Micro four thirds -Lumix GF1 vs Oly EP-1

ashatron said:
Cool, cheers dude.

Shoei, how do you find the flash on the GF1?
Its a big factor in deciding between the two, but id like to know if it is just put there to tick a box on a specification sheet, or if it is actually any good.

The additional flash for the EP-1 is very expensive, but it appears to be a more serious flash.

I can imagine i would only use it in the evenings having a meal with friends etc, when im just wanting general night shots, not ones for photography purposes.

Also would you miss your flash it if it was gone?
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Cant say ive used the flash that much, the fact the 20mm is pretty good in low light. Think ive only used it a few times.
Would i miss the flash, probably not but its nice to know its there.

Probaby been posted before, but this is a damn good field test of the GF1 and 20mm lens.
http://craigmod.com/journal/gf1-fieldtest/

Before i sold up i asked some one who shoots damn good wedding pics what they would change to if they had to give up the dSLR. Initialy they said the EP-1, but the GF1 would be better suited. They ended up buying a GF1 as well.
Its got my interest in photography back, where by middle of last year i just couldnt be bothered getting the D80 out and lugging round all the kit.
This is so pocketable, it'll fit in the chest pocket of my pullover, try that with a dSLR and lens, the cargo pockets on my shorts, might even be able to squeeze it in to the seat bag on my bike.

The only way to know for sure is go try em out, but go open minded.
 
ashatron said:
great point! the motion jpeg is still great quality isnt it?
i would burn to DVD anyway, puresly pc screen based viewing.
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It's motion jpeg, basically jpeg images in HR, wrapped in an avi for playback. With appropriate converters (even Windows Movie Maker), you can burn to DVD with minimal loss.

p.s. If you do get the E-P1 and worry about flash, there is a free flash, FL-20 with any E-P1 purchased this month IIRC.
 
Shoei said:
Cant say ive used the flash that much, the fact the 20mm is pretty good in low light. Think ive only used it a few times.
Would i miss the flash, probably not but its nice to know its there.

Probaby been posted before, but this is a damn good field test of the GF1 and 20mm lens.
http://craigmod.com/journal/gf1-fieldtest/

Before i sold up i asked some one who shoots damn good wedding pics what they would change to if they had to give up the dSLR. Initialy they said the EP-1, but the GF1 would be better suited. They ended up buying a GF1 as well.
Its got my interest in photography back, where by middle of last year i just couldnt be bothered getting the D80 out and lugging round all the kit.
This is so pocketable, it'll fit in the chest pocket of my pullover, try that with a dSLR and lens, the cargo pockets on my shorts, might even be able to squeeze it in to the seat bag on my bike.

The only way to know for sure is go try em out, but go open minded.
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Wiked, tomorrow im hitting the town and seeing how they feel!!
exciting times!! :D

you got any pics using the flash? just like indoors ones with one person in shot perhaps?

Mr Jones said:
It's motion jpeg, basically jpeg images in HR, wrapped in an avi for playback. With appropriate converters (even Windows Movie Maker), you can burn to DVD with minimal loss.

p.s. If you do get the E-P1 and worry about flash, there is a free flash, FL-20 with any E-P1 purchased this month IIRC.
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wiked.
Oh free flash!! sorry i didnt mean to be rude, i know you did mention it earlier but didnt respond, thanks dude. when i searched the promotions i found said it was the FL-14 (which appears to be more expensive), not the FL-20 you describe :/ seen here -
http://fwd.five.tv/gadget-show/gadget-news/olympus-offers-free-flash-with-pen-ep-1
http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON09F000024&Cat_Code=36&Subcat_Code=282


Shoei said:
couple of videos. Converted and uploaded to youtube using the Panansonic software.
Need to get some decent software for converting the HD stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ey1vHMPkKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W06kDMNhwzk

Probably not the best demo, but still fun and not limited to 5mins like a dSLR.
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Cheers for the links mate!
i find when researching video quality i encounter a massive range of results. all i find are high def, but some look very choppy and some look very smooth. It must be a post processing thing.

is there anyway to adjust the colour settings on the GF1?
as i mentioned previously they dont appear to be as vibrant for landscapes as the EP-1. Im decent in photoshop, but i dont want to batch process all the pics i take to get the colour better.

Tomorrow ill get to hold them, thats probably a bigger factor.
 
ashatron said:
wiked.
Oh free flash!! sorry i didnt mean to be rude, i know you did mention it earlier but didnt respond, thanks dude. when i searched the promotions i found said it was the FL-14 (which appears to be more expensive), not the FL-20 you describe :/ seen here -
http://fwd.five.tv/gadget-show/gadget-news/olympus-offers-free-flash-with-pen-ep-1
http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON09F000024&Cat_Code=36&Subcat_Code=282
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Uh oh. My mistake! I kept remembering the fl20 for some reason!
 
one of the few pics ive got when i used the onboard flash.
This is straight from the camera jpg, with a crop in CS3.

4286413360_7a5231121b_b.jpg


set the WB to "Flash" on the camera rather than auto white balance.
Thats another thing i like about the GF1, setting the WB manualy via a Digital Grey Kard is a piece of cake. Lots of WB options. 2 custom options as well as the normal, sunny, auto, flash, tungsten lighting etc etc plus a Kelvin option.
 
Mr Jones said:
Uh oh. My mistake! I kept remembering the fl20 for some reason!
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lol, no worries, i wouldnt have know about it at all, had it not been for you! thanks :D

Shoei said:
one of the few pics ive got when i used the onboard flash.
This is straight from the camera jpg, with a crop in CS3.

set the WB to "Flash" on the camera rather than auto white balance.
Thats another thing i like about the GF1, setting the WB manualy via a Digital Grey Kard is a piece of cake. Lots of WB options. 2 custom options as well as the normal, sunny, auto, flash, tungsten lighting etc etc plus a Kelvin option.
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Thats a nice pic, very cute :) she yours?
Im quite impressed with that flash. was it quite dark at the time? it looks like it wasnt too dark, but i cant really tell.
Thanks soooo much for it dude! :D

the flash actually looks quite good -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintdavis/4031464624/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18105980@N00/4205911697/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewbelcher/3988662543/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usuqa/4235546898/

interesting...
 
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ashatron said:
Thats a nice pic, very cute :) she yours?
Im quite impressed with that flash. was it quite dark at the time? it looks like it wasnt too dark, but i cant really tell.
Thanks soooo much for it dude! :D
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My daughter on christmas morning, before the lounge became a bombsite of ripped wrapping paper and cardboard boxes.
Room lighting was 3x60w soft glow candle bulbs in a ceiling fitting.
charlie is sat just off to one side of the light.
As said, with it being an f/1.7 lens i try not to use flash unless really needed.
 
Shoei said:
My daughter on christmas morning, before the lounge became a bombsite of ripped wrapping paper and cardboard boxes.
Room lighting was 3x60w soft glow candle bulbs in a ceiling fitting.
charlie is sat just off to one side of the light.
As said, with it being an f/1.7 lens i try not to use flash unless really needed.
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Wiked! Cheers dude :D
Do you have the 14-42mm lens also? Im curious which lens i should go for in the kit. I know the 20mm pancake is amazing, but im worried i may want some zoom action!

You've said you didn't tend to use your zoom on your old lens though, tough times.

I love the G11, but the performance on the GF1/EP-1 is far superior.
I wish canon did a M43 camera! just like the G11!! :D

off to town to test them out soon!! EXCITED! :D
 
ashatron said:
ive decided to take the plunge and just straight over an advanced compact camera and go for a micro four thirds camera.

Giving me dSLR quality, without the size.

Olympus EP-1 - built in image stabilization, better lens compatibility? no flash, slow focus (1 second), 14-42mm compact zoom lens

Lumix GF1 - quick focus, small pancake lens making it compact (but i think the oly with the 14-42mm lens isnt much bigger), no zoom function at all!

And which lens? EP1's 17mm? or the GF1 20mm??

Your thoughts and recommendations would be helpful, thanks :D
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Definately the GF1 because the EP1 felt really slow because of focus ability.

GF1 with 20mm
http://lx3.smugmug.com/Museums/British-Museum-GF1-20mm/10167897_crhYX

GF1 with 14-45mm
http://lx3.smugmug.com/Museums/British-Museum-GF1/10080318_tAPjG
 
ashatron said:
Wiked! Cheers dude :D
Do you have the 14-42mm lens also? Im curious which lens i should go for in the kit. I know the 20mm pancake is amazing, but im worried i may want some zoom action!
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Nope, just the 20mm lens. More than adequate for what i want.

You've said you didn't tend to use your zoom on your old lens though, tough times.
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Tended to use the siggy 30mm f/1.4 on the D80 or when needed put back the 18-70 AF-S.
 
david25 said:
Definately the GF1 because the EP1 felt really slow because of focus ability.

GF1 with 20mm
http://lx3.smugmug.com/Museums/British-Museum-GF1-20mm/10167897_crhYX

GF1 with 14-45mm
http://lx3.smugmug.com/Museums/British-Museum-GF1/10080318_tAPjG
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Cheers dude!!

Shoei said:
Nope, just the 20mm lens. More than adequate for what i want.

Tended to use the siggy 30mm f/1.4 on the D80 or when needed put back the 18-70 AF-S.
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Coool!
Well today i went into town, went to a couple of camera shops, sadly none had the GF1 in for me to look at.

But they did have the EP-1. So i had a little play!
overall impressions! - the LCD seemed nice enough, i dont think the half resolution compared to the GF1 is an issue. it had the 14-42mm lens attached, seemed nice enough. The focus times were not too bad at all, i checked and it had firmware 1.1 installed - is this the latest? the menu layout and setting were fairly intuitive, no quarrels there. HOWEVER! the overall feel of it didnt seem too nice, it was heavy and solid, but not that nice to hold.

When i held the G11, it was very nice, dials in all the right places good size etc. its a shame because they didn't have the GF1 next to the EP-1, which would have been helpful to do a side by side comparison, but ill head to another camera shop tomorrow, which i know stocks both.

Im guessing the GF1 will feel nicer to hold, as it appears slightly taller/larger. But will it feel as nice as the G11? im really hoping so. If only canon did a MFT camera just like the G11...that would be amazing.

In terms of how the EP-1 felt, i think if im spending £600, when i hold it, i should be thinking, this is ***cking awesome! much like i did with the G11.

Fingers crossed on the GF1!!! in terms of lens compatibility, which is limited as handsome Mr Jones informs us, i suppose its not an issue as long as Panasonic make good lenses which are compatible with the GF1
Ill let you guys know, thanks again for all the help! :)

SORRY FOR LONG POST!!! :D
 
Can you attach any micro four third lens to an SLR?

E.G. -
can you fit the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm/F1.7 Pancake Lens (designed for the GF1 micro four thirds camera), onto the e-420 olympus SLR?
 
You can attach larger lens to smaller fit, not the other way around I'm afraid.
Even with the E420, with the same sensor size, you cannot fit the micro 4/3 lens to it due to the mirror and sensor distance.
 
GF1 User here, and really impressed by the little(ish) camera!

One test shot, apologies, I have already posted it elsewhere in the Post Your Shots thread.

Unedited except for resizing. I think the white dot is a bird!

P1000190.jpg
 
tonym said:
GF1 User here, and really impressed by the little(ish) camera!

One test shot, apologies, I have already posted it elsewhere in the Post Your Shots thread.

Unedited except for resizing. I think the white dot is a bird!
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Nice pic dude!, v dude. that newcastle?
So your pleased with it? thats encouraging, do you have the 20mm pancake? - Scratch that, checked the jpeg properties and indeed you do! 1/2000 of sec shutter, nice :D

Mr Jones said:
You can attach larger lens to smaller fit, not the other way around I'm afraid.
Even with the E420, with the same sensor size, you cannot fit the micro 4/3 lens to it due to the mirror and sensor distance.
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You my friend, know a helluva lot about cameras :) thank you!
but you can fit most SLR lenses to the e-420 and e-620?

In a couple of hours im gonna go have a feel (behave) at the GF1, e-420 and e-620. e-420 being the worlds smallest SLR, im intrigued. e-620, fraction bigger than the e-420 but has IS.
 
ashatron said:
You my friend, know a helluva lot about cameras :) thank you!
but you can fit most SLR lenses to the e-420 and e-620?

In a couple of hours im gonna go have a feel (behave) at the GF1, e-420 and e-620. e-420 being the worlds smallest SLR, im intrigued. e-620, fraction bigger than the e-420 but has IS.
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I only know some trivial info, I whore on this and other photography forums.
The smallest DSLR titles might soon shift to the Samsung NX10 when it is realised some time this year. The E420 is a great little camera, I've passed mine on to my little brother and he's having fun with it - I travelled around Malaysia, hK, Macau for nearly a month with that and a kit lens, VERY light, ready for all sorts of snaps.

I'd say though, after using the E620, it's not just the IS that's a plus, the better ISO noise control, the articulated LCD and the ART filters are a big plus over the E420. I also jumped on that for the free grip and battery, which really comes as a surprise for me, a good saving and the grip makes portrait shooting a bless.

Anyway, hope you had a good feel and decide on something that you like :)
p.s. All Olympus E-Series cameras are compatible with all their lenses released for digital. Any other lenses will only require a simple adaptor, most though, will only have MF.
 
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ashatron said:
Nice pic dude!, v dude. that newcastle?
So your pleased with it? thats encouraging, do you have the 20mm pancake? - Scratch that, checked the jpeg properties and indeed you do! 1/2000 of sec shutter, nice :D
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Hi, Yeah, Newcastle. I'm more than happy with the camera, does everything that I want it to do, and it's semi pocket-able. It certainly doesn't take up as much space as my D300!

The 20mm is a great lens, and it make you think about composition more.
 
This looks like a nice thread to revive regarding making a decision on a camera. Now that the E-P2 is out, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with it and how it compares to the Panasonic equivalent.

It seems they've addressed a couple concerns that I've read about in this thread: the flash and the focus speed.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0911/09110501olympusep2.asp

It is a few hundred more than the EP1, but wow it looks amazing. :)
 
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