Olympus E-PL1 Camera in Subdued Indoor Light — Review

© 2011 Peter Free

 

21 October 2011

 

 

Why this review of a three generations-old camera?

 

This review is intended for dSLR users on a budget, who have been considering whether to get an “obsolete” (and therefore inexpensive) micro four-thirds camera to use as a less bulky, but still capable, photo tool.

 

From my perspective, the answer to that question for this camera is, “no.”

 

My objection to the E-PL1 revolves around its too-considerable lag time, its unworkable dim light auto-focus — which is negatively complemented by the focus-by-wire 14-42mm kit lens — and the (subdued light) dimness of its LCD.

 

This combination means that the E-PL1 misses peak moments under low light conditions.  Even after having set the camera manual metering and its kit lens to a selected hyper-focal distance manually.

 

(There are ways to diminish these negatives.  See below.)

 

Note

 

The light levels I’m referring to approximate those found in a brighter than average pizza parlor or indoor party — roughly ISO 1250 to 1600, f/3.5 at 1/15 to 1/25 second.

 

I’ve added this review to the many others on the Internet because I have yet to see one of those that adequately explains just how primitive this camera is in the “indoors at night” arena — where people interested in a “carry anywhere” camera would foreseeably want to use it.

 

For me, the E-PL1 exhibits too many of the flaws of much smaller compact cameras to be worth its higher cost and diminished portability.   In a sense, the E-PL1 is not competent enough to cross my subjective threshold, which distinguishes between compacts and more generally competent larger cameras.

 

 

First, a note on the E-PL1’s size — because that plays into the subjective balance regarding alternative choices

 

The E-PL1, equipped with its collapsible 14-42mm kit lens, will barely fit into my jacket pockets.  It is not easy wriggling it in or out.  And its weight is considerable enough to require that the jacket be zipped or buttoned, so as to avoid the camera swinging.

 

In areas where people are concerned about concealed weapons, I would be wary about how I look with the E-PL1 bulging in a jacket pocket.

 

This is not a pocket camera by any stretch.  One has to be determined to carry it around.  And, given that reality, I question whether a more competent small dSLR or a dSLR-like Panasonic G series body would not be a better choice.

 

If one is going to have to "tote" something around, one may as well put more premium on its performance.

 

 

In evening’s indoor artificial light, the E-PL1 does not shorten small sensor compact cameras’ lag times enough to be especially useful

 

The E-PL1’s noticeable delay in actually taking pictures is a major annoyance under indoor light, when one is trying to photograph non-stationary objects.

 

The following comments apply whether one is using the camera’s pop-up flash or ambient light.

 

Note

 

The E-PL1’s pop-up flash function is not very good.  It is generally useful as close-subject fill, but not when one has to illuminate an object only 6 to 10 feet away.

 

To its credit, Olympus engineered the ability to tone the flash down from full strength, through steps, to 1/64.  But given the pop-up’s weak power, this function is significantly less useful than it might appear.

 

Another annoyance is that the pop-up’s automatic metering tends to grossly overexpose near subjects.  And the camera’s flash compensation works a little more erratically than one would wish.

 

This is something that my wife’s comparatively ancient Canon SD-800 (a small sensor, true pocket camera) copes with much more ably.

 

Obviously, by using the E-PL1’s manual settings, one can overcome its tendency to poorly balance flash and ambient light levels. 

 

The E-PL1’s slow reaction time (even after having been manually focused on a “hyper-focal” setting and set to manual metering) means that it consistently misses peak moments — unless one anticipates the developing opportunity and clicks the shutter significantly before the peak occurs.

 

Notably, the auto focus feature simply doesn’t work (at all) in these dim light situations.  No matter how skilled one is at selecting targets that maximize its opportunity to work properly.

 

And, set to manual focus, the camera’s dim and grainy LCD, combined with Olympus’ annoying implementation of focus-by-wire, makes focusing the 14-42mm kit lens difficult, even when the LCD view is magnified.

 

My objection to focus-by-wire — on this and Olympus four-thirds, non-SWD, lenses — is simply that it is excessively slow.  Meaning one has to turn the focusing ring much farther than on a manual focus lens to get the same result.  It also has no feel.  Focus-by-wire works, but it really is an order of magnitude step down from “proper” mechanical lenses, which allow easy access to f-stops, distance scales, and feel.

 

Equally annoying is the E-PL1’s LCD magnifier framing box.  It has a tendency to leave the center position (where I want it) and roam around, if I inadvertently hit one of the buttons on the back of the camera.

 

In other words, not only is it difficult to pierce the LCD’s noisy darkness, sometimes one is caught attempting to focus on something extraneous to the hoped-for subject — simply because the camera “decided”  that you really wanted the magnifier box to focus on something extraneous at the edge of the screen.

 

Note

 

Obviously, this is operator error.

 

But the point to this review is that professionals and serious photographers don’t need equipment that is an ergonomic pain-in-the-butt, when compared to comparatively ancient low end film cameras from the 1950s and 60s.

 

The automation on the E-PL1 doesn’t work very well in subdued light and, from my perspective, actually gets in the user’s way.  For those accustomed to the efficient elegance of old-fashioned Rolleiflex TLRs and early 35mm film Nikkormats (Nikomat), the E-PL1 is an annoying step backwards in some critical respects.

 

 

 

Noise — it’s there, but it’s not the goblin others make it out to be

 

Notice that I have not yet addressed other reviewers’ negative evaluation of the E-PL1’s noise levels.

 

Noise, though extreme at the light levels I’ve described, does not bother me much.  Had Olympus put more of a premium on actually taking photos quickly, I would be delighted with the E-PL1, even with its high noise levels.

 

Note

 

Noise often shows up in shadows, even in properly exposed photographs.  That’s why wedding, sports, and wildlife photographers place such a premium on using “full frame” cameras that are less subject to unavoidable noise buildup.

 

 

How to get the most out of the E-PL1 in subdued light

 

One can get decent work out of the E-PL1 and its kit lens in dim light.  But getting there is arguably more of a hassle than it will be worth to many users:

 

Set the camera to manual exposure and manual focus.

 

In the light I have described (ISO 1250 to 1600, f/3.5 at 1/15 to 1/25 second) set the f-stop close to wide open.

 

Meter for the visual effect you want, keeping the limits of in-body-stabilization on shutter speed in mind.  That generally means compromising between camera shake and escalated noise levels (from having to elevate the ISO setting).

 

Focus manually.  In most situations, I have to use the magnifier button to see enough to calculate where the lens is focused.  Since this takes time — on the dim and grainy LCD — I generally leave it there, after taking a few pictures to insure that I guessed correctly.

 

Shoot raw, so as to be able to compensate for the white-balance and exposure errors that are inevitably going to occur.

 

Anticipate coming peak moments and click the shutter early, so as to eliminate the effects of the E-PL1’s noticeable lag time. This is easier to do if you abandon the LCD view and simply watch the action with your own eyes.

 

Process objectionable noise out of the picture, afterward, with third party software.

 

 

A note on alternative lenses — would they speed the E-PL1 up?

 

Somewhat.

 

But keep in mind that Panasonic’s lauded 20mm f/1.7 is not really suited to cramped indoor situations.

 

And I’m not convinced — based on the E-PL1’s comparatively slow response even in bright light — that the Olympus 12mm (f/2) and Panasonic 14mm (f/2.5) are going to dramatically speed the camera up enough in subdued light to be worth their cost.

 

 

Regarding the E-PL1 in brighter light

 

The camera works significantly better in brighter light.

 

But its lag time, no matter how the camera is set up, is still noticeably slower than competing dSLRs and (apparently) its Panasonic competitors from the same manufacturing period.

 

As other reviewers have commented, the E-PL1 is not a good camera for photographing even moderately slow action.

 

 

E-PL1’s menus are not a hurdle

 

Other reviewers have complained about the unintuitive character of the E-PL1's function menus.  In my view, they aren’t that bad.  Simply memorize where everything is and how it works.  This is not a complicated camera.

 

 

Conclusion — there are better camera choices, even when trying to live within a budget

 

With the kit lens, the now three generations-old E-PL1 exhibits too many of the drawbacks of a small sensor compact to make up for its larger physical size.

 

For me, a small-sensor pocket compact, or a more competent larger camera, makes more sense. The E-PL1’s superior picture quality is not worth the camera’s diminished portability and its disappointing reaction times.  Were the camera significantly faster, its better picture quality would be worth both the camera’s cost and declined portability.

 

That’s what I meant by subjective “thresholds.”

 

In my purely subjective view, the E-PL1 is not enough of an advance over decent compacts to be worth its cost (used) or its increased size.  And it is not competent enough to successfully compete with somewhat larger, and far more able, dSLRs.