My Love Affair With The Olympus PEN EP-5 Camera

“The best camera is the one that’s with you.”

Someone once told me this over a dozen years ago, and it’s absolutely true. I’ve been a hobbyist photographer for what is now the majority of my life, owning a range of film and digital cameras, handhelds and DSLRs alike—all of which I put up with, despite the fact that I'm a guy who doesn’t carry a bag with him, ever. 

I despise the man purse, the camera bag, the trendy tote. The act of packing up a camera bag is, to me, akin to buying condoms before going on a blind date. Highly presumptuous. Field photography shouldn’t be a premeditated affair with a backpack full of kit; it should be a spur of the moment documentation of life as it happens, wherever that happens to be. 

Today’s DSLRs make that nearly impossible. Cumbersome, bulky...you might as well carry around a tripod. This was a fate to which I had almost resigned...until recently, when Olympus sent over their Micro 4/3rd’s PEN EP-5, an almost pocket-sized beast sporting retro vibes. 

I took this camera with me on a recent press trip with TUDOR watches to Mugello, Italy, for the Moto GP race, and have used it almost exclusively for every shoot on Supercompressor since then. I've pulled together a few of my favorite shots (some have been tweaked a bit in post using Adobe Lightroom). You'll quickly understand that this little guy can hold its weight against cameras twice the size, and twice the price.

One of Roberto Totti's custom vintage Ducatis, taken outside of Mugello, Italy. 

Taken at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. (Click HERE for more)

Lamborghini hooked up a brand new Huracán out at Pebble beach—here's the obligatory "watch on wrist with supercar steering wheel" shot.

Look at that depth of field! The 50mm equivalent 1.8 lens is a beast.

Can never have enough Ferrari porn. 

See?


Ted Gushue is the Executive Editor of Supercompressor. Find out just how real his struggle is on twitter @Tedgushue