How's the IS in the E-P1?

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Archive 2009 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Greg Feldman
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p.1 #1 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I don't really care about the onboard flash or faster AF of the new Panasonic, so I'm wondering how effective the Oly's IS is. Is there any way to quantify it in stops?

Sep 23, 2009 at 08:17 PM

Makten
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p.1 #2 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I've only used it with the 17 mm pancake, and it works well at very long exposure times. At 1/4 second you can get a fairly sharp image, but at lets say 1/30, sharpness is better without it (if you're normally reasonably steady). I guess it'll work better with longer lenses.

So, I'd say you can gain up to like 3-4 stops with a short lens, but don't expect it to work well for critical sharpness.

Sep 23, 2009 at 08:59 PM

gregoryfo
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p.1 #3 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Pop photos review said 2.5 stops if memory serves.

Sep 24, 2009 at 12:16 AM

Navyblue
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p.1 #4 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Personally I can only get reliably sharp image with the 1/focal length rule, at the wide end of the 14-42 it's about 1/15 s. I have not tried shooting without IS so I can't tell you how many stops it helps. But as a rough guide, I can handhold EF-S 18-55 IS at 1/15 s at the long end. Holding the camera at arm length isn't the most stable position.

Edited on Sep 24, 2009 at 01:14 AM · View previous versions

Sep 24, 2009 at 01:07 AM

timpdx
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p.1 #5 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I would give it 1.5-2 stops on the wide zoom, Canon really has spoiled me over the years with amazing IS. I have sharp shots at 1/3 of a sec. and lots of sharp 1/10 sec exposures with my 24-105 and the 18-55 kit. But the pen is good enough for many situations.

Sep 24, 2009 at 01:10 AM

bpark42
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p.1 #6 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I would say 2-2.5 stops, though I haven't been bored enough to actually sit around and take enough test shots to validate that impression.

Sep 24, 2009 at 04:15 AM

lordarka
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p.1 #7 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

It's very good. I get very sharp images handheld at up to 1/4 of second.

Arka C.

Sep 24, 2009 at 05:41 AM

Alex
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p.1 #8 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Does it help to compose and manually focus by steadying the picture? The Canon IS helps a lot in this respect.

Alex

Sep 24, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Greg Feldman
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p.1 #9 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I'm sure it does, since what you're looking at on the LCD is coming to you via the sensor.

Sep 24, 2009 at 12:53 PM

bpark42
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p.1 #10 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Alex wrote:
Does it help to compose and manually focus by steadying the picture? The Canon IS helps a lot in this respect.

Alex

It helps with live-view composition and focus somewhat maybe, but nowhere near as much as a lens-based IS system.

Sep 24, 2009 at 02:06 PM

Alex
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p.1 #11 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

It is an interesting discussion. I'm considering one of the mFT cameras, and Olympus in-body IS is a major attractive point. If it works

Alex

Sep 24, 2009 at 02:10 PM

Navyblue
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p.1 #12 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Even P&S have working IS, and Olympus DSLR has IS for quite a while.

Sep 24, 2009 at 04:04 PM

Greg Feldman
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p.1 #13 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I wonder how effective it is compared with putting the EVF on the GF1 and holding it against the original IS system: my face.

Sep 24, 2009 at 04:05 PM

Navyblue
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p.1 #14 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

You made me curious, and snapped about 50 shots with the 14-42. I can't say about your face, but I can say that it works at least as good at the Canon 18-55IS with my face

. I could reliably shoot at 1/15s at the long end on the Canon, I'm not sure now since I don't have any Canon cropped body at the moment. With the 14-42 I have good chance getting sharp photo with 1/8s at the long end, and 1/4s at the short end, without my face of course. Not to say that the Olympus is better, my handholding skill could have improved since then. Without IS I can reliably shoot at 1/15s at the wide end. So that's about 2 stops effectiveness.

Sep 24, 2009 at 04:56 PM

Greg Feldman
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p.1 #15 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Hmmm.... This has me leaning toward the Oly instead of the Panasonic if I decide to get one of these little guys.* I would most likely get the fast 20mm pancake and then use various old lenses for the long stuff. (40mm is wide enough for what I'd shot with it.) It would be pretty cool to have an effective 100mm f/1.2 or 170mm f/1.2 with IS.

Thanks for all the input, folks.

*If I can get past having no VF to hold against my face, which is still hard to get past.

Sep 24, 2009 at 05:21 PM

mawz
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p.1 #16 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Greg Feldman wrote:
I wonder how effective it is compared with putting the EVF on the GF1 and holding it against the original IS system: my face.

It pretty much reliably offsets the less stable hold, and adds a stop or so in addition.

The most effective IS in m43 is the OIS on a G1/GH1 with a stable handheld position (to the face or gutpod). I've been able to get repeatable, sharp shots at over 1/2 second. The advantage to the E-P1 is that you get IS with primes.

If Oly came up with an m43 body equivalent to the G1 but added body-IS I'd switch in a moment. Until then I'll take the more stable shooting position of the G1 over the E-P1's body IS.

Sep 25, 2009 at 01:12 AM

tmark
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p.1 #17 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

mawz wrote:
Greg Feldman wrote:
I wonder how effective it is compared with putting the EVF on the GF1 and holding it against the original IS system: my face.

Sep 25, 2009 at 01:19 PM

mawz
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p.1 #18 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

tmark wrote:
mawz wrote:
Greg Feldman wrote:
I wonder how effective it is compared with putting the EVF on the GF1 and holding it against the original IS system: my face.

It pretty much reliably offsets the less stable hold, and adds a stop or so in addition.

Until then I'll take the more stable shooting position of the G1 over the E-P1's body IS.

Mawz - unless I'm misunderstanding something, it seems like the two statements above are somewhat contradictory. On one hand you suggest the E-P1 is "a stop or so" better even after considering the less stable hold, but on the other hand you prefer the "more stable shooting position" of the G1.

If the E-P1 performs better than the G1, why would you prefer the G1 ?

A stop isn't a heck of a lot, and I can get that and more simply by using the G1's 14-45 OIS, a combo which outperforms the IS of the E-P1. The G1's advantages also apply in situations where IS is useless (macro work for example).

Sep 25, 2009 at 07:12 PM

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p.1 #19 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

I get about 2 stops. With my 40/1.4 (80mm full frame FOV), I can generally get sharp shots at around 1/20s. With the 17mm, about 1/10s.

Sep 25, 2009 at 07:17 PM

tmark
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p.1 #20 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

mawz wrote:
tmark wrote:
mawz wrote:
Greg Feldman wrote:
I wonder how effective it is compared with putting the EVF on the GF1 and holding it against the original IS system: my face.

Sep 25, 2009 at 07:21 PM

mawz
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p.1 #21 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

tmark wrote:
mawz wrote:

A stop isn't a heck of a lot, and I can get that and more simply by using the G1's 14-45 OIS, a combo which outperforms the IS of the E-P1. The G1's advantages also apply in situations where IS is useless (macro work for example).

So what you really prefer is the more stable position of the G1 *combined with* the use of an OIS lens, because that *combination* yields better results over the E-P1 ?

Yes, along with the fact I'm not giving much up with the G1 when using non-OIS lenses over the same lens on an E-P1 because of the more stable positions the G1 offers.

Sep 27, 2009 at 03:31 PM

Alex
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p.1 #22 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

E-P1 IS related blur
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/EP1/EP1BLUR.HTM

Can E-P1 owners confirm that the issue exists and is somewhat cured by the firmware update?

Alex

Sep 28, 2009 at 01:23 AM

Navyblue
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p.1 #23 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

Didn't know the issue exists and didn't notice it. But I can't say that I shot a lot at the stated condition.

Sep 28, 2009 at 03:25 AM

bpark42
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p.1 #24 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

mawz wrote:
tmark wrote:
So what you really prefer is the more stable position of the G1 *combined with* the use of an OIS lens, because that *combination* yields better results over the E-P1 ?

Yes, along with the fact I'm not giving much up with the G1 when using non-OIS lenses over the same lens on an E-P1 because of the more stable positions the G1 offers.

I don't really buy this claim. When I am using the E-P1 I hold it at chest height with both elbows held against my sides. This position is very stable, and I doubt it loses much of anything to the "camera up to the eye" position.

Just because so many p&s users tend to hold their camera out at full arm's length when composing on the lcd, that doesn't mean there aren't smarter ways to shoot.

Sep 29, 2009 at 03:21 PM

mawz
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p.1 #25 · How's the IS in the E-P1?

bpark42 wrote:

I don't really buy this claim. When I am using the E-P1 I hold it at chest height with both elbows held against my sides. This position is very stable, and I doubt it loses much of anything to the "camera up to the eye" position.

Just because so many p&s users tend to hold their camera out at full arm's length when composing on the lcd, that doesn't mean there aren't smarter ways to shoot.

If the camera is at chest height, it's either well away from the body (an unstable position, locked elbows or not. The fact that it's more stable than arm's length doesn't make it as stable as against the face) or you can't properly see the LCD. With the G1, it's either resting against my face, with locked elbows, or resting against my chest with the LCD flipped out, with fully supported arms. Both positions are far more stable than any position possible with the E-P1 where the LCD remains visible for composition.

You'd need to be using the clip-on OVF to get a truly stable position for the E-P1 where accurate composition remains possible.

Sep 29, 2009 at 08:56 PM


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