Olympus PEN E-PL1

Opinion: Bought this only a couple of months ago, ex-demo model that was being cleared so got it for a steal. For a model nearly two years old there was little expectation of being wowed, just thought it'd be fun to try it out at the price of a discounted mid-range compact.

Surprisingly am really, really enjoying using this, so much so at the moment am leaving my normal walkabout Samsung NX10/30mm at home in favour of this. Funny - Screen is much poorer (so much so that when first using the Olympus there seemed something wrong w the sensor, to produce such muddy results compared to pics on the Samsung amoled screen), and the NR oddly seems quite agressive at low ISO which is quite clear when pixel peeping.

BUT, it's so much fun to use! Pictures seen at normal magnification or printed are pretty much perfect, with an especial commendation for skin-tones. The kit lens is clever and decent quality, the flash can unofficially bounce which is brilliant, art filters are fun and do produce interesting and attractive results. I've tried to make the most of the lo-res screen by maxing the brightness and using a non-reflective protector on it, both which seems to help a little in bright daylight.

Am using the camera as an enjoyable and cheap experiment in m43, not even looking at getting extra lenses or other accessories - have got a cheap flash diffuser, using a UV filter as my lens cap so its always ready to go, it goes into a csc shoulder bag and off we go! Next purchase will be a £20 slave flash to help experiment with lighting.

When the 16mp m43 sensor becomes common in the next Olympus models I'll think about moving on then, dependent on long-term results with the e-pl1 - In the meantime am still having too much fun w this model!

Opinion: excellent

Opinion: Hi,

Very good gear, the results are as good as any good SLR. Easy to handle. It will take some time to get used all the menus.

Opinion: I got this camera almost 2 years ago as Replacement for my Nikon D300. I was tired of the bulk with the DSLR related stuff. Being only a hobbyshooter with 2 little Kids led me to a System with fewer bulk, fast(ish) autofocus and superb picture quality without RAW processing. Meanwhile I have extended my m4/3 Camerazoo: There is an EP-2, a GF1 and a GH-2. Each of them with different advantages and nearly no real disadvantages. The EPL-1 has still its place and delivers stunning pictures. I use either the Pana 20 or the Pana 14 with it and just love the combo.
Another good thing about these Cameras are the ever dropping prices. I got the EPL-1 for 250Eu, the EP-2 for 280Aus$ and the GF-1 for 300Eu. Well, the GH-2 was expensive, but I got it when it was almost new to the market.
Yes, everything over ISO 1600 (GH-2 : 3200) is sort of unusable, but that's the system behind it.

Opinion: My review is based on Kit Lens only!

Pros:
-Small, handy body size, solid in hand.
-Good picture quality in good light, at par to Nikon D5100.
-Low price, about US$399.
-Good sharpness kit lens.

Personal oppinion to whom may concern:-
If you are considering to buy an entry lever DSLR or this EPL-1 , i personally advice you to go direct to DSLR!
The reason is clear in the pro and con, the end result we want still very basic,the picture quality output in BOTH bright "AND" Low light stuation, the EPL-1 only provide only half !

Opinion: Pros
- A light and portable alternative to D-SLRs
- Under normal/ideal situations, delivers images that are on a similar level to D-SLRs
- Excellent colors, IMHO among the best out-of-camera JPEGs
- In-camera image stabilization

Cons
- Highlight clipping. Bright scenes tend to get overexposed more easily than on my D-SLR
- 1/160s flash sync speed is sometimes too slow
- For D-SLR users, the lack of control dials is an inconvenience
- Battery life could be longer (hard to fault, considering that the LCD has to be used for shooting)

During a 5 day trip to Shanghai to see the World Expo 2010, it became painfully obvious that toting around my Nikon D700 with 3 lenses (wide, normal and tele) was not a relaxing way to go on vacation. I wanted to get something that was small and light enough to carry around all day without leaving large welts on my shoulders.
My choice was between the E-PL1 and the Panasonic GF-1 (the E-P1 and E-P2 weren’t considered because of their lack of a built-in flash). I preferred the SLR-like control of the GF-1 but has hesitant on
A) The high price mark (more expensive than many entry-level D-SLRs!)
B) Lack of image stabilization
C) The out-of-camera image quality
I realize that shooting in RAW allows me to manipulate my photos after the fact, but I’m the sort of person who prefers spending more time with my hands on a camera rather than a mouse. The E-PL1 gives me colors and contrasts that suit my tastes, so aside from the occasionally cropping, there’s little need to fiddle with my JPEGs after shooting. The built-in Art filters also come in handy when I want to add some digital enhancements.
After 4 months of shooting - including a trip to Kyoto and 2 studio shoots – I’m very happy with the decision that I made. I don’t know if it’s because of its smaller size, but I find myself shooting more candid photos than before. I’ve always enjoyed photography but somehow the Oly makes shooting even more fun. In some ways, the lack of dials and controls is a blessing because it makes me focus on the aesthetics rather than the technical aspects of photography.
Speaking of the controls, SLR users may need to adapt to the button presses instead of the more conventional control dials, but coming from both a SLR and compact DC background, I don’t find the button presses to be overly inconvenient. In fact, I normally shoot in Aperture mode, so I typically only adjust the aperture once or twice during a shoot.
The major problem encountered so far is with highlight clipping. I’ve had to underexpose extensively when shooting under bright sunlight or when dealing with a lot of whites. Under the same situation, my other cameras seems to have less problem exposing. At first, I thought that it was a feature inherent to the processing engine, but even when shooting in RAW I’ve encountered similar situations.
The X-sync speed of 1/160s is slow for when I’m shooting outdoors or in the studio. 1/250s (or even 1/500s) would be fantastic.
Camera controls, LCD resolution, ISO range are issues that are often brought up, but the E-PL1 was designed to be a trimmed down E-P2, so these limitations are understandable.
Naturally, I wouldn’t consider this camera to be a replacement for my D700. For situations that require high ISO performance, fast focusing or high resolving power I’ll always rely on a combination like my D700 + 70-200mm f/2.8 VR (considering that this combo costs 7 times more than the E-PL1 kit, it better perform better!). But the E-PL1 offers me quality that goes beyond casual shooting and is portable enough for me to take everywhere, which in some ways make it a better camera than the bulky D700.
FYI, aside from the 14-42mm kit lens, I’ve also picked up the Panasonic 45-200mm and the 20mm f/1.7. An excellent combination, with a total weight less than half of my heavier Nikon zooms.

Samples can be found at www.fotop.net/teruphoto/Olympus_EPL1

Opinion: I would say that this could be a true landmark camera. Much smaller than I expected it to be. Feels very, very solid - beautifully made. Doesn't seem "plasticky" at all. Fits in a small Walmart case. Superb DSLR photo results without the bulk. "Art" effects are perfect and are easy to choose. Soft focus yields incredible portraits. Solves the whole problem of DSLR is too big, P&S doesn't have the "Wow" results. Easy controls. LCD in daylight not a problem. Not as fast as my Canon XSi but it stays home most of the time. The E-PL1 collapsible zoom kit lens makes alot of all this possible.

Opinion: I chose the E-PL1 over the Leica X1. I wanted a camera that'd deliver decent iq, as good, or near as good as my dslr's. I bought the E-PL1 to replace my carry about camera (Canon G10) which is a good camera in it's own right. However it simply couldn't deliver the iq of a camera with a larger chip like the E-PL1. I'm impressed what Olympus has packed into a stylish, hi-performance box like the E-PL1. I love the Art mode options, the ease of use switching between menus for quick modifications, the versatility of the 14-42mm kit lens performs amazingly well for all my needs. I'm currently using the E-PL1 to shoot all the images for my new book.

Opinion: Got the Olympus E-PL1 2 weeks ago and along with the adaptor MMF-1. This is a great camera which is simple to use and operates. The Art filter is a cool addition to the camera. The picture quality is very good and sharp. A very good deal.