The Street Photographer's Manual

I often go for a short walk during my lunch breaks from the day job, and a few weeks back I found myself in the local Waterstones (a book shop here in the UK). Inevitably I ended up browsing through the Photography section. Whilst all the usual suspects were on the shelf; such as Humans of New York and various great books on Magnum Photographers,  (many of which I have), there was one book I came across that was new to me: "The Street Photographer's Manual".

I want to share with you today my views on what I think is a pretty spectacular find and one that anyone with a love for both Street Photography and a good book should pick up.

This is a relatively new book, first being published back in September 2014. I've had it for a few months now at the time of writing this post and have read it through a few times already. The Street Photographers Manual is a book you can pick up and put down quite easily thanks to it's bite-size sections. On occasion I've found myself pondering something related to Street Photography and have turned to the book to get David Gibson's (the author) opinion on the subject. For example recently in a number of Street Photography groups I've seen photographs of homelessness. One of my own rules when it comes to shooting on the street is to not photograph the vulnerable (those who are homeless). Upon having a look at the contents page you can quickly see that there is a section on Ethics, and it is in this section that Gibson discusses the fine lines and approaches, again giving examples of how the differing approaches worked for 'the greats' of street photography.

The Street Photographers Manual introduces the reader to the world of street photography by first diving into what it is, the variations, where it came from and how it's developed over the years. It's then from here that we can study each aspect of this art in further detail by studying compartmentalized chapters, discussing ethics, humour and more.

Whilst the book itself may be called a manual and does in fact offer instruction to help you create more thought-out and intentional street photographs, this is also a very impressive and vast study of street photography. This book looks at both various techniques and elements that contribute towards stronger imagery and makes use of examples by the greatest street photographers of our time such as; Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Gilden, Saul Leiter, Trente Park and more. These examples give the book's instructions conviction and only serve to show that this thorough - yet concise - book is something you can not only read for inspiration, but learn from at the same time. Within each chapter we are introduced to either another master of Street Photography or another technique of shooting on the street, each accompanying a sample of that master's work or an example of that technique in action to best explain and demonstrate the case in point.

The Street Photographer's Manual is filled with both fantastic photographs and practical guidance in equal amounts.

The author; David Gibson is a street photographer and well respected photography tutor, having taught in many countries and some rather prestigious establishments. It's clear that Gibson has drawn upon his educational experience when writing this book.

I can see this being a book i refer back to time and time again already.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in street or documentary photography. And, if you're unsure if that is you or you're not certain what street photography is - that's all in the very first chapter :)

Pick up The Street Photographer's Manual from Amazon today

Olympus Service and Support - A Review

Back in September 2013 Olympus released the fantastic OM-D E-M1 into the world. The Micro Four Thirds camera packs features that many professional photographers desire; chunky dials, ergonomic handling, weather sealing, fast and accurate auto focus and so much more. Combine the E-M1 with almost any of the M.Zuiko lenses and you're looking at a system that will easily tackle most professional assignments.

In fact, you don't have to look too far around the internet to see that many professional wedding and portrait photographers have already moved from one of the big DSLR brands to Olympus (myself included), in search of a smaller, compact system that maintains that high level of all-round performance. Without doubt Olympus launched the E-M1 as a serious camera. A camera for the professional photographer.

However, it's one thing for a combination of a great camera and lens system to meet the demands of the pro photographer, but what about manufacturer service, repair and support and all those things that a pro will need to keep them shooting should the worst happen?

Today I want to share with you the story of what happened when I sent my E-M1 off to Olympus for repair, including how I registered the repair, the correspondence I received, timelines and of course the end result.

How did I break my E-M1?

I dropped my E-M1 the morning after my first wedding of 2016. The bride and groom put me up at the venue overnight as it was a little far from home and was an early start on the wedding day. I was loading my bags in to my car to head home. My E-M1 was inside the top of my Case Logic backpack, alongside all my lenses, when my bag slipped off my shoulder and crashed to the ground.

My E-M1 didn't have a lens attached when this happened (I never pack my gear away like that!) and the bag evidently cushioned the fall, but from a height of about 4 feet, it was enough that the impact took out some of the buttons on the shoulder of the E-M1:

View fullsize

It bothered me, of course, but at a glance everything seemed to be working, but when I got home I found that the touch screen wouldn't work to focus, none of the function buttons worked and neither did the directional buttons around the 'OK' button. All pretty important features and somewhat key to the way I personally operate my camera. It was a disaster!

My first thought was to see how long it took other people to have theirs repaired - I had a shoot the very next weekend and then my diary became rapidly busier every week after with wedding season truly kicking off here in the UK.

Most people were positive enough to say that the turnaround time was 5 working days, meaning it could be returned that same week if shipped on a Monday, which I found quite reasonable. So, I set about registering for the repair ASAP to get my E-M1 sent off first thing on Monday morning.

Register for Olympus Service Plus

I registered my E-M1 for Olympus Service Plus back when I purchased the camera in 2015. Doing so extends your warranty by 6 months and makes the registration process for arranging a repair much quicker. If you haven't already registered your OM-D for service plus, grab the serial number and head over to the Olympus Service Plus website now. If you bought your E-M1 from a reputable dealer and it was brand new, you should have had a leaflet inside the box to notify you about Service Plus. 

(If you're from outside the UK you can click the location button at the top right corner of the page and select your own Locale)

How do I get my OM-D Repaired?

Once you have your details setup for Service Plus, head on over the the Olympus Service Portal. From here you can follow your nose to register for the repair, but effectively you will need to:

1. Enter your country of residence
2. Enter your serial number
3. Enter the date you purchased your E-M1
4. Make use of the drop downs and pre-populated options to best categorise your issue. You can upload images and there is also a comments box too
5. Print off the label and affix to a box.
6. Pad and protect your E-M1 well and ship it off to the address given to you as part of the process

I didn't upload any images at all and I didn't leave any comments. For this issue I simply selected 'Keypad Problems' > 'Broken' > 'Constantly' and then submitted this.

If you perhaps dropped a camera and a lens, you can also add another product at this stage too. Save paying for two shipping costs, send them off together.

I got an email with a repair registration number and a link to a tracking page. I saved this in my favorites and checked the status every day!

Where does my OM-D go to get Repaired?

I can only speak about my own experience from the UK, but the instructions I printed were to send to an intermediary address, which then freight-forwarded to Portugal for the repair to take place. At this stage the only tracking information I had was that provided to me from Royal Mail as I chose to ship mine off Royal Mail Tracked, Signed for delivery. This was both to ensure prompt delivery, but also because I was shipping a £1,000 camera! The only reason I know the eventual end destination was Portugal was because I later received tracking information for the return of my camera. The return originated in Lisbon.

How long does an Olympus Camera Repair Take?

Olympus Service Plus registered repairs are said to take 3 days (not including the shipping time). It says so on the Service Plus website. I would say in my case this was about right - in fact the time it spent under the 'in progress' status (being repaired) was only about a day and a half in total. My own E-M1 arrived at Olympus' freight forwarding address on Tuesday and was then at the Olympus repair center (Lisbon) on Wednesday morning. I was able to see this because I used the repair status checker and it showed my E-M1 as 'received'. Olympus then stated that they were working on the repair on Thursday afternoon. Then on Friday morning my repair ticket was updated to say that the repair was complete and that the camera was being shipped back. Very prompt.

Given that it was now a Friday afternoon and that not much in the way of shipping happens over the weekend, I was at that point setting my own expectations to see my E-M1 again on Wednesday. (meaning it would have been 8 working days including shipping) and I was exactly right. Although, I did miss the delivery initially as they tried to deliver earlier than I had expected.

I received a text message from DHL to say that they were going to deliver on the 20th (Wednesday) and so I made plans to be at home on that day to take receipt of the delivery. But, on the 19th (Tuesday) I received a message to say that they had tried to delivery but I wasn't in. Darn. Okay, well that's my fault. If I had continued to track the delivery online I would have seen that it was out for delivery and rushed home. So, it was then re-delivered the next day and I was happy!

My E-M1 was back in my possession on Wednesday. 8 days after me leaving it at my local Post Office in the UK. But it's not fair to say 8 days as It was me that should have kept an eye on the shipment. So in total: 4 days shipping, 3 days with Olympus. 7 Days for the complete repair and return of the camera!

The return was handled by DHL. Whilst there are a few couriers that operate within Europe now that offer some great tracking services, I'm of the opinion that none of them rival what tools DHL offer recipients (and senders) to track their parcels. When I received an email from DHL to say that they had my camera, I was updated at every turn, every barcode scan and every pickup of where my parcel was. It was fantastic!

View fullsize

View fullsize

How much does it cost / Was the damage covered by warranty?

The damage, seeing as it was my fault was not covered by the warranty. This is made abundantly clear in the warranty regulations on the service website. That said, I didn't pay a penny. My Olympus was returned as good as new (more on that in a minute) free of charge. In all fairness if I had received a phone call to tell me that it was evident the camera had been dropped and there was going to be a charge for the repair work, I would have held up my hands and said 'fine' and accepted those costs. But on this occasion Olympus repaired the camera no questions asked...

I'm not suggesting that your E-M1 will be repaired for free without any questions raised if you've dropped yours too, but I get no special treatment from Olympus. I'm not sponsored or endorsed by them in anyway (although hey Olympus, if you're reading this, get in touch). This is pure, unbiased, quality customer service from them, I can assure you of that!

What was the repair work like?

As mentioned the camera feels just like new now.. All of the dials feel slightly tighter and the camera itself feels solid in a new way (i can't quite describe it). It sort of feels like all of the screws, inside and out, have had a good old tighten! 

I also had a small 'scuff' between the two top dials that I make use of for shutter speed and aperture. (This was an older mark, not something that happened as part of the drop that caused the E-M1 to break). It was deep enough to get down to the aluminium. I covered this at the time with some black crayon to fill the deep scuff and then a black sharpie to conceal it (not so that I could hide it from Olympus, but because it was only superficial and I wanted my camera to look smart). When I received my E-M1 back there was no sign of this scuff. Although I did a decent job of disguising it, i knew it was there and it's visible if you know to look for it. But the camera I received back showed nothing. I can only assume therefore that plate has been replaced in it's entirety! I even had to check the serial number on the bottom of my E-M1 was the same as the one I had sent away. It was!

Furthermore, my E-M1 was spotlessly clean inside and out. I keep my cameras clean as it is, but this had clearly been given a VIP valet service! Not a spec of dust inside any of the hinged flaps, for example where the SD cards are inserted and the battery compartment.

In addition, when I shipped off my E-M1 i removed everything that was removable except the eye cup, through fear that it would come back with pieces missing. So, I removed the hot shoe covers, the flash sync port cover, and even the rubber cap that covers the bronze pins at the bottom of the E-M1 to connect it to the battery grip. When my camera was returned all of these parts had been replaced...outstanding.

The box was returned well padded and protected. Inside my E-M1 was returned in a brand new official Olympus OM-D E-M1 branded black box, like you get when you buy one new. Inside the box was a very nice, very premium, black Olympus Lens Cloth and even a hand signed letter from the technician responsible for the repair of my beloved E-M1 (Thanks José!)

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

In short; Olympus did everything to ensure that this camera was repaired fully and returned in as timely a fashion as possible. And, (this is always important when it comes to customer service) I remained up to date throughout the entire process by both Olympus and the courier that they chose to use, giving me peace of mind that my E-M1 wasn't somewhere in Europe in some dusty factory getting lost on a shelf among old spare parts for old cameras.

Can I get a loan camera?

As far as I can see Olympus don't, at this time at least, offer a loan camera as part of the repair service arrangement. Which is something of a shame I will admit. However, before shipping my camera off I got in touch with Olympus Ambassador and all-round nice guy Neil Buchan-Grant to see if he could put me in touch with someone at Olympus who possibly help arrange some sort of loan. I would clarify that I do have a backup body, but I wasn't keen on shooting for a client with just the one camera on me. Neil put in contact with Claire Voyle, who I also happened to follow on Facebook & Instagram, so I got in touch. There weren't any E-M1's available at the time, but I was reminded that Olympus have the 'Test & Wow' service, whereby you can get your hands on Olympus cameras and lenses for a few days at a time. As the name suggests it's sort of intended as something of a try-before-you-by arrangement, but in truth it would serve just as well as a means to fill a short term gap. I didn't make use of Test & Wow as it would have meant that I'd have to go to the London Park Camera store to collect and then again once my 3 day loan period was up to drop it off again. If however I had a wedding that weekend my E-M1 was away, I would have done this. It's only 45 minutes to Central from my home in Virginia Water and then another 15 minutes to the store.

So, with enough planning and if you're local enough to a good Olympus retailer, you could quite effectively fill a short term need with something from the Test & Wow service whilst your work horse is our for repair.

Conclusion

I've been convinced for the longest of times that if you're looking for a smaller mirrorless camera as a replacement (or even to compliment) your DSLR gear, then an Olympus OM-D is the way to go. I've said that in many posts right here in my blog. But, if one of the things holding you back and tying you to your Canon or Nikon is a concern about the level of professional support available to you as an Olympus owner that genuinely shouldn't be something you now fear losing.

Sure, they won't necessarily lend you a camera as a replacement for your own whilst your OM-D is in for repair (although as mentioned you could make use of the 'Test & Wow' service if time permits), but you could also argue that the cost of the E-M1 in comparison to a Canon or Nikon Body could mean you could afford a third body: a backup for your backup, meaning you're hopefully never in a situation where you're down to just one camera body.

In short, if you're a professional wedding or portrait photographer, or shoot a discipline that you are happy the OM-D range can tackle - you can now make the switch. Olympus will have you covered should your workhorse take too much of a beating and need to for repairs. Ultimately, you won't be left guessing when your camera is coming back and you'll have some control over the process. Olympus will do right by you so you can continue to produce stunning work for your clients.

With 3 year warranties as standard and an extra 6 months on offer to those who register their E-M1's to Service Plus (for free), the reasons to pick up an OM-D E-M1 are boundless! That sort of warranty will likely out-last the length of time you own that camera as a professional photographer. Now that's peace of mind.

Well done Olympus and thank you for returning my E-M1 as good as new! (And thanks again to José for the outstanding work!)

London Photo Walk - April 10th

Just a quick post today to let you know about the latest photo walk I have planned. If you're a member of either the Ready Steady Pro Facebook community, or are a member of The Guild of Photographers (a UK-Based photography association) then you may have already known about this.

Here are all of the details you'll need for Sunday 10th April:

Date: Sunday, April 10th
Time: 13:30 (UK Time)
Meeting Location: Nude Espresso, 26 Hanbury St, E1 6QR (London, UK)
Transport: A short walk from Liverpool Street Underground Station (connecting to Central, Hammersmith & CIty Line, Circle & Metroplitan Line). Alternatively, or commutable via the overground to Shoreditch High Street.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Route Details

1. After we're all topped up with Caffeine we'll take a leisurely stroll north, up famous Brick Lane towards Shoreditch High Street.
2. We'll walk about Shoreditch for a short while before heading back towards The Old Spitafields Market.
3. From Spitalfields, we'll head south towards The River Thames, stopping briefly at Leadenall Market. Although the market will be closed, it will allow those with wide angles and a preference for architecture the opportunity to capture some shots of the wonderful market interior.
4. We'll then head Westwards towards St Paul's Catherdral for some photographs along the riverside. Depending on the pace of the day and how many coffee stops we make, it could well be sunset and would be a great opportunity to really get creative with the light at that time.
5. Finally, we'll then make a decision on some food. Suggestions are most welcome. Do drop them in the comments below.

If you wish to join us on the walk simply drop your details below in the form and meet us at Nude Espresso for 13:30 on Sunday 10th April.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Initial Thoughts on the Olympus PEN-F

There are in-depth reviews of the new and wonderfully retro Olympus PEN-F Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless camera all over the internet by now. After all it's been out since February, but one question that has been burning for me is; 'Who is this camera for?'

Here's the new PEN-F from all the angles you'll need:

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Who Is this camera for?

Looking at the camera, it's controls and it's form factor the PEN-F is clearly designed more for the Street Photographer or perhaps someone looking for a decent camera but not one that looks too serious. The PEN-F is a stylish, fashionable looking camera. You could even say that it's quite 'Cool'. As such then, when we consider the needs of a Wildlife, Sports or Wedding Photographer - they're not quite as concerned about how hipster their camera makes them look. The PEN-F therefore in my mind isn't exactly launched with those buyers in its' sites.

Now, let's face it if you're reading this it's because either:

1. You already really love the camera and are considering getting one
2. You already have the camera and are just scanning the internet for PEN-F related articles
3. Or, because like me you're trying to figure out where this camera sits in Olympus' lineup and who would use it (over an OM-D for example)

If you belong to the 1st or 2nd group on that list you may already be reading this and disagreeing with what I'm saying, but please do read on - this is not a PEN-F bashing post.

What needs to be remembered is that this is an Olympus PEN camera, and doesn't sit in the top-of-the-line OM-D range, but at the same time it does include many of those top-end features. So let's not think that this is a lesser camera in any way, but let's rather see the PEN-F as a camera that has different intentions and with that, quite possibly a different target market to those who choose to own an OM-D (like me!)

My initial thought is that this is a camera produced for the more artsy photographer, rather than someone perhaps using it for a more 'sturdy' requirement (as mentioned above; Sports, Wildlife & Weddings for example). That's not at all because the camera isn't sturdy, please don't get me wrong, but more because the PEN-F, unlike the OM-D E-M1 and the E-M5ii, seems to favour form over function. For example the lack of weather sealing and the quick-access creative filter dial located on the front. The 'cool' factor of this camera are as much a part of the lure as the specs.

The retro styling make this camera look more like a camera an enthusiast photographer would wield and this means that if you're carrying this out on the street it lends itself very neatly to making you appear non-threatening and more stealthy. The specs and the image quality though are not those of an enthusiast camera: underneath that retro shell is another successfully capable Olympus Micro Four Thirds Camera.

Continuing on with the subject of looks for just a moment - this would also give the camera more appeal to those people possibly looking to buy their first interchangeable lens camera but not necessarily wanting a 'Big Ol' DSLR'. Combining it's look and on-paper spec this seems to sit somewhere between pro and enthusiast. Although at £999, the PEN-F is competing with offerings from Canon and Nikon as well. To someone just getting into photography and possibly not knowing what it is they're going to be shooting, the argument to pick up a Canon 80D or even a Full Frame Nikon D610 is quite a good one.

Now, as much as I've said that this camera isn't necessarily designed with Wildlife, Sports or Wedding Photographers in mind I'm sure we'll see over time that many Olympus Photographers will in fact use this camera to great effect in those disciplines and that's fine. But I would still maintain that The E-M1 or the E-M5ii with their larger dials and controls would make them better suited to those areas of photography.

What does the PEN-F have that the OM-D's do not?

Naturally, as an owner of one of the existing PEN or OM-D range of cameras from Olympus you're going to ask 'What can the PEN-F do for me?'. As Olympus users we're all interested in the new tech that they bring out but we need to decide whether the PEN-F give any benefits over your E-M1, E-M5ii or E-M10ii?

Let's start with the spec highlights

Megapixels

Olympus have given the PEN-F a megapixel boost over the other cameras in the PEN and OM-D range with the PEN-F sporting 20 megapixels. To date the sensors in the PEN and OM-D range have all been capped at 16 megapixels, so I'm sure to some the extra 4 megapixels are a welcome addition. This is quite possibly the biggest improvement and one that many Micro Four Thirds owners will be very, very happy to see. I know I am. Whilst I have previously used OnOne Perfect Resize to enlarge images for print, the extra 4 megapixels will make for even better quality prints at larger sizes.

EVF

The resolution of the EVF remains the same with 2.36 million dots. That's the same number as the EVF found inside the E-M1 and E-M5ii. Although, the EVF is now an OLED viewfinder, meaning it should be brighter than before. As I understand it the EVF is the same as you would find in the OM-D E-M10ii. So for those eagerly awaiting the E-M1 mark 2 upgrade and hanging on in there, the EVF has been improved. But those of you who already own the E-M10ii, you'll be pleased to know the EVF is at least as good.

Form Factor & Size

With the EVF sitting flush in the corner of the camera - rangefinder style - the camera is of course instantly more pocketable. Although, this would depend on the lens you're using. The size of the camera is most similar to the OM-D EM10ii, but smaller still. What this means for it's comfort when held in your hand is something you'll have to decide for yourself by picking up a display model in a camera shop. (don't rely purely on what you read and see online to assess its size.) Thankfully us Micro Four Thirds shooters (Olympus in particular) have extra small lenses, so pair up the PEN-F with something like the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 and it will look the part whilst remaining neat and tidy in size too.

Fully Articulating Touch Screen LCD

Another feature that I'm really happy to see! I make use of the flip screen on my OM-D E-M1 for shooting high and shooting low when I'm photographing weddings. Coupled with the touch screen it's a fantastic tool to have. To then have the screen flipping out to the side and being able to articulate even further can only be a good thing. Another bonus of this is that you can also rotate the screen and fold it away so you're not able to see the LCD. (Huh!?) Hear me out: if you're out on the street shooting you can prevent yourself from chimping by physically preventing yourself from seeing the LCD. That's a great way to exercise your camera skills and train yourself. Secondly, it's also great because you can store the camera away in your pocket or bag that way too safe in the knowledge the screen is protected.  

50Mp Hi-Res shot

The Hi-res mode introduced in the OM-D E-M5ii finds it's way in to the PEN-F. Another very welcome addition indeed. However, the E-M5ii's 40 megapixel mode is now trumped by the 50 megapixel mode on offer from the PEN-F. In terms of the resolution that equates to a RAW file 10,368 x 7,776 in size (compared to the 40 megapixel mode giving a RAW resolution of 9,126 x 6,912). That's a pretty generously sized file!

I've recently asked a friend of mine to supply me with some RAW's from a Sony A7ii for comparison. I'll hopefully have them up on the blog soon too.

In-Built Image Stabilisation

The stabilisation system is the same that can be found in the OM-D E-M5 mark 2, which is said to offer 5 stops of stabilisation. This is one additional stop over the somewhat older (but still imperious) OM-D E-M1.

What does the PEN-F lack?

There are a few things that Olympus have omitted from the PEN-F, for example it doesn't feature a Mic input slot, it isn't weather-sealed (like the E-M1 and the E-M5ii before it) and a big negative for me is the omission of the must-have directional buttons on the back of the camera that would sit underneath your right thumb allowing you to more easily navigate menus without having to take the camera away from your eye. Or, as I prefer to use the directional buttons to swiftly move my focus point as I tend to shoot single focus point rather than zonal focussing or full auto focussing. This isn't something I do because I shoot Olympus, it's something I've always done, even back when I shot Canon DSLRs.

This to me suggests that this is a camera more suited to being used in a program mode such as aperture or shutter priority, rather than in full manual.

Retro - Form over function?

One thing that was said by many when the OM-D E-M1 was released was that it took something of a step away from the retro styling that had attracted so many to the OM-D range in the first place (with the release of the original OM-D E-M5). In my opinion though what the E-M1 lost in retro styling it more than made up for with masses of practical changes to dials and buttons that made the camera easier to use and more suited to the professional realms of photography. Operating dials and buttons in thick gloves was made possible the hefty grip was a welcome addition to those using it for Sports, Wildlife and similar applications too. It did all of this whilst maintaining that newly recognizable OM-D feel.

The PEN-F though very much looks to it's, well, looks as 'feature' to create desire for it. I'll admit whilst I am fond of the PEN-F, I can't see myself paying £999 for it (even with all of my existing lenses). I'd rather use my original E-M5 which also looks super retro if you ask me.

If you don't agree with me that the PEN-F is as much about the look of the camera as it's performance, you only really have to watch the promo videos for it to see the honus they have placed on it's appearance. Check out Olympus' own Launch video for the PEN-F right here:

Conclusion

A new Olympus camera that seems more evolutionary than revolutionary, whilst at the same time looking to dip into a new market. Whilst other manufacturers can easily (and undeniably) be accused of refining the same model every 12 months with minor iterations of the previous camera, at least the PEN-F is one step to the side as well as one step forward. The extra megapixels, the improved EVF, the boosted high-res mode and an array of options that will allow us as photographers to more-easily explore our creativity.

I'm hoping that all of these features, and more, will find their way into the long-awaited Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 2.

Well done to Olympus on another great camera and well done for recognising that the retro look, whilst not essential for the operation of the camera, will definitely add a touch of nostalgia to those who flocked back to Olympus when the OM-D range was re-launched. I foresee waves of street photographers, fashion photographers and enthusiasts picking up a PEN-F, whilst current owners of an OM-D now have another, even smaller option to have as their 'throw in the bag' backup camera.

Will I be getting one? Unfortunately not. But I'm an oddball Olympus shooter who sits in the camp that photographs Sports, Wildlife and Weddings.

That said, if you or Olympus want to send me one, i won't say no.

What do you think?

Do you own the PEN-F? Let us know your thoughts on the camera below. If you've written a blog post about it please do be sure to link to it - I would like to read your thoughts too.

Everyone is welcome to comment. Do you agree with me that the PEN-F is as much about it's looks as it's performance, or have I completely missed the point of this new MFT offering from Olympus?