'm looking a camera I can use my FD and M mount lenses on. I view this as a digitial point and shoot one can use legacy lenses on. Sure, it lacks the manual controls one finds on the cameras we normally use, but the though of using my Summicron-C 40 as a portrait lens, and my 28 to 70 FD lens as a telephoto, combined with the price is compelling. Now, if someone wants to unload a used E-P1 or GF-1 for $500 to $600, then I'll stop considering the E-PL1...
ethics_gradient
Well-known
I'm not sure, it sounded more like he was talking about the quality of the cameras in general (Pen's will will get easier to use, and with higher image quality). Doesn't mean I don't have my fingers crossed for a more high-end version, of course!
I think used E-P1 bodies go for around $400 or so without the kit lens. Could be mistaken, I was just looking at a couple of ads/auctions.
kuzano
Veteran
Very nicely said...
Very nicely said...
And I hope what I posted before indicates that I am in full agreement here with NickTrop. We're going to be in a long line with the people wanting to move up from P&S to interchangable lenses and big sensors. After all the 4/3 sensor is "huge" compared to P&S cameras and only marginally smaller than APS-C.
And I will most likely put up the money for this down model. It's the most inexpensive way of seeing what the most current 4/3 sensor and version V processing engine is capable of producing in image quality. It's a base platform for using all the legacy lenses for which there are adaptors now made, as well as likely to be fabricated in the future. Furthermore, this model is equipped to handle the EVF that is now available, plus it may also handle a nicer EVF, should that come to pass.
I'd like to think there is an "up" model in Oly's plan, which is more advanced, or more feature rich than the e-P2. If so, buying this down model will give me the bulk of the testing and information I will need to be prepared for such an "up" model.
I am likely to pre-order on this camera and get in line for when it comes to market.
Very nicely said...
And I hope what I posted before indicates that I am in full agreement here with NickTrop. We're going to be in a long line with the people wanting to move up from P&S to interchangable lenses and big sensors. After all the 4/3 sensor is "huge" compared to P&S cameras and only marginally smaller than APS-C.
And I will most likely put up the money for this down model. It's the most inexpensive way of seeing what the most current 4/3 sensor and version V processing engine is capable of producing in image quality. It's a base platform for using all the legacy lenses for which there are adaptors now made, as well as likely to be fabricated in the future. Furthermore, this model is equipped to handle the EVF that is now available, plus it may also handle a nicer EVF, should that come to pass.
I'd like to think there is an "up" model in Oly's plan, which is more advanced, or more feature rich than the e-P2. If so, buying this down model will give me the bulk of the testing and information I will need to be prepared for such an "up" model.
I am likely to pre-order on this camera and get in line for when it comes to market.
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NickTrop
Veteran
I'm considering this camera too. However, I think I'm going with the new Samsung NX10 that's soon to be released with a 30mm (43mm equiv) fixed F2. I don't want to keep posting about this camera as I've been accused of "working for Samsung" - which I don't, of course. The main advantage is a full 14 megapixel APS-C sized sensor. It's a little larger than the 4/3's cameras but not by enough to matter. Mentioning it as if you're in the market for a camera I might check this one out. It's down to this Oly or the Samsung but I'll probably end up going with the Samsung with JUST the fixed 30mm pancake if I can get it that way. I have no intention of using the kit zoom. Another big plus in favor of the new Samsung is it has built in EVF.
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The PL1 looks like a nice camera, good value for the money, and has Manual Exposure on it.
Why did they name it after a 1960s programming language? Do you think they wrote the firmware in PL1? PL/M I could understand.
Why did they name it after a 1960s programming language? Do you think they wrote the firmware in PL1? PL/M I could understand.
kuzano
Veteran
Who on the lenses... for the Samsung...
Who on the lenses... for the Samsung...
Have there been any reasonably clear indications about who is going to Mfr the lenses for the Samsung. I thought with the clear connection on the full SLR cameras to Pentax, that the lenses would be Pentax.
However, it seems evident that the Samsung "mirrorless" camera is not going to be a Pentax mount and lenses may not come from Pentax??
Who on the lenses... for the Samsung...
Have there been any reasonably clear indications about who is going to Mfr the lenses for the Samsung. I thought with the clear connection on the full SLR cameras to Pentax, that the lenses would be Pentax.
However, it seems evident that the Samsung "mirrorless" camera is not going to be a Pentax mount and lenses may not come from Pentax??
NickTrop
Veteran
No, it's a new mount and the lenses will likely be manufactured by Samsung. However, Samsung has an optional K-mount adapter that will available at launch. An M mount is also rumored. I'm not too concerned about who the manufacturer of the lens will be. In this day in age, it's hard to tell who the manufacturer of a lens really is, even if it has the name on it. An example is those "Leica" lenses for the Panasonics. I doubt (could be mistaken) that Leica had much to do with it other than collect the check for Panasonic to use their name. Panasonic has its own optical production capabilities and has been a respected in the pro broadcast market, not to mention consumer video market for years. I'm sure the Samsung lens will be a capable performer. Samsung is cutting ties with Pentax on this one. It's probably a good thing. If Samsung produces the cameras I would rather pay less for the same camera than have the Pentax badge on it. Same holds true for the lens. A point to consider - and I don't know the answer, but are the Pentax DSLRs "really" Pentax DSLRS? Or are they rebadged - and more expensive, "Samsung" DSLRs? Most people think it's the other way around, that Samsungs are really rebadged Pentaxes. I'm inclined to think it's the other way around.
Paul T.
Veteran
I thought the throat was too small on this camera for M mount lenses to work?
Kevin
Rainbow Bridge
LTM could just possibly work - according to statements made on this blog:
Leica Lens Adapter for NX10?
So Cosina discontinues LTM and muchos fotografos "upgrade" to m-mount only to find out that they cannot use m-mout on this new EVIL camera but LTM might just work. Such much irony eh?
I'm glad I invested in and kept my 4 LTM lenses, especially the 50mm Nokton 1.5 !
Leica Lens Adapter for NX10?
So Cosina discontinues LTM and muchos fotografos "upgrade" to m-mount only to find out that they cannot use m-mout on this new EVIL camera but LTM might just work. Such much irony eh?
I'm glad I invested in and kept my 4 LTM lenses, especially the 50mm Nokton 1.5 !
quietmouse
45 rpm-100 iso-15 ips
Here is a list of e-pl1 sample images made with the final firmware if anyone is interested.
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusepl1/page5.asp
They look pretty impressive to me. Some nice wide-angle shots.
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusepl1/page5.asp
They look pretty impressive to me. Some nice wide-angle shots.
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pvdhaar
Peter
From what I can surmise, the E-PL1 is a lot more affordable than the other two Olympus Pen models. I'd certainly give it serious consideration if the P&S I have now would give up the ghost (and it's making quite weird high pitched hissing noises at the moment, which are neither the VR nor the flash circuitry)..
Al Patterson
Ferroequinologist
$400 for a used EP-1 would be a decent price, but I'd like at least one actual 4/3 lens until I sort out which adapters I'd need. I'll check the usual auction sites.