Guest Commentary from Karl at Olympus, who doubles as a photographer in his spare time.
I have recently become the proud owner of an Olympus E-PL1 micro four thirds mirror less interchangeable lens compact. That’s a lot of words for a small camera, so I’ll just call it my ‘Pen’, its easy to use and small enough to fit in my pocket, so I like the name ‘Pen’.
I have always been an Olympus fan (hence my decision to join the company); my first camera was a 35mm Trip and my current camera is an E3. I chose it because it’s robust, almost waterproof and delivers the colours and sharpness that I demand (you see, I lead a double life as a photographer by trade). But it’s a big camera, especially with the battery grip that has become a permanent fixture on my E3. So when I was given the Pen, I initially found it uncomfortably small and as a result I seldom used it. Then last month I was required to go to Malaysia on a business trip and needed to travel light. I reluctantly left my trusty E3 at home and packed the Pen into my carry-on luggage wondering whether I would later regret my decision. Boy was I wrong!
The first thing that amazed me was the freedom it gave me. On one particularly warm day, I hired one of those colourful motorbikes that Malaysia is famous for, and went on a private photographic expedition through the fascinating nearby villages. As the camera was able to slide easily into a small bag I never felt as though I was carrying it with me. It also gave me the freedom to shoot subjects that I may have been prevented from shooting if I had had the larger and more “professional-looking” camera with me. Fishermen and village children were not intimidated as they may have been by the E3 and they happily posed for the smaller Pen. Candid street shots were also far easier for obvious reasons. I was rapidly becoming a convert.
The second thing that amazed me was the quality of the jpegs. I had read a Review that raved about the Pen’s straight out of the camera jpegs, but I was amazed that they were just as good as those I expected from my E3, bright, punchy and with tons of detail. And when I wanted those brilliant Malaysian landscapes to appear a little punchier and saturated I engaged the “i-Enhance” picture mode and the results were fantastic.
Then I
began to experiment with the art modes. There are six of them in the E-PL1 and while they may appear a little ‘gimmicky’ at first, each one mimics a return to some filter or process that was used with 35mm analogue photography. Ask six friends which their favourite filter is and you will get six different answers. I’m addicted and never thought I would be, what I love is the creativity straight out of the camera, no need for post capture editing! And I can video in HD using the art modes.
From sceptic to fan in one week, that’s my story and I suggest you make the conversion too. Will I give up on my trusty E3? Never, I love it and the results it continues to give me. But when I’m out for the day with friends and family, and I don’t want to lug the DSLR along, I now know that I can get the image quality I expect in a package that’s small, light, creative and reliable. And, I’ve just heard that the E-PL1 has picked up the coveted TIPA award as the "Best Compact System Camera Entry Level", proof that the E-PL1 has won over a number of fans out there.
I have recently become the proud owner of an Olympus E-PL1 micro four thirds mirror less interchangeable lens compact. That’s a lot of words for a small camera, so I’ll just call it my ‘Pen’, its easy to use and small enough to fit in my pocket, so I like the name ‘Pen’.
I have always been an Olympus fan (hence my decision to join the company); my first camera was a 35mm Trip and my current camera is an E3. I chose it because it’s robust, almost waterproof and delivers the colours and sharpness that I demand (you see, I lead a double life as a photographer by trade). But it’s a big camera, especially with the battery grip that has become a permanent fixture on my E3. So when I was given the Pen, I initially found it uncomfortably small and as a result I seldom used it. Then last month I was required to go to Malaysia on a business trip and needed to travel light. I reluctantly left my trusty E3 at home and packed the Pen into my carry-on luggage wondering whether I would later regret my decision. Boy was I wrong!
The first thing that amazed me was the freedom it gave me. On one particularly warm day, I hired one of those colourful motorbikes that Malaysia is famous for, and went on a private photographic expedition through the fascinating nearby villages. As the camera was able to slide easily into a small bag I never felt as though I was carrying it with me. It also gave me the freedom to shoot subjects that I may have been prevented from shooting if I had had the larger and more “professional-looking” camera with me. Fishermen and village children were not intimidated as they may have been by the E3 and they happily posed for the smaller Pen. Candid street shots were also far easier for obvious reasons. I was rapidly becoming a convert.
The second thing that amazed me was the quality of the jpegs. I had read a Review that raved about the Pen’s straight out of the camera jpegs, but I was amazed that they were just as good as those I expected from my E3, bright, punchy and with tons of detail. And when I wanted those brilliant Malaysian landscapes to appear a little punchier and saturated I engaged the “i-Enhance” picture mode and the results were fantastic.
Then I
began to experiment with the art modes. There are six of them in the E-PL1 and while they may appear a little ‘gimmicky’ at first, each one mimics a return to some filter or process that was used with 35mm analogue photography. Ask six friends which their favourite filter is and you will get six different answers. I’m addicted and never thought I would be, what I love is the creativity straight out of the camera, no need for post capture editing! And I can video in HD using the art modes.From sceptic to fan in one week, that’s my story and I suggest you make the conversion too. Will I give up on my trusty E3? Never, I love it and the results it continues to give me. But when I’m out for the day with friends and family, and I don’t want to lug the DSLR along, I now know that I can get the image quality I expect in a package that’s small, light, creative and reliable. And, I’ve just heard that the E-PL1 has picked up the coveted TIPA award as the "Best Compact System Camera Entry Level", proof that the E-PL1 has won over a number of fans out there.
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