Cancel E-PL1 order for E-PM1?? Pros/cons??

[dylanear 0]

I'm new here, have a question I need to sort out soon.

OK, so I thought I got a fantastic deal on a E-PL1/PT-EP01 combo for $500ish. Had to spend another $50 on a zoom gear. Was very satisfied, but NOW I see that the E-PM1/PT-EP06 combo is available in several places for $500 with a zoom gear (maybe two? 14-42 and 9-18? Same gear?)! I can probably still cancel the original order or return the packages for full refund if I don't delay. So I have to decide soon!

I own a OM-D, so I don't suspect I'd be using either camera outside the UW housing, so I don't really want to consider the cameras differences except how they work in the housings.

E-PL1 advantages:

Can review all images while in housing (E-PM1 apparently can only review last image)

More buttons/controls. (zoom buttons, mode dial, etc.)

Can use EVF in housing (E-PM1 needs flash in hot shoe)

E-PM1 advantages:

Faster, continuous shooting, focusing, etc.

Better low light focusing?

Bigger, clearer LCD.

Newer generation image processing, probably not that big a deal for RAW.

Anyone have thoughts? Hopefully having used them both or at least researched them?

Thanks!

 

 

 

[chris_l 6]

The EVF for the epl1 in the housing was pretty much considered useless. Hardly anyone used it that way.

Note that the epl2 and future housings didn't support that. The EM5 housing does, but if someone wants to use the viewfinder they usually get the Nauticam housing.

Why can you only review last shot on epm1, don't understand. The housing has access to all the buttons, right? Never heard of this.

 

I'd switch to EPM1 myself.

 

Another advantage to epm1 you didn't mention is 1080p video. epl1 is 720p.

 

I have the epl2 and have not used either of these models, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[onewolf 2]

 

 

Can review all images while in housing (E-PM1 apparently can only review last image)

 

Not true but you have to go into the camera settings and remap the picture review control buttons so the dial is ZOOM and the L/R buttons to forward/backward. I just got my E-PM1/PT06 'deal' and figured this out.

[dylanear 0]

 

Not true but you have to go into the camera settings and remap the picture review control buttons so the dial is ZOOM and the L/R buttons to forward/backward. I just got my E-PM1/PT06 'deal' and figured this out.

Excellent info! Figured there might be a way. But can you zoom to check focus with the dial mapped to zoom? Wonder if the 3 extra buttons of the PT-EP01 do add advantages.

 

Hmm.... May have been better off with the E-PM1 bundle. Question is do I want to put up with the hassle of returning the current order? I have little doubt the M1 is a snappier camera.

Edited June 13, 2013 by dylanear

[dylanear 0]

The EVF for the epl1 in the housing was pretty much considered useless. Hardly anyone used it that way.

Note that the epl2 and future housings didn't support that. The EM5 housing does, but if someone wants to use the viewfinder they usually get the Nauticam housing.

Why can you only review last shot on epm1, don't understand. The housing has access to all the buttons, right? Never heard of this.

 

I'd switch to EPM1 myself.

 

Another advantage to epm1 you didn't mention is 1080p video. epl1 is 720p.

 

I have the epl2 and have not used either of these models, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

By default the review controls are done with the dial around the 4 way controller and there is no enclosure link to that dial. There is a review of the housing that states there is no way to move between images. But figured there probably was a solution.

 

Yep, should have added the video spec as a difference.

[Gudge 58]

 

Not true but you have to go into the camera settings and remap the picture review control buttons so the dial is ZOOM and the L/R buttons to forward/backward. I just got my E-PM1/PT06 'deal' and figured this out.

It is possible to review images on the EPM1 inside the housing without remapping controls. When in review mode hit OK, scroll down to "On" on the pop up menu that appears and hit OK again. Arrows will appear either side of the image in the LCD and you can scroll through your images using the left/right buttons.

[chris_l 6]

Do you know if the epl1 comes with the 14-42 I or II lens. The original EPL1 lens (14-42 I) was slow to focus. But, it could focus closer for doing macro work. The 14-42 II focuses faster and it's noticeable. There isn't much difference between the 14-42 II and the R version.

 

There was a point where some people were ordering the epl1 and getting the II version of the lens.

Slow focus was one of the knocks against the epl1, but it had more to do with the original kit lens.

If you put use the 9-18, or the 14-42 II then it's not a big deal.

[onewolf 2]

I am not sure about the EPL1, but the PM1 I just got came with the 14-42 II lens.

[onewolf 2]

It is possible to review images on the EPM1 inside the housing without remapping controls. When in review mode hit OK, scroll down to "On" on the pop up menu that appears and hit OK again. Arrows will appear either side of the image in the LCD and you can scroll through your images using the left/right buttons.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. The only issue I can see with using this 'on' method is that it places a fat bar blocking the top and bottom of each image.

[Gudge 58]

 

The only issue I can see with using this 'on' method is that it places a fat bar blocking the top and bottom of each image.

When you get to an image you're interested in, hit OK again and you will return to normal review mode and can see the full image, zoom in/out, view historgrams etc.

[dylanear 0]

I got the E-PL1 body only since I have the 9-18 and the the 14-42 IIR that came with my OM-D. Not sure what kind of ring I'd need with the 14-42IIR lens. Hope I can adapt the 9-18 ring I ordered.

Starting from scratch, the E-PM1 bundle does seem the better deal, but I think I'm just going to live with the E-PL1 bundle rather than deal with returns and re-ordering. I'll want to upgrade in a few years anyway I'm sure. The E-PL1 will still be a massive upgrade from my current, quite basic Tough-8000.

[Kelpfish 15]

 

Not true but you have to go into the camera settings and remap the picture review control buttons so the dial is ZOOM and the L/R buttons to forward/backward. I just got my E-PM1/PT06 'deal' and figured this out.

My wife has the E-PM1 with YS01 strobe and we can't figure out how to get TTL...believe me I have been through the confusing manual. We punted and put the camera on "P" and the strobe on both preflash and normal and get poor exposure, under lit usually. How are you setting up the camera for TTL?

 

Joe

[onewolf 2]

My wife has the E-PM1 with YS01 strobe and we can't figure out how to get TTL...believe me I have been through the confusing manual. We punted and put the camera on "P" and the strobe on both preflash and normal and get poor exposure, under lit usually. How are you setting up the camera for TTL?

 

Joe

 

I have not had a chance to try the PM1/PT06 UW yet, but I have been shooting some photos around the house using these settings and TTL seems to work to at least 2-3 feet away. I am not sure if it will work UW and I won't have a chance to try until the weekend of June 22/23.

 

Camera in 'M' manual mode, Camera flash set to 'Fill in' mode, YS-110A in TTL mode.

 

Here are two photos I just took with this config using the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens (just arrived today):

 

1/160 sec, f8

 

Edited June 15, 2013 by onewolf

[onewolf 2]

Edited June 15, 2013 by onewolf

[bversteegh 0]

I just purchased the e-pm1 also. Played with it last night for the first time - at least with my Inon 240's, TTL only works with fill flash selected - looks like you can't use lower power modes to save battery : ( Has anyone else found a way to use other flash modes and get correct exposures?

[zampaz 0]

I'm also a e-pm1 new user.

played for few days with Sea&Sea YS110 ( pre alpha ...very old) .and pt-ep06 Olympus housing.

To find a way to safe camera battery i tried the different combination between fill and 1/64 flash on the camera

here's my result:

 

E-pm1 Setting YS-110 setting result

E-pm1 Flash 1/64 mode manual 1 No good

E-pm1 Flash 1/64 mode manual 2 OK ---- > fast recharge less 1sec. Best setting for battery saving and fast shooting

E-pm1 Flash 1/64 mode TTL no good

E-pm1 Flash Fill mode manual 1 OK ----> Slow recharge more than 3sec. Reliable

E-pm1 Flash Fill mode manual 2 no good

E-pm1 Flash Fill mode TTL OK -----> got green light on Ys110 strobe ( TTL) but unpredictable results: some time under exposed some time over exposed....

i'm still working to find a good setup...but i think i will stick to manual....and coming from Nikonos V i'm used to manual modes...

hope helps.

My book here:

http://www.blurb.com/books/1269959

Edited July 18, 2013 by zampaz

[chris_l 6]

You have to understand how optical ttl is working to understand why these modes don't work.

I have an Inon D2000 so I'll talk from that perspective, but it's the same in entire inon line and I think sea&sea also.

In inon sttl mode, the strobe is basically watching the camera flash and quelching it's flash at the same time. So, the camera has to be in a mode where it's determing flash duration. Otherwise the external strobe has no timing signal to work off of. If you put the camera in manual flash, which is what you're doing when you select 1/64, then your strobe sees a flash that has nothing to with the exposure for that picture. It's seeing whatever you told the camera strobe to do.

So, if you put the camera in manual flash, your strobe becomes manual.

 

Now, on an Inon, the way to try and work around this is to use the external auto mode. In this mode, the inon strobe is determining flash duration itself with no input from the camera other than when to start. If using EA mode, then put the camera on 1/64 to save power and quicken refresh time. At this point, you're constricted by the recharge of the inon strobe itself and not the camera. But, from experience, I can tell you that EA is not as consistent in getting the exposure correct as using the cameras ttl with the strobe in sttl.

On my epl2, I'm generally in manual with flash set to fill and my D2000 on sttl.

I find the D2000's recycle time is similar to the epl2 being ready to go again.

 

Of course, you can always go full manual with camera and strobe as you've already figured out.

 

http://www.inon.jp/technicalguide/sttl-auto.html

Edited July 18, 2013 by chris_l