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Technical Details
Color: Black
- Fast Shutter Response. Never miss a shot again with the E-PM1's Fast Shutter Response time of less than 60 milliseconds. The TruePic VI feature allows for reduced shot-to-shot time by shortening the black-out time between shots.
- Professional Audio Sound Capture. Take Videos that are able to capture uncompressed CD-quality 16bit/44.1kHz Linear PCM stereo recording or AC3 Dolby Digital audio.
- 12 MP with 3.0" LCD Screen
- Face Detection with Eye Detect
- Full 1080 HD Video Shoot up to 29 minutes of 1080 60i HD Video and stereo sound in either AVCHD or AVI formats. A Direct HD Movie Button switches you from still to movie mode with just the press of a button.
Olympus E-PM1 : Review by dpreview.com
Product Details
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Product Description
Color: Black
From the Manufacturer
Never miss a moment with the small and stylish PEN E-PM1. The smallest and lightest PEN features a new and simplified user interface as well as a streamlined button structure for superior ease-of-use. Its small size and portability make it the ideal camera to document life’s fun and spontaneous moments.
Olympus PEN E-PM1 Highlights
Simplified Control
Operating the camera is more intuitive with the newly designed user interface. The innovative screen activates popular menu options such as Art Filters, iAuto, Scene Modes, and Movie. The on-screen graphics have also been updated with a sleeker font design and an automatic pop-up guide in the menu screen.
The E-PM1’s Live Guide system allows you to preview effects as you adjust them – before the image is even captured. Simply select Live Guide and turn the wheel on the back of the camera to slide through numerous photographic effects, such as brightness, color saturation, tone, etc.
Excellent Shots, Effortlessly
iAuto automatically identifies the scene you're shooting – portrait, landscape, night portrait, macro, or sport – and adjusts the settings to optimize results. The E-PM1 is also equipped with 23 Scene- Select modes for effortless picture taking, including new 3D mode, Fireworks, Sunset, Children, Macro and Panorama, to name a few. There are even three scene modes that are specific to shooting with Olympus’ conversion lenses to optimize the performance of those lenses.
3-Inch, Bright Widescreen LCD
This 460 dot high-resolution screen is big and bright enough to let you shoot and share photos and HD video with ease.
Get Wireless
No need for cables or even a computer. Upload or email images directly from your camera with an optional PP-1 PENPAL or Eye-Fi card. The E-PM1 is also capable of recording stills and video to SD, SDHC, SDXC and UHS-I media cards.
12 Megapixels
The new 12 megapixel sensor is optimized to maximize the performance of all mZuiko digital lenses in any shooting condition. Improvements in the sensor makes shooting in low light and Full HD movie recording possible.
Stabilization Technology in the Body, Not in the Lens
Say goodbye to blurry images. Olympus’ in-body image stabilization technology makes it possible to use any Micro Four Thirds lenses (or Four Thirds lens), from wide-angle to telephoto, for perfectly clear, crisp photos no matter what the shooting situation, even in low light!
Face Detection with Eye Detect
Nail the focus for every portrait photo, every time. The new face detection AF employs an "Eye Detect AF" that adjusts focus automatically on the subject's eyes during portrait shooting and can even be adjusted to focus on the right, left or near-side eye. The Face Detection function captures up to eight faces, reducing the chance of blurred subjects when shooting several people at once.
Advanced Shadow Adjustment Technology
You no longer need to worry about the extreme contrast between dark and bright areas in your images. The E-PM1's Shadow Adjustment Technology corrects for extreme light variations with high-tech efficiency either before image capture or during post-capture edits.
Full 1080 HD Video
Shoot up to 29 minutes of 1080 60i HD video and stereo sound in either AVCHD or AVI formats. A Direct HD Movie Button switches you from still to movie mode with just the press of a button.
In-Camera Art Filters
Six in-camera Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama and Dramatic Tone) can be used in all shooting modes as well as filming HD movies. The E-PM1 also includes bracketing up to seven images, each image with a different applied Art Filter. Since they’re built into the camera, these Art Filters can achieve dramatic results on the go without the need for computer or editing software.
Wide Variety of Lenses and Accessories
A range of interchangeable lenses, accessories and flashes are compatible with the E-PM1 to support all different types of photography needs.
New 3D Shooting
Add a new dimension to your photographs in any mode from macro to landscape with Olympus’ 3D technology. By simply selecting the 3D Photo Mode, releasing the shutter, and slowly panning, the camera will automatically take a second image from a slightly different perspective. The 3D data is processed in-camera for easy display on 3D televisions or laptops.
AF Illuminator
The addition of this super luminosity LED beam allows the camera to focus faster in low light up to almost 10 feet.
Increased ISO Sensitivity
Stunning low light photos are a click away with an increased ISO sensitivity to 12,800.
Attachable Flash Included
This camera provides the flexibility to attach a flash to your camera via the accessory port, or leave it at home for maximum portability.
5fps Sequential Shooting
With the E-PM1 you can take up to five photos a second, allowing you to easily capture that perfect shot, especially when your subject is moving.
Fast Auto Focus
The new FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF System is able to focus at an incredible speed and offers 35 separate focus points that are spread over nearly the entire sensor, which makes it possible for pin-point accurate focusing on small subjects wherever they appear in the frame. Selectable 3x3 groups within the 35-point area are especially effective when shooting active subjects.
Improved Color Reproduction
The new TruePic VI Image Processor, designed specifically for the Olympus PEN, features Real Color Technology for improved color reproduction (especially colors such as emerald green, yellow, and gold) and color gradation. The faster processor also allows for a shorter recovery time between shots.
Improved Lens Technology
High-precision engineering and an improved internal focusing mechanism have allowed the Olympus MSC (Movie+Still Compatible) lenses to auto focus quickly, smoothly and silently, perfect for stills and movies.
Product Description
The Small And Stylish Pen. The smallest and lightest PEN is available in six stylish colors - purple, pink, brown, white, silver and black - and features a new and simplified user interface as well as a streamlined button structure for superior ease-of-use. Its small size and portability make it the ideal camera to document life's fun and spontaneous moments. Live Chat by LivePerson Ease-of-Use Simplified Control. Operating the camera is more intuitive with the newly designed user interface. The innovative screen activates popular menu options such as Art Filters, iAuto, Scene Modes, and Movie. The on-screen graphics have also been updated with a sleeker font design and an automatic pop-up guide in the menu screen. The E-PM1's Live Guide system allows you to preview effects as you adjust them - before the image is even captured. Simply select Live Guide and turn the wheel on the back of the camera to slide through numerous photographic effects, such as brightness, color saturation, tone, etc. Excellent Shots - Effortlessly. iAuto automatically identifies the scene you're shooting - portrait, landscape, night portrait, macro, or sport - and adjusts the settings to optimize results. The E-PM1 is also equipped with 23 Scene-Select modes for effortless picture taking, including new 3D mode, Fireworks, Sunset, Children, Macro and Panorama, to name a few. There are even three scene modes that are specific to shooting with Olympus' conversion lenses to optimize the performance of those lenses.
Available Warranties for This Item
Color: Black
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
106 of 109 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase
Update (4/27/2012)
==============
Note about Olympus service. It turns out that my camera had an issue with taking picture at fast shutter speed (1/4000s). I called the service and sent it in. It was fixed by week's end, and was shipped it out by 2nd Day Air. It was all for free as my camera is still under warranty. I did not get a refurbished unit; I got mine back. When I tested my 'fixed' camera, I found everything was working as expected and no more problems at high shutter speed. Big kudos for Olympus service!
Update (2/6/2012)
==============
One key feature I forgot to mention is the in-body image stablization (IBIS). Olympus has the IBIS whereas Panasonic only supports the IS built into the lens. There are PROs and CONs of IBIS. However this comes in handy in many cases, and I prefer camera having IBIS where some lenses do not come with IS built-in (OIS). Some of my lenses do not have OIS, and if I do not use IBIS on Olympus, images would not be as sharp. On the other hand, people say that IBIS is not ideal for the video recording. I have not noticed much, but I can see how.
On the other hand, Olympus will announce E-M5 (OM-D family) this week. This one will support 5 axis IS (still an IBIS) which is expected to be much better than the IBIS that current models have. Some on the DPREVIEW forum say that this one will be better than OIS... we'll have to wait for some product review for the verdict.
Important Update (11/21/2011)
=====================
Firmware version 1.1 is now available from Olympus. It was surprising from a company that is going through a financial trouble :) The firmware version 1.1 is supposed to address an issue with EyeFi (Wifi SD + memory) card. Although I do not use the EyeFi card, I thought I will give it a try and updated my camera with some worries as one reviewer on DPREVIEW.com reported that camera became 'brick' after the update.
I used 'Olympus Digital Camera Updater' software that came with my camera. I used my Mac Mini to update the firmware. Everything took less than 2 minutes, and I got large "OK" sign on the LCD display. Upon recycling the power, the camera reported firmware version 1.1 correctly. I took about 50 shots after the update, and so far so good.
My original review
============
This is my fourth camera purchase this year... yet this is the best one. My other three cameras were point-and-shoot cameras that gave me some good photos but in-door shots with high iso gave me very grainy images. Nikon P300 is pretty good with F1.8; however image sensor was little too small and that results in lower image quality in some occasion.
I also have Canon T1i which takes photos with really good image quality; however I run into the portability issue. I'm not as big of a photo enthusiast (I know... I just love buying new camera) and I do not feel comfortable carrying my Canon T1i everywhere. It is simply too bulky.
My definition of 'perfect' camera is one that I can take most everywhere and take photos with good image quality in every situation.
I did a lot of research for the 'perfect' camera, and I quickly came down to the following selections:
1) Sony NEX family - Sony NEX 3, 5, C3, 5N, and 7.
-------------------------------------------------------------
These are wonderful camera. Small, and versatile, and especially with APS-C size image sensor, image quality (IQ) rivals regular dSLRs. However the limitations are the fact that they use Sony proprietary lenses and there are limited number of NEX lenses.
2) Samsung N100/N200
-------------------------------------------------------------
These are similar to Sony NEX. I haven't seen them in person; however these should deliver similar IQ with the APS-C size sensors. However they do have the same issue of using Samsung proprietary lens mount + format.
3) Nikon 1, Pentax Q, and Fujifilm X100
-------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Fujifilm X100 has APS-C size sensor; however it has a single fixed lens on the camera. Good lens, but you cannot replace lens. Nikon and Pentax recently announced their new compact system cameras, however their system uses smaller size sensor. Pentax uses even smaller and Nikon uses sensor about 1/2 of Micro Four Thirds. I like Nikon but I felt the lens collection + size sensor was disappointment at this time.
4) Then there are Micro Four Thirds cameras... these include Olympus e-P1,P2,P3, e-PL1,PL2,PL3, and e-PM1 and Panasonic GF1, GF2, and GF3, and other G series cameras.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Micro Four Thirds cameras can use any lenses that adhere to the Micro Four Thirds standards. Therefore there are more lens selections available at the time of my research than any other compact system cameras.
My decision was more of my budget and my future direction... I want to build my lens library first; however I wanted to get best value for my budget. In my opinion, Olympus e-PM1 was the best choice.
My selection of Olympus E-PM1 was for its compact size and versatility of the camera. yes, it may not have all physical control buttons. That was problem when I was looking at the camera; however it's not as bad as I thought. You can get to the settings quickly and you actually have control of most of settings that you can think of... And you can easily set your focus area, if you don't want the camera to choose for you :)
Based on my research Olympus E-PM1 has pretty much the same hardware as more expensive and little bigger E-PL3. This means that it now has new dual core image processor (TruePic VI) and very fast auto-focus system. This all means that this Olympus E-PM1 is very responsive and good performer in everyday use.
It's been about a week and I took almost 900 photos with single battery charge(battery life is good). I now have Panasonic 20mm F1.7 pancake lens on the camera and that one is really good for photo taking. (I won't recommend it for video.. due to noise issue). With my F/1.7 lens, I haven't really had need for a flash on the camera. In fact, I have not even tried it yet. Camera takes good IQ and very fast auto focus. I love how i can control so many settings on the camera. I don't think I had this much fun with my Canon T1i.
NOTE: For Mac users out there, this ACHVD format on 1080i video would be little problem as there are no native support for the format yet.
Pros for Olympus E-PM1
--------------------------------------------------------------
- Compact size (smaller than other micro four thirds)
- Good Image Quality (comparable to dSLRs)
- Fast auto focus speed
- large number of available lenses (micro four thirds)
- Available Hot Shoe; you can use external flash
Cons for Olympus E-PM1
--------------------------------------------------------------
- no built-in flash (having something is better than nothing)
- not pocketable, unless you are talking about your winter jacket
- Limited availability of button control; it's ok but for some this would be strong 'con"
- Video format (ACHVD MTS format is not for computer... Mac software not as widely available)
- Built-in image stabilization may not work perfectly for the video; it works well for still images.
- (UPDATE 11/15/2011) It may be my camera, however I cannot use shutter speed 1/3200 or 1/4000s. Images get too dark at the bottom of picture. However I rarely need these shutter speed; therefore I do not see this is a show stopper.
* Image Sensor size discussion
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some measure of image sensors used on various digital cameras today:
Typical point-and-shoot, sensor=1/2.33", sensor size=~28.5mm^2, crop factor=5.62
Advanced point-and-shoot, sensor=1/1.6", sensor size=~48.6mm^2, crop factor=4.3
micro-four-thirds, sensor=MFT, sensor size=~225mm^2, crop factor=2
Canon dSLR, sensor=APS-C, sensor size=~329mm^2, crop factor=1.6
Other dSLR (Nikon,Sony), sensor=APS-C, sensor size=~369mm^2, crop factor=1.5
Olympus E-PM1 has micro four thirds format sensor, i.e. it has surface area of 225mm^2 which is significantly larger than typical point-and-shoot camera. Olympus E-PM1 has more than 4.6x bigger image sensor to pick up more lights than advanced point-and-shoot camera.
* Comparison between Point-and-Shoot and Olympus E-PM1
------------------------------------------------------------------
Olympus E-PM1, as a micro four thirds camera, has significantly bigger MOS sensor and you can go to ISO1600 and still have good image quality. I posted an example of image that was taken with ISO1600 with F11. This still has fairly good image quality even with high ISO. Of course, the image quality would be less accurate in dimly lit condition. However Olympus E-PM1 still has much better image quality than other point-and-shoot camera. I compared picture taken with Olympus E-PM1 and Nikon P300, and Olympus wins hands down.
* Olympus E-PM1 User Interface
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As noted above, Olympus E-PM1 does not have as many manual control buttons. You don't even have 'mode' button. P/A/S/M has to be selected via menu button. Although this may be problem for some users, many users will find it adequate. There are even customizable buttons that you can assign "video record" button as "DOF preview". Other controls, such as changing ISO, aperture value, shutter speed, are fairly simple. Olympus E-PM1 gives you so much control over camera settings. Read more ›
==============
Note about Olympus service. It turns out that my camera had an issue with taking picture at fast shutter speed (1/4000s). I called the service and sent it in. It was fixed by week's end, and was shipped it out by 2nd Day Air. It was all for free as my camera is still under warranty. I did not get a refurbished unit; I got mine back. When I tested my 'fixed' camera, I found everything was working as expected and no more problems at high shutter speed. Big kudos for Olympus service!
Update (2/6/2012)
==============
One key feature I forgot to mention is the in-body image stablization (IBIS). Olympus has the IBIS whereas Panasonic only supports the IS built into the lens. There are PROs and CONs of IBIS. However this comes in handy in many cases, and I prefer camera having IBIS where some lenses do not come with IS built-in (OIS). Some of my lenses do not have OIS, and if I do not use IBIS on Olympus, images would not be as sharp. On the other hand, people say that IBIS is not ideal for the video recording. I have not noticed much, but I can see how.
On the other hand, Olympus will announce E-M5 (OM-D family) this week. This one will support 5 axis IS (still an IBIS) which is expected to be much better than the IBIS that current models have. Some on the DPREVIEW forum say that this one will be better than OIS... we'll have to wait for some product review for the verdict.
Important Update (11/21/2011)
=====================
Firmware version 1.1 is now available from Olympus. It was surprising from a company that is going through a financial trouble :) The firmware version 1.1 is supposed to address an issue with EyeFi (Wifi SD + memory) card. Although I do not use the EyeFi card, I thought I will give it a try and updated my camera with some worries as one reviewer on DPREVIEW.com reported that camera became 'brick' after the update.
I used 'Olympus Digital Camera Updater' software that came with my camera. I used my Mac Mini to update the firmware. Everything took less than 2 minutes, and I got large "OK" sign on the LCD display. Upon recycling the power, the camera reported firmware version 1.1 correctly. I took about 50 shots after the update, and so far so good.
My original review
============
This is my fourth camera purchase this year... yet this is the best one. My other three cameras were point-and-shoot cameras that gave me some good photos but in-door shots with high iso gave me very grainy images. Nikon P300 is pretty good with F1.8; however image sensor was little too small and that results in lower image quality in some occasion.
I also have Canon T1i which takes photos with really good image quality; however I run into the portability issue. I'm not as big of a photo enthusiast (I know... I just love buying new camera) and I do not feel comfortable carrying my Canon T1i everywhere. It is simply too bulky.
My definition of 'perfect' camera is one that I can take most everywhere and take photos with good image quality in every situation.
I did a lot of research for the 'perfect' camera, and I quickly came down to the following selections:
1) Sony NEX family - Sony NEX 3, 5, C3, 5N, and 7.
-------------------------------------------------------------
These are wonderful camera. Small, and versatile, and especially with APS-C size image sensor, image quality (IQ) rivals regular dSLRs. However the limitations are the fact that they use Sony proprietary lenses and there are limited number of NEX lenses.
2) Samsung N100/N200
-------------------------------------------------------------
These are similar to Sony NEX. I haven't seen them in person; however these should deliver similar IQ with the APS-C size sensors. However they do have the same issue of using Samsung proprietary lens mount + format.
3) Nikon 1, Pentax Q, and Fujifilm X100
-------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Fujifilm X100 has APS-C size sensor; however it has a single fixed lens on the camera. Good lens, but you cannot replace lens. Nikon and Pentax recently announced their new compact system cameras, however their system uses smaller size sensor. Pentax uses even smaller and Nikon uses sensor about 1/2 of Micro Four Thirds. I like Nikon but I felt the lens collection + size sensor was disappointment at this time.
4) Then there are Micro Four Thirds cameras... these include Olympus e-P1,P2,P3, e-PL1,PL2,PL3, and e-PM1 and Panasonic GF1, GF2, and GF3, and other G series cameras.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Micro Four Thirds cameras can use any lenses that adhere to the Micro Four Thirds standards. Therefore there are more lens selections available at the time of my research than any other compact system cameras.
My decision was more of my budget and my future direction... I want to build my lens library first; however I wanted to get best value for my budget. In my opinion, Olympus e-PM1 was the best choice.
My selection of Olympus E-PM1 was for its compact size and versatility of the camera. yes, it may not have all physical control buttons. That was problem when I was looking at the camera; however it's not as bad as I thought. You can get to the settings quickly and you actually have control of most of settings that you can think of... And you can easily set your focus area, if you don't want the camera to choose for you :)
Based on my research Olympus E-PM1 has pretty much the same hardware as more expensive and little bigger E-PL3. This means that it now has new dual core image processor (TruePic VI) and very fast auto-focus system. This all means that this Olympus E-PM1 is very responsive and good performer in everyday use.
It's been about a week and I took almost 900 photos with single battery charge(battery life is good). I now have Panasonic 20mm F1.7 pancake lens on the camera and that one is really good for photo taking. (I won't recommend it for video.. due to noise issue). With my F/1.7 lens, I haven't really had need for a flash on the camera. In fact, I have not even tried it yet. Camera takes good IQ and very fast auto focus. I love how i can control so many settings on the camera. I don't think I had this much fun with my Canon T1i.
NOTE: For Mac users out there, this ACHVD format on 1080i video would be little problem as there are no native support for the format yet.
Pros for Olympus E-PM1
--------------------------------------------------------------
- Compact size (smaller than other micro four thirds)
- Good Image Quality (comparable to dSLRs)
- Fast auto focus speed
- large number of available lenses (micro four thirds)
- Available Hot Shoe; you can use external flash
Cons for Olympus E-PM1
--------------------------------------------------------------
- no built-in flash (having something is better than nothing)
- not pocketable, unless you are talking about your winter jacket
- Limited availability of button control; it's ok but for some this would be strong 'con"
- Video format (ACHVD MTS format is not for computer... Mac software not as widely available)
- Built-in image stabilization may not work perfectly for the video; it works well for still images.
- (UPDATE 11/15/2011) It may be my camera, however I cannot use shutter speed 1/3200 or 1/4000s. Images get too dark at the bottom of picture. However I rarely need these shutter speed; therefore I do not see this is a show stopper.
* Image Sensor size discussion
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some measure of image sensors used on various digital cameras today:
Typical point-and-shoot, sensor=1/2.33", sensor size=~28.5mm^2, crop factor=5.62
Advanced point-and-shoot, sensor=1/1.6", sensor size=~48.6mm^2, crop factor=4.3
micro-four-thirds, sensor=MFT, sensor size=~225mm^2, crop factor=2
Canon dSLR, sensor=APS-C, sensor size=~329mm^2, crop factor=1.6
Other dSLR (Nikon,Sony), sensor=APS-C, sensor size=~369mm^2, crop factor=1.5
Olympus E-PM1 has micro four thirds format sensor, i.e. it has surface area of 225mm^2 which is significantly larger than typical point-and-shoot camera. Olympus E-PM1 has more than 4.6x bigger image sensor to pick up more lights than advanced point-and-shoot camera.
* Comparison between Point-and-Shoot and Olympus E-PM1
------------------------------------------------------------------
Olympus E-PM1, as a micro four thirds camera, has significantly bigger MOS sensor and you can go to ISO1600 and still have good image quality. I posted an example of image that was taken with ISO1600 with F11. This still has fairly good image quality even with high ISO. Of course, the image quality would be less accurate in dimly lit condition. However Olympus E-PM1 still has much better image quality than other point-and-shoot camera. I compared picture taken with Olympus E-PM1 and Nikon P300, and Olympus wins hands down.
* Olympus E-PM1 User Interface
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As noted above, Olympus E-PM1 does not have as many manual control buttons. You don't even have 'mode' button. P/A/S/M has to be selected via menu button. Although this may be problem for some users, many users will find it adequate. There are even customizable buttons that you can assign "video record" button as "DOF preview". Other controls, such as changing ISO, aperture value, shutter speed, are fairly simple. Olympus E-PM1 gives you so much control over camera settings. Read more ›
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
I've owned this camera for a few weeks now, so I just wanted write a few notes about this camera that get neglected.
1. The image stabilization is only good up to 4 fps, but the default multi shot modes are 5 fps or 3 fps. To get 4 fps, you have to use a custom menu setting.
2. Always shoot in multi shot mode. Single shot mode will cause camera lag (my guess is that it waits for the SD card to finish writing in single shot mode). This lowers your shot to shot times down to about 1.5 fps as the camera will just ignore your shutter press. Shooting in multi shot mode solves this problem, at the expense of not always seeing your next shot.
3. Buy the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens if you want to take any indoor shots without a flash. The kit lens, at f3.5, is just not fast enough indoors. Your shots will come out at 1600 ISO and contain blur or noise, depending upon your noise filtering setting, usually both, because f3.5, just doesn't cut it. Okay, that might be a little harsh - if you reduce the photos down to 25% of their original size, they will be good enough to put up on a web page, but you wouldn't want to print them. In comparison, the 20mm f1.7 lens takes great indoor shots.
4. Nearly all the pictures you see on websites that review this camera required custom menu settings. Custom menu settings require information from the manual before you figure them out. I must have played with the custom settings for a solid two hours with the manual by my side, before I got things close to the way I wanted them.
Edit (03-Oct-2011)
5. The auto focus speed using the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens is slower than with the 14-42 kit lens. While the 20mm focuses nearly instantly in bright light, it can take up to 2 seconds to focus in low light. Comparatively, the 14-42mm has a worst case focusing time of about half a second in low light.
Edit (28-Nov-2011)
6. Buy a grip for this camera. I got a small Flipbac G2 and it made a world of difference.
7. These days I would recommend the fast focusing Panasonic/Leica 25mm/f1.4 (or Olympus 45mm f1.8) over the 20mm/f1.7 for low light photography.
1. The image stabilization is only good up to 4 fps, but the default multi shot modes are 5 fps or 3 fps. To get 4 fps, you have to use a custom menu setting.
2. Always shoot in multi shot mode. Single shot mode will cause camera lag (my guess is that it waits for the SD card to finish writing in single shot mode). This lowers your shot to shot times down to about 1.5 fps as the camera will just ignore your shutter press. Shooting in multi shot mode solves this problem, at the expense of not always seeing your next shot.
3. Buy the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens if you want to take any indoor shots without a flash. The kit lens, at f3.5, is just not fast enough indoors. Your shots will come out at 1600 ISO and contain blur or noise, depending upon your noise filtering setting, usually both, because f3.5, just doesn't cut it. Okay, that might be a little harsh - if you reduce the photos down to 25% of their original size, they will be good enough to put up on a web page, but you wouldn't want to print them. In comparison, the 20mm f1.7 lens takes great indoor shots.
4. Nearly all the pictures you see on websites that review this camera required custom menu settings. Custom menu settings require information from the manual before you figure them out. I must have played with the custom settings for a solid two hours with the manual by my side, before I got things close to the way I wanted them.
Edit (03-Oct-2011)
5. The auto focus speed using the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens is slower than with the 14-42 kit lens. While the 20mm focuses nearly instantly in bright light, it can take up to 2 seconds to focus in low light. Comparatively, the 14-42mm has a worst case focusing time of about half a second in low light.
Edit (28-Nov-2011)
6. Buy a grip for this camera. I got a small Flipbac G2 and it made a world of difference.
7. These days I would recommend the fast focusing Panasonic/Leica 25mm/f1.4 (or Olympus 45mm f1.8) over the 20mm/f1.7 for low light photography.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
I've been using E-PM1 for a couple of weeks. It's very nicely build and appears to be metal front, back or sides and the top (E-PL2 has only metal front panel). The menu is cleverly designed so you won't miss the additional external controls all that much. Rec button and "right" & "down" buttons can be customized. E.g., you can set Rec button to serve as AEL/AFL, AF/MF switch, "Magnify", "Tele-converter", etc. In addition, if you turn off "keep WB warm" in the menu (it's on by default), the colors will be much better especially indoors. Don't forget to dial flash exposure compesation "+1EV" (the camera will remember this setting) for proper exposure because the bundled flash is always in semi-bounce position when activated.
Overall, great little camera with super fast AF (incl. continous AF in HD video), fast buffer clearing with a huge number of customizations available. 5.5fps burst mode and art filter bracketing is really cool. So far my basic settings: Noise filter off, "keep WB warm" off, Sharpening -1, Natural picture mode, right button - ISO, down button - WB, LSF jpeg, Rec button set as AF/MF switch, LCD set to max brightness. Also, don't forget to enable SCP (Super control panel) by clicking OK, then pressing Info in live view mode. This will allow you a one-click access to all important settings for changes on the go. E-PM1 feels like a very thoroughly designed camera with well thought out menu. It does require some setting up to do initially for best resutls. It has a hot shoe and supports standard flashes as well as wireless flashes (with bundled flash attached). Buil-in Image stabilization is very effective especially with Panasonic 20mm lens you can easily shoot sharp pictures of non-moving objects at 1/10s w/o any blur. Priced at $499 it's definately the best value for the money in the m43 format.
Update: After 2 months of heavy use, it's hard for me to go back to E-PL2 now (my back up camera). E-PM1 trumps it in every way: better looking images (due to outstanding AWB performance), much faster AF and face detect especially in low light or when shooting from a distance. Much improved shutter lag and very useful 5.5 fps burst mode. The bundled flash is tiny and provides great results; I don't hesitate to leave it attached most of the time (good in the sun too to lift the shadows).
However, IBIS is disappointing compared to E-PL2 so I simply disabled it (I'm mostly taking pictures of people anyway and prefer at least 1/30s so no biggie. I heard E-P3 IBIS is way better - different implementation).
I sold Panny 20mm because this lens is slow and noisy to focus (especially in low light it's often inaccurate) and it doesn't take advantage of E-PM1's fast AF at all. Panny 14mm works way better for me including in low light (good DoF in tight indoor spaces). I used to keep Panny 20 for shallow DoF but now I got Oly 45mm f1.8 which is way better at that.
Absolutely breathing pictures from E-PM1+Oly 45mm combo with creamy smooth bokeh and surgical sharpness in plane of focus (have to use e-portrait function to smoothen the skin, LOL). 35 small AF points covering the whole screen are indispensable when shooting wide open with this lens. Also, E-PM1 eye detect is very useful for artistic portraits (e.g. the focus is on the left eye).
I really think that with m43 and Oly 45mm (I also recommend ND filter) anyone can now take pro grade shallow DoF (with 3D pop) pictures w/o any training at all because no PP required! E-PM1's jpegs are superb, very colorful and especially fantastic skin tones even under mixed indoor lightning! You can spend hours editing raw files and still not achieve the Oly colors (especially skin tones).
I also wanted to add that E-PM1 is fun to use. Not only because of the cute form factor but also thanks to some useful art filters, e-portrait function, burst mode and full manual control over video. If you use non-TTL external flash, you are no longer restricted to 1/160s flash sync speed. You can now use 1/320s in 4:3 native aspect ratio and 1/400s in 16:9 format. Very few cameras are capable of such high native flash sync speeds (w/o power-reducing FP mode). For those who can't afford Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, Olympus Viewer 2 which is bundled with the camera is a very capable editor albeit works slower than those two. It allows you to apply any of the art filters after the picture is taking (if shot in Raw) and you can apply most of the in-camera settings to your raw images later (picture mode, WB, art filter, noise reduction, sharpness, etc.). It's probably the best free image editor I've ever seen.
Overall, great little camera with super fast AF (incl. continous AF in HD video), fast buffer clearing with a huge number of customizations available. 5.5fps burst mode and art filter bracketing is really cool. So far my basic settings: Noise filter off, "keep WB warm" off, Sharpening -1, Natural picture mode, right button - ISO, down button - WB, LSF jpeg, Rec button set as AF/MF switch, LCD set to max brightness. Also, don't forget to enable SCP (Super control panel) by clicking OK, then pressing Info in live view mode. This will allow you a one-click access to all important settings for changes on the go. E-PM1 feels like a very thoroughly designed camera with well thought out menu. It does require some setting up to do initially for best resutls. It has a hot shoe and supports standard flashes as well as wireless flashes (with bundled flash attached). Buil-in Image stabilization is very effective especially with Panasonic 20mm lens you can easily shoot sharp pictures of non-moving objects at 1/10s w/o any blur. Priced at $499 it's definately the best value for the money in the m43 format.
Update: After 2 months of heavy use, it's hard for me to go back to E-PL2 now (my back up camera). E-PM1 trumps it in every way: better looking images (due to outstanding AWB performance), much faster AF and face detect especially in low light or when shooting from a distance. Much improved shutter lag and very useful 5.5 fps burst mode. The bundled flash is tiny and provides great results; I don't hesitate to leave it attached most of the time (good in the sun too to lift the shadows).
However, IBIS is disappointing compared to E-PL2 so I simply disabled it (I'm mostly taking pictures of people anyway and prefer at least 1/30s so no biggie. I heard E-P3 IBIS is way better - different implementation).
I sold Panny 20mm because this lens is slow and noisy to focus (especially in low light it's often inaccurate) and it doesn't take advantage of E-PM1's fast AF at all. Panny 14mm works way better for me including in low light (good DoF in tight indoor spaces). I used to keep Panny 20 for shallow DoF but now I got Oly 45mm f1.8 which is way better at that.
Absolutely breathing pictures from E-PM1+Oly 45mm combo with creamy smooth bokeh and surgical sharpness in plane of focus (have to use e-portrait function to smoothen the skin, LOL). 35 small AF points covering the whole screen are indispensable when shooting wide open with this lens. Also, E-PM1 eye detect is very useful for artistic portraits (e.g. the focus is on the left eye).
I really think that with m43 and Oly 45mm (I also recommend ND filter) anyone can now take pro grade shallow DoF (with 3D pop) pictures w/o any training at all because no PP required! E-PM1's jpegs are superb, very colorful and especially fantastic skin tones even under mixed indoor lightning! You can spend hours editing raw files and still not achieve the Oly colors (especially skin tones).
I also wanted to add that E-PM1 is fun to use. Not only because of the cute form factor but also thanks to some useful art filters, e-portrait function, burst mode and full manual control over video. If you use non-TTL external flash, you are no longer restricted to 1/160s flash sync speed. You can now use 1/320s in 4:3 native aspect ratio and 1/400s in 16:9 format. Very few cameras are capable of such high native flash sync speeds (w/o power-reducing FP mode). For those who can't afford Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, Olympus Viewer 2 which is bundled with the camera is a very capable editor albeit works slower than those two. It allows you to apply any of the art filters after the picture is taking (if shot in Raw) and you can apply most of the in-camera settings to your raw images later (picture mode, WB, art filter, noise reduction, sharpness, etc.). It's probably the best free image editor I've ever seen.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cool shooting in a small package
I am really enjoying this camera. The auto focus and shutter response are very fast, color is excellent, and with a little tweaking and getting used to the sparse buttons and... Read more
Published 4 days ago by single malt
Great product with a problem
First of all, i am so impressed about the fast shipment--it was shipped the second day of my purchase. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Born2shop
No flash card!
This is just about the flash card.
Just opened this -- the camera doesn't come with a flash card. Disappointment!
Just opened this -- the camera doesn't come with a flash card. Disappointment!
Published 28 days ago by Ben U.
Perfect upgrade!
This is going to be more of a consumer POV review as I'm not up to date with all the camera tech talk. Read more
Published 1 month ago by pimpass
Very nice camera
I bought this camera to take pictures of my newborn and a toddler. For the most part, I love the camera. Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. Seo
Super compact shooter
Really impressed. Better than any point n shoot camera I've tried. Lightweight, small, easy to use. Well made. Impressive pictures.
Just what I've been looking for. Read more
Just what I've been looking for. Read more
Published 1 month ago by David L. Umphfleet
help
im looking into upgrading from a point and shoot. im looking between olympus pen e-pm1 and sony nex c3. whats your pros and cons. what is your opinion. Read more
Published 3 months ago by kelly
Very pleased-
I won't go into the nuts and bolts of what the micro four thirds format is about, as there are plenty of resources out there to consult if you want to learn about system cameras. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Clever Name Goes Here
a great upgrade good buy
i got this in best buy with my gift cards and this is the best camera ive ever had. takes high quality pics and has the feature to shot with full manual mode to chance light... Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. Macdonald
Great camera, great value, but slightly crippled user experience
I purchased my E-PM1 as an "upgrade" from my 2-year old Olympus E-P1, which of course is a more high end camera in some respects, but was simply getting a bit old and felt slow to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Tenser
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Color: Black
