Olympus E-PL5 Review

October 29, 2012 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Olympus E-PL5 (also known as the Olympus PEN Lite) is a new mid-range compact system camera. Featuring the same 16-megapixel “Live MOS” sensor and TruePic VI image processor as the flagship Olympus OM-D E-M5, the EPL5 offers the world's fastest auto-focus system, a stylish metal body, a high resolution and tiltable 3 inch LCD screen with touchscreen functionality, 8fps burst shooting, 1080p HD video recording in mov format, a maximum sensitivity of ISO25600, double-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation, a hot shoe and an accessory port, 12 creative Art Filters, and a direct wireless link to social media for sharing images via a smartphone via Toshiba's Flash Air memory card. The Olympus PEN E-PL5 is available in silver, black, or white for a retail price of $649.99 body-only, £599.99 / $699.99 for the M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 IIR standard zoom lens kit, or £699.99 for a double-zoom kit including the 14-42mm standard zoom, 40-150mm telezoom, PEN case and SD card. All bundles include a Flash Air memory card and the E-PL5 also has an interchangeable, removable grip.

Ease of Use

The E-PL5 comes bundled with the distinctly plastic-y feeling, retractable M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens (one of over 20 available dedicated Micro Four Thirds lenses), with an interchangeable 'decoration ring', and the same sleek, chic retro styling we'd expect from the Pen range. It feels reassuringly solid when held in the palm. Dimensions are 110.5 x 63.7 x 38.2mm without protrusions and the camera weighs 279g body only. This latest Olympus is available in silver and white along with our more traditional black and chrome detailing review sample.

The E-PL5 has a new angle adjustable, wide-screen ratio tilting LCD screen at the rear. It's 3-inches in size, offers a widescreen aspect ratio and comes with a respectable 460k dot resolution, so visibility is certainly clear enough if not quite a match for the OLED screen on the E-P3 model. In respect of its adjustable LCD it recalls Sony's NEX series, and also mirrors its rival in the fact that said screen can be pulled out from the body and tilted up or down, and now upward by 170 degrees to face forward for self-portraits. It can't, however, be swung out through 180° so that it is parallel to the chassis, like on a camcorder. Nor can it be turned so that the screen is facing the body for added protection against scratches when being transported (without lens) in a jacket pocket.

While its angles of adjustment are slightly restricted then, it's now a touch screen like the one on the E-P3. You can for the most part get away without using it much at all, as there are a plethora of physical buttons ranged alongside it, which are either dedicated to specific functions or can be customized to suit. Indeed, the screen's implementation here hasn't led to a cleaner or more pared-down minimalist look for the Pen, as say the touch screen on Panasonic's latest GF5 has.

Olympus E-PL5 Olympus E-PL5
Front Rear

Once again there's no viewfinder supplied here as an alternative to the LCD screen, though there is an accessory port Version 2 to be found above the screen at the E-PL5's rear. Sadly our review sample didn't come with a Flash Air memory card, so we can't comment on the E-PL5's wi-fi capabilities. Another welcome attribute this model shares with the flagship OM-D E-M5 is a claim for the world's fastest auto focus system, thanks to 35 AF points spread over the entire LMOS sensor, plus a TruePic VI processor to keep performance zipping along. Full time AF and AF tracking also feature.

Low light sensitivity has been boosted on this latest Pen, incrementally extendable from ISO12800 to a semi pro-like ISO25600, as on the E-M5. This is partly down, says Olympus, to the implementation of the noise reducing TruePic VI processor.

The handholding Live Guide mode helps novices achieve more professional results is included on the E-PL5 too, with, as on the E-P3, its features selectable by tabbing up and down a visually-led menu that appears running down the right hand side of the screen. In this way the likes of depth of field/background blur can be adjusted in real time by dragging a simple slider bar.

There are now 12 creative Art Filters on the E-PL5, one more than on the E-M5, all applied at the point of capture. Included here are our preferred choices of pinhole and dramatic tone, joined by the tilt and shift lens ape-ing 'diorama' for rendering cityscapes as if on a toy town scale. Though the latter is a fun tool, we feel this miniature option works less well on the Olympus Pen than its competitors; for us the Pen seems to blur too wide a portion of the frame, so that occasionally the result can resemble a mistake rather than an effect. Once again, these filters can be applied to Full HD video as well as stills, recordable in AVCHD or reduced resolution Motion JPEG format. Just press the dedicated video record button when in Art Filter mode.

Olympus E-PL5 Olympus E-PL5
Side Tilting LCD Screen

Alongside body integral image stabilisation, something that gives the Pen the edge over the Panasonic Lumix G range, Full HD video with stereo sound is included as standard, with left and right microphones positioned either side of a vacant hotshoe - the latter a feature that might also position it one step ahead of arguably Panasonic's closest rival in the Lumix DMC-GF5. If it weren't, that is, for the fact that what is more unforgivably omitted here is the luxury of a built-in flash of the pop-up variety - a feature that the E-PL5's intended consumer audience is surely going to miss. Just… why Olympus? After all, the original E-PL1 and E-PL2 had integral flash, and the flagship E-P3 now has it, an implementation long overdue.

Instead, with the E-PL5 a separate plastic-y clip-on flash is included in the box that we can see getting lost down the back of the sofa, or simply forgotten when you head out for the day with your shiny new camera. Admittedly the flash does look quite cool when slotted into place and works effectively, but it does inevitably add to the camera's bulk.

The E-PL5 now has the newly added ability to fit the optional supplied handgrip, as with the E-P3. Without the handgrip, unscrewed in the field with the aid of a coin, the solidity is sufficient to be able to still hold the camera nice and steady when shooting handheld, and without the workmanlike black plastic grip the camera actually looks a lot more stylish, its brushed metal faceplate fully on show.

From the front then, and with or without attachable flash, the E-PL5 very much looks the part and worth the outlay, exuding a cool sophistication, at least in respect of our traditional black review sample. It has that 'classic' Pen clean look, with an AF illuminator/self timer lamp top right of the lens, springy lens release button just below, Micro Four Thirds logo bottom right and Olympus logo top left.

Olympus E-PL5 Olympus E-PL5
Front Top

Moving up to the top plate, the E-PL5 locates a speaker, with stereo microphones flanking the adjacent vacant hotshoe. This comes with a protective plastic cover that also loops over at the back to at the same time protect the accessory port against dust and other nasties. Set into a strip to the right of the hotshoe - if viewing the camera from the back - are a dime-sized shooting mode dial, small but obvious shutter release button and, lastly, inset into the top plate, the power button.

Give the latter a press and if you haven't first manually extended the bundled retractable zoom lens, an on-screen text message prompts you to do so. So getting ready for the first shot is a two-tier process: either extend the lens first then press the power button or vice versa. Once the lens has been unfurled the camera is ready for its first shot (or video) in just under two seconds. A half press of the shutter release and there's a very brief wait while the focus visibly resets. Go on and take the shot and with no discernable shutter delay, a Fine quality JPEG and Raw file are committed to memory in two to three seconds, which is nothing to complain about.

On the back of the E-PL5 in the top-right corner we get small self-explanatory playback and image deletion buttons alongside each other. With the accessory port dead centre above the LCD screen, to its right is a further trio of buttons. We get a function/thumbnail display button and an image enlargement button next to it, plus, at the top hand corner of the backplate, a dedicated video record button, positioned where it ergonomically falls under the thumb as the camera is gripped in the right hand. Hit this and recording begins no matter what alternative stills shooting mode might be in play at the same time, the black bands cropping the left and right of the screen when shooting in default stills mode disappearing so that the entire screen is taken up with the image being recorded.

The function button is also the means by which as a default the E-PL5's Live Guide feature is brought into play, and the order in which the offerings are presented and what they actually are is identical to that found on the E-P3 . The Live Guide options are presented as a colourful toolbar on the right hand side of the screen. From the top we have the ability to change colour saturation, from 'clear & vivid' to 'flat & muted', next down is the ability to alter 'colour image', which translates as shifting the tone between warm and cool via slider bar, with the third option shifting brightness/exposure between a simple bright and dark. The fourth option down is probably the most interesting/effective in that it provides the ability to incrementally blur the background of your shot by again dragging an indicator on a slider - thus providing a similar shallow depth of field effect to that achievable with a DSLR and suitable aperture.

Olympus E-PL5 Olympus E-PL5
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

For its fifth Live Guide option Olympus has retained the curiously named 'Express Motions', which to us has always sounded more like a bowel movement than the actual emphasizing of subject motion by introducing blur. Well, in fact, there's the option to both blur any movement or stop it in its tracks, again achievable by dragging a slider indicator. The last option on this tool bar is a on-board shooting hints and tips manual, with the usual 'suspects' of photographing children and pets given the most prominence ('take a picture at their height level' being a summation of the level of advice imparted). We even get tips, as a bit of closet advertising, for attaching Olympus accessories, such as lens converters.

With a plastic/rubberized thumb pad just beneath the video record button, the final controls on the E-PL5's backplate are identical to its predecessor. An info button and separate menu button sit above and below a standard multidirectional control pad, encircled by Olympus' love-it-or-hate-it scroll wheel set up.

At 12 o'clock on the control dial is an exposure compensation control (+/- 3EV), at three o'clock a compendium of flash settings (auto, red eye reduction, fill in flash, flash off, red eye slow sync, slow sync, 'full' flash and incremental adjustments running from ½ to 1/64th strength), at six o'clock we get self timer/drive modes, and at nine o'clock the ability to manually specify the AF point, by selecting a point on a 35-zone grid that is overlaid on the real-time image. Dragging a finger, and so the AF point, around the touchscreen will achieve the same end, though inadvertently subsequently taping it will cause the shutter to fire. Yes, this facility can be deactivated by prodding the relevant shutter button icon on the touch screen, but it's just as easy to accidentally turn it on again; even via an action as incongruous as the button of your shirt connecting with the screen as you're wearing the E-PL5 on a neck strap, or the thumb of your left hand straying as you handle the camera.

While chunky lugs for attaching said strap hang at either side of the camera, thankfully out of the way of fingers and controls, on the right hand flank, if viewing the camera from the back, as with the E-PL3 we find a pair of covered ports for joint USB/AV output and mini HDMI output respectively. This cover, being a weaker plastic element amidst the surrounding brushed metal, is one of the very few flimsy points on the outwardly covetable camera.

Also plastic-y, but more reassuringly chunky, is the flip open cover protecting the joint battery and card compartment at the E-PL5's base. The PS-BLS5 rechargeable lithium ion battery supplied with the E-PL5 is good for around 360 shots, 10% more than the E-PL3. There is the option here to use all varieties of SD media card too, up to and including SDXC cards. Dead centre, but slightly off-centre of the lens, is a screw thread for attaching a tripod.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 produced images of excellent quality. In the Natural picture mode, colours are vibrant without being garish or over-saturated, while dynamic range is very good. From ISO 200 through to ISO 1600, noise is virtually undetectable, not becoming an issue until ISO 3200, which is an excellent result for a Micro Four Thirds sensor camera. ISO 3200 and 6400 are still eminently usable, with only the two fastest settings of 12800 and 25600 really suffering.

The supplied flash unit is more than powerful enough for fill-in use, while long exposures are easily achieved. The new image stabilisation system works very well indeed, even when hand-holding the camera at slow shutter speeds. The Art Filters produce special effects that would otherwise require you to spend a lot of time in the digital darkroom.

Noise

There are 8 ISO settings available on the Olympus E-PL5. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and the RAW equivalent on the right:

JPEG RAW

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

File Quality

Olympus offers two JPEG quality settings - Fine and Normal. You may also opt to save your photographs in the camera's raw file format (ORF). Raw+JPEG shooting is available.

16M Fine (7.74Mb) (100% Crop) 16M Normal (3.07Mb) (100% Crop)
   
16M RAW (13.4Mb) (100% Crop)  
 

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes by changing the Picture Modes.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

   

Flash

The Olympus E-PL5 features a flash that has multiple modes including Auto, Red-eye reduction, Slow synchronisation, 2nd curtain and slow synchronisation, Fill-in for exclusive flash and Manual. In addition to the on-board unit, the Olympus E-PL5 also has a hot-shoe for system flashes. The pictures below were taken of a white wall from a distance of 1.5m, with and without the built-in flash.

Flash Off - Wide Angle

Flash On - Wide Angle

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto

Flash On - Telephoto

ISO 64 ISO 64

And now for some portraits. The pop-up flash of the Olympus E-PL5 did not really cause a red-eye effect, so the only noticeable difference between the Forced On and Forced On with Red-Eye Reduction settings is that the second causes the subject's pupils to contract.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

Night

The Olympus E-PL5 lets you dial in shutter speeds of up to 60 seconds and has a Bulb mode as well for exposure times as long as 30 minutes, which is very good news if you are seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 200. We've included a 100% crop to show what the quality is like.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

Image Stabilisation

The Olympus E-PL5 comes with a double-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation (IS) system, which allows you to take sharp hand-held photos at slower shutter speeds than with cameras that lack this feature.

Focal Length / Shutter Speed

Off (100% Crop)

On (100% Crop)

28mm / 1/4th Second
     
84mm / 1/5th Second

Art Filters

The Olympus E-PL5 offers 12 different Art Filters, which allow you to quickly apply an artistic effect to a photo before taking it (JPEG images only). The most useful of these is Soft Focus, because the FourThirds system lacks a dedicated soft focus lens, and the effect would require advanced knowledge of layers, blurring methods and blending modes if you were to reproduce it in post-processing. Note that applying the Art Filters slows the camera down somewhat as the camera takes several seconds to process and save the image.

Pop Art

Soft Focus

   

Pale&Light Color

Light Tone

   

Grainy Film

Pin Hole

   
Diorama Cross Process
   
Gentle Sepia Dramatic Tone
   
Key Line Watercolor

Picture Modes

Olympus' Picture Modes are essentially pre-set combinations of saturation, contrast and sharpness, except for the i-Enhance mode that aims to optimise each photo individually. You can tailor each Picture Mode to your needs. The following examples demonstrate the differences across the available Picture Modes.

i-Enhance

Vivid

   

Natural

Muted

   

Portrait

Monotone

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Olympus E-PL5 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Olympus E-PL5 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Olympus RAW (ORF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 46.9Mb in size.

Product Images

Olympus E-PL5

Front of the Camera

 
Olympus E-PL5

Front of the Camera

 
Olympus E-PL5

Front of the Camera / Flash Attached

 
Olympus E-PL5

Front of the Camera / Handgrip Attached

 
Olympus E-PL5

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-PL5

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-PL5

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-PL5

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-PL5

Rear of the Camera

 
Olympus E-PL5

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 

Olympus E-PL5

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

 
Olympus E-PL5
Rear of the Camera / Main Menu
 
Olympus E-PL5
Rear of the Camera / Quick Menu
 
Olympus E-PL5
Rear of the Camera / Fn Menu
 
Olympus E-PL5
Tilting LCD Screen
 
Olympus E-PL5
Tilting LCD Screen
 
Olympus E-PL5
Tilting LCD Screen
 
Olympus E-PL5
Top of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Bottom of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Side of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Side of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Front of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Front of the Camera
 
Olympus E-PL5
Memory Card Slot
 
Olympus E-PL5
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The E-PL5 essentially offers the heart of the flagship OM-D model inside a much smaller, lighter and crucially cheaper body. If you can live without the OM-D's built-in electronic viewfinder, dust- and splash- proof body, 5-axis gyro image stabilisation system, and more hands-on interface, the E-PL5 delivers the best image quality from an Olympus mirrorless camera at a price that won't break the bank.

This new model also addresses some of the concerns that we had about its predecessor. Whereas the E-PL3 felt like a bit of a curio, falling uncomfortably between the even smaller E-PM1 and the upmarket E-P3, the new E-PL5 is a more well-rounded offering, with the supplied screw-in handgrip, Flash Air memory card, touchscreen interface, expanded ISO range, faster 8fps burst shooting and more Art Filters all contributing to a maturer feeling camera. It still doesn't have a built-in flash, though, something that the supplied clip-on flash can't quite make up for.

Image quality is where Micro Four Thirds cameras have traditionally lagged behind their APS-C sensor rivals, but the E-PL5 carries on where the OM-D E-M5 left off by equalling the results from other leading cameras. Noise doesn't rear its ugly head until ISO 3200 for JPEGs and even the faster settings prove eminently usable, although the E-PL5 does apply some pretty aggressive noise reduction to keep the files clean as shown by the noisier raw images. We never longed for a camera with a bigger sensor, and you'd have to step up to a full-frame DSLR to see an appreciable leap in image quality.

In summary the Olympus E-PL5 is a much more intriguing camera than its mid-level price and positioning in the Olympus compact system camera range would first suggest. Not many manufacturers offer the same image quality as their flagship camera throughout their entire line-up, but that's exactly what Olympus have done with the release of the E-PL5 and the even smaller E-PM2. The new Olympus E-PL5 therefore comes Highly Recommended as a more portable and affordable alternative to Olympus' best mirrorless camera...

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 5
Value for money 4.5

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Olympus E-PL5 from around the web.

techradar.com »

Olympus has refreshed its PEN lineup of compact system cameras, with two new introductions to sit in the middle and at the bottom of the lineup. The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5 uses the same 16.1 million pixel image sensor as the highly regarded Olympus OM-D, released back in January 2012.
Read the full review »

blog.mingthein.com »

I make no secret of the fact that I’m a huge fan of the original Olympus E-PM1 Pen Mini (full review here); it brought big-camera speed and image quality to a very compact package. However, the OM-D clearly demonstrated that the image quality potential of Micro Four Thirds could be taken quite a bit further without entailing any compromises. After enjoying a period of exclusivity to that body, the same sensor and imaging processor has now made its way into Olympus’ lower end offerings – the E-PL5 Pen Lite and E-PM2 Pen Mini, both recently announced at Photokina. I was given the opportunity to try out a final production E-PL5 recently by Olympus Malaysia.
Read the full review »

neocamera.com »

The Olympus PEN E-PL5, also known as the PEN Lite, is an entry-level Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless from Olympus. This digital camera is built around a 16 megapixels Four-Thirds sensor with a maximum ISO of 25600, fast 8 FPS full-resolution drive and 1080p HD video capability. It features built-in image stabilization and a hot-shoe with accessory port which supports an optional add-on EVF. The E-PL5 includes a small flash unit which attaches to the hot-shoe.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Type

  • Body material

    Metal

  • Lens mount

    Micro Four Thirds

Image Sensor

  • Type

    4/3'' Live MOS sensor

  • Effective pixels

    16.1 Megapixels

  • Filter array

    Primary colour filter (RGB)

  • Aspect ratio & area

    4:3 / 17.3 x 13.0mm

  • Full resolution

    17.2 Megapixels

Engine

  • Type

    TruePic VI

Filter

  • Dust reduction filter

    Supersonic Wave Filter

  • IR cut filter

    Hybrid type

Live View

  • Displayed information

    • Aperture
    • Shutter speed
    • Auto bracket
    • AE lock
    • Focus mode
    • Shooting mode
    • Battery check
    • My Mode
    • IS activating mode
    • Internal temperature warning
    • Face / Eye detection mode
    • Record mode
    • ISO
    • Sequential shooting mode
    • White Balance
    • Metering mode
    • Exposure compensation value
    • AF frame display
    • AF confirmation mark
    • Shooting information
    • Spot metering area
    • Super FP
    • Flash status
    • Touch Panel Condition
    • Focal length
    • Eye-Fi condition
    • Flash mode
    • Histogram
  • AF type

    Contrast detection system

  • 100% field of view

    Approx. 100%

  • Magnification levels

    5 / 7 / 10 / 14x

  • Display modes

    • Histogram
    • Comparison
    • Grid (4 types)
    • Standard information

Image Stabiliser

  • Type

    Sensor shift

  • Modes

    Two-dimensional, vertical or horizontal activation

  • Effective Compensation Range

    Up to 3 EV steps

Focusing System

  • Method

    Contrast Detection AF system (when non high-speed contrast AF compatible lens is used, it works as MF assist)

  • Focus areas

    35 points / All target, Group target (9-areas), Single target (normal), Single target (small)

  • Auto selection with Face Detection ON

  • 800 points / Manual selection in Magnified View Mode

  • AF lock

    Yes , Locked by first position of shutter release button in single AF mode, AE/AF lock button (customised)

  • Modes

    • Manual focus
    • Single AF
    • Continuous AF
    • Single AF + MF
    • AF Tracking
    • Touch target
  • AF illuminator

    Yes

  • Full time AF

    Yes

  • Manual focus

    Yes , With enlarged focusing area

  • Face Detection extension

    • Eye Detect AF: Off
    • Left side priority
    • Near side priority
    • Right side priority
  • Predictive AF

    Yes

  • AF tracking

    Yes , Available in continuous AF mode

Exposure System

  • Modes

    • Programme automatic
    • Aperture priority
    • Shutter priority
    • Manual
    • Bulb
    • Time
    • i-Auto
    • Scene Modes
    • Art Filter
  • Exposure compensation

    +/- 3EV ( 1, 1/2, 1/3 steps )

  • Exposure bracketing

    2 / 3 / 5 frames ( +/- 1/3, 2/3, 1 EV steps )

  • 7 frames ( +/- 1/3, 2/3 EV steps )

  • HDR bracketing

    3 / 5 frames ( +/- 2 / 3 EV steps )

  • 7 frames ( +/- 2 EV steps )

  • Note: HDR picture can not be made by this function.

  • ISO bracketing

    3 frames ( 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps )

  • AE lock

    Yes

  • My Mode

    4 settings storable

  • Enhancement function

    Shadow Adjustment Technology

Scene Modes

  • Number of scene modes

    25

  • Modes

    • Portrait
    • e-Portrait
    • Landscape
    • Landscape with Portrait
    • Macro
    • Sports
    • Night Scene
    • Night Scene with portrait
    • Children
    • High key
    • Low key
    • Digital Image Stabilisation
    • Nature Macro
    • Candle
    • Sunset
    • Documents
    • Panorama
    • Fireworks
    • Beach and Snow
    • Fisheye converter
    • Macro converter
    • 3D*
    • Wide converter
    • Underwater Macro
    • Underwater Wide
  • * Only for stills and with usage of 3D lens (H-FT012)

Multi-Exposure

  • Max. number of frames

    2 frames (shooting)

  • 3 frames (editing)

  • Auto gain control

    Yes

  • Frame assistance

    Live View

Light Metering

  • Method

    TTL open aperture light metering

  • Zones

    324 zones Multi-pattern Sensing System

  • Detection range

    0 - 20 EV (17mm f2.8, ISO 100)

  • Modes

    • ESP light metering
    • Spot metering
    • Centre weighted metering
    • Highlight
    • Shadow

Art Filter

  • Modes

    • Pop Art
    • Soft Focus
    • Pale & Light Colour
    • Light Tone
    • Grainy Film
    • Pin Hole
    • Diorama
    • Cross Process
    • Dramatic Tone
    • Gentle Sepia
    • Key Line
    • Water colour
  • Variation / Effect

    Available

Sensitivity

  • Auto

    ISO 200 - 25600 (customisable, default ISO 200 - 1600)

  • Manual

    ISO 200 - 25600 in 1/3 or 1 EV ISO steps

Shutter

  • Shutter type

    Computerised focal-plane shutter

  • Self timer

    2s / 12s

  • Custom (delay 1-30sec.,shooting interval 0.5/1/2/3sec.,number of shots 1-10)

Shutter Speeds

  • Shutter speed range

    1/4000 - 60s (in 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps)

  • Bulb mode

    Up to 30 minutes (selectable longest time in the menu, default: 8 minutes)

White Balance

  • AUTO WB system

    Advanced detection system with Live MOS sensor

  • Manual White balance (One-Touch)

    Yes

  • White balance bracketing

    3 frames / +/- 2, 4, 6mired steps

  • One-touch white balance

    2 custom settings can be registered

  • Custom WB

    1 setting can be registered at Kelvin temperature (2000K - 14000K)

  • Preset values

    • Tungsten
    • Flourescent 1
    • Sunlight
    • Flash
    • Overcast
    • Shade
    • Underwater
  • Auto Flash adjustment

    Off / Auto WB / Flash

  • Keep warm colour

    On / Off

  • White balance adjustment

    +/- 7 in each A-B / G-M axis (in Auto WB, preset WB mode & one-touch WB)

Sequence Shooting

  • Speed (H)

    Approx. 8fps

  • Speed (L)

    3.6fps (IS off) , 3.0fps

  • Max. number of frames

    27 frames (RAW)

  • 19 frames (JPG / Large Normal mode)

  • Conditions

    Memory card: Toshiba SDHC UHS-I card R95 W80 model Premiugate series "Class 10" 8GB

  • When using the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm II R f3.5-5.6

  • Note: Depending on shooting conditions, the sequential shooting speed may reduce speed during shooting.

Image Processing

  • Colour space

    sRGB / AdobeRGB

  • Sharpness + Contrast

    5 levels

  • Contrast

    5 levels

  • Saturation

    5 levels

  • Black & White filter

    Yellow, Orange, Red, Green

  • Black & White toning

    Sepia, Blue, Purple or Green in Black & White mode

  • Picture mode

    i-Enhance, Vivid, Natural, Portrait, Muted, Monotone, Art Filter, Custom

  • Gradation

    4levels (auto, high key, normal, low key)

  • Engine

    TruePic VI

  • Art Filter bracketing

    Available

  • Tele converter effect

    2x

Internal Flash

  • Modes

    • AUTO
    • Manual (Full, 1/4, 1/16, 1/64)
    • Red-eye reduction
    • Slow synchronisation with red-eye reduction
    • Slow synchronisation
    • Slow synchronisation 2nd curtain
    • Fill-in
    • Off
  • Type

    Detachable flash (bundled)

  • Flash compensation

    +/- 3 EV ( 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps )

  • Guide number

    10 (ISO 200)

  • X-sync speed

    1/250s / 1/4000s (Super FP Mode)

External Flash Control

  • X-sync speed

    1/250s / 1/4000s (Super FP Mode)

  • Type

    TTL AUTO, AUTO, MANUAL, FP TTL AUTO, FP MANUAL

  • Modes

    • Auto
    • Red-eye reduction
    • Slow synchronisation
    • 2nd curtain and slow synchronisation
    • Fill-in for exclusive flash
    • Manual
  • Intensity

    +/- 3 EV ( 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps )

  • Note: Some functions are only available if they are supported by the external flash.

Wireless Flash Control

  • Number of channels

    4 channels

  • Compatible external flash

    FL-36R, FL-50R, FL-300R, FL-600R

  • Control method

    Triggered and controlled by bundled flash

  • Group setting

    4 groups

  • Available when used together with cameras compatible with the Olympus wireless RC flash system.

Monitor

  • Monitor type

    Tiltable LCD - Touch Panel

  • Touch Control fucntions

    • Shutter release
    • Enlargement
    • Live Guide
    • AF area selection
    • AF area enlargement
    • Frame forward/backward
    • Enlargement playback
    • Super Control Panel
    • Art Filter
    • Scene Modes
  • Monitor size

    7.6cm / 3.0'' (16:9)

  • Resolution

    460000 dots

  • Brightness adjustment

    +/- 2 levels

  • Colour balance

    +/- 7 levels Vivid (default) / Natural

Super Control Panel

  • Displayed information

    • Battery indicator
    • Record mode
    • Shutter speed
    • Aperture value
    • Exposure compensation indicator
    • ISO
    • AE bracketing
    • AF frame
    • Focus mode
    • AEL notification
    • Face detection
    • Number of storable frames
    • Metering mode
    • Exposure mode
    • Exposure level view
    • Flash compensation value
    • Colour space
    • Gradation
    • Colour saturation compensation value
    • Sharpness compensation value
    • Contrast compensation value
    • White balance
    • White balance compensation value
    • Noise reduction
    • Flash mode
    • Drive mode
    • Internal temperature warning
    • Histogram

Recording Formats

  • RAW

    12bit

  • RAW & JPEG

    Yes parallel recording

  • JPEG

    Yes

  • Aspect ratio

    4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 / 6:6 / 3:4

  • MPO (3D)

    Yes

Image Size

  • RAW

    4608 x 3456 compressed / 17MB / frame

  • 4608 x 3456 Fine (compression: 1/4) / 7.5MB / frame

  • 4608 x 3456 Normal (compression: 1/8) / 3.5MB / frame

  • 2560 x 1920 Normal (compression: 1/8) 1.1MB / frame

  • 1024 x 768 Normal (compression: 1/8) / 0.3MB / frame

Still Image Recording

  • EXIF

    2.2

  • PIM

    III

  • DPOF

    Yes

  • DCF

    Yes

Movie Recording System

  • Recording format

    MOV(MPEG-4AVC/H.264), AVI(Motion JPEG)

  • Image Stabilisation Mode

    Yes Electronical image shifting (Digital IS)

  • HD Movie quality

    Full HD 1920 x 1080 (16:9) 30p, 20Mbps (MOV)

  • Full HD 1920 x 1080 (16:9) 30p, 17Mbps (MOV)

  • HD 1280 x 720 (16:9) 30p, 13Mbps (MOV)

  • HD 1280 x 720 (16:9) 30p, 10Mbps (MOV)

  • HD 1280 x 720 (16:9) / 30fps (AVI Motion JPEG®)

  • Movie quality

    640 x 480 / 30fps (AVI Motion JPEG®)

  • 29min (17Mbps)

  • 14min (SD) / 7min (HD) (AVI Motion JPEG®)*

  • Max. file size

    4GB (AVCHD)

  • 2GB (Motion-JPEG)

  • Exposure Modes

    • Aperture priority
    • Art Filter
    • Manual
    • Programme automatic
    • Shutter priority
  • * Some Art Filters are excluded

  • Movie effects

    • Multi shot echo
    • One shot echo
    • Art fade
    • One push tele-converter

Sound Recording System

  • Internal microphone

    Stereo

  • Recording format

    Stereo PCM/16bit, 48kHz, Wave Format Base

  • External microphone

    Optional

  • Image footage

    30s

  • Speaker

    Yes

  • Microphone functions

    • Wind Noise Reduction
    • Recording Volume

View Images

  • Modes

    • Index
    • Calendar
    • Zoom
    • Slide show
    • Movie
    • Single
  • Light box

    Yes

  • Histogram in playback mode

    Yes

  • Shooting information

    Off / On

Erase / Protect / Copy Function

  • Erase modes

    Single, All, Selected

  • Image protect mode

    Single frame, Selected frames, All Frames, Release protect (Single/All selected)

Image Editing

  • RAW data edit

    Yes

  • Red-eye reduction

    Yes

  • Sepia

    Yes

  • Black & White

    Yes

  • Resize

    Yes

  • Correction of saturation

    Yes

  • Shadow Adjustment

    Yes

  • Trimming

    Yes

  • e-Portrait

    Yes

Menu

  • Menu languages in camera

    English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Croatian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Greek, Slovak, Turkish, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Serbian

Customisation Options

  • Fn Button

    Yes

  • My Mode

    4 settings storable (Can be set to mode dial.)

  • Factory reset

    Full / Standard

  • Programmable button

    Yes

Interface

  • Media

    SD Memory Card (SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I compatible) Class 6 is recommended for Movie shooting

  • HDMI™

    Yes Micro connector (Type D) *

  • USB 2.0 High Speed

    Yes

  • Combined V & USB output

    Yes NTSC or PAL selectable

  • Wireless connectivity

    • FlashAir
    • Eye-Fi Card compatible
    • Bluetooth®
  • Connection

    Accessory Port 2

  • * "HDMI", the HDMI logo and "High-Definition Multimedia Interface" are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.

Power Supply

  • Battery

    BLS-5 Li-Ion battery (included) Lithium-Ion Battery (CR-V3 not compliant)

  • Sleep mode

    Available (1min, 3min, 5min)

Environment

  • Temperature

    0 - 40°C operating temperature / -20 - 60°C storage temperature

  • Humidity

    30 - 90% operation humidity / 10 - 90% storage humidity

Size

  • Dimensions (W x H x D)

    110.5 x 63.7 x 38.2mm (without protrusions)

  • Weight

    325g (including battery and memory card)

  • 279g (body only)

Exterior

  • Grip

    Exchangable

  • Available Colours

    • Black
    • Silver
    • White

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