Product Details

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Reviews

good compromise solution
by Robert L. Gauthier , 2010-03-12

Just got it and early results are promising. Good replacement for lower end SLR's, Olympus sensors have always given me good colors and sharpness, this is no exception. Size is good, not overly featured but really hits the mark for what it is trying to do. This is a good replacement for travel for my Nikon D40- focus not as fast but good focus, nonetheless. Flash is adequate for travel camera, good size and feel. Always liked the Olympus menu system, this reminds me of my early Olympus camera's. I have bought a bunch of cameras in the past few years, would characterize this as a good travel camera, SLR like and good electronics. Good job Oly!

E-PL1 the best four thirds camera yet!
by G. lechter from Miami, FL USA, 2010-03-10

First lets get rid of Panasonic: the Panasonic jpegs yield poor skin tones. People look sick. All reviews mention that jpgs of Panasonic leave a lot to be desired. Panasonic backers say they shoot RAW. I feel less than 1% of users shoot RAW.

The Olympus jpegs yield great skin tones. People look healthy, rosy with smooth complexions! Great Image Quality (IQ).

I like the E-PL1 better than the E-P2 because it has a built in flash that can be bounced to the ceiling by holding it back with your finger and you then get the benefits of a bounce flash in a relatively compact camera.

The E-P2 is a work of art. However the 2 wheels are confusing (as to when they do this or that) and the lower wheel is too easy to turn by mistake. The E-PL1 control is clearer with its simpler digital oriented approach.

That is ignoring that the E-P2 is $ 1100 vs $ 599 for the E-PL1.

To capture the E-PL1's potential the Panasonic 20mm 1.7f lens is a must. It creates professional pictures like a Leica. It also lets the bounce trick work wonders. I tested the focus speed of the E-P1, P2 and PL1 against the Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm lens and it is practically the same speed. 1/3 of a second vs. 1/4 of a second.

If you want the best jpegs in 4/3 format with great skin tones, a built in bounce flash, built in IS, this is the camera.

The E-P2 does not have a flash. ALso the E-PL1 screen being the same resolution as the E-P2 but smaller makes it sharper (if you have good eyes.)

It goes up to 1/2000 of a second which is plenty.

A Nice Camera But A Bit of A Mixed Bag
by B. Fuller from United States, 2010-03-09

What do you get when you take Olympus PEN and mix it with a stripper (Of course I mean someone who strips features from a camera). You get the E-PL1 camera which is a little bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand you have one of the best versions of the m4/3 sensor to date. From what I have read it is better than both the E-P1 and E-P2 sensors. It is hard to tell the difference at normal screen and printing resolutions and I take a picture at its whole and don't pixel peep so I cannot verify that. What I can say is this camera is capable of producing world class images. Additionally, this camera has the Olympus JPEG engine which is regarded in the business as one of the best. This camera is also relatively small and light and includes a fill flash. Additionally, it has image stabilization (IS) built into the camera. It is not pocketable and the size of this camera has more to do with the lens that it is wearing then the actual camera itself.

On the other hand, you have a camera that is slow to focus. It appears to me that it zooms to infinity (and beyond) and then catches the focus on its way back in. If you are taking pictures of forever-in-motion kids you can be sure you will miss quite a few decisive moments. Additionally, this camera lacks the most important camera control there is. This is the control wheel used to change exposure, aperture, and shutter settings in a quick efficient manner. Instead this camera uses buttons which is an unwieldy way of making these changes. Most higher end Point and Shoot (P+S) cameras have some version of this control wheel. I think anyone transitioning to this camera from a DSLR or high end P+S will be frustrated by this. I've seen this billed as a good thing as there are less controls to get confused over. That may be so but all m4/3 cameras can be used as point and shoot by just keeping in the intelligent Auto(iA) mode. This simplifies the menu options and takes great pictures a majority of the time.

I think for anyone who wants to step up from a P+S to take better Image Quality pictures but plans to stay in the iA mode 90% of the time, then this camera will serve you well and will take some amazing images. Just remember P+S type focusing speed.

Anyone, who has a E-P1or E-P2 who want a sensors with a weaker Anti-Aliasing filter (i.e. less detail lost to the AA filter) and a fill flash will enjoy this camera for the IQ but will probably be frustrated with the loss of the control wheel

Anyone either stepping up from a high end P+S such as the LX3, S90, or G11 will be impressed with the images, but not blown away by the difference, unimpressed with the P+S focus performance, and frustrated in the P, A, S or M shooting modes. Additionally, you will be unimpressed with the bigger size of the camera but will enjoy the flexibility if your budget includes other lenses.

Anyone, getting this as a second carry around camera to a DSLR, will be happy with the smaller size and weight but unhappy with the slower performance. And frustrated by the clumsy controls but happy with the video capabilities.

If you don't need or want the video, don't mind IS in the lens instead of the camera, and can put up with a slight decrease in you IQ, ISO, and JPEG performance, then the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Red) offers many upgrades at the same price (Integrated 1.4mp EVF, Swivel Screen, 460k screen, Grip for bigger lenses, faster focus performance, etc)

For the same price, the newly announced G10 matches the E-PL1 with video, and new processing engine (cross your fingers for a JPEG improvement). Additionally, it has a 2kp EVF (I'm not sure how useful that will be), a grip, a control wheel, a 1/4000 shutter speed and faster focus performance. It does not have in-camera IS.

For those planning on getting the EVF at some point or with an ~$200 greater budget, check out the newly announced G2. Take the G1, add 720P 60/50fps video, an improved processing engine, a new dial to change focusing modes, touch screen controls that look to work as slick as an iPhone, and touch screen focus, and you have a really really nice full featured camera.

Finally, if you don't need interchangeable lenses or don't plan on buying any more lenses and you don't mind a degradation of IQ, then the Canon S90, Canon G11, and Panasonic LX3(Leica D-Lux 4) are easier to carry around everywhere (especially the S90) and are cheaper(the gap will close when the price of this camera falls).

Here is a quick list of pros and cons of the E-PL1

Pros
The best Olympus implementation of the m4/3 sensor
One of the best JPEG engines in the business
Relatively small and light
Built in flash
In camera Image Stabilization(IS)
Price (The cheapest m4/3 yet)
Optional EVF (A very nice 1.4mp unit but very pricy at $279)
Its available
Nice build quality

Cons
Slow Autofocus (Panasonic has this figured out. Olympus, not so much)
Missing Control Wheel slows down aperture, shutter, and exposure changes
Only 230k screen?!
1/2000 shutter speed?! A lot of P+S go to 1/4000
Locking lens is annoying to deploy and stow

Overall
A competent and nice camera that will take stunning images. Slow autofocus and clunky controls will make this camera frustrating to many people.

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