Reality Equation

Olympus E-P1: Does it travel?

Olympus recently announced the digital PEN EP-1, a new Micro Four Thirds camera that’s got the photography world talking (and drooling). For me, the appeal of an interchangeable-lens camera like the EP-1—you can’t quite call this thing an SLR, because it doesn’t have the mirror that ’single-lens reflex’ refers to—is the thought of having all that control in a package that can travel with you.

(Photo by bfishshadow)

The super compact I bought before my China trip, the Panasonic Lumix FX35, is an excellent travel camera: fast response, great image quality, good macro shots (important for food photography), good high ISO noise performance, easy HD video, and most of all, portable. It was tiny enough that I slipped it into my pocket and went everywhere with me. No need to baby it, carry a huge camera case. Just drop it in, forget it, and go.

The one huge compromise is control. There were times times I wished I could shoot at ISO 200 at 2′ shutter. Or try panning shots, or any other sort of composed shot where I want to control the light to artistic effect. Not possible with a super compact.

What I’m wondering now is this: is the Olympus E-P1 a perfect travel camera system?

(Photo by classix, posted on Flickr by dolmang)

I’ve been following the Micro FourThirds world for a bit, and there are some pretty interesting things that suggest that this new format is only just taking off. The DSLR world itself, especially at the most basic level, is experiencing a flux, with even big-shots Nikon (D5000) and Canon (T1i) embracing HD video, live view and retractable LCD displays that, just a few years back, we wouldn’t expect on SLR systems.

Olympus, along with its band of Four Thirds supporters, most notably Panasonic (with its Lumix cameras), has been in recent years known for pushing the limits of what a digital SLR can be. It released the smallest system with the E-420, supported the Four Thirds sytem (a different lens mount, a smaller sensor, built for digital) and introduced live view on its SLR cameras. But the most exciting development has been the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds (m4/3, µ43) system that promises to substantially reduce the size of the body.

After the Lumix G-1 (and, more recently, the GH-1), the new Olympus PEN E-P1 is the newest m4/3 body. It’s actually a logical continuation of Olympus’ old PEN series of half-frame film cameras, and was released on the 50th anniversary of the first PEN.

The new digital PEN can shoot at 12.3 megapixel maximum resolution, has RAW shooting, exposure bracketing, SD card support, mounts for standard 4/3 and OM lenses, and an all new image processing engine (that comparable, I’ve heard, to the more advanced Olympus E-30).

DPReview already has a detailed hands-on preview up, and you’ll find some sample shots on Flickr.

This camera has really spiked my interest, and I will be keeping an eye on it. I want to see how it performs in low-light with its smaller-than-usual sensor, and how people are responding to the overall experience.