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Ditched DSLR gear for Oly Pen?? Respond ASAP.

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BobT

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Has anyone found the small Olympus Pen camera, specifically the E-Pl1, attractive enough to have gotten rid of the DSLR gear? This is what I'm thinking of doing.

But will need to almost sell my DSLR gear(consumer level) in order to take on the Pen line. Would this be foolish?
I like the what I'm learning about the E-Pl1.
1) Smaller and lighter than DSLR
2) Good quality Jpegs(I'm not into RAW now anyway).

3) Good IQ without wrestling with a lot of mechanics and camera theory and knowhow.

I need you feedback right now; as tomorrow is the day to make the E-Pl1 buy if I'm going to do it.
I've pretty much done my homework----everything short of actually using one.
Thanks VERY much.
 
My answer is NO, based on use of my E-3 and E-PL1. I do like both cameras. They have their different strengths, but IMHO do not really overlap "performance" that much,thus I will not get rid of the E-3. Both are very good at what they do best - take good pictures. I can take fast action pictures of weddings with the E-3 that I would have difficulty with if I only used the E-PL1.
 
I got rid of my Pentax gear to go with M43. Had too many lenses collecting dust and got sick of lugging the gear around. Now I have a GH1 with the 14-40, an EPL1 with the 20mm and the Oly 14-42mm, plus a few legacy lenses. It's much easier gear to travel with and I actually prefer the EVF to the OVF of my old DSLR's.

I also used to have the GF1 and after using the EPL1 a bit I sometimes miss it. I don't want to start a war on here, but the GF1 was just more responsive and easier to use. I ditched it to get the EPL1 for my wife.

My only complaint is that I'd like to see more fast lenses. I had some darn good primes and zooms for my Pentax, but I understand the system is still new. The 20mm is great. The 14-140mm is great too when used correctly. I'd like a fast zoom and a fast 30-40mm lens to finish off my kit.

As for image quality. I don't have a complaint at all. I had a Pentax 200D and 10D and what I get out of M43 is superior. The GH1 is also more responsive and has a more reliable autofocus than those cameras had.

Regardless, you'll be buying into a new system. If your goal is to save on size/weight and give up a bit of DR/low light performance it's not a bad move to make.
 
jsgraves22 said:
I got rid of my Pentax gear to go with M43. Had too many lenses collecting dust and got sick of lugging the gear around. Now I have a GH1 with the 14-40, an EPL1 with the 20mm and the Oly 14-42mm, plus a few legacy lenses. It's much easier gear to travel with and I actually prefer the EVF to the OVF of my old DSLR's
Click to expand...
I sold off the Pentax stuff I wasn't using and put the good stuff in a drawer "just in case". Now I'm having fun putting together a G1 kit while I'm out of action for a while.

I'd advise going slow on the change over.

Joe

--



http://www.flickr.com/photos/jotor/sets/72157603857531887/show/

'Learn everything, forget everything and play'
Jimi Hendrix
 
I was considering the routine E-Pl1 kit...with the 14-42 lens. But I MUST get rid of something to really do this. Be it the DSLR gear, my Canon SX20IS(20X super zoom) or smaller Canon A650IS(7X zoom 12 mpxls). Something has to go. I'm trying to thin out and not add on. I'm a guy that would like to have the very least gear necessary to get the jobs done. Putting it that way, it would sound as though the DSLR gear (or a minimal amount of it) should stay. Yet I'd like to get rid of the weight of t all. Still, I have grandkids playing hockey, and my DSLR stuff can do at least a reasonable job at capturing it.

So what do you think? I like shooting nature/wildlife; wild and captive. Then....just about everything else.
 
If you are getting an E-PL1, I would consider getting rid of the p&s cameras in your stable. I haven't used my p&s camera since I got the E-PL1. I think you'll find the E-PL1 is a faster, more reliable and better low-light camera than the two p&s you have. And it's small enough to go with you places.

As far as replicating the extreme super-zoom aspect of the p&s, you can always save up for a long (300mm) m4/3 zoom.
 
BobT said:
I'm a guy that would like to have the very least gear necessary to get the jobs done.
Click to expand...
The least amount of gear would be the super zoom and maybe a super compact like the S95 for a fast lens and better IQ.

Do you have any emotional attachment to the SLR stuff. I've been using (and keeping) Pentax gear for too long to let it all go. :^)

Joe
--



http://www.flickr.com/photos/jotor/sets/72157603857531887/show/

'Learn everything, forget everything and play'
Jimi Hendrix
 
I have an E-PL1 and like it a lot. However, you have to be willing to put some time into learning how to optimize the settings (of course, it will usually take good pictures in iAuto mode). OOC JEGS are excellent.

You haven't told us anything about your DSLR setup and how you use it (besides liking to take pictures of wildlife). Main advantages of DSLR include greater dynamic range and faster AF for fast moving objects (e.g., sports and birds in flight). M4/3 also isn't as easy to use sophisticated flash (IMO, it is much easier to get good flash results with my Nikon).

If you don't print large, sports or other faster moving objects aren't of major interest, and you are fine with a basic flash setup (there are several good options), then I can recommend switching to m4/3.
 
Stopped using my Canon SLR gear 2 years ago; spent an entire year with a fixed 28mm lens compact camera (Ricoh GRD-2), which was joined last year by an Olympus E-P1, and a family of little manual lenses that is growing faster than you can say "Fibonacci Sequence".

I am finally about to sell of all the Canon gear (to fund more m4/3rds lens purchases!). I realize now that I will never return to that kind of bulky form-factor. I grew to dislike the bulk of the Canon system already by the 2nd or 3rd week with it; I'd grown up with much smaller film SLR's, and just never felt comfortable with the EOS gear, no matter how nice the pictures were. I'm very happy with the m4/3rds system for now. Yes, there's a small compromise in image quality sometimes, at least if pixel-peeping, but that is all largely irrelevant to me.
 
For what it's worth, I doubt I'd ever print anything larger than a 11X14. Can the E-Pl1 do a decent job of that?

My DSLR gear has a need for me. Grandkids sports...especially the toughest of them all--hockey. I can succeed with my Canon T1i and 70-300IS USM lens. I don't need the mega-buck lenses to get good(enough) shots. It's taken me a few years to acquire the skills to get those shots, but I'm there. The other reasons I bascially use my DSLR gear is for macro, wide angle, decent higher ISO (ie 1600), and DOF situation(such as shooting through fences rendering the fence wires totally out of focus). How much of this can be accomplished with the E-Pl1? Here's your chance to really sell me, if the 4/3rds gear is capable.
 
I love my GF-1, and it has become my favorite camera, but I certainly wouldn't give up a good FF camera system for it.

Since you didn't mention what DSLR you have, can't really say. Also kind of depends on what you shoot. For just casual or general photography, or you have any older system, why not?

SF Photo Gal
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
 
Hi, i've just this weekend sold my DSLR and most lens, I have an E-P2 and love it, enough that I didn't pick up my SLR for months and would rather have the $$$ right now.

However, I intend on in fact upgrading my DSLR to FF, I believe a FF and M43 will complement each other nicely. I did notice higher DR in my crop sensor DSLR and slightly better IQ overall but really nothing to notice, especially after resizing for the net or printing out.

If you're not doing any professional stuff then I would suggest M43 can do almost everything you want, it's not great for sports but taking pics of the kids playing hockey i'm more than certain I could easily get this done on the E-P2, just be weary you'll take a hit on the AF performance and quite a hefty one.

Please get the VF-2, having 90 degree control of it has changed my whole work flow.
 
I've printed 16"x20" from my E-PL1 and it looked absolutely gorgeous. Great colors, no grain or pixelation. Shot at ISO 200 in decent light with the 20mm lens.

I have great confidence in the IQ of the E-PL1.
 
No. Buy a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens, and get into some nice portraits of your Hockey stars. Great memories, from a dam fine lens. You will find it difficult to take such shots from the E-PL1, for the money your going to spend.

Or buy an S95, and get all those pictures you're missing out on. It's a heap smaller than the E-PL1.
 
If you like your DLSR for its fast response in shooting action/sports, better keep it. I can put my EPL1 in MF mode and force the exposure so it doesn't have to spend time doing either task, and the shutter lag is still a fraction of a second too much, in my opinion. My references are my Pentax and Olympus DSLR's, not exactly speed demons, but they shoot when commanded.
 
BobT said:
I was considering the routine E-Pl1 kit...with the 14-42 lens. But I MUST get rid of something to really do this. Be it the DSLR gear, my Canon SX20IS(20X super zoom) or smaller Canon A650IS(7X zoom 12 mpxls). Something has to go. I'm trying to thin out and not add on. I'm a guy that would like to have the very least gear necessary to get the jobs done. Putting it that way, it would sound as though the DSLR gear (or a minimal amount of it) should stay. Yet I'd like to get rid of the weight of t all. Still, I have grandkids playing hockey, and my DSLR stuff can do at least a reasonable job at capturing it.

So what do you think? I like shooting nature/wildlife; wild and captive. Then....just about everything else.
Click to expand...
Bob, being an older guy like myself with too soon grown grandkids, I think you will need the expensive (and very good) VF-2 EVF for any serious shooting with the EPL-1 - both due to the problems with older eyes and the stabilization effect of the camera against your face. I found mine pretty useless outdoors without it.

You might even consider the Panny G-2, selling for $550 with kit lens at B&H, vs. $730 for the EPL-1/VF-2 and kit lens! The G-2 has an even better built-in EVF, a larger swivel-screen LCD, more external controls - very much like my GH-1, but with touch screen control also.

Pete
 
BobT said:
Has anyone found the small Olympus Pen camera, specifically the E-Pl1, attractive enough to have gotten rid of the DSLR gear?
Click to expand...
I got rid of my APSC DSLR when I bought my GF1.

If my DSLR were a 4/3 one, it would be a no-brainer as I could reuse some lenses, and overall I don't believe the 4/3 DSLR format has a future - Oly will replace it with m43 eventually.
 
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