Olympus' E-P1 message: It's not your father's Olympus, but remember that he had one
Olympus channels the ghost of cameras past to launch its first Micro Four Thirds interchangeable-lens compact.
Looking only a bit like the original Micro Four Thirds concept design Olympus floated last September at Photokina, the company's retro interchangeable lens E-P1 debuts this year to ride the coattails of the 50th anniversary of the company's PEN film camera.
From the name, to the design, to the tagline etched on its top--"Olympus PEN since 1959"--it feels like a cross between an homage and a desperate reminder that Olympus was in the camera biz long before most digital photographers were born. That said, after a few days with a preproduction model, I think the design works, and if Olympus can pull off decent performance and photo quality (you can never tell from an early unit), it will probably carve itself a nice sized niche among style-, but not budget-conscious, enthusiasts.
Though they all include a full set of manual and semimanual exposure modes and other advanced features, Panasonic and Olympus have taken very different approaches to their Micro Four Thirds products, implicitly appealing to two diverse types of shooters. While Panasonic seems to be going for the technologically focused dSLR shooter looking for a more compact model, Olympus seems to be targeting the more aesthetically driven enthusiast who wants--and is willing to pay for--the flexibility of an interchangeable lens system in the more compact design of models like the Canon PowerShot G and Panasonic Lumix LX series.
Some key comparison specs versus the other two Micro Four Thirds models:
Olympus E-P1 | |||
Sensor (effective resolution) | 17.3mm x 13mm 12.3-megapixel Live MOS | 17.3mm x 13mm 12.1-megapixel Live MOS | 17.3mm x 13mm 12.1-megapixel Live MOS |
Color depth | 12 bits | n/a | n/a |
Sensitivity range | ISO 100 - ISO 6,400 | ISO 100 - ISO 3,200 | ISO 100 - ISO 3,200 |
Focal-length multiplier | 2x | 2x | 2x |
Continuous shooting | 3.0 fps n/a JPEG/10 raw | 3.0 fps unlimited JPEG/7 raw | 3.0 fps unlimited JPEG/7 raw |
Viewfinder | None | Electronic | Electronic |
Autofocus | 11-area contrast AF | 23-area contrast AF | 23-area contrast AF |
Metering | 324 zone | 144 zone | 144 zone |
Shutter | 60-1/4000 sec; bulb to 30 minutes | 60-1/4000 sec; bulb to 4 minutes | 60-1/4000 sec; bulb to 4 minutes |
LCD | 230,000 dots, 3-inch fixed | 460,000 dots, 3-inch articulated | 460,000 dots, 3-inch articulated |
Video (max resolution at 30fps) | 1,280x720 Motion JPEG AVI | No | 1,280x720 AVCHD |
Battery life (CIPA rating) | 300 shots | 300 shots | 300 shots |
Dimensions (WHD, inches) | 4.7 x 2.8 x 1.4 | 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.8 | 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.8 |
Weight (ounces) | 11.8 (approx.) | 15.1 | 15.2 |
Mfr. Price | $749.99 (body) $799.99 (with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens) $899.99 (with 17mm f2.8 lens and optical viewfinder) | n/a $799.95 (with 14-45mm f3.5-5.6 lens) | n/a $1,499.95 (with 14-140mm f4.0-5.8 lens) |
The E-P1 also includes Olympus' Art Filters, which in this camera you can apply to videos, as well as apply after shooting, to raw files as well as JPEG. Some of the filters will drop the video frame rate drastically because of the processing overhead--to as low as 10fps--but that tends to happen with filters like Grainy Film and the slow frame rate adds to the old-fashioned ambiance.
From a competitive standpoint, however, there are some big holes in the E-P1's feature set. For instance, low-light shooters should note there's no oncamera flash or AF-assist light. (Olympus is offering an optional, low-profile hot-shoe flash.) It lacks a viewfinder, optical or otherwise, and the add-on viewfinder only works with the 17mm lens. In movie mode, it lacks mechanical image stabilization, offering only electronic, and unlike the GH1 doesn't have a mic input. The lower-resolution LCD did seem a bit coarse, but some final tweaking of the firmware might ameliorate that. Of course, it's also available in a far cheaper configuration than Panasonic's video-supporting model.
The E-P1 integrates the latest generation of Olympus' image processing, TruePic V, that, according to Olympus, delivers better purples, an improved noise profile, and better sharpness. Olympus also makes a big deal about some of the playback features, including custom background music, as well as some simple operation modes, like Intelligent Auto.
On the flipside, the E-P1 is a lot more expensive than the current crop of cameras enthusiasts use to supplement or replace bulky dSLRs. Here's how it stacks up against those:
Olympus E-P1 | |||
Sensor (effective resolution) | 17.3mm x 13mm 12.3-megapixel Live MOS | 1/1.7-inch 14.7-megapixel CCD | 1/1.63-inch 10.1-megapixel CCD |
Color depth | 12 bits | n/a | n/a |
Sensitivity range | ISO 100 - ISO 6,400 | ISO 100 - ISO 1,600 | ISO 80 - ISO 3,200 |
Focal-length multiplier | 2x | n/a | n/a |
Continuous shooting | 3.0 fps n/a JPEG/10 raw | 1.3fps n/a | 2.5 fps 4 JPEG/3 raw |
Viewfinder | None | Optical | None |
Autofocus | 11-area contrast AF | Contrast AF | Contrast AF |
Metering | 324 zone | n/a | n/a |
Shutter | 60-1/4000 sec; bulb to 30 minutes | 15-1/4000 sec; n/a | 60-1/2000 sec; n/a |
LCD | 230,000 dots, 3-inch fixed | 461,000 dots, 3-inch fixed | 460,000 dots, 3-inch fixed |
Video (max resolution at 30fps) | 1,280x720 Motion JPEG AVI | 640x480 H.264 MOV | 848x480 Motion JPEG MOV |
Battery life (CIPA rating) | 300 shots | 400 shots | 380 shots |
Dimensions (WHD, inches) | 4.7 x 2.8 x 1.4 | 4.3 x 3.1 x 1.8 | 4.3 x 2.3 x 1.1 |
Weight (ounces) | 11.8 (approx.) | 14.1 | 9.1 |
Mfr. Price | $749.99 (body) $799.99 (with 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens) $899.99 (with 17mm f2.8 lens and optical viewfinder) | $499.99 (integrated f2.8-4.5 28-140mm-equivalent lens) | $499.95 (integrated 24-60mm f2.0-2.8 lens) |
Because these models have lenses that completely retract into the body, they still have a size advantage over the E-P1 even equipped with a pancake prime like the 17mm. But there's the big advantage of the interchangeable lens system. Shooting with the camera feels very similar to photographing with both the LX3 and the G10, but you simply feel a bit cooler holding the E-P1. And Olympus is stressing that aspect by offering retro accessories for the strap and lens cap.
We expect to see a production-level model in July, about the same time it's expected to appear in stores.