Olympus PEN E-P1 Summary
Olympus PEN E-P1 Assessment
The Olympus E-P1 is one of the rare digital cameras to support interchangeable lenses and not be a DSLR. The goal of this design is to give the flexibility of changing lenses with the portability of a compact camera and still produce high-quality photographs. The Panasonic GF1 which was recently reviewed falls into this category too.
The final rating of this camera therefore depends greatly on whether it is being compared to a compact camera or against a DSLR. The differences between this one and similar models boil down to handling as they all currently share the same sensor and lens mount. So this is either the best performing compact camera ever, a good DSLR or an average (by default) interchangeable lens camera:
Category | Rating |
---|---|
Large Fixed-Lens Camera | Excellent |
Interchangeable Lens Camera | Average |
DSLR | Good |
For the final rating, the E-P1 was put in the large digital camera category because it is not a DSLR but when we take into account the size of the lens, even the smallest, it does form a rather sizable camera. Anecdotally, the reason the rating would be higher in the DSLR category is because the rating system considers performance of all DSLRs which have been around for much longer.
There are certainly a few things that will be changed as the interchangeable lens camera market picks up. It is about rethinking what the camera can do when there is no reflex viewfinder to accommodate. The main usability draw-back of the Olympus EP-1 is the lack of a built-in viewfinder which makes it harder to steady the camera and see subjects in bright light. There exits a viewfinder add-on that is matched with a 17mm lens to address this problem but it only works with that one lens. Even using the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 at 17mm is not an option because the lens barrel is long enough to obstruct the view.
The bottom line is that the EP-1 outperforms fixed-lens cameras in most regards and by a fair margin when it comes to image quality. Speed of operation is a mixed bag with certain good numbers but also below average performance in critical areas such as auto-focus speed.
In short, it can produce high-quality images for its size but this is not a camera to recommend for any form of action.
Compared to a DSLR, things are different because of the Olympus E-P1's smaller sensor which shows a bit more noise and less dynamic range than modern DSLRs. The proposition though is that the E-P1 can be taken to more places and is much more discrete than a DSLR.
Neocamera detailed review Read the full Olympus E-P1 review here.
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
Very good image quality, just below average for a DSLR | Reduced dynamic range compared to a DSLR, causes highlight clipping |
One of the smallest interchangeable lens digital cameras | Over-sensitive lower-rear control dial |
Nicely saturated colors | Slow autofocus system |
Quite good metering | Not exposure priority |
Good dynamic range | Long continuous drive display lag |
Above average automatic white-balance | No exposure display while showing digital level |
Good built-in stabilization | Awkward menu system |
2-Axis Digital Level | Poor LCD visibility |
Dual control dials | No built-in flash |
Excellent build quality | Short battery-life |
Tripod mount not centered | |
Excellent Excellent |
Recent Similar Cameras
Olympus PEN E-P1 Related Information
Sister Models |
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Olympus Evolt E-620 Olympus Evolt E-620 - DSLR version, ISO 3200 Max, Built-in flash, Compact Flash & xD, No movie mode |
Reviews | |
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Imaging Resource | Photo Review |
Trusted Reviews | The Online Photographer |
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Olympus E-P1 Highlights
Sensor-Size: 17 x 13mm
Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI
12 Megapixels Mirrorless | ISO 100-6400 |
Micro Four-Thirds Mount 2X FLM | Shutter 1/4000-60s |
2-Axis Built-in Stabilization | Full manual controls, including Manual Focus |
2 Axis Digital Level | Custom white-balance with 2 axis fine-tuning |
Built-in Dust Reduction | Spot-Metering |
3 FPS Drive, 12 Images | Hot-Shoe |
1280x720 @ 30 FPS Video Recording | Lithium-Ion Battery |
3" LCD 230K Pixels | Secure Digital High Capacity |
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