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Yes - i'm two years behind - e-pl5

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
YES - I'M TWO YEARS BEHIND - but...


... That's just the way I am. I have been perfectly content with my Olympus E-PL3 over the past two years of travel and street shooting. So what more do I need.

I returned from Nicaragua on Thursday and found that Best Buy had the newer E-PL5 on sale for $429.00 (Canadian) - so figured it was time for an update. Part of that decision was based on 2 factors - - - firstly the 14-42 kit lens (that I use regularly) of the E-PL3 only functioned from 14- 20mm, causing an error message beyond that range. A look at Henrys Camera website informed me that a new replacement was going to cost $350.00. Secondly, some of the abilities and dials of my E-PL3 were becoming compromised - - - I presume from the heavy use and exposure to severe elements.

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One of my sons had a get together with friends last night - we were invited and so I took the new E-PL5 with me to try out all of the different features - most of which I am familiar and comfortable with, from using my E-PL3.

3 things that I greatly appreciated were the very fast Auto Focus, the quite high and usable ISO settings, as well as the touch screen feature for focus and shooting. Pertaining to the latter, I don't know if I will ever go back to shooting with the shutter button after that experience.

Most important, image quality is very good and handling of this small camera is pleasing and what I have become used to in my travels.

Tapping the screen on different subjects at different depths away from the lens - produced stunning results with extremely fast focus and great ease of capture:

20140531-P5310370.jpg


20140531-P5310371.jpg


I simply cannot believe that there is an image at all on an Olympus camera when shot at 25,600 ISO - as was the case in this shot taken at that ISO setting. The quality and accurate colour aren't there - especially when people are included - - - but there is an image that may even be usable in for family fun. As well, this level of low light shooting means that ISO 3200 and 6400 are very usable. I am very pleased:


20140531-P5310328.jpg



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Robert Watcher

Well-known member
We had a blast being able to tip the newly designed screen right up so that selfies could be taken. Here my granddaughter touches the screen to focus on herself and take the picture. Movement is from her coming to the camera at 1/30'th second:


20140531-P5310373.jpg




The Art Filters behaved much like before - - - except that this is taken at 8,000 ISO. True. No match for full frame. But totally within what I can use for my compact camera needs:


20140531-P5310476.jpg


20140531-P5310473.jpg

 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
My son was playing with the camera last night and said "Hey - this thing can focus at like four inches away" - while he aimed at his leg.

After looking at the shot this morning, I decided to set my memory card reader beside the window and see just how close I could shoot with the 14-42 kit lens. In the images below, I was about 6 inches away when the lens was set to 42mm, and about 4 inches or less away when it was set to the 14mm settings. It's no macro lens - but will work for decent closeups.

The 2 bottom closeup images are taken at f16 for maximum DOF, with an ISO of 6400:




20140531-P5310040.jpg


20140601-P6010005.jpg


20140601-P6010008.jpg


 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
YES - I'M TWO YEARS BEHIND

Quite frankly I believe that digital cameras reached a peak about 5 years ago. By "peak", I mean "the maximum that is attainable according to the laws of physics" (diffraction, photon shot noise, etc...). Most of the progress we see today are mainly due to better software noise reduction. If you use modern software on 5 years old raw files, you get about the same results.
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Another alternative for me :)
I was talking with my son a few hours ago when he told me he is going to sell his Canon 7D because it is too bulky when he has to carry diapers, clothes and all the stuff for water surfing.

I had no time to tell him how I feel the camera to be heavy to carry around and that I am planning a new and more portable one sooner or later. Perhaps in November when on visit to California.

Thank you Robert for your quick impressions on this camera. :)

Glad you are both back home safely ! :)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
We had a blast being able to tip the newly designed screen right up so that selfies could be taken................

The Art Filters behaved much like before - - - except that this is taken at 8,000 ISO. True. No match for full frame. But totally within what I can use for my compact camera needs:


20140531-P5310476.jpg


20140531-P5310473.jpg




Really Rob,

I find these pictures more than acceptable for any format. The work as something valuable has merit both for personal memories and also as images strangers would find attractive and evocative.

Actually, pictures of this quality would be up to par for public exhibition, grain and all! It's images that talk to us and get our and juices flowing that counts! That you've done admirably!

For "technical perfection" and compositional mastery, (no matter the format), there are plenty of sources for the genuine classic prints by the very best, produced in the last 100 years! Yours are current and "happening" and likely a lot more enjoyment for the price!

So congrats on this marvelous little camera. It will do more for you than anything else as you will always have it with you! Also that touch screen autofocus choice, a gift from the iphone, is just about as great an advance as digital itself and allows much more effective use of limited DOF to rank importance of subjects.

BTW, what do you lose out on if not using an OMD-1?

Asher
 
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