My fading Pen F

[AlmostDoctor]

I'm planning on selling my Pen-F, GM1, and a few primes to help fund OM1.

I really do love the custom color profile and B&W modes, and it feels great in my hands...but the slow wifi transfer, no weather sealing, poor AF, not-as-great IBIS, slow maximum shutter speed, no in-camera charging all contributes to less than great setup. I think having OM1 would contribute a lot more to what I want to do overall.

I considered FF setup too given the price point, but when I think about how I use the camera and all the things I can do with OM1 without tripod or filters, I think OM1 suits me better than anything else.

As for EM5III vs OM1... the weight/size difference is significant, but I'd need multiple batteries for EM5III, a portable battery charger (since no PD power to shoot off of portable battery in a pinch), and filters on EM5III, the total weight saving really isn't there. I'm keeping it as a backup but I expect OM1 to be my main camera moving forward.

I will miss Pen-F B&W and custom color profile though...but soon I'll be able to take photos of moving dogs






Custom color profile

 

[cba_melbourne]

I bought my Pen-F in 2016 but sold it last year. Two reasons: 1) Since Covid started I have not been able to travel as before. And before the Pen-F was always with me when I traveled; 2) I have hoped for a Pen-F II so wanted to get some good money back for the next generation. Now OMDS has gotten the OM-1 out. Maybe the next major release is the Pen-F II?

IMO extremely unlikely. Too risky for OMDS, they badly need reliable cash flow. Besides they just released the EP7 a few months ago, sort of an economy Pen-F version. Next in line is IMO a badly needed successor for the unfortunate EM5.3.

 

[Day Hiker]

I’ve had myPen F since its introduction in 2016. It was the first 20Mp m43 camera...

In the interest of accuracy I think the Panasonic GX8 was the first 20Mp m43 camera.

Of course, you are correct. I should have written "the first 20Mp Olympus m43 camera." Please forgive that I sometimes forget that Panasonic makes m43 bodies. :-D


James

 

[AlSui]

I'm planning on selling my Pen-F, GM1, and a few primes to help fund OM1.

This is a good move .

My take is that all the bells and whistles on a digital camera beats nostalgia. Sure I use old cameras for my own work but when I work with the video company it’s all about new technology that gets the results…… ( a Bell and Howell has no place not even decoration.)

Create a whole lot of presets in whatever they you use or on the OLYMPUS software and there will be no missing the profiles

 

[Paulmorgan]

I’ve had myPen F since its introduction in 2016. It was the first 20Mp m43 camera. Image quality is excellent, even in 2022. Having an excellent EVF on a Pen camera is/was a big plus. It’s as sexy as a digital camera can be.

But (you may have seen this coming) I never much got along with the built-in color profiles; I always felt I could do better with raw in Lr. I tried using a number of formulas/maps for color grading that various individuals published, such as for Kodachrome 25 and so on. None ever got me to my destination. Early on, I shot an entire vacation using color profile 2 just to see what it could do. While I got very nice jpeg shots, when I went back in wanting to tweak a number of the photos, those 8-bit jpegs bit me when I needed a bit more dynamic range to play with. I regretted not shooting raw (don’t tell me about raw+jpeg six years on…)

The b&w profiles are actually pretty good. My favorite is profile 1. Profile 2 is often likened to Tri-X but I never saw the similarity; Tri-X is better IMO. It’s a good profile nonetheless. Profile 3 is almost like infrared, or b&w with a heavy red filter and shows artifacts around sharp edges; I gave up on it early on.

In the meantime I added an E-M1.2 and then swapped that out for an E-M1.3. As a photographic tool, the E-M1.3 beats the Pen F hands down. Its AF is super-superior, it does far more as a camera, and is easier to use than my Pen F. Now that we all have the OM-1, it’s obvious that the performance/handling gulf of flagship vs. the Pen F is widening. The OM-1 is in my near future.

I fear my Pen F is a dear friend that has outlived her stay at my house. She’s gorgeous and is a very competent image maker. It’s just that the E-M1.3 and OM-1 are pulling far ahead in overall handling and ergonomics. That’s important to me, much more important than more megapickles or increased dynamic range. The value my Pen F holds on the resale market outweighs its value on a pedestal as an object of superb design and desire.

Have any of you tired of your Pen F? Which camera made you relegate your Pen F to occasional duty? E-M1.2? E-M1.3? E-M5.3? E-M10.4? Or ???

James

I`ve never much gone on colour profiles from any camera and I use a good mix.

For us older film users it can be quite simple to make our own based on film but its not so easy for those just starting out with digital.

Camera`s, I`m quite easily pleased as long as they work and use them all till they drop.

Software is were its at, amazed what can be done with even old files from ten years ago, it just gets better and better.

A few examples from a ten year old now and still used original EM5.









I`d stick with that Pen F.

--
Hoka Hey

 

[UrbaneHobbit]

A good reminder! It seems well-accepted that a special lens will impart a specific look to images created with it. Not as common for camera bodies, I guess. Although perhaps the film simulations interfere with that understanding, ultimately.

 

[AlmostDoctor]

I'm planning on selling my Pen-F, GM1, and a few primes to help fund OM1.

This is a good move .

My take is that all the bells and whistles on a digital camera beats nostalgia. Sure I use old cameras for my own work but when I work with the video company it’s all about new technology that gets the results…… ( a Bell and Howell has no place not even decoration.)

Create a whole lot of presets in whatever they you use or on the OLYMPUS software and there will be no missing the profiles

I know it can be done, but when I'm just posting snaps to social media, it's nice to have something that looks fantastic and distinct straight out of camera.

With that said, Wifi in Pen-F is SLOW so I won't be missing that.

 

[ivan bayu]

...

Have any of you tired of your Pen F?

yes, just after 6 month after i got it. mainly because of it's menu, wrong side of on off switcher, and front jpeg switcher.

Which camera made you relegate your Pen F to occasional duty?

the digital pen f been relegated to only hr cam, at home. i got z7ii to capture anything that need shallow dof and ultra wide angle (laowa 9mm and sigma 14mm. been thinking about adapting 12-24mm f2.8 but no one sell the adapter locally), and gx8 for any other use case (aka my everyday cam). also a yi m1 as the one that always on my bag.

E-M1.2? E-M1.3? E-M5.3? E-M10.4? Or ???

nah, i've had enough of o side digital cams... even after the new menu redesign on the latest digital om1.

James