During a whirlwind trip to New York City (from our native Rochester, about 6 hours’ drive away) this Labor Day weekend, I had the opportunity to try out a brand-spanky-new Olympus E-P1, affectionately referred to as the “Digital Pen”. Though the original Olympus Pen series stopped production right around the same time I started preschool, I can certainly appreciate the Pen-style aesthetic – and optical philosophy – of the new digital reincarnation of the famous design. As the first saleable point-and-shoot realizing the Micro Four Thirds standard, it follows in its namesake’s footsteps in paving new photographic ground, and hopefully laying the groundwork for a new and novel class of digital cameras.
My photography skills fall squarely into the “enthusiast” camp, so by my estimates I’d likely need to spend months with the Olympus Pen before I could render anything resembling a proper “review”. That said, my 24-hours spent with the Pen (and its 14-42mm companion zoom) in NYC this weekend have offered opportunities to shoot in a fairly wide variety of modes and situations; Everything from bright sunlit contrast, to twilight street photography, to available-light restaurant snaps. In every case, one aspect was constant: the Pen was thoroughly enjoyable to shoot…
From its solid build, to its “fine object” handling, to the sturdy, satisfying snap of its shutter, the Digital Pen has a distinctly camera-like feel – by which I mean it feels more like a camera than an electronic device – something that’s been notably lacking in nearly every pocketable digital camera I’ve used to-date. Though it would be improper of me to comment much on usability after a mere 24 hours with the camera, it certainly didn’t “get in my way” creatively … the controls are well laid-out, the screen is visible from nearly every angle, the buttons are just-tactile-enough, and the size hits an admittedly-subjective sweet-spot for me: big enough to be taken seriously, but small/light enough to disappear around my neck between shots. Speaking of which, here are a few:
I won’t spend my entire post gushing, though – there were a couple of aspects to the Digital Pen that I didn’t care for. Naturally, I’ll add my voice to the chorus of reviewers decrying the E-P1’s contrast autofocus, which was passable in bright light and with contrasty subjects, but became noticeably (and predictably, even distractingly) sluggish in low light or with moving targets. I noted a far-more-minor annoyance with the image review: after snapping a shot, the LCD returns briefly (for well under a second) to “live” electronic viewfinder mode prior to displaying the captured image. The 14-42mm lens offered a nice zoom range, and an impressive wide angle field-of-view, but I felt the unlock switch was awkwardly-placed and insufficiently-raised for convenient stowage of the barrel.
All-told, I enjoyed the Olympus E-P1 “Pen” as much as I respected it – for being well-designed, well-made and well-bred. Would I drop 900 of my own dollars on one? Probably not yet – but then again, I’m well-accustomed to carting around my 20D. If I didn’t have that alternative, the Pen might have more appeal, and more of a chance of separating me from my hard-earned coin. Practicality and affordability aside, it offered an enjoyable photographic “fling” and a delightful peek at what I hope to be a harbinger of great things to come. It would seem I’m not the only one with high hopes, either…
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