Hands on Olympus Pen E-P5
Introduction to my primary camera for Street Photography and travel
The Olympus PEN E-P5 is a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) that was released in 2011. It has a 16.1MP Live MOS sensor, a 3-inch OLED touchscreen display, and a built-in flash. The E-P5 is a compact and lightweight camera that is perfect for street photography and travel.
First Notes about the Pen 5:
-Great improvement respect to the previous cameras of the series is the opportunity to select ISO AUTO also for manual exposure. This allows to work easy in manual mode.
- The touch screen is not a pain in the ass how in other cameras, indeed is even great to have the opportunity to shoot with the touch screen and this thing surprises first of all me.
- If I leave on the camera is not going overheat. This should put KO a certain brand.
- The ring dials for aperture and shutter speed is a golden feature and it is a mystery why is never proposed in other cameras.
One of the main reasons, as I explain on the video, my choice went to this camera is because of the front and rear dials allowing me to work perfectly in manual mode.
However, a reason that I don't consider secondary is that after having worked for more than two years with cameras that do their job, I wanted to treat myself to something that is also seen as precious in terms of aesthetics. A camera that gives pleasure to see and wear, because sometimes we forget that photography is also giving ourselves something, an object that gives us pleasure. Its retro style does not go unnoticed and many think it is a film camera. This is to the full advantage of the experience because when thinking this many people become less nervous.
Of all the cameras in the Pen line, apart from the F model, this is the camera that comes closest to the 1960s style.
It is a compact and lightweight camera that produces excellent image quality. The camera is also fast and responsive, and it has a variety of features that make it a great choice for street photographers and travelers.
The E-P5 is a fast and responsive camera. Respect to the Pen E-PL2 I can see the difference. I think also the image quality produce at the same ISO is different. Overall the camera is more precise, the AF is not as finicky as in the secondary camera I bought recently.
By counting with focus peaking this will certainly be the camera I will use with manual lenses.
In all other touch screens there is always some moment that, by keeping the camera turned on, it shoots photos by itself. And not to mention that a famous brand doesn't allow you to keep the camera on, otherwise it will overheat. With this camera the tocuh screen works just when I want. THIS IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE, BELIEVE ME.
I offer you a selection from the first release, testing the camera. I didn't have a lot of time so consider this just the first review.
Conclusions
Olympus Pen E-P5 is perfect for me, for my photography and approach. I'm really happy that a well-considered choice led to having exactly the camera I need to take the photography I want. It is personal because photography is personal when we talk about achieving the results we want. Without listening to the hype of the moment and what the market is pushing, I am just listening to myself and what I want. And I wanted this camera so much.
In 2011 and until 2016 I owned the first digital Olympus Pen. With that camera I converted myself in a professional photographer. It was nice but with a very slow AF. Despite that and making up for other shortcomings I took my most famous photo, I went to Los Angeles and achieved many important results. I used that camera with flash for my Reality Remade project and even for a Burberry assignment. In a certain way I can say that the Pen series is perfect for me, for my philosophy as a photographer.
And I believe that the weak parts can be an incentive to obtain results in a different way, to make an effort to achieve those otherwise impossible results, furthermore I feel that the camera allows me to obtain a truly beautiful aesthetic, close to certain shades dear to me coming from the film world. In 2024, many will find the idea of taking photographs with 12 and 16 megapixel cameras outdated. But I am and will be the demonstration that the blunder of the resolution is just background noise from marketing strategists. Believe me, I have met several within the photography sector, and often they are not foxes, often they don't even know what they are talking about. I am a photographer and I am here. I am a professional street photographer (for someone will sounds as a nosense but I achieved to do that) and Photo Coach. I am not recommending to do the same. I am not advertsing Olympus or any other brand but I would invite you to think. I believe there is still a room for DSLR cameras and for Micro Four Thirds cameras. I believe that, especially for Street Photography, medium format, full frame and APS-C is not the best that you can find. Leica is another speech, completely another speech, and go with that if you can afford it, or better shooting film, again if you can afford it. Compactess and lightness makes sense when it comes to street photography: it is not the megapixel that means just more space you need for storage.
In October 2011 I printed my 3 photos for the You Are Here exhibition in Los Angeles. 24" x 16" (60x40cm) prints placed next to photos taken with Leica M9 and Hasselblad. My photos had nothing to ask of the others. Believe to a photographer focused on prints.
