Olympus have announced the EP-2 and 2 new zoom lenses, a 9-18 f/4-5.6 and 14-150 f/4-5.6 and a new EVF. It looks like it's just a minor update to the EP-1 though, but it comes in black! The new camera will be available in January for $1099.99 (US$) with the 14-42 kit lens and the EVF:
A bit disappointing really. The flash on the GF1 is still more useful on this type of camera (for me) than the IS. As far as I can see, that's the only major difference between the two. The new wide zoom will be useful if it's better than the other lenses they've released (and comparable to the Panasonic wide zoom) but otherwise there's not much to get excited about... I would have liked to have seen a premium wide-normal zoom like the 14-54 MkII, a 25mm 1.4 and a 40mm 1.4-1.8 small prime.
Disappointing for me too. I like the viewfinder, but IMHO the lack of flash (and the relatively high kit price) really kills it for me. If for nothing else than casual party pics. Looks like I'm going to hold out for the GF2 then. Some nice wide, fast primes also wouldn't hurt.
andrewd01 wrote:
Still only a crap 230k LCD are they on drugs?
That was the first thing I checked on the specs, very disappointing to see Olympus stick with the 230k screen on a camera that you use the rear LCD to do most of your work (Unless you buy the EVF). I will wait till Olympus or Panasonic adds a 920k+ screen before I buy one of these cameras.
That was the first thing I checked on the specs, very disappointing to see Olympus stick with the 230k screen on a camera that you use the rear LCD to do most of your work (Unless you buy the EVF)The EVF comes with the kit, but it's still disappointing. I wonder which of the EVFs will turn out to be better...
EOS20 wrote:
That was the first thing I checked on the specs, very disappointing to see Olympus stick with the 230k screen on a camera that you use the rear LCD to do most of your work (Unless you buy the EVF). I will wait till Olympus or Panasonic adds a 920k+ screen before I buy one of these cameras.
Yes, this is bit disapointing, however, less of a problem now if the EVF works well. From what I can see it has a higher resolution than the GF1 EVF.
p.1 #10 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
Μeh. With that big lump on the hotshoe they may as well make it a DSLR and put a phase detect sensor in there for fast AF. I fail to see the point of this camera more and more every day tbh.
p.1 #12 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
Well, now we know what the E-P1 should have been. It's really just an E-P1 with an EVF port. The EVF is nice, but also shows why Panasonic went with the lower-spec unit, it's also huge compared to the Panny unit.
Not impressed with Oly here. They need an answer to the G1/GH1 ad this is not it. It is more viable than the E-P1 as a GF1 competitor now. Maybe they've fixed AF performance too, but I doubt it.
Most interesting part of the announcement is the 9-18. May have to get one of those provided it costs no more than the 4/3rds version.
p.1 #13 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
mawz wrote:
Not impressed with Oly here. They need an answer to the G1/GH1 ad this is not it. It is more viable than the E-P1 as a GF1 competitor now. Maybe they've fixed AF performance too, but I doubt it.
Have you actually tried it? I did and was not really annoyed by the AF speed.
p.1 #14 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
Fred Relaix wrote:
Yes, this is bit disapointing, however, less of a problem now if the EVF works well. From what I can see it has a higher resolution than the GF1 EVF.
But having to use the EVF because the rear LCD isn't good enough kind of defeats the purpose of having the EP-2 as a "Compact" carry around camera IMHO. Might as well buy a GH-1 if you really want/need a EVF or use a small d/SLR like the Pentax KX or K7 and pancake lenses.
p.1 #15 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
The point of the external EVF - is that it is an option - so you can choose if you have a small camera without VF or mid sized camera with EVF... Personally I am very excited - i bought and returned GF1 due to the horrible EVF that is available from panasonic - and considering its price it was absolutely absurd....
p.1 #16 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
EOS20 wrote:
That was the first thing I checked on the specs, very disappointing to see Olympus stick with the 230k screen on a camera that you use the rear LCD to do most of your work (Unless you buy the EVF). I will wait till Olympus or Panasonic adds a 920k+ screen before I buy one of these cameras.
agreed, 230k is unacceptable on a live view camera. I have the G1 and LX3 and find the 460k screens on these good enough. Not as nice as the 920k, but useable.
p.1 #17 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
Fred Relaix wrote:
Have you actually tried it? I did and was not really annoyed by the AF speed.
I have tried EP-1 and my impression that was it was about as good as one of the better point and shoots, in other words pretty bad. It is in a different league altogether from the Panasonic G series cameras, which performs nearly as well as an SLR.
p.1 #18 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
Fred Relaix wrote:
Have you actually tried it? I did and was not really annoyed by the AF speed.
I've tried the E-P1. It AF's quite slowly compared to a G-series (which rival low-end DSLR's for speed). Using one was somewhat more painful than my G1 in both AF and MF, due to slow AF and the poor LCD resolution.
p.1 #19 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
andrewd01 wrote:
agreed, 230k is unacceptable on a live view camera. I have the G1 and LX3 and find the 460k screens on these good enough. Not as nice as the 920k, but useable.
I must confess I'm a bit surprised to see all these harsh comments about the screen. I have the 40D (same screen) for about two years and am finding it to be perfectly fine. LV, magnifying pictures, the lot. I've handled 920K screens in a 50D, D300 etc. several times and while it is nicer, it certainly won't make or break any deal for me.
p.1 #20 · Olympus EP-2 and 2 new lenses Announced!
mawz wrote:
Have you actually tried it? I did and was not really annoyed by the AF speed.
I've had it for a month and was very annoyed by the AF speed, especially with the lack of a decent MF option. More than anything I was annoyed by the fact that the lens had to go to infinity, then minimum focusing distance, then infinity again before it finally stopped at the intended distance. Same reason the Contax G1 and Nikon35Ti annoyed me ages ago. Not sure why it has to be like that but it made AF feel mushy and non responsive and since other cameras have managed to avoid it I cosider it unacceptable. But you are right, if you shoot landscapes and stills you will not even notice it. Then again, if thats what you shoot I dont know why you even need AF and all the general retardation it has caused to this camera.
are they on drugs?
- i bought and returned GF1 due to the horrible EVF that is available from panasonic - and considering its price it was absolutely absurd....