Olympus PEN E-PL1

Lens & Sensor

It's easy to give this zoom lens a nose job.

Zoom Ratio Examples
14.0 mm	27.0 mm	42.0 mm

The E-PL1 uses a Four Thirds format sensor with a gross resolution of 13,060,000 pixels and an effective resolution of 12,300,000 pixels. As with other Micro Four Thirds cameras we’ve tested, the small sensor size compared to the APS-C sensor used in most digital SLRs is a mixed blessing, allowing smaller camera design (particularly when measuring the depth), but ramping up image noise.

The sensor-shaking dust reduction function kicks in every time you turn the camera on.

Viewfinder (0.00)

The E-PL1 doesn’t come with an electronic viewfinder, but it does have an accessory slot for mounting the optional VF-2 EVF (a pricey $280 accessory). The good news here is that the EVF display is bright and clear, even in low light, and keeps up well as you move the camera, without the smearing and stuttering we sometimes see. The eyepiece can be angled freely up to 90 degrees, which is fortunate — when left flat, it’s very difficult to hold comfortably without the camera mashing into your nose. Of course, your nasal protuberance may be more forgiving, but we found a 45 degree angle was the best bet. If needed, you can make a a diopter adjustment by turning a ring around the eyecup.

The EVF shows the same information as the LCD and, also like the LCD, can be adjusted for brightness and color temperature.There’s no sensor to automatically switch between the two displays when you hold the camera to your eye. Instead, you press a button positioned under the eyecup.

Display(s) (4.65)

The LCD is a bit small, at 2.7 inches, with an ordinary 230,000-dot resolution. The image gets a little grainy and flickers a bit in low light, but updates smoothly under any lighting conditions, stands up to bright sunlight well. Overall, a perfectly adequate display, but lacking the visual snap of the OLED screen on Samsung’s NX10, or the higher-res 3-inch LCD on the Panasonic GF1.

LCD brightness and color temperature can both be adjusted manually, with 15 available settings for each. There is also an optional Live View Boost feature to adjust brightness automatically.

Secondary Display

The monochrome information display panel found on higher-end SLRs is understandably lacking here.

Flash (7.75)

Olympus literally saw the light with the E-PL1, added a pop-up flash to its Micro Four Thirds line for the first time (the better to compete with Panasonic’s similarly equipped GF1). The flash is small, but it pops up a good distance from the lens on a nicely designed hinged arm, and fires a decent burst of light for its size (Olympus puts the guide number at 7 at ISO 100). What’s impressive is the even coverage we found in our flash shots, with only a slightly hot spot in the middle.

The pop-up flash won’t pop up on its own when shooting in auto mode; you have to raise it manually using the switch on the camera back. We prefer this system to cameras that take it upon themselves to raise the flash and fire, causing potentially problems in flash-free environments.

Flash output can also be adjusted manually, to full, 1/4, 1/16 or 1/64 power. And when shooting with the standard flash modes, you can adjust the intensity in a ±3 range.

Flash bracketing is an option, with a three-shot sequence and 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 EV increments.

With compatible external flash units, the E-PL1 can control three units independently.

Connectivity (4.50)

There are two I/O connectors under a plastic door that closes tightly but works poorly; it has a plastic hinge that won’t open completely, and feels like it will break if bent back too often. Inside is an Olympus proprietary connector for standard-def video (with mono audio) and USB data. Below that is a mini HDMI port for connecting directly to a high-def TV.