cardog
Contributor
If the difference in initial cost were not an issue ( camera and housing) and 90% of your underwater photography was macro ( macro meaning between 1-8 inches from your subject), which kit would you purchase?
EPL-2 Vs. XZ-1
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Wisnu
Contributor
I'm SP-350 user, mostly take macro. I had been waiting Oly to release the replacement of SP-350 for years. I also own G9.
I just bought E-PL1 w/ 10 bar housing 2 months ago - but if I know Oly would release XZ-1, I would wait for that as seem more suitable for typical compact users.
I just bought E-PL1 w/ 10 bar housing 2 months ago - but if I know Oly would release XZ-1, I would wait for that as seem more suitable for typical compact users.
XZ-1 looks great for macro. It'll be smaller, I think they have the same microprocessor so speed should be good. They used a large sensor and kept it at 10 megapixels for good pixel size. The housing is threaded for an add on lens if you want it. I'm not sure about the wide angle, as it's a long zoom and the distance between the lens and port may cause vignetting.
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On paper, for macro the XZ-1 looks better. It has a "super macro" mode, which focuses to 1cm at the wide setting; in macro mode, 10-20cm, wide vs tele zoom. The stock lens on the E-PL2 focuses only to 25cm. Nonetheless, the larger E-PL2 may be better in practice. You can add wet macro lenses and the larger senser (6x larger) which allows you to crop in to the subject.
Olympus has announced a 50mm macro lens is coming, this should be superb. If you use the standard Olympus housing with flat port, you can add an external macro adapter which accepts 67mm wet macro lenses that can be stacked. So, with some add-ons, you can get much closer. If you use the 10bar housing with flat port, you can use the available Panasonic 45mm macro lens which is excellent. I think either of the macro lenses will yield better images than the XZ-1 could aspire to.
But there is no doubt the XZ-1 packs a lot of features that sum up to a great camera in a more compact package. That for me is it's appeal. If I want the ultimate image quality, the PEN cameras are better -- but no doubt a real DSLR would walk all over them with the right lens. There is no perfect answer, just a range of compromises that give you rational choices.
I'll probably get both, XZ-1 for easy travel, a PEN for better image quality.
I don't see major improvements in the E-PL2 vs E-PL1, and the latter is much cheaper. So for me the best deal is the E-PL1.
Olympus has announced a 50mm macro lens is coming, this should be superb. If you use the standard Olympus housing with flat port, you can add an external macro adapter which accepts 67mm wet macro lenses that can be stacked. So, with some add-ons, you can get much closer. If you use the 10bar housing with flat port, you can use the available Panasonic 45mm macro lens which is excellent. I think either of the macro lenses will yield better images than the XZ-1 could aspire to.
But there is no doubt the XZ-1 packs a lot of features that sum up to a great camera in a more compact package. That for me is it's appeal. If I want the ultimate image quality, the PEN cameras are better -- but no doubt a real DSLR would walk all over them with the right lens. There is no perfect answer, just a range of compromises that give you rational choices.
I'll probably get both, XZ-1 for easy travel, a PEN for better image quality.
I don't see major improvements in the E-PL2 vs E-PL1, and the latter is much cheaper. So for me the best deal is the E-PL1.
Hi everybody!
I am facing a similar problem
I want to upgrade from my compact camera (Lumix fx01 plus mb sub foto-light)which has worked quite well for macro in the past. A European dealer warned me though that the combo kit lens + e-pl 2 wouldn't be that much better 
for macro. In order to really get good IQ with that setup he said in macro you really need a macro lens and the Olympus 50mm which is coming won't be cheap... Here I differ with the initial poster cost is an issue for me and I am quite unsure whether the image quality in macro is worth the extra bucks in comparison to the xz-1 combo. Adding the macro lens makes the E-Pl2 option way more expensive and who knows whether it will fit in the standard flat port? I am not so keen on the E-PL1 option because the housing is really much bigger and I don't need that viewfinder...
I have yet to see really good pictures of the E-pl1 or 2 with the kit lens and the optional macro converter. Any of you?
One other thing I noticed: I have learned to love my auto focus assist lamp. With that I have been able to make quite nice pictures of mandarin fish. Most divers I've done mandarin dives with had much more problems...
So I was happy to see that the xz-1 also has this red assist lamp which doesn't scare mandarin fish away. Now unfortunately Olympus seems to have covered that little lamp with their housing.
Greetings from Germany!
I am facing a similar problem
I want to upgrade from my compact camera (Lumix fx01 plus mb sub foto-light)which has worked quite well for macro in the past. A European dealer warned me though that the combo kit lens + e-pl 2 wouldn't be that much better for macro. In order to really get good IQ with that setup he said in macro you really need a macro lens and the Olympus 50mm which is coming won't be cheap... Here I differ with the initial poster cost is an issue for me and I am quite unsure whether the image quality in macro is worth the extra bucks in comparison to the xz-1 combo. Adding the macro lens makes the E-Pl2 option way more expensive and who knows whether it will fit in the standard flat port? I am not so keen on the E-PL1 option because the housing is really much bigger and I don't need that viewfinder...I have yet to see really good pictures of the E-pl1 or 2 with the kit lens and the optional macro converter. Any of you?
One other thing I noticed: I have learned to love my auto focus assist lamp. With that I have been able to make quite nice pictures of mandarin fish. Most divers I've done mandarin dives with had much more problems...
So I was happy to see that the xz-1 also has this red assist lamp which doesn't scare mandarin fish away. Now unfortunately Olympus seems to have covered that little lamp with their housing.
Greetings from Germany!
OP
cardog
Contributor
Hi everybody!
I am facing a similar problem
I have yet to see really good pictures of the E-pl1 or 2 with the kit lens and the optional macro converter. Any of you?
One other thing I noticed: I have learned to love my auto focus assist lamp. With that I have been able to make quite nice pictures of mandarin fish. Most divers I've done mandarin dives with had much more problems...
So I was happy to see that the xz-1 also has this red assist lamp which doesn't scare mandarin fish away. Now unfortunately Olympus seems to have covered that little lamp with their housing.
Greetings from Germany!
You wont be able to use the focus assist light with the PT-050 housing.....
Looking at the XZ-1 housing it appears to only have a single 1/4X20 threaded tripod adapter on the base? Is this going to be strong enough to hold a heavy lens like the new Inon LD wide angle or the former WAL100 with glass dome?
It seems like there should be a metal base or at least two attach points to distribute the load?
N
It seems like there should be a metal base or at least two attach points to distribute the load?
N
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if your are mainly doing macro you may also want to consider that the EPL2/EPL1 will not sync the non Olympus strobos over 1/160, 1/180. For some may not be a limitation but in clear water you have a hard time darkening the background of pictures without going to the highest F settings of the lens (and you lose quality if you go over 1/16...). I think the image main differences on macro shooting between the 2 cameras is that DOF is much more sensitive to achieve correctly on the EPL2 although it might give you a nicer "look". Certainly without a proper macro lens I believe the EPL2 is a bit at a disadvantage ...
Andrea
Andrea
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