So here it is, my 100th review on Epinions. And what could be more fitting than to devote it to a camera that’s becoming a classic among Olympus users, the E-1. You may wonder why I’m reviewing a camera that’s three years old, with only a 5MP resolution, somewhat low by today’s standards.
The simple answer is that the E-1 has seen incredibly renewed popularity since prices have been reduced dramatically, and many photographers are discovering the E-1 for the first time. I happen to be one of them, having recently bought an E-1 body and battery grip. Cameta Cameta (www.cametacamera.com) is selling the E-1 with grip for under 600$, with the body alone going for under 500$. Never has a professional-grade camera been offered on the market at such a low price, and they are being snapped up quickly. Truth be told, the E-1s successor is expected to hit the marked at the end of the year, but prices will most likely come in at a few thousand dollars, so the E-1 is still a great value.
For this review, I’m going to concentrate on the E-1 camera body itself, and not on lenses or accessories. Lenses are being reviewed separately here on Epinions. I use mine most often with the Zuiko digital 14-54mm and 35mm Macro, and have gotten stunning results from both.
So what makes the E-1 so special? Well, to get the full effect, you need to hold one in your hands and use it, but I’ll try to convey the experience in writing… Let’s start by quality of construction. The E-1 is the largest of the E-series cameras, and it feels exceptionally well balanced in the hands. The entire outer body is made of magnesium alloy, and as a result the camera feels like it’s indestructible. All seams, doors, latches and buttons are weather-sealed, making the E-1 one of the very few cameras that can be used for shooting in the rain or snow. It’s also nice to bring it to a beach and not have to worry about getting sand in the camera. Like all other E-system cameras, the E-1 incorporates the Super Sonic Wave Filter, which eliminates dust on the sensor every time the camera is powered on. For someone like me who changes lenses on the fly quite often, this feature is a must. When the E-1 was introduced, this feature was unique, but now many manufacturers have incorporated similar systems into their cameras. (Except Canon and Nikon, strangely)
The ergonomics of the E-1 are some of the best any camera I’ve ever had the pleasure to use. I need to add the disclaimer that I have big hands, and I like big cameras. For a small person with small hands, this camera may prove too large and too heavy, especially if used with the optional battery grip. That aside, all buttons are so well placed that it’s as if the designers read my mind. It’s possible to change aperture or shutter speed using either of two dials (one of which is operated with the thumb, the other with the index finger) without taking the camera away from my eye. Without moving my hand of the grip, I can press the Depth Of Field preview button with my ring finger, and the instant white balance button with my index.
Other functions, such as focusing mode, ISO settings, and continuous shooting modes also have dedicated buttons on the camera, although it’s harder to operate them without taking the camera away from your eye. To prevent accidental changes, all setting modifications require that the button be held while the control wheel adjusts the setting. The E-1 is basically a camera that can be used without ever going into the menu except for setup functions like formatting cards or changing the date and time.
The E-1 is the only E-system camera to feature two display screens. A top-mounted monochrome display indicates all shooting parameters, such as ISO, metering and AF modes, number of shots remaining, etc. The 1.8” color LCD display on the back is used solely to navigate the menus (which is rather infrequent) or review pictures. This LCD screen is where the design of the E-1 starts to show its age however. At 1.8”, it’s rather small by today’s standards (The E-500 and E-330 have a 2.5” LCD, and new models from other manufacturers are appearing with 3” LCDs), and it’s not really bright enough to be able to review shots in very bright sunlight. I tend to just shoot a lot of pictures and do the reviewing on my computer, so it’s not much of an issue for me.
File storage is done on Compact Flash cards, and the camera has an internal buffer capable of holding 12 images for continuous shooting. The camera supports both RAW files and JPEG, with a RAW file being about 10MB in size and JPEGs averaging about 3.5MB at the highest quality setting.
The viewfinder is bright and of average size. It’s certainly not as large and bright as those of 35mm file cameras, but it’s better than that of the E-500. This can be attributed to the use of a traditional pentaprism viewfinder on the E-1 rather than the multiple mirror setup on the E-500. The information display is located below the viewfinder image, and is very legible.
Autofocus performance is good, although this will vary depending on the lens used. Autofocus accuracy is top notch, and focusing speed is acceptable for all but very fast-moving scenes. The E-1, like other Olympus E-series cameras, has three focusing points which can be individually selected or left on auto mode. It also features a focus assist light, which is extremely useful for low-light photography. Other E-series cameras must use their built-in flash for focus assist, and it doesn’t take long for this to become extremely annoying. It should be noted that the E-1 does not have a built-in flash, so an external lash such as an FL-36 or FL-50 will be required for indoor photography. These flashes are so much better than the built-in flashes on the E-500 and other E-series cameras that I would recommend them for those cameras anyways.
Metering has been very accurate in all the photos I’ve taken with my E-1. I normally used center-weighted metering rather than the Olympus-developed ESP metering, and the exposures are typically very good (as confirmed by histograms). When exposures were wrong, it was usually the fault of the photographer, not the camera. The E-1also has an external white balance sensor, and it usually always nails the white balance dead-on. The E-500, which lacks this sensor, sometimes misses the mark for white balance and needs to be corrected in post processing.
I’d also like to mention that the shutter in the E-1 is the quietest I’ve ever heard, and is very well damped. It just gives off a sense of solid quality when actuated.
The E-1’s image quality is top notch, and sill bests that of many newer models that have higher megapixel counts. Olympus has a reputation for producing great colors from their lenses and bodies, and the E-1 does not disappoint in this matter. The colors are rich and saturated and the images really pop.
Noise is undetectable at ISO 100 and 200, barely visible at ISO 400. While present at ISO 800, it is still manageable using noise reduction software such as Noise Ninja. ISO 1600 is really hit or miss in terms of noise removal, some photos may come out great, while others may not be salvageable. And forget about ISO 3200 for anything but emergencies (Look, there’s a UFO in the sky! Or something like that).
While most serious photographers will choose to save pictures in RAW mode, the combination of precise metering and white balance and a terrific internal processing engine produce the best “out-of-camera” JPEGs of any DSLR camera. Most web reviews also share this opinion. Even RAW files require much less tweaking that those from my E-500, because the camera is just able to get the exposure and white balance dead-on on most shots. In the end, I would trust the E-1 to shoot JPEGs more than the E-500.
I recently took the E-500 for an afternoon at the Central Experimental Farm and Agriculture Museum in Ottawa, to take some pictures of the ornamental gardens and animals. With the battery grip installed, battery life was of little concern, as it normally lasts for at least 2 days of shooting or at least 800 exposures. The standard battery is good for about half that.
As expected, I got terrific results from the E-1, even in the harsh midday sunlight. The large grip helped me achieve more stability for close-up macro shots, and the tourists thought I was a pro walking around with that impressive chunk of camera in hand!
Outstanding features
The current street price for the E-1 is definitely a steal for a pro-grade camera. A new E-1 can be purchased for about the same price as an E-500 (or even less), which is a consumer-oriented model that’s not built to the same standards.
The E-1 has the best ergonomics of any camera I’ve ever used. Bar none. Sometimes smaller is not always better. All the buttons fall perfectly in place, and are easy to operate.
The camera is built like a tank, and it feels like it could survive a nuclear blast. It’s also fully sealed, so shooting in dusty or rainy conditions is not a concern at all. I’ve heard a few stories of this camera being dropped in a lake without damage, that’s how indestructible it is.
The E-1 has superb White Balance and metering capabilities, and most pictures are dead-on without needing any adjustments out of the camera. This makes it suitable for shooting directly to JPEG instead of RAW, and indeed, the E-1 is known for producing the best “out-of-camera” JPEGs.
Finally, the renowned Olympus colors are ever present on the E-1. Tonal balance and saturation are excellent, and require little to no tweaking to get the best color fidelity.
Problem points
Even though the quality of the image is exceptional, the E-1 still only produces 5MP images. While this is plenty for the great majority of users and even many pros, 5MP may be insufficient for those shooting stock photography or very large landscape scenes.
The 1.8” LCD is rather small and hard to view in bright, direct sunlight. It’s not used for viewing camera settings as is the case on the E-500, so the only time it becomes an issue is when reviewing pictures.
Who should get this
I’d recommend to anyone that already owns an E-300 or E-500 to take a look at the E-1 before they’re all gone, since you’ll be able to use all your lenses and accessories with it. It’s a truly great design, and aside from the higher megapixel count, it’s superior to the E-300 and E-500 in many ways.
To anybody getting into the digital SLR world, the E-1 is a terrific camera at an entry-level price right now. Great deals are to be had, and all the lenses will be usable on the new Olympus Pro camera scheduled to make its appearance at the end of the year (albeit at a much higher price than the E-1).
Who should avoid this
If you don’t like large cameras or have small hands, the E-1 may not be comfortable for you. The E-1 is about the same size as the Canon 30D, and with the battery grip, you’re in Canon 1D territory size-wise. If you prefer small, the E-500 might be your best bet.
Photographers needing high ISO sensitivity may want to look at Canon cameras rather than Olympus. While the E-1 is useable up to ISO 800, it becomes much more of a gamble at 1600, and ISO 3200 isn’t of any use in my opinion. Canon performs better at high ISO.
Finally, the obvious recommendation is to stay away from this camera if you specifically need high-megapixel images (as required by an editor or publisher, for example). I have seen and made nice prints up to 16x20 with E-1 pictures, so discounting it purely on resolution isn’t as obvious as it seems however.
In conclusion
It may be a 3-year-old design, and it may only have 5 megapixels of resolution, but the E-1 is still a terrific camera by today’s standards, and is a steal at the current prices. For less than the cost of an entry-level DSLR body, the E-1 offers terrific build quality, weatherproof design, terrific white balance and metering, etc. I can think of no better way to get into the DSLR world.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Solid Enough for a Professional
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