Just Posted: Olympus PEN Mini review

Orientated? I think you'll find that's a perfectly cromulent word.

Everybody says orientated ... except the purists who are still using the reliable silex! Have you seen that round thing that allows people to move things faster? The end of the world is near! :)

Orientated and oriented are both equally correct. Just as fragmented and fragmentised, or aluminum and aluminium. Particularly since dpreview.com is based in the UK.

Fragmentised? No such word.. fragmentized.

Actually, also "fragmentised" in American English. Now please everyone acknowledge the existence of British and American English, and go on with photo talk. :)

Like every other m43 camera with the original 12mg sensor.

E-PM1 + 12mm f2 + 45mm f1.8 = $1700. That's an expensive way to "have a hoot" when an XZ-1 for $500 is almost as capable...

You actually have some real DoF control with the EPM1. However, I do, in general, take the point - I'm really not sure of the point of these bottom of the range "large sensor" cameras if you put the stock, dog slow zoom on them. Building to a price, you get better results from a smaller sensor, because for the same money you can make a way better, and faster, lens.

As I said, it may not be the intended market, but if you are someone who is not terribly bothered by a $1700 price tag, then the E-PM1 and a couple of fast primes makes for a superb quality, highly compact camera with real DoF control.

If you haven't got $1700 or don't need or want DoF control, then the obvious answer is not to buy it.

You should check out the Pentax Q believe it or not. Superb ergonomics, DSLR class controls, F1.9 prime out of the box. You can put the camera in your pocket with the lens. It's a lot of fun. Small is fun.

Not the focal lengths you want though.

The Pentax Q (according to the latest DxO review) "...seems wildly overpriced — yet another inducement for serious photographers to pass it by". Additionally, Q's tiny sensor can't really compete with 3/4 systems with high ISO performance, it is more or less within the same league as the S95.

Hey, mature guy: everytime a manufacturer launches a camera with such a huge amount of noise in RAW and lack of detail in JPEG and with an incredible lack of access to controls at that price point, I believe I am allowed to make this statement.
BUT I am sure there are people who will find themselves comfortabe with such a poor photographic device.
The IQ gap between this thing and the NEX is so huge that maybe now we can understand why Olymus guys have decided to send abroad some money for their retirement before presenting this to their public.

I have a full-size DSLR and there are many situations when I don't want to lug it.
This does not mean that in these situations I would be condescendent with my requirements for IQ. That is why I don't see the point in these low IQ cameras. I would be served by my cell phone if I wanted low quality pics.
If you want portablity AND IQ, there is no better choice than NEX.

Sorry, different class or not, the video is still overrated.

Good use??? It should be seen somewhere but it is not, the gear gets better and the pictures in web gets worse all the time.
It matters also cause amateurs give their crap for free and professionals loose their jobs.

> the pictures in web gets worse all the time

Sure, but that is meaningless. It's becoming easier and cheaper to post pictures on the web everyday. A few years ago people where selecting what they published and I'm afraid it's less and less the case now.

then have a look at 80s pictures - they are badass as well.

80s pros were pros and amateurs were what ever.
One could earn living by making fabulous pictures.
Amateurs made the crap but nobody took it for free, media wanted quality and got it. Now amateurs do their best to kill photography as a profession and those who buy do not care.

it's the sensor. look at the nex-series. else, don't get a zoom.

It is all about having options. You can use big lenses OR small lenses.
Compacts with fixed lenses do not not offer this.

Yes, I understand that, but the only really small lenses are the prime pancake ones, even the “small zooms” are large compared to the body, my point is that when fitted a reasonable lens they are too big for your pocket, so why bother with them at all?

I'm pretty sure I could fix a PEN Mini and the zoom into one of my coat pockets. Or in the briefcase on the way to work in case I wanted to shoot some photos on the fly after. The other obvious place one of these could go is in someone's purse.

They're an order of magnitude smaller than DSLR so are just a bit more portable. Not quite as small as a compact but my cell phone replaced my compact. It offers a middle ground. Or a "compact" that has a decent sensor.

I guess some people will buy them, but it won't be me!
Would the Fuji X10 not be a better briefcase or large pocket camera?

@D R C

Please, don't bring this holy grail of pocketability thing as a bogus reason for m43 failure. It is completely irrelevant!

There is an obvious trade off in performance versus size and no where its written that beyond pocketability, size does not matter. As an example, I can stuff in a medium-small walk around camera bag 14-600mm (35mm equiv) worth of zoom, a couple of primes and a GH2 body and not look like a trekker on a mission.
Such set up it won't fit in a pocket and it won't be exactly as performant at the Nikon APS-C equivalent, even less the full frame equivalent, yet it can produce pictures of a higher quality than most will ever need. Now, speaking of size, the equivalent APS-C set up will probably require a full sized Lowerpro backpack...

As for those miniaturized point and shoot shaped m43 bodies, its clear to me that anyone who buys them are mostly interested in small lenses too. The cool news is that the fixed focal lengths aren't exactly big.

It will be interesting to see if the people who buy them also get an extra lens on two, or just use the one it came with on the day of purchase.

If you are moving to the Pen Mini from an advanced P&S like the Panny LX5, Oly XZ-1 or Fuji X10 (all having fast zooms) I don't think the Pen will make any difference in your photography. Be prepared to spend money on additional lenses. To me, the larger sensor size alone does not offer any compelling quality differences over the fast lens P&S cameras out there. Most images these days look good in bright light at low ISO, and when the light dims the fast P&S's above all have a two stop advantage. After trying both the Pen Mini and the Fuji X10 I stuck with the Fuji.

With faster, sharper primes the Pen can really take off compared to the P&S's, but one needs to be willing to invest in those lenses and carry them with you. I think the Pen Mini is a great option if you plan to move into the MFT system, but by itself it offers little advantage, in my opinion. It is worth noting that the Fuji is more expensive, though :)

Size is not all that matters:
It is also the weight. Many users, esp. women, don't like to handle heavy DSLRs. A PEN weighs only half as much.

Look at the HUGE lens from the front and you see a tiny front lens. The lens barrel is very much over sized. Why? Maybe its a trend. Maybe its to be able to hold it well. Maybe its auto focus and OS and all that jazz. One problem is the over sized lens mount. Take a look at Leica lenses instead. They are small. OK - they are not zooms. But even the pancakes are ridiculously large for todays m43 cameras. The Oly m43 stuff is called small. Gimme a break. I have seen smaller 6x9 cm cameras made 1930.

"Fine camera" explains how it could be faster than many DSLRs, but it does not explain how it could be faster than the flagship E-P3, which has the same AF system. I believe FNAC make a mistake.

You could pick up the pani 14-42 X series lens. Would be a very nice setup. Lens also has IS that will work better for the video mode.

Pancake lenses are a must for this camera to keep compact dimensions. The Oly 17mm is OK and relatively cheap but the Panasonic 14mm and 20mm (F1.7!) are much better but a bit pricey. And if you really want a zoom there is the new Panasonic X 14-42 which is fractionally larger than the 20mm but only F3.5 - 5.6.

3 EP's, 3 EPL's and this camera, the EPM-1. What's so confusing about that?

Rocklobster, with the Panasonic pancakes, the price is no longer amazing.

Hey onlooker,
But I am comparing with Panasonic with same lenses, Sony with equiv lens, Nikon 1, Samsung etc and you can put any old lens on the PEN and still get IS advantage!

Double Dust, some days ago a staff member promised the NEX 7 review for "very soon". I think it was the S100 article - can't recall.

Also, the SD1. Utterly irrelevant to 99% of the site's readers but I'm genuinely curious about it. And do something about the Samsung NX100 preview, which dates back to September 2010 and is basically pointless now that the NX200 is coming out.