A flourish with the PEN

Yes, I could have carried the DSLR with me and yes, my Olympus PEN E-PL1 isn’t the smallest because it is fitted with a legacy alien Tamron Adaptall II 28mm f/2.8 lens. In fact the glass in this lens is quite small diameter but for some reason the non optical material increases barrel diameter by double or more.
Still there I was overlooking the valley at East Keilor after finishing work with Pierre. I had shot this several times, early morning too, with my Kodak P880. I wanted to see how I would go with the PEN.
A friendly man of European origin stepped out of his car and had a chat with me – he felt the grass was unkempt but was impressed when I was showing darkened sunset silhouettes rather than normal shots of grass.

Living with an Android

I had the Olympus PEN E-PL1 (painful suffix that, have to press a bunch of keys to PL1 – there, did it again) but not on me (so to speak). Knox City is a mecca for the middle class raising-a-family and teens-wanna-have-fun-and-grow-up crowd, yet No Photography rules all over the Ozone.

But I had the Samsung Galaxy S in my pocket when I encountered this gorgeous Red Vespa. Unfortunately on the way in, the 8%$@ phone was frozen again, doing some data sync and presumably consuming 100% CPU – darn poor Process Priority “Give” and unpredictable app startups. Went into Teds, Harvey Norman’s, had a KFC (yes, I knoooow!), bought some nice big chestnuts and a $19 pair of Logitech 2.1 computer speakers (they’re cheap but no Creative mid-range sweetness at all).

Anyway, second chance, the Vespa had not moved, so put down the Logitech box, chestnuts, fired up the Vignette Android App (paid version). Just love the Red.

Isn’t this just like, cool?

And just one more

Figuring out the Olympus PEN E-PL1

The E-PL1 is quite a sophisticated camera once you switch it off iAuto (even iAuto allows more control than some other cameras). To map all those functions onto just four buttons and no dials is quite an achievement but I kept getting confused just reading the manual. This flow chart hopefully captures the logic and context.

in reference to: http://myolympuspen.wikispaces.com/UsingLiveViewAndAdjustingShootingParameters (view on Google Sidewiki)

On the future of the Olympus E-Series DSLR

"Watanabe: On the new product plans to disclose here, E Series, a double-digit model number and (E-5 and E-30), we will certainly continue to introduce products, E system is certainly some of the features PEN series can not be achieved. The E series of triple-digit products, we will consider the use of PEN series replaced. PEN series of lenses we will continue to research and development, and 4 / 3 system lenses will not interrupt research and development. PEN series of shots that we think are not enough, the recent focus may be on the PEN series."
in reference to: http://tech.sina.com.cn/digi/2011-04-22/17001727716.shtml (view on Google Sidewiki)

Updated 2nd June 2011:

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/olympus-official-response-to-dslr-and-pen-rumours-16303

Q. 2) Will future E-Series Digital SLRs be Micro-Four-Thirds based or Four-Thirds based with optical viewfinder?
A. 2) E-X and E-XX DSLRs will continue as long as mirrorless systems can't fulfill SLR users demand. We don't know when we will have technologies that will be able to substitute this camera class."

Autographing with the PEN

After looking and thinking, then looking and thinking some more, I finally gave in and bought myself an Oympus PEN E-PL1.

For those who don’t yet know what a PEN is, it is an Interchangeable Lens Camera (Mirrorless). Several names have been suggested for this genre of cameras, from EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) to hybrid (i.e. a blend between the DSLR and the fixed lens point and shoot cameras) to MILC. DP Review recently asked forum participants to suggest names.

My background in digital cameras starts in the year 2000 (I shot film rangefinder and SLR previously) and covers the Nikon 775, Olympus C-750uz, Kodak P880, Kodak V705 fixed lens cameras and the Olympus E-330, E-510 and E-620 DSLRs.

The E-PL1 is definitely a new beginning – it has the bigger sensor and shallower Depth of Field commonly associated with DSLRs (this has a crop factor of 2x) and yet, it has been aimed and primed for Point and Shoot activity – aim and frame using the back LCD screen, iAuto (intelligent Auto mode of operation) with full P A S M controls. Unlike the Sony NEX competitor line, it even has an external hotshoe for TTL flash.

I am seriously watching pennies, so I decided to wait for the E-PL1 to age sufficiently to the extent that it has become an outgoing model, with resultant price discounts. And for the E-System to PEN system (oh, alright, Four Thirds to Micro Four Thirds system) lens adaptor to come within penning pinching reach.

I wondered about accepting the standard, Mark 1, kit lens. And I declined.

So, good friend Gerhard wants to see me for a walk around his neighbourhood (he’s sporting a Panasonic FZ-35) and I bring the PEN with my E-System 14-42mm Mark 2 kit lens.

The experience of shooting is quite, quite different. It is indeed a blend of my hands stretched forward technique from my Kodak V705 style with frequent pauses for adjustment à la DSLR style. Having continuing experience shooting both types camera, habits and instinct kick in without explicit concentration. That’s a nice feeling. Also nice feelings is the right hand grip of the PEN and that confident, baritoned thud of the focal plane shutter.

Instead of raising the DSLR to the eye, aiming with the optical viewfinder, clicking, then lowering the DSLR, chimping, setting Exposure Compensation, rinse and repeat, with the PEN, you aim using LiveView, potentially assess the scene and apply Exposure Compensation BEFORE you click. With sufficient rendering quality and clarity of observation, the rinse and repeat frequency is reduced and you get your shot faster and more reliably. Of course, if the LCD screen gets blinded or lags in display for fast action, hectic work, this would be an issue. It wasn’t today.

I’m used to the Olympus DSLR Vivid, Natural, Muted image style choices – the PEN has a new one – i-Enhance. I used it, above.

On the other hand, with this next one, I used the RAW and increased the saturation in Picasa on a gently, gently basis.

I thought this flower below was just gorgeous.

Taking the time to see, to learn, to shoot

An article in context.

in reference to: http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/wherever-you-go-there-you-are.html (view on Google Sidewiki)