Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
- 12.3-megapixel interchangeable lens digital camera; Micro Four Thirds format
- Includes 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko digital zoom lens
- In-body Image Stabilization; 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD with Live View function
- Record HD video with high-quality audio; in-camera creative features (for still images and video)
- Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
The Olympus E-P1 marks an innovative new era in digital imaging. Our new Micro Four Thirds camera upholds the legacy of the celebrated PEN family of cameras, with the photographic optics of an SLR and the size and simplicity of a point and shoot. Combining the still image quality of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with the A/V quality of both a High Definition camcorder and high-end audio recorder, the E-P1 is a virtual full-service imaging studio in one ultra-portable and stylishly retro body. With dozens of advanced features, the E-P1 makes documenting and sharing your everyday life easier and more creative than ever before.
FEATURES:
- Live View Autofocus – With the seamless precision and simplicity of a point-and-shoot, the E-P1’s Live View Autofocus system displays the images to be shot in complete focus on the camera’s bright LCD the moment the shutter button is pressed half way down.
- Multiple Exposure - Multiple Exposure makes heightened creativity an easily-obtained objective. Two frames can be combined, and portions of one can be combined with those of another in any of the shooting modes. Images can be combined in playback mode or directly on the LCD through the use of the new TruePic V Image Processor.
- Micro Four Thirds Mount – The Micro Four Thirds Mount on the E-P1 provides many key benefits, including the effectiveness of a digitally designed image sensor, an ultra-compact design, and expandability and compatibility with all Micro Four Thirds Lenses and Four Thirds System Lens via the MMF-1 Adapter.
- Art Filters - A series of six built-in Art Filters for replicating countless striking and dramatic effects can be easily activated for both still and video imaging. The innovative Art Filters include Pop Ar
Rating:
(out of 42 reviews)
List Price: $ 799.99
Price: $ 535.00
Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
- 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
- 5x optical zoom with Digital Image Stabilization Mode and Edit; 2.5-inch LCD display
- Bright Capture technology for low-light photography and image viewing
- TruePic TURBO Image Processor for superior image quality
- 16 Shooting modes including Movie with Sound; My Favorites feature
MD) CL) U) OLYM FE-240 BLACK DIG CAM
Rating:
(out of 22 reviews)
List Price: $ 0.00
Price:
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Review by David J. Elfering for Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
Rating:
This past holiday week-end I made the decision not to take my Nikon DSLR with me on a 3 day road trip to Minneapolis. The majority of my time was spent wandering the Mall of America, and the E-P1 was an absolute delight the entire time.
This little camera makes me smile each time I use it!
If you don’t care to word a long, winding review let me summarize it. The E-P1 doesn’t have to make any apologies for being petite, its a full fledged camera on its own merit.
Positives
* Great photo quality!
* Built in image stabilization (works pretty well too)
* Customizable and responsive interface/buttons
* HD movie mode with autofocus
* Low profile, doesn’t get you noticed
* Quiet. I’d say quieter than my old rangefinders and way more quiet than my DSLR’s
Could be better
* Battery life
* Perhaps almost too customizable (pretty good learning curve). Keep the manual handy!
I’m not a people shooter and certainly not a “street” shooter but my week-end was spent at the Mall of America, which is enormous but all in doors. It was an interesting challenge. I found that although I fumbled with the interface and settings a bit, it became very engrossing and almost mesmerizing to shoot publicly with the E-P1. It never drew attention, not once, where as I saw people clearing out from the obvious DSLR guys like fish around a barracuda in the reef.
Lens: My only lens is the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6, which doesn’t sound too exciting. However in practice it has been a great general utility lens that has rendered quite nicely, showing nice resolution and sharpness. I can only anticipate what the E-P1 will do with a quality, wide aperture prime. I’m up in the air about my next move, but the 50mm f/2 sure looks tempting. But then again it would be great to try OM mount too! Arg….
Auto-Focus: I’ve read some questions about the auto-focus performance of this camera, but in normal operation haven’t see an issue yet. Granted I haven’t tried to shoot a basketball game or dance recital yet so take this with a grain of salt. For my people shooting in the mall the AF performance has been wonderful and spot on. When I’ve gone to outdoor settings or even just trying to snap something quick from my car, I’ve found that the autofocus is quite a ways behind my D90. I think it is real world quick, but it is probably a step slower to focus than any DSLR on the market. Not saying that’s a bad thing, some worth knowing.
Sensor: The sharpness I see from this camera is well beyond what I expected, so there may be something to the talk that Olympus removed the strong anti-alias filtering most DSLR’s are plagued with. The jpg results thus far haven’t required any post process sharpening and the Olympus color engine is a breath of fresh air in my opinion.
Handling: Coming form a DSLR will make you take a little time to get used to the difference. Getting used to shooting with a LiveView display will also take some getting used to. There isn’t a front/rear two wheel control system as I’m used to with the D90, but there are two primary controls for manual shooting and they can both be worked while shooting one handed. Very nice design! The buttons and functions are all fully customizable but expect to be nestled up with the manual a wee bit to do it. All in all composing from the LiveView LCD became very natural and fluid after a day. High marks to Olympus in designing such a usable system. The only thing I still have to figure out is a button to disable auto-focus so I can go fully manual.
Results: The bottom line to any camera is what it can produce. The E-P1 is not a D700, A900 or 5DII. Those are different kinds of cameras that excel at higher ISO and extreme resolutions. What the E-P1 is to me is a system capable of going toe-to-toe with any DX sensor system on the market in terms of deliverable results. No it doesn’t shoot 8 frames per second. Again not that kind of camera.
This is a practical camera whose size and form factor make it usable in places that larger cameras wouldn’t work as well or possibly not at all. I’m seeing very detailed and sharp results up to ISO 1,250. After years of shooting 35mm, DSLR and even large format I’d have to say this is the most fun I’ve had with any camera I’ve owned. Its a camera guy’s camera that the beginner can use as well.
Review by Aravind Krishnaswamy for Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
Rating:
First a little background. I have a couple of other SLRs and was mainly looking for something to give me close to SLR quality files but in a considerably smaller physical package. A couple of downsides you should already be aware of from the product description.:
1. There is no pop-up flash. Not a problem for me, I don’t ever use them anyway (your mileage may vary).
2. There is no viewfinder. Again not a problem for me, got used to that very quickly.
Now some observations from having used the camera:
- The sensor image quality is excellent. Dynamic range is at SLR quality. Noise levels up to and including ISO 800 is very clean. ISO 1600 has a bit more noise than the Rebel XSI (also 12mp)with the noise increasing relative to competitors from there.
- The user interface is intuitive. I used mostly Aperture Priority and Manual and found it easy to use. Stuff in the menus were also easily found. Changing the settings were at times challenging (like ISO) because of the smaller buttons, but given the camera’s small size its something I could forgive
- Its heavy, almost as heavy as a basic, entry level DSLR. Now the lens is light as a feather, however I feel a lot of heaviness comes because of the build quality of the camera, which is superb
- The RAW processing software that comes with the camera is useless. The interface is horrible and the stability even worse. Wait for your favorite RAW processing software to add support and use that.
The deal breakers:
- The kit lens is slow. Really slow. So slow in fact that I found the system to not be very useful when the light levels got low or you were indoors. Now this could easily be fixed by having a series of fast pancake lenses, which I believe are coming, but sadly they aren’t here yet.
- The auto focus is slow and unreliable, especially indoors. I found the AF to be very slow and borderline frustrating. Again, this was mostly indoors and in low light levels, so a faster lens may alleviate the issue.
Overall, this is a fantastic start for Olympus and once the system is fleshed out a bit more (with lots of those fast pancake primes at various focal lengths) I may consider it again. However with the limited lens selection available today, its not for me. You need to figure out if you can live with the kit lens (or the 17mm f/2.8 prime) while waiting for more lenses to come out for yourself.
Review by J. Davies for Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
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I had been considering replacing my Leica d-lux 3 with the d-lux 4 when the EP-1 news came out. I immediately sold the d-lux 3 and ordered my EP-1. It is a little larger than I was hoping, but out of the box, the first results were incredible, RAW format on a par with my nikon d-90 RAW, requiring very little post-production. Feels good in the hand, responsive and fast auto-focus and much more satisfying to use than the leica – which I loved. Initial results in RAW much better than the leica, which was always just a little noisy.
This is a top notch camera, that I hope will continue to deliver results. The only current drawback for me is that photoshop CS4 doesn’t recognizethe Olympus Raw Format (ORF). I have to go through Olympus software to convert, which severely disrupts my work flow, and the software is slow and clunky. Shooting JPGs alongside Raw in case I need the results faster.
If they get the plugin updated soon, I’ll be over the moon.
Very happy with this purchase.
Review by Smiley Boy for Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
Rating:
Yes, this would be the camera I would use to take photos of heaven.
I have had this camera for just over a week now and it is perfect for me – it just has the ideal balance of size, weight, features without sacrificing in DSLR standard IQ quality. If fact, it beats the IQ of my three previous DSLRs!!! (Canon Rebel XT, Olympus E-420 and E-620). I have heard from real users that the high-ISO comes close to the excellent Nikon D90).
The design and build-quality is stunning. When you hold it in your hands you just cannot help but admire it from all angles – it is a beauty! The ergonomics, although having that quality dense feel, is comfortable to hold even with one hand. Combined with the *really does work* IS and you can try a new-style of spontaneous shooting with one just hand (try doing that with a DSLR!).
Image quality is superb – sharp and with good colour. Olympus in-camera jpeg-engine is noted for being one of the best on the market for DSLRs. The sensor is the best from any Olympus camera to date. Although I think much of this is down to the latest Truepic V processor.
AF is similar speed to compact cameras. It is slower than the AF of the Panasonic G1/GH1 series, but much faster than the LiveView of current Olympus DSLRs. Speed will also improve with faster lenses. For me, it is nippy and is fast enough for me. If you want to take fast action shots or fast children, then you probably would be better off buying a DSLR. At least give it a try to find out if it suits your photographic style.
I have not missed the E-P1 in having no flash at all. I prefer more natural looking photos without flash and this camera is very good with shooting at ISO 1600. Even ISO 3200 in rare cases. Usually I would keep to ISO 400, but would not hesitate to shoot higher now.
Movie mode seems good (with HD and SD sizes), but have not explored that much yet. The audio sounds great! I have heard that Olympus has used their latest dictaphone technology in this, and you can tell. I think IS needs to be turned off though during movie mode. Also, it is great that it can take SD cards – they are so cheap.
LCD is large and bright, and refresh update is fast. Even though it is not as high-resolution as other cameras, I think it functions very well. Some have mentioned of low-battery life. I have not experienced that at all. Never during a day’s worth of shooting have I run out of battery. There is a dedicated button that you can assign to switch off the LCD when not in use, but the camera is on standby-by and activates again by pressing any button. With this method and switching it off when not in use, you can save valuable battery life. It is just a matter of being prudent when using it.
Overall, this camera is a game-changer. By being able to carry it wherever, whenever, my photographic experience is taken to a new-level. Knowing I have a camera with DSLR IQ in my bag all the time without the bulk is a great feeling of freedom.
I would place my bets that this *gem* of a camera will win many design awards and, dare I predict, be crowned `Camera of the Year’.
Review by Amazoniac for Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens)
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I have owned this camera for almost a month now. There have been some disappointments but overall I have been pleased. I also own two Olympus DSLRs so I bought the adapter that allows me to use those regular 4/3 lenses. My main interest in the camera was the compact size and the styling. My other Olympus cameras going back to a 1970′s OM-2n have been extremely reliable so I had no hesitation in that regard. My impressions (pro and con) so far are: Pros: 1) excellent image quality even with the kit lense. 2) nice to have both standard and hi def video capability, 3) better noise reduction at high ISO settings than other Olympus cameras, 4) excellent build quality, 5) The “cool factor” is very high. Cons: 1) I wish it had a built in flash for fill in use although I have used my Olympus FL-36 flash on it with no problems, 2) I wish it has some sort of viewfinder and hope a third party electronic viewfinder will become available soon, 3) it is pricey and will likely be a niche product, 4) The kit lenses are not “fast” which does present some low light/action issues, 5) accessories are expensive. Overall, while there are some significant drawbacks I don’t regret the purchase. For someone who doesn’t want to lug a camera bag everywhere this is a great “walk around” camera with image quality that far surpasses point and shoot models. If they can get the price down and make more lenses available it could be a winner for Olympus.
Review by Hiram Grant for Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
Rating:
After a few years of struggling to have a winner, someone at Olympus has gotten on a roll. The FE-240 is a great camera for someone wanting a bit more zoom, but in a very small package.
The first thing you’ll notice is the slim body, thinner than most 3x zoom cameras. The finish is nice, and camera appears solid in your hands. The 5x zoom has average smoothness and noise. That little extra reach can really make all the difference.
The selection dial makes this a joy for someone new to photography. There’s an excellent photo & description of each mode, and a very helpful “guide” setting.
The only “cons” on this camera are that it uses the xD memory card instead of the easy to find SD cards, and that it doesn’t have an anti-shake system (the anti-blur mode uses a high ISO).
It would be hard to find a camera even close in both function and style in roughly the same price range. But look at the black finish, and you’ll really fall in love!
Review by QAWeb for Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
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I bought this 9 days ago, along with a 512MB Olympus Brand xD memory card. I was amazed at the size and the features. My first digital camera in 1996 was an Olympus, and my expectations were so much higher now… I’m right on the verge of returning it…why?
A. The manual is weak, mentions memory card only in passing. But lost near the bottom of a page, it does say
“memory card – see advanced manual”.
In a hurry in my hotel room to fire photos, I must find and fire up my laptop to use this “advanced manual on a CD”. This is a classic symptom of missed deadlines when they burn CDs to cover for poorly written manuals, likely conceived before the product was even manufactured.
B. Missing pixel in top right corner of black display shows ‘green’. Right out of the box, a very visible, imperfection
C. Odd Modes, seem promising but fail
I. Fireworks mode!! Wow, how long have I wanted this!! Now at 4th of July fireworks, the photos come out like doubleexposure on slow film. Nice effect, if you like Monet, but not expected from a camera.
II. Still haven’t figured out the cryptic green lines in ‘Panorama’ mode.
D. Last straw… taking photos of fireworks, experimenting to find the best mode, I must wait for a PROGRESS BAR “processing…..” for 5-15 seconds between photos, Not even my 1996 Olympus made me wait that long.
E. Bonus… the battery charger and power cord is bigger than the camera. The battery looks just like a cell phone batter…. $60-$99 at Amazon… $22 for 2 on eBay.
F. Comes with video cable for slide shows on your newer television or laptop.
G. Beautiful, helpful, although somewhat crowded display.
The zoom indicator is very good, showing white until you reach max then a red area to indicate you’ve moved from optical to digital zoom.
H. Fits nicely in hand, with supplied wriststrap so you can be ready at all times for a extemporaneous shot.
I. Has a threaded spot for a standardc tripod, a video mode (AVI) and some nifty preset modes. HOWEVER when you move to any new setting and back to whence you came many of your settings are gone, ESPECIALLY turning the flash OFF or “always on” … seems to always go back to Red Eye mode… a very time consuming and sloooow mode.
Bottom line, cute, handy but well beneath the Olympus reputatio. I believe that it suffers from poor or non-existent Q.A., a mad dash to market leaving QA for the client to discover on theirown.
It needs,
1. a couple smaller resolutions mode, i.e. 800×600 and 1280×800
2. One really good manual
3. Option to charge the camera via USB cable attached to computer
4. Inspection on production line for things like missing pixels in LCD
5. absolutely NO “processing time” while saving photos at lower resolutions…. time between photos should be far less than it was in 1996!!
6. Optical View finder
Review by Photog Chic for Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
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This is the SLOWEST camera I have ever used. It takes forver to write to the xD card. The images are very noisy (lots of grain) even outdoors. The indoor shots are almost un-usable. The only good thing about this camera is that, if used outdoors, the color and sharpness are good. I used this camera for 100 shots (mostly outdoors), but decided to return it. I got a Canon SD750 instead. Can’t beat a Canon!
Review by Tomato Pie for Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
Rating:
For $159, this is a nice camera. Compact, pocket-sized, that was important. Most cameras this tiny have 3X optical zoom; the 5X here puts this one ahead. Most controls are intuitive. It has plenty of point and shoot settings, I’m still experimenting to find what works best in poorly lit indoor settings. This is a great camera for typical point and shoot folks like me. Downsides: I miss the viewfinder you get on bigger cameras, and I cannot figure out how to tell how many pics remain and how much battery life remains. The manual is about useless. Overall, I’m pleased with my purchase.
Review by S. Thurman for Olympus Stylus FE-240 7.1MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
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I’ve had this camera for about two months now and it has come in handy. At first though the pictures i were taking lacked quality but after adjusting settings and realizing that its not a great for low light indoor pics on automatic mode, this camera has turned out to be a success for a good price with good picture quality and easy navigation. The two things i don’t like are the average to sub par battery life and the fact you have to set red eye on before each picture which doesn’t bother me much since its an easy proccess.