New Camera Olympus E-P1 Review

With DSLR-like functionality in a package no larger than a rangefinder camera, the Olympus E-P1 ($799.99 list, with 14-42mm kit lens) is truly a game changer. The Micro Four Thirds camera offers spectacular image quality in a compact body, but its auto-focus is slower than expected—slower even than some point and shoots. Regardless, this is an amazing first generation camera; a product impressive enough to cause competitors to scramble to create something even better.
Before the advent of digital and auto-focus technology, SLR cameras used to be relatively small. They offered fast shutters, spectacular image quality, and a small body, but only supported manual focus lenses. When auto-focus hit the scene, SLR cameras grew to accommodate the new technology. The marketplace determined that larger cameras with auto-focus were worth the trade-off. While some manufacturers continue to make small cameras without autofocus, they're not very practical and tend to be very expensive.
Last September, Panasonic and Olympus announced their intentions to launch cameras using Micro Four Thirds sensors, enabling the manufacturers to pair autofocus support with D-SLR functionality in a camera body much closer in size to a point and shoot. Panasonic has since launched two versions of their Micro Four Thirds camera; the Lumix DMC-G1 and Lumix DMC-GH1—both were fast and delivered great image quality, but neither were small. With a much more compact body, the E-P1 is Olympus's first Micro Four Thirds camera.
Design and Features
My test unit came with a 14-42mm lens (35mm equivalent: 28-84mm) 3X manual zoom lens, with maximum f-stops at f/3.5 and f/5.6. In its telephoto position, the lens extends to 3.25 inches, but collapses to 2 inches when not in use. Out of the box, the camera is only compatible with Micro Four Thirds lenses, and Olympus's selection is currently very slim-- literally. Their 17mm f/2.8 lens measures just 0.86 inches, and carries a street price of $299, or $889.99 when packaged with the E-P1 (instead of the 14-42mm lens). The camera is interchangeable with Panasonic's limited selection of Micro Four Thirds lenses, and an adapter is also available for use with full-size Four Thirds lenses.
The E-P1 has no optical viewfinder, making the 3-inch, 230,000 dot LCD's large size even more of a necessity. Olympus offers an optional optical viewfinder accessory that mounts on the hotshoe accessory port, but it's just a window—you're not actually looking through the lens like on a real SLR. The E-P1 lacks the traditional SLR mirror, making an optical viewfinder all but impossible. The Panasonic GH1's viewfinder is actually a tiny LCD, with an image identical to that of the main LCD's screen.
The E-P1's build quality is simply fantastic. It was modeled after the 50-year-old Olympus Pen—its metal chassis and leather-like grip give the camera an old school appearance, while making it feel durable. The digital elements—namely its large LCD—were tastefully added without taking away from the retro feel. Most of the buttons are of the same quality as those found on a quality point and shoot. The most unique control is the "sub dial" wheel located on the back right, which controls the aperture or shutter speed depending on the mode selected. This dial has the same functionality as the thin wheel found on the front of the camera near the lens on SLR cameras, but works just as well on the back of the E-P1. The camera is compact, measuring 2.8 by 4.8 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighing 1.2 pounds (with the 14-42mm kit lens).
The E-P1 offers shooting modes often found on point and shoots, as well as advanced modes usually reserved for an SLR. An "iAuto" mode with face detection is available, which makes the E-P1 as simple to use as any other compact camera. For the SLR crowd, the usual plethora of shooting options is available, including aperture and shutter priority, and a full manual mode. The camera's ISO settings range from ISO100-6400.
Auto Focus Hurts Performance
Operating speed is a mixed bag for the E-P1—it can be very fast, but its sluggish autofocus causes the camera to slow down significantly. Traditional D-SLR cameras use an extremely fast auto-focusing system called "phase detection." To save space, compact point and shoot cameras use a slower auto-focus system called "contrast measurement." With the Lumix DMC-GH1, Panasonic was able to use an improved contrast measurement autofocus system that achieved focusing speeds closer to phase detection. When you're not re-focusing, the E-P1 is very fast, but if you re-focus before you take the shot (which is how most people operate an SLR or point and shoot camera,) the E-P1's contrast measurement focusing speeds are very disappointing.
Using my shutter lag test, I found the E-P1 captures an image in an average of .25 seconds with autofocus turned off. With auto-focus turned on, however, the camera crawls, with an average of 1.3 seconds of lag. These speeds are very sluggish, considering that any D-SLR can continuously snap off a shot in just .1 second, and that the average point and shoot sets you back to .6-.7 seconds. Our Editors' Choice Canon PowerShot SD970 IS compact point and shoot averaged just .46 seconds!
Boot up and recycle times are also affected by the slow focusing. Without autofocus, the E-P1 can boot and snap in an average of 2.44 seconds, but with AF it averaged 3.28 seconds. Without AF, the camera averaged 1.03 seconds of recycle time between shots, but with AF, it averaged 2.5 seconds. The Panasonic GH1 and traditional SLRs in this price range can fire continuously, so recycle time is seldom a factor for these cameras. The GH1, for example, can crunch out 2 images per second, while the entry level Canon XSi full-size D-SLR can capture 3.5 frames per second.