Olympus Pen E-P2: A Camera in its own Class

In between digital SLR cameras and point and shoot cameras, there are EVIL cameras.  These cameras don’t want to hurt you or steal your lunch money; EVIL stands for Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens.  What this translates to is a camera that does not have a mirror or optical viewfinder, but does have interchangeable lenses.  EVIL cameras combine the smaller size of a point and shoot camera with the versatility and functionality of a digital SLR camera.  One of the most exciting offerings in this genre is the Olympus E-P2.  An upgrade from the Olympus E-P1, the E-P2 adds a removable electronic viewfinder, faster auto focus, and a few other tweaks and fixes.

Take one look at the E-P2 and you might think this is a classic film camera.  In fact, its design hearkens back to Olympus’ Pen series of film cameras.  Even when holding the camera, it is easy to mistake it for a classic 1980s era rangefinder.  The Olympus E-P2 embodies the epitome of class and style within its small frame.

Shooting with the E-P2 is an absolute pleasure.  I had the camera with me for 4 days in Nashville at the Imaging USA trade show.  I did not want to bring my heavy digital SLR, but I also wanted to avoid a traditional point and shoot camera, since most of my shots would be in low light, and that is where those cameras traditionally suffer most.  The Olympus was the perfect middle ground.  It's small and light enough for me to carry with me everywhere, all day, but has the large sensor and low noise that make for great indoor shots.  The included 14-42mm zoom lens, a 28-84mm equivalent on full frame 35mm, is highly versatile; I rarely found myself wanting for anything more.  This shot was taken inside the resort where the trade show was happening.  Camera settings are indicated in the caption.

Olympus E-P2, Shutter Speed 1/5 sec, Aperture F3.5, ISO2500, 14-42mm lens at 14mm.  No noise reduction applied, basic toning and color adjustments made in Adobe Camera Raw.  Click to download the RAW file.  Thanks to the amazing sensor-based image stabilization in the E-P2, I was able to successfully hand hold this shot at such a slow shutter speed.  Photo by Josh Lehrer

When the camera is not in use, the lens retracts in on itself with a simple twist, making the camera even more compact.  It's important to note that there is another option when purchasing an Olympus E-P2.  For the same price, you can get the camera with a 17mm F2.8 "pancake" lens.  This lens has a very low profile, it is so small that it barely protrudes from the camera at all.  This lens is great for those who want a fixed lens with a fast aperture, and the smallest size possible.

To show how small this camera really in relation to what it can do, I put it side by side against the Canon Rebel XS, a small camera in its own right.  The Olympus is dwarfed by the Canon, even with the Canon 50mm F1.8 lens mounted, which is one of the smallest lenses that Canon makes.

The large screen on the camera makes for a fine shooting experience, especially since the camera lacks any kind of optical viewfinder.  The including electronic viewfinder performs well in normal conditions, but in low light, the viewfinder becomes increasingly grainy and hard to use.  There is no built in flash on this camera, something that at first felt like a major omission.  However, after seeing how well the camera performs in low light, and reminding myself how bad the typical direct flash pictures from a point and shoot look, I realized that the lack of a flash was not a problem at all.  If you really do want a flash, the Olympus FL-14 is a small unit that goes right on the hot shoe of the E-P2.

Image quality of the camera is fantastic; jpegs, normally the weak spot of any camera, look great.  The E-P2 also shoots RAW for those photographers who want full control over their images.  I find myself wanting to take more pictures than usual, just because the camera is such a joy to use.  With its current retail price of $1099, the Olympus E-P2 occupies a peculiar but lonely place in the digital camera market.  It won't take the place of your digital SLR, and it won't fit in your jeans like a small point and shoot, but what it does do is bring the power, speed, and quality from a digital SLR into a small, light weight form factor.  Features and gizmos aside, the Olympus E-P2 is the kind of camera that it is hard to put down, it is so easy to simply throw it over your shoulder and go that there is no excuse not to have it with you all the time.

In the chart below, you'll find test shots from the Olympus E-P2 at a variety of ISO settings, and also the same setup shot with the Canon EOS 7D and the Nikon D300s.  (Please click 'Save As'.)  While these full blown digital SLRs have larger sensors and cost over $500 more, and have the ability to use the full suite of Canon or Nikon lenses, it is remarkable how well the Olympus files compare, even at high ISO settings, usually what is essentially a kit lens.

ISO Setting	Olympus E-P2	Canon EOS 7D	Nikon D300s
200	Photo	Photo	Photo
400	Photo	Photo	Photo
800	Photo	Photo	Photo
1600	Photo	Photo	Photo
2000	Photo	Photo	Photo
2500	Photo	Photo	Photo
3200	Photo	Photo	Photo
4000	Photo	Photo	Photo
5000	Photo	Photo	Photo
6400	Photo	Photo	Photo

"Betrayed" - A film shot exclusively w/ the Canon 5D Mark II

Unique Photo Shootout participant, and superbly skilled photographer/videographer Robert Caplin, has been involved in filming and producing the short film "Betrayed."  What makes this film so revolutionary is that it was shot with Canon's 5D Mark II digital SLR.

Check out the trailer here:

Betrayed - The Trailer from Robert Caplin on Vimeo.

From the "About" Page at www.betrayedshort.com

Co-written, directed and produced by Joshua Grossberg, senior journalist for E! Online, Betrayed is a 9-minute short that serves as a prelude to his feature-length screenplay, DISAPPEAR, a mystery thriller in the vein of Michael Clayton and LA Confidential.

The film chronicles husband and reporter James Vance who mysteriously disappears, but not before leaving a cryptic video diary leading law enforcement to unravel the crime of his demise.

As one of the first narrative films shot on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, Betrayed: the short will mark the beginning of an era of high-quality cost-effective digital filmmaking. What makes the 5D so revolutionary is its ability to beautifully capture high-definition video with natural light with minimal or no artificial aid, allowing for faster, more efficient productions in less time and with less equipment. This intense nine minute thriller will serve as a laudable example of what can be achieved using state-of-the-art technology on a low budget and limited time. 

With the amazing dedication and dexterity of it's cast and crew, Betrayed was filmed over the course of four days in May, 2009, in multiple locations in and around Manhattan, Brooklyn and Fire Island, Long Island . Four Canon 5D Mark II cameras were utilized which enabled the production to cover a lot of ground during that period. Then 2nd Unit photographer Robert Caplin completed pickup shots and a final cut of the film was completed in September.

Sound cool?  I like most of you reading am very interested in the equipment and accessories used in this shoot.  In my next post, I'll have some in-depth information about this to satisfy all the "photo nerds" out there like myself.  In the meantime, check out the trailer above!

A Unique Photo Shootout Featuring David Bergman and Robert Caplin: Canon 1D Mark IV Versus Nikon D3S

Last week at Coastal Sports in Long Island, Unique Photo put two of the best cameras in the hands of two top-tier professional photographers. Canon and Nikon are the powerhouses in the digital SLR market, and their flagship cameras represent the finest sports photography cameras ever made.  The highly anticipated Canon EOS 1D Mark IV has just started shipping, and Nikon’s D3S has been available for about one month.

David Bergman is a NYC based freelance photographer, who regularly shoots for Sports Illustrated.  He has had numerous covers and “Leading Off” images.  David also shoots portraits and tour photography with top rock bands, and teaches photography workshops across the country.

Robert Caplin is also a freelance photographer in NYC; he works regularly for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.  His work is a mix of celebrity portraiture, travel photography, and sports photography.  His creative eye has also helped him lead a movement of top photographers using digital SLRs to shoot HD video.

David is an avid Nikon shooter, and currently owns several Nikon D3 cameras.  Meanwhile, Robert owns and shoots Canon, including a number of 5D Mark II cameras and many of Canon’s sharpest L-series lenses.  In this “Unique Photo Shootout,” we placed the latest and greatest from their respective brands in their hands, and put them in one of the toughest shooting environments we could find.  David was given a Nikon D3s and Nikon 400mm F2.8 VR lens, and Robert had a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with a Canon 300mm F2.8 IS.  Since the Nikon D3s is a full frame camera, and the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV has a crop factor of 1.3x, this gave both photographs about the same focal length equivalent.

Robert Caplin, left, and David Bergman, right, talk strategy before the shootout begins.

The venue was Coastal Sports in Long Island, an indoor athletic facility that hosts a number of different sports, including softball, football, lacrosse, and soccer.  To test out the cameras, we choose to shoot lacrosse, and a bit of soccer.  Coastal Sports is a great venue for athletes, but can be a real challenge for photographers.  Even at ISO6400, it is hard to get a shutter speed over 1/400^th of a second at F2.8.  What this means is that even with top of the line lenses and cameras, shooting in this space is incredibly difficult.  It truly tested the capabilities of the two cameras at hand, and the mettle of two experienced, top-tier photographers.

The Canon EOS 1D Mark IV succeeds the infamous Canon EOS 1D Mark III.  While the 1D Mark III was a major improvement over previous models, it was plagued with autofocus problems, and outclassed at high ISO by Nikon’s D3.  The Nikon D3 was well received by many photographers, and while it was said that the autofocus was more reliable than the Canon, it was not as quick or responsive.  This test is not only to see how these two cameras perform against each other, but how they fare against their predecessors.  Without any further ado, here are some photos:

Both images were shot at ISO4000, F2.8, at 1/320th of a second.  There is some cropping and exposure adjustments, but no noise reduction.  Click the image to download the original RAW files.  Notice how remarkably noise-free both cameras are at such a high ISO.  Nikon D3S Photo ©David Bergman, Canon 1D Mark IV Photo ©Robert Caplin.

Being able to boost the cameras to ISO12800 at F2.8 allowed a fast shutter speed to be used indoors, in this case, 1/800th of a second.  There are some cropping and exposure adjustments, but no noise reduction.  Click the image to download the original RAW files.  While there is definitely noise at this high ISO setting, it is more than manageable.  I could easily see a 16x20 print being made from either one of these images.   Nikon D3S Photo ©David Bergman, Canon 1D Mark IV Photo ©Robert Caplin.

Shooting side by side, Robert and David were able to capture nearly the same moment, this time at the insanely high ISO setting of 25,600.  Shutter speed was 1/1600th of a second, more than fast enough to freeze the moving lacrosse ball.  Both images have a bit of noise reduction in Adobe Camera Raw, click on the image to download the original RAW files.  Differences between the two cameras definitely start to show here, with the Nikon D3S handling the noise a bit better at ISO25,600.  Nikon D3S Photo ©David Bergman, Canon 1D Mark IV Photo ©Robert Caplin.

What we can deduce from these images and our testing is that practically all of the autofocus issues with the Canon EOS 1D Mark III have been resolved.  When shooting first with the 1D Mark IV, and then the 1D Mark III, Robert Caplin noticed “I definitely noticed a difference in the snappiness of the autofocus and the reaction time when triggering the shutter.”  It is safe to say that the Canon 1D Mark IV has the best performing autofocus of any camera to date.

In this image, shooting at ISO8000 on the Canon 1D Mark IV allows a shutter speed of 1/800th to be used.  The low noise at this setting creates a new world of possibilities for sports shooting.  Click to download the original RAW file.  Photo ©Robert Caplin

But how did the Nikon D3s fare?  The Nikon D3 is a fantastic camera, is it possible to improve on something so great?  David Bergman was skeptical at first, but his intimate familiarity with the original Nikon D3 allowed him to truly appreciate the improvements Nikon made in the D3s.  When asked about the difference in autofocus performance, David said “The D3S feels like it reacts even faster than the D3. I found that it took no time at all to acquire initial focus on a moving target.” 

Robert and David shooting down field action.  Robert is using the Canon 300mm F2.8 IS lens, while David shoots with the Nikon 400mm F2.8 VR.

The real test is to put the cameras in a scientific, side-by-side test, shooting a fixed target at all ISO settings.  That is what we have done here; simply click the appropriate link to download the original RAW file from each camera.  Please be sure to select 'Save File'.  You will need the latest version of the Adobe Camera Raw 5 plug-in for either Adobe Photoshop CS4 or Adobe Lightroom 2 to view these files.  All noise reduction was turned off in camera; these are the original, untouched raw files.

ISO Setting	Nikon D3S	Nikon D700	Canon 1D Mark IV	Canon 1D Mark III
200	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
400	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
800	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
1600	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
2000	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
2500	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
3200	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
4000	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
5000	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
6400	Photo	Photo	Photo	Photo
8000	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
10000	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
12800	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
16000	Photo	N/A	N/A	N/A
20000	Photo	N/A	N/A	N/A
25600	Photo	Photo	Photo	N/A
51200	Photo	N/A	Photo	N/A
102400	Photo	N/A	Photo	N/A

What's clear from the test is that the Nikon D3s has the best high ISO performance of any camera on the market, hands down.  It bests the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV by at least 1 stop, and even beats the Nikon D700, which has the same sensor and ISO performance of the original Nikon D3.  It is also worth mentioning the big improvement from the Canon EOS 1D Mark III to the Mark IV; Canon has done an excellent job at decreasing noise, even as they add more megapixels, up to 16.0 from the Mark III’s 10.1.

Both cameras max out at an ISO setting of 102,400.  Only in the most dire of situations would I ever recommend using this setting, even with some noise reduction, this photo shows significant noise and loss of sharpness.  But I couldn't resist posting a photo from the Nikon D3S at such an absurd ISO setting.  Click the image to download the original RAW file.  Nikon D3S, ISO102,400, 1/5000th, F2.8.  Photo ©David Bergman

So who wins the shootout?  When it comes to high ISO, both cameras excel, but the Nikon D3S edges out the Canon.  Autofocus performance is excellent on both cameras, with the Canon being slightly more responsive.  Both of these cameras are professional tools designed to get the job done in the most challenging conditions, and they are both winners in that sense.  The “Nikon vs. Canon” debate might never end among die-hard users, but the differences between these two cameras are more about user preference, and less about image quality and performance.

The Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the Nikon D3S break new ground for action and event photographers.  In the past, indoor venues were nearly impossible to shoot sports at, to get shutter speeds over 1/500th was not an option.  Slowly cameras began to offer ISO6400, but the noise at that high ISO was unacceptable.  Both of these cameras produce incredible results at ISO settings as high as 12800.  With a bit of post processing, large prints at ISO settings this high are easily possible, in fact, you can shoot up to ISO 25,600 and still get usable images.  This level of functionality and quality can open up new doors for photographers, and will change the way we shoot sports.

The Canon 1D Mark IV sells at Unique Photo for $4999.00, the Canon 300mm F2.8 IS lens goes for $4299.00, the Nikon D3S is $5199.95, and the Nikon 400mm F2.8 VR is $8999.95. I have to thank Christine Eriksen at Nikon USA for providing the Nikon D3s, Coastal Sports for letting us use their venue to do the Shootout, David Bergman and Robert Caplin for donating some of their valuable time to participate and make some great photographs, and my fantastic employers, Unique Photo, for providing the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. For a little taste of the true speed of these cameras, check out the video to the left! Postscript: A lot of you might be wondering how the HD video features of these cameras stack up.  Both cameras shoot incredible low light video, the Canon offering full 1080P while the Nikon offers 720P.  The video capabilities of these cameras will be tested in a future article . . . so if you are interested in the convergence of digital SLR cameras and HD video recording, stay tuned to the Unique Photo blog!

Stay Tuned for an Exciting Post

If you've been following the latest developments in professional digital cameras, you know that Canon and Nikon both have some pretty incredibly offerings.  How do they stack up?  Stay tuned to this blog over the next few days for something that will answer all your questions and more!

Day 1 Done at Imaging USA - Thanks Gary Fong!

So that's it for the first day of Imaging USA here in Nashville, TN.  Gary Fong spent an hour at the booth, talking about his great products and signing copies of his book.  The attendee count for the day was 9200...and I think I talked to about 9000 of you!  Met a lot of great people, including some loyal Unique Photo customers, and lots of new people.  Sales Manager Josh Bayha and myself are working hard at the booth, and are happy to answer any questions you may have.  I'll leave you with a photo of Gary Fong showing some attendees his new Lightsphere Collapsible

The Olympus EP-2 at Imaging USA in Nashville, TN

Hello again!  I decided to bring an Olympus Pen EP-2 camera with me to Imaging USA this year, to test out this micro 4/3 camera and see what it could do.  I've used many point and shoot cameras and digital SLR's, and have long sought after a camera that could combine the two.  After a day here with the EP-2, I am nearly convinced that this is the camera for me.  It combines fantastic low-light performance with a great little zoom lens and reasonably quick autofocus.  I will have the camera with me all 3 days of the show, if you are interested in checking it out, come by the booth (we are booth 761)!

Here are a few photos from the Olympus EP-2 at Imaging USA:

Stay tuned for more!