Its been asked a million times, GF1 or E-P2!?

[Iconindustries]

So with the MF and the zooming of the screen, how do you choose the area of zooming?

Well when I turn the focus ring the image on the screen gets magnified and enables very accurate manual focusing just from the LCD. By default it magnifies the centre of the image but to change it, all i do is press the buttons that surround the menu button. This moves the magnified part to where ever you want it.

Also the ability to switch to burst, exposure bracketing and timer modes are easily reached. As you can see in the photo the switch is situated just in front of the main mode dial. The red marked button in the top is the dedicated video button.

Hope this answers your question.

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50527022@N02/4859877366/" title="DSC_0039 by iconindustries, on Flickr"> View attachment 148455 "1024" height="680" alt="DSC_0039" /></a>

 

[mav]

Yeah I like that little control for single/continuous shooting.

I think I've decided on a GF1 based on a few factors so far.

1. Controls
2. Screen res
3. Price
4. Style
5. Discreteness
6. Weight

Also this is a bit of a shallow one, but I think I'll prefer to match Lumix lenses with a Lumix body, can't blame me for wanting to look stylish too? And it looks like the Lumix G lenses are overall better and the prospect of more fast primes makes me excited.

If a GF2 comes along in september with a rangefinder style VF then whatever I'll just buy it. Disposable income FTW!

Also can anyone direct me to a comparison of the Pany 14-42 vs the Pany 14-45. Obviously theres a difference in build quality (plastic mount etc.) but optically? The 14-42 is nice and cheap over here so I was thinking of nabbing one at the same time.

 

[pictor]

Also can anyone direct me to a comparison of the Pany 14-42 vs the Pany 14-45. Obviously theres a difference in build quality (plastic mount etc.) but optically? The 14-42 is nice and cheap over here so I was thinking of nabbing one at the same time.

Digital Photography Review Has tested both lenses.

 

[mav]

One last thing, in M mode the wheel can do shutter speed then with a click can do aperture yes?

 

[Iconindustries]

yep, shutter first and push the click wheel (click wheel is also functions as a button when pushed in) and then aperture can be adjusted.

 

[mav]

Cool cool.

Well I think its a done deal then, unless I totally hate it when I pick it up for the 2nd time, tomorrow I shall head to the crazy yongsan electronics market.

With the lenses I think I'll save my cash till a lovely new prime comes along. Maybe even consider the fish eye 8mm, that could be hell fun.

 

[mav]

Got my GF1 today! for a cheap cheap 730USD with a 4GB SD card and a UV filter for the 20mm.

Can't wait to use it, waiting for the battery to charge! Will post again when I've taken a few shots.

 

[Pelao]

Got my GF1 today! for a cheap cheap 730USD with a 4GB SD card and a UV filter for the 20mm.

Can't wait to use it, waiting for the battery to charge! Will post again when I've taken a few shots.

Prepare to re-discover the joy of photography.

 

[mav]

Oh man this thing is cool. The manual focus is so very usable as well! I'm not even convinced I'll ever need a viewfinder really.
Its got everything my SLR has but smaller.

Also its far newer tech than my 400D as well, thats from 2006 this is barely a year old.

I like the small number of buttons on the rear, it irritates me when there are too many, most functions you'll do on the fly can be accomplished with few buttons, makes it a less crowded and complicated interface.

I'm very impressed with the build quality as well. Problem I've always had with lower end Canon SLR stuff, it works very well but its built like a toy.

Will head out tomorrow into the hilly forest near my apartment for some shots I think. Stay tuned. But for now I snapped a shot on my roof, pretty crummy but nice city scape.

View attachment 148517

 

[daimos]

congratulations !
if you are big on video, there is a hack on the internet (google GH1 hack, also check vimeo.com for samples).
i have hacked mine, but if you're not comfortable with it, leave it as is.
the hack does not in any way affect still photos, only video.

cheers.

 

[mav]

congratulations !
if you are big on video, there is a hack on the internet (google GH1 hack, also check vimeo.com for samples).
i have hacked mine, but if you're not comfortable with it, leave it as is.
the hack does not in any way affect still photos, only video.

cheers.

Yeah I read about that, I'm not sure I really mind too much, 720p seems sufficient for me.

 

[greg57]

That was the big decision point for me.

Yeah control interface is an important thing for sure.

But most importantly imho faster autofocus is a must for a light camera you'll take with you all the time to snap at whatever inspires you in the street. Street photography, fast!

 

[BBW]

Thank you Greg, for bringing this back on track with this thread. I am absolutely sure that mav meant no offense by using the vernacular.

The site's rules are stated here: https://www.mu-43.com/f68/site-rules-terms-service-286/ please review them, they include no discussion of religion and no personal attacks, as well at this catch all "Be nice. Rude comments have no place here."

Because we are a forum with members from all across the globe we must be understanding of people's different cultures and figures of speech while adhering to the site's rules.

Posts have been modified as needed here. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[greg57]

Thank you Greg, for bringing this back on track with this thread.

My pleasure.

 

[everythingsablur]

Yeah control interface is an important thing for sure.

But most importantly imho faster autofocus is a must for a light camera you'll take with you all the time to snap at whatever inspires you in the street. Street photography, fast!

Same here. The control interface, the fast AF, and the fact that the GF1 can actually focus well in very poor light conditions (thanks to the AF assist lamp) have led me to put my E-P2 back in the box and ship it back to Amazon. I'll live without IBIS and rely on Panny OIS in the longer lenses, since for the most part, Panny lenses seem to be optically superior to Olympus' glass (though I wouldn't mind the lighter, less expensive Oly superzoom compared to the 14-140).

 

[six4]

I had the GF1 the EP2 and the PL1 for a short stint of time.
I started with the GF1, and a week later, decided I wanted to try the IBIS on the EP2 and the PL1. I have unsteady hands, so even before the EP2 and PL1 arrived, I was almost sure I was going to sell my GF1 for one of the other two.

After several hundreds of test shots in all sorts of different conditions, I surprised myself by choosing the GF1 and have been very happy with the results.

The two reasons that swayed me:

1. IBIS is fantastic. That said, the only time I ever need IS is in low light situations, and unfortunately, without an AF assist lamp, the EP2 and the PL1 hunted way too much and often could not even lock in low light situations, thus negating (for me) any benefit IS might have. Overall, I found the AF on the GF1 just to be more accurate and faster.
2. Video mode. I took hours of test footage on each camera - but the Olys don't even come close to the results from a hacked GF1 in my humble opinion. High bitrate AVCHD with manual controls after the hack make the GF1 a fantastic travel camcorder.

A couple things to note:
- I don't use an EVF - so the high res EVF on the EPL1/EP2 didn't matter to me.
- I found all three interfaces easy to use - they all just take a bit of time to get used to.
- I only shoot RAW. If you shoot JPEG, you might find the output better on the Olys, but shooting straight raw and pixel peeping, I found that the GF1 was able to squeeze out a tiny bit more detail. But it could just be my eyes.

That said, I think it really depends on your own needs and I think the best way to decide between the two is to use both for a couple weeks. Both cams have their pros and cons.

 

[crcal]

I've owned the Olympus E-P2 with Panasonic 20mm lens for two weeks and used it almost every day (at Disney World for 6 days). I sold the E-P2 and just got a Panasonic GF1. Here are my unscientific thoughts about the two.

In Body Image Stabilization
Only the E-P2 has it, and it is excellent, you can tell it works. I wish the GF1 had IBIS, then to me it would be perfect. Eventually I want to try some old MF lenses and IBIS would really be useful. I don't have any Panasonic OIS lenses so I can't comment about that.

Focus Speed
The E-P2's focus speed is much slower than the GF1's. This is painfully noticeable in low light conditions. It takes forever (exagerration) to find focus sometimes. This was the number one reason I got rid of the E-P2. The GF1 is very quick to focus, and this gives the camera a feel that I describe as snappy and responsive. It's a good thing the E-P2 has IBIS, because you are holding the camera up and having to keep it still longer to get your shot. Maybe this doesn't bother some people, but I'm coming from using Canon DSLR's, so I especially notice the focus speed.

Control Interface
The GF1 wins in this aspect. To me, its controls are much easier and more intuitive to use. I didn't have to consult the manual very much, and I knew how to access everything within 20 minutes of opening the box. It's very straightforward and I like the GF1's thumb scroll wheel on the right side way better than the E-P2's. The E-P2 has one on the left that I didn't like, along with that little wheel that I keep hitting by accident on the right side of the screen.

Build and Style
I like how the E-P2 looks, and I also like how the GF1 looks. The GF1 is growing on me more, but that's probably because I'm biased already. Both are practically the same size, and build quality is excellent. When holding them in my hand, the GF1 feels better to hold and use. The GF1 has a little place for your right thumb to grab and the grip is good. I wasn't a fan of the E-P2 grip on the front, it looks good but isn't very useful, and felt less comfortable holding it with one hand. Because the E-P2 was harder to hold, it felt heavier to me. And because of the E-P2's shape, it was a little harder to put in my pocket when I needed to. Another thing to note is that the little plastic cover for the hotshoe on the GF1 has a little part you have to press in order to remove it. The E-P2's plastic cover for the hotshoe doesn't have this, it can just slip off if you move it. GF1 also has a much nicer screen which is a big plus for me.

Image Quality
JPEGs out of the E-P2 are better, slightly. I shoot RAW mostly so I don't really care. If I need image quality, I have my Canon 5DII.

Conclusion
The GF1 wins for me based on its focus speed, build, better screen, controls, and cost. I got this for a fraction of the cost I bought my E-P2 for. I don't care about the E-P2's art filters, most of them look dumb to me and can be recreated much better in Photoshop. Also, I don't use flash much, but it's very useful to have on the GF1 when I do need it.

I don't really use video much (yet) so I can't comment on that.

I also haven't used and don't care about EVF's.

I can see why there are so many threads on the internet about these two cameras. They both have their strengths.