E-PL1 user, how do you deal with 1/2000s shutter speed?

[chefpush]

With my E-PL1 coming, I look into my photos and I noticed some of them were taken between 1/2000 and 1/4000. In order to gain shallow depth of field on m43, wide aperture is needed. How does this bug you with everyday use of E-PL1?
I'm planning to get a ND8 for 20mm 1.7 but I couldn't get every filters for every lens I have. Nor carry them all every day.

It might not be a problem at all, since I haven't really tried the camera in real use yet.

any opinion?

 

[blackSP]

I don't understand your problem but that's probably just me! On my EP2 I use aperture or shutter priority mode and change it until I reach the appropriate aperture.

 

[dbledsoe]

I suggest you try the camera first and, if necessary, buy the appropriate ND filters. Not many other options that I am aware of at this time but it hasn't presented a problem for me and my EPL1 so far.

I wish I could offer more.

Don

 

[Ray Sachs]

With my E-PL1 coming, I look into my photos and I noticed some of them were taken between 1/2000 and 1/4000. In order to gain shallow depth of field on m43, wide aperture is needed. How does this bug you with everyday use of E-PL1?
I'm planning to get a ND8 for 20mm 1.7 but I couldn't get every filters for every lens I have. Nor carry them all every day.

It might not be a problem at all, since I haven't really tried the camera in real use yet.

any opinion?

It's been a living hell, man. Every day I wake up and wonder how many great and awesome shots I'm gonna miss because the camera will only shoot at 1/2000 of a second. Usually its just too much for me and I roll over and go back to sleep rather than go shooting at all. I can't take it. I can't take it. I can't take it!

Actually, it hasn't been a problem at all. The only time it would be is if I'm using something like the 20mm F 1.7 in bright sunlight attempting to get a very shallow depth of field so keeping the aperture wide open. This is something I can easily work around. In fact, I believe this is the fastest shutter speed I've ever had in a camera. I grew up using film cameras that maxed out at 1/500 and then one that actually could do 1/1000. The EPL1 seems quite fast. The times it would be an issue are so rare I just don't take that particular shot that particular way. My life seems none the worse for this hardship!

-Ray

 

[Djarum]

It's been a living hell, man. Every day I wake up and wonder how many great and awesome shots I'm gonna miss because the camera will only shoot at 1/2000 of a second. Usually its just too much for me and I roll over and go back to sleep rather than go shooting at all. I can't take it. I can't take it. I can't take it!

Actually, it hasn't been a problem at all. The only time it would be is if I'm using something like the 20mm F 1.7 in bright sunlight attempting to get a very shallow depth of field so keeping the aperture wide open. This is something I can easily work around. In fact, I believe this is the fastest shutter speed I've ever had in a camera. I grew up using film cameras that maxed out at 1/500 and then one that actually could do 1/1000. The EPL1 seems quite fast. The times it would be an issue are so rare I just don't take that particular shot that particular way. My life seems none the worse for this hardship!

-Ray

 

[chefpush]

I've looked through my stock photos and a few of them were triggered above 1/2000s.
Still have to try the real life usage to know.

 

[dbledsoe]

It's been a living hell, man. Every day I wake up and wonder how many great and awesome shots I'm gonna miss because the camera will only shoot at 1/2000 of a second. Usually its just too much for me and I roll over and go back to sleep rather than go shooting at all. I can't take it. I can't take it. I can't take it! -Ray

The same as Djarum said in response to what Ray S said but one more,




No offense intended to the OP.

Don

 

[BillN]

I agree with the OP, chefpush - IMHO - that is a real negative - only up to 1/2000th - why? - and I am being serious

I would not buy the EPL1 for that reason

You should have bought an EP-1

 

[PeterB666]

With my E-PL1 coming, I look into my photos and I noticed some of them were taken between 1/2000 and 1/4000. In order to gain shallow depth of field on m43, wide aperture is needed. How does this bug you with everyday use of E-PL1?
I'm planning to get a ND8 for 20mm 1.7 but I couldn't get every filters for every lens I have. Nor carry them all every day.

As for filters, go for a Cokin P series holder then you only need 1 set of filters and you just buy a $2.50 adapter for each filter size. If you want to go overboard, the Chinese knock-offs of the Cokin P hoder are around $4 each.

Prior to the E-P1, the fastest shutter speed I had on any camera was 1/1400s and prior to the digital era, just 1/1000s. That limit applied to the professional camera I had (a Nikon F) too.

It isn't going to kill you.

I have NDs in 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, and 256x but the latter is a bit of overkill.

 

[chefpush]

My guess is that there's no mechanical limit to the shutter speed in E_PL1. Olympus intentionally made it at 1/2000 to make it inferior to E-P2. They can't have $600 camera better spec than Their top of the line.

 

[squeegee]

With my E-PL1 coming, I look into my photos and I noticed some of them were taken between 1/2000 and 1/4000.

I find the same thing with my photos. I'm using the e-p1 and a lot of out door shots are above 1/2000. I've even had it max out at 1/4000 a few times and I was forced to decrease the aperture more than I originally wanted to - i.e. I was shooting in A and it couldn't compensate any more so I had to switch to M and set both manually.

I get the point that you can work around these things but sometimes it's just nice when you get what you want with out work arounds.

 

[Djarum]

I agree with the OP, chefpush - IMHO - that is a real negative - only up to 1/2000th - why? - and I am being serious

I would not buy the EPL1 for that reason

You should have bought an EP-1

In all seriousness, I have shot a few photos at 1/4000s with my EP1. A few things to consider. In ISO Auto, sometimes the camera will only go as low as ISO 200. Set to ISO 100 manually. The only other solution without using a filter is to stop down. Since 1/4000 to 1/2000 is just a stop, find a way for the subject to get farther away from the background to increase the blurr of the background.

Even with the EP1, I've found that 1/8000 to be preferable, but it doesn't go that fast. Like anything, compromise, compromise, compromise....

 

[Djarum]

I find the same thing with my photos. I'm using the e-p1 and a lot of out door shots are above 1/2000. I've even had it max out at 1/4000 a few times and I was forced to decrease the aperture more than I originally wanted to - i.e. I was shooting in A and it couldn't compensate any more so I had to switch to M and set both manually.

I get the point that you can work around these things but sometimes it's just nice when you get what you want with out work arounds.

Just curious..what was the subject?

 

[nokiamia]

I hope you can find a way to manage the limitation (without having to sell off the EPL1). Filters, EV and ISO control could help. Another way is to use telephoto and small aperture but still maintaining thin DOF.

 

[squeegee]

Just curious..what was the subject?

Anything from just scenery (yes you could argue a ND filter, but that's more to buy, more to carry, more to put on and take off), to a flower in a sunny patch, to a squirrel in a park (still haven't gotten this picture coming out properly yet), to motorbikers going 180km/h. I find it's about the time of day and season. I didn't notice it much during winter or during darker times in the day, just when it's nice and sunny out. If I point my camera out my window right now (4:45pm, sunny with patches of clouds) if I want F3.5 it wants 1/2500 shutter speed, and that's not mid-day and that's with patches of clouds, when I tried it earlier today F4.5 was the highest I could go.

I realise there could be arguments made about what F I should be / could be using etc... but the counter argument would be... if you bought a $400 20mm F1.7 lens, would you be happy if you could never use anything faster than F3.5?

 

[chefpush]

My coworker saw the E-PL1 when it arrived. He likes the look of the camera, so I decided to sell it to him at the same price I bought. I didn't sell it because of fear of 1/2000 shutter speed. Just that my coworker is a very nice guy and he deserves olympus camera.

Now I have an unused VF-2 that I bought with E-PL1. My E-P1 can't use it. I'm dying to use VF for manual focus. The same old dilemma comes back.
E-PL1 - 1/2000s limit, no remote shutter release
E-P2 - no wireless flash trigger
or wait till December (which is another 6 months!) for new model which I hope can have 1/4000s, remote release and wireless flash trigger.

 

[BBW]

Decisions, decisions. Have you looked around to see if you can find a nice E-P2 body gently used?

 

[chefpush]

I'm looking now. No luck yet.

 

[Charles2]

If you don't have a ND filter handy...

I suggest you try the camera first and, if necessary, buy the appropriate ND filters.
Don

...You can stop the aperture down and blur the background in post-processing. I especially like the gradient feature in Picture Window Pro. You can combine selection of an area (mask or layer) with a gradual application of an effect, in this case a Gaussian blur, from top to bottom, left to right, and other geometric choices.

 

[jujube]

Hi,

another option is to use a polarizer instead of an ND. It's a useful filter for many uses (reflections, sky color saturation, etc.), and it also stops down by 1, 1.5 or even 2 stops, depending on the brand/type.
Go for a circular type (a.k.a. C-PL) if you want to use autofocus with the specific lens...if your lens is manual, go for a non-linear type, as they are much cheaper

cheers,
jujube