Olympus E-P1

	Color Summary
• Extraordinary color accuracy • High noise levels lead to mediocre long exposure result • Limited number of color modes, but customizable for saturation, contrast and sharpness
	Product Tour	Page 3 of 21	Noise

Color Accuracy (20.51)

The Olympus E-P1 delivered exceptional color accuracy in our testing, outscoring all of the other cameras in our comparison group by a significant margin.  We test color accuracy by shooting the X-Rite ColorChecker chart under controlled studio lighting and analyzing the resulting photos using Imatest software. We determine which color mode produces the lowest color error, and use those results for scoring purposes; for the E-P1, as with other Olympus SLRs we've tested, the most accurate mode is Muted. Click here for more on how we test color

When shooting in Muted mode, the images are just slightly undersaturated, at 97.11%, while Natural mode is slightly oversaturated at 102.50%, with more color shift in the blues and purples. Portrait mode raises saturation another small increment to 103.30%, with a minor boost to reds and some color shift in light blue. Vivid lives up to its name at 116.90% saturation, with significant color shifts in blues and reds, though not much effect on the other shades.

The chart below shows same-size sample crops from our test shots taken with each camera in its most accurate mode. The leftmost column shows the ideal value from the ColorChecker chart.

	Camera Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Olympus E-P1	Canon Rebel T1i	Nikon D5000	Olympus E-620	Panasonic GH1
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

Color Score Comparison

As shown in the comparison chart above, the E-P1 improves on the color accuracy of its already excellent brand mate, the Olympus E-620, to lead the pack in this test.

Color Modes (4.00)

The E-P1 offers a limited selection of "film modes": Vivid, Natural, Muted, Portrait and Monotone. In addition to their effect on color, image parameters including contrast, sharpness and saturation can be adjusted for each film mode. These options are explained fully in the Picture Effects section.

In the chart below you'll find same-size crops taken from our test shots of the ColorChecker chart in each film mode.

	Color Mode Comparisons
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Vivid	Natural	Muted	Portrait
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

Long Exposure (7.98)

We typically find cameras with smaller sensors score lower in our long exposure testing, since it takes into account both color accuracy and image noise, always an issue with Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras. The E-P1 is no exception, with results that are in line with the Olympus E-620 and better than the Panasonic GH1, but below the standard set by the APS-C format Canon T1i and Nikon D5000.

Our long exposure test involves shooting the ColorChecker chart with low 20 lux illumination at five shutter speeds ranging from 1 second to 30 seconds, once with long exposure noise reduction turned off and once with it on. The test shots are analyzed using Imatest software for color accuracy and image noise. Click here for more on how we test long exposure.

As seen in the chart below, color error remains relatively low and consistent until we get to the 30 second exposure, with the noise reduction filter not affecting results in a significant way. The graph shows color error levels, so shorter bars indicate better results.

Olympus E-P1 Long Exposure Color Error

As for noise levels, they start out high and skyrocket with noise reduction off at the 30 second mark, though at least the noise reduction system finally shows some effect at that point.

Olympus E-P1 Long Exposure Noise

The E-P1 score here is nearly identical to the Olympus E-620, and notably higher than the Panasonic GH1, which suffered from huge color errors in this test.

Long Exposure Score Comparison