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 Olympus E-P1 review (Olympus Pen) - Features

Friday 31st July 2009

Barney Britton

Olympus E-P1 at a glance:

  • 12.3-million-pixel
  • Live-MOS sensor
  • 3in, 230,000-dot LCD screen
  • Contrast-detection AF (including face detection)
  • 3fps continuous shooting
  • ISO 100-6400 (equivalent)

    Scores:

    Tested as: Entry-level hybrid camera
    Rated: Good
    Overall score: 79%

    Olympus Pen E-P1 - Introduction


    From the latter half of the 20th century to the present day, Olympus has been associated with innovation and – especially – miniaturisation. From the Pen and Trip series of 35mm compact cameras through the diminutive OM-series SLRs to today's digital Four Thirds E-450 and E-620, many of the company's most popular cameras have been notable for being considerably smaller than their competitors.

    The half-frame Olympus Pen models were the epitome of this 'smaller is better' philosophy, and by the time that half frame fell out of fashion in the late 1970s, around 17 million Pen cameras had been sold worldwide.

    The Four Thirds system, announced in 2003 and driven since then primarily by Olympus, shares a very similar design philosophy to half-frame. In essence, smaller-than-usual cameras and lenses are built around a smaller-than-usual imaging area.

    However, the requirement for optical viewfinders and mirror boxes sets mechanical limits on the size of Four Thirds DSLRs.

    Since the birth of the Four Thirds system, enthusiast photographers have been crying out for the Four Thirds sensor to be put into a genuinely compact camera in the tradition of the Pen and Trip series. Finally, it seems, the waiting is over, and the message from Olympus is that the Pen is back.

    The 12.3-million-pixel E-P1 is Olympus's first Micro Four Thirds camera, and the company is marketing it as a brand new Pen for the digital age. It even has its
    own website.

    The E-P1 looks and feels rather like a 1959 Pen F, but unlike the Pen cameras of old it has a sensor in place of film, and a 3in LCD screen in place of a viewfinder.

    The launch of the E-P1 generated a huge amount of excitement, and may be the most exciting thing that Olympus has done for years. I want to find out whether the company's newest miniature camera can live up to the hype it has generated.

    Olympus E-P1 Features



    The Olympus E-P1 is a Micro Four Thirds camera, the third such model to arrive on the market after the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and GH1, and the first camera with this lens mount from Olympus.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Sensor


    The Micro Four Thirds system is built around a Four Thirds-format sensor, but does not retain mechanical compatibility with Four Thirds lenses without an adapter. The E-P1's sensor is a 12.3-million-pixel Live-MOS, which is the same unit as that used in the company's E-620 DSLR.

    However, unlike the E-620, the E-P1 can shoot video as well as still images, and its sensor features a redesigned anti-aliasing filter. Video is recorded at 1280x720p quality, in the motion JPEG format.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Supersonic Wave Filter


    A Supersonic Wave Filter (SWF) system is designed to repel dust and grime from the dual-purpose sensor, and the filter and sensor assembly move as part of the in-built image stabilisation system to counteract camera shake. Both SWF and image-stabilisation systems are standard on E-system DSLRs.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 ISO span


    The ISO span of the E-P1 is the same as the E-620, from ISO 100-6400 (equivalent), although it is almost certain that the base ISO sensitivity of the sensor is closer to 200, as I found when testing the E-620.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Viewfinder


    The Micro Four Thirds system dispenses with the SLR-type optical viewfinder, and instead the 3in LCD screen on the rear of the E-P1 operates in the same way as the sensor in a conventional compact camera, as the interface for image composition, image review and menu navigation.

    Unlike Panasonic's G1 and GH1, the E-P1 does not feature an electronic viewfinder (EVF), although an optical finder is available for use only with the new 17mm (34mm equivalent) f/2.8 pancake lens.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Focus


    Obvious differences notwithstanding, the E-P1 offers a similar specification to recent Four Thirds DSLRs like the E-620. The contrast-detection autofocus system is obviously the only AF option, but manual focus is also available and the system is augmented by the same highly responsive face-detection mode that is found in the E-30 and E-620.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Exposure


    Exposure is dealt with using the standard PASM shooting modes, plus a range of scene presets to cover a bewildering range of possibilities. When shooting in one of the PASM modes, exposure settings are adjusted using the two wheels on the rear of the camera. In manual mode, these dials work in combination, but in aperture or shutter priority modes each dial serves the same function, altering either the shutter or aperture value depending on the mode set.

    Olympus Pen E-P1 Art filters




    I took this shot using the Pin Hole Art Filter, which gives a washed-out look with heavy vignetting that I associate with Lomo and Holga film cameras. This image was taken at f/2.8, but depth of field remains large due to the small size of the Four Thirds sensor

    An Olympus camera wouldn't be complete without a range of Art Filters, and the E-P1 features the same range that graces the E-620 and E-30, spanning the fairly useful (Pin Hole, Grainy Film) to the frankly odd (Pale & Light Colour). I am very pleased to see that, unlike the E-620, the E-P1 saves images taken in the Art Filter modes at their full original resolution.

    Olympus E-P1 Features: Score - 7/10

    Next page: Build and handling


    Olympus EP-1 review pages:


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