Took E-PL7 On Vacation And Glad I Did

As some of you may recall, I dithered around between buying an LX100, E-PL5, E-PL6, E-PL7, or simply taking my E-M1 on my recent road trip vacation to Texas. In the end, I wound up buying an E-PL7, and am very glad I did. It is a quite capable, fun-to-use little camera. And, since the purpose of bringing a camera was to record memories of places we went and my kids and grandkids, I really did not need the additional capabilities the E-M1 offers.

The E-PL7 is easy to carry around (even with the Oly 12-40mm f/2.8 lens attached), and its IQ seems to be equal to that of the E-M1. The control wheel makes it easy to change shooting parameters, and the IS works well. The camera fit very nicely in my Domke 5XB bag, along with the Oly 12-40, Panasonic 15mm, Oly 45mm, and mini flash; the combination made a very manageable travel kit that did not drag me down after carrying it for a while.

In all honestly, if the E-PL7 had been available at the same time the E-M1 was, I'd probably have just bought it instead, and saved $900 or so.

Anyway, here are a few of photos I took with it. The first ones are of the Battleship Texas, which was commissioned in 1912 and fought in both world wars. The aquarium shots were taken at Moody Gardens in Galveston. The restaurant shots were taken at Tookie's, a Seabrook landmark since 1975, and a place I have visited many times over the years.

I did the same thing when I visited the ship back when I was 12 or so. So, this shot, although not world class, is kinda special to me.

This shot was taken through thick glass that was pretty dirty on the inside.

Note that this is an ISO 1000 shot. The skin tones are correct; my daughter is of Mexican descent and has a tan besides.

brick33308 wrote:

Joseph T Lewis III wrote:

Note that this is an ISO 1000 shot. The skin tones are correct; my daughter is of Mexican descent and has a tan besides.

If those skin tones are correct, then your daughter with her green skin tone should try out for Elpheba in the Wicked revival

Here's a modified version getting rid of what is obviously an unnatural green cast.

Thanks for the tip. It wasn't as if she was bright green, but I now see what you were talking about. I went in and fixed it in my saved photos.

By the way, I'd done the custom WB setting using the tshirts of the guys in the background, and that resulted in the greenish tint.  I guess I should have trusted my own eyes a bit more.

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Tom ,

thanks for posting these pictures. Nice shots!

I am currently considering the E-PL7 as my new camera, using it mostly for travel, wildlife and underwater photography. Since there don't seem to be too many people out there buying the E-PL7 (considering the stupid "selfie" marketing it is no wonder..), I am glad that I found one!

I like the E-PL7 due to its small size (comes with the small 14-42 power zoom here) and the fact that there is a dedicated Olympus underwater housing available (makes it a much cheaper affair).

However, if Olympus would have upgraded the E-P5 (not the E-PL5), I would most likely go for that one, due to more manual control dials (2 compared to 1). For the same reason I am considering the E-M10, but due to size and underwater casing, I prefer the E-PL7. This brings me to my question.

How is the overall shooting experience with the E-PL7? Do you like the operations, including button layout, operational speed , AF.

Lars, the AF seems fast to me. Here is an excerpt from a post I made right after I bought the camera; it will hopefully address your questions about its operations and handling.

(begin paste from prior thread)

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the E-PL7’s menu system is the same as the E-M1’s, so that makes going back and forth from the “big camera” to the E-PL7 very easy. Also, I found that for the type of shooting I typically do (landscapes, interior shots of historic houses and museums, and family shots), the camera’s buttons, SCP, control wheel and mode dial Mysets can be used to give me darn near the same ready access to commonly used parameters as the E-M1 does. There is no “menu diving” necessary. In all honesty, it seems as easy to use as the E-M1 (unless I am switching forth between bracketing and HDR, or something like that, which I in all honesty almost never do because I am just a hobbyist). I have it set up as follows:

-Super Control Panel (SCP) enabled

-Fn button set to AEL

-Magnify (zoom view) button defaulted to Magnify

-Mysets for my preferred aperture mode and shutter mode settings assigned to “A” and “S” mode dial positions (to force a “reset” each time I power the camera up or select the mode)

-Two remaining Mysets currently unassigned, but available if / when I determine a need for them

-Left arrow (of four way controller) causes the AF positioning screen to appear; the left/right/up/down arrows are then used to move the focus point to where I want it

-Record button re-defined as “return AF point to home position”

-Right arrow set to bring up ISO setting menu

-Up arrow brings up Exposure Compensation (in A or S mode): the control wheel is then used to set the EC to whatever I want

-Down arrow brings up the shutter selection menu (single, sequential, timer, anti-shock, etc.)

-Focus Peaking enabled in menus, so that peaking appears when the manual focus ring of a m4/3 lens is turned

Other random observations:

The Olympus 12-50 “fits” well on the E-PL7, and together they make a good-handling and visually appealing combo. The electronic zoom ring seems easier to use than my regular zooms as well (this may be due to the small size and lightness of the camera; there’s just not as much to hold on to while twisting a regular zoom ring around). Although the IQ of the 12-50 isn’t as good as that of the 12-40, the sample pics I’ve taken look pretty decent. I may end up actually using the 12-50 as an outdoor walk-around lens, for the first time since I got it as part of my E-M5 kit back in 2012.

The FL600R and FL300R flashes both work well on the E-PL7, although the smaller flash is more balanced from a size / balance perspective (no surprise, given the small size of the camera).

One of the most advertised features of the E-PL7 is its “Selfie” mode. I don’t give a rat’s patoot about that, but I did find that it is much easier to pull the articulated LCD out from the home position and move it to where I want it, than the LCD of the E-M1. This probably has something to do with the Selfie mode (the ability to quickly pull the LCD out and position it to take a photo), but that’s just an assumption.

The bottom line is that I REALLY like this camera, and am very glad I bought it!

(end of paste from previous thread)

Do you have a long lens (e.g. 75-300)? If so, how does it feel and work with the E-PL7?

I don't have a long lens; only the 14-140.  No issues with it at all.

You seem to have the E-PL5, is there a big difference in IQ for you?

I don't have an E-PL5, I merely considered getting one.  However, to answer your IQ question: go to DxOMark and compare the sensors of the E-PL7, E-M1, and E-M10.  They are virtually the same, with the E-PL7 actually having a little better low light performance than the E-M1.

Would highly appreciate your input!

You got it; hope it is of some use to you!

Thanks,

Lars

grcolts wrote:

Nice images you took with the EPL-7.

I too enjoy the EPL-7, even with the selfie which I don't use much, but now I can include myself in a picture with my wife! For the money, the EPL-7 is a very fine camera. I bought mine to use while bicycling but have increased its usage as I enjoy shooting with it so much. Can't compare it with the other Olympus cameras as I don't own any other Olympus. I can compare it to the Panasonic G6, which I like too, but will tell you now, the EPL-7 wins hands down for speed.

Glad you had a great trip! Thanks for sharing your images!

GR

Thanks to you, and to the others, who said nice things about my photos. I appreciate it.

I had also taken my E-M1 with me on the trip as well (in a separate bag along with chargers, FL600R Flash, spare batteries, other lens "just in case", etc.). However, the E-PL7 was so easy to carry around and use, and was capturing such good photos, that I never felt the need to take the "big" camera out of the bag.

Initially I was afraid that I was wasting my money by purchasing the E-PL7, and that I would not use it that much.  Now, I'm almost afraid that the converse is true: I need to make sure that I do not use the E-PL7 so much that I end up neglecting my E-M1!

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Thanks Tom for taking your time and effort to answer!

Yes, I am getting more and more the impression that this is the right camera for me. Just need to test it out, theory is one thing praxis another...

I am currently living in Malaysia, and due to an implementation of a 6% sales tax in April, camera sales are down dramatically. Therefore, basically nobody stocks the E-PL7, the 75-300mm lens and especially not the UW-casing.. Trying to arrange a test with Olympus directly...

We will see...

Again, thanks a lot!!

Lars

Glad to help.  Let us know what you end up doing.

Same here.

I bought the PL7 as an "occasional" camera, but find it so much fun to use, so convenient, and so capable, that it is usually found hanging from my shoulder, even if I have one of my "main" bodies around my neck. I normally pair it with the little Pan 12-32.

Thanks for showing, Joseph. I would have thought there was a little unwanted green in the daughter's skin tones. Just a slight tinge. Is that there or is it DPReviw or is it my monitor?

I have the Panasonic 12-321, 3.5-5.6 for a walk around on the PL7. It works "OK" inside, but only because the higher ISO is so good on the PL7. It is super for daytime outdoors, though.

Hen3ry wrote:

Thanks for showing, Joseph. I would have thought there was a little unwanted green in the daughter's skin tones. Just a slight tinge. Is that there or is it DPReviw or is it my monitor?

Hii Geoff

Thanks for the thanks. Yep, there was a slight greenish tint to the photo of my beautiful daughter. Brick33308 provided a corrected version in a post midway down in the thread, and I have since made the appropriate adjustments to the pic on my computer using Lightroom.

The only excuse I can offer is that I processed something like 244 photos in one day, and since hers was at the end of the set I got a bit sloppy. The fact that it followed a number of aquarium pics with green / blue tints probably didn't help any either.

Ulfric M Douglas wrote:

Excellent angle on the kid with the gun.

I also have an e-pL7 and it does everything well : which is saying a lot!

Thank you Ulfric for the kind words.  That shot is special to me, since I remember sitting on that same gun doing the same thing my grandson is doing, about 56 years ago when my folks took me to visit the Texas.

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Ok, Tom,
just ordered my E-PL7 with the 75-300mm lens and the underwater casing (PT-EP12)....

arrgh, buyer's remorse... did I do it right???

Though very exicited about the 75-300mm lens!!

Sould get to tomorrow or the next days...

Thanks for your input (it will be all YOUR fault if I got it wrong... 😉)

Greetings,
Lars

Keep in mind the fact that I clearly stated that I did not have a long lens; only the much lighter 14-150.  It does fine on my E-PL7.  If the camera comes apart when you mount it and that big 75-300 on a tripod, I am not responsible! 

Hopefully though, that will not happen.  I think you will enjoy the little PEN; I know I certainly do.  For my type of shooting, it may even be better than the E-M1.  For one thing, it fits quite nicely in my small Domke 5XB bag, along with a flash and a couple of extra lenses.  There is actually a bit of space on either side of it, in the center (of three) compartments.  The E-M1 by comparison literally has to be stuffed in...it can be done, but requires more effort to get it in and out.

And, as previously mentioned, I find the LCD on the E-PL7 MUCH easier to unfold.  This matters to me because I a) have shaky hands, so putting the folded out LCD against my stomach helps steady the camera, and b) I tend to take a lot of landscape shots using the folded out LCD.

Good luck and post a few sample shots once you get your new gear.