Positives:
The Body is unbeatable compact and light for a camera system. Often I'm wearing now two Pen cameras (EPL1 and EPM1) with lenses around with me and have less to carry, as with the earlier analog SLR. Despite its compactness, the inner workings of the camera with the considerably more expensive EP-3 is largely identical. It is possible to make excellent photos with it. By interchangeable lenses and flash shoe, which can also accommodate an optional viewfinder and other accessories, it is very flexible. The automatic functions and settings can also be creative photographers open little to be desired. I prefer the time automatic with manual iris, here the service is not quite optimal, more about the item "negative".
The kit I find the camera very inexpensive.
Negatives:
In order to bring the most compact, lightweight and affordable camera on the market, it has entered into some compromises that are often troublesome but in practice.
1. Man has no need for a handle. Mir is still never geflutscht Camera with heavier lenses out of my hand, though I handle missing.
2. The reduced number of keys / buttons. I like taking pictures with manual iris and manual ISO adjustment. This is with the operating concept of EPM-1 without stopping the camera not easy (I often take pictures with the optional viewfinder), because you have to press the jog dial up and then again on the ring up and down to the aperture to change, or left or right to adjust the ISO settings. Often, I then forget the ISO correction again reset to 0. Compared to me because even like the old EPL-1 better.
3. There is no flash installed as yet in the EPL-1. A shoe mount is indeed included in the kit, but is another small Futzelteil that you can easily lose. In addition, you can not simultaneously use viewfinder and flash, as logically takes place only an accessory to the hot shoe for example.
Other negative points:
- One would often require a lower initial sensitivity as ISO 200, especially when using the great ZUIKO 45mm / 1.8 (buy recommendation!). 'll Probably still buy a neutral density filter.
- For my taste, the battery is a little out quickly. This weakness I have known from the EPL-1 and have therefore bought a replacement battery for this already. Incidentally, the EPM-1 a new type of battery with an additional contact for the charger. So you need for the new batteries another charger (included in the kit case), but can use both batteries in both cameras.
- The shutter sound, imitating the sound of a folding SLR, can not be changed. Or is it?
- In reflective materials (glass, polished metal) failed, the autofocus. Presumably, this is due to technical reasons and also other autofocus cameras to fight with.
Conclusion:
The EPM-1 is an extremely compact system camera. The compactness and the Spartan Controls go but at the expense of usability. Whether you can live with this compromise depends on the use of the camera. Who mainly photographed with "fully automatic" and "always with camera" investigated, can very well live with it. Who often manually engages the art work and also occasionally used heavy long focal lengths, which is often times swearing on camera.
I do not regret the purchase, for snapshots I use the new EPM-1 with its faster auto focus for taking pictures with Manual Focus (adapter allow use of old Zeiss lenses) I use prefer the old EPL-1. The body of the EP-3 I liebäugle already, because of the better handling, the body is me at the moment but too expensive.
