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.

The Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens

I’m loving prime lenses more and more. Lately I find myself using them a lot often when I travel. It started when I got the excellent Panasonic 20mm Lumix pancake and now the Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8 added another dimension to my shooting style. Spending 3 weeks with the lens on actual travel made me learn more about its quirks, its strengths and handling. From the initial unboxing, I knew this lens was worth the money I spent. Now here’s my assessment of the lens and some real world samples to boot.

Ananda Pagoda Kid (E-PL1, f1.8, 1/160sec, ISO 200, WB Auto)

Ananda Kid 100% crop

Build

I have pictures comparing the lens to the size of the 20mm pancake and attached to the Olympus E-PL1. It’s light and compact. Its plastic build and painted finish made me question the integrity or quality of the lens. It worries me that I may easily scratch or peel the paint after several uses since I’m quite torturous and rugged on my gears but I had no problems so far. It has a small 37mm filter ring which can be challenging to find. I also didn’t notice until I was shooting with it for a few days that it has a detachable ring at the front covering the lens hood attachment. I almost lost that ring as it was easy to loose so throughout the trip I decided to just remove it and place it in a secure pouch. The focus ring is quite fluid as well.

Pyin U Lwin Girl (E-PL1, f2.5, 1/250sec, ISO 200, WB Auto)

Pyi U Lwin Girl 100% crop

Focusing

I think the E-PL1 isn’t the ideal camera to gauge the speed of this lens. While I thought it was a lot faster than the Panasonic 20mm, I found that on rare occasions, the camera doesn’t focus where I want it to be, making me refocus again , especially if the lighting wasn’t as bright. What I would do is just select the focus point I would need for the shot. I’m not sure if it’s the old E-PL1’s focusing fault but I’ll be able to try the lens on the new PENs (E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1) soon and give an update.

Monk's Robe Weaver (E-PL1, f1.8, 1/160sec, ISO 800, WB Auto)

When shooting portraits, I found that enabling face detection does help in making the focus precisely even if all the focus points on the E-PL1 are active. When shooting objects, its best to direct the focus point on where to focus, especially when shooting wide open where it’s easy to miss the correct focus having too shallow a dept-of-field.

Caysaysay Kid (E-PL1, F2, 1/320, ISO 200, WB Auto)

The 45mm isn’t a Macro lens though and the closest focusing distance is .5m (which is actually better than other lenses of same focal length). Though I wish it was able to do macro but that would surely shoot the price up on this already affordable lens.

Applying Thanaka (E-PL1, f2, 1/320sec, ISO 200, WB Auto)

Applying Thanaka Crop 100%

Handling

For my shooting style, I find the mid-telephoto range of 90mm appropriate when shooting on the streets as I just need a moderate distance from my subject. Not too close for comfort nor too far like a paparazzi, just enough to get involved with the subject for some friendly chitchat. I also find that its size as an advantage as it’s less obtrusive and intimidating with people.

Umbrella Offering (E-PL1, f3.2, ISO 200, WB Auto)

Umbrella offering 100% crop

Image Quality

Don’t expect this to be a technical review but I’ll let you judge for yourself by the photos I post here, 100% crops with no sharpening and accompanying data. But what I do know personally is that even shooting wide open at the largest aperture of f1.8, it produces sharp images and good overall details at the centre and it just gets better as I stop down even up to f2.5. Color rendition and contrast looks excellent from my eyes and has that natural look. I found I don’t have to adjust as much on my RAW images. Bokeh is simply stunning and it definitely produces the sharp isolation between subject and the background (even foreground). Something a lot of photographers look for portrait shots.

Monastery Monks (E-PL1, f1.8, 1/100sec, ISO 320, WB Auto)

High ISO shots up to 1600 still has a lot of details to show and the large aperture plus in-body image stabilization of the pen is an ideal combination when shooting lowlight handheld.

Myazedi Bathing Buddha (E-PL1, f3.5, 1/400sec, ISO 200, WB Auto)

Myazedi Bathing Buddha 100% Crop

Conclusion

The Olympus 45mm f1.8 is something to celebrate about since it is the first lens from Olympus 43/m43 system to go below f2. And for a large aperture lens, its diminutive size packs in a performer that produces excellent output straight out of the camera. But is everything bright and shiny with this lens? Not really. The build could be better and adding macro capability would be a welcome addition, but that’s asking too much already for its $400 price tag. Besides, its plastic built doesn’t hinder from producing images with tack sharp images with creamy bokeh and swift focusing speed.

Shwedagon Candle Lighting (E-PL1, f1.8, 1/60sec, ISO 800)

The Kata Hybrid

In my continuous attempt to keep my travel gear light as possible for my personal travel, I’ve been looking at some options in terms of camera bags. Before, I had two bags with me, my Kata Sensitivity Bag and my regular 30-liter Deuter Backpack. While I really like the efficiency of the Sansitivity-V for its size, it’s really hard to travel with 2 bags in tow, especially when you’re always on the move. When I found the Kata Hybrid-537 D-lite Shoulder Bag while doing some window shop on a camera store, I thought it was ingenious that I can remove the compartments making it more compact if I wanted to so I bought one at Island Photo. After months of having it with me, here what I thought of it.

The Kata Hybrid-537 DL at Php 2400

Compartments can be detached into two separate cases

What I liked:

• First thing I liked is how I can detach the compartments so I can use either one when I need a compact camera case. And it’s easy to attach them via the secure velcro straps.
• It has the same light material as my Kata Sensitivity-V which I really like.
• It comes with a rain cover that can be folded to a compact size
• The shoulder strap feels comfortable
• I has the Modi-verse feature which I can re-arrange the division inside the large compartment
• The main compartment is spacious enough that with my Mirrorless system, I can fit my camera as well as 2 additional lenses with my filters in them. It could also fit a regular DSLR with a standard lens attached and another lens on the side.
• There’s an option to carry it on the waist via a belt loop
• There’s also a strap included if I would want to put a small tripod/monopod as well but since I have a big tripod I never used it.
• Great value for only P2400

The main compartment can fit my Olympus PEN, 3 more lenses and filters

What I didn’t like:

• It can be hard to zip close when it is bent out of shape while carrying if the content is heavy.

As you can see, there is a lot to like about this Kata Hybrid Bag. I found that for me a shoulder bag is more efficient to use than a back pack. For an instance when I’m traveling and suddenly I found a spontaneous subject on the road, I can easily access the camera on the side to shoot as opposed to a camera on my backpack which I have to remove from my back, unzip and pull out from the bag. A lot of seconds lost. By the time I have the camera in hand, the subject would have been far away. But that’s just my style and I found the Kata Hybrid-537 DL  Camera Bag works for me.

The smaller compartment can be used for additional accessories

Comes with its own rain cover

Book Cover of Ghost Train to the Eastern Star

The premise, retrace his route from his travel narrative that shot him to fame with his Great Railway Bazaar. It was a book published in 1975 recounting his railway journey from London to Asia, Japan and Back through the Trans-Siberian express. 30 years later, around 2005, Paul Theroux, now much mature, relived the journey which resulted to the book Ghost Train to the Eastern Star.

I have never read his Great Railway Bazaar but I found it wasn’t a problem with this book as we would give glimpses on what it’s like on his first journey. In fact each chapter can stand alone, like if you want to read a portion on Japan or Vietnam, it would not be a problem.

But take heed this is not a guide but more of a personal account and he does it with exceptional writing. He’s a keen observer and touches a lot on the social and the political state of a country. His narrative is fluid and emotional at times but can be brash and egotistic as well. But one thing is for sure, he is a very good writer even if I sometimes don’t really agree with his views.

What I really enjoyed is portions where he met up with different authors I also enjoy reading like Haruki Murakami and Pico Iyer in Japan or Isaac Asimov in Sri Lanka. I’m glad to read about these authors for a change and to have them traveling together in one book was exciting. It also gave me an idea of how the mind of a travel writer likes Theroux works, learning about his method on recording while he travels.

I also like his encounter with strangers which is really the heart of this book. It’s not entirely about the destination or the passing scenes from his cabin window. It is also about his fellow passengers, his tuk-tuk drivers, the landlords and his guides. His intelligent questions to strangers led them to open up their stories for him to note down. He may sometimes be too critical with his meticulous descriptions of people to the point of insult but I think that was his honest way to get back at them.

I took me quite a while to finish the whole book, not because it was dragging or lengthy but because of my lack of time to read. But I never got lost picking up the book from where I left off. Ghost Train to the Eastern Star is one of the non-fiction travel books I was really engaged reading when I start flipping through the pages again. There are a lot of insights in this book not only about a destination but for a traveler himself shaped by his journey.

The Tempur Travel Pillow and Sleep Mask

Traveling can take a toll physically especially on long journeys. When I find myself coming in on a destination from a long transit, I allow myself time to recharge so when I explore a destination I would have a clear head and more alert with my surroundings. One sure way to get the energy back is to have a quality sleep but that’s not always easy adapting to a new environment or you’re in company who have a different lighting preference with you while you sleep. Tempur Philippines recently introduced me on some of their accessories to make sleep a lot more comfortable.

Tempur in the Philippines had me try a couple of their Travel Accessories namely the Travel Pillow and the Sleep Mask. I already know the reputation of Tempur when it comes to pillows and and mattresses. Hey it’s the only way one can try NASA and Space Foundation certified products on a regular consumer basis. So what’s so special about Tempur? Here’s a quote for you:

Tempur is a visco-elastic, temperature sensitive material that mold to the exact contours of your body. It yields slowly under compression, making no counter-pressure, until the full weight of your body is distributed evenly on the entire surface area of the mattress. When you lift your body from the TEMPUR material, Tempur returns to its original shape.

Tempur Travel Pillow and Pouch at Fragrance Hotel Singapore

I was able to bring the Travel Pillow on several places already like on a cruise in Singapore and and also some homey inn in Bislig City. It’s only half their popular TEMPUR Original Pillow but has the same qualities of molding to the shape of the head and neck for support and relief. What I also like about it is I can roll it and put it inside the pouch included which is almost the size of a 9-10 size shoes. A lot more easier to bring but take note that one has to un-roll it and let it naturally get back in shape within 24 hours. It’s small but I never had problems with it since I don’t move much when I sleep.

The very comfortable Sleep Mask

The author wearing the Sleep Masks in a Bus

The Sleep Mask was really useful for me all around. I usually carry an eye-shade which came from an airline. I’m quite sensitive with light when I sleep and I like it pitch dark. Also, it helps when I try to sleep in a bus. But what I really like about the Tempur Sleep Mask is that it is really soft and it has relaxing breathing space over my eyes and finally it really shuts out the light. Very handy.

The Tempur Travel Pillow has an SRP of P3400 while the Sleep Mask has an SRP of P1500. The price is definitely on the premium side but what I think is important here is the investment for quality sleep and the health benefits brought by it.

For details you may check their website www.tempur.ph and add them on their facebook page Tempur in the Philippines.

Disclaimer: The Travel Accessories were kindly provided by Tempur Philippines.

Olympus PEN E-PL2 now in the Philippines

Now on its 4th PEN, Olympus displayed evolution on this new M43rds model. The Olympus PEN E-PL2 is their most recent release which is by naming convention is a successor to their E-PL1 which proved successful at launch. As a user of the Olympus PEN E-PL1 for more than a year now, E-PL2 is more like a beefed up version of the E-PL1. It has the same sensor with a few tweaks so Image Quality is more or less the same. What significantly changed is the body. So here are a few things I liked from the new E-PL2. Also you can see a few hi-resolution out-of-the-camera real-world sample shots which you can access at my flickr account.

Olympus E-PL2 (left) vs E-PL2 (right)

Sleeker Look and Better Handgrip. I always thought the E-PL1 was too boxy. Most of the time I’d like to dress it up with its leather case to make it look attractive. The E-PL2 was a lot sleeker with its more rangefinder-like body. It’s like a cross between the E-PL1 and the E-Px line. The grip now is wider and more comfortable to hold than the E-PL1. The silver, white and red colors look more attractive to me than the black one.

Larger 3" 430k dots screen

Shutter Speed Reaching up to 1/4000. I think this is the most significant of the changes. The E-PL1 can only go as high as 1/2000 which poses a problem when your shooting with an aperture wide open with a lens like the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 on broad daylight.

Control wheel is better than the E-PL1 buttons

ISO up to 6400. While I’m not really a High ISO shooter, it’s comforting to know that the feature is there. I had a situation before where I had to boost my ISO to 6400 when I was inside a bus to shoot this little girl across the row. It proved useful and handy especially with Olympus having in-body Image Stabilization.

Bigger shutter button and different on/off button

Rear Control Wheel. I really didn’t like the button pushing on the E-PL1 but I got used to it again but each time I use it, I always thought the controls on the E-P1/2 were more convenient and faster to use when changing settings. Well it’s a good thing they brought back even one of the dials. While it still poses the same problem I had with the E-P1 like accidentally changing the settings, it’s still a welcome development. And now we have an option to even lock the wheel through the menu.

Faster, slimmer, taller and MSC compatible 14-42mm II Kit lens (right)

New Faster and Silent MSC kit lens. The new 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens is still collapsible but smaller, slimmer, slightly taller and only has one protruding barrel in front. While I think the quality didn’t change much, the speed on this new lens spells the difference. It now has an MSC (Movie and Stills Compatible) design that makes the AutoFocus a lot smoother and also quiet which is ideal when shooting videos on continuous autofocus.

Higher capacity battery with the new BLS-5

Better LCD Screen. It’s about time Olympus upped their resolution to 430k dots, it helps a lot when manual focusing especially on a large 3inch screen. It’s also a lot appealing when reviewing photos

The excellent VF-2 EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and other accessories can be attached

Better Battery. The new gray BLS-5 still has the same size as the previous PEN battery BLS-1 but with an added contact which is a new japan specification for improved efficiency when charging batteries. The E-PL2 is still compatible with the BLS-1 but the chargers are not interchangeable. I also noticed when I was shooting a festival that the new BLS-5 can shoot more images. With a fully charged BLS-5 I was able to shoot up to 500 jpg images while with the BLS-1 I reached only up to 300 jpg images.

Using the Dramatic Tone Art Filter of the E-PL2

New Art Filters. The E-PL2 also has the Dramatic Tone Filter as the Olympus E-5. I thought this was really attractive to use for that similar HDR effect but of course it has to be used appropriately.

Was able to shoot him at f2.8 ,1/4000s at broad daylight

Copyright Embedding Options. Now I appreciate little things like this. I was always envious of other camera brands when they can embed their signatures on the EXIF file via a copyright option in the menu. I first saw this on the Olympus E-5 and I was glad the E-PL2 has it. Olympus should have it as a staple option on their cameras from now on.

Shooting ISO 6400 with the 40-150mm M.Zuiko

To Upgrade? If you think the improvements I highlighted where important enough to help ease your shooting, by all means upgrade.

A cup of hot choco using the 14-42mm II kit lens

For New/Potential Buyers, if you are looking to jumping into the mirrorless camera world or just want to have a camera with the same quality as DSLRs but not the bulk, the Olympus E-PL2 would be a good choice as its a very well rounded camera especially for its price. Recently, competitors churned out a good number of mirrorless options as well but the advantage with Micro Four Thirds is that they already have a good lens system available. Not to dismiss the E-PL1 as well as it had a big drop in prices making it as the same level as some advanced compact cameras making it a good option too.

E-PL2 with 40-150mm M.Zuiko

I didn’t say much about the image quality as like I said it’s very close to the Olympus E-PL1 which I thought was a really good camera by itself. But having tried shooting with the E-PL2 for almost a month I found it a lot more enjoyable with this improvements.

E-PL2 with 40-150mm M.Zuiko

The Olympus PEN E-PL2 is now available in the Philippines at major camera store outlets. 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.

E-PL2 with the 14-42mm II Kit Lens

E-PL2 with 9-18mm Zuiko via adaptor

E-PL2 with Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake lens

The Olympus E-5 DSLR

It took about three years before Olympus finally rolled out their upgrade for their flagship Olympus E-3. Just when everybody thought they would be abandoning their DSLRs to focus on their PEN Micro Four Thirds Line, they produced the Olympus E-5 to somehow show their commitment to the classic Four Thirds Format. But would this be enough to keep the current Four Thirds users from switching or new DSLR buyers to consider this as their purchase? Here are my impressions of the Olympus E-5 DSLR from a couple of weeks use.

The large 3in 921k tilting LCD screen and rearranged buttons are the noticeable changes from E-3

Ditching the XD for SD Slot is a good decision

What’s New?
Nothing drastic really. Having used the E-3 for more than a couple of years, the transition was easy since the only major change from the body was the re-arranged buttons to give way to this large to the beautiful new 3” large 921k LCD Screen. Aside from the additional HDMI and Stereo Mic Connection , SD card support (finally) along with the CF card and a new BLM-5 battery, all else are internal like the following:

• New 12MP Sensor (Same ones used on the PEN)
• TruPic V+ Processor (Optimized to take advantage of Zuiko High Grade Lenses)
• Faster Live View with Face Detection
• A modest 720p HD recording
• 10 Art Filters (including the HDR-like Dramatic Tone)
• ISO up to 6400 (And I noticed there are no longer banding from 1600)
• Level Gauge (useful to keep horizon in line, I found this very handy on the E-30)
• EXIF Copyright Info (A bit trivial to some but I liked the idea of my signature embedded on each shot)

The Olympus E-5 partially Submerged

Still Built Like a Tank
Since there’s no major change with the dust and splash proof magnesium body, I can certainly say that the E-5 is as tough as the E-3 was. These cameras can withstand the toughest elemental conditions out there may it be heavy rain or below zero temperatures. I was even able to partially submerge the camera underwater. Olympus has a good set of High Grade lenses which are also both dust and waterproof. Pair them up with the E-5 and you can be confident that your camera can withstand the rigors of the outdoors.

Nagsasa Kid (Olympus E-5, Zuiko 12-60mm at 30mm, f3.6, 1/250sec, ISO 400,

Nagsasa Kid Detail at 100% JPG Viewing

Best Out Of the Camera JPGs but…
This has always been Olympus greatest strength, they have an excellent JPG processing engine that produces images with ‘Punch’ out of camera and that is still true for the E-5. It has natural saturated colors and amazing details especially when used with the High Grade lenses liked the Zuiko 12-60mm which I used most of the time. But this quality is produced when you shoot in good light and lower ISOs like 200-800.

Nagsasa Out of Camera re-sized and minor crop JPG

The High ISO performance did improve from the E-3 especially with the absence of banding which was a constant problem with my E-3 when I shoot at 1600. But sensor technology has gone a long way and if we’re comparing High ISO performance from cameras around the E-5′s price tag, it is still behind.

Dramatic Tone Filter Comparison (left normal, right Art Filter)

Getting Creative with Art Filters
Eyebrows were raised when Olympus highlighted 10 Art Filters as the main feature attraction. But honestly at this age, other cameras have also followed suite with their own in-camera processing options including built-in HDR. These Art Filters are not bad in itself, especially now, in the e-5, you can customize the degree of how these filters are applied. The Dramatic Tone is the most noticeable of the 10 Art Filters available, as it gives an HDR effect for those who like that treatment. All in all, these Art Filters ain’t that bad as long as you use them right.

Dramatic Tone Filter Comparison (left normal, right Art Filter)

We Got Video Too!
But a very modest one at that with 720p on the Motion JPG format. It’s the same quality as the PEN models which is above average, but I was expecting a bit more from a flagship model. Still, it wasn’t on my priority for a camera like this, it’s just nice to know I have that option.

Nagsasa Out of Camera re-sized JPG

Come all Ye Faithful
As far as Olympus Four Thirds go, the E-5 is undoubtedly their best camera to date with great built, better image quality, decent video and shooting speed. It’s a well-rounded camera that can produce excellent results on whichever conditions you take it. But there’s still a looming uncertainty whether this would be their last camera in this line especially now that the PEN have addressed their promise of a smaller high quality compact cameras.

Nagsasa Out of Camera re-sized JPG

For it’s price range, which is rather high since it’s on the pro/semi-pro line, there are a lot of competitive options out there so it’s hard to decide on jumping into this system. But for those who have already invested on a good amount of Zuiko lenses, which by themselves are exceptional, the Olympus E-5 can still squeeze out excellent images until it runs out of juice in the coming years.

Olympus E-5 DSLR is now available in the Philippines at the SRP of P85,000 (body only)