Introduction

The Olympus E-PM1 is the entry point into the company's 2011 interchangeable lens PEN lineup, complementing the higher-end E-PL3 and E-P3 options. The E-PM1, also known as the PEN Mini, is the smallest and most affordable of the group, but it retains many of the same features and roughly the same innards of its companion models. That gives it performance similar to the more expensive PEN cameras, with some manual controls and features given up in the name of keeping the price down. The camera's available in silver, white, purple, brown, pink and black, and debuts with a 14-42mm kit lens at a MSRP of just $499. Read through our full review to see our final conclusions on one of the most intriguing compact system cameras of the year.