Should I Buy the EP1

[369]

Hi all,

I got curios about the mft only after the e-pl1 release. However, recently I missed the $475 deal from beach camera and have been kicking myself for not buying it then. Now in 2 weeks I have a trip coming up. I don't want to spend $550 knowing that the price had gone down and soon will again. I know that I want the E-PL1 but need to have a cam before the trip or carry my 4 year old P&S.

So now I am thinking is that if I should get the EP1 from Costco for $499 and it can serve me in my trip and if I like it i will keep it else return it.

However, I am concerned about no inbuilt flash and I think in the vening when we go out for dinners etc I might need the flash. The other thing also is how friendly is it to a novice like me? will i be able to get good pics out from auto or P mode.

Let me know what you guys think

 

[Iconindustries]

Hey 369 I own a GF1 myself with the in built flash and to be honest with you I have only used it a dozen times. I guess it's just the assurance of know it's there when the situation arises when you could use it. I've found with the gf1 that if you have decent lighting and have steady hand the pictures come out very good without the flash. I'm sure if you use the IS in the olys, the output should be similar. And with regard to the 'auto' mode- it does a fantastic job, on the gf1 it works out the scene and will adjust to the correct mode and settings. Sometimes the only thing I like to change when I have it in auto mode is the 'multi point focusing' or 'centre focusing'.

But whatever the case, I sure hope you don't go on your holiday without one of these fantastic cameras.

Rgds,
icon

 

[BBW]

I'm afraid I have no experience with the E-P1. Many love it, but can you really take it on a trip and then return it? I guess that's one of the plusses of buying at Costco.

I'm not too sure that the E-PL1 is going to go down in price too soon, though perhaps right before the next big holiday?

When do you leave for your trip? You want to feel comfortable with any new camera before taking off, I'd think. If you do buy the E-P1, bring along your point and shoot, too - just in case you find you do want to have a flash. One of the things that got me to buy the E-PL1 was the ability to have that flash so that I could use the camera in as many situations as possible - including "snapshots".

 

[Ray Sachs]

Is the $50 really a financial issue or an ego issue knowing you COULD have had it for less? If its really financial, you gotta do what you gotta do. If its ego, just let it go - compare what's available NOW, not the deal you almost got but didn't. Guaranteed, ANY camera you buy today will be cheaper in a year and you may want to kick yourself over that, but if you always wait, you'll never have what you want when you need it.

It sounds like you really want the e-pl1. Spend the $50 unless its really gonna break your bank. Get the one you want and get it soon enough to get familiar with it before your trip. I got the epl1 about a month and a half ago and just now feel like I'm getting a good handle on it. I got some decent results with it right away, but with more time with it I really feel more in control of the options and the best way to use the camera and set it up for the way I like to shoot. I paid the full $599 and the extra $$ over what I might have been able to get it for if I'd waited has been more than worth it to me in the photographs I've already pulled out of the camera and the knowledge of the camera I've gained in that time.

-Ray

 

[pcake]

i'd say buy the e-pl1 if you like it and if you can afford it. it's much easier to hold than the e-p1 thanks to the grip, and that may come in pretty handy. it's why i didn't buy it when i first saw it and went "wow!" i hear the e-pl1 is faster to focus and takes better quality jpgs. i also have a gf1, and the flash has come in handy for fill a few times.

 

[andyw]

I have never used any in built or external flash as i hate it. Just do without and enjoy the E-P1

 

[Vidar]

Should I Buy the EP1

YES.

 

[cosinaphile]

get the ep1 and keep it its a good machine a nice high end build , get it and keep it and a year from now get whats latest and have 2 machines

 

[Streetshooter]

Agreed with Vidar and Cosina....
The Pen 1 is a sweetheart.......
The beauty of this format with the IS...is that you don't need flash...just natural light, whatever that may be...
shooter

 

[Bullfrog]

I have the GF1, love it to bits and bought it over the Pen 1 partly due to the inbuilt flash. BUT...I have to say, I've only used it a few times and have worked more on maximising my understanding of how to better work with natural light and the joys of the 20mm Panasonic in tough situations. If I were making the choice again it would be a harder one and I think the Pen 1 would possibly edge it.

With all that said you won't go wrong with either.

 

[junglar1]

yes i love my ep1 , its a fine camera

 

[Bokeh Diem]

Do you mean buy it to take it on a trip, use it, and then take it back for a full refund?

Bokeh Diem

 

[Streetshooter]

Do you mean buy it to take it on a trip, use it, and then take it back for a full refund?

Bokeh Diem

I could see doing that with a suit but never a camera.

 

[elandel]

I have never heard of a thing like that.

 

[nokiamia]

I hate built in flash units. On my DSLR, I use external flash and bounce the light. Never direct. So I guess, because of that experience and preference, I'm ok with EP2. Please do note that the most expensive cameras like Nikon D3 and Canon 1Ds, they too do not have built in flash. But then again, those cameras are of different league.

But if you use the EP series with just the 14-42 kit lens, low light would be a challenge and frustrating, unless you have an external flash. For low light photography, you need lenses with big fat apertures like the Oly 17 and Pana 20.

My take is, if you're used to using flash and not ready to take up the low light photography lesson via this very expensive route, perhaps the EP series would not be a good idea.

 

[BBW]

I could see doing that with a suit but never a camera.

I can just imagine that!


While I agree built in flashes are not the best, they are handy in certain situations and each has to evaluate what their needs are. Back in the neolithic era when I was a film person, I bought a fancy flash and probably used it once - always shot in natural light. I still prefer natural light but for my needs and wants now and since I don't have another "nice" camera, I wanted that option for those "snapshot" moments inside at night, etc. Vive la difference!

369, think about what you want to do with this camera and you'll make the best decision for yourself. Ray has made a great point about the $50 issue, too.

 

[nokiamia]

Seriously, come to think of it... without internal or external flash, I do feel kinda short lugging around the ep2 no matter how fat the aperture on my lens is. On my dslr, I don't use the internal flash, but I do carry around my external flash, just in case.

So, I guess, the ep2 is perfect if I always have an external flash stashed up in the bag... which I don't, at the moment.

 

[traveler_101]

Just bought the E-P1!

To the question "Should I buy an E-P1?" Vidar gives an emphatic "yes."
Vidar, jeg er absolutt enig med deg! (Translation: Vidar, I agree with you completely).

I just took the plunge. Got the E-P1.

get the ep1 and keep it its a good machine a nice high end build , get it and keep it and a year from now get whats latest and have 2 machines

Cosinaphile, that's EXACTLY the way I saw it.
I have been dithering for three months about which camera to purchase. I had time because I couldn't purchase the camera right away anyhow, for a variety of reasons. I came very close to deciding for the E-P2, but didn't like the color, or the price. I even thought about importing a silver one from Japan or buying the silver now released for sale in the States, until I realized what it was going to cost me. The EVF is very good, but it looks like hell on the camera and is, in fact, an after thought, not part of the original design concept and it shows.

When the E-PL1 came out with better IQ I was more confused than ever. I never liked the design of the E-PL1 camera, but it's better performance cast doubt on the E-P2. Furthermore people were taking great photographs with the E-PL1, without the EVF! Therefore while I was initially impressed by the EVF standard with the E-P2 and the better image quality on the E-PL1, I realized there there are so many design compromises on both of these cameras that I came right back for a second look at the E-P1. At the same time, there are now clear indications that a new :43: camera with a built in EVF is likely to released by Olympus in the near future. This made me realize two things: first, I may wish to exercise the option of buying one of these in year or two. Second, the Pen design of the E-P1/2 will never be repeated: in short there will probably never be anything like the original E-P1 again.

The clearance prices on the E-P1 sealed the deal. I bought one this week. With all the money saved, I bought a Panasonic 20mm/1.7 lens to go along with my 15mm and 25mm Voigtlanders.

Mark

 

[369]

I ordered the E-P1 and it should be here anyday now. I should do a FW upgrade as soon as I get the camera right?

I will have a lot of questions once I get the cam and start playing around. Can anyone suggest a camera case just for the camera with the kit lens and charger and memory card.

 

[Djarum]

I own the EP1 and I have played with the EPL1 in the store a good bit. The EP1 to me seems a tad heavy for the kit lens. However, putting bigger lenses on it will help balance it out. The EPL1 I think has a better grip. But since it doesn't have the control wheels, I found this to be a negative, even thought the control pad is pretty easy to use.

I think for anyone who is coming from the P&S crowd, the EPL1 might be a better choice especially used to flash. I've only run into a few occasions where I wish I had a flash. But the flash on my old P&S was useless anyways, so I was used to having to deal with taking shots in low light. With the kit lens, if I have to take a shot at f3.5 and ISO1600 to get the shot, so be it. It looks worlds better than my P&S at ISO 400.