Olympus Pen F - first opinions....

[dirk]

So Olympus is also jumping on the bandwagon of retro-style cameras. It is a really nice looking camera. Something to wish for. But is it worth it for almost 1.200.- USD?

Olympus PEN-F features:

• 20MP Live MOS Four Thirds format sensor
• 5-axis image stabilization with automatic panning detection
• 2.36 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder
• Up to 10 fps continuous shooting (20 fps with electronic shutter)
• Highly customizable interface, twin controls
• Fully articulating 1.04 million dot, 3" LCD touchscreen
• 50MP High-res Shot mode
• 1/8000 sec top mechanical shutter speed (1/16,000 with e-shutter)
• 1080/60p video recording
  

Here is a first hands on review available:



So what do you think?​

 

[biggles3]

So Olympus is also jumping on the bandwagon of retro-style cameras. It is a really nice looking camera. Something to wish for. But is it worth it for almost 1.200.- USD?

Olympus PEN-F features:

• 20MP Live MOS Four Thirds format sensor
• 5-axis image stabilization with automatic panning detection
• 2.36 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder
• Up to 10 fps continuous shooting (20 fps with electronic shutter)
• Highly customizable interface, twin controls
• Fully articulating 1.04 million dot, 3" LCD touchscreen
• 50MP High-res Shot mode
• 1/8000 sec top mechanical shutter speed (1/16,000 with e-shutter)
• 1080/60p video recording

Here is a first hands on review available:



So what do you think?​

Sorry I'm so late to this thread... While I like the look of the camera and its spec is impressive, I am a very recent convert to the E-M1 and am loving it - especially the focus stacking as an avid macro fan using the 60mm lens. I suspect that the E-M2 would get my vote rather than the PEN-F - but for fun, the PEN would be a great choice. My problem is having a foot in both the Olympus and Fuji systems - I need to settle on one of them and my history with Fujinon and Fujinon-made lenses would edge me to the X-series. My ultimate choice will be determined by the 2nd or 3rd firmware updates for the E-M2 and X-T2. But I wouldn't mind a PEN-F with a 12-40 and a couple of primes for fun...

 

[dirk]

Hi biggles3,

I am kind of in the same boat. On one hand, I want to downsize to be more felxible for travelling with my family, kids snpashots etc. So My Nikon D800 had to go and I have currently a few high-end compacts (Ricoh GR) and ply with some others 1 inch sensors and haev a Fuji X system plus a Nikon 1 system. On the other hand, I am interested in Medium Format for the few moments without kids and beeing able to go out just for photography.

This Photokina I looked also at the Olympus booth. They presented images on the walls are really interesting. Print big is even with m4/3 no problem anymore. What you can see more and more on all those stands at Photokina are very good prints, no matter which sensor size or which brand. Basically, you can buy what you want. From 1 inch sensor up to and incl. fullframe. The threshhold is only your experience in postprocessing to let a 1 inch sensor image shine compared to fullframe up to a specific size.

So while walking from booth to booth, you can clearly see the trend that every company is trying now to compete a lot more in design, life style and usability criteria. Which is good. Otherwise in 10 years only smart phones and Medium Format will survive.

Try to get some raw files of the differend brands, play with them in photoshop and print up to A3. You will be surprised.

There are differences in dynamic range etc., but that depends also on the subject you take pictures of. Olympus has really nice bodies. But I was surprised how much money you have to pay, if you want to have high-end glass. And how big the "pro" lenses are (i.e. Leica 45,5/1.7). Compared to this, Fuji seems cheap and small

My experience so far is, that if you want to have an ILC system which is really small, only Nikon 1 is an option. If you are willing to carry more volume and weight, the best price/performance ratio for me is Fuiji X system (although the canon M5 is impressive and might become very interesting in the future). Olympus currently on the third place after Nikon 1 (with J5), Fuji X/Canon M5. If I need more image quality, only Medium Format makes sense for me.

Best wishes

 

[biggles3]

I wish I could afford to travel to Photokina and check the gear out. My last visit was as a guest of Yashica when they introduced the FX-A (I love using its focusing system) and the ill-fated Contax 137AF - that was over 30 years ago! You have hit upon the dilemma with these competing mirrorless camera systems - I'd love the Fuji glass on an Olympus body. If I could afford it, I'd buy the new Fuji MF digital camera, 2 primes and a wide-to-portrait zoom and ditch all my other gear to help pay for it plus a flash. I wonder if they'll introduce the one accessory I miss - a swing/tilt bellows. I use my Contax ones with 4/3, m4/3, full frame and APS-C cameras and the Mamiya 645 N-Bellows (not the cheap and nasty one for the AF cameras) with a Zork adapter on my Contax 645. The focus stacking on the Olympus E-M1 helps to get round some of the problems of not having a swing/tilt bellows - I wonder if Fuji will introduce the same facility in the X-T2...?