Review: Olympus E-PL1 proves the Pen is mightier when it’s affordable
Review: Olympus E-PL1 proves the Pen is mightier when it’s affordable
The new micro four-thirds digital camera format, which was introduced a little over a year ago by Panasonic and Olympus to fill the gap between giant DSLRs that deliver excellent image quality and smaller point-and-shoots that pack away easily, has taken a big step forward with Olympus’ new E-PL1.
Earlier entries in the category, such as Olympus’ original E-P1 and Panasonic’s GF1, successfully rescued us from the bulk of larger cameras while retaining many of their advantages, including interchangeable lenses and manual controls, but they were prohibitively pricey. In some cases, they lacked features one would think key for casual photographers, such as a built-in flash and a kit lens with zoom capability.
In contrast, the E-PL1 approaches the realm of point-and-shoot affordability with a retail price of $649.99 (that includes the body and an M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zoom Lens), adds in many of the features omitted in other micro four-thirds cameras (including a built-in flash), and rounds out the package with some smart composition and editing features that ought to prove highly appealing to non-professional picture poppers.
A quick primer on micro four-thirds cameras: They employ image sensors nearly as large as DSLRs, use a smaller lens mount to conserve space, and don’t have a bulky mirror system. That means highly resolved images in a smaller body. Their chief downside is that they don’t have optical viewfinders, which are superior to LCDs when it comes to framing certain shots, such as those taken outdoors and in which the subject is moving swiftly (viewfinder attachments are available, but they deliver either a slightly offset optical image or an electronic representation.)
The E-PL1 is the first of these cameras to sport a price tag that suits the market the micro four-thirds format is geared for; namely, casual shutterbugs who want to take it to the next level but aren’t willing to commit to carrying around a bulky DSLR. Its affordability should go a long way toward helping the format grow beyond its current niche.
Consumers will likely also appreciate that the E-PL1 is capable of everything a typical high-end point-and-shoot is, whether it’s recording high-def video at 1280-by-720, performing flash photography without toting around an external bulb, or doing a little creative in-camera editing.
The E-PL1’s Art filters are among its most appealing features. Some of them have been carried forward from other Olympus models (including pop art, grainy film, pinhole, and soft focus), but there are a couple of new ones that really stand out: gentle sepia and diorama. The former creates soft, beautiful two-tone images, while the latter restricts the area of focus to make scenic shots look like pictures of miniature models. Pictures snapped from my 20th story balcony made the buildings, people, and cars below appear as though they were playthings. Skilled photographers and Photoshopers can do this sort of thing on their own, but for the rest of us it’s a minor photographic miracle.
Indeed, allowing amateurs to pull off professional tricks is the E-PL1’s forte. A new feature called Live Guide allows folks who may not be trained in the arts of aperture, shutter speed, and white balance to adjust settings using a simple on-screen slider. What’s more, it provides a preview of how the shot will look. Using Live Guide I was able to easily blur out backgrounds, capture moving objects clearly, and adjust colour temperature to ensure more natural skin tones in the subjects I shot.
Also found in Live Guide is a shooting tips menu that provides suggestions on how to improve your photography. For example, select “Pets” and you’ll be provided tidbits of advice such as “Get closer to a pet and take a picture from its eye level or lower.” Basic stuff, but it could lead amateurs to try things they hadn’t thought of.
The only barrier to using Live Guide is the interface. With the mode dial on top of the camera set to iAuto, I had to press the Start button and use the directional keys to select from items such as “Blur Background” and “Change Brightness.” That’s fine. However, to switch to another item I had to tap Menu to back out of Live Guide altogether, then press Start again to re-enter the main menu. A quibble, perhaps, but it’s just convoluted enough that it might keep less dedicated users from exploiting Live Guide to its full advantage.
However, another part of the E-PL1’s interface is so simple it borders on brilliant: A red button on the top right of the back panel that initiates movie recording. You can begin recording video almost instantly by simply pressing this button, regardless of whatever mode you happen to be in. It’s exactly the sort of feature required to capture unexpected moments, and one that all video-enabled cameras large and small should have.
The rest of the controls are standard for a point-and-shoot, with buttons for playback, trash, zooming, and flipping up the flash found more or less where you’d expect them to be. It’s a snap to navigate. However, I did lament the lack of a dedicated control for manual functions. Altering aperture and shutter speed involves the camera’s context sensitive, multipurpose directional buttons at the bottom right of the back panel. It works, but it’s inelegant.
The E-P1 earned raves for its retro design (it looked like a decades-old camera with an LCD). Perhaps surprisingly, the E-PL1 departs from this lauded look and takes the form of something closer to a modern camera. The rotating ring controls are gone, and the stylized leather grip has been replaced with a narrower, more contemporary rubberized finger rest. Whether you think it’s an improvement or a step backward will be a matter of taste.
At 1.6-inches, it’s a smidgeon deeper than its predecessors, but its 4.5-inch width makes it a bit narrower, so things more or less even out in the size department.
I should also note that it snaps a pretty fine picture. Like the people this camera is designed for, I’m no professional photographer, but thanks in large part to the assists described earlier I was able to take several pictures of my daughter that I judged to be almost studio worthy. Even in full automatic mode I was able to take shots that had a sense of depth and naturalness that would have been unachievable with a snapshot camera. In terms of image quality, it is unquestionably a step up from a typical point-and-shoot. I loved the pictures I shot with the E-PL1, and, really, that’s what it’s all about.