I learnt a valuable lesson when handling cameras, and I learnt it the hard way. I wanted to do a self-portrait for the purposes of updating my resume and professional profiles, so I used a tripod to prop my Olympus PEN up. Unfortunately, I must have extended one of the legs shorter than the others, and as such, when I released my grip on the tripod, the inevitable consequence of gravity taking over happened:
The camera fell facewards towards the ground. Before I could react, it had already landed squarely onto the lens with an audible crack. It was disheartening when I inspected the damage: the lens was bent (M.Zuiko lenses have an inner/outer shaft assembly to zoom), the motor was stuck, and the focusing ring was jammed. In short, I transformed a 14-42mm zoom lens into a 25mm out-of-focus prime lens.
At least the lens bore the full brunt of the damage. The body miraculously had no scratches or dents, and it could still take pictures, although I couldn't tell if the camera functions were working properly since the lens was out-of-focus.
With much thanksgiving, someone with a spare lens responded to my shout-out on Facebook (social media does have a use after all), and it was a fantastic 14-42mm Mark II! With a slimmer profile, a faster focusing motor, and a refined lens construction which made images sharper, I found a new-found obsession to using my PEN. Here's a sample of shots taken:
I admit, I'm primarily a P shooter, which I think is automatic on steroids. These were taken outdoors under shade with ISO 400. With plenty of light, this ISO could freeze our laughter (captured brilliantly by Julia!).
Indoor shots with ISO 800 had a little more grain to them, but I had to crank it up to counter the darkness of the stage (our church meets in the cinema, and the only source of illumination are a pair of stage lights that are point, strong sources of light). Even at this ISO, I could not eliminate motion blur:
It seems that this Mk II lens does not perform as well as its previous incarnation in low-light situations, but I suppose there must be a trade-off somewhere. I'm going to buy this lens off you, Uncle Michael! Thanks heaps for helping me return my PEN to service.
For further reading:
Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm Mk I vs 14-42mm Mk II
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