I am working on an article for the E-P7...

[Siegfried]

Hi guys

I did not want to say anything in advance on my blog but thought why not Rob's forum.

I've had the camera for a little more than a week. I think it's important to say my two top cameras are the EM1 II and the Pen F. I have a few others I use for research when prepping articles. One of them is an EM5 II with a little problem on the shutter but still more than usable. I always search for extreme bargains when buying...

Here are a few thoughts:-

1. What was my first hour like with the E-P7..? I bought the special offer with 75mm f1.8 and kit lens. The box was great but strange because it's like OMD packaging. My Pen F came in a very nice box that made it stand out...

2. Then while unpacking the EP7, I was battling with all the plastic. It's such an anti-climax that I immediately started scheming to sell it in parts and get another Pen F... All did improve a little as time passed...

3. Using the EP7. I am 60 and lost my left arm in a motorcar accident. One-hand operation is therefore important for me and I thought the E-P7 should be perfect for that. I wrote in my preview that no EVF might be a problem. OMDS did advertise the display is a 1M pixel display and I thought that would be perfect. Using the camera is a real mess. I have to always turn/lift/up/down my head to see any details through my classes on the screen. Then most of the time the sun or brightness just makes the visibility of the screen a mess. It's only after using the EP7 that I really really appreciate the EVF's on my other cameras... Would this be any better for younger photographers?

Any thoughts

Siegfried

[Rob Trek]

Thanks for sharing your experience so far.

I need a little clarification on #2. Do you mean the plastic in the packaging or the camera?

The live view is a pain sometimes. I prefer evf as well. Depending on my allergies, sometimes I can't read anything on the live view.

[Siegfried]

You welcome Rob.

It's the plastic feel of the camera.

My wife has the EM10 III and it helped me to compare the two as the EM10 III was the first with a composite body. The EM10 has a very solid feel and especially the bottom plate is very well made.

The EP7 bottom plate consists of two parts, a front and back part with the connecting line in the center from side to side. The top plate and bottom plates are not manufactured from the same composite as the EM10 III. The EP7 top and bottom plates seem to lean more to plastic...

I am unfamiliar with the EM10 IV. Is it the same as the MKIII? Locally the EM10 IV body costs $650 and the EP7 costs $950...

The Pen F versus the EP7 is literally day and night...

Today I used the Pen F and the EP7 and the difference is huge. I wrote in my preview that the Pen F is a camera that becomes one with the photographer and the photography process just happens without much effort. When I wrote that I thought "fanboy"... Using the two as I did today I was again blown away by the excellent balance of the Pen F.

The EVF - My success rate with the EP7 is half that of my Pen F. The reason is I can see through the EVF and I am guessing using the display on the EP7. It also seems to me the Pen F display visibility is better... The main problem is I cannot cover the EP7 display as someone else would. That means this experience might be VERY specific to me.

Any comments?

Best

Siegfried

[Siegfried]

The display is something every owner should work on, especially because there is no EVF to back it up. This is the first time, I adjusted one of my displays on an Olympus camera. I upped the E-P7 brightness a little and it improved its visibility just enough. Another interesting thing is the up/down flip of the display. When flipping it up 90 degrees one can hold the camera lower down and this works like a charm, even in difficult light situations. It also gives an interesting perspective to your images.

The next thing is ART filters. The changes OMDS did are really interesting. I incorrectly wrote in my preview that they added an opacity slider. It's not an opacity slider but rather another color mix you can add to some of the ART filters. There were several upgrades and improvements made to the ART filters in the EP7. Most important is photographers can now really individualize their ART filters. I think this is awesome, especially for those enjoying the more creative aspects of photography with Olympus cameras...

[DeMorcan]

I have shot for decades with a viewfinder. I love the different photos I can take with screen getting lower or higher for something so different from the eye level or kneeling eye level photos. The TL2 screen is much more irritating. Of course I only have one lens for it as I use if for only one thing. Nut always outdoors in some sun. I wear a wide brimmed hat I use as need to shade the screen or subject. I also have a roll of reflector and reflector stand which is quick and lightweight. Beside fill shadows on some subjects, it has also provide shade to see the screen. IF it is not too windy. Too being the critical term. My hat is heavier than the reflectors so it makes better shade. I want to get a spike reflector stand that would withstand wind better. It use those reflectors so much for plants, flowers, outdoor portraits, etc. The screen does bother me at all, but then I learned on a 4X5 field camera so not having to throw a cover over my head and camera and use a loupe to focus will always be a step up for me.

[Siegfried]

Hi DeMorcan, you'll make any Mexican jealous with your fancy big hat. Must say I fully agree with you, the different perspective one has with the E-P7 flip screen is interesting. If I could choose, then I love to have one on my Pen F...

I never gave the EVF much thought in the past. It's probably because I am so used to having one, or I guess we all are? By not having one on a camera like the E-P7 was something I needed to get used to. That brings us to the next question, does the E-P7 replace the Pen-F or is it the new entry-level OMDS camera?

The Color Profile confused me because it was the link to the "Pro" level Pen F. On the other side, the improvements to the E-P7 ART filters moved the EP7 to the top "creative" position for OMDS. Does that mean it should at least have an EVF?

That said my success rate with the E-P7 improved and it is a fun camera to use.

What the "entry-level" E-P7 did for me is, it made me shop around to see what else is available. When we look at entry-level cameras then the E-P7 does not offer much to make it stand out. Not even the EP7 price helps, in fact, it's priced as a premium camera and not an entry-level. Very confusing...

I hope these thoughts and my initial experiences with the E-P7 help some of you guys. My summary report on my blog will obviously look a little different as it will be factual with not much of my intro thoughts...

I do like to use the E-P7 but at the same time, it makes me think a lot. And it's the actual camera and using the camera that makes me think about the future of OMDS and Olympus. The one thing I find myself repeatedly think about is, when you buy a camera company, does it make you a true camera company?

To be honest, at this point, I do not think OMDS is that future "camera" company I like to spend my money with.

Best