Conclusion
The E-P1 is Olympus’s first Micro Four Thirds camera as well as the first digital PEN camera put forth by the manufacturer. Priced at just under the $800 mark (with 14-42mm lens kit), the E-P1 held its own in our 3-way Head-2-Head battle against Canon and Nikon’s respective sub-$900 DSLR offerings.
The Canon Rebel T1i is the most expensive camera of the lot, priced at $899.99 (with an 18-55mm IS lens), with Nikon’s D5000 sitting evenly between the two at an $849.99 price point (with an 18-55mm VR lens). Ostensibly, the extra $50-$100 charge for the T1i goes to additional resolution – 15.1 megapixels on the Canon, compared to 12.3 megapixels on the Nikon D5000 and Olympus P-E1. However, after running a battery of field tests on the three cameras, we’re able to make some further observations to help distinguish the models from each other.
Nikon D5000
Leaning towards file quality, color accuracy and good dynamic range as we do, the D5000 is the winner for the best-looking, best-processed files. The body itself, short of the big, swiveling display, gives us nothing really remarkable, and the lens (in-) compatibility matrix seems a little over the top - a drawback of the “Silent Wave” strategy. With HD video and great files, however, it seems like Nikon’s weigh-in at this price point is competent and capable, and a good choice for emerging Nikon shooters.
Canon Rebel T1i
The Canon is a more conservative entry. Its files walk the middle road between noise and sharpness, the colors are nice, but not too far from the standard rendering, the features are what we’ve come to expect from the manufacturer at this price point. Certainly it seems that Canon has tried to add choices, along with features, but more in the way that the features get set up and used by the photographer - dust reduction a case in point. The Canon is an under- $1,000 camera that is certainly not going to disappoint. It’s not going to break through any barriers, but it’s a good, middle-of-the-road answer to a low-priced performer for those looking to buy into the Canon system.
Olympus E-P1
Unique though it may be, the E-P1 falls short on file quality for us. The system has some room to grow. Yes, the lens options are great, but without a stellar file it’s a little empty. That being said, the camera has things that a lot of people find irresistible: great styling, a unique and clean design, versatility in lens choice (including using old Leica glass), and a compact form. Unlike other niche cameras, it’s not going to break the budget to buy into this camera, and for the fun, the conversation and the collectability of it, we’re guessing it’s worth the money for some. It’s going to be a good product for advancing point-and-shooters, but if we’re walking out the door to do some serious shooting, we’re grabbing something else.
* Thanks to E.P. Levine for supplying equipment for this review.
