OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 (Digital SLR Cameras)

OLYMPUS PEN E-P1
See 8 images
EISA Award!
from £599.99

Experts  
Users  

Image quality  
Design  
Value for money  
Performance  

Product Age Average review date: 05-08-2009

Rank 59 

alaScore 79

79100

507 reviews

May, 2012

Expert Reviews (141)

User Reviews (366)

Olympus Pen E-P1

By Chi-Lan Tran (cnet.co.uk) Read the full review

I have always been a portable camera owner and making the big step towards dslr. I am really glad I did, the camera is easy to use and so compact and does not put a strain my my neck with the strap on (which has always been a draw back for me not...

Small, good quality pictures and user friendly

would like longer battery life

Nov, 2010 2010-11-16   4.5

"An excellent compact camera"

By peterb666 (asia.cnet.com) Read the full review

This is a great first effort in MFT for Olympus, the first of its type that really takes advantage of the format. There are areas where it could be improved such as LCD visibility in extremely bright situations, e.g. on a beach and low light focus...

Good picture quality, great size, 3x zoom about the same size as a standard lens

Accessories are overpriced, need more lenses, LCD can be a problem in extreme bright conditions

Oct, 2009 2009-10-12   4.5

An excellent compact camera

By peterb666 (asia.cnet.com) Read the full review

This is a great first effort in MFT for Olympus, the first of its type that really takes advantage of the format. There are areas where it could be improved such as LCD visibility in extremely bright situations, e.g. on a beach and low light focus...

Good picture quality, great size, 3x zoom about the same size as a standard lens

Accessories are overpriced, need more lenses, LCD can be a problem in extreme bright conditions

Oct, 2009 2009-10-12   4.5

Videos

02:43

First Look Reviews: Olympus Pen E-P1

Susi Weaser phones in a quick look at the new Olympus 4 Thirds camera the Pen E-P1...

Olympus E-P1

The E-P1's good looks and large sensor will appeal to enthusiasts, but general consumers may find some features lacking in this camera.

Jun, 2009

01:58

Olympus Pen E-P1 hands-on

The Pen E-P1 is Olympus' first entry into the Micro Four Thirds lens system jointly developed with Panasonic. We headed for swinging London Town to get our hands on it in this video. The kitsch...

Jun, 2009

Manufacturer's Description

The Olympus E-P1 marks an innovative era in digital imaging. The Micro Four Thirds camera upholds the legacy of the celebrated PEN family of cameras, with the photographic optics of an SLR and the size and simplicity of a point and shoot. Combining the still image quality of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with the A/V quality of both a high definition camcorder and high-end audio recorder, the E-P1 is a virtual full-service imaging studio in one ultra-portable and stylishly retro body...

Showing 1 - 10 of 76 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (65)

Review summary for the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1

By (alaTest Reviews)

alaTest has collected and analysed 507 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the performance and design. Reviews about the software and battery are different, while some have doubts about the flash and screen.

We analysed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital SLR Cameras the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 79/100 = Good quality.

May, 2012 2012-05-19 alaScore 79 4

Olympus Pen E-P1 digital camera review

By Doug Harman (pocket-lint.com)

Olympus' latest digital camera harks back, in terms of the name at least, to the famed Pen range of half frame (a half frame of 35mm film that is) Olympus cameras first introduced in 1959 and that heralded the sale of 17-million units between its...

Image quality, handling, super control panel, comprehensive, creative feature set, good dust reduction system, retro styling, build, lenses

No (built-in) viewfinder, no built-in flash, price

We were won over by the image quality and that at the end of the day is probably the single most important factor and so makes this a camera one we cannot help but recommend

A success and no mistake. And given the buzz around the new Olympus Pen E-P1 it may well prove to be a success but just how much, only time will tell. The camera looks a real treat and its aluminum top and bottom plates are sat on a curvy stainless...

Jul, 2009 2009-07-13   4.5

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus Pen E-P1 - First Look

By (pocket-lint.com)

Is retro the way to go?

Jun, 2009 2009-06-18 No rating -0.5

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus Pen E-P1 review

By Rod Lawton (techradar.com)

Is this really the dawn of a new era, or the last gasp of an old one...?

Glorious erformance ; Great features

Awkward controls ; More lenses needed ; Lens build is a bit lasticky and chea

Sep, 2009 2009-09-16   4

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus Pen E-P1 with 14-42mm lens review

By (expertreviews.co.uk)

There's a big gulf in image quality between compact and SLR cameras.

Could have been great, but at this price we wouldn't be prepared to live with its weaknesses.

Sep, 2009 2009-09-21   3

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus E-P1

By Lori Grunin (cnet.co.uk)

Olympus' first Micro Four Thirds design, the 12.3-megapixel E-P1, offers excellent photo quality in a pleasingly retro and compact design. Its performance tends towards the sluggish end of the scale, but it still represents a tempting proposition for...

Striking design ; excellent build quality ; impressive photo quality ; support for interchangeable lenses

Sluggish autofocus ; short battery life ; low-resolution LCD ; lacks on-camera flash and viewfinder

The Olympus E-P1 is an excellent enthusiast compact camera hampered by some performance problems and the lack of a viewfinder and built-in flash

Jul, 2009 2009-07-09   3.7

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Stuff magazine

By (stuff.tv)

Styled on the classic precursor to the SLR, the E-P1 has more than just retro looks going for it. But does it hit the sweet spot between compact and DSLR?

It has a few shortcomings, but the E-P1 is a camera of unique character in a world of dull-looking compacts

Jul, 2009 2009-07-01   4

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus Pen E-P1 review

By Lori Grunin (cnet.co.uk)

The Olympus Pen E-P1 is an excellent enthusiast compact camera hampered by some performance problems and the lack of a viewfinder and built-in flash

Striking design ; Excellent build quality ; Impressive photo quality ; Support for interchangeable lenses

Sluggish autofocus ; Short battery life ; Low-resolution LCD ; Lacks on-camera flash and viewfinder

We can't really recommend the E-P1 to folks upgrading from a point-and-shoot camera, since the biggest motivation in that case, in addition to wanting better low-light photos, tends to be a desire for better performance to shoot kids, pets and sports....

But, we think the first two groups would be more forgiving of the E-P1's performance -- either because they have tricks to compensate or because they have a faster camera somewhere for shooting action -- and most appreciative of the design and photo...

Jul, 2009 2009-07-09   3.5

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus Pen E-P1

By Cliff Smith (trustedreviews.com)

It's not an SLR, it's not a compact, but it sure is pretty

The Olympus E-P1 is an interesting and innovative camera, and as a first model in what will probably be a series it has some very nice features. Build quality and finish are of an exceptionally high standard, and image quality and performance are...

However the enormous cost compared to a good DSLR, and the lack of either a viewfinder or built-in flash will put many people off.

Jul, 2009 2009-07-25   3.5

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Olympus PEN E-P1 review

By Rosemary Hattersley (pcadvisor.co.uk)

The 12.3Mp Olympus PEN E-P1 is larger than a standard compact digital camera such as a Canon Ixus or a Sony Cyber-shot and has interchangeable lenses. Here's our…

The retro feel of the Olympus E-P1 is wonderful. It's the sort of camera that puts a smile on your face when you use it and we loved the amount of control it gave us over what we took and its final look. In fact, our main criticism of a camera...

The £599 body only headline price makes the Olympus E-P1 seem expensive given that it doesn't claim to be a pro or even semi-pro model. You can buy it as a bundle for £749 with the 17mm pancake lens and separate viewfinder or, better still, the 14-42mm...

Jun, 2009 2009-06-22   3.5

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review

Review: Olympus E-P1

By Leonard Goh (asia.cnet.com)

We paced this much-anticipated Micro Four Thirds camera through a series of tests and found its design to be endearing and image quality good.

Refreshing retro and petite design; incorporates Art Filters in HD video mode; good picture and video quality; wide range of adapters for other lenses available

No onboard flash; writing time can be faster; confusing menu interface

Some shutterbugs have commented that the E-P1 is a repackaged E-620, but we think this is an unfair statement. Although both models have almost similar shooting specifications, the latter doesn't have a video-recording function. The E-P1 with the...

(Click for larger image)

Jul, 2009 2009-07-16   4

Was this review helpful to you? YES NO
Read the full review
Showing 1 - 10 of 13 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (17)
Review this product! Write a review

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1 user review of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from cnet.co.uk. This user review was collected in 2010-11-16, with a rating of 90 out of 100.

Quotes

Olympus Pen E-P1

I have always been a portable camera owner and making the big step towards dslr. I am really glad I did, the camera is easy to use and so compact and

  1 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 8 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from asia.cnet.com. The user reviews were collected from Jun, 2009 to Oct, 2009. The average user rating from asia.cnet.com is 83 out of 100.

Quotes

"An excellent compact camera"

This is a great first effort in MFT for Olympus, the first of its type that really takes advantage of the format. There are areas where it could be im

An excellent compact camera

This is a great first effort in MFT for Olympus, the first of its type that really takes advantage of the format. There are areas where it could be im

definitely a good one !!

try yourself then you wld know . compact body, solid hand held feeling, great image quality, iAUTO, SLR operating alike, etc it wld b good if there i

"definitely a good one !!"

try yourself then you wld know .flash? not really a big deal, but of cos it would b better if come with one.. compact body, solid hand held feeling,

  6 Users positive 2 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 39 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from amazon.co.uk. The user reviews were collected from Oct, 2002 to Mar, 2011. The average user rating from amazon.co.uk is 89 out of 100.

  39 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1 user review of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from gadgetspeak.com. This user review was collected in 2010-01-04, with a rating of 40 out of 100.

Quotes

Olympus Pen E-P1

hi paul is there any chance you can contact me please i need your help

  1 Users negative

alaTest has collected and analysed 4 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from reevoo.com. The user reviews were collected from Oct, 2010 to Nov, 2010. The average user rating from reevoo.com is 100 out of 100.

Quotes

Olympus Pen E-P1 With 14-42MM Lens

Having for some years tried to find a digital camera that feels and operates like a "proper" camera I am delighted to say that this is it. All the mai

Olympus Pen E-P1 With 14-42MM Lens

Looks great, feels great, is great, Complicated camera but already getting great results Handbook to small very hard to read, I downloaded a copy from

Olympus Pen E-P1 With 14-42MM Lens

I just love it Reviewer left no comment

Olympus Pen E-P1 With 14-42MM Lens

easy to handle no flashlight

  4 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 21 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from cnet.com. The user reviews were collected from Jan, 2009 to Feb, 2010. The average user rating from cnet.com is 89 out of 100.

Quotes

"Great Images, Fun to Use"

This camera may not be for everyone because i...  The image quality is much better than two former Olympus dSLRS (E-500 and E-420) that I owned. The

Great Images, Fun to Use

This camera may not be for everyone because it does not have a viewfinder and the focusing is slower than many cameras, but for someone who wants a re

Beautiful images, gorgeous design

A beautiful camera that has quickly become my favorite one to use. I'm going to sell my Canon EOS Rebel XSi- the Olympus is an all-around great design

Olympus Pen E-P1 (silver, with black 14-42mm lens)

This camera may not be for everyone because it does not have a viewfinder and the focusing is slower than many cameras, but for someone who wants a re

  21 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 4 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from dpreview.com. The user reviews were collected from Jul, 2009 to Mar, 2010. The average user rating from dpreview.com is 97 out of 100.

Quotes

Olympus PEN E-P1

Normally, I am a Canon Man, and my preferred kit is my EOS-400D C/W 17-85mm IS lens, backed up with a Canon G10 compact whose lens' focal length just

Olympus PEN E-P1

A GOD send camera, very easy to use and most of the time I put it on auto mode and the result is wonderful! I took over 3000 photos in the last 4 mont

Olympus PEN E-P1

The dream has come true. Perfect image quality in a compact package. None

  4 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 4 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from cnet.com.au. The user reviews were collected from Jul, 2009 to Mar, 2010. The average user rating from cnet.com.au is 95 out of 100.

Quotes

Olympus E-P1

I don't shoot with flash, so I bought this camera partly for that reason, but also to use my old OM lenses, doubling their focual length whilst not re

Olympus E-P1

Forgot to choose a rating. Despite the minor flaws prevsioulsy mentioned, all cameras involve compromise and overall this is as about as good as it ge

Olympus E-P1

I owned Contax G2 with 4 Carl Zeiss lenses, Nikon D3X with various lenses (F and D). Now I stick to this camera, bring it everywhere I go. This is the

Olympus E-P1

I love the Pen E-P1. I have had it now for a couple of weeks and love it. I own several DSLR's and love the image quality. I own a Nikon D700 and 24-7

  4 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 2 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from jr.com. The user reviews were collected from Apr, 2009 to Dec, 2010. The average user rating from jr.com is 90 out of 100.

Quotes

WideAngle lens for Micro Four Third

Great for Compact (micro four third) cameras Durable","Fast \/ accurate auto-focus","Lightweight","Rugged Clumsy Design

Good, small single length lens

This is a good lens that completes a wonderful physically small camera that takes very good photos. If small size is a premium for your everyday use,

  2 Users positive

alaTest has collected and analysed 125 user reviews of the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 from amazon.com. The user reviews were collected from Oct, 2002 to Apr, 2012. The average user rating from amazon.com is 84 out of 100.

Quotes

This camera body is a hidden gem

The Pen E-P1 may be older, but it is far from long-in-the-tooth. In fact, it is packed with features that a user can utilize and customize in ways tha

Impressed

Okay, I am really surprised that no-one has really reviewed this camera yet, so here goes nothing:

not bad at all, after firmware upgrades and new lenses. 3.5 stars.

This camera is now 2 years old, but let me tell you why it's worth picking up on the cheap. These are going for very little on the second hand market

Very handy and better than average

I bought this camera for its portability. The built-in stabilization is fantastic. I can shoot blur-free at 1/8 (I have a stable hand). Metering is

  118 Users positive 7 Users negative

1
2

OLYMPUS PEN E-P1

OLYMPUS PEN E-P1: product specifications

Audio Input
Microphone Operation Mode
Stereo
Microphone Technology
Electret condenser
Type
Microphone
Battery
Battery Form Factor
Manufacturer specific
Manufacturer Battery Name
Olympus BLS-1
Digital Camera
Digital Camera Type
Prosumer
Supported Flash Memory
SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory Card
Dimensions & Weight
Depth
3.5cm
Height
7cm
Weight
335g
Width
12.1cm
Display (Projector)
Diagonal Size
3in
Diagonal Size (metric)
7.6cm
Display Form Factor
Built-in
Technology
TFT active matrix
Type
LCD display
Exposure Parameters
Shooting Programs
Anti shake / Beach/snow / Candle / Children / Documents / Fireworks / High key / Landscape / Landscape-portrait / Low key / Macro / Nature macro / Night scene / Night scene with portrait / Panorama assist / Portrait mode / Sports mode / Sunset
Header
Manufacturer
Olympus
Model
E-P1
Packaged Quantity
1
Product Line
Olympus
Lens System
Lens Aperture
F/3.5-5.6
Lens for SD
Body only/Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm and 17mm lenses/Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm lens
Max Focal Length
42mm
Min Focal Length
14mm
Optical Zoom
3
Type
Zoom lens
Miscellaneous
Colour
Silver/White
Microsoft Certification
Certified for Windows Vista
Vista Certification
Certified for Windows Vista
Optical Sensor
Optical Sensor Size
13.0 x 17.3mm
Optical Sensor Size (metric)
13.0 x 17.3 mm
Optical Sensor Type
High speed Live MOS
Sensor Dust Reduction
Built-in / Yes
Sensor Resolution
12.3Megapixel
Optical System
Built-in Optical Image Stabilizer
Built-in / Yes
Image Stabiliser
Optical (image sensor shift mechanism)
Video Input
Digital Video Format
AVI / MJPEG
Face Detection
Built-in / Yes
ISO (Max)
6400
Light Sensitivity
ISO 100-6400 / ISO auto (200-1600) / ISO auto (200-6400)
Shooting Modes
Frame movie mode
Special Effects
Black & White Green filter / Black & White Orange filter / Black & White Red filter / Black & White Yellow filter / Grainy Film / Light Tone / Monotone / Muted / Natural / Pale & Light Colour / Pin hole / Pop Art / Portrait / Sepia / Soft focus / Vivid
Still Image Format
JPEG / RAW / RAW + JPEG
Type
Digital camera

Manufacturer's Description


The Olympus E-P1 marks an innovative era in digital imaging. The Micro Four Thirds camera upholds the legacy of the celebrated PEN family of cameras, with the photographic optics of an SLR and the size and simplicity of a point and shoot. Combining the still image quality of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with the A/V quality of both a high definition camcorder and high-end audio recorder, the E-P1 is a virtual full-service imaging studio in one ultra-portable and stylishly retro body. With dozens of advanced features, the E-P1 makes documenting and sharing your everyday life easier and more creative than ever before. The E-P1 is the world's smallest 12.3-mexapixel interchangeable lens system camera, yet has the creative flexibility to give you a true professional experience with ease. A still photo, video and audio recorder in one, the E-P1 creates exceptional photos, inventive slide shows, and remarkable videos both for personal use or for posting on many of today's social networking websites. It delivers professional quality images without the bulk of a conventional DSLR, thanks to its slim body and advanced high-speed imager AF (Live View) technologies. The lens mount diameter has been reduced, enabling the use of smaller, lighter interchangeable lenses that perform at the same level as larger DSLR lenses. The camera fits easily in many pockets and purses. With 12.3 megapixels at its disposal, the E-P1 delivers image quality that makes the difference between ordinary and exceptional still and video imaging. A Live MOS image sensor is complemented by a next generation TruePic V image processor, resulting in excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, fine image details in all highlight and shadow areas, and reduced noise.

loading...

loading...

Write your own review

Top Ranked Digital SLR Cameras