EP5/Poor man's Pen F

Ariunbold wrote:

I've bought this gem for around 100$. Only has 7000 shutter actuation and both control wheels working perfectly. Paired with 14-42mm ez, 42.5mm F1.8 YI M1 lens(now costs around 60$ and actually very sharp and very underrated lens IMO) and 40-150 R. All of it costs around 200 bucks lol. And with Aki Asahi's custom leatherette skin it looks stunning and very retro. Is anyone still using EP5?

Love mine.  Bought the original kit with Oly 17/1.8 and the VF4.  VF4 never gets used, but the EP5 with the 17mm is my go-to walkabout, museum, church interior set up.  Saw a new "kit" on ebay a while back for $350 or so - almost pulled the trigger.  The tech is almost identical to my EM5.2, my hiking rig, so it's also a perfect backup given its small size.  5 axis IBIS, 8,000th shutter, built-in flash .... what's not to like?

That leatherette skin isn't my cup of tea (I prefer the original silver version), but to each his own.

I still use my E-P5. I bought is for $196 on the Olympus Reconditioned site almost 4 years ago. One of the best bargains that I have ever gotten.

Rich K wrote:

Ariunbold wrote:

I've bought this gem for around 100$. Only has 7000 shutter actuation and both control wheels working perfectly. Paired with 14-42mm ez, 42.5mm F1.8 YI M1 lens(now costs around 60$ and actually very sharp and very underrated lens IMO) and 40-150 R. All of it costs around 200 bucks lol. And with Aki Asahi's custom leatherette skin it looks stunning and very retro. Is anyone still using EP5?

Love mine. Bought the original kit with Oly 17/1.8 and the VF4. VF4 never gets used, but the EP5 with the 17mm is my go-to walkabout, museum, church interior set up. Saw a new "kit" on ebay a while back for $350 or so - almost pulled the trigger. The tech is almost identical to my EM5.2, my hiking rig, so it's also a perfect backup given its small size. 5 axis IBIS, 8,000th shutter, built-in flash .... what's not to like?

That leatherette skin isn't my cup of tea (I prefer the original silver version), but to each his own.

Of course I too prefer silver over this one but it's really rare here

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

that dummy adapter is what I have for my EPL6!

Then you are half-way here.

ah the better shutter explains why the EP5 can rack up so many actuations. How many do you have on your EP5 and your EPL5?

Don't know, only randomly check, nowhere near life expectancy anyway.

And how does one check? I couldn't find it in the menus, I assume it can be found in the EXIF somewhere?

It was an Olympus "secret" that escaped early in 2011, find the method on my page at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/12-epl1-shotcount.html

I need to fix a few things as Helen noted in another thread, the latest bodies have altered the R count to MS to indicate that now they only record the mechanical actuations whereas at some stage the R count was both mechanical and electronic shutter so was rather non-informative for those models.

The links on my page to other shutter count info sites may be more up to date.

Regards..... Guy

Thanks Guy!  Is doing time lapse bad with the EPL6 if I only do at most 100 shots a night (for stacking) something like a few nights a month?  That wont wear out the shutter?

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

that dummy adapter is what I have for my EPL6!

Then you are half-way here.

ah the better shutter explains why the EP5 can rack up so many actuations. How many do you have on your EP5 and your EPL5?

Don't know, only randomly check, nowhere near life expectancy anyway.

And how does one check? I couldn't find it in the menus, I assume it can be found in the EXIF somewhere?

It was an Olympus "secret" that escaped early in 2011, find the method on my page at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/12-epl1-shotcount.html

I need to fix a few things as Helen noted in another thread, the latest bodies have altered the R count to MS to indicate that now they only record the mechanical actuations whereas at some stage the R count was both mechanical and electronic shutter so was rather non-informative for those models.

The links on my page to other shutter count info sites may be more up to date.

Regards..... Guy

Thanks Guy! Is doing time lapse bad with the EPL6 if I only do at most 100 shots a night (for stacking) something like a few nights a month? That wont wear out the shutter?

With the E-PL5/6 you always use the shutter so it adds wear, if you get up to say 30,000 to 50,000 clicks then maybe its time is near to shutter expected life end - but it could go on for a lot more. As I said the specs say a number but reality is truly plus or minus 100% of that number.

For serious time-lapse stuff it is far wiser to use an in-lens shutter camera or a later body with fully electronic shutter.

Thanks Guy, what is an in lens shutter camera- is the EM 10 Mark 2 one of those?

Absolutely. Just has a very nice feel in the hand, and given that it had a lot of the E-M1 guts, a very capable camera.

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

that dummy adapter is what I have for my EPL6!

Then you are half-way here.

ah the better shutter explains why the EP5 can rack up so many actuations. How many do you have on your EP5 and your EPL5?

Don't know, only randomly check, nowhere near life expectancy anyway.

And how does one check? I couldn't find it in the menus, I assume it can be found in the EXIF somewhere?

It was an Olympus "secret" that escaped early in 2011, find the method on my page at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/12-epl1-shotcount.html

I need to fix a few things as Helen noted in another thread, the latest bodies have altered the R count to MS to indicate that now they only record the mechanical actuations whereas at some stage the R count was both mechanical and electronic shutter so was rather non-informative for those models.

The links on my page to other shutter count info sites may be more up to date.

Regards..... Guy

Thanks Guy! Is doing time lapse bad with the EPL6 if I only do at most 100 shots a night (for stacking) something like a few nights a month? That wont wear out the shutter?

With the E-PL5/6 you always use the shutter so it adds wear, if you get up to say 30,000 to 50,000 clicks then maybe its time is near to shutter expected life end - but it could go on for a lot more. As I said the specs say a number but reality is truly plus or minus 100% of that number.

For serious time-lapse stuff it is far wiser to use an in-lens shutter camera or a later body with fully electronic shutter.

Thanks Guy, what is an in lens shutter camera- is the EM 10 Mark 2 one of those?

As stated, it's in the lens and is a much simpler device with less moving parts and less mass to move. It has the advantage of allowing flash sync often up to maximum shutter speed, like my Panasonic LX3 will sync at 1/2000 sec.

The M4/3 bodies all have the focal plane shutter and of course some later ones have the option of the fully electronic shutter, there is no in-lens shutter in M4/3.

Google for "in lens shutter" to find more.

Regards....... Guy

the LX3 isn't an m43 camera though..... I found a EM10 Mk 2 for 190 plus 25 shipping from Canada, is that a good deal?

The Osteopath wrote:

Having owned both, and keeping the Pen F, i feel the latter is more capable of taking incredible photos. Both are good, but the F feels more like a ‘pro’ item.

I own only two lenses, the 12-40 2.8 pro and the P/L 15mm 1.7- and I’ve never felt like I needed anything more. I didn’t love the stick-on VF on the 5, and I appreciated the bump in resolution on the F.

Honestly, my only two issues with the F are the lack of weather sealing and lack of a microphone jack (I don’t shoot a lot of video, but with my three kids, I’d like the option for better sound.)

Taken with my F with the 12-40 pro lens, only modest retouching to get the colors to pop and to edit out a crane:

I'm sorry man.   I opened up your photo to full size and it is a very low grade photo.  You are not doing the 'F' or µ43 any favours by showing this !.

Guy Parsons wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

the LX3 isn't an m43 camera though...

I never said it was, it was just an example of a camera that has an in-lens shutter, most fixed lens compacts do.

.. I found a EM10 Mk 2 for 190 plus 25 shipping from Canada, is that a good deal?

Sounds OK to me, but then I'm in Australia where used prices generally are higher.

Thanks, thats the best I found, everything else is 250 and higher!  The one I found is in Canada.

Chas J wrote:

The Osteopath wrote:

Having owned both, and keeping the Pen F, i feel the latter is more capable of taking incredible photos. Both are good, but the F feels more like a ‘pro’ item.

I own only two lenses, the 12-40 2.8 pro and the P/L 15mm 1.7- and I’ve never felt like I needed anything more. I didn’t love the stick-on VF on the 5, and I appreciated the bump in resolution on the F.

Honestly, my only two issues with the F are the lack of weather sealing and lack of a microphone jack (I don’t shoot a lot of video, but with my three kids, I’d like the option for better sound.)

Taken with my F with the 12-40 pro lens, only modest retouching to get the colors to pop and to edit out a crane:

I'm sorry man. I opened up your photo to full size and it is a very low grade photo. You are not doing the 'F' or µ43 any favours by showing this !.

Really? This is an unkind and unhelpful comment that does nothing to advance the discussion about the merits of the EP-5 in comparison to the PEN-F.

I looked at your image full size and it is excellent. Don't understand Chas J comment at all.

Peter Del

Ariunbold wrote:

I've bought this gem for around 100$. Only has 7000 shutter actuation and both control wheels working perfectly. Paired with 14-42mm ez, 42.5mm F1.8 YI M1 lens(now costs around 60$ and actually very sharp and very underrated lens IMO) and 40-150 R. All of it costs around 200 bucks lol. And with Aki Asahi's custom leatherette skin it looks stunning and very retro. Is anyone still using EP5?

I do. Good camera for travelling and family portraits. Prefer to spend extra money for lenses

I just picked up another EP 5 off of Kijiji - $350.00Cdn shipped with box and all accessories with about 1000+ clicks and it is the silver variation - Now I have a matched set and when it arrives I have to decide which one will go to friends! Maybe I'll keep both and keep looking - They are a wonderful piece of machinery IMO -
Monty

Peter Del wrote:

I looked at your image full size and it is excellent. Don't understand Chas J comment at all.

Peter Del

Well. I'm not looking to be a dragon here but in light of a couple of comments, I took the liberty of downloading the full size version and taking a few crops that I now present just 3 (of many) to you.

To me, they are smudged, lacking in detail, lacking in contrast, over HDR'ed very poor representations of what a good photo should be. I am both sorry and surprised that others can not see it.

If I were a potential purchaser of this camera / lense combo,  this photo, as presented, would be enough to stop me !.

Chas.

Gosh, you've cropped a 48 inch wide print!

I have both,and I am not ready to ditch the ep5....Somehow it feels more right in my hand....allthough I must admit the picture quality of the Pen F is supererior.I even still use the old EP-3 ,crome model.