Robin Wong tests the 15 year old Olympus E-1

Thew Olympus E-1 is now 15 years old and you can still buy them used on Amazon and [shoplink 71449 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]. And 15 years after we got a new review by Robin Wong:

Has imaging technology improved that much over the years that cameras from only a few years ago have become truly obsolete?
My answer is both yes, and no. Yes, imaging innovation has indeed come a long way and pushed imaging boundaries. On the other hand, I don’t believe any camera can be completely obsolete. If it can shoot a good portrait photograph 10 years ago, it can surely do the same today, and for several years to come. The Megapixels may not be sufficient for larger resolution displays, and the images may be lacking in terms of overall sharpness, dynamic range and color tonality but we all know that photography is a lot more than just technical perfection. I have to remind myself, to make use of what I currently have, before considering an upgrade which may not add value to my photography.

E-M1II pattern noise issue tested by J.S.Park

J.S.Park sent me this message:

You may know the Sony sensor having phase detection pixel shows banding in strong light. Olympus E-M1 Mark II having such Sony sensor also shows similar phenomenon.  Sony camera shows banding while Olympus E-M1 Mark II shows pattern noise. I have thoroughly tested it  and posted it in my blog:
http://lenswork.tistory.com
I’d like to share my findings.

It appears this is a common issue on all sensor with phase detection pixels. Don’t think there is a workaround yet. And don’t get alarmed because this happens in certain very specific and rare conditions only.

Olympus PEN E-PL9 Review by Photographyblog

The E-PL9 is in Stock at Amazon DE and Amazon UK.

Photographyblog posted their full Olympus E-PL9 Review:

Bottom line, the Olympus PEN E-PL9 is not the most exciting update we’ve seen. Those into video making are best served by the improvements in this latest model. AF speed impresses, it’s good to see the built-in flash return (though sadly see the accessory port removed), wireless connections work a treat and the new graphical interface is fun. 
In it’s own right, the Olympus PEN E-PL9 is an excellent entry-level compact-system-camera with more features than most. 

The camera has yet still to be announced in the USA.

Leica 50-200mm review at ePhotozine: “a lovely lens and an Editor’s Choice”


Leica 50-200mm lens at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, Panasonic.

ePhotozine posted the full Leica 50-200mm review:

Panasonic has produced here a telephoto zoom that is exceptionally easy to handle, produces excellent results and is priced realistically against the competition. Compared to full frame marques, it is priced very competitively when we consider what job the lens does.
Not only that, but the compact, light construction mirrors the size of the MFT cameras and follows the ethos of the MFT system. It is easy to see the attraction of lighter, smaller cameras and lenses, especially when the quality is still extremely high.
So, on various levels, a lovely lens and an Editor’s Choice.

The Spanish webiste AlbedoMedia (translation here) also tested the new Leica 50-200mm lens:

The Power OIS optical stabilization system met our expectations, minimizing trepidation both in the final image and in the previous act of correctly composing each scene in the electronic viewfinder or back screen with total precision.

We can appreciate a very good level of detail and definition in the resulting images. Recall that the Panasonic Leica Vario-Elmarit 50-200 mm internally has a complex optical scheme of 21 elements in 15 groups, including aspherical and low dispersion lenses.

In all the samples is clear the ability of this optics to generate selective approaches well defined and defined, in the same way that its bokeh is very smooth, with a transition to very homogeneous planes out of focus.