So far behind the curve, can’t even see the curve.

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zuiko85

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Never been a new adopter but this is crazy. Just bought an Olympus E-PL1 from KEH. How many digital years is that? I still have and use a Pen F from about 1965 and wanted to try my Pen mount Zuikos on a digital camera. At about $50 I figured it was cheap enough.
 
I had (and regret selling) an e-p3. Those 12MP sensors on the early digital pens were perfectly fine.

Get the Oly 17mm f2.8 pancake. The af is a bit clunky but it's a perfect match for those early digital pens
 
All my m43 were gotten as bargains.

I purchased an EPL2 new with its kit lens for 200€ in 2012 and it's still going strong, IIRC it is the same sensor as in the EPL1. A year ago I purchased a Lumix 35-100 f2.8 from a film surf photographer that sold it for a song. Recently acquiring an EM5 mk I (2012 model) with a 14-150, grips, and other accessories, lightly used from an estate sale; for less that amount.



The 35-100 is fantastic on the EM5. I find myself not using it that often as am quite film based nowadays but it is a delight.
 
Yep. Still have an original EP1 kit with the 17/2.8 and finder. Haven't used it in years but it was pretty nice at the time.
 
ka7197 said:
Your old Pen-F-mount Zuiko lenses from the 1960s won't fit the Micro-Fourthirds mount of the E-PL1 camera. You'll need an adapter such as, for example, this one (not affiliated with the seller; this just happens to be the first I stumbled across when googling for it):

https://www.kentfaith.com/m43-lens-...f-lenses-to-micro-four-thirds-pf-m4-3-adapter
Click to expand...

Yep, already ordered and received from an ebay vendor. Depending on how that works out will probably order OM and M42 mount adapters also.
These not in high demand older digital cameras seem to be quite a bargain.
Another item I think will be useful is a hood/magnifier for the rear screen.
 
Well, it showed up. A preliminary look indicates manual focusing will be problematic, the rear screen is too crude at 230K dots. I've rigged up a temporary enclosed magnifier eyepiece and with that and magnified screen view manual focusing should be possible. So....I think it will end up permanently mounted as a Q&D rig to photograph negatives of several sizes, 1/2 frame most likely. I have a 55mm f2.8 macro Vivitar that can focus down to 1:1 in a M42 mount so I'll get an adapter for that mount. Ah, too bad, I had higher hopes.
Might be necessary to spring for a more modern mirrorless such as a OMD EM5 body. I've seen them for about $300 at KEH and a little more ay B&H.


Moving just a bit more along the curve.
 
Oh oh. This is how it starts, like a virus.

Your thread title reminds me of my favorite book, "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me" by Richard Farina. It was his one and only book. After writing it, he promptly fell off the back of a motorcycle and died leaving a party to celebrate the book going hard cover. So let that be a lesson to us all. Highly recommend it. It's like Candide or 1984 in a sense. Every year or two I like to go and re read those. Good stuff. I do that w/ cameras too. Or I used to. Now I just have this Retina 1a and a Nikon SLR w/ a 135 lens for portraits, and those do it all.

You're right about old digital camera prices. A perfectly usable and very good Nikon D50 goes for something like 50 bucks now. I honestly can't see any difference between those and the newest DSLRs in terms of image IQ.
 
If you’re still considering alternatives suited to 18x24 format, APSC is the digital match. I didn’t mention this earlier when you were committed to the old EP1.

I have an FT, 40/1.4, and 25/2.8. I bought a Sony Nex 6 for digital use. Good EVF with diopter, a screen with far better resolution than 1st gen M43.

A few samples with the 40/1.4

med_U45148I1549661084.SEQ.4.jpg



med_U45148I1549860693.SEQ.2.jpg


I no longer use Fuji XE/XPro, but those camera bodies offer manual speed settings as well as dioptric VF. In your situation, I’d jump ahead on that curve with an APSC body where the sensor matches the FOV the lenses have on the original Pen.

Good luck with the quest.
 
zuiko85 said:
Well, it showed up. A preliminary look indicates manual focusing will be problematic, the rear screen is too crude at 230K dots. I've rigged up a temporary enclosed magnifier eyepiece and with that and magnified screen view manual focusing should be possible. So....I think it will end up permanently mounted as a Q&D rig to photograph negatives of several sizes, 1/2 frame most likely. I have a 55mm f2.8 macro Vivitar that can focus down to 1:1 in a M42 mount so I'll get an adapter for that mount. Ah, too bad, I had higher hopes.
Might be necessary to spring for a more modern mirrorless such as a OMD EM5 body. I've seen them for about $300 at KEH and a little more ay B&H.


Moving just a bit more along the curve.
Click to expand...

I would return it. If you want to scan film w it you need to be able to focus on the grain. W a 230k screen I dont think u can. Em 10 mkII is now under $200 I think.
 
I still have and use an E-PL2 and think its not a bad camera. In fact is is very nice though its lacking in some departments by comparison with the latest crop of M4/3 cameras (no eye level finder -EVF - unless you buy the accessory electronic viewfinder for the hot shoe - which I did; and it lacks image stabilization and focus peaking. Its auto focusing is a little tardy by the latest standards but entirely usable). Overall it works fine with both M4/3 lenses and vintage lenses plus an adapter. Though I would struggle to use mine well without an eye level EVF.

I seldom get rid of older cameras as I have found to my cost that when I do I regret it and sometimes even go out and buy another one of the same - just for the nostalgia.

BTW zuiko85 one area you may struggle with is Olympus' menu system (if you can call it a system). I found mine to be quirky though this improves as you get used to it. There is a feature which allows you quick access to a kind of favorites menu. I would suggest enabling this assuming the E-PL1 has it.
 
Decided to go up market. I’m returning this one and buying a OMD EM10 in ex condition. Crazy thing is the missus didn’t hit the roof, as in; “Another camera?” It was more like, “Okay dear, if that is what you need, you should get it.”
I’m usually a real cheap bottom feeder when it comes to this hobby. Got to loosen up a bit I guess. Might even spring for a panic-sonic 20mm f1.7 if I decide to try autofocus.
 
zuiko85 said:
.. Might even spring for a panic-sonic 20mm f1.7 if I decide to try autofocus.
Click to expand...

When I first got my em10 mk2 I bought adapters thinking I was going to rock my mf lenses. I then bought an AF lens meant for the camera and have not looked back. It just works so much better, gets better results and is way quicker to use.
I would opt for an Oly AF lens over the Panasonic, as from what I researched they work better on Oly bodies. Even tho I also use a Pana 12-32.. (my Oly lenses focus better)
 
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