E-P3 autofocus is faster than the Nikon D3X autofocus!
Pekka Potka (Click here) tested the autofocus speed of the new Olympus E-P3. First he compared it with he older Olympus E-P2 using four different lenses. The E-P3 is around 40% faster than the E-P2! But the real surprise is that the new E-P3 is even faster than the 10 times more expensive Nikon D3X!!! Can’t wait to see what the next Pro PEN can do 
By the way the new E-P3 manual is online (Click here to download the pdf). One more test: Olympus E-P3 with 45mm f/1.8 versus Leica 25mm f/1.4 at Reddotphoto.
Check those direct search links to see if your preferred shop has the E-P3 available for preorder: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
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che
11 months ago |what about night clubs and else like that… dont think sooo… had pleassure of shooting d3x with some zoom all the whay 2.8 like 18-70 range and at ISO 6400 its snappy like a popcorns… contrast system is not made for night shoots. i just pre focus at f8.0 and snap… but i really like DSLR phase detection. As per day shoots its all good even 14-42 first generation
Also will anyone confirm is there af assist lamp on E-P3 and others in new lineup
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |@che
weird, I’ve used four thirds and micro four thirds cameras in nightclubs etc for stills and video numerous times and have never had problems focusing…
che
11 months ago |i was refering to PEN’s not Pannys they had AFAL since introduction.
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |ah ok, you can always focus manually
Anonymous
11 months ago |wow – that’s such a helpful comment.
Sim
11 months ago |Che, the E-P3 and the other new Pens have AF assist lamps. According to one review that I read, the E-P3 focuses fast and accurately even in dim conditions like night clubs.
Anentropic
11 months ago |yeah focus is not the problem any more, old sensor means nightclub pics are noisy and/or motion blurred (judging by my GF1)
Robbie
11 months ago |At least problems are being addressed one after another
che
11 months ago |actually not so if you get 1.4 manual or similar, but big flash bouced of is whay to go anyway, even popup can do ok job on full and on shorter distances…
fta
11 months ago |Let the arguing start in 3…2…1 Go!!!
frosti7
11 months ago |1.af-speed of GH1 is as fast as anyone needs (unless your a pro/action/bif photographer)
2.sony’s introduction of the old “peaking” for nex cameras gets me worked up 10x times more then this uber super fast “FA_T” af system
Jim
11 months ago |Yes Sony “peaking” is one of my most wanted features! – The pen Pro just has to have it!
omox
11 months ago |Mine too! It works perfectly on NEX. Wish I had it on my GH2 really. I’m not satisfied with present implementation of manual focus assist. It takes 3-5x more time to focus manual lens with GH2 than NEX. Pity. I hope peaking will be implemented in next Panasonic firmware.
Alfons
11 months ago |Peaking style AF heper is what I have suggested for a couple of years ago on this site. Good to know at least Sony (which has a lot of experience on video cameras) did it. Perfect solution for manual focus lenses.
Another great focus feature is Ricoh’s snapshot focus. Very nice for street photography. If you don’t have the time for bringing up your camera and focusing, just rapidly press the shutter down while keeping the camera on your hip. The camera will take a photo focused at pre-selected distance.
deniz erdem
11 months ago |peaking in nex is kind of a joke.
SPF
11 months ago |How so?
Jim
11 months ago |That comment is kind of a joke…. qualify your statment…. are there too many menues to wade through? is the peaking colour wrong?
Or like I suspect is it excelent if you use old manuel focus lenses and want to work fast?!….
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |@frosti7, @Thom Hogan,anyone????
sorry,what’s the big attraction of focus peaking over enlarged manual zoom on the screen?
Jim
11 months ago |You don’t have to bother enlarging the image to see where the focus critical area is – it just highlights the sharpest 5% of pixels in a hard colour (don’t know what colour as I’ve never seen it)! This is so much better than a zoom – although in slow setup high macro situation a zoom would also be nice to have…. we need both!
The EP1 is so hard to focus well – I don’t use the zoom as its so slow and awkward it interfears with my flow! but the screen is so low res its very hard work…
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |doesn’t look like it would be any good for critical focus and looks like a slow method ,kinda defeats it’s usefulness…
Jim
11 months ago |No, critical focus is easy – the red highlight will show the critical area far easyier than you can see if it is in focus – and at a glance means just finding the tip of a pin, nose of a car, eye of a face will be so fast as you crank the focus you see real time the exact area that is sharp move in bright (red?)… Prisums and small VFs are not as clear or as accurate as red digital enhancement on a 3″ screen! And I bet its faster for critical focus than a range finder…
I am betting if implemented correctly (with enough setup options) focus peaking would be the MF KING of all time ever on any photographic system made!
So how is it slow and not look any good? what do you feel is the fastest and most accurate MF system? and why?
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |I’ve been using the enlarged view on the LCD for about 4 years on a large percentage of my shots for manual focusing: macro, low light, moving subjects, pre-focusing for a subject about to move into an area amongst other type of shots, it’s really quite rare I make focusing mistakes this way.
Also I thinking the flashing colours would distract from composing the shot (probably the same reason I don’t have highlight clipping/blinkies switched on), I’d be willing to try focus peaking in store somewhere…
frosti7
11 months ago |The colors are not “flashing” they just emphesize the subjects which are in focus,
enlarged view is great for studio shots, but when ur shooting candid things just come and go to frame that you will miss if your shooting enlarged view,
whenever i focused on my GH1 i just used the EVF (no enlargement), i’d prefer having better composition then spot on focus.
In other words peaking just emphasizes the subjects that your currently focused on so you dont have to guess where your focus is, its configurable levels, so u can select how much of it do u want,
I believe that with practice it can be as fast as AF, because you don’t have to “focus&recompose”
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |…just use spot focus and bring it around to your chosen subject no need to recompose I think focus peaking would distract you from getting your white balance right especially when shooting candid (and I shoot a lot of candid).
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |The issues are “speed of acquisition” and “confidence of acquisition.” Peak focus is faster in practice and more reliable in practice. Peak focus WITH enlarged view would be even better.
Myst
11 months ago |it all depends on the type of photography you do, for fast shots peaking would be the best, for studio and macro shots enlarged view can be better, though if pressed i would have to choose peaking.
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |not madly convinced by focus peaking for still photography and it probably has limited use in video(set up shots only), if I’m using auto focus I’ll think I’ll rely on the solid green light (I always have the beep volume set to zero) it very very rarely fails me…
Jim
11 months ago |Trust me with a 50mm F1.4 you will miss CRITICAL focus 50% (at best) of the time (I’m talking real life people, not studio stuff) – Ok it could just be me, but if you realy want the exact focus point 3mm of movement forwards or back and you’ve blown it – which is about the amount you move fiddling with buttons trying to switch to/from zoom mode! Even without zooming I find I have to take the pic ASAP when I get my focus as my natural movements will make my focus drift too far within a few seconds! – I doubt you is much more robocop than I is
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |hmmmmmmmmmmmm
at an average wedding I will delete about 6 photos out of 500 straight off the camera, 2 of those will be for focus reasons.
I’m use to operating with very shallow depths of field and it’s not a problem, if I was to miss critical focus even more than 1% of the time I would be disappointed
I use the LCD almost exclusively, whats your technique???
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |We’ve been using it for years on video equipment. It works quite well in giving the user feedback of what in the image is in focus. Enlarged zoom doesn’t actually do that. Enlarged zoom just gives you a bigger view on the screen. You still have to interpret where the focus is. Peaking interprets it for you.
Great Dane
11 months ago |Yes peeking is a nice system, I want one also… Would never ever get a Sony device though.
I mean, 3 sub-menues to set aperture!! That is not a camera, it is a toy!
Neonart
11 months ago |OH NO ADMIN! What have you done!!!! This is going to create a mess once Pablo and the gang see this.
But did anyone notice HOW MUCH BETTER the Panny 20 1.7 does on the EP3! Thats great news!
Now if only someone would test the CD capable 4/3s 14-54II that’d be great.
Pablo
11 months ago |I don’t care about your stupid fast AF. If fast AF was my priority, I wouldn’t go the Oly way either…
I just hope you will be happy with your expensive limited toys from the past century, when Oly seizes the development and production of it’s m4/3 models, too.
Remember, you wouldn’t expect the latest message from mr. “we dunn care about our 4/3 users anymore, but thanks for the big cash you put into our pockets anyway..” a year or two ago, would you?
Wt21
11 months ago |Why…are you…still here?
che
11 months ago |actually the guy has a point… IMHO 4/3 users got screwed
Thevoiceoverman
11 months ago |He has nowhere else to go…
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |Focus acquisition speed on non-moving targets, especially flat ones, is not necessarily a good test of “focus speed.” Personally, I welcome any improvement on Single Servo focus, but I never found it to be a liability on the any of the previous Pens. What was a liability was Continuous Servo and moving subjects.
Mar
11 months ago |I’m interested in Servo mode too, but D3x is not a sports camera as D3s for instance, so people don’t use it as much in C-AF (servo) mode.
Jon
11 months ago |a lot of bird photgrapers use the d3x…
ItsaChris
11 months ago |the D3s and D3x do share the same AF. But you look at the lens tested with the D3x and all but the 14-24 have a much longer focus throw and the 14-24 was the fastest by this test.
testing the macro was a very odd/poor choice…
It is nice to see improvement but it in no way persuades me in buying Oly over any other mirrorless camera.
che
11 months ago |did you actually try d3x… the thing doesnt miss… and i was in a bus shooting outside so its kinda like double speed like 100kmph or so… it focuses far and near subjects just like that…And im not even by far nikon fan
Jim
11 months ago |Yes but testing the 14-24 @14 when the kit oly lens was at 42mm they should ahve run the 14-24 @ 24mm not 14…. I know the 12-60mm is slowest at 60mm so if they had wound that back to 12mm it would have been far more competative!!!
Wt21
11 months ago |I care more about accuracy, such as proper focus on my subject than the background when shooting telephoto, but I’ll certainly take faster focus. Certainly doesn’t hurt.
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |What Mar said: same focus system, lock stock and barrel. Actually, Nikon isn’t the best to test against for single acquisition speed. Nikon’s are notorious for a short delay at acquisition but tremendous in tracking once focus is achieved. As I said, I don’t need faster single AF acquisition on flat targets in bright light. What makes focus work is getting moving subjects right and tracking them.
By the way, we went through this same thing with the E-5, when it was claimed to be the fastest AF system. Personally, I don’t like that kind of marketing (picking out one specific test where you can make a #1 claim and highlighting it). We went through that with cars, HiFis, TVs, computers, you name it.
Jim
11 months ago |yeh bit like saying the EP1 is the worlds fastest camera on my desk!
But still good on em – making it a fast focusing camera by any standard – maybe not the worlds fastet full stop but deffinatly a snappy snapper!
frosti7
11 months ago |+1 “yeh bit like saying the EP1 is the worlds fastest camera on my desk!”
good one
Pekka Potka
11 months ago |I’ll write today more on this aspect of E-P3 AF. Things have changed since E-P2 where continuous AF is useless for stills.
Steve
11 months ago |Even a humble D3100 with a 70-300 AF-S lens can refocus on a moving target fast enough to maintain sharp photos at 3 fps; i.e. in less than 0.3 secs and can acquire initial focus in a similar time as the two other cameras in your test. Your test, while interesting, does seem a little misleading. Does the E-P3 have any way to electrically trigger its focus ?
Al
11 months ago |Wow, taking on the grandfather of the Dslr…LOL
When you have some numbers under EV1, or comparison on tracking fast moving subjects, then lets talk.
Fish
11 months ago |Are you criticizing Olympus because some tester compared its focus speed to the D3X?
This isn’t exactly the case of picking on the elderly that you are making it out to be. It appears to me that Nikon is still selling this camera new, and are charging a very modern price tag for it. If single auto focus is so easy – why is it OK for the $8000 Nikon to be slower than the $800 Olympus? I’m sure the Nikon’s continuous AF is faster – it SHOULD be faster! It’s single AF should be faster too. The fact that it’s not is something that Nikon should be called to task for – not Olympus.
Vlad
11 months ago |“why is it OK for the $8000 Nikon to be slower than the $800 Olympus?”
Maybe there are plenty of other things except AF?
“I’m sure the Nikon’s continuous AF is faster – it SHOULD be faster! ”
Great argument.
Fish
11 months ago |Well then, please articulate what it is that you don’t agree with. Yes, there is are plenty of other things except AF – but even as an Olympus fanboy I would expect that the Nikon should be better at all of them except size/portability (and price obviously). I am perfectly happy with the excellent image quality I get from my E-PL2 and I had no insecurities with the fact that image quality wasn’t the BEST available. For my style of photography (read: family pictures, non-pro, have never enlarged photos to the size of movie posters), it offered the perfect balance of size and performance. Yes, I noticed the slow AF speed and at times it was responsible for missed shots – but I never expected it to focus as fast as a pro-level DSLR (I never expected it to do anything better than a pro level DSLR – except blend in), but that is the natural order of things, isn’t it?
But the fact that Olympus has taken a major gripe that everyone had, and innovated and addressed it, is significant. CDAF was supposed to be more accurate than PDAF, but slower. But Olympus has not only listened to it’s customers and tightened up the AF speed a little bit – they broke the rules and made a CDAF that is even faster than PDAF. People seem to expect a lot from Olympus – which might be why they are so consistently attacked despite the number of innovations they have been responsible for – but the results of this test are far better than any m4/3 user had any right to expect. Ya, there are plenty of other things that make up a great camera – but AF speed is kind of a big one. That’s like comparing my old Honda Civic to a BMW M5 and finding out that it didn’t just have better fuel mileage and a lower pricetag (the only things I could possibly expect it to be better at) – but also had a superior suspension. That would go against the natural order of things and would certainly earn Honda a pat on that back.
My point is, why has this post generated so many negative comments? I’m willing to bet that no Nikon user has gone on to rail against their camera manufacturer, demanding to know how a cheap little camera that doesn’t even come with a viewfinder, was able to beat their $8000 camera in single AF speed.
I’m sure the Nikon (and every pro level DSLR) has better continuous AF – I only use single AF (likely because continuous is unusable on m4/3 and I haven’t yet experienced how wonderful it can be), but from what I have seen of the videos and the tests, Oly’s new single AF is almost instantaneous. I don’t shoot much video so it doesn’t matter to me if the image is in focus between photos, as long as it is in focus when I take the picture. From what I have seen, this new technology should now be fast enough to capture my kids’ playing soccer. it that’s the case, it is another check mark in the plus column.
– There’s your pat on the back, Olympus. Keep up the good work –
Vlad
11 months ago |Wow, long answer. I articulated what I wanted to say very clearly – I even quoted you for that purpose. The phrases just don’t make sense to me. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with your needs and/or usage of the Pen system.
Fish
11 months ago |Pardon me, but I did not found either comment very clear.
Quoting me does not count as articulating what you wanted to say – because the quotes are still me talking : ) All that you added were a pair of mysterious sentence fragments. I found your comment, “Maybe there are plenty of other things except AF?” so vague that I don’t know what you meant by it – I can’t tell if it was sarcasm, or speculation, or an actual question.
The phrases don’t make sense to you? What is it that you are struggling with? The language itself or the concepts? Both phrases that you quoted come from the same point that I will try and make even more clear:
*No one should be surprised that an $8000 professional DSLR beats an $800 consumer camera at focusing – but we should be surprised (and impressed) when that consumer cam manages to beat the pro*
Are you sure “the phrases don’t make sense” to you? Or did you actually mean that you “disagree with the phrases”. If it’s the former, I don’t mind trying to explain myself further, while being conscious of my post length. But if it’s the latter, than there’s no point. You are free to disagree and you don’t have to articulate why.
Chris K
11 months ago |Why attack someone giving you data? If you don’t find the data useful, move on. Why do you need to publicly roll your eyes and tell the tester that you don’t like his work?
Personally I found the test, while unorthodox, enlightening. It tells me the EP3 isn’t just “fast for a M43″ in terms of static AF acquisition, but fast in absolute terms. The exact numbers will OF COURSE change depending on the lens and exact test performed, but this test does frame the EP3 nicely.
My takeaway is this: I now expect that my EP3 will be within spitting distance of my 5D2 and 24-70/2.8′s AF performance, at least for static, high contrast subjects. Time will tell, of course.
The fact that the EP3 is using its f/5.6 KIT ZOOM and showing near a D3X with an 85/1.4 is interesting. That hints to me that the EP3 might perform pretty well in low light, because the EP3 was already handicapped four stops in this test. One must wonder how the EP3 might perform with its own fast prime, the 45/1.8?
Nobodee
11 months ago |That is very interesting to know. But this is not an ultimate AF test. The real strength of AF systems of Cameras like Nikon D3X is in continuous focusing and tracking fast-moving objects, not at jumpy snapshots.
Narretz
11 months ago |Did we just ger the first 45mm 1.8 pictures and nobody noticed? Or did I miss the first batch of pictures?
Shay
11 months ago |This.
I know a single picture from a preproduction version isn’t much to judge, but it looks soft. Doesn’t make me confidence about the actual released version…
Narretz
11 months ago |That’S what I thought. Too soft.
LaBo
11 months ago |+1, a bit too soft with a lack of contrast…
could be great i we can see a real test with a comparison with the
45 mm 2.8 macro panasonic/leica
skldkl
11 months ago |well single focus is for loosers.
servo mode is important.
and what about low light.. this is all marketing blablah to some extend…
YouDidntDidYou
11 months ago |servo mode is for the bone idle lazy!
Digifan
11 months ago |Are we getting insecure.
What a loosers comment, ofcourse s-af is not for loosers neither is c-af.
I think you’ŕe getting insecure because Olympus DID improve overall quality and issues of the past. They could do even better with diversification, but it seems they listen well.
The fact they really HAVE accomplished worlds fastest s-af is freaking you out and a lot. That’s insecurity paramount.
stimmer
11 months ago |That 45 1.8 picture comparison made me want to buy a 5dmkII. That was a nice picture. The 45 1.8 didn’t do as well in that example. It is a pre production copy to be fair.
Anybody griping about a marked improvement in autofocus simply does not want Olympus to do well. Any improvement from before is more than welcome and would be of use to anybody. It’s the same reason people want faster computers, ipads, etc. The feel when you are using something is very important and underrated. I use the ipad all the time becuase it feels like everything is instantaneous. That’s important. And this autofocus breakthrough is important as well.
If Olympus could put all of this together with a nice sensor, great lenses, and awesome focusing they would really be onto something. They just need somebody to guide them with the marketing aspects.
Vlad
11 months ago |They have nice lenses already. Update that sensor already and it will be a fantastic camera.
Dan
11 months ago |Nope, had the 5D Mark Ii. Considering the price difference I think the 45 1.8 puts up a good fight against the 5D, and let’s not forget the Olympus has IBS, Canon does not. If the autofocus claims are true, the death of the SLR is immenent.
Stupig
11 months ago |What do you find appealing in the 5DmkII shot in comparison with the 45/1.8? Shallower DoF? If that’s what you’re after then m4/3 isn’t going to satisfy you I’m afraid. On the flip side, as long as it’s an SLR design, the size and weight will be there.
Archer Sully
11 months ago |Whoever took those shots was a maroon: the 45/1.8 was shot at ISO1600, the PanaLeica at 1000 at the 5DII at 1250. Don’t know what the guy was thinking.
mors
11 months ago |you m43 people are cheap unemployed i guess … otherwise you would not buy such inferior shit.
i bet here is not one guy who makes money whit photography.. only fucking retards.
Raines
11 months ago |I know I shouldn’t feed trolls but: If you would like to simply get a rise out of people, I think you should start with spelling.
Also as someone else pointed out, the most un-happiest camera users by forum standards are Nikon and Canon users, unless they happen to be on a µ4/3 forum- then their gear is perfect.
Jim
11 months ago |FUCKTARD ALERT!!!
Stopkidding
11 months ago |Sigh! There used to be a time when the comments on this site made sense. Now its all garbage. At least the reporting is still enjoyable to read. Why does it always have be such a pissing match about who is right and wrong?
Eric
11 months ago |Sadly, the more popular a site becomes the more idiots and trolls it attracts. Comments on Engadget are unreadable for example.
But all the bickering over minute technical details about cameras cracks me up most times. I always think to myself, how does something like 1/10th of a sec faster AF speed effect my photography in any way? Oh yeah, it won’t.
che
11 months ago |oh yeah, it will help you to catch decisive moment, what else… Im coming from a rangefinder background and im pretty fast at manual focusing, but very long focus circles on slr lenses are just ridiculous, for a movie its another story not to mention stupid focus by wire… whoever invented it should be hanged and made example…seriously stupid guy…
Wt21
11 months ago |Was just about to comment that the comments here have fallen apart. The various band of idiots and haters and get-a-lifers dangling around. Will still follow the reporting, but I think I’ll stick to mu43 for user discussion, unless admin starts moderating. Otherwise it’s just too DPR.
Stopkidding
11 months ago |Actually having snappy autofocus is great if you want to go candid street photography, which is what the EP3 series cameras will turn out to be. Killer discreet cameras for candid action.
che
11 months ago |word
Eric
11 months ago |Snappy is great, but what I don’t understand are the people that argue over which is faster between a GH2 or EP3, or EP3 vs D3x. I look at the speed of all three cameras and come one simple conclusion, all three are fast enough, so which is fastest is totally irrelevant.
Simon
11 months ago |Some days ago all the experts disqualified Olympus because of its slow AF. Now Oly has a fast, useful AF and all of a sudden a fast AF is not useful any more and “speed of a GH1 is more than enough”. Come on people….
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |You do realize that both things can be true, right?
I personally never criticized the Single Servo AF acquisition speed on the Pens, despite the fact they were slower than the Panasonic GH or my Nikon DSLRs. What I did criticize is the Continuous Servo AF, which was, in my estimation, basically unusable. You can speed up one without improving the other (or vice versa).
As someone said up above, I’d rather have peaking than a faster AF system, but I’ll take either (and would prefer both).
Olympius
11 months ago |Continuous auto-focus has been a joke on Olympus cameras since the E-1. I like to refer to it as “continuous out-of-focus.” And honestly, the E-1 had the best implementation, it just went down hill from there.
I once attempted to use C-AF on the E-620, but when it absolutely refused to focus lock on a brightly lit and very stationary scoreboard at a football game, I turned it off and never looked back.
I’m with Thom, much rather see Oly (and Panasonic) fix their nearly useless C-AF functions, then try to speed up the focus of the camera on non-moving targets. Canon and Nikon are still light years beyond Olympus in that regard.
This super fast Pen focus is just something for the fanboys to argue about.
Olympius
x
11 months ago |C-AF on Panny G1 is very good. I had the camera for a year and loved C-AF performance. Sure, not the very best available on the market, but very good.
I sold it, only because I wanted the GF1 (which was then discontinued and jumped in price so I don’t have anything now)
HeMan
11 months ago |I really, really have to disagree with you there. C-AF on the G1 was rubbish. I tried using it at an airfield with the 45-200mm when I first got it and after it failed to track even slow moving aircraft I clearly remember thinking “Hey, C-AF doesn’t work!”
Jim
11 months ago |Did you see the video posted the other day with the Oly photographer shooting some rock climbing? – on the interview in there (done on EP3) they left the focus in CAF mode for the video and although it hunted a little a couple of times – it was way way way faster than the old models and once focus woas found stopped hunting!! a massive improvement, making CAF almost usable in video mode!
Thom Hogan
11 months ago |But this sort of hunting is typically a false positive focus event. It’s a very tricky thing, actually. People keep telling me that autofocus on video cameras works, but most of us shooting video turn it off because of this very thing. The human brain works better at determining when focus really needs to change than these automated systems do in many (but not all) video sequences.
Just as Nikon has done pattern recognition in exposure metering, someone needs to do motion pattern recognition in focus systems.
Jim
11 months ago |That will be where mirrorless will win – think Honda ASIMO 2…. youtube it, it is the future of all electronic vision/survalance systems.
Object recognition, with some super advanced prossecing it will be possible for the camera to plot and predict the movments of an object in psudo 3 dimentions!… (change of scale in a known lens length will give the depth que)…
But for now I totaly agree AF is not ideal even on video cameras… all hunt and decide at some time or another that they want to have a go at focusing on somthing else
But for the EP3 it is deffinatly better than the constant, continuious, head spinning pulsing in out on my EP1…. why the EP1 even has CAF puzzles me, its just the same as pressing the butten again and again and again…. The EP3 seems to settle better and any pulsing it does is alot faster and way way smaller in pulse movement.
Zaph
11 months ago |Given that peaking was added via firmware, is there any reason the same couldn’t be done on the PENs?
Jim
11 months ago |I pray Vitaliy Kiselev has a go at hacking the PEN FW!!!
Bobak
11 months ago |+100
some hacked and stable software could be very exciting!
PS – I agree with the statements above. The comments section seems filled with fanboys and malcontents. OK we now have faster AF, thats great. what is the draw back to that?? Some posters need to get a life.
Ab
11 months ago |Sorry Thom,
You are being a bit dishonest here, from your review of the EP1:
http://bythom.com/olympusep1review.htm
Quoted:
“Autofocus System
In a word: sucks.”
“In low light, the autofocus system begins to completely fail, never obtaining focus. Even my Coolpix P6000 is better at focus than the E-P1, and I don’t think of that Coolpix as being very good. The Panasonic G1 is faster, by a wide margin, in finding focus, which shows that it isn’t a problem with m4/3, it’s an Olympus contrast focus execution problem.”
“Overall, the focus system is the one place where the E-P1 doesn’t seem like a DSLR. That may be a critical issue for some of you. For me, my general use of the camera is more compact camera like, thus having compact camera-like focus performance was okay for me.”
“Still, I did some impromptu testing of spontaneous single focus from a moving vehicle: my Coolpix P6000, which I don’t consider a particularly fast focuser, consistently beat the E-P1 from initial shutter press to shutter release. Consistently. And it wasn’t even close, so I didn’t have to measure it with a stopwatch to see the difference.”
“Moreover, if you use a Panasonic G1 (or GH1), you quickly discover that the same lens on it is focusing consistently faster. No, I think Olympus has work to do on the focus system. Lots of work.”
I could have copied the entire section. As AF didnt change too much from that point, they got is a bit faster with newer lenses… but what about this quote:
“The Panasonic is respectably fast and very consistent for a contrast-based system. It’s not DSLR quality–no compact is going to tweak contrast focusing to the levels you get with DSLRs”
http://bythom.com/compactmirrorless.htm
“Surprisingly, the Olympus was less good than the Panasonic. That’s true in all focus modes.”
This makes a difference Thom, and now that Olympus has improved is AF at least in SAF there will be no more quotes like these… Instead we will have a bunch of complaints about how it doesnt matter. Do you know how many people chose Panasonic over Olympus due to the constant battering its AF got?
Ab
deniz erdem
11 months ago |i criticized single AF and now that its pretty damn fast, im happy. let that be on the records.
Robbie
11 months ago |That’s the way people do here LOL
What’s gonna come ultimately will be forever sensor size issue!
omox
11 months ago |Hehe good point!
Nobodee
11 months ago |It is probably unfair to ask a camera like E-P3 to do continuous tracking AF as well as professional cameras for sports photography do. But I have a feeling that if we do ask, Olympus will be able to deliver just that in E-P4:-)
Great great accomplishment indeed.
Jimson
11 months ago |It is unfair, but I’ll go ahead and ask anyway! =)
3333
11 months ago |problem is that m43 is per se consumer shit.
Digifan
11 months ago |Yeah you’re right, but this cheap “consumer shit” is earning my income LOL.
Shea
11 months ago |I’m actually most interested in the E-P3 manual. It mentions “Digital Tele-converter,” and I’m really wondering if it’s similar to what the GH2 has! (The sensor is not down-sampled, instead the center 1920×1080 pixels are cropped and that’s what is used.) If so, this is kind of huge for people wanting video out of this thing. That is, unless the E-P3 sensor actually really does pixel binning for video, which would make the E-P3 even more exciting, actually.
Ranger 9
11 months ago |I’ll bet I could make up a test scenario that would show ANY camera’s AF system as being faster than any OTHER camera’s AF system!
Still, the important thing is that the new Olympus is a big improvement over the old. For people who liked the previous models except they felt AF was too slow, this should now be a solved problem. For people who liked the previous models and felt the AF was fine, well, they should be just as happy as they were before.
Chris K
11 months ago |Stop on by and try my EP1+35/3.5 macro versus my 7D+24-70L. If you can make the EP1 faster, you can have my 7D, because I won’t need it anymore.
I was happy with my EP1 as a camera, but avoided using it when I needed fast AF. This new EP3 will be as good as a camera, and I will be able to use it more often because the situations where its AF is too slow will be fewer.
With every iteration of Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds, I use my SLR kit less and less. I’m down from 13 EF lenses to four now, and with improvements in the M43 lineup I might soon be down to a 5D2 with a 24-70 glued to it, and a 7D with a 100-400 glued to it. My shoulders are very happy.
Jim
11 months ago |Yeh i’ll take that daz doorstep chalange… make a setup which my EP1 will focus faster than say the Nikon D3s?
Soz Chris K I see you have already taken the daz door step chalange!
n1
Tripp
11 months ago |It is noticeable how D3X owners feel the need to put Olympus down for having fast AF. You guys still have better C-AF, DR, lens selection etc.
However you need to deal with the fact that m43 progress is spectacular. The history is repeatind, even today a MF camera will provide a long list of advantages over 35mm. In spite of that, portability prevailed.
Right now we’re gowing the same way, like it or not.
omox
11 months ago |+1
My sentiments exactly!
Raines
11 months ago |Seriously… I just want comments and more samples of the 45mm f1.8, not this endless drivel about Canon/Nikon/AF speed/get a big boy system.
Snowbird_UT
11 months ago |Put me in the same club as Thom, I’m very interested to see how the Continuous AF performs on moving targets.
nikpro
11 months ago |It’s not unreasonable to compare the PEN to a high end SLR. I have been a loyal Nikon shooter for almost 10 years now. I have owned the D50, D200, D300, and currently have the D700. Under *most* conditions the EPL1 produces files that to my eye actually look better than my beloved D700. Yes the D700 has amazing dynamic range, but the EPL1 images are so crisp with lots of texture and fine detail and the colors/skin best Nikons palette. Every time I open an EPL1 file my jaw drops. I am stunned what this camera produces (especially with the 20 1.7 attached). The other plus is that with the PEN I tend to shoot JPEGs as the engine is quite superb whereas the Nikon requires some time in LR. If the EP3 pans out to be as good as the initials reviews suggest, I just might have to sell that D700…..
Thevoiceoverman
11 months ago |Good grief! A sensible honest remark. Thank you, whoever you are…
Jack
11 months ago |I agree very much with Thom even I am a Olympus fanboy lol. It would be a wonderful world if Olympus had peaking, and better tracking. I wonder if there would be a patent issue on the peaking if they introduce something similar.
I still love M43′s flexibility in terms of lens and body though, you really can’t get a more complete small system as of now. Let’s hope they keep up with their improvement pace.
SxMW
11 months ago |Panny has peaking on the AF100 so I doubt there is a patent on it. In fact I think quite a few pro/semi-pro video cameras have this as the cinematographer can’t jump to zoom view to focus!
M
11 months ago |It would be a wonderful world if m4/3 just died and we could go back to real 4/3 cameras.
Zo
11 months ago |As a long time Olympus user, this both gives me hope and pisses me off.
Hope because they can get the AF that they have always needed, pisses me off that they should have had this in their DSLRs
I am also pissed that we will have to wait till the E-P4 probably in 2013 to see the higher ISO and DR they also need
I believe they do this incremental poop to have you keep buying cameras.
Archer Sully
11 months ago |Single AF is likely pretty similar between the E-P3 w/14-42IIR and the E-5 w/12-60. The test will be C-AF.
Zaph
11 months ago |“I believe they do this incremental poop to have you keep buying cameras.”
Which ones do you have?
Fish
11 months ago |+1
Great point Zaph
amvr
11 months ago |This scheme would be very successful and profitable if Olympus were up to date with industry standards in regards to their sensor. It’s the very same scheme Apple has, 1st gen products never have the most logic of features only to be added in their 2nd and 3rd gen products, hence people keep buying just to get those updates. Problem is, this only works if you have the very best of technology, marketing and a vast user base…Olympus doesn’t have any of them.
I’ve made it a personal goal to resist the temptation of any new m4/3 camera since my e-pl1 until they actually renew or improve their noise-infested sensors and improve DR, fast AF is a plus but I prioritize image quality…I thought olympus did too…If only they had the G3 sensor, oh the wonders it would bring…
Raines
11 months ago |yes but really- they’re all “gadgets.” That’s what we have in the modern world. My Pentax K1000 does what it was intended to do- without any sort of anything to replace it, it will last another 20 years. Who will still be using ANY sort of digital camera from ANYONE in 20 years? No one will. There will ALWAYS be a more modern upgraded version in the future. It’s not a “Apple thing” it’s a computer technology “thing.” Do you still use the same computer you did 10 years ago? Of course not, same things go for these camera/mp3 player/cell phone computer gadgets.
Chris K
11 months ago |This did have this kind of AF performance in their DSLRs, with the E-3/E-30/E-5 and their SWD lenses. I found the E-3 and 12-60 and 50-200SWD to be very quick. Not quite as quick as Canon’s fastest in my opinion, but still very good, and very usable so long as the subject wasn’t moving.
mir
11 months ago |how come one of the photos were labled ‘OM 45/1.8′?
steve
11 months ago |apples and oranges, jackass.
jocky scot
11 months ago |The problem with olympus has always been underpowered cameras with slow processors. I don’t know if the two cospire to make for slow focus and poor tracking but I suspect that is the case. Is this new focus system accurate and reliable? That is surely more important than absolute speed.
shutterwill
11 months ago |one more 45 1.8 sample photo:
http://www.gsnowdon.com/blog/resources/reviews/olympus-ep3-first-impressions/
Raines
11 months ago |Thanks! Finally! This is like the 3rd sample of the 45mm.
grzybu
11 months ago |This sample looks very good.
It can be very good replacement for my old Rokkor 50/1.4.
Looks like 45/1.8 has better quality at f/1.8 than Rokkor at f/2. And it has AF
If Pany will release focus peaking for their cameras then 45/1.8 will be bit less interesting, but still tempting.
AndyOz
11 months ago |Admin
Slightly off topic. I was reading one of your old posts from May talking about the Pen Pro with EVF coming this year and that this would be the first model with a new Olympus designed sensor and that it would have really good IQ and dynamic range.
http://www.43rumors.com/ft3-olympus-revolution-the-next-pen-pro-with-own-designed-sensor/
I was just wondering whether the 12.3 MP sensor in the E-P3 is NOT the same sensor as what will come in the Pen Pro. Is it possible that for the lower models Oly has just tweaked the old sensor but for the Pen Pro that there is an all new sensor? I hope that is going to happen.
Or was the original rumor source just unsure about it and perhaps the only Oly ‘designed’ sensor is the 12.3 MP one in the new Pens (E-PL3, E-P3) which will be the same as the Pen Pro. Any ideas?
Thanks
admin
11 months ago |THe original source said it’s a “completely” new sensor and he said it was coming for the pro model. The E-P3 is NOT the pro model. So he was not referring to the E-P3.
I am right now in touh with the source to learn more about that!
AndyOz
11 months ago |Thanks admin. Thats good to know. So we should expect even better IQ from the Pro than the E-P3. Thats fantastic. I guess some us assumed incorrectly that this new sensor was also the one in the E-P3.
Adrian
11 months ago |The guy who made the tests seems to be a beginer.
Did anybody read the “review” ?
I would not publish informations like this.
Loh
11 months ago |“beginner” who can afford a Nikon D3x….!? WOW!!
ma55imo
11 months ago |Today one cannot be surprised by something like that.
I know a couple of guys whose first cars were brand new Audi S5 and Range Rover and that was at the age of 17-18! I can hardly name them other than beginner drivers at that time
Now people have so much money that they judge by the “simply the best” factor rather than by the skill levels requiered. Same with gadgets, cell phones, cameras…
Agent00soul
11 months ago |I have been testing computers/digital cameras for a living and I consider his method valid. It will not isolate the actual focusing time, so the percentages are not directly proportional to the differences in focus speed. However, he clearly states that.
Agent00soul
11 months ago |Adrian: The guy who made the tests seems to be a beginer.
Did you read his CV?
Ville Viskari
11 months ago |@Adrian: Did you read anything on his site? Can you read? Or is it somehow hard to understand?
Daneyumyum
11 months ago |Guys even if i love the micro3/4 i can’t believe something like that this is juste stupid in real conditions with a good lense the D3x may beat the EP3.
Thomas Schindler
11 months ago |http://fourthirds-user.com/2011/07/some_shots_with_the_new_olympus_mzuiko_45mm_f18.php
enjoy. The lens is def. top-of-the notch
leendert
11 months ago |“12-60mm 1:2.8-4 with Novoflex m4/3 adapter”
43->m43 adapter with AF?
Novoflex, why not the Olympus adapter?
Alfons
11 months ago |Because Novoflex is what he happened to have on hand?
leendert
11 months ago |Where can I find the Novoflex 43 -> m43 adapter?
Pekka Potka
11 months ago |Yes, all my LENS > m4/3 adapters are by Novoflex.
-p-
Alfons
11 months ago |Admin, are you sure there will be even more professional model?
Olympus’ website calls E-P3 their flagship model (well they could just bring in a new flagship). On photographyreview’s video they use E-P3 with 4/3 lenses demonstrating how a professional works with E-P3. That tells us something about their marketing strategy.
New lenses aren’t weather proof either, are they? 12mm is still SHG, right? That would like to say m4/3 will not have a weather sealed models.
Jim
11 months ago |Good point – unless I missed it there is no mension of this SHG lens being sealed? – your right – this means they are not looking at a sealed body…
Andy
11 months ago |The D3 series autofocus is not particularly fast compared with other DSLRs (I own a D3 and have owned other SLRs in the past) but it works well in low light and is extremely accurate. This is what’s important. From what I’ve seen, the EP3 AF has trouble locking on in low light.
lean
11 months ago |http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/Product-Review-Olympus-Zuiko-12mm-f2-Lens-for-Micro-Four-Thirds
new, little review
Joppar
11 months ago |Fast Focusung! and so what?
Zaph
11 months ago |When will someone have an E-P3 to be able to test the focus tracking?
Paulus
11 months ago |Olympus E-P3 (€999.00 – 321g) autofocus is faster than the Nikon D3X (€6,980.00 – 1,220g) autofocus!
I really like this cost-performance ratio.
WOW!!!
Shoot faster – carry less!
The Olympus E-System – Ultimate Performance in a lightweight Design
The_V
11 months ago |The AF comparison has been done with the s_l_o_w_e_s_t Nikon lenses. The E-P3 may be fast but this test is not serious.