Olympus E-PL1 Digital Camera Review - Olympus DSLR

Olympus E-PL1

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	Introduction
This third camera in the Olympus Micro Four thirds PEN line delivers the pop-up flash missing from the E-P1 and E-P2, retains the accessory port used for adding an electronic viewfinder or external stereo mic to the E-P2 and sells at a tempting $600 list price. Image noise is still an issue, as with all Micro Four Thirds cameras, but high ISO noise reduction has improved significantly from the detail-blasting system in the E-P1 to make it a truly useful option. With excellent image sharpness, a lightweight, easy-to-handle body and extensive photographic controls, there's a lot to like about the E-PL1, though the lack of even one control dial is a nagging issue for those who like to adjust shutter speed, aperture or exposure compensation manually.
Exclusive - Video testing on the Olympus E-PL1 is provided by CamcorderInfo.com, the world leader in camcorder and video reviewing.
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Section		The Good	The Bad
	Product Tour	Compact body with pop-up flash, new to Olympus PEN line	Not as ruggedly built as metal E-P1 and E-P2
	Color	Good color accuracy under bright lights	Low-light problems with both color accuracy and image noise
	Noise	High noise levels unless noise reduction processing is cranked up	Noise reduction doesn't impair image detail badly
	Resolution	Excellent image sharpness	Poor dynamic range for high-contrast subjects
	White Balance	On-screen white balance preview	Unimpressive performance in auto and custom modes
	Sample Photos	See sample photos taken with the Olympus E-PL1 under different conditions
	Playback	Nice selection of playback views include useful side-by-side comparison mode	Minimal in-camera editing capabilities
	Hardware	Collapsible zoom lens enhanced portability; flash has even coverage	Add-on EVF expensive
	Controls	Clever plain-English adjustments available in auto mode; lots of scene modes; Art Filters sometimes useful	Autofocus improved, but still laggy
	Design & Handling	Comfortable and highly portable; nice two-level quick menu system	No control dials (E-P1 has two); tricky manual exposure settings procedure
	Conclusion	Read our final conclusion on the Olympus E-PL1


Video Section		The Good	The Bad
	Video: Color & Noise	Low noise levels; lots of color modes	Color accuracy wasn't very good in our bright light testing.
	Video: Motion & Sharpness	Decent motion and sharpness for a camera that records 720p video.	Image wasn't quite as sharp as last year's E-P1.
	Video: Low Light Performance	Low noise levels in low light.	Low light sensitivity wasn't very good.
	Video Features	Lots of manual controls in video mode.	Stationary LCD is hard to use; confusing button system

	Page 1 of 22		Product Tour
Olympus E-PL1 Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Product Tour	Color	Noise
Resolution	White Balance	Sample Photos	Playback
Hardware	Controls	Design & Handling	Video Color & Noise
Video Color & Noise	Video Motion & Sharpness	Video Low Light Performance	Video Features
Olympus EP1 Comparison	Panasonic GF1 Comparison	Nikon D5000 Comparison	Samsung NX10 Comparison
Conclusion	Specs & Ratings

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Intro	Product Tour	Color	Noise
Resolution	White Balance	Sample Photos	Playback
Hardware	Controls	Design & Handling	Video Color & Noise
Video Color & Noise	Video Motion & Sharpness	Video Low Light Performance	Video Features
Olympus EP1 Comparison	Panasonic GF1 Comparison	Nikon D5000 Comparison	Samsung NX10 Comparison
Conclusion	Specs & Ratings