The Olympus E-P3 with 14-42mm Ver II

The new generation PEN came a bit late here in the Philippines but like they said, its better late than never. I had the chance to try out the Olympus PEN E-P3, the current PEN flagship camera from Olympus. It was only a little over a week which clearly for me was such a short time since I wasn’t able to really take it out on a trip which I usually do the test. And also the weather at that week wasn’t really cooperative. But hey, I was able to take some shots with the E-P3 and play around its new functions and menus.

The E-P3 front with the 12mm f2 lens

The Look

The styling hasn’t changed since the E-P1 which is good since I like the all-metal retro styling of the camera. The notable changes on the outside are:

• the control function wheel has been moved to one side to give way to a built-in pop-up flash
• the bigger touch-sensitive OLED 640,00dots screen
• a direct movie button at the back
• a small AF illuminator at the front
• detachable and customizable grip with screw

The camera rear and controls with the new large OLED Screen display

Inside the Machine

While there are no drastic design changes on the exterior, it’s the internal workhorse that’s been given a major upgrade. Here are the significant changes

• Updated (tweaked) 12MP Sensor
• Dual-Core TruePic VI processor
• Which results to a brand new 35-area Superfast Auto Focus System
• Touch Shutter and Touch Focus with Magnification
• 1080i60p AVHCD Movies (which I wasn’t able to test out)
• Now Auto Gradation can be tweaked to a certain degree

The Control Mode Dial have all been moved to the right top to give way for the flash

Speedy Focus

If you’ll ask me one good reason to upgrade or jump in to the new generation of PEN line, it’s their new Autofocus System. The PEN has been criticized for its mediocre AF but this new 35-Area Autofocus System makes the whole camera competitive in all rounds. During my test focusing was astonishingly fast especially with the new lenses like the 12mm and the 14-42mm Ver II kit lens. And as I promised on my 45mm f1.8 review, the lens indeed focus more accurately with the new AF system. The Touch Shutter is also very responsive. Too responsive I guess that I had to make sure it’s off since it activate when it comes in contact with your body while the camera dangles on your neck.

While it has improved on a per shot basis, continuous shooting at burst mode and tracking movement has improved a little. Shooting RAW + JPG still slows down the frame rate sooner than expected that’s why when I attempt to shoot action I just shoot JPGs. I would also recommend Memory Cards with faster writing benefit to reduce the buffer time. Clearly the PEN is not ideal for sports but still it’s not impossible with perfect timing once you get used to it.

Touchy Screen

A feature that’s coming into new camera nowadays is the touch screen. While some may think it’s a novelty, when properly used it can be a powerful tool. Let me say first that the OLED screen on the E-P3 is a pleasure to view seeing the crisp colors and details. The Touch Shutter and Touch Focus features are a welcome addition. The Touch Focus enables you to choose a focus point on screen and magnify. This would be great for stills and macro work.

Playback viewing is also enhanced by this touch screen as you can scroll through the photos with the flick of a finger and zoom-in on them.

Olympus E-P3 using 45mm 1.8 (one touch WB, 1/100sec, f 1.8, ISO 2500)

Image Quality

I have no clear-cut way to measure the technical improvements on this generation of pens aside from my eyes. Though I can say it’s not that big, probably only a notch from the previous generation since it uses only a tweaked sensor and a better processor. The 1600 ISO which is the limit I use from my E-PL1 is a lot cleaner here and the lower ISOs still retain an excellent amount of details as usual. The good thing with the E-P3 is that the user can also customize the degree of sharpening and noise reduction on the images.

100% image crop of the bottle

Metering is well balanced, white balance is still spot on and colors straight out of camera are still punchy as usual. Auto-gradation or Shadow Highlight controls also have a degree of levels to choose from.

E-P3 with 12mm (f2.2, 1/80sec, ISO 1600, WB Auto)

Verdict

The Olympus PEN E-P3 is really a head-turner of a camera and is still an enjoyable photographic tool to use similar to previous generations. The blazing fast autofocus is a great enhancement and will surely make the camera more appealing now. The E-P3 now also has a built-in flash, AF illuminator and a handy touch screen feature. But there’s a quandary for owners of the previous PENs who are looking for major improvements in terms of Image Quality because there isn’t a big significance here. So if the newly added features aren’t such a big factor to upgrade, better stick with your old PEN for a while. But if you are looking for a well-rounded and capable camera and is jumping on the mirrorless or compact camera system, the E-P3 is an excellent choice given an already good range lenses on the Micro Four Thirds system.

E-P3 with 45mm (f1.8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600, WB Auto)

E-P3 with 12mm (f2.5, 1/125sec, ISO 200, WB Auto)

E-P3 with 45mm (f1.8, 1/100sec, ISO 1600, WB Auto)

Up Next: More E-P3 Samples Images with M.Zuiko 12mm f2 lens

The Olympus PEN E-P3 is now available in the Philippines. The SRP for the E-P3 body with 14-42mm ver II kit lens is P44,750.

Olympus PEN E-PL2

The much awaited Olympus PEN E-PL2 has officially reached the shores of the Philippines and is now available at major camera stores. The E-PL2 has garnered a lot of praise from photo reviews and critics. I’ve been using this silver variant for more than a week now and is liking the new design which is like a cross between the E-Px and E-PL1 line. Will be posting my field test impressions and sample photos in a few weeks. In the meantime the single lens kit with the version 2 of the 14-42mm kit lens has an SRP of  P33995 while the two lens kit with the 14-42mm and the new M.Zuiko version of the 40-150mm kit has an SRP of P39995. It comes in colors of black, white silver and red.

Olympus E-PL1 with Leather Case

Since the release of the New Generation Interchangeable Lens Cameras, whenever people ask me what’s a good SLR to buy, I always suggest the alternative system like the Olympus PEN. For one it’s lighter but still has the DSLR image quality. It’s also less daunting than the advance digital SLRs on the market for those moving from compact point and shoot. The Olympus PEN E-PL1 is the third Micro Four Thirds PEN camera from Olympus introduced last March. It hopes to appeal to consumers with its low price tag and user-friendly interface. I’ve been using the Olympus E-PL1 for almost 6 months now and here’s a somewhat quick review of the camera.

The Olympus E-PL1 Double Zoom Kit Lens

MMF-2 Adapter

The Olympus E-PL1 Kits

In the Philippines they are selling the Double Zoom Kit Lens with the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 and the classic four thirds 40-150mm f4-5.6 including the MMF-2 adapter. A kit lens with the 14-42mm only can also be bought. The prices have significantly dropped since its local release. From the launch price of P39,995 for 14-42mm kit (P46,995 of the double zoom kit), it is now down to P33000 for the single kit and P36000 for the double zoom kit. You can even get it for less on some sources.

If you’re an existing four thirds user, the double zoom kit would be economical since it already has the MMF-2 Four Thirds Adapter to make use of the older lenses. It’s a cheaper buy than buying it separately. The regular Four Third lenses can also autofocus but not as fast as the regular M.Zuikos for the Micro Four Thirds.

The Olympus E-PL1 on hand

Impressions

By this time, there are already a number of reviews on the web about the Olympus E-PL1 (For a more technical and pixel-peeping look, checkout DPReview or Imaging Resources). For this one I’ll outline the major things I liked and things to improve on about the E-PL1 during my 6 months of use.

ISO 1600, IS 1, 1/30sec, f3.5

What I liked

Improved ISO and Low Light Performance. I felt more confident using ISO 1600 on this camera on dim situations. On the E-3 I know I would have to deal with banding but here, the noise is well controlled.

Image Stabilization. Claims a 3-stop advantage on stabilization. I find myself getting tack sharp images even if my shutter speed is as low as 1/8sec-1/20sec. It also applies to every lens attached.

Taipa Village (ISO 800, 14mm, handheld, f 3.5, 1/20sec)

Built-in Flash

Built-in Pop-up Flash. This is the first PEN to have a built-in Pop-up Flash. It’s not as strong but is effective on occasion when it is needed. The good thing about the flash is that I can tilt it a bit farther back to bounce the flash. It is also capable of controlling 3 wireless flash units if you’re into strobes and lighting.

Hi-Resolution Viewfinder. Coming from an SLR shooter, I still have the instinct to raise the camera to my eye-level even without the viewfinder. I thought the VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder (which is sold separately) is big and bright and has a 1.4 million dot hi-resolution screen, very useful on bright situations. For me, this is a must accessory if you’re buying a PEN Camera unless you’re used to a compact-style camera shooting. I also liked the idea that I can detach it if I want to shoot incognito.

E-PL1 with VF-2 Viewfider, an essential accessory for me

VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder

HD Video Shooting. Shooting moving images gave me an opportunity to expand my creative endeavors to moving images. I thought the video quality when shooting in good light was above average, but it suffers terribly on low-light video shooting. I like the direct video button as I can record instantly whichever mode I am but it’s also a hassle that I accidentally press it at times. The Audio is only Mono unlike the E-P1/2 models in Stereo. It has a 7 minute limit and the Motion JPG AVI files are big but it’s easy to work on. The quality and detail are real good. (Check out my VIMEO account for samples).

Olympus E-PL1 has impressive JPGs out-of-the-camera

Very Good Image Quality. It’s hard not to be blown away by the details from its JPG straight out of the camera. While I shoot RAW+JPG so I can correct a few distortion and white balance on some occasions, I find there’s little to tweak when shooting with E-PL1. The metering seems to have improved as well. Before, I always have to set -.03 EV on my Olympus Cameras now it seems to handle most situations on 0 EV as long as I stay on ISO 200 where the maximum dynamic range seems to be at home.

Olympus E-PL1 only have button control but is highly customizable

Things that could be better

Push Button Controls. I missed the two control dials on the Olympus E-P1. I thought it was a lot easier and faster to use than pushing a few buttons. But if you’re coming from a compact camera, this won’t be a problem. For me I just got used to it. Besides, I can customize the controls to my style of shooting.

1/2000^th Max Shutter Speed. This could be limiting especially if I had a fast lens attached on a bright day. Trying to get a good shallow depth of field is a challenge. This isn’t a deal breaker as I only encounter this problem about 5-10% of my shooting. Best remedy? Get a Polarizer or Neutral Density filter.

No Sensor Orientation. I know it may not be a big deal to some but it does save a lot of time when processing images, I don’t have to rotate each image on their intended orientation.

Not so Speedy. While the autofocus and burst speed is okay for average use, it won’t be replacing my E-3 yet when I really need the speed. But I did learn how to handle the idiosyncrasies of its speed with good anticipation and timing.

Verdict:

I’ve been using the Olympus PEN since it first came out. The E-PL1 was well thought out. Though I could see Olympus cut some corners here and there it’s still a well rounded camera that is really fun to use with surprisingly good image quality. I have used it even on my commercial work, from brochures to magazine publications and found it delivered excellently on print. The camera also has idiosyncrasies but once you know them, it’s a lot easier to adjust for shooting.

I’d highly recommend this camera for those

• Moving up from Compact Point and Shoot
• Looking for a DSLR Image Quality camera on a small package
• Looking for a Light Travel Camera
• Looking for a secondary compact camera for a DSLR user

I wouldn’t recommend this for

• People used to control dials on DSLR
• Sports shooters

Sample Image Gallery

The Olympus PEN E-PL1 is sold locally in the Philippines on both Single Kit Lens (P33,000) or Double Zoom Kit (P36000) at Camera Haus, TechHead, Digital Walker Zoom, and PixelPro

Olympus PEN Workshop held last July 31, 2010

Last Saturday July 31, 2010, Olympus Philippines had its first Olympus PEN Workshop at Max’s Restaurant at Shaw Boulevard, Puregold. There has been a growing interest for the mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras like the Micro Four Thirds which Olympus is a part of. And to spread the awareness of the availability of the system, Olympus Philippines is conducting a series of workshops on photography.

Here are am discussing My Experience with the PEN

I was the first speaker in line to talk about My PEN Experience with the Olympus PEN which I had been using for more than a year on how I incorporate the advantages of the system to my style of Travel Photography and also some insights into my field of work.

Jay Alonzo discussing Creative Photography

Jay Alonzo, the first Olympus Endorser and also one of the well known Photography instructors in the country shared some useful insights and concepts on the technical side on his topic Creative Photography.

In between, participants were able to try out the new PEN cameras like the Olympus E-PL1 and E-P1 and were served some snacks and dinner.

It was a fun event meeting other photography enthusiasts who are eager to learn more about the Olympus PEN and Photography. Do join us on our Olympus Philippine Facebook Page for future announcement on events and activities.

The PEN Workshop on July 31, 2010

Announcing the first in a series of Olympus Workshops. Join us as Jay Alonzo and I share some photography tips on July 31, 2010. Head off to Olympus Philippines Facebook Fan-page for details. And don’t forget to ‘like” us

Olympus PEN 50th Anniversary Videos

Just to give a brief background, the Olympus PEN is a half frame camera developed by Olympus during the 60′s. A half-frame camera is a camera using a film format at half the intended exposure format. Quoting from the Olympus Website:

By using the half-frame format, Olympus was able to reduce both the weight and size of the Olympus Pen. It featured a simple rear-winding mechanism, a D-Zuiko lens for superior photographic quality, and an attractive design that also made the camera extremely easy to use. The Pen was a compact mix of innovative ideas that triggered the half-frame camera boom of the 1960s and 1970s. Cumulative sales of Pen Series cameras exceeded 17 million units. The highly original concepts embodied in the Pen Series would eventually lead to the creation of the legendary Pen F Series half-frame single-lens system.

Olympus Micro 43rds Mockup

So with this, is Olympus set to revive the PEN line with a digital Micro Four Thirds PEN? We can only speculate for now as Olympus has been very tight lipped on the specs and even on the final look of the camera. The only thing they have shown so far is a Mock-up revealed last year at PMA 2008. But recently they have released some very interesting teasers as the official announcement draws close. I’m just hoping the camera would be worth the wait with the anticipation it has built. Truly we are on a very exciting age of digital imaging.

View the Olympus PEN 50th Anniversary Videos here.

Click here for details  of the Four Thirds Format.