Olympus Pen Cameras: Are They All That? Is Oly Glass All That, Too?

[Rekd]

I'm thinking about getting a smaller advanced P/S to replace my old and busted Sony that I started with.

A guy I know is talking up Olympus' Pen cameras and lenses. Says they're the stuff and that, and I quote, Olympus' glass is arguably the best in the biz. This is the first I've heard of this and wanted to do a sanity check. Is Olympus stuff really that good?

 

[o hey tyler]

To me, buying an Oly SLR system doesn't seem cost effective because they are engineering glass and optics to compensate for a 2x crop factor. Thus driving up the price. Seems like Oly has really expensive glass, whether it's the 'best in the biz' I can't tell you. This is kind of different though as a Micro 4/3 ILC.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Olympus is known for having extremely high quality glass, but the problem is that they have very limited ranges. It also seems that Olympus gears their product more towards consumers rather than working hobbyists and pros. I owned an Oly E520 for exactly 3.5 days before bringing it back to the store and exchanging it and forking out more money for a REAL camera. Having owned one, and based on my own experiences, Olympus will always be a "tries to be but isn't really a camera" camera. I always giggle a little when I see one.

 

[ann]

I have an E-pen that i use as a point and shoot camera and it is terrific. Sometimes carrying around a lot of equipment isn't easy or fun, so this comes in handy.
You need to decide what you want, is it a "real camera"? For some it is, for the above writer it wasn't. For a point/shoot , the e-pen is terrific, the sensor is larger than the usual for a ps but smaller than a dslr.

If you want more lens options, etc. then you need to think DSLR

They do make great glass in the professional range, they are also known for high end medical optic products.

 

[usayit]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...reviews/208822-my-thoughts-olympus-e-pl1.html

I went from a Canon 1dmII with L-lenses to the E-PL1 with both m43 AF and native lenses. Its definitely a "fun" camera that can produce DSLR quality images within limits. It fits my requirements as I needed a system fits my life rather than the other way around and I enjoy adapting older legacy lenses. The two primary issues I have with m43 as a system is the limited availability of native (auto-focus) lenses and the system is still in its infancy. Both are improving rapidly.... Panasonic is pushing for faster high quality primes; 14mm, 20mm f/1.7, 45 Leica Macro.. with more high quality fast primes in the outlook. The issues with the contrast based AF system are improving slowly as well.

With that said..... no way does the system compete with DSLRs at this time. I predict they will slowly start to take market away from lower end DSLR market... but they are a while off from professional bodies and optics from Canon and Nikon. For someone who needs something more compact BUT not willing to accept the limitations of P&S cameras, the Olympus AND Panasonic m43 cameras are ideal. Optic wise.... its a general statement but I personally think the Panasonic lenses are superior even though I prefer my E-PL1 for my adapted lenses.

PS. Don't confuse 4/3rds lenses with micro 4/3rds lenses. Although you can adapt with autofocus capability, there are compromises.


People always claim the system they are heavily invested are the best in the biz. lol.

 

[jake337]

This was my first post. Usayit gave me some good advice then. Just think about what your looking to get into and how much money your looking to invest down the road.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...iews/205480-olympus-pen-ep2-worth-1099-a.html

 

[Garbz]

My basic thoughts are that Olympus glass is amongst the finest available, but it follows the standard cost curve too. The Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 G MkII comes in at about half the price of the Olympus 35-100mm f/2.

The Olympus Pen cameras, they are getting there. Fantastic size wise, but I wish for a slightly better image quality. If I were getting a Micro 4/3rds I would definitely choose Olympus in a heartbeat.

And I say this as someone who does not own nor have any investment in Olympus