Great stuff, as always Don... thanks for sharing!

Cheers

Brian

__________________
Founder, Olympus Photo Safari Group
http://www.ukphotosafari.org

Some great shots there.

The 20mm is a good walkabout lens and probably as close to ideal as you can get for a compromise for a fixed focal length for that purpose. I use to use it all the time until I got my 9-18mm zoom but if I were doing city streets and low light hand-held, the 20mm goes back on.

Some great images, as always, even if they're just kind of "toss offs" for you. I'm curious about how you're using the G-2 relative to the Pens? Are you primarily shooting with the LCD or the viewfinder and, if with the LCD, in its normal position or are you using the articulating feature to hold the camera differently. As I've gotten more and more into shooting on the street, I find shooting at chest level allows me to get a lot closer to subjects and get the picture before anyone is aware I'm shooting than if I'm trying to hold the camera anywhere close to face level. I obviously can't see what I'm shooting and have to rely on instinct about the frame of the 17 that I'm usually shooting with in good light or the 20 in lower light. I'm getting reasonably good at this and am getting more and more good shots using this technique, but its inevitable that I mis-frame more than I'd like and end up with a picture of the top of a building or a blank section of sidewalk that the subjects either just left or haven't quite entered. I'm thinking that an articulated LCD held out horizontally that would allow me to briefly look down to make sure of the framing would be a REALLY useful feature. I like the look and feel of the EP2 a lot (more than the more SLR like Panys), but would really like that articulating screen.

So I was just wondering whether the G2 has changed your shooting/viewing style, or if there are just technical features about the camera that you really like? Its no leap to assume that anytime you head out on to the streets of Philly with either the 20 or the 17 lens, you're gonna come back with some great stuff, regardless of camera body! Just curious if you use it differently than bodies...

-Ray

Ray,
Good solid questions.
I'll try to answer in the same way.
First off, the issue for me is using the viewfinder.
The brain is a funny recording device. When I am ready to frame, I raise the camera to my eye and immediately, my left eye closes. It won't listen to me at all. So I am adapting to the finder like I was using a SLR.
I like framing with 2 eyes but it ain't gonna happen this way. The AF is very fast and accurate with the target at it's smallest size.
The articulated screen is great and once again supports eyes wide open. It's not the fastest way to work but then again, nothing compares to it. So, the screen is great for being unobtrusive, if that's what you want.

I think once you develop and work a style, the camera and you create a synergy together.
It's that middle ground of compromise that exist the images. My style isn't effected by the camera, just my method of operation.
So far, it's a great camera and I am just starting to get used to it's potential.

One thing....I picked up a GF1 because the interface issues are easier to handle than with the Pen2.
I live the Pen2 but it sleeps gently,
for a spell.

__________________
"If you don't stand for something,
You'll fall for anything."

http://www.streetshooter.us

~ Shooter's Flickr photostream

Ray, those were really good questions and Don, I quite enjoyed reading your response.

Looking forward to more from you and your right eye, Don! I'm left eyed...I wonder...


I'm serious about the questions and your response. I think you nailed it for me where you wrote . It really is all about finding one's niche with a particular camera and how it works for you so you can take those photos.

__________________
**An evolving camera owner.

~ BB
Flickr photostream

BB,
Here's the juncture in photography that creates the seperation between acquiring gear and acquiring images.
Gear minded people chase the gear in hopes of the perfect combination of camera/lens to find the image.
Image minded people chase the image regardless of the gear. There us no right/wrong way and we often fall prey to each method.
The goal for each of us is a personal journey that we follow and hopefully find satisfaction in.
For me, it's image minded. I live the entire photographic life style and the journey is a great one at that.
I reach down to see what's in my right hand and it's always a camera I have come to respect and work with.
The 2 of us then look for the image and hopefully find it without bothering each other.
It works for me....

__________________
"If you don't stand for something,
You'll fall for anything."

http://www.streetshooter.us

~ Shooter's Flickr photostream

Thanks Don. I wouldn't expect your basic process of seeing an image to be any different with any camera (unless you lived with an eye-level viewfinder glued to your eye - I find that fundamentally different than anything that allows you to be less obtrusive about your intentions, at least when shooting people out in public), but I'm interested in how an articulated LCD might change the process of getting there. I remember shooting with twin lens reflex cameras back in the film days, and looking down into the top of them. I always thought that was a great angle to shoot from and you could see the shot, but if you tried to navigate with it you could ende up in a world of hurt because everything was moving backwards. Now I tend to shoot from a similar position a lot and I have no problem navigating, but too many of my photos fail miserably at framing the subject the way I'd intended. An articulated lcd would seem to hold some promise for that. Or maybe someday we'll have evf's built into our eyeglasses - I'm really intrigued by that idea, as space age as it sounds. I'm just a lot more comfortable shooting people in public if I can mostly hide my intentions and not become part of the situation myself.

I love the ep2 (and greatly liked the epl1 before it) - I wouldn't want to change anything about it except possibly to add an articulated screen. I doubt I'll move to Pany anytime soom - I have some Oly glass and others that really take good advantage of the IBIS and I'm just really comfortable with the camera. But someday they'll probably come out with an ep4 or 5 that has a similar interface and an articulated lcd and I'll probably have to give it a try. And if it has a better sensor too, I guess I can live with that as well...

-Ray

I like all of the images but I particularly like the third one...well exposed, well composed!!

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E-P3 17mm+14-42mm+9-18mm +14-150mm-not collecting any more!
"As nippy as Cheddar Cheese"
www.billgordon.zenfolio.com

I disagree with that comment....I am an old dog and I am learning new tricks on a regular basis with the E-P2 which I find to be a challenge. Far too many options.....I loved the E-1 and still think that it is the best camera Oly made!

__________________
E-P3 17mm+14-42mm+9-18mm +14-150mm-not collecting any more!
"As nippy as Cheddar Cheese"
www.billgordon.zenfolio.com

Which comment Bill? I think we're agreeing that we old dogs do learn new tricks....
what say you?

__________________
"If you don't stand for something,
You'll fall for anything."

http://www.streetshooter.us

~ Shooter's Flickr photostream