Being the gadget hounds that we’re, we’re still struggling to completely digest the Micro Four Thirds / interchangeable lens camera market. The performance freak in us means that one simply buy a smaller DSLR given the parallel annoyance of carrying around a bag filled with lenses, however the mobility junkie in us does appreciate the downsizing — however minor. Olympus’ PEN line have been a lovely one from the beginning, but one who found itself out of consideration for plenty as a result poor value proposition. Even the latest PEN E-P3 isn’t a bargain; at $900 with a somewhat versatile 14-42mm lens, it’s well north of most entry-level DSLRs, and on-par with many mid-rangers. So, is it worth splurging on a rather more compact frame, devilishly attractiveness and “the world’s fastest autofocus system?” Read on for our take.
Design
It is a PEN! It’s beautiful! In all seriousness, we simply adore the styling here, and while it isn’t quite as retro-ific as Fujifilm’s X100 , there’s a whole lot of class and class here to move around. We also love just how what number buttons, wheels and knobs are splattered everywhere. We all know — novices will probably detest the educational curve — however the audience here will indisputably appreciate it. The best major knock is the absence of dedicated ISO and White Balance buttons; that first one is especially frustrating, but that’s coming from a crew that has grown spoiled by an easy wheel-turn ISO adjustment on Nikon’s D3S.
The corporate still hasn’t throw in an optical viewfinder, however the stunning OLED touchscreen is set pretty much as good because it gets for this segment. We didn’t find the touchpanel functionality to be all that useful (even if touching to spotlight objects in the dead of night, it refused to obey), but a minimum of it is simple to disable. We also appreciate the dedicated Movie Record button, that could get an HD clip rolling no matter where the Mode Dial is at. The pop-up flash is a big improvement (you recognize, in comparison to not having one in any respect), and the menu system / user interface is downright beautiful. In reality, we would like some other camera maker on the market would have a gander at what Olympus has done here; the text is crisp, the menus are easy to navigate and the icons are beautiful to take a look at.
Image and video quality
For an absurdly in-depth have a look at what the “new” 12.3 megapixel Live MOS sensor is able to in only about every scenario, we’d encourage you to peek the additional reviews linked below in our ‘More Coverage’ section. From an amateur’s viewpoint, we need to confess that our love affair with the design and usefulness don’t entirely bleed over to the picture results. For all intents and purposes, the output you’re going to get here’s eerily comparable to that present in the E-P2. Much more depressing is the low-light performance; while the ISO ceiling sits at 12,800, anything over 3,200 leads to a tear-jerking amount of noise.
We also aren’t the hugest fans of the enduring “Olympus” color results — it is not exactly saturated, however has this unmistakable “digitized” look it really is notably absent in any mid-range DSLR in the stores. The built-in ART and SCENE filters are clever, and most ‘em do more good than harm, but we’d recommend steering clear for anyone that owns Photoshop and / or Lightroom. You’re just at an advantage capturing a “standard” image, after which adding the specified effects afterwards. In case you embed the effect inside the camera, there isn’t any “standard” image to revert back to.
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7 At the upside, the autofocus system truly is a monumental improvement over the E-P2. It’s shockingly quick, and ranks up there with lots of the higher-end DSLR rigs that we’ve handled. The bundled 14-42mm kit lens is very handy, and it isn’t awkwardly large, either. The corporate threw in its 12mm wide-angle pancake to boot, and while it did a similarly great job, the $800 price ticket on that cup alone is sort of shameful. After all, just taking into consideration it brings us back to the most important argument by contrast form factor: in case you are going to take a position thousands in lenses, shouldn’t you put money into a slightly larger body with way more amenities? At any rate, take a dive into our sample galleries for a taste of what this guy offers.
At the movie side, the 720p quality is simply beautiful… if you’ve it mounted on a tripod. Even the slightest hand movement introduces a disgusting amount of “jelly,” as is showcased in our samples below. It is a shame, really — you possibly can just about bet that whatever video you shoot handheld could be marred by an impossible-to-miss jelly effect. Olympus rates the battery for 330 shots, and in our testing we managed just over 200 snaps mixed with a half-hour of video and untold minutes of idly leaving the LCD on. Not particularly longevous, however it need to be plenty to get you thru the typical vacation day.
Wrap-up
At $900, the E-P3 kit is a much better value than the 1 E-P1 1 and 2 E-P2 2 before it, primarily because of the overhauled autofocus system and stunning OLED touchpanel. But if you understand what sort of money you will be pouring into lenses — objects that make this guy far less portable from a holistic viewpoint — the actuality starts to sink in. Here’s still a dear luxury aimed toward a gap, albeit one that’s growing by the day. In our estimation, the sole meaningful size savings related to a Micro Four Thirds rig is within the body itself, and in case you plan on using the kit lens alone, you are going to be fine. But when you intend on actually making the most of the full interchangeable lens function, it is advisable to be buying glass for a smaller Digital SLR.
8 For those dead-set in this category, though, the E-P3 doesn’t innovate enough from a picture quality standpoint to justify an upgrade, and for newcomers, that $900 price point is extraordinarily hard to swallow. Here’s hoping the E-P4 will hit with an MSRP that does not give us a lot pause.
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