Olympus | - Part 2

My Dream PEN (as of now…)

NO, this is NOT a digital camera, neither is it the upcoming E-P3. This is my Olympus RC film rangefinder. I just hope Olympus will remember they ever made so many FAST and legendary lenses in history and why should they stop doing it? The other collectibles are the Olympus 35SP: 40/1.7 and the Olympus 35RD: 40/1.7.

Since the announcement of the Fuji X100 which made so many photographers drool for it (including me), I started thinking what I would like the next PEN to be. This is my wish list:

1. To have the dials on the E-P1/2

2. MUST have “auto-rotate” feature

3. 3-inch high resolution LCD with 360 degree tilt and swivel capability

4. Back LCD display to show filename, ISO, S, A, WB, Quality, format, date and time all at once. I like the way the NEX’s display shows the necessary info. I find the E-PL1′s display of pixel dimensions, in-camera sequence number unnecessary and the fonts too big.

5. Same MF assist system like the NEX (half-press shutter to exit magnification)

6. Useable ISO6400

7. AF infra red assist beam option

8. Full HD Video

9. Weather-proof body as an option (E-P3 tough?)

10. NEW collapsible kit zoom lens: m-zuiko 12-42mm F3.3-4.5 msc internal focusing type

11. External electronic viewfinder VF-2 can still be separate as I would like to keep the body small

12. Better AF capability in lowlight

13. 5 frames per sec

14. Lens hood bundled

15. Additional hook by the side with option to strap camera sideways

16. Additional accessory: leather hand strap

I think I am expecting reasonable improvements to the current PENs available which Olympus is well capable of producing. Personally, I am willing to pay MYR2500 (USD800) for a normal body and MYR3500 (USD1133) for a weather-proof body bundled with the NEW kit lens with hood. (well, the new kit lens can have a weather-proof version). I do hope the price of the VF-2 can be reduced to MYR800 (USD260).

This is the list of lenses I hope Olympus will produce other than the new kit lens I hope for mentioned above:

1. mzd 17/1.8 msc (effective 35mm great for street-shooting)

2. mzd 50/1.8 msc (effective 100mm great for portraits and candids)

3. mzd 30/2.8 macro msc (effective 60mm great for close distance macro)

My first preference setup (since I ‘m not a hardcore macro guy) will be E-P3 with 12-42/3.3-4.5, 17/1.8, 50/1.8, 9-18(spare), if necessary 75-300(for safari). The kit zoom will be able to do general macro which is good enough for me.

All the above is just my dream. My fingers are always crossed as to what Olympus will produce next. Being a lover of Olympus’s Jpegs, I do hope for the best in the development of Olympus.

Sunset in Kota Kinabalu

Shot with Olympus E-PL1, 14-42mm kit lens at 14mm, 10 sec exposure, camera rested on a slightly shaky wooden rail, I.S. Auto.

Image is straight out of camera (SOOC) with absolutely no post-processing other than resizing, adding watermark and border. I brought along my Sony NEX-3 to do a comparison with the E-PL1 during this trip. Will write more about it in my next post.

Photography Workshop in Sabah

Info: E-PL1, 9-18mm at 9mm, ISO1600, F4, 1/25sec.

As a last minute reminder to all who haven’t sign up for the workshop held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on this Saturday 18 Sep… Do sign up with Olympus Malaysia.

This workshop is organized by Olympus BUT it’s not restricted to Olympus users. It is a comprehensive photography workshop for ALL enthusiasts who wish to build good foundational knowledge in handling DSLR, improve in composition and evolve from snap-shooting to making ART with your camera.

Most of all, it is priced Affordable for ALL to sign up as Olympus has subsidized heavily on it’s expenses.

Click on the following link to retrieve the form. If you have problems signing up, you can contact me at +6012-636 2128.

CLICK HERE.

Info: E-PL1, 9-18mm at 9mm, ISO1600, F4, 1/15sec.

Penang Olympus PEN Workshop Photowalk

These are the images I took during the Penang PEN workshop which I conducted. Images are shot with the Olympus PEN E-PL1 and the 14-42mm kit lens. We had a fun 45 mins’ time of shooting before heading back to the classroom for photo critique.

The images are shot at ISO3200, with noise reduction and noise filter OFF. Some are slightly adjusted for brightness, that’s about it. No manipulation of colors are done.

Tourists in Penang, intended camera shake and tilt.

Sleeping

I actually contemplated to post process them into black and white since I am recently on a personal project on “Portraits of Strangers” which is done on black and white film BUT after seeing the original colors from the Olympus digital PEN, I decided to keep it that way… my usual style… NO CROPPING, NO UNNECESSARY MANIPULATION.

Old Cinema Exterior, man walking pass.

Portrait of a man outside the Cinema

I am a strong believer in “getting it right” at the time of shooting, and not crop pictures afterward. Cropping during post-processing should be kept to the minimum… like hip shots, when the expression of strangers is all that counts!

Kachang Puteh (peanut snacks) Seller outside the Cinema

Cinema Ticket Booth

The world is moving really really FAST in technology, and it’s been about a year since I first knew my E-P1… and now we have the E-PL1, two models after the E-P1. Before we could really experience a camera and review it, a new one is out, forcing reviewers and geeks alike to abandon the old one. Of course, the current curiosity will be about the Sony NEX-5 as well, which boasts of a larger sensor.

A really friendly tourist

He even took off his shirt just to let me photograph his tattoo!

I am First a Photographer, second a geek… in fact, I think I have gone back in time… back to larger and larger format films… oh, there goes my geekiness…

I love shooting, love making images, love expressing myself through images, love capturing others’ lives into images… so my focus will always be on creating better and better images rather than playing with new toys.

First Day of the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, here's a little camera shake as I was walking while shooting. I like the man's expression.

First Day of the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival

As for the “camera experience”, we NEED time to explore each and individual camera to experience it. Today’s reviewers can be just TOO QUICK to come to conclusion on each new camera they review.

Portrait of a Trishaw Rider, he works in another job during the day.

He's born with a "lazy eye" condition but has since gotten used to it.

After using the mirrorless system and the E-PL1 for a while now, this is what I feel currently:

1. I do miss the mirror sometimes. NOTHING can replace the feeling of having an optical viewfinder OR the sensation of the mirror flipping up and back. Perhaps if Olympus can make the digital PENs like the Leica M8 and M9, a TRUE rangefinder with an optical viewfinder, and design the looks based on the old half-frame PEN FT, wouldn’t that be sooooo-attractive??? I would really love it! The M8s and M9s are mirrorless! Is there no one else in the world that can build mirrorless digital rangefinders like the Leicas? I wonder…

And for that “sensational mirror experience” reason, I think the mirror (DSLR) system should stay in the future…

Taxi Booth

2. If you are one who grow tired of kit lenses easily, and like to venture into vintage lenses, manual focus lenses, old but legendary Olympus, Nikon, Canon, Leica, etc.. lenses… there’s ONLY one way to manual focus with confidence and speed at the current moment: the EVF-2! It’s a MUST! (Read HERE!)

And if you like to use the new 14-150mm lens, the EVF-2 will help stabilize your shooting tremendously when you zoom all the way in at 150mm! I just can’t do without it!

Carpark Booth

3. One thing I just couldn’t understand till now: a cheap RM399 digital compact can have “auto-rotate” feature built-in for it’s images BUT not the E-PL1!!! I am furious at this!

4. A consolation for Olympus PEN Users: if you do a check on www.dpreview.com for image comparison between the NEX-5, Canon 550D, Samsung NX-10, Panasonic G2 with the E-PL1… the E-PL1 is a clear winner!

BTW, one of my previous post did a comparison between the E-PL1 and the GF1 and the difference is clear.

Ok, before I start a “tribal war” here, I must say, I did enjoy using the GF1 for a short time and I don’t think the NEX-5′s menu interface is as bad as what some reviewers say. Color preference is totally personal and I prefer Olympus. You may prefer Panasonic or something else.

Peace!

Another Friendly Trishaw Rider

5. I find that Pop-up flash is not really that necessary since they don’t produce very nice pictures anyway… so I can do without it. I just refuse to shoot at really bad lighting situation. I simply don’t feel that I have the need to prove that my camera can shoot in super low light or no light! Image is gonna suck anyway, and I am not a paid paparazzi!

6. The E-PL1′s Image Stabilization loses out to the E-P1 and E-P2 by about 1-2 stops… so I ended up sometimes with blur images shot at 1/4sec when I could get it sharp with my previous E-P1 and E-P2. Arrgh….

A close up portrait of Steven, the trishaw rider. I just like his white moustache!

7. The high ISO of the E-PL1 is much smoother and the images are sharper than the E-P1 and E-P2 due to a thinner anti-aliasing filter installed.

8. I know that larger sensors are better in depth-of-field performance, so when I want that large sensor effect, I’ll fit on one of those F1.1 or F1.4 manual focus lenses to get the shallow d.o.f. That’s the way I overcome the small MFT sensor.

And as for enlargement capabilities, I have no issue with the PEN since I have ever printed 30 by 50 inches prints from the E-P1′s files. Of course, we can’t say the quality is better than a full frame sensor… BUT is it good enough??? You bet it is!

For a small and portable camera which produces high quality images, my other choice will only be the very expensive Leica.

It’s funny that in today’s world, people like “overkills”.

When photography should be centered on making better and better images: images that speak… we tend to focus on how expensive and how good our equipments are instead.

9. As for the “missing dials” in the E-PL1… I mean the dedicated dials for aperture and shutter speed… I still like to have them back… I really hope the next PEN will be “the one”.

10. The lovely Art Filters… oh… this is something Olympus has exclusively! And its’ a wonderful feature. However, I only like to use the Pin-hole Art filter and sometimes the Diorama Art Filter… but the Grainy Film Art filter, it can be too contrasty for my taste at times, with details in the shadows and highlights clipped! As for the other Art Filters, I hardly even use them.

11. I also discovered that the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 lens when mounted on the PEN, does not give 100% reliability in nailing the focus.

I am not quite sure if this is a communication issue between Olympus and Panasonic… NOT that it is a crucial issue, maybe 1 to 2 out of 10 shots (especially during low light) tend to miss focus… that’s all. But it can be a little disappointing at times.

Finally, to Olympus,

I believe you have heard enough NAGGING from faithful users around the world:

“WE WANT FAST LENSES! FAST PRIMES! FASTER AF TOO! GIVE US F1.4!!!”

Today’s DCM/MPH Workshop Walkabout Shots

As promised to all my workshop attendees today, here are my 9 shots from today’s 30min walkabout session. I gotta set an example to shoot together with the rest too, and it was fun. I believe some probably “hate” me after my photo critique session today, so do feel free to “whack” me here. My shots aren’t perfect, many still have “flaws”… we all learn together, and the most important thing is to have fun!

Photography is very individualistic, so stay that way. Don’t give up just because someone pass a negative criticism and hurt you, ok? To open up your works for critique is to give yourself a chance to see what others see and feel about your works. You may not agree with them all BUT it definitely matures you and makes you grow.

Some technical info: All of the following shots are shot with the E-PL1 with VF-2 attached for easy manual focusing, using the old silver nose OM Zuiko 50mm F1.4 lens. Most of the shots are stopped down to F8.

Pinhole Art Filter

Grainy Film Art Filter

Diorama Art Filter. Robin Wong, robinwong.blogspot.com

Diorama Art Filter

Upcoming Olympus Talks and Workshops

Just some info on where to catch me in case you are not following Olympus Malaysia’s Facebook.

1. In 2 days’ time, I’ll be speaking at the 1-Utama Shopping Centre MPH bookstore, click HERE to find out more. This is for people who are interested in the PEN and those who need questions on which camera to buy to begin in photography. There will be PEN sets for loan to try out.

2. 8 MORE DAYS to sign up! The second Olympus workshop in 2010 is targeted at the PEN users, BUT all can join. Canon and Nikon users are encouraged to join too to discover the PEN and also for an enriching session of Pasar Malam Street Shoot with a Photo Critique Session (if weather permits). Click HERE to find out more.

As for those up North in Malaysia, keep 9 Aug FREE as there will be a workshop in Penang. More details will be updated in Olympus Facebook Page soon.

My First Experience with Urbanscapes 2010

I have had a busy week so this post is kinda 2 weeks late… so sorry… here are my E-PL1 ART FILTER shots of the event. For those who missed this event, remember to look out for it next year! If you are a ART lover, you would definitely love it!

It’s an annual BIG gathering of Artistic Talents! We have had great music, great Art Works and even Tribute Screening of the late Yasmin Ahmad’s films! I did not have the time to really enjoy the event as I was “working” with Olympus… … so these are the limited shots I did for the day. All images are either done in Pinhole, Grainy Film B&W or Diorama Art Filter. No further post-processing has been done. Enjoy…

: Short Films screened

: Painting

: Enjoying the ambience

: Chef taking a break

: Lovely Couple

: Standup Comedian

: Snapshots

: Fantastic Music DJ

: Smiles

: The Very Heavy Mamiya RB67, the same camera used to photographed my own wedding 13 years ago! Bloody Heavy!

: Sun Setting

: Olympus E-P2 with EVF2! THIS IS NOT A LOANED SET!

: Shutterbugs and the Iguana

: The Iguana Couple

: Taking a short nap

: Nice pedicure

: PHOTOGRAPHY PROHIBITED! Smoking Corner.

: Natural Shade

: The Crowd

: Even the children are enjoying!

: Night Party

: Party DJ

: Another Party DJ

: Real good music, partying!

: Though physically challenged, he’s confidence way exceeds many brides I have photographed!

: Spot Color – RED

: This artist took the whole day to finish this amazing piece of work! Highly commendable!

: Interesting artwork of the devil

: Live Band

: Terror Vision Corner, I like the concept!

: The music plays through the night with people still lingering around

Urbanscapes 2010, Olympus Photo Walkabouts

Can everyone shoot artistic images??? With a camera like the PEN, almost!

Though I have been teaching photography for a while now, I find that there’s just one thing that can’t really be imparted: how to see artistically!

But with the latest technology, digital cameras like the Olympus PEN series which produces fantastic jpegs straight out of camera, and with the additional in-camera Art Filters… … shooting ARTS straight out of a small and portable interchangeable lens camera has never been so easy before!

I have the images to prove you here. Not all are excellent but most are impressive! These are ALL the images from the participants of the 3 sessions of Olympus Photo Walkabouts on Sat, 26 June, Urbanscapes at KLPAC!

The shots are mostly shot with E-P1, some brought their own PEN, and only Art Filters are used.

Guess who are the 6 winners? (if you do not already know…) Click and enlarge the individual images, put in your comment if you wish.

Judging was based on the public’s votes and 3 judges: the Urbanscape organiser, our Olympus GM Kee Nyap and myself. (Not all the winners’ shots are among my personal 6 favourites… so judging was fair… :p)

Lowlight Shooting with Olympus E-PL1

The following shots are done at the last Olympus workshop which I conducted. Location is Chow Yang Pasar Malam. Many of us are impressed with the high ISO performance by the Olympus E-PL1. Shots are all done in P mode with auto ISO and many of the shots are at ISO1600. It’s a truly enjoyable camera to use! These are some of my favourite shots:

Best Mode of Transport

Medicine Man

Pink Theme

Resting

Underaged Drivers?

DVD Seller

Cheap Wardrobe

Look Out for our next workshop! Join us and have fun while learning something valuable!

My Olympus E-PL1 Workflow and Re-Review

Okay, as promised in my previous post, you shall see my crappy shots in this post. Again, I seriously think my shots aren’t half as good as some of those Olympus Brand Store Guys. But, still I really enjoyed the shooting session with the whole bunch of them. Join me for photography workshop in future. It’s fun!

I have been getting quite a number of questions emailed to me regarding the use of the Olympus digital PEN E-P1/2/L1… so I’ve decided to list down here how I usually “manage” the camera.

1. I shoot in P mode when I just wanna concentrate on getting the shot, the expression, the action, irregardless of the depth-of-field. In fact, I want a deeper depth-of-field in order to quickly capture a moment, minimizing the risk of getting things out-of-focus. “F8 and be there.” Like Weegee said.

2. Using the camera in P mode when there’s sufficient light, i.e. when ISO does not automatically go up to 1600 with corresponding aperture of F3.5-5.6 for the kit lens is fine for the “F8 and be there concept”. Yes, I use Auto-ISO too. Sometimes, when I want more control, I will set the ISO manually.

But for lowlight usage, WATCH your shutter speed. Even with the Image Stabilization (IS) ON, a slow shutter speed CANNOT freeze action. Image Stabilization helps to capture non-moving subjects in sharpness when shutter speed is slow.

3. To speed up the camera, I always TURN OFF the automatic preview on my LCD and use my camera in Sequential Shooting Mode. To capture a certain action, I usually shoot 2-3 frames to get the best shapes and forms. I also hardly “chimp”, i.e. look at previews when I shoot. I don’t wanna lose a moment while “chimping”!

4. In my personal opinion and experience with different brands of digital cameras, I found out that Olympus’s RAW files are not all that “tweakable” as compared to the other brands. I figured out that since I am not getting a whole lot more from it’s RAW files, unlike the Canons or Nikons where the tolerance can go as far as 3-4 stops, I’d rather shoot Olympus JPEGs. I also figured out that the Normal JPEGs are good enough for me for general usage as I find no visible difference comparing them to the Fine JPEGs.

However, if I need to use the camera to shoot any stuff that’s exceptionally important, I will still shoot RAW, more for my mental and emotional consolation. Olympus’s JPEGs are about the BEST you can find in the world. The only other brands which I think can come close to it are Leica and maybe Pentax. Okay, I know I may sound subjective, but look at the skin tones! Any colors on any inanimate objects can lie BUT skin colors DON’T LIE! (If you still disagree with me, okay.. it’s my personal taste, alright?)

5. The E-PL1 has much lesser noise at high ISOs as compared to the E-P1 and E-P2, so I am more confident using it at ISO1600-3200.

6. According to Steve Huff’s review, he complained that the movie-record button on the E-PL1′s back can be easily and accidentally depressed BUT I have since found out that it only takes less than 5 steps to OFF the switch permanently in the menu system! No Issue At All! Just OFF it and use the same shutter button for recording video and stills. (Menu-Button-oFunction-Off)

7. I shoot in A mode when I wanna shoot at specific apertures to achieve the depth-of-field I want.

8. I prefer P mode over the E-PL1′s i-auto mode as I don’t like the i-enhance to be always ON as it does in the i-auto mode. Personal preference.

9. Generally, Olympus JPEGs can be a little under-exposed. So some brightening is usually necessary at post-processing. Or for the E-PL1 users, you can choose to use it’s Live Guide, which is “idiot-proof”. If you know digital cameras, a little under-exposed is definitely better than over-exposed as burnt highlights in digital files can never be restored.

10. When using the Pin-hole Art Filter, images may seem a little under-exposed too, so some brightening at post-processing stage will be good.

11. When using the Grainy B&W Art Filter, avoid high contrast scenes as highlights can easily be washed out!

12. If you are a fervent Art Filter Fan, I suggest you shoot RAW and choose your desired Art Filter in Olympus Software afterwards so you can enjoy shooting without having to wait for the “almost forever” in-camera Art Filter processing. Those few seconds can mean eternity when you are out there.

Okay, finally, there’s ONE THING I hate about the E-PL1!

It DOES NOT HAVE AN ORIENTATION SENSOR! Which means, I have to manually rotate all my vertical shots! Olympus, is it that expensive to have this included in the E-PL1? This should already be the norm among all digital cameras of year 2010!

Here are my shots from the street shoot, constructive comments are welcomed!

Drying her hair by the roadside, hip shot.

Pinhole Art Filter Effect

Prostitute outside motel entrance, hip shot. I forgot to watch my shutter speed!

panned shot of man walking past

HOT!

Fierce! Hip Shot.

Pin Hole Art Filter

Travelling

My small reflection in-between.

Beggar

Security Guard

Summon!

Diorama Art Filter

Pop Art Filter, shot by manually focusing till patterns appear

The following are two shots by the NEW 9-18mm M-Zuiko Lens. This is such a small, compact and sharp lens with good close focusing distance! It’s in stock!

Shot with NEW 9-18mm M-Zuiko Lens

Another shot by the NEW 9-18mm M-Zuiko Lens

Lastly, the bunch of Olympus PEN Street Shooters! Shot by a stranger. Isn’t it great to have an “idiot-proof” camera for a stranger to hold? I’m sure the in-camera IS helped. LOL…