My take on the Olympus E-P5

Alexsfo wrote:

Nice review. I tried E-P5 for a week and, unfortunately, did not click with it, kinda boxy and heavier than it needs to be. Downgrade from E-P3 in a sense the built-in flash can no longer be bounced. I did like the tilting LCD: it's thin and way smoother to operate than E-PL5 (love that camera). Use of different batteries and charger was not convenient for mw either. Eventually I got myself E-M10 and I clicked with it instantly. Way better grip: brilliant combo of large thumb rest and bigger grip. The camera feels smaller and lighter than E-P5. Love the ability to share charger and batteries with my trusty E-PM2. Auto HDR mode is quite useful and effective, I will be post processing less. Built-in EVF is more than adequate on E-M10. It is not a substitute for tilting screen but attachable EVF is a big and resounding no in 2014, IMO.

Hi Alex,

I like the look of the VF-4 (or VF-2) on a Pen. The combination offers a rather eye-catching style to the kit. The one VERY big advantage over the OMD series is that the VF-x can tilt upward. I use that feature a lot, and not just when on a tripod.

I can remove the VF-4. That occasionally has some advantages. Yes, you can argue that with an OMD, the EVF is integrated into the design, thus negating any advantage of needing to remove it. I like my Pen, though.

To be sure, the VF-4 makes the camera profile larger, meaning I need a slightly larger camera bag than an E-M10 might require. It's still so small compared to my old Olympus E-1 and E-5 with grips that the size of the Pen with EVF is still nothing to me.

Each person has his/her own requirements for a camera. I'm glad the OMD works for you. At least you did not go with Sony or Fuji!

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA