Is it bigger than a breadbox? No. It’s my new Olympus Pen E-P2 camera kit, and it’s awesome.
As the guy who manages the inventory of equipment here at Chase Jarvis Inc., it’s fair to say that I know a thing or two about what it takes to pull off a photo shoot. Every time we roll down the street or fly around the world, I pack and move cases of gear. No matter how light we’re packing, we tip the scales at at least 100 lbs.
In my free time I have access to any and all of this equipment. A dream come true for any photographer. Unless you spend your free time deep in the mountains or on travel adventures where an itinerary is unheard of and solitude is the end goal. In that case, there’s no place for hundred pound cases. Hell, an extra 20 pounds in the backpack can have a major impact.
This fact has always put me at a loss, oscillating between DSLR kits that feel bloated and obtrusive, and high end point and shoots like the Canon G series that while impressive for their size, just don’t have the gusto when you’re in the trenches. What to do, what to do.
Well, like many, I took notice when Panasonic and Olympus came out with offerings in the new and exciting Micro Four Thirds format…. On paper it sure sounds good. Teeny tiny camera bodies, cool lenses, a legitimate sensor, hd video, and maybe, just maybe, a fast shutter and motor drive. Worth checking out, I thought to myself. Actually, I nerded out over each new release with anyone who would sit still long enough for me to go through the hmmms and haaaas aloud at their desk.
The end of October found us working New York City and I finally got to put my grubby hands on the cameras I had been reading so much about. On my way in to B&H I was convinced that the Panasonic GF1 was going to be the ticket. On my way out I was converted. The Olympus E-P2 looked cooler, felt better, and had less shutter lag. Let me say here that these are untested claims, only my reaction to a hands on comparison. There are other websites that dissect the technology. I’m here to talk about my feelings. That’s what the doctor said I should do…
So I had picked the body, what about the rest. One of the fun things you can do with these cameras is to buy the competitor’s 4/3 mount lenses. This is awesome except when you’re trying to decide what to put in your kit, then you have to do some real analysis of this lens versus that, the package price of this kit versus that one, the extra third stop in the aperture here versus the more compact design there. I scratched my head for some time before I decided on a kit that looks like this:
Olympus ED 14-150 f/4.0-5.6 Lens
Olympus VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder (expensive, but necessary outdoors)
3 SanDisk 16 GB Ultra SD Cards
Lowepro Rezo 110 AW Camera Bag
That little kit gives me respectable speed (3+ fps with very little shutter lag), RAW files of 12 million good looking pixels, decent 720 video, an effective lens range of 28-300 (micro 4/3 format has a lens factor of 2), good ISO performance to 1600, and a few days of shooting before I need to see a charger or computer. Sick. Cooler still? The fact that I can even pony up for the 9-18 lens when I feel like it and it will also fit easily in my 7 inch camera bag. So much damned awesomeness, so little space.
How’s it shoot? I love it. A lot. Feels good in the hands, responsive, quick adjustments, quick shutter. At first I was trying to use it one handed like a point and shoot because it’s so compact. I quickly abandoned these erroneous ways and started shooting it like a real camera, because that’s what it is. A real camera with real user controls in a very small package.
Any nitpicks? The focusing leaves a little to be desired, the AF is a little tricky to figure out at first, and the manual focusing is tough even through the digital viewfinder. There is a focus assist function, but it’s horribly distracting when trying to compose an image. I also found myself accidentally changing the ISO, White Balance, Focus Mode, and Shutter mode when spinning the control to change the shutter speed in Manual mode. That was solved by turning off those functions, they can still be accessed by pressing the center control button.
Verdict. Booyah! Had a need, this camera filled it with power and panache. Me likey.
So it’s emerging from winter into spring/summer here in Seattle, and my favorite thing to do is head for the hills, climb, ski, and document my adventures. Here are the fruits of my labors and those of this tough little workhorse. I don’t get attached to gear very often, but I think this one has already earned some shelf space in the permanent collection.
Great article. I went through the same thought process as you but ended up with the GF1 which I love. Every day I am faced with the choice of GF1 or Nikon D3s: ease and facility versus awesome files! I love the Nikon but it’s such a beast, i use it for a lot of night stuff, nothing comes close. I love street photography (see website above) and the GF1 is perfect for this. Traveling abroad is easier with something small ( and there’s less paranoia about it as well) . One day, manufacturers will give us the size of the GF1 with the resolution of the D3s, then I’ll never need to buy another camera again! ( did I mention I also have a Nikon 300s and a Lumix LX3? love them all.
I do something simler to Scott here with the D3000 and 35mm f/.8, instead of lugging my bigger & heaver D200
it pretty much goes were ever I go
it not as small granted, but I use what I have and don’t see the need to spend on another camera
Other wise I like the shots Scott, You should come try out South Africa’s Drankensberg some time for your adventures here is an example http://blog.neillsoden.co.za/?p=230
Interesting camera, instead of shelling 200$+ for a small VF why not just tack on any of the 3″ LCDVFs ?
It adds certainly more bulk, but is cheaper and gives a much nicer view in my personal opinion.
If it works and you enjoy it, let me know 🙂
I’ve been looking at picking up a small camera for sport trips where a dslr isn’t suited, was looking at these and the X100, Gotta say love the styling on the X100 alot more, but not so the price and the bad things i hear about em.
Laurian,
We’ve got a handfull of different monitors for shooting video with DSLR cameras, but the whole point of this Olympus kit is to be compact, lightweight and minimal. To this end, the viewfinder is the best solution currently available.
E-P2 hands down, I tried X100 for a week not a long time ago. It’s the slowest full manual camera I’ve ever tried. I think they packed the camera with functions and fitted a 1980 CPU into the camera to reduce cost. X100 has brilliant features, but too slow for my use. It looks really good though.
Thanks for sharing! Aside from the awesomeness, what is that amazing beat playing in the BG? 🙂
Jonathan,
It’s an instrumental version of “what a vision” by seattle hiphop artist Victor Shade (also of Common Market). Good stuff.
Hey Scott, even though I want to thank you for introducing us to your new favorite camera, my comments is actually about your photography; I think that me and a whole lot of people would like to see more of those images. And like you said, I know you are busy at work but, your photography is very nice! keep ’em coming!