The cost of excellence ...

I've been shooting digitally since early 2001. I purchased a 2MP Kodak DCS 520 that year and was amazed. That camera cost me a little over $12,000. Digital advanced quickly during the years following. By 2003 my Kodak had already become obsolete and was replaced with a 6MP Canon D60, which in turn was replaced by a Canon 10D. Back then, a Canon 10D cost a little over $2,400 new.

The advancements ... and camera purchases ... continued. Canon 1Ds. Canon 1Ds II. Canon 5D. Nikon D2x. Kodak SLR/c. Canon 5D II. Etc.

Much has been made recently of three major improvements in digital photo technology: first is the very obvious improvement in dynamic range; second is resolution of fine detail; the third is noise control. These improvements apply to all of the latest cameras ... from point-and-shoot to full frame.

But I think that one "improvement" supersedes them all: it's the cost of excellence in digital photography. My refurbished Olympus E-P5 cost me $639 via the Olympus online store. What I got for my $639 was a very well made, so far totally reliable camera that gives me image quality that matches or exceeds (at high ISOs) the IQ of my $8,000 Canon 1Ds (11.1MP) and is a near match at low ISOs to my Canon 5D Classic. It's a better, more predictable camera than my Kodak SLR/c and Nikon D2x.

What did $639.00 get you just 5 or 6 years ago? What did it get you 10 years ago?

The cost of excellent imagery has never been lower and more than likely will become cheaper and cheaper as time goes by. I don't think purchasing the expensive cameras I've owned over the years was a mistake; just the opposite, in fact. It provided the learning curves necessary for mastering a full-featured, present-day tool like the E-P5, which in my view is a state-of-the-art camera ... one that can be had for as little as $639.00.

Amazing.

ulfie wrote:

Wait till the E=P∞ model comes out. Get it and you'll never need to buy anything else. Ever.

Doubt it.  The E-P5 is really all I need or want out of a digital camera.  Whatever "improvements" Olympus might build into an E-Px will almost certainly be mostly in the features, not the IQ.

veroman wrote:

I've been shooting digitally since early 2001. I purchased a 2MP Kodak DCS 520 that year and was amazed. That camera cost me a little over $12,000. Digital advanced quickly during the years following. By 2003 my Kodak had already become obsolete and was replaced with a 6MP Canon D60, which in turn was replaced by a Canon 10D. Back then, a Canon 10D cost a little over $2,400 new.

The advancements ... and camera purchases ... continued. Canon 1Ds. Canon 1Ds II. Canon 5D. Nikon D2x. Kodak SLR/c. Canon 5D II. Etc.

Much has been made recently of three major improvements in digital photo technology: first is the very obvious improvement in dynamic range; second is resolution of fine detail; the third is noise control. These improvements apply to all of the latest cameras ... from point-and-shoot to full frame.

But I think that one "improvement" supersedes them all: it's the cost of excellence in digital photography. My refurbished Olympus E-P5 cost me $639 via the Olympus online store. What I got for my $639 was a very well made, so far totally reliable camera that gives me image quality that matches or exceeds (at high ISOs) the IQ of my $8,000 Canon 1Ds (11.1MP) and is a near match at low ISOs to my Canon 5D Classic. It's a better, more predictable camera than my Kodak SLR/c and Nikon D2x.

What did $639.00 get you just 5 or 6 years ago? What did it get you 10 years ago?

The cost of excellent imagery has never been lower and more than likely will become cheaper and cheaper as time goes by. I don't think purchasing the expensive cameras I've owned over the years was a mistake; just the opposite, in fact. It provided the learning curves necessary for mastering a full-featured, present-day tool like the E-P5, which in my view is a state-of-the-art camera ... one that can be had for as little as $639.00.

Amazing.

About 5 and a half years ago, I bought a Nikon D90 - refurbished body, for about $850.   Honestly, that's a pretty excellent camera, which, until the E-M5 and GH3 (neither of which was available a mere 2.5 years ago) was tangibly superior to any Micro 4/3 body.  Even before that, I bought an Olympus E-520 for about $600, which was also a quite excellent camera, and again, until the E-M5 and GH3, which came out less than 2 and a half years ago, nothing in the Micro 4/3 family was any better.

10 years ago, I owned an Olympus E-1 - also an excellent camera, which, although it was only 5 MP, in every other way, was an excellent camera which is still very capable today where that level of resolution is sufficient.

yeah it will be at least 2 more years (and likely more) before we see a serious bump in IQ for m43's sensors. The EP-5 is an amazing camera, and is imho, the most attractive looking m43's camera to date. I would have purchased one but, alas, it was still way too expensive without an EVF, so I chose the EM-10 as a compromise even though the EP-5 has some better features.

dlhickson wrote:

Thanks, Veromen. I, for one, have been waiting for someone to say this (assuming you're not employed by Olympus!). I am with you. I have 2 Pen FT's upstairs, and assorted lenses, acquired in the 60's. Then bought a Nikon FTn in 1969, and all Nikon since then - numerous bodies, including D700, and many lenses. This all stopped when I discovered the M43 cameras, about a year ago. With the EP-5 - I shoot all the old Pen F lenses, which are great, a couple of Zeiss lenses, and, of course, all of the Nikons, except the latest G lenses. Maybe I'm the only one, but, again, thanks.

No, I'm not employed by Olympus and never was.  Glad to hear you're enjoying your E-P5 as much I am ... maybe more so considering the range of lenses in your inventory.  Best ....

dlhickson wrote:

I have 2 Pen FT's upstairs, and assorted lenses, acquired in the 60's. Then bought a Nikon FTn in 1969, and all Nikon since then - numerous bodies, including D700, and many lenses. This all stopped when I discovered the M43 cameras, about a year ago. With the EP-5 - I shoot all the old Pen F lenses, which are great, a couple of Zeiss lenses, and, of course, all of the Nikons, except the latest G lenses. Maybe I'm the only one

Hi DL,

The Olympus distributor here has a campaign that anyone can borrow any Olympus camera for a week to play with. I borrowed one just to find out how does it work with my legacy lenses. I was experimenting with the movie tele-converter function and one of my favorite lens: Olympus PEN F 38mm/f1.8. Here are a couple of photos all taken with the E-P5 and PEN F 38mm

Having fun with colors and background blur.

The minimum distance of the PEN F 38mm is only 0.35m

More roses

Dog eyes

Fruzhina relaxed

I couldn't find out how to enable focus peaking with a legacy (no-electronics lens)

Here is a short experimental video about the terrific movie tele-converter feature: http://youtu.be/BTyFFARBbao

I found IBIS excellent, too; if only focus peaking would be better and without the severe limitations in the E-P5.

Take care and have fun, Miki