Oly Pen EP1

[guest4]

This new digital Pen micro 4/3 model from Oly looks sweet but have you sen the prices?

Chepest package is £699 at Warehouse Express...

Gulp

[anglefire]

At that price, they have lost it.

Not that I was ever in the market for one!

[Malcolm1938]

They say this was based on he Pen F - If it was I would be first in the queue... The Pen F had a good Reflex viewfinder system while the EP1 is without a proper viewfinder relying on the rear screen. My first feeling was that they have lost the plot (Twice when you take the price into account)...
A friend of mine has a Panny G1 which is (in my opinion) a far better offering at a more realistic price. The G1 H is however too gimmicky to appeal and too pricey to consider..

[Spiritflier]

It looks great and having handled one, feels ok to use as well... It's like a G9 with interchangeable lenses! 

Having said that, I think it's overpriced and certainly no match for anything else at that price point on the market.
Good for Olympus for being creative though.
See ya,
Si

[spinner]

At that price, they have lost it.

Not that I was ever in the market for one!

It's way cheaper than the Gold Plated Canon Elph, I saw in my local camera shop last year. Still don't get that one. 

[anglefire]

I've got an empty cupboard full of stuff I didn't buy 

[Oly Paul]

Well I don't have one myself but contary to the consencus here , reports from Japan indicate that the Micro Four Thirds platform across the board, including Olympus and Panasonic, are claiming 20% of the interchangeable lens (read: DSLR), so if those figures are correct i guess  a few people are liking it and its only a matter of time before Canikon jump on the bandwagon. 

[anglefire]

Well, the forst bit may be true - but I doubt Cankon will every goto 4/3rds - Canon already have 3 sensor sizes - and the rumour is that the 1.3 crop will go sooner or later and just leave 1.6 and FF. Actually I like the 1.3 crop - quite a nice compromise. Though full frame is hard to beat somehow!

[anglefire]

Oh and I was also going to say, that £700 is only £300 short of the new 100mm macro lens

[greypoint]

For me anything without an optical viewfinder is of very limited use.

[Oly Paul]

For me anything without an optical viewfinder is of very limited use.

Me to which is why I have the E-30 (best of both worlds) but the best of both worlds in a package as small as the Ep-1 would greatly interest me.

Mark never say never, as I remember a few announcments from Canon and Nikon regarding dust busting and live veiw being unnecercery and not what there customers wanted. But the truth is as with any business if Micro 4/3rds cuts into there slice of the cake they will try to counteract it, and not by reducing there range of cameras . We will have to remember this conversation for a later date if I'm still around

[anglefire]

Well, true, never say never - Nikon didn't see the need and had no intention of going full frame a couple of years ago!!

[greypoint]

If they could come up with a semi-pro standard ultra small DSLR - metal body, weather proofing, good fps,fast accurate af, optical viewfinder etc.etc. - and a range of good quality [weatherproof] small lenses, including long range telephoto, to match I'd be first in line.

[anglefire]

I must admit, I'm not a small is better person!

I carry my 5D when I go to site at work - as it fits in my laptop bag easier than the MkIII - which I have to take the lens off to get in.

My 350D now feels too small - even with its grip on. So any thing smaller would be no use at all. But thats me! YMMV

[Malcolm1938]

Well Panasonic have launched the  Lumix DCM-GF1 which appears to out Pen the Pen (full details in this weeks AP)

The price is a little lower than the Olympus but it more than the G1 which has the advantage of a good viewfinder and comes with a lens....

Now we await the Samsung model with it's APS sensor - I'm expecting that to hot up the price war for this type of camera....