Olympus E-P1 review

Olympus revives an old brand to debut its Micro Four Thirds ‘Pen’

With a model number of E-P1, Olympus’ long awaited Micro Four Thirds camera – coming after Panasonic’s own well received DSLR-styled G1 and GH1 – is alternatively being referred to as the first digital ‘Pen’. While that may mean nothing to most, it’s a revival of a brand established in 1959 that took pictures at half the size of a frame of 35mm film, of which there were some 35 models created. An interesting concept, this new but retro look and feel photographic tool is described by its maker as neither a compact nor a digital SLR, but rather a ‘revolutionary’ interchangeable lens camera that delivers DSLR quality in more portable form.

How so? Well, Olympus has been able to achieve this by removing the traditional SLR mirror set up and in doing so halving the distance between lens mount and sensor, here 13.1 megapixels (12.3 effective). The Pen’s Micro Four Thirds lens mount has further been diminished by 6mm, which means those with existing Four Thirds lenses will require an adaptor to use them on the new model. The alternative, and the one most appealing to those buying into the system from scratch, is to go with one of the new dedicated M.Zuiko Digital lens bundles offered on launch. We had the body plus 14-42mm zoom combination to test (28-84mm in 35mm film terms), an option that will set users back a not inconsiderable £700. Yes, that’s more than most entry level DSLR plus standard zoom kits. It’s worth pointing out too that the lens itself aids the Pen’s overall compactness by featuring a retractable design mechanism.

With an intended audience of not only photo enthusiasts but yummy mummy types also, the E-P1, currently available with either silver or white bodywork, doesn’t stint on features. Shooting Raw and/or JPEG files, it’s basically a foreshortened E-series DSLR – though inevitably there are a couple of compromises. Getting the bad news out of the way first, omitted here are a built-in optical viewfinder and flash, though both are available as clip-on extras at added cost. This means that most would-be owners will be contending with purely utilising the rear 3-inch, 230k dot screen with Live View for shot composition – in truth perfectly adequate in both daylight and the dim – plus bumping up the ISO (to a maximum 6400 equivalent) and deploying image stabilisation for low light captures, a partially successful route.

The good news is that we do also get colourful High Definition video at a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels, stereo sound and smooth playback frame rate of 30fps, with a side-mounted HDMI output port for connecting the camera directly to an HDTV set. As with the most recent E-series DSLRs, Olympus has additionally included a set of six user selectable ‘art’ effects filters. Here they comprise pop art (delivering vivid colours that resemble children’s poster paints), self-explanatory soft focus, the wishy-washy de-saturated ‘pale and light colour’, near identical light tone, plus grainy film and pinhole. Ape-ing Granddad’s Box Brownie, the latter reduces the peripheral brightness to concentrate the viewer’s focus, and to our minds proved the most creatively successful and inspiring of the lot.

While feeling brick-like in its solidity thanks to a mainly metal build – stainless steel at the sides and aluminium top and bottom – plus offering a neat solution for those what want to be able to swap the lens in use but still shoot unobtrusively ‘from the hip’, the E-P1 isn’t a camera for shirt pocket or handbag by any means. Rather, it falls between a DSLR and compact in terms of dimensions too, with a chunky width of 120.5mm and body-only weight of 335g. The space does however provide room for that 3-inch LCD and attendant controls to breathe, and it practice we found it nigh impossible to accidentally slip from one control or on-screen option to its adjacent setting or button – the ridged, rotating wheel for zooming in and checking captured images, or displaying them as a series of thumbnails, a particular chunky favourite. Neat too is the way that the mode wheel for selecting shooting functions has been sunk into the top plate, its cantilevered edge poking out through a slit in the back that falls readily under your left thumb when gripping the Pen with both hands. Along with program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual shooting modes, with subsequent twists users get access to an impressively consistent ‘intelligent auto’ (iAuto) setting for occasions when pointing and shooting is justified, the aforementioned HD video, plus scene and art filter modes. An attractive leather-look pad left of the lens at the front provides further purchase for the fingers of the right hand, if the thumb of the left does end up smearing the back screen with greasy prints.

Used in moderation we enjoyed the point of difference provided by the art filters, if without any such gimmicks the Pen still delivers a refreshingly naturalistic interpretation of scene and subject, with good exposure latitude and pin sharp detail. Indeed, results straight out of the camera are in fact closer to that seen via the naked eye than any non-DSLR or bridge model we’ve used for a long time. As well as shooting in standard 4:3 digital image ratio, users can switch to shooting in 16:9 widescreen aspect, 6:6 to ape a medium format camera or 3:2, equivalent to 35mm film.

Though the E-P1 will require a period of familiarisation for anyone who hasn’t handled an entry level E-series DSLR from the same manufacturer, for those that have the camera feels near instantly familiar. Less experienced users can start off with shooting mode set to iAuto and snap away to begin with, moving through the more creative settings as experience grows. While its portability is no match for a slender pocket compacts, you’re still more likely to take the Pen out with you for a day trip, walk or ramble than a DSLR.

In daring to break from the pack by mining its own photographic heritage and resurrecting a dead brand, Olympus has produced an exciting product that is less Frankenstein’s monster, more a 21st Century Lazarus. Images aside, after you’ve put the camera back in its box, it’s the build quality that leaves one of the most lasting impressions – recalling the era before the dominance of plastic when items were manufactured to last years rather than months. With Olympus UK suggesting that supplies of the E-P1 will be deliberately limited, it will be very interesting to watch how a range that began at the height of the mass market film era ‘develops’ from here.