3Percent
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I've got nearly all the higher end Pen cameras, E-P1/P2/P3/P4(just kidding)/P5, and owned for about 6 months the Pen-F. I've used my P2 and P5 the most and pretty much ignored the P3 after the first day I used it.
I've never seen Jpegs with such poor noise reduction from any camera. Color is fine (typical Oly nailing it) but their NR in Jpegs in this camera is horrendous. Playback images show Jpegs, not raws, which only furthers the impression this camera has horrible image quality, and for Jpeg shooters, I'm sorry it's true.
However, the raw files are a totally different story. Recently I took the E-P3 out of mothballs, because I felt I didn't give it a completely fair shake. I've had some extra time on my hands lately to dig further into it, and I found that raw files are really the ticket. A bit more on that later.
Design and build wise, its as if the E-P5 and E-P2 had a child with 50/50 genetics. In some ways I actually like its layout, controls, and it's simplicity more than my P5. It's got much of the charm that the P1/P2 had- less is more, and therefore a huge fun factor. But it's even nicer than those two cameras in both build and overall quality. Generally it's controls are near perfect, and perfectly placed.
My only niggle is the rear control dial. It's too slippery and small to control with the thumb without having to concentrate intensely to avoid accidently engaging one of the four directional controls. In fact I don't even use it, just the four way toggle feature.
The additions and improvements compared to the P1/P2 are just right. Such as: an AF assist lamp, glass touch LCD screen, faster autofocus, interchangeable/removeable hand grip, pop-up flash, extra rear button, better video features, are all appreciated because they do not compromise the integrity that made the first two Pen models so great.
It's also aesthetically more pleasing than the first two, particularly the black version. By adding a nice smooth flat black metal body, and additional matching aluminum trim to the bottom of the camera, it looks just splendid.
In hand it feels dense, rattle free, cool to the touch all over (all that metal) and supremely comfortable. It's nearly snag free all over, and you can't help but pick it up and hold it admiring it as an inanimate object. It's as beautiful in your hands as it is on a shelf. Iconic, just as the first P1 is, only progressively better in nearly every way. It's a camera that is so hard to put down and not fiddle with.
It's density and build quality remind me of a what a small Leica M might be like had they really made one the size of a Pen. It's that good. Too bad OM can't find a way of shoehorning a new sensor/menu/and built in EVF into the same body (I'd gladly give up the popup flash for a built in EVF similar in physical size and position to the Panasonic GM-5's).
The menu's well, they are 2nd generation Oly mirrorless, better than the first, but not as good as the new OM-1 to be sure. I don't have too much to complain about here other than some odd omissions or lack of customization in some ways that defy logic (example, why can't I assign something to the magnify button? Or why isn't that yet another fn button?). The P5 fixed those niggles in its menu system.
Okay, back to Raw image quality. Avoid ACR (Adobe) as the raw files are manipulated too much. And honestly, other raw converters do a much better job with the noise pattern, not so much as removing it, but interpreting the textures of it. Capture one or darktable are two such converters that do a much better job than ACR. ACR's camera profiles exhibit too much manipulation for my taste, at least at the higher ISO levels (800-8,000 for example) . I want raw to be raw and the most honest output possible.
Since the EP3 uses 'trickery' for its ISO levels from 200-12,8000 (it's really a 100-6,400 ISO camera underexposed a stop at every ISO setting to simulate a higher ISO range), you should definitely use the ETTR (expose to the right) exposure technique. If you do, and you use a good raw converter, you will be surprised what this camera can punch out, useable images up to ISO 8,000 (for monochrome, 4,000 for color), and no nasty fixed pattern banding you see in other brands!
Prior to really digging into the E-P3 I dismissed it in my mind as a flawed camera with a horrible processer and crappy jpegs. Much worse image quality than the original Pen! The latter is still true (at least at any ISO setting above 400 and any ISO setting underexposed).
However, I don't think the same now. It took some adjustments, but to me, it was a worthwhile effort because I do like other aspects about it more than the P1/P2 cameras One, it still feels like the original Pen in my hand, unlike my P5, and two, it's probably the most handsome Pen I own (that might be debatable).
If you don't like the black one, get a white one, replace the tan grip with a black grip, or just take the grip off completely, they look nice!
Today E-P3's are pennies on the dollar. This is why I'm reviewing one here now. You can even still get a new one as I see them for sale brand new with popular retailers for next to nothing. What was once a camera that I scoffed at and collected dust, has a revived life. It's not perfect, but it's much better than my first impression lead me to believe. Granted that took a little faith and digging to figure out.
Use a good lens, shoot raw, expose "right", and see what you think. Oh and have fun with all the art filters, those are still cool.
I've never seen Jpegs with such poor noise reduction from any camera. Color is fine (typical Oly nailing it) but their NR in Jpegs in this camera is horrendous. Playback images show Jpegs, not raws, which only furthers the impression this camera has horrible image quality, and for Jpeg shooters, I'm sorry it's true.
However, the raw files are a totally different story. Recently I took the E-P3 out of mothballs, because I felt I didn't give it a completely fair shake. I've had some extra time on my hands lately to dig further into it, and I found that raw files are really the ticket. A bit more on that later.
Design and build wise, its as if the E-P5 and E-P2 had a child with 50/50 genetics. In some ways I actually like its layout, controls, and it's simplicity more than my P5. It's got much of the charm that the P1/P2 had- less is more, and therefore a huge fun factor. But it's even nicer than those two cameras in both build and overall quality. Generally it's controls are near perfect, and perfectly placed.
My only niggle is the rear control dial. It's too slippery and small to control with the thumb without having to concentrate intensely to avoid accidently engaging one of the four directional controls. In fact I don't even use it, just the four way toggle feature.
The additions and improvements compared to the P1/P2 are just right. Such as: an AF assist lamp, glass touch LCD screen, faster autofocus, interchangeable/removeable hand grip, pop-up flash, extra rear button, better video features, are all appreciated because they do not compromise the integrity that made the first two Pen models so great.
It's also aesthetically more pleasing than the first two, particularly the black version. By adding a nice smooth flat black metal body, and additional matching aluminum trim to the bottom of the camera, it looks just splendid.
In hand it feels dense, rattle free, cool to the touch all over (all that metal) and supremely comfortable. It's nearly snag free all over, and you can't help but pick it up and hold it admiring it as an inanimate object. It's as beautiful in your hands as it is on a shelf. Iconic, just as the first P1 is, only progressively better in nearly every way. It's a camera that is so hard to put down and not fiddle with.
It's density and build quality remind me of a what a small Leica M might be like had they really made one the size of a Pen. It's that good. Too bad OM can't find a way of shoehorning a new sensor/menu/and built in EVF into the same body (I'd gladly give up the popup flash for a built in EVF similar in physical size and position to the Panasonic GM-5's).
The menu's well, they are 2nd generation Oly mirrorless, better than the first, but not as good as the new OM-1 to be sure. I don't have too much to complain about here other than some odd omissions or lack of customization in some ways that defy logic (example, why can't I assign something to the magnify button? Or why isn't that yet another fn button?). The P5 fixed those niggles in its menu system.
Okay, back to Raw image quality. Avoid ACR (Adobe) as the raw files are manipulated too much. And honestly, other raw converters do a much better job with the noise pattern, not so much as removing it, but interpreting the textures of it. Capture one or darktable are two such converters that do a much better job than ACR. ACR's camera profiles exhibit too much manipulation for my taste, at least at the higher ISO levels (800-8,000 for example) . I want raw to be raw and the most honest output possible.
Since the EP3 uses 'trickery' for its ISO levels from 200-12,8000 (it's really a 100-6,400 ISO camera underexposed a stop at every ISO setting to simulate a higher ISO range), you should definitely use the ETTR (expose to the right) exposure technique. If you do, and you use a good raw converter, you will be surprised what this camera can punch out, useable images up to ISO 8,000 (for monochrome, 4,000 for color), and no nasty fixed pattern banding you see in other brands!
Prior to really digging into the E-P3 I dismissed it in my mind as a flawed camera with a horrible processer and crappy jpegs. Much worse image quality than the original Pen! The latter is still true (at least at any ISO setting above 400 and any ISO setting underexposed).
However, I don't think the same now. It took some adjustments, but to me, it was a worthwhile effort because I do like other aspects about it more than the P1/P2 cameras One, it still feels like the original Pen in my hand, unlike my P5, and two, it's probably the most handsome Pen I own (that might be debatable).
If you don't like the black one, get a white one, replace the tan grip with a black grip, or just take the grip off completely, they look nice!
Today E-P3's are pennies on the dollar. This is why I'm reviewing one here now. You can even still get a new one as I see them for sale brand new with popular retailers for next to nothing. What was once a camera that I scoffed at and collected dust, has a revived life. It's not perfect, but it's much better than my first impression lead me to believe. Granted that took a little faith and digging to figure out.
Use a good lens, shoot raw, expose "right", and see what you think. Oh and have fun with all the art filters, those are still cool.
