Self portrait: Olympus PEN E-PL7 First Impressions Review

Bought PL7 - holiday price. Really happy. Have M-5 PM1 and PM2. Use M-5 + grip for long, heavy legacy lenses + four thirds lens for grip. PM1 on track cars with 15mm lens cap - great for track video. Remote mic for great audio with the accessary port. The PM2 was second camera for primes when two cameras nice to have, hikes and for small, light P&S with good IQ. I like the attachable EVF to reduce size. Don't need it or the flash much but can carry vest pocket. Prefer LCD anyway with short FL. It's what I'm comfortable with. You can't debate how you feel. If you like it - you like it. Have high quality lenses for DOF, sometimes just want a snapshot. For best image, I pull out the expensive glass. Same body, lots of uses. PL7, it adds a new dimension to OLY. A small PEN with controls. Not all the way there, but going in the right direction. P5 has more controls but too big for comfort. I like PL better. Gave up a dial for it. My choice to compromise. OLY, I think I get it. I'm happy.

The price of a PL7-body recently went down to €323. Impressive, how much camera you get these days for your money.

Maybe there isn't enough on-board memory to do so, but why don't camera manufacturers offer multiple menu formats? The camera could prompt the user at initial setup for the date/time and user interface preference. The less experienced can choose "simple", the more experienced "advanced" or "Custom menu" mode. If there were three different "flavors" of how the camera menus and options were configured, there wouldn't be so many people who are frustrated. Frustrated groups include those switching brands (e.g. used to a Sony, Canon or Nikon setup and now confronted with an Olympus, Panasonic or Fuji menu style.); people who are new to digital photography in general (the very young, the very old) and those who are advanced users and are frustrated with how menus are nested. The camera setup routine ought to query the user experience level and format the GUI accordingly.

"The E-PL7 has a more traditional rangefinder-style body, complete with a built-in grip, rather than the older models' screw-in ones". Why did Olympus eliminate the larger grip option?
For me the larger optional grip available for the E-P3 and E-PL5 improves the ergonomics considerably.

Great DOA camera. Seems Olympus marketing is detached from the market. Great if they can go the Fuji way but I believe they'll fail.

They needed to observe what Sony is doing and offer E-PM2 with just two improvements: Usable LCD. Certainly has to be tiltable because of the market but I wouldn't mind as long as it's bright 3:2 LCD (won't ask for more but would love to see 4:3 huge LCD . Beside that, E-PM2 needed EV compensation during video. So, that's two things and nothing more. A 300$ camera.
Or, make it 450$ with bundled PZ lens as obviously, people buy sony happily even with that horrible lens.

Could even reduce the price by supplying weaker and smaller flash. Nobody cares about that anyway. I do but we are talking marketing and people are obviously buying that crap from sony that can't lit up 10ft at maximum output.

Expensive compact w/o EVF needs justification; here, neither it's lens, nor video nor sensor. AF performance is matched by others for long time. Olympus colors ?

However, the camera is fundamentally a Pen version of the E-M10 (something other commentators have rightly pointed out above). Other review websites have rated the camera quite highly. Maybe these have taken the trouble to look past the ‘girly’ advertizing into the actual photographic merits of the camera and come up with a more accurate evaluation than this review.

"With a little bit of customization, the E-PL7 can be turned into a very nice camera to shoot with: one that puts key settings at your fingertips, to give a quick and enjoyable shooting experience. "

Exactly, this applies to most Olympus cameras. I feel this is one of the strong points of Olympus MFT cameras. Invest a little time and you will be rewarded.

I bought one as an alternative to a digicam (insufficient image quality) or one of my dSLRs (not portable enough when on a business trip where photography is secondary... but I do want to take photos of the places I go), body only, plus a 14-40/2.8 m.Zuiko Pro lens.

The camera comes with a detachable flash, so it's just as practical as my Nikon FE2 was back in the day... and honestly I very seldom use flash nowadays. Digital cameras with decent-sized sensors and high ISO capability, along with image stabilization, are revolutionizing available light photography.

I'm very pleased with my purchase, and have also picked up the Gen 3 40-150/4-5.3 lens, figuring that I'll only use it in the daytime when light won't be as much of an issue. And, I'm waiting to see the 40-150/2.8 and compare it to the Pany 35-100/2.8... the latter is assuredly a better travel lens for the E-PL7, and with a 1.4x TC still gives a 35mm equivalent of 100-300/4.

The E-PL7 seems the perfect travel camera.

I respectfully disagree. I too have an unhealthy knowledge of Olympus menus having survived ownership of the an OM-D EM-5 and P5. Customizing this camera is child's play for me. I've used it for birding trips, scenics and casual Grandpa photography. What concerns me is that the sensor behaves as well or better than the EM-1. It is so easy to use and carry around. Pictures using the unlikely combination of camera+ Pany/Leica 25 mm are scary good. As a second camera of a MFT system user this is the best PEN yet!

I don't get it why shooting experience is mostly about not so good default settings? I mean, camera is very customizable and can be used as quickly and in the same way as DLSR if user takes some time to change default behavior in a menus.

Shutter shock issue resolved yet?

The First Impressions article leaves the distinct impression that reviewers consider the E-PL7 a mediocre camera. I am heavily invested in MFT; I already own an E-M5 and a stable of Oly lenses. So I took the plunge anyway.

This little camera is a genuine jewel. I can carry it all day without noticing, which was my goal. The only real bother is the clip-on flash. I intend to buy a VF4, so having the hot shoe free for that means I'll be switching back and forth a bit ... but I'm trading the bulk of the not-always-needed EVF for considerable size savings.

Autofocus speed is very good, even in some challenging indoor environments. I first took the camera on a trip to New Orleans and found the fold-down screen somewhat useful, which surprised me since I expected not to use it at all. When I go back overseas with my E-M5, I will also take the E-PL7. I wouldn't be surprised to have the E-PL7 around my neck most of the time.

Having worked for a Japanese company for 25+ years I am never surprised at the baffling approach to "improvements" of an existing design. In the company I worked for the original engineering group was not consulted on the improved design and almost never are consumer complaints given serious consideration. Even suggestions from company technicians who interface with frustrated consumers were regularly dismissed.......very, very frustrating!

Good Camera! I want to own one!

I'm sorry, but no flash = no buy. How Olympus could have designed a camera for the point and shoot crowd just moving up from cellphone cameras, and left off an embedded flash is beyond me. Inside or outside, sometimes you need a flash !!

Well, I had the opportunity to try this camera (and the e-p5) this weekend. The first thing I can say about the e-pl7 is that the buttons are really tiny-really tiny compared to the buttons on my e-pl1. So small that I have no idea how you are going to operate them by feel when using the VF-2 at eye level. Seems like they were made for a tiny Japanese lady who will be looing at the back of the camera. The p5 is better but still, I wish it had bugger buttons. Next, the 3:2 screen is a disaster. Why they think it is necessary to supplicate video people is beyond me. The image is actually smaller than my e-pl1, and the icons are much smaller-so much so I have a hard time seeing them.

Otherwise it is an OK camera. The e-p5 impresses with a very quiet shutter release-Leica like. The twin dials are nice but the single dial of the pl7 works fine if you are using legacy lenses with aperture rings. The pl7 is definitely a fiddly camera-it would take some getting used to.

Tdolph

Olympus Camera design team: "Hey look, now that we don't include an integrated flash that space can be used for the wifi, so we can still provide the grip-options on the right... Naah!"

They could at least put two extra fn-buttons in that left-spot.

I HATE ADD ON FLASHES !

So hard to make it built in ? At least you can make it wireless capable, That It would deserves t carry with it !

Does it still show banding when the Panasonic 20/1.7 is used at high ISO? Could someone please check to see if they have finally go this issue under control?

Does anybody know what the shutter sounds like on this thing? I was very impressed with how quiet the shutter is on the EM-5. Very Leica like. Not so impressed with the way the shutter sounded on the EM-10.

Tedolph

I think it will be a great camera for taking selfies. :)

Out of curiosity how many of you "serious" photographers take selfies?

Essentially, much of the E-PL7 is carried over from the E-M10, which runs about $100 more -- as a result, you're essentially paying that for the viewfinder and more physical controls.

Compared to similarly priced models, it's competitive for the money, but not a slam-dunk; Olympus generally doesn't deliver terrific video quality and I find the larger APS-C sensors still eke out better photo quality than their consumer Micro Four Thirds peers. But the flip-down LCD sounds like it might be a useful feature to have if you take a lot of self-portraits.

Nice upgrade for my E-p3, when the price drops..

I'm just curious about the size of the grip on the E-pl7, I think it's a lot smaller than the optional larger grip I have on my E-P3. This is also the issue on the E-p5.

I had an EPL5, it is a nice camera,
but for legacy lenses Sony NEX is much better.
for native lenses I'd take.. also NEX

I'm tried the PL5 body a while ago and thought: if only it had a dial for aperture.

PL7 seems great, but the price is simply to high. M10 is only $100. If PL7 had a better sensor, this might be somehow attractive.
With the same sensor it is just a bit smaller, a bit cheaper, but a seriously inferior camera.

With DSLRs, we pay a lot for features (eg. D3300 vs D7100).
With Olympus the base price for getting into the system is very high, but a very serious "prosumer" body (M5) is not even twice as expensive as a basic PL5/7. But if Olympus manages to earn money this way, then this is what they should do.

This camera does not worth to read review. Just check price tag with kit lens and without. Nothing more to say.

Nothing special.

The E-PL7 is being launched at a cost of $599 body only and $699 with the retractable 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 zoom. Sadly Olympus has not announced a kit with the retractable power zoom 14-42mm lens, which pairs well with the PL7's compact form factor.....
this is unclear to me, whether there is such a kit ($699) or there is not??

If I'd go for an MFT camera I'd go for Olympus and I'd likely prefer the PL7 over the M10. Both of them are compact and capable of providing good IQ because of a comparatively big sensor. The M10 moreover has a built-in VF which is certainly welcomed by many a photographer. And yet - if you really like picture composing with a VF, you want the PL7 with the additional VF! The VF-4 is said to be great, and attached to the PL7 it's most likely a comfortable way to shoot with a compact. (Not only the left-eyers don't like pressing the face onto the rear screen of the M10 all the time)

Since the PL7 is more than a restyled PL5, it seems to be a package that's worth its price.

Will someone please explain, objectively, why this camera is a better buy than the OMD-EM10? I just don't see the point.

I am horribly appalled by the marketing of this thing, and by the accompanying change in the marketing of the whole PEN line. I was fairly proud of my E-PL5, but with the current marketing, I should feel embarrassed to ever pull it out. What happened to photography? Anyone want to tell me that those who like to match their cameras with their purses have any clue of, say, sensor size? Or of a difference between lenses? And that they actually want to know about it?

I have decided I will wait for the E-pm3.

Maybe it will have a 4:3 screen and buttons you can push with gloves on.

Tedolph

Another compact camera with nothing special. Just wait 9 months and it will be sold for $499 with 2 kit lenses.

Olympus is so dumb not to issue a compact with built-in EVF and built-in flash. This E-PL7 will go down fast, just like their last mistake, the E-P5.

IMHO, what a strange review. On one hand, the reviewer criticizes Olympus for producing a camera that is too point-and-shoot emphasized and then goes on to say that the camera can be customized to be very much acceptable to enthusiasts. I think he was a bit unfair by saying he was disappointed with his initial shooting experience without mentioning the customizing potential of the camera BEFOREmaking that statement.

Jim

Ok, if this is intended for beginners, why not have a built in flash, while the more serious EM10 has one? I know they provide an external flash, but doesn't that make the whole thing bulky? I don't get it.
Also, if you have the flash installed, that means you can't install an EVF since the flash uses the hot shoe and the port?