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Just posted: Olympus PEN E-P5 real-world samples

Jul 10, 2013 at 09:27:26 GMT

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We've been shooting with the Olympus PEN E-P5 for the past few weeks, in preparation for our review. Using a selection of lenses, we've put together a real-world samples gallery showing what the latest big PEN can do. In addition to shooting at the default settings, we've also tried adjusting the noise reduction and sharpening settings, and have included both out-of-camera JPEGs and Adobe Camera Raw conversions to give an idea for the choices you're offered.

Click here to read our Olympus PEN E-P5 preview

Olympus PEN E-P5 Preview samples gallery

Olympus PEN E-P5 preview samples: Published July 10th 2013

There are 35 images in our samples gallery. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don't abuse it.

Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution.

Click here to read our Olympus PEN E-P5 preview

SAMPLE GALLERY OLYMPUS PREVIEW SAMPLES

Olympus PEN E-P5

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Olympus E-P5 Mirrorless Camera, Body Only (Black)●	$949.00	Buy on GearShop
Olympus E-P5 Mirrorless Camera Kit with 17mm f/1.8 Lens and VF-4 Viewfinder (Black)●	$1,399.00	Buy on GearShop
Olympus E-P5 Mirrorless Camera, Body Only (Silver with Black Trim)●	$949.00	Buy on GearShop
Olympus E-P5 Mirrorless Camera Kit with 17mm f/1.8 Lens and VF-4 Viewfinder (Silver with Black Trim)●	$1,399.00	Buy on GearShop
Olympus E-P5 Mirrorless Camera, Body Only (White)●	$949.00	Buy on GearShop

Olympus E-P5 Black body 16 .1MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD- Body Only (Black)	Too low to display
Olympus E-P5 17mm f1.8 and VF-4 16.1 MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Silver with Black Trim)	$1,385.95
Olympus E-P5 16.1 MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD- Body Only (Silver with Black Trim)	$949.00
Olympus E-P5 17mm f1.8 and VF-4 16.1 MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black)	$1,380.95
Olympus E-P5 Black body 16 .1MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD- Body Only (Black)	Too low to display
Olympus E-PL5 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Black)	Too low to display
Olympus E-PL5 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Silver)	Too low to display
Olympus E-P5 16.1MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD- Body Only (White)	$949.00
Olympus E-PL5 16MP Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD, Body Only (Black)	$499.00
Olympus E-PL5 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (White)	Too low to display
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Compact System Camera with 16MP and 3-Inch LCD - Body Only	$1,390.95

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Comments

Total comments: 73

Gee, I was in Flinders lane 2 days ago. But stopped in Delgrave St for a coffee. Happy coincidences. :)

1 upvote

Nice to see pictures from Melbourne, Australia. Hope you had a coffee and lasagne at Pellegrini's! The perfect use of these mirrorless cameras is for travel.

5 upvotes

I didn't try the lasagne but I did enjoy a coffee there (It's amazingly like Bar Italia in London in some respects). I also liked that they'd posted a bit of rugby news in the window.

6 upvotes

I was surprised to see that - Melbourne is resoundingly AFL dominated.

I wonder what the sign said after Saturday. Probably just 'ouch'.

1 upvote

RX100II's ISO12800's samples look better than EP5's......what's going on?

2 upvotes

I'm sure the real story is that both look like crap.

3 upvotes

I think you guys at DPreview should spend more time taking compositionally more interesting photographs. I don't care that you use something like the 15mm f/8 body cap lens to shoot your E-P5 photos, just make your photos more pleasing to look at. These look like outtakes from someone accidentally pressing the shutter.

4 upvotes

No they don't look like outtakes. And if they did, there exists something in this world called "manners".

I'm a fan of beautiful landscapes, scenics and travel photography, so I could look at images like these all day. If the subjects are not your thing, at least be polite about it.

23 upvotes

Who cares anyway? Composition isn't terribly important if their some purpose is for judging IQ... They're not supposed to entertain or delight you.

6 upvotes

I really like these samples, lots of variation good to see lots of face shots. I notice all the popular Olympus models have the best sample galleries. I really should buy one.

1 upvote

This is the classic right-brain vs left-brain conflict.
Only half a brain is needed to absorb these analytic shots.

The shots are fine.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

sharp and crisp, nice detail. But i don't like the colors so much. Seem to be a bit flat and lifeless.

0 upvotes

Ummm.... That would because its not generally considered sensible to shoot with the contrast and saturation set high in the camera? They look like good OOC images to me.

Comment edited 25 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

What are the dpreview crew thinking?

Using a low-performance 14-140 superzoom to test the latest flagship m43 camera? You don't even have budget for 12-35 and 35-100?

3 upvotes

The 14-140 is one of the best all in one lenses and a very realistic option for m4/3 customers. Further, he shot it correctly by stopping down a bit. And finally, many of the images are also shot with the 45mm Oly ... so there is nothing wrong whatsoever with this methodology. Using thousand dollar plus lenses would actually be a flawed method, since it represents a small segment of the market for m4/3 cameras.

18 upvotes

And the EP5 doesn't seem like the new flagship. The OMD retains better IBIS, weather sealing, etc.

0 upvotes

Although Panasonic 14-140mm is a good lens. I am hoping you could borrow a 14-150mm from Olympus for testing. Many buying Olympus, might likely choose same brand full telezoom (among others). Just wanted to see how Oly's full telezoom compares to Panasonic lens for optical quality. My copy is very sharp on my EPL1. Perhaps in the full review of EP5 if possible?

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 4 minutes after posting

2 upvotes

As long as the lens is reasonably sharp and used within it's normal capabilities, that's OK.
The P5 is the flagship of the PENS isn't it ?

0 upvotes

E-P5 uses the same IBIS as the OMD BTW.....

0 upvotes

Have a look this pic:

http://masters.galleries.dpreview.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2620248.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=14Y3MT0G2J4Y72K3ZXR2&Expires=1373474596&Signature=FIaInINhdxquEe4bv%2bms%2bVaoK3U%3d

Typical "shutter shock" at 1/100s.

0 upvotes

I don't think this is a working link.

0 upvotes

Sorry...

http://masters.galleries.dpreview.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2620248.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=14Y3MT0G2J4Y72K3ZXR2&Expires=1373482814&Signature=kVQ%2bpAC5siP2EJVSTL4Gg312UGg%3d

0 upvotes

It seems the link expires... Anyway, in the second page of samples, the pic P7020351.

0 upvotes

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/reviewsamples/photos/2620248/p7020351?inalbum=olympus-pen-e-p5-preview-samples

2 upvotes

You are right, Zoom71, good observation.
Thank you for the helpful pictures and your participation in the comments, R Butler, is this normal?

0 upvotes

@ FreedomLover - I've been away from the office (and my monitor) for a while and have been surprised by how many of the images seem slightly shaken. It's something I'm looking into as I start on the review.

2 upvotes

Interestingly, the high iso images seem to have even more banding then those made with OM-D.

4 upvotes

This one is definitely a winner! I want one! :)

3 upvotes

I do not expect any ''nice'' bokeh in any m43 camera,so I substitute the effect by a 100% crop using a fast prime lens.But then doing that,it's essential to crop in a really sharp object within the photo so that the resolution of the lens still keeps fairly sharp the object and at the same time ''melts'' in a way the backround.
Here comes the scepticism; Looking at those samples THERE ISN'T ANY SHARP ONE,NOT A SINGLE ONE!! Dissapointed! Hope the extended review will clearly show the above samples were simply an amaterish efford.I doubt though..

2 upvotes

If you consistently need shallower depth of field than your gear can produce, and your answer is to make 100% crops of all your images, you may have bought into the wrong system...

10 upvotes

Very good photos overall. Image quality similar to OMD.
What is the point of taking photos at 12800 iso, to show how noisy it is at an iso most of us would not likely want to use anyway, and would get a prime for a lower iso? It cleaned up fairly well in ACR though in second image. I would rather see more images at 1600, 3200 and 6400. There was some night photos taken at 800 iso with F1.8 or longer exposures looked very good.
All in all a great camera though.
Robin Wong also has great examples on his website blog.

4 upvotes

I for one am always intrested to see 12800 shots.

2 upvotes

@Adrian Van - both the ISO 12800 shots were taken with prime lenses at their widest apertures. Both were shot at shutter speeds of around 1/Equivalent focal length. I'm not sure what I could have done differently.

1 upvote

@ R Butler - I think those images show amazing amount of clarity and detail and I prefer the second one with noise reduction. I think you did a great job with those and I don't know what Adrian is complaining about.

My first reaction was - darn I don't get images like that with my NEX-6 at 3200 ISO but then I saw the f1.8 and felt better. I only have kit and tele for the NEX.

0 upvotes

Sorry, did not mean to complain. Just most of us I would imagine typically would avoid that high an iso at 12800 (except in a pinch) as a lot of cameras we are used to before, do not perform well that high. I would agree it cleaned up well in second image. Times are changing fast in m43 compared to my earlier EPL1. Combination of software or camera processing and new sensors. Good work, Olympus!

Comment edited 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

@Adrian Van - I agree that it's not necessarily how everyone shoots, but I was trying to show how it performed in an extreme situation. I'd have included more moderate ISO images if I'd got some I liked - I'll try to make sure I shoot some more for the review gallery.

5 upvotes

A good test shot for me, I like environmentaly lit portraiture, and typically this is in low light, So this shows you were the red lines are in terms of image quality low light and High ISO, and also gives an idea of what sort of DOF is achievable with the portrait lens, if that is your thing, For a quick test a great shot to include

0 upvotes

How effective is the IBIS? On par with the OM-D? Thanks for posting the samples :)

Comment edited 25 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Nice samples. Thank you for taking the trouble.

The images look very decent, just like the ones made with any other recent camera. Differences have become so subtle there is not much point in comparing (most cameras use very similar sensors anyway). Perhaps it is time to pay more attention to other aspects of photographic gear such as durability, design and function in various genres.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

10 upvotes

17mm f1.8 doesn't look too exiting, decent lens, expensive. But there is no "WOW" must get it. I started to like e-p5 and external vf idea, want something more compact than a bit bulky g5/g6. Lets see how price will change in 2-3month, already 8% less for kit 17mm+vf. From 125.000yen down to 115.000 :)

2 upvotes

I owned the Oly 17 f1.8 for a little while, and it was unimpressive. Not worth the $500 asking price.

0 upvotes

I am also disappointed with the Oly 17mm f/1.8. The problem with Oly is they are making the lens to a price and not making it for excellence like they have done for the 75mm f/1.8. To make their cameras more as a serious alternative to DSLRs they (and Panasonic) should have more professional grade lenses.

The Voigtlander 17.5mm f/0.95 performed better but it is manual focus only.

Looking forward for some good news on the E-P5 in the full review. So far, robinwong.com seems to be the only website so far on the camera with reasonable photos.

2 upvotes

I have kept my EPL1. With the Pan 20 1.7 it is a nice combination. As others have noted I don't see a notable increase in IQ etc. The pictures are just samples of real world shooting and not meant to be art but IF I had not owned the EPL1 there isn't much in these photos to get excited about.

If there is still a banding problem with the above mentioned 20 lens it would be a game changer for me as it was my favorite M4/3 lens. The funny part is there was never a banding problem with the EPL1 but seemed to come in with later models the OMD most notably.

Thanks for the samples.

3 upvotes

There is a significant difference between the new Sony sensors and the older 12mp sensor used in your EPL1.
The banding problem seems to be interference of some sort between the 20mm lens and the sony sensors used in all the current Olympus cameras and the Panasonic GH3. Panasonic have announced a new metal bodied 20mm lens which people have speculated will solve the banding issue.

0 upvotes

That EPL1 was very well wrought for its time (admittedly EVF not the greatest and 12 versus 16 MP sensor; noisy shutter) and remains one of the best values in photography given current prices. The image quality is excellent and "good at 100 percent," unlike so many cameras. Shake reduction, good dust reduction system, has a flash, can take a viewfinder, every custom setting imaginable.

2 upvotes

The EPL-1 was decent and good value for money but the new Sony sensor has far more dynamic range and less noise. I own an EPL-2 and an OM-D and there are large differences between them.

1 upvote

Good to know. But @ $129 for a factory demo from Cameta, I've been pleased with the E-PL1.

0 upvotes

The older M43 cameras are terrific value for money. I do landscapes and the opportunity for more DR in a small package was too hard to resist.

0 upvotes

Great pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 upvote

Hi Uri, I am trying to figure out if your post is meant as sarcasm or do you really see greatness in these photos? What are you seeing that the rest of us are missing?

Note: this was posted in a friendly conversational way.

2 upvotes

Mcshan note: anyone can see you're trolling

0 upvotes

Liked the 17mm lens images alot

3 upvotes

The 14-42 shots are much better than the others. How come?

1 upvote

No - they are not.

Comment edited 19 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Work-junket alert!!
Well someone was lucky enough to visit Australia to take these samples, weren't they Richard? I bet Simon was miffed it wasn't him...

0 upvotes

In the real world, Richard travelled to Australia on holiday to watch the Lions, being inexplicably fond of rugby. If you'd like to apologise for the 'junket' accusation, we can leave it there.

Comment edited 14 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

He would of been a happy lad then with the result. The Ashes will be our redemption however. yes apologies, the reference to junket was tounge in cheek of course. And here i was thinking that Australians & Brits shared a common characteristic of detecting of subtle humour. :-(

0 upvotes

Thanks for the clarification - the problem with written communication on the internet is the lack of any additional cues about the author's real intent.

As for the Ashes, good luck and may the better team win.

0 upvotes

If I am not mistaken it's the same sensor as the OMD and that a great sensor but I won't expect anymore real big improvements to image quality. That said the images look great. Also, any real photographer will try to keep the ISO low as possible.

2 upvotes

"Any real photographer will try to keep the ISO low as possible"

He's trying to show what the sensor is capable of by shooting with a variety of camera settings in different lighting conditions.

Same as it has always been, this is a gear website, not a photography showcase. And DPR is previewing a new camera to demonstrate what it can do.

2 upvotes

Pretty decent, overall, but dynamic range seems limited.

3 upvotes

well i don´t see olympus making progess in image quality.

too much of the same cameras.
slower product cycles and more innovations is what pana and oly need... or i don´t see a big future for m43.

i sold my E-PL1 and bought a sony RX100 as always with me camera.
it fits into my shirt pocket and delivers great images.
and for a "always with me camera" i don´t need interchangeable lenses.
overall size is way more important for me.

4 upvotes

The 4/3 format has been around for seven years now, m4/3rds is no different so its lifespan is fairly long, but pocketable cameras demand compromises so to base an entire line on "shirtpocket" cameras would be a mistake.

1 upvote

@Henry...just getting to your post. I noted in another part of the thread that I too had the EPL1 and really liked it with the 20mm 1.7 lens. Later there were many reports of banding with that same lens and the OMD. I fully understand what you are saying. These images just don't do much for me. We also own the RX100 and it really delivers. It is so good I can't help but want the RX1R. If the RX100 is that good I can only imagine shooting with the full frame.

Size is key for me and is what drove me to the EPL1 in the first place. My brick camera days are over. I am sure there must be amazing improvements in the Oly line but I am not certain that it is the EP5.

2 upvotes

I own an RX100 and an OM-D...while I love the RX100, in no way is it a replacement for the OM-D, which generates better pictures IMHO. Was the E-PL1 that bad?

0 upvotes

Even though OM-D's sensor is over a year old it still seems to be close to the best that current technology can produce for this size. Noise levels and DR from the best offerings from other manufacturers seems to be roughly proportional to their areas i. e. the best APS-C sensors may be about a stop better and 1" ones - about a stop worse.

1 upvote

@xentar - Bingo.

0 upvotes

Honestly, I am not impressed at all. I see some fringing of some sort in low-ISO images (not the best quality lens ?) and too much noise even at ISO2500. Also the JPEGs seem over-processed / over-sharpened and the colors are not the best I was expecting.

4 upvotes

"Even" at 2500 ISO? What ISO do you normally shoot at?

7 upvotes

the landscape images look like crap to be honest.

i have P&S cameras who deliver the same or better images.

6 upvotes

No- you have not....

Comment edited 36 seconds after posting

10 upvotes

@Henry M. Hertz
Seems all you do on dpreview now is complain about something. Might be good idea to show some of those better images you get?

19 upvotes

lovely photos and and an intriguing camera

1 upvote

Total comments: 73

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