Review based on a production E-PM1 running firmware 1.0
The classically-styled PEN series of Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens cameras has given Olympus the opportunity to draw attention to the small, popular half-frame models that it produced in its film heyday. But it wasn't just the size and style of the PEN and Trip cameras that lay behind their success - it was also their simplicity. And it's this ethos that explains the E-PM1, or PEN Mini as it is likely to be promoted to its target audience.
The Pen Mini really does live up to its name. With a prime or collapsible kit zoom lens mounted, it is very small indeed. It isn't quite pocketable, but it's undeniably more convenient to carry around than any DSLR.
To go with the user-friendly size, Olympus has opted for a beginner-orientated design and interface, with the bare minimum of buttons and dials. Hidden underneath, though, the E-PM1 retains much the same feature set as the enthusiast-targeted E-P3. The more-advanced functions aren't quite as easy to get at, but they're almost all there.
A such, the PEN Mini's appeal is potentially two-pronged. To novice photographers or compact camera upgraders its appeal lies in the fact that it is a small, lightweight and inexpensive (especially in the US, where Olympus's pricing is particularly aggressive) interchangeable lens camera which offers plenty of features without being intimidating. For enthusiasts, however, it is appealing because it offers a lot of the 'guts' of much more expensive models like the E-P3 and indeed the E-5, but at a bargain price and in a more portable package.
For $200 more, the PEN-E-PL3 offers slightly more direct control, a mode dial and a tilting LCD screen, but that is pretty much the extent of the headline differences between the two bodies. The E-PM1 can be used as a purely 'point-and-shoot' camera, but its specification does allow room for a novice photographer to develop. We can't see E-PM1 users leaving the comfort of their kit zooms to experiment with Olympus and Panasonic's wider range of Micro Four Thirds lenses quite as much as E-PL3 or E-P3 owners might, but the option is there. As such, despite its similar size and pricing, the E-PM1 stands apart from high-end compact cameras like the Canon Powershot G12 and Nikon P7100 by virtue of its position within a system.
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| The Mini borrows the PL3's slimmed-down look. There's no built-in flash (a clip-on unit is included in the box, instead), and it shares the distinctly Sony-esque protruding lens mount. Despite being the least expensive model in the range, Olympus still includes stereo microphones for movie recording. |
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| The PEN Mini ends up being a very similar size to Sony's NEX-C3, but its collapsible zoom lens makes the overall package smaller and closer to being pocketable. |
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If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2011 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
Olympus PEN E-PM1 12.3MP Interchangeable Camera with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD and 14-42mm II Lens (Black) | $179.99 |
Olympus PEN E-PM1 12.3MP Interchangeable Lens Camera with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD and 14-42mm II Lens (Silver) | $249.00 |
Olympus PEN E-PM1 12.3MP Interchangeable Lens Camera with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD and 14-42mm II Lens (Brown) | $249.00 |
Olympus Pen E-PM1 12.3 MP CMOS Sensor Digital Camera with 14-42mm II Lens and 3" LCD Screen (Purple) | $255.00 |
Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 12.3MP Interchangeable Micro 4/3 Digital Camera Body with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD | $199.99 |
Olympus PEN E-PM1 12.3MP Interchangeable Lens Camera with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD and 14-42mm II Lens (White) | $323.95 |
Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 w 14-42mm (Black) + Battery + LowePro Bag + Filter Kit + 32GB (10) SDHC | $349.00 |
Olympus E-PM2 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Black) | $422.39 |
Olympus Pen E-PM1 12.3 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 3 x Optical Zoom (Pink) | $249.95 |
Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Black) | $280.00 |
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