Travel Diary in Catalunya with Olympus E-1

During the last workshop I held with some participants, we had talked about how, in recent years, the technology applied to photographic equipment allows you to create increasingly spectacular and sophisticated images, reducing the brilliance, attention and technical preparation of the photographer.

Will the photographer risk being less and less “the protagonist” of his works?

To what extent will all these tools really be useful to us? Could we lose enthusiasm if creating images is too simple?

To answer these questions, I advised my students to work with cameras in manual mode and focus on the essentials.

For me, though, I came up with an idea…

I live in Verona, Italy, with my wife Susana, Spanish, originally from a small village of the Costa Brava in Catalunya, where a couple of times a year we return to spend a few days with relatives and friends.

Summer is an unmissable opportunity to take a relaxing holiday. Like a child carrying his favorite toys, I never forget to bring a camera with me for fun, maybe experimenting with a shooting technique or simply to tell a story.

Among the various cameras I own, this time I decided to use one milestone of the Olympus brand, the first digital SLR, the Olympus E-1. I have had it for many years, and even though the project dates back to 2003, I find that its sensor still allows you to take splendid photographs today.

As I have explained on other occasions, I believe that today the performance of modern sensors is so advanced that obtaining a photo at least technically perfect is always easier and faster.

For those like me who have worked with film for years, they know well that the margin for error was once very limited. You couldn’t go wrong, especially when shooting with slide film.

Thinking about this, here is the personal “challenge”: what if, to tell this travel diary of mine, I used a vintage camera with a similar result to the dear old film? Accustomed to working with today’s great mirrorless cameras, I will still be able to take full advantage of the features of a camera like this? The questions from the workshop guys enlightened me!

So, here, only the E-1 with its kit lens, the Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5, was placed in the bag, along with a Zuiko75-150mm f/4 manual focus lens for the OM film series, with an adapter.

The camera already immediately conveys an impression of exceptional solidity, and is completely weather-sealed. Its ergonomics are still an absolute benchmark today

The buttons of the various functions in the right place allow you to enter immediately with confidence in the instrument. The viewfinder is very bright and covers 100% of the framing field. The shot is pure poetry: plush, silent, typical of a camera designed for professional use. The speed of autofocus is more than satisfying, though indeed, with just three autofocus points, they are few and require a bit of adaptation.

In low light conditions, it may fail to focus; it’s better to focus manually. In action photos, continuous focus is very slow and with fast-moving subjects, it becomes virtually unusable.

The screen on the back is fixed, only 1.8 inches, decidedly obsolete, from a first-generation camera. It is not possible to record videos, as it does not have a Wi-Fi connection and uses outdated memory cards, such as CompactFlash and Microdrive.

On the E-1, it is possible to vary the sensitivity between 100 and 3200 ISO. Noise is quite noticeable already from 400-800 ISO, but the appearance is pleasant and reminiscent of the typical grain of a film. Then, in black and white, at 1600 ISO, it seems to be a classic Kodak Tri-X roll! I really like this. It would be impossible with a modern sensor to obtain results with this softness of tones and similar contrasts.

Using a camera like this with all its limitations may seem to many like a useless complication, but I think it’s wrong to think this way. Limitations help you concentrate on thinking about the shot, without relying on automatisms. You can go back to being the real protagonist of your photos!

Practicing “slow photography” with equipment like this allows both those who approach the world of photography and those who are more expert to learn to evaluate light in various situations of daily life.

Knowing how to understand light is a fundamental skill of a good photographer, and this skill should be exercised as much as possible.

The real reason why it is still interesting to shoot with an E-1 today is the performance of the Kodak CCD sensor, with very natural colors and faithful to reality.

I love printing my photos on both traditional photo paper and fine art paper in cotton fibre, and the three-dimensional rendering of the small  5-megapixel sensor always leaves me amazed by the quality of the photographs, even in large format. Excellent results can be achieved up to 50x70cm!

I recommend photographing scenes with not too high contrast.

I particularly love working on cloudy days or with people in shadow uncovered, far from direct sunlight.

With Photoshop’s Camera Raw, you can easily recover details in the highlights, as in the skies with clouds, but lifting the shadows is a little more complicated if they are too dark. The E-1 light meter is very accurate, so you can calmly rely on camera readings.

It’s a real shame that CCD sensors were not developed. They have always been considered very expensive to produce.

The photos illustrating this reportage were taken in various situations, and I always find those colors that I remember seeing when I shot. I don’t think I would have gotten a better result with a more modern camera. It is clear that a comparison with a modern body, such as any OM-D, is certainly to the advantage of the latter, but for lovers of more classic photography, the charm of images taken with the E-1 remains unique.

At this point, I would move on to the conclusions of this experience, describing my personal ratings on this E-1.

The plus points are:

• The colors and the feeling of naturalness of tones that the Kodak CCD sensor gives.
• Exceptional ergonomics, robustness and ease of use.
• Big and bright viewfinder.
• Simple and essential menu.
• Very precise light meter.
• A whole system of optics dedicated to the E-system of excellent quality.
• You really learn to photograph!

The points against instead are:

• Slow autofocus.
• Small and poorly resolving back screen.
• No double exposures can be taken.

The E-1 is suitable for anyone who wants to try playing with someone else’s gem times. I highly recommend it, also considering that it can be found in the used market or in specialized shops at a very affordable price.

Many greetings to everyone,
Giampaolo Mascalzoni