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Olympus Pen E-P1 Review
| Author | Cliff Smith |
| Published | 25th Jul 2009 |
| Manufacturer | Olympus |
| Price | £607.83 (Exc VAT) |
| as reviewed | £699.00 (Inc VAT) |
| Latest Price |
| Build Quality |  |
| Features |  |
| Image Quality |  |
| Value |  |
| Overall | |
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TrustedReviews NewslettersA little over seven months ago I reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, an SLR-like camera using a new lens mount and body design that eliminated the bulky reflex mirror and optical viewfinder that had been a feature of all SLR cameras - film and digital - since 1949. The result was a camera not much bigger than an average super-zoom, but with an SLR-sized Four Thirds sensor and a range of tiny, lightweight interchangeable lenses.
The Micro Four Thirds lens mount and the Four Thirds sensor format were co-developed with Olympus, with the latter being used in Olympus's E-system digital SLRs, and now Olympus has also launched a camera employing the new format, the Pen E-P1.
The camera's unusual name and retro styling are a reference to the original Olympus Pen, a series of half-frame 35mm cameras first launched in 1959 and continued in one form or another until the early 1980s. The model on which the Pen E-P1 is styled is the Pen F, an innovative half-frame SLR that used a rotary shutter and porro prism viewfinder, launched in 1963 and manufactured until 1972. The Pen series were nice cameras and sold well for a half-frame, but they are hardly the sought-after classics that Olympus seems to want us to think. You can pick them up on eBay for less than £20.
Classic or not, there can be little dispute that the E-P1 has an attractive design, indeed with the 17mm "pancake" prime lens that is available it could easily be mistaken for a 1970s-era 35mm compact camera. The body is all aluminium and beautifully finished in either white and tan or the silver and black shown here, which has a nice brushed metal surface. The finger grip on the front panel is hard plastic with a retro leatherette texture.
The E-P1's overall build quality is fantastic, and it has the solid feel of a quality camera, but then it would need to have. The Olympus E-P1 is currently on sale for a rather breathtaking £598 body only, or £699 including the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens shown here. Choose the lightweight 17mm f/2.8 lens instead and it will cost you £749, while a twin lens kit will set you back a whopping £849. By comparison you can get the excellent Olympus E-620 DSLR, featuring the same sensor as the E-P1, for £498 body-only, or £674 in a twin-lens kit. Style clearly comes at a price.
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Splogbust said on 1st August 2009
PeterB666 said on 2nd August 2009
I have to agree with Splogbust here. The high noise ISO results look pretty good. Compare the shots with the E-620 and they look pretty good. The E-620 earns a 7 in image quality a... more
Cliff Smith said on 5th August 2009
As I've stated before, my review scores aren't tricorder readings, they're just numbers summarising my opinion, based on my experience of using this and hundreds of ... more
cheinyeanlim said on 1st September 2009
In fact, the major drawback of the E-P1 is its lack of speed. Start up takes around 1.7 seconds, while shutdown takes 0.9 seconds. Its shutter lag is better than that of a digital ... more
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Confusion beginning to set in here - a quick whizz round other reviews puts image quality on par with DSLRs. Is your IQ rating of 8 as compared to compacts or DSLRs?