Author: Mike Hendren

Photography is a way for us to express how we view the world around us. It can reveal how we see things - our perception of reality. At times, it provides a creative medium that allows us to alter that reality. Photography also provides a way to capture time and then travel back there whenever you wish. Every time you look at a photo, it can transport you back to that moment, allowing you to relive and remember …

Olympus Announces New Flagship PEN E-P5

Image by Olympus

Olympus has just announced their latest PEN, the E-P5.  It carries forward the traditional look of the PEN line while adding most of the capabilities of the highly acclaimed OM-D E-M5.

The E-P5 will have the OM-D’s 16 MP sensor and 5-axis IBIS for stabilization, plus a host of new features:

  • Shutter speed up to 1/8000th of a second. 
  • Built-in Wi-Fi. 
  • Two control dials … with a twist … a switch on the back of the camera allows you to change what the dials control. 
  • High resolution (approx. 1.04 million dots) tilt/touch LCD screen. 
  • A new optional VF-4 EVF with 2.36 million dot resolution, 1.48x magnification, and automatic switching between the monitor and the EVF. 
You can read the Olympus press release here:  Olympus Announces E-P5 and the DPReview.com hands-on preview here:  Olympus PEN E-P5 Hands-on Preview
This looks like a very capable and exciting new camera for Olympus and is supposed to start shipping in just a few weeks.  Interestingly, one of the kit options includes the new “black” 17mm f/1.8 lens and the VF-4 electronic viewfinder.  This kit is priced at USD $1,449.
Image by Olympus

Around the Town – Castle Pines, CO

I’m starting a new series where I will periodically post a group of images taken from a particular city.  In this case ( and in many cases, no doubt) the images are from the town I live in, Castle Pines, Colorado.

Castle Pines is one of the newer incorporated cities in Colorado, just making it official on February 8, 2008.  I live in an apartment complex situated right on the edge of the only commercial area of the city. But that’s a good thing … it means I can walk to a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurants, etc.

For example, within 5 minutes walking time there are two supermarkets, three gas stations, four coffee shops, five banks, and numerous other shops and restaurants.  Need a vet or a dentist, or how about a tan or maybe a haircut followed by a mani-pedi?  No problem – they’re all here.  🙂

So here’s a sampling of some of the photos I’ve taken “around the town” over the past few weeks.  These images were taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 using various lenses.

Friedman Archives Posts New Video about Recent E-Book Releases

FriedmanArchives.com

Gary Friedman at The Friedman Archives has just released two new videos about the newest E-Books.  One is about the Sony A99 and the other is for the Sony Nex-6 (and 5R).

What … you don’t have either the A99 or Nex-6/5R … No problem, because there are many other books available there about virtually all of Sony’s Alpha and Nex cameras.  You’ll even find some about older Minolta and Canon cameras.

Don’t have any of these cameras?  Still no problem since there many general photography tutorials and lots of beautiful images.  So what are you waiting for … go check it out! 🙂

Lens Filters for Protection – Maybe Not

I’ve always been almost fanatical about keeping clear filters (or UV, Skylight, etc.) attached to my lenses to protect the front element from dirt and scratches.  Especially my expensive lenses.  But I’m rethinking that idea, now.

A couple of days ago I was doing some product shots inside a retail store and came across this situation that you see below.  The first image was with a good UV filter attached to the lens.  As you can see, the strong light coming through the windows in the background caused a terrible flare, essentially ruining the image.  I know, a lens hood would probably have helped but I didn’t have one and it’s always a trick to hold up your hand and shield the light without getting your hand in the shot, too.

So, I just removed the UV filter and got the image below.  Not a 100% improvement, but I could at least probably salvage this photo.  So now I’m thinking maybe I’ll just remove the filters from my lenses.  Of course, this decision was made easier after reading Kurt Munger’s lens torture test.  Read on …

Kurt took a cheap lens that was optically fine and subjected it to a series of tests involving making the front element dirty, smudged, scratched, and eventually destroyed.  At each step of the process, he took a photo and looked for how the defects impacted the image.  It’s actually quite surprising how much he had to do before he could find any evidence of trouble in the image.  And it’s amazing how a destroyed and even missing front element could still yield usable, recognizable photos!  Check out the photo below.

Photo from KurtMunger.comhttp://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6627866.239630;sz=180×150;ord=%5Btimestamp%5D?;lid=41000613802463918;pid=62925;usg=AFHzDLvosBw6vp5QLOLvvJy6NaDy8Bprew;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.abt.com%252Fproduct%252F62925%252FSony-DSCRX100B.html;pubid=634552;price=%24648.00;title=Sony+RX100+Black+Cyber…;merc=Abt+Electronics+%26+Appliances;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.abt.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Fl_DSCRX100B.jpg;width=110;height=84
Believe it or not, the image from the lens in this condition was usable, not 100%, but a good part of the frame was apparently unaffected.  Go take a look.
If you’re a Sony person, check out the rest of Kurt’s website, KurtMunger.com, and you’ll find loads of great information about virtually all of Sony’s Alpha and Nex cameras and lenses.
Now, quit spending so much time getting every little speck of dust and lint off the front of that lens and go take some photos!  🙂




Olympus OM-D E-M5 … Yes, I Like it!

I’m still amazed at all that this camera can do and how well it does it. Sure, I have a few little annoyances … okay, maybe a couple … but overall I just like it – a lot! Going forward, I won’t be attempting to do a professional review or any technical tests and comparisons. Almost everything here will be very subjective according to my personal tastes.

Today, I’m just going to post a few of the initial images and maybe a few comments about various features I’ve discovered, so far. Most of these images have had some light processing in Lightroom 4 since they were RAW files and needed a bit of contrast and saturation added.

Just for fun, this first photo was taken using the Key Line filter found in the Art Mode. One really cool thing the Art Mode can do is bracket all of the art filters available. Even if you’re using only RAW, once you’ve selected this and take the photo, the camera does in camera processing to give you a JPG of each art filter, plus you’ll still have the original unedited RAW file. It does take a few seconds to accomplish this so there will be a short “time-out” before you can take another shot.

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 200; Key Line Art Filter

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 200

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 200

 Here, the ISO starts to bump up, 2500, but still very clean at web sizes.

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 2500

This image was taken at ISO 25600 and at this size looks fairly good. When “pixel-peeping” the full sized image, there is a lot of noise and noticeable loss of detail and it is certainly unsuitable for any kind of commercial printing. However, it is still VERY usable and when that once in a lifetime chance comes for a moon light shot of Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster, this could make you famous! 🙂

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 25600

Olympus 14-42mm II R; ISO 6400

Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4; ISO 200

Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4; ISO 200

Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4; ISO 200

Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4; ISO 200

Olympus 45mm f/1.8; ISO 1600

Olympus 45mm f/1.8; ISO 800

Olympus 45mm f/1.8; ISO 8000

Next, I’d like to address a couple of the complaints I’ve read here and there on the internet.

  • Noise: There have been lots of comments about the noise from the IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization). It’s mostly what I would call whisper quiet, a bit like a laptop fan on its lowest setting. Sure, you can hear it, but the only time I “notice” it, is when it stops – i.e. when I turn the camera off or it goes to sleep.
  • I’ve read a couple of complaints about how the right strap post is in the way and very uncomfortable. Maybe I just have the right sized hands, but I’ve never even noticed it.
  • Too Slow to Wake Up: One blogger complained that he missed shots because his E-M5 took too long to wake up. Frankly, I can’t even imagine that happening. From Sleep, it took about a second, maybe 1.5 seconds, for the camera to wake up, focus, and get the shot.
A couple of my favorite things:
  • IBIS – So far I’ve taken sharp photos with the Leica 25mm lens (50mm equiv.) at shutter speeds as low as 1/5 second. I think it is as good a stabilization as I’ve ever experienced and I’ve owned some pretty high end equipment.
  • Autofocus Speed – Olympus claims it is the world’s fastest autofocus (contrast detect I think) and I have no reason to doubt that claim. It is very fast and very accurate even in dim light on dark subjects. I’ve only seen it hunt one time and that was shooting a dark object in low light. Of course, a good Phase Detection AF system like you find on DSLR’s can out do it, but not by much. It’s a huge improvement over what I saw with the NEX-7 and Fuji X100.
Finally, I do have a complaint. I love the size and I’m still amazed at how much they have packed in to this small package. However, that small size does cause one problem for me. With the arrow keys set to move the focus point around, I find that my thumb pad is often inadvertently changing the focus point. Maybe there’s an elegant solution I just haven’t found yet – I hope so.
So, as you can tell, I LOVE this camera. It’s small and fast, looks fantastic, takes excellent images, and is fun! Now, it’s time to get back to taking pictures! 🙂

Finally – Got the Olympus OM-D E-M5!


It’s Beautiful! I got the black one – obviously. Color is all personal taste, and the all black model just appealed to me more, plus I think it makes it just a bit less obtrusive when shooting out in public. Some lenses are black and some are silver, so either color you choose is going to have some contrast depending on which lens you have mounted.


So far, I’m loving just about everything about the camera … it’s fast and responsive, takes very nice images, is extremely customizable, it’s small and light, and is just a joy to use.

Since I’ve only had it four days, I won’t go into any details about using the camera or image quality, but will have more about all of that, soon, so please come back.

Full Review of Olympus OM-D E-M5 Posted at DPReview!

DPReview.com has finally posted its full review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

They have lots of good things to say including, “…the E_M5 is one of the best looking cameras we’ve encountered in some time.” (I agree.)

They go on to give the camera an 80% rating and their prestigious Gold Award: “The E-M5 is without question, the most accomplished Micro Four Thirds camera we’ve yet seen, and given how well established the system has become, it vies for the title of most capable mirrorless option yet.” Here, I think they are talking about it as a “system” and the established large number of lenses and other accessories that are available.

As usual, DPReview presents a great, unbiased, and thorough look at every nuance of the E-M5, pointing out its many strengths, a few weaknesses, and an in depth look at the possibilities.

So, go take a look. If you’re already committed, then you’ll feel even better about your decision. If you’re still on the fence, it just might knock you off – in favor of the E-M5. And if you’re not interested … well, then it still makes for good comparative reading.

Now, the BIG question ……… is Amazon going to come through with tomorrow’s delivery (to me), or continue to keep me frustrated? I’ll let you know.