Olympus Releases new micro 4/3 E-P1

I would look for a housing from Olympus when they introduce a body style with an EVF display.

 

Phil Rudin

 

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

That's the topside RF camera I will buy.

Since you are quoting me and apparently think I "went a little crazy" simply because I own a Nikon, please make note I merely mentioned this post is about a P&S. Olympus makes very nice DSLRs. My first U/W camera was an Olympus. I am not a camera snob, I'm just saying this camera belongs in a different forum. Want to have a discussion about the new E-620? This is the right place. The way Wetpixel has things divided up is very logical and I don't think it needs to be changed.

 

Sorry if anyone has been offended.

johnspierce I was not talking about you per say, I was refering more to the thread about the E620 (before that the E520) and the attacks made on that camera and housing by people who most probably have never used an Olympus. I too started out with an OM1 and local Sea Tite housing and then moved to Nikon/Aquatica and I have recently moved back and I am happy with that.

My ideal would be a camera as small as this with a quality housing and a sharp single lens from 20mm or wider to 100mm 1:1 macro. I know I am dreaming but I think it may happen in my lifetime.

No offence taken by me anyway.

The Olympus E-P1 Pen is not a point & shoot digital camera or an SLR digital camera, it is a rangefinder digital camera like the Leica M-8 and as such does not exactly fit either Wetpixel category.

 

This is the first of several M43 camera bodies Olympus plans to release and probably not the one Olympus feels is most suited to underwater photography. This body is clearly aimed at the retro rangefinder street photography crowd and not the U/W crowd.

 

What makes is camera and the Pan camera unique is that they have the auto focus speed of DSLR's of the same price range, great image quality and unlike other brands they have continues auto focus in the video mode.

 

For underwater use the Pan 7 to 14 zoom lens (14 to 24 35 equv.) seems quite useful and I am sure a new macro will be coming.

 

As a user of the Olympus 7 to 14 I find that for best results a dome port in the 220 mm (over 8 inches) range renders the best results. I don't expect this to change with the smaller pan 7 to 14 so although the housing size may be smaller I don't see how the dome can be smaller unless you go to fisheye lenses like the 8 mm. Regarding other m43 lenses, new ports will need to be designed and an extension ring will be needed for existing 4/3 lenses used with the M43 adapter.

 

I would look for a housing from Olympus when they introduce a body style with an EVF display.

 

Phil Rudin

 

Not to be too argumentative, but looking at a digital display and looking through a real rangefinder finder is very very different. Suggesting that this is like the M8 (not too wonderful a camera in my view but still a "real rangefinder" is a pretty big stretch. More like a G10 with interchangeable lenses than a rangefinder in my view. Maybe small enough to make a good backup UW system but when you add the strobes and such it won't be much smaller than a G10 system or a small SLR system if there ever is a housing.

Bill

 

 

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

Whether or not you like the PEN, this is a

DPreview has their full detailed review up. Bottom line, they liked it but perhaps as much out of nostalgia as real performance, with some caveats that probably make it unacceptable for underwater shooting - slow AF, jerky "live view". Still, it'll be interesting to see how the u4/3rds line develops further.

One feature I wasn't aware of that I really like as an idea, at least for above-ground shooting is the vertically oriented cylindrical 'thumbwheel'...but I can't help wonder how the heck you'd actuate that through a housing - with a meshing geartooth cap on an axial rotating shaft coming in through the back face of the housing?

DPreview has their full detailed review up. Bottom line, they liked it but perhaps as much out of nostalgia as real performance, with some caveats that probably make it unacceptable for underwater shooting - slow AF, jerky "live view". Still, it'll be interesting to see how the u4/3rds line develops further.

 

One feature I wasn't aware of that I really like as an idea, at least for above-ground shooting is the vertically oriented cylindrical 'thumbwheel'...but I can't help wonder how the heck you'd actuate that through a housing - with a meshing geartooth cap on an axial rotating shaft coming in through the back face of the housing?

The F810 had similar, and had a solution in the Ikelite housing.

Cant remember what it was though, just a sideways rubberiesed wheel from memory.

I bought it last month with pancake 17mm 2.8

Lovely little camera, its a realy good addition to my d700,

Ive even sold the D80 cause it will not be used now when i have got the Pen, now ive not used my d700 overwater since i bought the pen

Would love to use it underwater, but a somenone mentioned before Oly will not make a housing for it

lets wait and see meaby Ikelite (but i'm affraid it will be larger than Olys housing)

AF and shutter lag is much better when you turn off is3 mode

noise is fine,

iam shooting d700 in ike but i would like to buy a housing for pen for dives when i do not want to get the big setup with me

and the only concern for underwater usage is how will they make a wheel for vertical wheel

still there is no possibility to open .orf files in Lightroom and using olys Master2 is a real pain

but the greatest part of the camera is that it has small DOF and fast shutter response