Lawrence Ripsher

Have had the E-P1 for a couple of weeks now – enough to be able to write a few thoughts on the  design and handling of the camera. 

First of all, lets start with the general body design. I still remember the impression the original prototype made on me – the promise of compact / rangefinder sized interchangeable lens cameras, with DSLR like quality. This was something I'd wanted for such a long time.  When Panasonic announced their G1 and GH1 implementations of four thirds camears, I was a little  underwhelmed. For me, DSLR designs can only scale down so well before you hit the law of diminishing returns in terms of benefit.  I personally believe that migrating to more of a rangefinder / olympus OM-1 style shape is where you start to get the real benefit once the size gets below certain dimensions.

So when Olympus announced the E-P1, I knew I wanted one. The classic / retro looks coupled with a good broad range of features closed the deal. Only horrible early reviews on the image quality would have stopped me from getting one. Now I have one, I'm still just as impressed with the overall design / finish.

One thing I notice is that several people have mistaken the  E-P1 for a film camera when they've seen me carrying it. This is exactly the kind of response I wanted. In terms of more general perception, this camera seems to illicit the same response from the general public that a compact camera would – i.e. people typically pay no notice. This is a big plus for things like street photography. Because it doesn't look like a pro camera, people seem to care less when its being pointed in their direction. All these are nice intangible benefits that go along with this design. Unlike most consumer electronic devices, middle / high end cameras are not typically chosen for their looks but the E-P1 could signal a change in that attitude. It's easy to like it in the same way that you might like an ipod.

Getting more specific, the general build quality of the camera, as many have noted, is excellent. Extremely well made, very solid with no creaks anywhere and nice brushed metal to finish it off. The back features a large 3" screen (more on this later) and there are several analog controls.

The grip is very small but due to the small size  / weight of the camera, it is easy to hold / aim / handle. Interestingly this is the only camera I have ever carried around my neck.  My normal choice for carrying cameras is either over the shoulder (DSLR's) or attached via a wrist strap (compacts). I've never felt comfortable carrying a camera around my neck so this is a novel feature for me and one I find to be of significant benefit. Again, another first is that this is the first DSLR-like camera I've been able to easily cycle or run with when I go out fo rthe day – I do this by slinging the strap across my chest, with the camera resting against my ribs or slightly behind my back (if I'm cycling). It'll be interesting to see if tihs opens up new photo opportunities for me.
 
As for controls, I think Olympus did a good job here. When in Aperture mode (as everyone should be), I use the main dial for aperture and the second dial for exposure compensation. This makes it as easy / accessible to use as any DSLR. In terms of access to secondary functions like ISO, you have to go through the menu system. I usually hit "OK" on the center dial and then select what i need using Olympus quick access menu system. I've liked this menu system of Olympus and think it's extremely well implemented. What I didn't like at all was when you need to access deeper menu items. Things are not always grouped logically, nor titled v effectively.

Another couple of issues I had were with playback. It's hard to zoom into an image to see if it's sufficiently sharp, and then flip at that zoom level between images. You can do it but it requires several keypresses. In addition, once you're at the zoom level and you delete an image, it then brings you back to the default view. This means that if you've taken a sequence of images and want to select the sharpest, it takes significant time / effort over other systems I've used. I would much prefer Olympus have made use of the secondary d-pad scroll wheel on the back for flipping between images when zoomed in. Instead it just modifies the (rather pointless) volume control. If anyone's found out a better system of reviewing / deleting while zoomed in please let me know.

In terms of the LCD screen and composing, I think this deserves a post by itself so I'll cover that in a couple of days.

For my tastes, this is easily the best looking camera ever made in the digital era. Whether that matters to you or not is a question of priority / preference but the important thing for me was the byproduct that comes as a result of having a camera capable of producing professional quality images, but disguised in a way that does not produce dubious reactions in others. Something v specific to me also is the way I "wear" the camera – this was an unexpected benefit of the small size and as a result, I find fewer reasons to leave the camera at home whenever I go out. This is a big plus – after all, we all know that the phrase that the best camera is the one you have with you at the time.

Lots of samples to follow this week as I'm on vacation and will have the camera with me a lot.

Related posts:

1. Olympus E-P1 Review Diary
2. Olympus E-P1 Review Diary – Part 12 – Conclusion
3. Olympus E-P1 Review Diary – Part 3 – More Samples
4. Olympus E-P1 Review Diary – Part 2 – Autofocus
5. Olympus E-P1 Review Diary – Part 7 – LCD screen and composing