My interest in the digital image sensor were heightened while reading an article about the development of self healing electronic chips in the Electrical Engineering News. The article referred to the development of unique materials used in electronic chip manufacturing and how that changed or influenced problem solving. The pace of development in specific cases are incredibly fast, especially once an electronic device gets used as frequent as what the digital image sensor is used. To give you a quick example, in the old days extensive electronic circuitry had to be designed in order to build an FM radio. Today all that electronic circuitry is build into one or two so called electronic chips. Look at your iPod or your mobile phone and just think what they would have looked like only as little as 30 years ago.

The image sensor used in your digital camera evolved in a similar manner to the electronic chip in the above radio example. Not only did chip manufacturers increased the pixel count, the pixel profile or shape, probably more significant were the other changes and improvements that were developed as the pixel count increased. These changes included the ability to record high definition movie files on the same sensor that were designed to take high resolution images. The dynamic range of the average sensor were improved at the sensor level plus improved noise handling at sensor level. There are many more examples of improved sensor behavior mainly as a result of research and development at the sensor level.

What is improved dynamic range at the sensor level? Older cameras or sensors could not record much detail or image information in the shadow and highlight areas. The most recently launched cameras are really getting good at recording great shadow detail plus highlight detail. These improvements were not made in software, no these are improved sensor characteristics.

If all is build into the sensor electronics, what is left over to the camera manufacturer? I think one should take care that the different camera manufacturers do use different sensors plus one of the key differences between manufacturers are the operating software used in the different cameras. What is important to notice is what is done on the sensor level and what is done at software level. Why that? The reason is simple, often one read that a user refer to an older camera as being top and that he or she does not like to upgrade. Personally I also enjoy to use older cameras and one of the main reasons are the lower cost associated to previous models. That enables me to try and test several different camera bodies for example.

I recently bought a Panasonic G3 with the new 16MP Panasonic sensor. My experience using the camera was mixed and also today I cannot really say if I like the G3 camera. In comparison to the E-P2 the G3 feels like a lower quality product and the general handling and user experience of the G3 is not as good as that of the E-P2. The sensor is just amazing and it's an absolute pleasure to work on images taken with the G3 in Photoshop. Is the G3 camera necessarily better than the older 12MP, E-P2 camera from Olympus? I personally would say no, especially if one look at the materials used to build the E-P2 camera plus things like the shutter mechanisms used in the two cameras. One can list many more examples but for the purposes of this article I like to get back to the sensor.

Working with RAW images really enable the photographer to move a little closer to what the new sensor has on offer. Keep in mind that the JPEG files each camera produce is still the creation of the manufacturer. The differences in perceived image quality from manufacturer to manufacturer are huge in terms of the JPEG file output. I did a quick test between three different cameras and the images the different JPEG files represented were far apart.

I like to conclude with the following. With your next camera purchase have a closer look at the sensor, build quality and materials used to build the camera. Typical functionality plus unique functionality that will suite your specific needs should also be high on your list. For example the new OM-D from Olympus has weather sealing, nothing to do with the sensor but critically important for those who will use the camera in different weather conditions. Is the sensor in the Olympus OM-D good? Absolutely, without a doubt the new 16MP sensor used on the new OM-D from Olympus is up there with the best. If Olympus used the older 12Mp sensor in this new OM-D camera then I would have said that is not good. Not that the 12MP sensor is not capable, it is just not up there with the best…… Try not to compare JPEG files for detail and image quality. The JPEG file output is something emotional and different for each different camera. Harley Davidson motorcycles patented the sound of these motorcycles, imagine Olympus will patent its JPEG look and feel…..

Best

Siegfried

Based on the micro four-thirds lens mount the new E-M5 looks like the E5 of the Olympus mirror-less camera offer. From the pictures posted on the web it surely is a beautiful camera that were packaged by Olympus into the well known and respected OM series body format. Olympus has been doing a great job of linking previously successfully marketed camera concepts into their modern camera offer. The PEN series has been a great success for Olympus and has set the stage for the new Pro like E-M5 or OM-D series. Is it just an upgrade using the same well known 12MP sensor? No, press reports says its the same 16MP sensor seen in the DMC G3 from Panasonic. I only recently bought the G3 from a 2nd hand dealer because I wanted to see for myself what the new sensor is capable off. It will be very interesting to see what the Olympus engineers did with the implementation of the new sensor.

It is not only the new OM-D range that were launched, Olympus also announced a new 75mm, F1.8 Lens in its micro four-thirds line-up. It surely will be a very interesting portrait lens to work with. I personally think the new 75mm will be a great wedding lens.

Olympus users only had the older 50mm, F2.0 macro lens to work with or especially m43 users had to look elsewhere for macro work. For example Leica has a true m43 macro lens available in the Lumix range from Panasonic. I have a few of these Lumix lenses and although the build quality is top, not many of these lenses use ED glass elements like Olympus does. I personally believe that part of the lovely color secret from Olympus is the ED coated glass elements Olympus use. Below you can see an image of what seems like the new Olympus macro lens.

With its E-P3 range Olympus upped the video capability of its range significantly. To add to the new improved video capabilities of the new EM-5, Olympus also launched a new flash unit. It now sports what seems like a movie dedicated flash unit build into the front of the new flash. Olympus owners always wondered what the future of the older four-thirds camera range will be. Looking at the new EM-5 specification and the new lens and flash offer I cannot help to think that this is the future. I do not think we will see another optical view finder again from Olympus. Will Olympus and Panasonic be the Canon and Nikon brands in the future? Well, it surely looks like…..

Siegfried

With excitement many PowerShot G range users new that the popular Canon PowerShot "GXX" Range could not compete against the new generation large sensor Compact System Cameras (CSC). To make it worse, in many cases the CSC camera were carefully positioned in the high end compact segment. Consumers were thus hoping that Canon will do something to improve sensor technology on the future PowerShot G1X range. From the day Olympus launched their excellent high end compact camera, the XZ1, most high end compacts suffered in terms of sales. The reason is that on the one hand, large sensor compacts like the Olympus E-PM1 was staging an excellent alternative to the high end compact user and on the other hand, top performing optics coming from cameras like the Panasonic LX5 and the Olympus XZ1 completely outperformed the outdated optics used in the PowerShot G11/12.

One need to take a closer look at the fast growing CSC market to better understand what the marketing guys at Canon faced when working on the next G series. For example each time I see a iPhone 4S television add I cannot help to wonder how much longer will the traditional compact camera continue to exist. The Compact System Camera which predominantly use the Micro Four-Third sensor, has become a real force plus it has become a lucrative fast growing segment in the camera industry. We saw Nikon reacting by launching its own small sensor type CSC solution. Nikon had obvious expectations of what this new market could do for the brand. Looking at the pricing and the range Nikon probably thought it is a profitable segment and that image quality are not that critical, hence the new "small" sized sensor. Pentax marketing had a similar opinion of the CSC market. It is only those who had been in this segment long enough that really know how competitive and tough the CSC segment is. I cannot help to think of brands like Samsung, Fuji and Leica when thinking of additional aspects this segment pose to the manufacturer and which needs consideration when planning something new like the upgraded PowerShot G series. Lets have a quick look at the actual sensor sizes and just by how much these sensors differ in size.

We saw how difficult it was for the Four-Thirds sensor to establish itself in the market and how much more difficulty it was for the four-thirds sensor to be recognized as a full grown D-SLR sensor. The Nikon SCS sensor is smaller by a similar margin to the Four-Thirds sensor as what the four-thirds sensor is to the APC sized sensor. One could therefore expect IQ improvements moving from the Nikon CSC sized sensor to the micro four-thirds or to the APC sensor. To help you get a better understanding of what these ratios mean in real life, I like to invite you to read the many reviews in the media that discuss these same aspects in literally tens of CSC related reviews over the last seven years.

The traditional APC sized sensor, the four-thirds sensor and the recent smaller sized Nikon CSC sensor, all fits in-between the new PowerShot G1X sensor and the older PowerShot G12 sensor in terms of physical size. Did Canon plan this to reinforce the impact sensor size has on image quality? Did they think that by doing this they could lift the new G1X into a completely new level in terms of image quality? Personally I do not think that was what Canon intended, I think it is more a case of not using an existing format plus the "new" sensor was most probably already available from Canon's laboratories.

By using the existing APC sized sensor in something like a supercharged G12 could degrade the existing APC sized D-SLR market many believe and on the other hand using the four-thirds or Nikon CSC sensor in the new G1X would add credibility to these sensors, a risk to high to take. Was it really a risk? Looking at the sensor in general like we did to this point, it does provide the reader with one side of the equation only and I realize that. In a way it does also help to put things into perspective, sensor size was always used by the media to argue camera performance and image quality. Think of small DR, noise and so many things that were always linked to the "small" four thirds sensor;-) Just think of it, who will be next to receive the new sensor, will it be the D SLR range….no that is too much…..lets go take pictures...

The concern I have with the new PowerShot G1X is that I do not believe the camera will physically benefit or augment the new sensor. If Canon for example rather stayed with the smaller sized Nikon CSC sensor then it would have given both Nikon and Canon more credibility. This would help Canon to keep the physical size of the PowerShot G1X small plus it would have helped Canon to use and design a really top class lens to round of the new PowerShot G1X package. If Canon then later introduced a real new CSC solution, similar to what Samsung has, then they would have had a large sensor high end compact camera solution plus a new APC sized CSC solution. Most interesting would be the fact that then they would have effectively continued to degrade both the four-thirds and the Nikon CSC sensor sizes plus they would have had a real chance at the CSC market.

We have seen that the market is extremely demanding and that drivers like innovation plus good ideas make or break new camera models and new market segments. Speed is also important and its important that manufacturers do the right thing at the right time. If not, they really risk not being a part of a particular segment. We saw these mistakes happen in the past and some of the players still today pay the price for either being late or making incorrect decisions.

The range finder has a new meaning with what Leica did in the past. In addition companies like Fuji added a different View Finder technology and recently launched the X100 and X10 series. Without saying much, how does the new G1X optical view finder compare to these existing players?

I have no doubt that the new G1X will be a great extra large compact camera and its images will most probably be really good. I cannot help thinking that the dynamic range of these images will be awesome, especially if one take into account the sensor size. At the same time I cannot help thinking about the actual size of this new beast. Would the image quality be that much worse using the CSC sensor from Nikon, would that enable a better lens technology and finally what about the horrible OVF we know from G7 days, did anything changed in later models? Think of the new G1X as a street racer, something with only the driver seat, no trimmings, big powerful motor and much performance….

Guys if the prize tag was less than $400 then I would take some time to think about it, if its anything more I will seriously look for something else……. What type of accessories could one expect, add-on or clip-on wide angle adapters plus zoom adapters, leather bag?

Siegfried

Nikon followed the market by launching its own mirror-less camera, the Nikon 1 series. The mirror-less or should one say the "system compact camera" has been dominated by Olympus, Panasonic and Sony to a lesser degree. Olympus and Panasonic opted for the so called Micro Four-Thirds sensor and Sony decided to use the same APS-C sized sensor or "standard" seen in small sensor DSLR cameras. Another mirror-less camera that was announced just prior to the Nikon 1 range was the Pentax Q series with an even smaller camera sensor than that used in the Nikon 1 camera. The sensor size in the Pentax Q is nearly the same as that in the typical high end compact camera. What is its IQ like? I went and had a look in the forums and were pleasantly surprised at what the Q has to offer…..

I recall the fun days I had with my Canon PowerShot G7. I could not wait to go out to take images, it was fun, the images looked good and they were easy to edit. Thereafter I owned a number of different cameras, some I really enjoyed and other were extremely capable. None gave me that G7 joy sadly. That was until I bought the E-PL2 from Olympus. Just an amazing camera plus the fun factor is huge, its fun to use, the images are great and its fun to edit these images.

I edited a few images I took a few weeks ago in a awesome little town or village next to a lake called Thun. It is extremely pictures, just like one would expect from Switzerland. If you never visited Switzerland then my advice is wait with the E-PL2 and go to Switzerland;-)

I also added a few more images I took with the E-LP2 in the village my family and I live. Some are edited and others not. One can take them as is, print them in book form and they will look great. Each time I have a photo book printed, I am surprised at the quality and colorful nature of the images.

You will find the images in the Picture section......

Measured against modern camera standards, one could say the above image is not that good. The dynamic range is poor, the image has noise in the shadow areas, the shadow areas has poor detail retention and on and on one can continue. On the other hand it could also be that this image was exactly what I intended it to be. I liked the way the sun was falling on the flowers in the foreground, the people in the shade on the bridge and the building in the back that is brightly exposed by the sun and contrasted against the dark blue of the sky. Could one say the sensor in the camera I used was not good or were I able to exactly achieve what I wanted with this camera? Should one look at sensor performance or camera performance?

Normally I would take the time to play a little more with an image like the one on the top of the page and yes the final result could look totally different. What I like to talk about in this article is not image editing but rather the sensor used in the main stream of Micro For Thirds MFT 12MP Cameras.

Introduction

The first ever camera to offer Live View capability was the Olympus E330. The E330 used the same type High Speed Live MOS sensor that we today see in the 12MP MFT cameras. What makes this Live MOS type Sensor so unique? It is relatively simple to answer. When the digital camera era kicked off the preferred technology was CCD sensors. These sensors were known for their detailed images and the beautiful colors these CCD fitted cameras gave. The disadvantage using CCD type sensors was the high power consumption of these sensors. Then came the CMOS sensors and they were known for low power consumption meaning that camera batteries would last longer plus the sensor would not heat in use. Sensor heat contributes to increased image noise. The High Speed Live MOS sensor used special design and manufacturing techniques to take what is good from both technologies and to combine that into one sensor.

This best of both worlds high speed live MOS sensor are used in all the 12MP sensor MFT cameras today. These sensors are good and up there with the best. To date we witnessed an ongoing race of increasing pixel count and the building of "better" sensors. The high end 10MP compact camera group were the first range of cameras to move the emphasis from high pixel count sensors to highly capable sensors. I believe the Olympus PEN range demonstrated exactly the same process. Huge image quality improvements were made on the PEN range while using of same basic sensor from camera to camera. Instead of upgrading the sensor we saw new image processors implemented in newer models, build-in camera firmware improved a lot from model to model, the sensor and its surrounding circuitry also appeared to have improved from camera to camera. This continues process of improving the camera gave significantly better results than just designing a new body with an higher mega pixel, sensor.

The above image was edited extensively. I used various HDR type techniques, did a lot on sharpening and finally changed the natural shade structure of the image. Is it better than the original? Difficult to say, to my eyes it's OK.

Same sensor described in different articles:-

Conclusion

• 12MP High Speed Live MOS sensor

• State of the art amplifier circuit or high speed 4 channel read-outs....

• CCD like sensor with the energy consumption of CMOS

• HD video ability

• Low noise based on ........

Siegfried

Panasonic DMC GF1

Must admit I was a little biased or lets say a little tough on the GF1. Good thing was it was sort of borderline in terms of its selling price one the 2nd hand market right now and that prevented me from just going ahead and sell it again. It was a good situation or decision and worked in my favor. In terms of absolute image quality its not better than my E-PL2 I believe and the focus speed is also not that important to me either. Its a kit I build up over a number of months, the GF1 body, the original 14 - 45 mm kit lens and the 45 - 200 mm zoom lens, all from Panasonic.

This is the best view I think with this camera. I like the E-P1 and E-P2/3 original look and build of the PEN cameras, much more than the E-PL2 look. That said the E-PL2 is the most comfortable in the hand and please do not make the mistake believing it is not that significant. Spend a morning or a day with it and then we talk again. The GF1 has a typical range finder look and feel...one without the finder yes I know. Its look, the way it rest in the hand, the look with a pancake lens fitted, really a awesome toy.....

Then finally the images you get from this camera is good, they are up there with the best. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the image quality of this camera is not far of the best you can get in mirror-less cameras today. Is it important? Not really I think. Reason is this camera matched with a good lens can really give you a lot of pleasure doing videos and image photography. Its images opened in a capable software package typically results in really great looking works of art.......

It was only recently that we saw the new E-PL2 launched. It was a welcome addition to the PEN series because it rounded of the excellent range of existing PEN cameras. That is what many fans believed and I am sure many E-P1 and also E-PL1 owners considered switching over to the new E-PL2. It was also then that Olympus launched its new 14 - 42 MKII Kit lens with improved focus speed, significantly reduced lens noise while filming movies and fitted with the new MSC lens technology of Olympus. But that was not enough, the market were demanding more and like we now see the E-PL2 was just a bridge from the old to the new. The E-PL2 could not fix the strongly intrenched weaknesses that was hammering the PEN range. Things like focus speed, dynamic range, sensor size, movie quality were all things the competition were using to fight of the PEN series.

Olympus announced the new improved PEN camera range

Siegfried

It’s different and it is Fun.....

I decided to buy the three adapters, mainly when I discovered the Fish Eye Adapter on one of our local auction sites. The price was much lower than normal and I took it thinking, I will write about it and if I found it is not good then it will go on auction again. I have seen similar adapters when I traveling in Asia, its almost the first photographic accessory the tourist see, walking in the streets of a city like Singapore. I often considered taking one but never did because those adapters screw into the filter fitting on the lens. Olympus is different because its m4/3 adapters use the lens hood fitting on the lens.

Before I continue I think it is important to say right from the start these adapters are not for the pixel peeper. They are purely intended for the artist or the person just enjoying photography. For a small budget the E-PL2 kit delivers stunning quality. In the above picture I used the late afternoon sundown exposure to try the E-PL2 fitted with the special macro lights and lens macro adapter. One can regulate the spot light position for each of the two light tubes plus the unit has two light intensity positions. It is therefor possible to create amazing effects with this system.

The Olympus E-PL2 owner only needs little space or a small bag.....

I cannot help saying that this can only be a back packer’s dream. My recommendation is to get yourself the following minimum kit. From all the PEN cameras I recommend the E-PL2 plus the above lens plus adapter set. Next you can get the 14 - 150 and finally the the 9 - 18 mm lenses. I have the 17mm pancake and prefer that to the 20mm Panasonic prime. Make sure you get the Olympus lenses because they a lovely fit to the Olympus camera plus these lenses use top quality class glass elements with coatings only seen in much more expensive lenses. Can you see the difference? Surely these Olympus lenses does make a difference.

The image above and the image below was both taken using the unique flash tubes plus the Macro adapter fitted to the kit lens. Once you sit down and start playing then an hour can go past very quick and interesting, I find it so relaxing.

The macro adapter can also fit onto the 14 - 150 lens. As you will appreciate the 14 - 150 has a more powerful zoom and its macro ability is just great. The flash tubes are powerful enough to create stunning effects while using this lens. Worst case you might have to use your “paper” reflectors a little more. Next I like to show you an interesting comparison between the field of view of the 12 - 60 mm lens at its WA or 12mm end, the Fish Eye Adapter with the kit lens at its 14 mm end and last the Wide Angle Adapter with the kit lens again at 14 mm. Again this “test” is not for the pixel peeper but more for the person interested to see how wide these adapters really go.

This is how I did the test.....

I fitted the 12 - 60 on my E620 which was on my tripod. I took a picture with the E620, then I rested the E-PL2 kit on top of the E620 and with each of the adapters I took the same image again and again. In Photoshop I did the minimum adjustments and prepared them for the web. The E620 image out the camera had better contrast and one could see the lens is really good. The E-PL2 images required a little more contrast, typical for the lesser quality of the kit lens. Before you run away saying I said the 12 - 60 is better please remember this test was not done to see which is better. The E-PL2 images for example has so much detail and information that the artist will have a ball with those files.

12 . 60 mm Image at 12mm Wide Angle setting

14 - 42 MKII Kit Lens fitted with the Wide Angle Adapter

14 - 42 MKII Kit Lens fitted with the Fish Eye Adapter

The last image was with the fish eye adapter and I wanted to illustrate the typical fish eye effect one can get from a lens like this. The effect is not as powerful as that from the Olympus 8mm fish eye lens. Its possible to create the effect and with a little practice one can do stunning images.

Conclusion

Siegfried

The image was taken in Aperture Mode. I used the RAW file and edited it using Capture One. I find it difficult to get the colors right with the GF1. Using Capture One seem to be one of the better options. Will be interesting to see DxO results from a GF1 raw file. I only did the utmost minimum settings to get the final image. White balance, upped the shadows, reduced exposure, slight S curve and sharpening in C1.

In this short article you will see both the excellent sensor performance of the 5D plus you will experience the power of working with RAW files. Before I start please allow me to briefly talk about DR (Dynamic Range) and what minimum know how-you require to make dynamic range a part of your image taking routine. This article will help you to make the right decisions when setting up your camera for a picture.

Dynamic Range

In the above two images, the left hand image (Image A) is an example of an image that exceeded the dynamic range of the jpeg file format and Image B shows a correctly exposed image. The red arrow in picture A helps you see what it looks like when the dynamic range is exceeded. The moment one exceed the dynamic range of the jpeg file, those parts effected turns “white.” Typically the information that was in those “white” areas are lost. No matter how hard you try, the lost image information cannot be recovered from a jpeg file. Lost information in a jpeg file does not necessarily mean the sensor could not record the information. If the sensor dynamic range was exceeded, then only one can never recover the image information from those white parts. On the other hand information “lost” as a result of the jpeg file format can be recovered when the user has a copy of the RAW file format of that picture.

In a similar way it can happen that one exceeds the dynamic range in shadow or darker areas of the image. When exceeding the dynamic range in the dark (black) areas then those areas effected will turn black and as with bright (white) areas, the image will have no data in those black areas.

When you look at the histogram on your camera then you can see when the dynamic range was or will be exceeded. Black is represented on the left side of the histogram and white on the right hand side. In-between and including the black and white parts, the histogram has 256 varying grey scale parts that starts from black to white on the right side of the histogram. When the image exceeds the dynamic range of the 8 bit jpeg file then the histogram data jams to the right (bright) of the histogram or to the left (dark) of the histogram. The 256 variations of grey from black to white is determined by the 8 bit jpeg file format. A 16 bit file will have 65536 different shades of grey between the white and black points of the histogram.

In the above image you can see a well exposed image on the left (Picture A) and an over exposed image on the right (Picture B). You will see how the image data jammed into the right hand side as of the histogram in picture B. In the histograms showed you can see the three main image colors, red, blue and green and not the typical black or white color histogram we more familiar with. Don’t be scared, if you go back to the article on color I wrote on this site then you will see that the color image is build up from the three main colors, red, blue and green. Like with black to white, each color also has 256 variations of green, blue or red.

At this point I like to give you an interesting nugget on dynamic range and file format. You will see that the in-camera analog to digital conversion typically uses a 12 bit converter. Please do not confuse this with something like the 8bit jpeg file format. The analog to digital conversion applies to one channel only. That means the 12 bit A/D converter in the Olympus represents a 36bit RAW file. That means instead of the 256 shades of gray, the RAW file will have 68,7 Billion shades of gray between the two points black and white. I cannot help to ask if you think one will really notice the difference between a 16bit or 12 Bit RAW file?

How does this effect our decisions practically?

The Canon 5D example

In the above image you can see what happens when the dynamic range of the jpeg file format is exceeded. Almost everything turns white and no image details are visible. I included the histogram of the image in the picture. You can see how the information jammed into the right of the histogram at point A. I added the vertical RED line to help you better understand what happens at this point. It is as if the information spills over to the right of the histogram as seen by the arrow marked B. The information are available it is just outside the range of the 8 bit file histogram.

Figure B is exactly the same image as the first. (Image A) The only difference is I took the RAW copy of the file and re-processed it in a RAW editor. Doing that I was able to tweak the way the original RAW file will be “compressed” into the 8bit file format. This is not always a straight forward process and does require a lot of experience and practice. The companies developing these RAW editors all use different “engines” to generate the jpeg file. They not all the same and it is important to look for the better RAW editor when considering getting one. My preference is the RAW editor from DxO followed by that of Capture One and Bibble. These are all dedicated and excellent RAW editors.

I am a Photoshop user and has been using it for many years. The most recent RAW editor I have from Adobe is that of CS4. Unfortunately Adobe does not support clients with older version software and hope people will change to the most current version I think. Other companies do support their clients and I stopped upgrading at CS4 and Elements 8. The RAW editor “engines” in those versions are not as powerful as those I listed above.

Conclusion

Siegfried

Over the last few months I have been considering letting my 4 Thirds kit go in favor of my Micro 4 Thirds camera system. The latest Olympus E-PL2 camera is so good that I find it has become my camera of choice. I think also important to say is, I do not require a full SLR camera system anymore because my style and requirements changed significantly over the last 1 to 2 years. During his final school years my wife and me realized my son has good talent plus he wanted to pursue a career as artist and photographer. That was my main reasons for building up my original SLR system. My son and myself have spend hours together, doing photography, talking and just enjoying our time together. That was also a time I used to teach my son basic photography skills plus basic business principles that would help him on his initial business plans. The fist few years was scary and often my wife and me thought we should have pushed him towards something else? Today it looks different and his photography business has taken off and the year on year growth is more than what we expected. At this point I can only tank the Lord for giving us the Wisdom to make the right choices plus I am also very proud of my son who really worked hard to achieve his goal.

The next decision I had to make rather quick was to press the buy button on our local web based auction. I was looking at the hits I had on the 4 Thirds SLR equipment when I saw a brand new GF1 placed on the web. The seller basically bought the camera in kit form together with the 20mm prime and he then kept the lens and sold the body again. Being brand new at a really good price I decided to take it.This basically means my camera bag is now fitted with the Olympus E-PL2 plus the Panasonic GF1.

Over a period of a few months I have bought the Panasonic 14 - 45 mm kit lens and later the 45 - 200 zoom lens. Both were at really good prices plus they were relatively new. No need to say that when I decided to buy the GF1 these two lenses were a perfect match. As you most probably imagine I could not wait to feel and see for myself just what the GF1 is like. Is the focus speed really that much quicker than what we used to on the E-PL2? Is the image quality really better than what some claim on the photography forums?

My first moments with the Panasonic GF1

Siegfried

Planned for March:

Numerous camera/lens combinations will be added to the DxO database, not just for new cameras, but also for cameras that are already supported.
To see the list of combinations that are already supported, as well as those that are planned for March and the months following, click on this link and then select the second tab: Link

Olympus E-PL2

Should we say , thank-you Mr Reviewer

The new Olympus 14 - 42 mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 II MSC LENS

Is the new lens really better?

Siegfried

I took the above image on the Geneva Motor Show. The show is huge and it is a photographer's dream playground. So many colors, light effects, awesome motorcars. I took nearly 400 images with my PEN. The PEN series has a unique iAuto setting that is much more advanced than the traditional Auto setting on older or other cameras. In the nearly 1 year I have owned my E-P2, I never tried the iAuto setting. Did you really expect that an advanced photographer would even consider turning the mode dial in the direction of iAuto? Well, I did and I was blown away. I have decided to use it exclusively on the motor-show because it was an in-door event plus I wanted to see what the iAuto setting is like. I did use the RAW plus JPEG option on the E-P2 to give me access to the digital negative should something go wrong. I decided that in the future this will always be my PEN camera setting and I will only use another mode when I need to do specific shots like macro or HDR or other.....

Setting the E-P2 on iAuto transformed the camera in the hottest camera I ever used or tried. I have tried and used many cameras. It's not only the excellent image quality, it was also the absolute ease of use this setting resulted in, that made me decide to use iAuto almost exclusively in the future. The E-P2 is programmed to adjust itself in such a way that at keeps the shutter speed high in almost any shooting condition. That together with the powerful image stabilization build into the E-P2, resulted in me never have to think or consider possible camera shake. One would think the PEN does this by upping the ISO, but no, that was not the case, one can see that from studying the image data, the PEN is using many different technologies to enable higher shutter speeds. For example it will use the SAT function linked with ISO to up the shutter speed. To make it even more interesting, I used the standard kit lens supplied with the PEN series.

The following 5 images are JPEG files directly out the camera and not edited. The camera's automatic white balance adjustment is absolutely spot on. I played a little and all I can say the camera's ability to set white balance accurately is good. As I said the following images has not been edited:-

The PowerShot G6 was always the one in my mind that was the best. It has the original highly rated f2,0 lens, all the functions that made the PowerShot G series the camera of choice plus it has a 7MP sensor that really is a great pixel count for any hobby photographer. They are still selling at good prices and it is therefor important to wait until you find one that is like new before you buy one.

I have an older G3 that has been with me from my G7 days. I never sold it because its like new plus they really worth nothing today. The G6 has various improvements to the G3. One really get a glimpse of what new technologies did to a camera, two generations later. Is it much better than the G3. Difficult to say, the screen is significantly better and the body I think is more comfortable than the older G3. Interesting it is not much quicker in use compared to the older G3. The G3 images are better than those I get from the G6 I believe. The G6 has lots of difficulty to get the white balance right.

What does happen when using a classic like this is that one appreciate the current crop of cameras even more. Cameras like the G11/G12 or the PEN series is just in a totally different class. The difference is so big that it is not possible to go back at all I believe. That said, if you have a younger daughter or boy that you like to introduce to a really good camera then this is the right tool. With a G3/5/7 one can really train the younger generation plus they will be able to develop a wonderful hobby using top notch equipment that you and me can afford having them training on....

I placed a number of images I took with the G6 in the "True Style Images" page.

I looked at the EOS 600D image library that is available to the press and thought this is the one telling the story best. See the detail Canon added to the body below the EOS 600D Logo, it's the small things like adding the leather or rubber insert to the body that made me think this one is different to the rest of the competitors. Pitty about the lens Canon used in the image. That said I think if one decide to buy this camera then it's a good idea to add a top quality lens to the camera. For example I would like to use the equivalent of the Olympus 12 - 60 mm f2,8 - f4,0 lens with a camera like this. I am not aware of a L grade lens by Canon in the range 28 - 120 mm. They have one for full frame but for the reduced sized sensor in the 600D I think its not available.

I saw one this week and were surprised at just how good it looks with the matching black pancake lens and black color flash, makes a huge difference. What I found especially cool looking was the matching lens with the fancy lens cap. I had a few Panasonic bits of pieces like the 20 mm 1,7 lens and the 14 - 45 Panasonic kit lens plus an older G1. My son has the 17 mm Olympus pancake that is similar to the one in this all black version. I tried the 20 mm versus the 17 mm a number of times to see if I see any significant differences in image quality. The verdict is all the Panasonic gear is going and in the future I will only support the Olympus brand. Apart from the fact that I see no real difference between the lenses I was also not excited when I learned Panasonic does have a higher resolution sensor when the E5 was launched. I think it was a great move from Olympus to raise the bar in terms of what they pumped out the existing sensor. I am sure nobody expected one can get as good results out the 12 MP sensor as what Olympus did with the E5. I am sure we will see some really exciting partnerships in the future plus more interesting technologies from Olympus.

The gap between digital SLR cameras and compact cameras are getting smaller and smaller. When you read the launch document of the XZ-1 then its clear that Olympus did not hold back when defining the XZ-1 project. I cannot help to think what the possible team slogan was while developing the so-called X-Factor. Any ideas? Well, looking at the E-PL2 and the X-Factor I surely love the detail, the clean lines and the beautiful high quality design. I read one can fit the E-P2 Electronic View Finder on the X-Factor, no doubt that would be a great add on, especially in bright sunlight.

Who would be interested in something like this? I have used the G11 from Canon for approximately 11 months and prior to that I had the LX3 from Panasonic one year. These are both excellent camera’s, especially if it’s your main or only camera. As backup to a good SLR and the G11 or LX3 just do not satisfy. The next choice is then something like the micro 4/3 rds camera. The problem in this case is the camera including the lens or two is not much smaller than a DSLR. That makes the micro 4/3 rds not the most practical backup to the DSLR. Its this space I assume the X-Factor will fill perfectly.

What is more interesting is the sensor Olympus use in this camera plus the lens. The sensor does not follow the trend today and instead of using a CMOS sensor Olympus decided for a CCD type sensor. In the past Olympus had tremendous results using the Kodak CCD sensors in the early E-systems DSLR cameras. It is possible to get the better image quality from a CCD type sensor and I am sure we will again see the legendary Olympus colors with this camera. Also worth noting is the top quality lens Olympus fitted to this camera. Olympus is known for their outstanding E-system DSLR lenses and from the looks of it Olympus used their lens making experience to match the CCD with a very fast lens. Not only is this great for indoor shooting conditions, these lenses also are top creative tools in talented hands. Folks now is the time to let go any advance compact and to order the X-factor....

Folks I am happy with the Olympus strategy of targeting mirror-less and advanced compact segments. I read somewhere that we could expect the first mirror-less “SLR” body which will replace bodies like the E620 and the E520. That means we will have an electronic view finder similar to that used in the E-P2 electronic viewfinder. The only aspect I do not like about the existing micro 4/3 rds view finder is that it goes black and white in poor light conditions. The G1 from Panasonic use the build in electronic view finder and it stays in full color also when in poor light conditions. I find that much more practical and acceptable.

I like the new E-PL2 body a lot and are really surprised with the improvements Olympus did on the grip area of the camera. It will be comfortable in the hand I guess. Studying the bodies a little closer it is clear that Olympus decided for a high quality materials and feel on these bodies. That said I looked at the local pricing today and were surprised to see that the E-PL2 has been positioned just above the advanced compact segment. Wonder when it will drop enough in price to start eating into this advance compact segment sales?

Another really interesting aspect of the new camera is the new 14 - 42 kit lens. I read it focus faster and more accurate when compared to the previous kit lens. It was also designed with a less noisy focus motor. That means in movie mode one will not hear the lens focus. For those guys with the first generation kit lenses there are a good solution to the noisy focus motor. Buy the external microphone and not only will it improve the movie sound quality, the noisy focus motor will also be something of the past.

My compliments to Olympus with these adapter lenses. I think the idea is great plus I trust they will not be as ridiculously expensive as the Panasonic 7 - 14 mm super wide angle, the macro and fish eye lenses. One just do not expect the micro 4/3 lenses to be as expensive as a DSLR pro level lens. What I also like about these lenses or adapters is that they fit into any spare pocket in the camera bag. Another reason we buy the m 4/3 cameras is its size guys. I saw there are a number of other really interesting options for the new body. What I did not like is that Olympus says the new E-PL2 uses a version 2 adapter port. I hope it does not mean that my reasonably new E-P2 suddenly has an outdated adapter port. Please Olympus tell us that is not how you like to increase sales. There is a catch with these new adapters or lenses from Olympus. They only fit the new mark II kit lens or the 40 - 150 mm lens.

Then finally I looked at the new 14 - 42 lens and it seems to be a really interesting new addition. I can just imagine soon there will be a lot of older type 14 - 42 lenses on the 2nd hand market. I hope I can get one to test, it will be interesting to see how it performs against the old kit lens. Below you can see the new lens. The part that extends is now completely different to the older lens. I read it extends a little more than the older lens. If you look close you will see it looks as if it now has a plastic fitting and not a metal fitting like the older kit lens. Do you really need to have the faster focus speed and the silent focus motor?

It is also interesting to see that Olympus has build the new “HDR” filter into the E-PL2. What is more interesting is that some of the art filters are now adjustable. This marks a totally new way of doing photography with these cameras. Planning a shoot with these tunable art filters will come in handy. I wonder why Olympus decided to stay with the 12MP sensor. I guess we will see E5 image quality with the new E-PL2. Olympus never in the past tweaked image quality to position a camera, they rather positioned cameras on application. That means the pro level E5 will be weather sealed, top quality magnesium body for maximum durability and high performance mirror setup. The E-PL2 on the other hand will satisfy a completely different user and therefor also requires top image quality to compete in that segment. On the other hand I do think it would be interesting to hear what Olympus plan for the future in terms of sensors. Most probably the new E-P2 will be showing off some of the secrets we can only speculate about today.....

The weather was not good and I did not really know what type of subjects we would photograph with the E5. I decided to take my E-P2 with and to make it less complicated I fitted the 20mm Panasonic lens, dropped a spare battery in my bag and off I went. I met Martin in a lovely old town, Soluthurn in Switzerland. We decided to have a coffee first and to share a few thoughts on the hobby we both enjoy. He told me about his own venture over to Sony and I was speechless listening to all he was saying. After using absolutely top quality in the Sony camp he decided to sell again and to get the E5. There are many things we Oly folk take for granted and its only when trying something else that one enjoy things like multiple cross type focus points, top performing lenses and many more. I could not help but think back to my own brief look into the Canon world. Another thing that was clear while talking to Martin is that he knows exactly what he wanted from his SLR. Martin is a total enthusiast and he practice his hobby like a pro. Martin does for example not miss any of the elite air shows staged in Switzerland. One of these take place in the Alps on a annual basis. The fighter jets come over a mountain range in full attack and one literally has only a split second to get the focus in, to frame and press the shutter. Martin was telling how he just could not get those fighter planes on his memory card with the Sony full frame DSLR. With the Olympus very fast plus advanced focus system locking onto those fighter planes are not an issue.

After what felt likes hours of interesting and fun discussion we decided to go take a few images. Martin gave me the E5 fitted with the 14 - 35mm F2,0 lens. For those who does not know, the 14 - 35mm is a pro grade lens from Olympus with a f2,0 from 14mm right up to 35mm. Its physically bigger than the 14 - 54 which is also a top lens. To walk around and to use the 14 - 35 was an absolute pleasure, its a awesome lens. He took the PEN and we both were totally lost taking pictures, touching, feeling, trying different techniques and just enjoying two wonderful products out the Olympus camp.



The above image was taken with the E5. I selected the HDR art filter and afterwards I did a few basic adjustments in PSE 8. While back I sold my E3 because it was getting a little heavy for me to carry. I replaced it with the E620, a fine camera but not the E3. Having the E5 again in my hand felt like I was home again, the buttons are at the right place, the feel is right and its great using it. Olympus changed the menu and its more like the E-P2 now. Many more menus were added to accommodate the new video functionality.

The screen at the back is just awesome. The resolution is great and looks as if Olympus corrected the auto dim function on the E5. I could not really confirm but it did look as if the screen stayed bright and sharp while it displays the image, not like the E3 that dimmed to quick

The image quality is good. It does seem as if Olympus improved a little on the E-P2 image quality. The E5 has a much more silky look with loads of detail. I have seen a number of reviews in German camera magazines and as you can expect those guys measure everything. Very interesting is that I have not read one negative review on the E5 plus many seem to find that the E5 has a really high technical ability to read detail. More important to me is that Olympus did not design a technical masterpiece, its clear that they decided to build a very good photographic tool. One can clearly see that when using the camera plus the images are great. Will I buy one? Most definitely, the E5 is high on my wish list.

Its difficult to explain the expectation one has when having the chance to work with the “best” in digital photography. Big is the surprise when one realize that the differences are not that significant and that one learn it is not time to upgrade again. I told you folks before how I went about trying many different camera models using a process of buying and selling on the secondhand market. Over a period of 4 years I developed a good feel for different camera bodies and today the typical media hype when new models are launched has less of an effect on me;-) In the above picture you basically have the same offer from two different suppliers. The Canon has a full frame sensor based on the older film standard that build up from the ground upwards and on the other side you have the Olympus E620 full frame sensor that was build up from first principles when digital became an option. Both has a pro level lens fitted with similar characteristics. I will not claim that one can compare them because on paper the 5D has the better specs, there is no doubt about that. What does one really need as hobby photographer is open plus one can ask if one really need a 5D to take good images. The same is true for the 550D, is it really an inferior camera to the 5D? Absolutely no, each of the cameras listed in this article are more than capable taking excellent images, personally I think the photographer is the bigger risk and not the camera.

The day out was very interesting, I enjoyed working with the Canons, they are really good. I always liked the silky type image one get from these cameras. The 5D image is just packed with detail and image data. One can easily crop an image if needed and do not really have to worry about resolution. The 5D is a big camera and with the 28 - 105 L lens really huge and heavy. The 7D is not much smaller. This means that one should plan a shoot carefully, it will be no walk in the park to have a lens or a body in the bag that is not used.

Will I sell my Olympus gear to change over to Canon? I decided not to sell my gear and to change over to a Canon system. I am very happy wit the developments on the micro four-thirds series and I am satisfied with the results I get with my E620. Investigating a little closer and comparing the pro grade lenses between Canon and Olympus revealed a very interesting thing to me. I always thought that the Olympus glass is relatively inexpensive for what you get. That has clearly changed, Canon L glass is not that much more expensive. If Olympus thought they had a lead on the rest then they need to look again.