EP5/Poor man's Pen F

1. 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'm looking at getting one, as the prices continue to go lower and lower it becomes easier to justify it as an even more portable option VS my EM10 mkII.

Do you have a small case for it? The one thing that I'd really like to go with it is a small neoprene one though at this low of a cost something less protective (like a microfiber bag) might be ok.

Edit: that black/leather look is really nice.

THKPIC wrote:

Len_Gee wrote:

THKPIC wrote:

Yes. Just bought another one. I've had 7 of them. It's my all time favorite camera. Nothing matches the modularity it offers. I like it with the EVF and aftermarket grip, but other times I like it without either of them and just the body. The size of the camera and the beveled back screen is perfect for quick execution of low angle shots. Perfect resistance in the screen. Dual switch in back is fantastic. I think the layout is even more genius than my Nikon DSLR's.

It is a classic. Crazy what prices they go for. I paid a lot more for mine, but I know what the camera can do. Everytime I try a system I end up coming back to it. As someone else said, nothing else since then has really taken it's place. Only issue IMO is the C-AF but if you can live with that, you don't need anything else.

Why 7?

Ha. Just now seeing this. Welp, that was over a six year period. First one I handed off and got dropped and dented. Sold it for a new one. Then the second one I sold and moved to Sony. Then third one..moved back for awhile but was still shooting some Sony. Then went Sony but came back for two years all in on Oly. Then bought a few black ones, went NIkon....came back and bought another one.

I think I'm done now. Unless I get my hands on a limited edition silver one with the wooden handle.

Yes, the E-P5's modularity recommended itself to me also.  I have five of them as well (having just dropped one 20 feet onto the rocks here at the pollution-fouled shores of beautiful Lake Michigan).

The thing I really like is that I don't have to worry about EVF "burn-in" or OLED "fade", nor about snagging the finder on obstructions.  The VF-4 finder is easily replaceable and removable -- and exchangeable with the smaller VF-2.  And the camera body is svelte and pared of any faux-SLR extrusions.  Perfection!

Marc

I have owned both and while they have the family (Olympus Pen) resemblance, they are really different cameras. I had the E-P5 for years before purchasing the Pen-F and don't really have to think about the handling. Originally, I wasn't sure that I would like the tilting screen instead of a fully articulating screen (for short topical videos where I would be in front of the camera). This didn't turn out to be an issue since I found the tilt screen to be way more useful than a fully articulating screen in retrospect.

When the Pen-F was announced and before I knew anything about it, I decided that I would not be purchasing it. After watching some early (favorable) reviews, I was pretty hooked on the design and jpeg effects. I am also highly nostalgic and the design plus black & silver retro look and integrated EVF reminded me of the film cameras of yesteryear. The high res capability for a controlled (non-moving) shot was another plus.

OK, so I purchased the black & silver Pen-F and am really happy with my purchase. My one compromise is the screen. I am not a fan of the swing out nature of the fully articulating screen! It was so easy to tilt the E-P5 screen without much of a conscious thought. There is entirely too much conscious thought involved with the swing-out screen design. I keep the screen retracted in the reverse position with the black pebble side facing out with the EVF an easy option (just like the old film cameras). I have tried to get used to the screen and find that I have the most success with the screen facing out but lying flat (no tilt). Low shots demand that I swing the screen out and tilt.

Initially, I thought that I would keep the E-P5 and the Pen-F but I found myself reaching for the familiar and comfortable E-P5. Finally, I talked myself into selling the E-P5. I was aware that I was not giving myself a chance to get used to the Pen-F and there was no sign of that changing as long as I had the E-P5. In the back of my mind was concern about the control wheel problem that seems to surface if one waits long enough and since my E-P5 was still in pristine condition, I ended up selling it.

The Pen-F has some amazing attributes, especially the effects for jpeg images. These attributes tipped the scale for me. I would not call the E-P5 a poor man's Pen-F. When it was released, there was some emphasis on its "Pro" performance features that still look good for an older camera. In my experience, the emphasis of the E-P5 is on practical performance. I think even Olympus admitted that the Pen-F was not designed to be a successor to the E-P5 (and thus compete on superior performance and additional features) but a camera that would recall and pay tribute to its film cameras while capturing the imagination of nostalgic people like me. The looks nailed it for me but the attributes (jpeg effects, integrated view finder and high res images) gave me a reason to part with the purchase price.

Jim