Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Champagne Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the camera for a few days now, have been going out each afternoon experimenting with it, and so far I'm very happy with the purchase. But I think there's a lot of personal taste involved in buying any expensive camera, and you should try out several cameras "live" before buying this or any other one. I'm not going to repeat the pros and cons listed in other reviews - by and large I think others have done a good job pointing those out. I'm probably the target market - I was looking seriously at a Canon G11 or a Lumix LX3 before deciding to plonk down a bit more cash for this. I am happy with this camera because my priorities are:
- small size: I hike a lot, and want a light camera that will happily go in my backpack with lunch. DSLR's were just a little too too bulky for my taste. I really like the size of the camera, was willing to pay a bit extra for it. At some point I will probably spring for the 17mm "pancake" lens to trim it down even more. But when I have more cash. :-)
- SLR quality pictures: I was into hobby photography in school and got away from it when work got busy. I want the ability to take some nature and travel pics that can withstand some enlargement. The pictures I'm getting out of the E-PL1 are gorgeous, and I'm really excited about "taking it on the road".
- speed isn't an issue: a major complaint about the camera is that the autofocus isn't as fast as on some other cameras. For sports photography, that's probably an issue. For scenery and portraits, who cares. It's not so bad that I'd have noticed if the reviewers hadn't mentioned it, but then I'm not used to using a DSLR.
- don't care about a viewfinder - I've got astigmatism and with glasses, viewfinders are a pain. I went out shooting at sunset and intentionally shot with the sun on the LCD screen, and while it wasn't ideal,I could still work with it.
Read the reviews at dpreview, steves digicams, photographyblog - lots of good information and analysis. Frankly, I'd ignore most of the message boards and blogs, too many people getting ridiculously passionate about minutia. If you are THAT serious a photographer, this isn't the camera for you. But 95% of us AREN'T so into photography that we will sacrifice our firstborn rather than give up our allegiance to Panasonic/Canon/Nikon/whoever. So be thoughtful about your priorities, and go handle it in a store for a while. For my needs, it just fit.


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OLYMPUS 262851 12.3 Megapixel E-PL1 Pen Camera (Gold with M. Zuiko 14-42mm lens)

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Wacom Techno Cintiq 21UX 21-Inch Interactive Pen Display PC Tablet With Pen and Software Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're expecting a perfect replacement for pencil and paper then you're bound to be disappointed. The technology is not perfect, but the Cintiq is more intuitive to use than a traditional graphics tablet. I still do most drawing/sketching on paper, but for painting and 3d sculpting, the hands-on approach on the Cintiq is quite welcome. I undo strokes far less and have a better connection with what I'm doing and how it's affecting the image.
If you're a hobbyist then it would be wise to investigate the Intuos or Bamboo line of tablets first. I use both a regular Intuos tablet and the Cintiq at work and home routinely and find they have their strengths for different tasks. Obviously, you can get amazing results with a regular graphics tablet alone and you shouldn't buy the Cintiq with it in mind that it will automagically make you a better artist. However, it helps my productivity and is a refreshing way to work. The benefit to more ably focus on what you're doing rather than how you're doing it is difficult to quantify, but that's what the Cintiq sets out to do and does it well.
A lot is made of the hefty price tag, but considering you get a very large monitor (which, by the way, in terms of visual quality is better than most regular LCD monitors) and built in capabilities of a large graphics tablet, it's not a bad deal. I use it as my primary monitor for general computer usage as well.


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Wacom Techno Cintiq 21UX 21-Inch Interactive Pen Display PC Tablet With Pen and Software

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Olympus PEN E-PL2 12.3 MP CMOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I asked Olympus if I could review this camera. I had written reviews for them before. To preface the review I will mention that I own several of the Olympus EP2 cameras and the EPL1 camera. While the EPL series cameras don't come with the accessory finder, VF-2, I consider it the reason to buy this camera and this family of cameras. More on that in a second. I gave this camera five stars but you should be clear that all ratings are contextual. It's not a better camera than a Nikon D3 or a Canon 1dsmk3 but it is a wonderful and very capable camera for $600 (with a lens). I consider it an $800 camera because I want to be able to use the 1.4 megapixel finder.
Reasons not to buy one: 1. You shoot sports and need super fast autofocus and a very fast frame rate. 2. You rarely see daylight and want a camera that shoots noise free from 3200 ISO up. Nope, this one is not your camera.
Reasons to buy one: 1. The files right out of the camera (as jpegs) are very nice. Rich and accurate color and nice balance of sharpness and contrast. 2. It's a very stealthy package that flies under the radar, masquerading as a point and shoot but fully capable of great results. No one will guess that you're a serious photographer. 3. With adapters there is a very wide range of lenses from other manufacturers that work well with the camera. If you want to try a Nikon or Leica lens for some street shooting this would be the camera to try it with.
The big question I got over and over again in response to my review on my blog was whether this camera has better image quality that the EPL1. No. I find them identical. But the newer screen and newer controls are better.
The HD video is limited to 7 minutes per take but the quality (720) is very good and the camera has full manual controls for every facet. You'll need to buy an Olympus adapter if you want to use external microphones.
Why do I like these cameras? Because they are quick to operate and very, very lightweight. I like to spend hours and hours walking thru city streets shooting and the cameras are light enough to make this an enjoyable thing. Not a job-like task.
Now, on to the finder. I'm old fashioned. I just don't like composing a scene at arm's length. it's a very compromised technique. Olympus makes a great electronic viewfinder that works with all the Pen cameras and also the new xz-1 compact camera. It's a 1.4 megapixel finder. It's very detailed and makes the camera a wonderful tool. I wouldn't consider buying any of the Pens unless I budgeted for the finder as well.
Bottom line? Great camera for the money. Just make sure you are buying it for the right reasons.

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E-PL2 BLK 14-42mm BLK - product specs to follow on CD

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Wacom Intuos3 6 x 8-Inch Pen Tablet Review

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(More customer reviews)I spend about 10 hours a day working in Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and other design related programs including 3D Studio Max. I've been using a Wacom tablet for about six years now, and I love it. It would be impossible for me to create the designs and illustrations that I do without my Wacom. As an artist and designer, I used traditional mediums for years, and then spent another couple of years trying to figure out how to use a mouse in a way that would permit me to create quality images and designs on the computer quickly and in a way that resembled traditional methods. The Wacom tablet has been my solution and the solution of dozens of my colleagues. I use the old Intuos at home, and I use the Intuos 3 at work. The new Intuos features a USB connection that permits hot-swappable, on-the-go design. Also, the new Intuos pens are much more comfortable to hold that the old plastic pens because of the rubber coated grip. The tip on the pen seem much more "springy" and responsive. The pressure sensitivity is amazing and allows me the complete control over the virtual medium that I am handling (airbrush, pencil, ink, paint, etc). Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash are all designed to work with the pressure sensitive pens, and the level of control is amazing. Photoshop's new custom brush palette, combined with the Wacom tablet, permit me to create custom brushes to simulate the appearance of color pencil, pastels, and chalk in such a realistic manner that it's difficult to discern what is real and what is digital. Both of the tablets I own have the 6x8 drawing surface, which I find to be an adequate size for me to accomplish all of my design-work and illustrations. It also is a convenient size to fit into my laptop bag (outer dimensions are about 10"x13"). I absolutely love my Wacom, and I'm ashamed that I didn't place a review for this superior product before now. Several of my coworkers and friends have purchased less expensive versions from competitors, but have regretted the purchase and have switched to Wacom. I was helping a coworker select a Wacom tablet for her desk this morning (as a replacement for another brand) when I decided to write this review for the Wacom tablet. Bottom line for the Wacom 6x8: convenient size, excellent pressure sensitivity, durable construction, excellent value for the price. I would consider this a must-have for any serious digital illustrator or designer.

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For the serious photographer, designer, and artist Intuos3 gives you the power to quickly and professionally edit photos and create digital artwork by turning on the full power of Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and over 100 other leading software applications.Intuos3 tablets now put ExpressKeys and Touch Strips right at your fingertips for convenient keyboard shortcuts, scrolling, zooming, brush size control, and more. Wacom's Penabled technology gives you the natural feel and superior performance of Wacom's patented cordless and battery-free tablet technology.You'll find that using an Intuos pen, mouse, and tablet gives you more control, comfort, and productivity. Alternating between the comfortable Grip Pen and the ergonomic five-button Intuos3 mouse reduces repetitive motion. It's an easy and natural way to work.

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