With the new year, comes new cameras. Though the camera I recently purchased is far from new. The Olympus E-P1 is a micro 4/3 mirrorless camera from 2009. Boasting a simple, but capable 12.3 megapixel sensor, and all metal housing. It may be a far cry from the spec heavy cameras of recent years, but I wanted to see if it still had the ability to be a reliable everyday cary. With the weather being unexpectedly sunny for a Pacific Northwest January, I loaded up a fresh SD card and hit the Portland streets to snap some pictures with the E-P1 and put it through it's paces.
My focal length of choice has been 35mm for several years, and I wanted the E-P1 to match that. So I snagged a M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 lens. While the camera originally released with a similar f2.8 lens, I felt the increased optical quality, snappier auto focus, and faster aperture made it worth the extra cost. I also picked up a 17mm optical viewfinder and a leather wrist strap, bringing the total cost of this fun little kit to around $350.
A drawback of the E-P1 that puts it far behind modern cameras is its auto focus speed. While it hits focus more often than not, I found myself missing some moments due to slow response time. If you are able to pre-compose a shot and wait for the action to enter frame, you won't have a problem, but if you try to capture an unexpected moment, you might be in trouble. Some photographers might find the lack of e-vf a deal breaker, and while I had to adjust my shooting, I found that using the rear screen was not too bad. But the real saving grace was the o-vf. It's bright and clear frame lines line up nicely and give an accurate sense of what you're shooting, It really is an essential piece of the overall kit for me.
When it comes to my digital photography, I find myself converting the shots to black and white. Especially with older sensors, the limited dynamic range lends itself well to black and white, which can soften fall off in harsh lighting conditions. And while I think the all too common phrase that a camera "produces unlimited film photos" is almost always grossly misused, I do think that with a little fade added to the shadows, and a healthy amount of grain, you can get results that are close to film stocks like Ilford XP2.
So is this the daily carry camera for me? In my YouTube video Street Photography with the Olympus E-P1, I mention selling my Fujifilm X100 to pay for my E-P1. While I miss the built-in e-vf, and very ergonomic dials, making settings adjustments a breeze with the X100, the perks of interchangeable lenses, and a smaller all metal body makes me excited to keep using the E-P1. You can expect to find it in my camera bag for years to come.