 Olympus Pen EPL-1
Christo van Gemert
Lens-swapping lightweight
It’s been about a year since we first looked at the Olympus Pen EP-1, the company’s retro-styled, not-quite-an-SLR camera. The EP-1, based on Olympus’ famous Pen film cameras, was equipped with a 12.3-megapixel sensor and boasted HD video recording, along with some very pro features. Colour settings could be precisely adjusted and full manual control was provided, to appease the pro-amateurs it was aimed at.
Thing is, these large-sensor point-and-shoot cameras, with their interchangeable lenses, are a go-between. They are much more versatile than a powerful pocket camera, even those with big lenses, but not as expensive, chunky and unweildy as the big SLRs from Sony, Canon and Nikon. For folks who wanted something stylish, yet more capable than the automatic-everything pocket cameras, the Pen (and similar cameras from other manufacturers) are a great compromise.
Despite this, the EP-1 was very professional in its feature set. What mainstream consumers need, to get the best from these sorts of cameras, is a “lite” version. And maybe that’s what the L, in EPL-1, stands for.
It offers almost everything the EP-1 did – past tense, because it’s now been superceded by the EP-2. Regardless, this cheaper, friendlier camera has all the right tweaks to make it way more accessible to folks who can’t tell apertures from exposures. There’s an automatic mode that even has help prompts, explaining what each adjustment is meant to do, essentially educating users and equipping them with the knowledge to venture beyond the green-for-safety AUTO switch, on the mode dial.
It’s a bit of give and take, with the EPL-1. It gains simpler controls, but loses its professional edge. It gains a popup flash, but loses stereo microphones for videography. It gains a prettier pricetag, but loses some of the chic its upmarket sister has: the all plastic body still looks retro enough, but doesn’t feel as solid or posh as the EP-1/EP-2.
Based on the Micro Four Thirds Mount lens system, there are quite a few lenses available for these cameras. The EPL-1 ships with a wide-angle 14mm – 42mm pancake lens, and there is a multipurpose superzoom, 14mm – 150mm, available for around R6 500. Traditional Four Thirds lenses (from the bigger SLRs) can be used in conjunction with an adapter, too.
At just under R8 000 for the kit, the EPL-1, like a real SLR, requires investment. Once the lenses and other accessories are also in the camera bag, it’ll be a lot more flexible and multitalented than a plain old pocket camera costing half the price. Whether your eight grand goes to this or a proper SLR is down to how much you’d rather not want to lug around the bigger, better camera. |
