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Showing the E-P1 some love...

Terry

New member
Since my GF1 is off at a modeling gig at RRS and is the muse for the upcoming L- Bracket and I hadn't really touched the Pen for a while (like since Iceland) I decided to give it some love and to see if I could love it back.

After a grey drizzly start to the AM we got a glorious San Francisco afternoon so I decided I really needed to go out and shoot. I hadn't been to the Legion of Honor in quite a long while....This museum has some gorgeous artwork but on a nice day the surroundings steal the show.



Looking over towards the Marin Headlands and you can just barely see the Bonita Point Lighthouse


The Museum is surrounded by the Lincoln Park Golf Course which is a city municipal course (San Francisco is a great city!) Loved the deep shadow from above. Looks good in B&W but wanted the whole series in color


Time to head inside for some culture




OK enough.....back out






My new test shot spot....Just moved from the tall building into my new digs. I can only test m4/3 cameras as it is too hard the other big stuff out the living room window


Well, the upshot of all this is I still don't get on well with the user interface. So, look for this Pen in the buy/sell forum....

terry
 

Joan

New member
Well, you may not care for the UI, Terry, but these are some lovely shots. :thumbs: The intricate patterns under the arch are amazing, what great detail!
And I really like the one of the two sculptures/heads.

Maybe I should rent your E-P1 ... I'd really love to try one out. :D
 

Terry

New member
Thanks Joan...just redid the one with the shadow. I think I like this better. Less cluttered a lot less pixels :ROTFL:

 
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Diane B

New member
Thanks Joan...just redid the one with the shadow. I think I like this better. Less cluttered a lot less pixels :ROTFL:

http://forum.getdpi.com/gallery/files/3/7/_b140046-2.jpg
I like the redo too. Nice set. Looked like a wonderful day to shoot

It really comes down to having to decide--it (at least to me) doesn't make sense to have 2 m4/3rds in a similar form. This was a good way with multiple type subjects to get a feel for what works best for you.
 

nostatic

New member
I came *this close* to buying another E-P1 today. I was looking back through some of my old shots and I do like the output of the E-P1, especially BW conversions. The grain is just about right to my eyes. It seems to me that the Panny 20/1.7 on the E-P1 is maybe the best of both worlds.
 

Brian Mosley

New member
Yes, the Lumix 20mm f1.7 on the Pen is definitely the best combination I've ever used for IQ/power/portability.

Lovely series Terry, the shadow shot is my favourite.:thumbup:

Cheers

Brian
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Terry
Lovely photos - not surprising that you found the interface tricky now you're used to the GF1 . . perhaps that was the real issue in the first place (being familiar with the G1).

I came *this close* to buying another E-P1 today. I was looking back through some of my old shots and I do like the output of the E-P1, especially BW conversions. The grain is just about right to my eyes. It seems to me that the Panny 20/1.7 on the E-P1 is maybe the best of both worlds.
HI Todd
I've been:
G1 - didn't like, sold
EP-1 - did like, but it was stolen by son whilst I was having an affair with the M9
GF1 - I can see why people prefer the interface, but for me the lack of IS, and also (it seems to me) the less good angle of view of the LCD (despite the much better resolution).

So, a couple of weeks ago I bought another EP1, it somehow seems better this time around - possibly, as Brian points out, that with the IS, it's such a good match for the panny 20 f1.7 . . and also the new macro (the dpreview review criticised the in lens IS, but of course, the in body in the EP1 works well).

I guess that if you want a higher resolution LCD, the option of an EVF and simpler menus . . . then you go for the GF1
If you want in body IS, and a wider angle of view (I like holding the camera right up or right down, and just glancing at the LCD for framing). I also much prefer the handling of the EP1 (with the grip on the right).

I certainly don't regret going back there - horses for courses I guess.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well, the upshot of all this is I still don't get on well with the user interface. So, look for this Pen in the buy/sell forum....



Oh sure just like a women show us a little love than dump us. :wtf:


I just could not resist that line, you feed that one to me on a silver platter.:ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:

In truth though camera gear and shooting is all about being comfortable with it. If it is not than honestly I do the same thing is sell it and most people will do the same. Good luck on your sale
 

Terry

New member
Huh,
Bizarre the one picture that I redid seems like it got corrupted when I loaded it into the gallery. Will have to reload when I go downstairs.

Yes, Guy I think I did set you up for that.

The upshot of it was I was in some tricky light and I really wanted to use the histogram but couldn't get the shooting info that I wanted to use it in tandem (then when I had the histo I had everything well to the left hand side took the shot and had a huge amount of blown highlights). Then at least three times when trying to dial in EV I changed either the ISO or WB by not turning the dial exactly and using too much pressure. On the shot looking across the Marin Headlands, it was impossible to see any detail and figure out the framing to get rid of the road at the bottom.

Bottom line there are some cameras where you tend to be all thumbs changing things and others that just work. For me, it was easy between Sony and Nikon - Sony won. Between Panny and Oly - Panny won. Computer software is exactly the same way. Everyone has programs that their brain just "gets" and others where it doesn't.

I put the Pen away for a while to come back to it fresh and give it another go. Yes, the Pen is more comfortable to hold. I can get the camera to do what I want (when what I want is actually possible (level or histo with shooting info is not) so it wasn't like I didn't spend the time to learn it. I'm not the only one whose said they added so much stuff that it is just complex almost every review has mentioned it. Of all the things that interest me the most it is the simplicity of the Leica X1 controls or on the complex side, the Ricoh interface.
 

Amin

Active member
Bottom line there are some cameras where you tend to be all thumbs changing things and others that just work for me it was easy between Sony and Nikon - Sony won. Between Panny and Oly - Panny won. Computer software is exactly the same way. Everyone has programs that their brain just "gets" and others where it doesn't.
True. I personally never got on with the Oly digital interface either, which is a shame because the OM and XA controls couldn't have been more intuitive!
 

Joan

New member
Your re-do looks great to me, Terry. I like it!

I sure agree with you that some cameras can drive you nuts because they just don't match up with how your brain works. And I think the Leica X1 would be HEAVEN, no silly doodads and extraneous junk to work around, just the essentials arranged perfectly.

I want it, so will keep playing the Powerball and keep my fingers crossed. :ROTFL:
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
Hmm ... this talk about the E-P1's UI isn't very encouraging to me, as I've been thinking about replacing my G1/GF1 combo with an E-30/E-P1 so as to maximize the functionality of all the Olympus glass I recently purchased (i.e., the 7-14, 14-35, 35-100 lenses won't autofocus on the Panasonic bodies) while retaining a consistent UI between the two so I'm not forever having to think about how to use the camera while I'm actually using it.

To this end, I purchased an E-P1 body last week to see whether I can abide the "look" of Olympus images and how well I get on with it in use. I realize everybody is different and one (wo)man's meat is another (wo)man's poison, but as I said, I'm not feeling very encouraged this morning...
 

Terry

New member
Don't be discouraged as what you said is exactly the case. Some people get along better with one interface or the other. There are a ton of people using and loving their E-P1 that really don't like the GF1. I also have a GH1 so keeping a similar user interface between the two is also a goal just like your Oly/Oly desire.
 

Brian Mosley

New member
I suppose it depends how much practice you're prepared to put in... I find the E-P1 user interface absolutely fine, but I do practice daily - and it's generally consistent with every other Olympus DSLR.

Cheers

Brian
 

Terry

New member
Brian,
In the end, what I'm talking about doesn't really have to do with practice. Practice can make you competent at using something. But when you can be competent in using more than one (in this case camera) you then have a choice of which one works better for the way you think. The latter statement is different for everyone.

An example: assume you could chose from all available photo editing software and they were all free. At the end of the day, you can get a picture to look the same from most of them. How do you chose which to use?

I suppose it depends how much practice you're prepared to put in... I find the E-P1 user interface absolutely fine, but I do practice daily - and it's generally consistent with every other Olympus DSLR.

Cheers

Brian
 

Brian Mosley

New member
Well, as Guy points out above... it's all about being comfortable with the tools you use. I find that practice takes out the randomness... No camera/UI is perfect, but they're all useable - and even comfortable with enough practice.

What I have found, with the many cameras I've owned is that it's been up to me whether I truly commit to mastering a camera... Those I've treated casually have rarely satisfied much. Better to sell up if you're not feeling it :)

Cheers

Brian
 

Terry

New member
Brian,
You keep implying that I didn't spend enough time mastering or wasn't fully committed to the E-P1. The reality is I spent more time on the E-P1 interface than any other camera I've ever owned.
 

Tullio

New member
Very nice series, Terry. Which lens did you use on your PEN? I'm from the Bay Area and very familiar with the place you took those shots from. I'm sure you selected a few shots out of hundreds?!? This place is photographic-rich. Now, this is the first time I see a "white" version of the Golden Gate Bridge...LOL
 

Terry

New member
Hi Tullio -
They were all shot with the 14-42. I went out yesterday with just camera and one lens. I hadn't been to the Legion of Honor in quite a while. It is a pretty amazing place. There were some architecture shots that I really wanted to take but cloning out random people would have been needed.

The only legacy lens I've been using on my m4/3 gear is my 50 lux (f1.4) My lens collection will once more be complete with the arrival of the 45 macro later this week.
 

Tullio

New member
Thanks for the info., Terry. Considering the short range of the lens, you got a lot of details on the cropped images.

Playing with legacy lenses are fun but IMO, the Pana/Zuiko lenses are so good that they make it very convenient to just stick with them for everyday photography. Once you get your macro lens, you'll be all set. Do you really think you'll be using legacy lenses that much?
 
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