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Olympus PEN E-PM1 Summary
12 Megapixels
Electronic View Finder
High ISO: ISO 6400 or more is available at full-resolution.
Stabilization: Compensates for tiny involuntary movements of the camera.
Continuous Drive
Full 1080p HD Video: 1920 x 1080 resolution or more but less than 4K.
Manual Controls: Both fully-manual (M) and semi-automatic modes (T and V).
Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.
Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.
Night Photography: Reaches shutter-speeds longer than 4 seconds.
Hotshoe: Allows external flash units to be attached.
Spot Metering
Accepts Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC), SDHC and SD memory.
Neocamera detailed review
Discontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.Olympus PEN E-PM1 Assessment
The Olympus PEN E-PM1 is a very compact and light SLD. It is part of a group of Micro Four-Thirds cameras launched together in July 2011. The other two are the E-PL3
Olympus PEN E-PL3 and E-P3
Olympus PEN E-P3 which feature a single control-dial and dual control-dials, respectively. The E-P3 is the flagship with the most direct controls while the E-PL3 is the intermediate one. They all share the same 12 MP LiveMOS sensor and 120 Hz Contrast-Detect autofocus system.
This new sensor delivers high-quality images and performance. Image noise is low and metering rarely overexposes. There are some issues with color- and white-balance accuracy though. The Olympus PEN E-PM1 is much faster than its predecessor, particularly for autofocus which is more reliable and performs well in moderately low light.
Even as the entry-level model, Olympus made sure the E-PM1 matched closely the quality of its higher end models in terms of output and speed. They also produced the E-PM1 with an exceptional build quality for its class. For those who shoot mostly in automatic mode, the E-PM1 provides an attractive package at an outstanding value.
Neocamera detailed review Read the Olympus PEN E-PM1 review.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Low image noise | Poor color accuracy |
| Conservative metering | Below average AWB |
| Fast contrast-detect AF | Useless ISO 12800 |
| Short shutter-lag | Low contrast LCD |
| Almost instant video recording | Poor video framing preview accuracy |
| Generally quick and responsive | Histogram disappears during EC |
| Effective built-in stabilization | Not always Exposure-Priority |
| Excellent automatic Manual Focus Assist | Uncomfortable strap eyelets |
| High level of customization | Low battery life |
| Excellent build quality |  Good Good |
Recent Similar Cameras
Olympus PEN E-PM1 Related Information
| Previous Models |
|---|
| Olympus PEN E-PL3 Olympus PEN E-PL3 - Tilting LCD |
| Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P3 - 3 FPS, 2 Control-Dial, Digital-Level, Built-In Flash |
| Reviews | |
|---|---|
| Neocamera | DP Review |
| Photography Blog | Digital Camera Reviews |
| Tech Radar | Digital Photography School |
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Olympus E-PM1 Highlights
Mirrorless digital cameraSensor-Size: 17 x 13mm
Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI
| 12 Megapixels Mirrorless | ISO 200-12800 |
| Micro Four-Thirds Mount 2X FLM | Shutter 1/4000-60s |
| 2-Axis Built-in Stabilization | Full manual controls, including Manual Focus |
| 0.20" Optional EVF 1.4 Megapixels (0.58X) | Custom white-balance with 2 axis fine-tuning |
| Built-in Dust Reduction | Spot-Metering |
| 4.1 FPS Drive, Unlimited Images | Hot-Shoe |
| 1920x1080 @ 30 FPS Video Recording | Lithium-Ion Battery |
| 3" LCD 460K Pixels | Secure Digital Extended Capacity |
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