Olympus Pen E-PM1 review
It's far from perfect, but its low price makes the E-PM1 a brilliant step up from a compact or ultra-zoom camera
Specifications
17.3x13mm 12.0-megapixel sensor, 3.0x zoom (28-84mm equivalent), 378g
Full HD video recording, for which there’s a dedicated button unless you reassign to some other function, is done at 30fps in AVCHD format. There are plenty of control options here, with the ability to shoot in priority exposure modes (shutter or aperture) or full manual. The ISO is constrained when shooting video to 400-1600, and at ISO 1600 the results, again, weren’t as sharp as those from the NEX-5N. The kits lens also made light purring noises that were picked up by the built-in microphone.
The E-PM1 certainly isn’t as exciting as some of its competition, but it’s fairly strong in the key areas – such as performance, focus and noise levels. It may be mini by design, but best of all of is its mini price. At present it’s available for just over £350, with its kit zoom, if you shop around; plus there’s another £50 off until January thanks to a cashback offer from Olympus. That’s around £180 less than the NEX-5N at £530, which is also available with £50 cashback at present and around £100 less than the technically identical E-PL3 – though the extra money will be justified by those who feel a mode dial and tilting screen are essential features.
The E-PM1 is the cheapest CSC camera available at present by a significant margin and this, combined with a lack of any major failings, brings it right back into contention for your cash. If your budget is tight now, but you later plan on investing in extra lenses or accessories, then the E-PM1 is a good choice, and a deserving winner of our Budget Buy award.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | **** |
CCD effective megapixels | 12.0 megapixels |
CCD size | 17.3x13mm |
Viewfinder | optional electronic |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | N/A |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 460,000 pixels |
Articulated screen | Yes |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 3.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 28-84mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, sensor shift |
Maximum image resolution | 4,032×3,024 |
Maximum movie resolution | 1920×1080 |
Movie frame rate at max quality | 30fps |
File formats | JPEG, RAW; AVCHD, AVI (M-JPEG) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | SDXC |
Mermory supplied | none |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 330 shots |
Connectivity | USB, AV, mini HDMI |
HDMI output resolution | 1080i |
Body material | aluminium |
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds |
Focal length multiplier | 2.0x |
Kit lens model name | Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 II R |
Accessories | USB and AV cables, detachable flash unit |
Weight | 378g |
Size | 110x64x86mm |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one-year RTB |
Price | £356 |
Supplier | http://www.amazon.co.uk |
Details | www.olympus.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual |
Shutter speed | 60 to 1/4,000 seconds |
Aperture range | f/3.5-22 (wide), f/5.6-22 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 200 to 12,800 |
Exposure compensation | +/-3 EV |
White balance | auto, 7 presets with fine tuning, manual, Kelvin |
Additional image controls | contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, shading compensation, colour space |
Manual focus | Yes |
Closest macro focus | 25cm |
Auto-focus modes | multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect |
Metering modes | multi, centre weighted, centre, face detect |
Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, manual, red-eye reduction |
Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, WB bracket, ISO bracket |