Olympus epl5 query

[jaomul]

Hi all. I kind of posted similar on the Equipment section, but not exactly the same so hoping the mods wont scold me. I should have posted here but forgot about the mirrorless section.

Is anyone using the Olympus epl5? I am looking for a portable system. I am not a pro but enjoy all aspects with portraits and wildlife, also bif but realise the oly wont be great here.

The reviews for this camera seem very positive and it ticks a lot of my wants boxes- Any user opinions please

 

[Ron Evers]

Hi all. I kind of posted similar on the Equipment section, but not exactly the same so hoping the mods wont scold me. I should have posted here but forgot about the mirrorless section.

Is anyone using the Olympus epl5? I am looking for a portable system. I am not a pro but enjoy all aspects with portraits and wildlife, also bif but realise the oly wont be great here.

The reviews for this camera seem very positive and it ticks a lot of my wants boxes- Any user opinions please

Lotsa talk about that camera on this forum:

Micro Four Thirds Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

[usayit]

I don't have one but I shoot with the E-PL1 and an OMD E-M5. For long telephotos, I find it absolutely necessary to have EVF. So if I were in your shoes, I would figure in the cost of the VF2 attachment into the price of the E-PL5. I also find that with telephotos, the E-M5's form factor with HLD6 grip necessary for added comfort and stability.

The reason why I am bringing this up is that most wildlife photos with the system are shot with the Panasonic 100-300mm (200-600mm equiv FF). Its a very compact and small lens compared to DSLR systems (less than half the weight /size typically) BUT its still sizable when attached to the petite sized micro 4/3rds bodies. I also find it uncomfortable to hold a camera at arms length when using these long lenses.... hence EVF.

The good news is that the micro 4/3rds system is so wide with options from the perspective of body selection AND lens selection with consideration for all sorts of budgets ($200USD to $1500USD is a big range).

Bodies I would consider:

Panasonic G5
Panasonic G6
Olympus OMD E-M5
Panasonic GX7 (still too new to know anything about)

If video is a priority, add in the Panasonic GH3.

All these bodies have the size and shape for better comfort paired with a good built-in EVF. The OMD is my preference among these for many reasons plus its the most compact body of the bunch when the battery grip is removed. Price wise, the G5 is unbeatable in value!!

WIth the exception of the GX7, the key implementation difference between Olympus and Panasonic is In lens IS versus In Body IS.

OMD E-M5 w/ 100-300mm @300mm processed with nik silverFX

As mentioned, right now for long reach you have two choices. Olympus 75-300 and Panasonic 100-300mm with the Panasonic being the far more popular choice. For portraits, you have a very wide selection depending on the focal length of preference. Olympus 45mm f/1.8, 75mm f/1.8, Pan-leica 45mm macro, Pan-Leica 25mm... etc. For zooms, I surmise you would be happy with the 35-100mm f/2.8 Panasonic.

 

[jaomul]

Thanks Ron and usayit. Thats a great help

 

[Ron Evers]

I agree with pairing the Pany 100-300 with a Pany body, G5 for instance, but not with an Oly such as the OMD E-M5. I would chose the Oly 75-300 II, smaller & lighter with equivalent IQ (maybe better) than the Pany 100-300. Here is what it looks like with the optional hood.

 

[jaomul]

Ya looking online and good quality glass seems affordable for the micro 4/3rds system. I have various dslrs from canon so this would be a second system mainly for travel and where a dslr isn't practical. I am surprised these have not caught my eye before. Another question is what is considered a good focal length for portraits. This may seem silly but on ff and crop dslrs its advisable to f/l over 50mm due distortion. Is it the same on micro 4/3rds

 

[Ron Evers]

The Oly 45/1.8 & Sigma 60/2.8 are both excellent portrait lenses. With a crop factor of X2 you are looking @ 90 & 120mm equivalent of 35mm film cameras.

 

[usayit]

Distortion is a bit different from space compression and expansion as with longer versus shorter focal lengths....

Anyhow... photography and the lessons learned don't really change all that much depending on format (FF vs 2x crop). So yes.. in general longer than normal focal lengths thus compression tend to be a preference for portraits. This is not a rule but a preference. There are plenty of successful portraits created with shorter focal lengths.

On micro 4/3rds (2x crop), a normal focal length is around 25mm. I'm thinking Olympus 45mm f/1.8, Olympus 75mm f/1.8, Pentax Elmarit 45mm macro, panasonic 35-100 f/2.8 would also make good portrait lenses. My personal preference is the Olympus 45mm f/1.8. Enough compression, small compact lens, and doesn't require too much working distance for candid situations. Any longer, it "feels" somewhat unusable in photos that are at the spur of the moment or shall I quote one of my favorite photographers, "The Decisive Moment". I also do plenty of portraits with a 20mm f/1.7 which is actually slightly shorter than normal focal length... then again, I generally shoot slightly wider. Focal lengths that tend lend themselves to more "story-telling" and "journalistic" use. This is all really just personal preference.


E-PL1 + Olympus 45mm f/1.8

E-PL1 + Panasonic 100-300mm @ 200mm

 

[jaomul]

Thanks again to ye both.