How would you change Olympus' E-P1?
By Darren Murph 
posted September 4th 2009 11:05PM
posted September 4th 2009 11:05PM
posted September 4th 2009 11:05PM
Olympus E-P1
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for me, I want analog dial like D7D
After 2 months with my E-P1 I really couldn't be much happier. I would of course like a clip on hires EVF (the lores GF1 EVF is a waste of time). The LCD has been better than expected. I'd like for it to be higher res for reviewing pics, but it has been excellent for composing pics. It's been visible in most any situation for me so far. The AF has also been fine for what it is. This is not a sports camera after all. For the type of shooting I do I have no problems with it...but of course faster AF is always welcome.
The only real changes I'd like to see are a higher res LCD (but not if it's not as visible in sunlight as the current one), a clip on EVF option, and I personally would like to have some sort of wireless flash control built in. I have zero need for an on board flash, but I'd love to have a built in RF transmitter that would allow me to remotely control external strobes via the LCD (that goes for all camera manufacturers by the way).
Oh yeah...my biggest change isn't a change at all. Just more lenses please; preferably in the pancake variety (with distance scales for manual focus).
dear engadgt,
hurry up with the head to head of the EP-1 and GF1!!! and get more EP-2 rumors.
Make it less ugly.
built in flash, a good evf, slick design, more lenses
I would make it cheaper and more availabel in Australia.
put an OM mount adapter in the box.
the ep-1 with the 28mm f/2.0 or 2.8 would be pretty sick, as in super duper amazing sick.
a viewfinder. built in flash. CHEAPER!
...Make it run crysis.
100g lighter. It's a nice camera, but it's too heavy, even with the pancake lense.
I hope everyone agrees with me
-Faster AF
-Viewfinder
-Built in Flash ++
-1080p video
and for that price.....another lens!
> -Faster AF
Always yes.
> -Viewfinder
Still doubtful myself. Want to have hands-in first - before deciding.
> -Built in Flash ++
No. Built-in flashes were never good. On E-P1 it would be even worse.
> -1080p video
Redundant. For that I can get a better deal on camcorder.
IMNSHO the u4:3 right now need more better pancakes. Panay's 20mm f/1.7 is what really turns me on.
Built in-flash and EVF. In-body IS would be nice, but you don't really expect it out of a camera like this.
The E-P1 already HAS In-body IS. It appears to take up a considerable percentage of the internal space. Hence why Panasonic could fit a flash while Olympus couldn't.
Just make it snappier. Shutter lag / AF speed leaves a little to be desired, I strongly hope that the rumored firmware upgrade will fix that. Also, please, for the love of God, clean up the menu structure - it's a complete mess.
Much improved autofocus, state of the art rear screen, built in flash, state of the art electronic viewfinder. I think the Lumix DMC-GF1 gets pretty close to the ideal specs (only the EVF isn't really up to scratch) so to me the EP-1 will play catch up. The major advantages of the EP-1 are that slick retractable 14-42 kit lens and the camera housed IS, enabling more variety in lenses.
the price!!
E-P1 is an almost perfect companion to a dSLR, when lugging around a dSLR is not practical. A small external flash (like the Nikon Speedlight SB-400), which can be tilted and a higher screen resolution!
VIEWFINDER! faster autoficus-better rear screen and lower lag time
it will fantastic if it ...
-Gf1
-++++
-in body O.I.S
-back panel fill by a multi touch screen with its all functionality as a multi touch (option for resistive or capacitive)
-wireless connection for easy and fast data transfer
-huge internal storage like 32gb or even more..
An accurate optical viewfinder.
A flash would be nice, but the lack of a viewfinder is what keeps me from buying it.
A cover for ccd would be nice. When changing lenses a built-in cover could protect ccd. Oh and a touchscreen lcd could do good but it may spoil the 60s effect
Bought one last week. Love it!
Things that need to get improoved:
- AF speed
- AF in low-light
- Contiuous AF when filming
- menu structure (this thing is way more complicated to operate in semi-auto modes than my old 350D)
- LCD performance in bright daylight
- NR in high ISO (less luminance NR, Panasonic style)
Things that would be nice to be added:
- Option to pin RAW mode to Fn button (Pentax style)
- Option to pin AE bracketing to Fn button (or less complicated way to activate AE bracketing)
- Option to delete shots before flushing the buffer to the SD card
- Option to apply Art Filters to already taken shots
- OLED screen would be kick-ass (though current LCD viewing angles are almost perfect)
I don't have one, but I'd love to see an accessory optical viewfinder that can do 3 common focal lengths. I had an old Voigtlander Bessa with one of these. If you look through it one way it was a 40mm, spin it around and it was 90mm and pull down a flap and you had a wide angle (cant remember the objective). I have only used a couple electronic viewfinders and I HATED them--- it was a while ago, so maybe they've improved. Using an optical viewfinder for just a few focal lengths you can get an idea of what you're shooting, you can check to see if the shots worked with the real screen. It's not like you're burning through expensive slide film.
at this price, and as a system camera. I need an optical viewfinder in the camera. not this flash shoe nonsens.
same goes for the panasonic gf1.
if they both had that,, i'b still buy the panasonic though.
I've had this for 6 weeks now, I used the 14-42 for snapshots but where it really shines is with my leica glass, it is simply stunning and definately the poor-mans M8......I love it
Only big improvement for me would be focus confirmation on manual focus lenses.
The single biggest problem with the EP-1 is its glacially slow AF. If they could bring it up to DSLR standards, the camera would really be something special. Adding a parallax-corrected zooming optical viewfinder would be the next step, especially if they could have a rangefinder (hell, leave the crappy AF and give me an accurate RF and I'll be set.)
Stills:
* faster af
*1/8000 sec shutter
*faster processor for better burst rates and better performance with art filters
*sensor with more dynamic range, less noise, same resolution
*more art filters.. user customizable?
Body
*At least 440kpixel lcd, preferably 920k
*tilt and swivel lcd
*external or (preferably) internal evf
*outdoor viewable lcd
* built in flash.. even a small fill would do for emergencies.
*af illumination lamp
*curtain shutter cover to protect sensor when switching lenses
* change neck strap attachments to avoid noise while shooting movies (metal on metal right now)
* stereo mic in.
Movies
*1080p
*Selectable framerates (24, 25, 30, 50, 60)
*selectable codecs (other than motion jpeg)
* faster continuous af
* full manual exposure
System
* More lenses, especially fast zooms, compact lenses and primes
Put a smart phone on it. It would be the best camera phone of all time.
If Olympus added a viewfinder you could actually focus through that would be amazing. All of the digital rangefinders on the market are obnoxiously expensive and don't come with glass.
I'd make it an all metal (anodized aluminum) zero plastic camera.
I expected, and still do actually, for a smaller sensor and a less complex shutter system to lead to a lower cost not an even higher one, right now it's for a type of people who should have their own engadget; http://platinum.engadget.com.
This sensor size and EVIL form factor (which is made possible by the fact that it doesn't have a good optical viewfinder, you dolts) has a *HUGE* potential
Make the bug-fixes, like faster AF performance (particularly in movie mode), etc
Add:
Hi-res 1080p, daylight-capable AMOLED viewfinder on a swivel/flip mount
ALL of the unique capabilities of the casio exilim pro line (video-speed fullres 1s buffer, slo-mo, motion-activation)
1080p60 video with reasonable firmware options for direct live computer recording
A package of three lenses that comes with the camera: a cheap fisheye, whatever the equiv of a a fast 50mm prime lens for portraits is in this sensor size, and a compact superzoom like the 14-140m
Marketplace:
A wider variety of micro4/3 kit lenses, a compact Good-Enough external flash/microphone combo to replace inadequate internal flash, and some type of shroud for the viewfinder
And I, a poor college student, would save up and drop $1000 on that system easy - it would address every camera need forseeable that can't be met using by cellphones.
I think the retro "rangefinder" style would beg for a REAL coupled rangefinder viewfinder.
Put some basic nobs on top for manual control of iso and exposure comp. Give the Lieca M8 some Everyman competition!!!
even at 1/2 inch taller it would still be compact, and even at another half a grand in price, they'd KILL with amatures who aspire to pro work but can't hack a several grand Lieca.
Call it REAL retro, manual controls could make comeback if manual control cameras were affordable (the G10/11 is close, but focusing on a video screen SUCKS).
Needs a bigger sensor.
2X crop is too small.
I'm not sure why the previous poster thinks this has a DSLR sized sensor?
Mike V -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sensor_sizes_overlaid_inside.svg
25mm^2 - worst P&S cams, 1/2.5"
43mm^2 - best P&S cams, 1/1.7"
225mm^2 - worst "SLR-like" camera, the Micro-Four-Third format
329-370mm^2 - standard "SLR-like" camera, APS-C in Canon and Nikon respectively
864mm^2 - Full-frame, the new premium SLR standard, lowest price is $1.8k with no lenses
Micro four thirds is most of a DSLR-sized sensor, two and a half stops up from a premium P&S, half of a stop down from a typical SLR. That size correlates directly to sensor performance. The point is that with this type of sensor and no optical viewfinder, you can make a very compact camera with relatively compact lenses - considerably smaller than the great stock of old lenses used on APS-C SLRs that are designed for full-frame film.