Will the E-PL1 work well as a travel camera?

[szrimaging]

<p>I am looking for a much lighter setup to carry compared to my DSLRs (D200 and D7000). Since this is a daily, knock around, snapshot camera, I am not apposed to a more consumer level camera lacking easy access to a few controls. Things shot will be your average vacation variety. AF needs to be decent, but not near as quick as the D7000 or D200.</p>

<p>So, I see B&H and a few others have some great prices on the E-PL1 refurbished. What are your impressions? Would it stack up to at least the image quality of the D200? Thinking the kit lens and maybe the 40-150mm to start.</p>

<p>I'm also looking at this as a way to try the format, and if I like it, I'll invest more into it later.</p>

[marc_rochkind]

I got my E-P1 a few months ago, also as a way to try the format. When I bought it the E-P2 had already been out for a year or so, so the price was right.

 

The sensor is a little smaller than that of the D200. It depends, as they always say, on how big you want to make prints. For me, I print rarely (no wall space), and nearly everything goes on the web, so image size isn't the most important thing.

 

It's a great camera. See The Online Photographer today and yesterday for an interesting way to use this camera (and those like it) for street shooting. (You want to do that when you travel, right?) Here's the link: http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2011/07/the-liberated-camera-part-i.html

 

For travel, the small size is a huge advantage. I took mine to the UK for two weeks recently, and was very happy with that decision. My D200 and D700 cameras stayed at home. I did take a Canon S95 along, too, but didn't use it.

 

Each evening I transferred the E-P1's images (raw) to my iPad, similarly light for travel, both for backup and to review the images. That worked really well, too.

[szrimaging]

<p>Prints range anywhere from 5x7 to 12x18. I do only print the best photos though, so 99% end up as just photos on the web or a hard drive.</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>I suppose you know that you'll get an aspect ratio of 4:3 rather than 3:2?</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Didn't realize that, but not concerned. Cropping is fine by me, if needed (i.e. prints). Haven't met a camera outside of a 4x5 that I didn't have to crop.</p>

[Greg M]

<p>While 4:3 is the native format, there is the option of setting 3:2 for JPEG shooting. If you shoot RAW you'll get 4:3 and just have to crop it.</p>

<p>At this point, I would seriously look at the E-PL2 vs. the E-PL1.</p>

<p>I have been using an E-PL1 now for several months and recently moved to the E-PL2. The ergonomics of the E-PL2 are much, much better for anyone coming from a DSLR with the back control dial. The E-PL1 forces a lot of button punching to do anything. I was to the point where it was somewhat second-nature, but picking up the E-PL2 the first time everything is just way more fluid. The build quality is also another level up.</p>

<p>I am keeping my E-PL1 for now as a backup to the E-PL2 for when I take it out of town, and I will be hoping, big-time, the E-PL1 gets to stay in the bag where I put it before I leave.</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Hmm...those are valid points. And I just realized no cable release for the E-PL1. Maybe an E-P1 (same price if I buy used) or E-PL2 would be a wiser choice ($100 more or same price without the second lens).</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>I guess the last option is to hang on and wait for pricing on the E-PL3 and E-PM1. Pretty sure I cannot afford the E-P3 or any of the Pany GF series.</p>

[Greg M]

<p>Yes, the other thing I bought with the E-PL2 was the Olympus cable release. I recently purchased the M. Zuiko 75-300 and have started using it quite a lot on the tripod for closeups and hated not having a cable release with the E-PL1. </p>

<p>With the E-PL3 now being introduced the price of new E-PL2's should drop some as dealers try to clear stock and there should be lots of them second-hand.</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Yep. I also need to decide if I want it before the trip to MotoGP in late August. Don't need it for my trip in early august, but could be handy at MotoGP.</p>

[meissner]

<p>Zach:<br /> Well you can always adapt an old mechanical shutter release for film cameras to work with the E-PL1:<br>

<img src="http://www.the-meissners.org/2010-small-albums/2010-pimp-my-ep2/thumb/2010-06-24-23-16-036-tripod.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<img src="http://www.the-meissners.org/2010-small-albums/2010-pimp-my-ep2/thumb/2010-06-24-23-17-037-tripod.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Yes, the camera in the picture is an E-P2 which does support the wired shutter release, but I have an application where I couldn't put the standard RM-UC1 in the camera due to size restrictions (camera was mounted inside of a bellows camera from 1915, and there was no room for the shutter cable without cutting a hole in the bellows camera that I didn't want to). Fortunately, Olympus seems to have learned, and the E-PL2, E-PL3, E-P3, and E-PM1 all support the wired shutter release.</p>

<p>Also, if you want to use standard VGA out for live view you can't use the RM-UC1 since both cords plug into the same slot (but for this there is an alternate solution).</p>

[ted_raper1]

<p>I have an EPL1 as well as a D200. I use the Panasonic 20 1.7 on the Olympus, which is a very sharp lens. Combined with the weak AA filter on the EPL1, this a very sharp combination. I've made direct comparisons between photos taken with my D200/17-55 2.8 setup and the Olympus and can tell no difference as far as image quality. I've been leaving my Nikon at home a lot lately, and taking the Oly with the 20 and a Panasonic 14-45 (which is a good lens, but not as good as the 20). I've not yet wished I'd taken the Nikon. But if you're shooting GP bikes, the EPL1 may not be fast enough (frame rate, autofocus).</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Ted, if I take it to the GP, chances are I won't actually be shooting the bikes during racing. Pretty much would have to carry a DSLR for better tracking (my understanding is that the m43 cameras are weak on this front). I think I'll wait until August and hopefully Calumet or Norman will have the E-P3 so I can see it, and might pick up the E-PM3 if it seems to focus that much quicker than the GF2 and E-PL2 I tried at Norman.</p>

[matthew_newton]

<p>If you are looking for a good "purse camera" or "travel camera" that is light and takes up minimal space, the E-PL1 will deliver quality. Its my wife's main camera and she loves it. It has the controls to be used as a serious camera and it delivers pretty good image quality. Now the control layout is not for "advanced" frequent shooting, as it is slower than most dSLRs to use advanced settings, but it is possible to.</p>

<p>My Brother-in-laws girl friend used a Panny GF-1 as her "knock about" camera on a 5 month world tour she just finished up and loved it.</p>

<p>Personally I wouldn't want it as my main camera as the controls are too limiting for quick manual focusing and aperature/shutter speed changes and I heart optical TTL view finders (If I were musically inclined I write the song "don't take my microprism dot focus screen away from me").<br>

For a travel camera, so long as photography is not the main or a close secondary goal, then yeah it is a great camera. Otherwise, pack the weight of the nicer camera and the nicer camera lenses.<br>

I will say, the 2:1 magnification on older lenses can occasionally be kind of nice. The quality isn't exactly curator great, but my Sigma 400mm f/5.6 on the E-PL1 tripod mounted make great lunar pictures and is even more wowing with a 2x vivitar teleconverter on there, though that is really, really difficult to focus as well as keep steady AND keep the moon in the field of view in time to snap it as at 1600mm EFL is moves FAST!</p>