Olympus PEN E-PL3 14-42mm 12.3 MP Interchangeable Lens Camera with CMOS Sensor and 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

by Olympus

• M.ZUIKO Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Micro 4/3 Zoom (Black)
• Flash FL-LM1
• USB/Video Multi Cable
• BLS-1 Lithium-Ion Battery
• BCS-1 Lithium-Ion Battery Charger

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.5 x 2.5 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B005EZKFBU
• Item model number: E-PL3_
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,218 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #39 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Digital Cameras > Compact System Cameras
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 28, 2011

Product Description

Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

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VIEW THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

You love preserving memories, but you’re ready for more creativity.
More control. More options for capturing unforgettable images. The E-PL3 inspires innovation and is perfect for those who require a versatile, portable camera filled with advanced yet easy-to-use creative technologies. Its high-resolution 3” articulating LCD features a new interface that makes it easy to access the effects you want from any angle.

PROFESSIONAL IMAGE QUALITY

12.3 MEGAPIXELS
The new 12.3 megapixel Live MOS sensor is optimized to maximize the performance of all m.Zuiko digital lenses in any shooting condition. Improvements to the sensitivity and read-out speed of the existing sensor makes ISO 12,800 shooting and Full HD movie recording possible.

STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE BODY, NOT toucIN THE LENSES
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!

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.

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.

BLAZING SPEED

WORLD’S FASTEST 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.

5 FPS SEQUENTIAL SHOOTING
With the E-PL3 you can take up to five photos a second, allowing you to easily capture that perfect shot, especially when your subject is moving.

ADVANCED CONTINUOUS AF & TRACKING With the improved AF system, the AF Tracking function locks your subject into focus and continuously adjusts focus and brightness even if the subject disappears from view momentarily.

ADVANCED CONTINUOUS AF & TRACKING
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.

CREATIVE FREEDOM

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 ADVANCED ART FILTERS
Six in-camera Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama and Dramatic Tone) are enhanced by new filter variations, art effects and bracketing. Photographers can use Art Filters in all shooting modes as well as filming HD movies.

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 resulting in an .MPO file, the universal industry 3D format, for easy display on 3D televisions or laptops.

IN-CAMERA SLIDESHOW WITH SOUND
Slideshows have never been easier or more fun to create. The E-PL3's enhanced playback functions allow you to employ effective fade-in/fade-out techniques, control the movie/still mix and speed, add captivating musical soundtracks, and much more.

EASE-OF-USE

NEW THREE-INCH TILTING WIDESCREEN LCD
This bright, 614k dot high-resolution screen comes with the AF (Anti-Fingerprint) coating. You don’t even need to worry about fingerprint smudges.

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-PL3 is also equipped with 23 Scene-Select modes for effortless picture taking, including 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.

UPDATED SCREEN DESIGN & LIVE GUIDE
The E-PL3’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.

Operating the camera is more intuitive with the newly designed user interface. The on-screen graphics have also been updated with a sleeker font design and an automatic pop-up guide in the menu screen.

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-PL3 is also capable of recording stills and video to SD, SDHC, SDXC and UHS-I media cards.

LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE

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

Product Description

The E-PL3 Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens gets you out and shooting from day one with both the camera body and the lens, not to mention, other useful accessories. Perhaps you're a die-hard Micro Four Thirds fan or you're simply looking for more versatility than a point-and-shoot can provide but without the weight of a DSLR rig. If either of these applies to you, you're in the right place.

This E-PL3 comes with an mZuiko MSC Digital ED m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens. You can start shooting from day one with everything you need to make great photos. Using the Micro Four Thirds Mount, however, you can add any of the compatible lenses to the E-PL3 to customize the camera for the shooting you plan to do. In addition to the included lens, the camera also comes with an external flash for low light photography and a host of other essential accessories.

FEATURES:

• Expandable System - A range of interchangeable lenses, accessories and strobes are compatible with the E-PL3 to support all different types of photography needs.
• Fast Shutter Response - Never miss a shot again with the E-PL3'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.
• Accessory Port - The E-PL3 incorporates a port for connecting accessories including flashes, PENPAL

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Camera for Walkabouts September 22, 2011

By BIGGSTR

Color Name:Black

The axiom that is so true: The best camera for you is the camera that is with you! Grew tired of backaches while hiking with my Nikon DSLR gear, which increasingly never left the house. Bought an Olympus XZ-1 as a camera that could always be with me ... and was so impressed with it that I wanted its "big brother" for better image quality when on walkabouts or hiking. The Olympus P-3 seemed a bit too much; the PM-1 seemed a bit too little; the PL-3 seemed just right (especially with the tilting screen). The form factor and menu navigation features of the XZ-1 and PL-3 are very similar. The XZ-1 is pocketable; the PL-3 is not due to the protruding lenses. Getting some of the best photos of my life with both the XZ-1 and the PL-3 ... because they are with me.

There is another side to this, and that is that people often appear uncomfortable around people taking photos with large DSLRs with large protruding lenses. I feel none of this discomfort using either the XZ-1 or the PL-3 in public places.

Exploring capabilities with the Olympus 14-42mm kit lens and the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens (have the new Panasonic "X" lenses and the Olympus 45mm lens on order). The Panasonic 20mm is incredible small, making the PL-3 feel and operate like a small rangefinder camera. The f/1.7 lens allows one to take natural light photos in places impossible with slower lenses. The Olympus 14-42mm kit lens appears to be of high quality, although it does have a plastic lens mount (please manufacturers ... charge us the extra cost and ban plastic lens mounts!).... The SLRgear website is an excellent place to compare lens quality with its graphs and metrics, and the Olympus kit lens fairs better than comparable lenses with metal mounts with respect to center and edge sharpness across the zoom spectrum.

On the downside, the PL-3 menu structure is difficult to navigate. One must do considerable research to become familiar with the options. Also, the LCD screen is excellent in all but bright sunlight. An Electronic Viewfinder (VF-2 or VF-3) is a necessity to do more than guess what you are photographing in bright sunlight. The add-on flash in the PL-3 kit is so small that it is only good for fill in or firing a larger flash such as the Olympus FL-36R via the RC flash capability. Wish that Olympus had something similar to the excellent Nikon SB-400 mini-flash for the Pen-series cameras. Finding it difficult to get the almost perfect bounce flash effect that the SB-400 provided in the FL-36R/add-on camera flash combination.

The movie quality in the PL-3 is excellent compared to my Nikon D5000 (in my experience "live view" in DSLRs tend to be a joke). The tilting LCD screen is proving especially handy for movies. As others have commented, the new Pen-series auto focus for movies tends to hunt but in my experience this happens only when when the subject is moving quickly or I fail to keep the camera steady (cameras belong on fluid-head tripods to take quality movies).

I've been a photo enthusiast since 1973 when one needed a SLR or medium-format camera to get acceptable image quality for 8x10 and 11x14 prints. I've followed and experienced the technology from film through the DSLRs to, now, the new ILCs. I'm amazed at the quality one can get from something the size of the PL-3! Read more ›

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars EPL3 Compact and powerful January 6, 2012

By Sheridan T

Color Name:Black

In 2005, my need was a camera which had no shutter lag to shoot pictures of my speedy daughters. I ended up with the Nikon D300. Beautiful shots which have been enlarged to 16x20. More recently the kids have grown, while the D300 still fills my photo needs, it would be great to have a video record of their violin and piano recitals. The tilt screen, HD video and small size drew me to the EPL3 which looked like it would fill my need perfectly. Unlike the D300, the EPL3 actually fits in my pants pocket. The quality of the video and the ease of copying the files to my computer drive really surprised me. My EPL3 came with the 14-42mmIIR lens, this combination truly blew me away after reviewing the pics I snapped of a Hawaiian sunset after a heavy rainstorm...breathtaking colors. I cheated a bit by using a 8x ND filter and my tripod. After lugging the D300 around for the past 6 years the EPL3 feels like a toy because of its compact size and weight. I have read the EP1 & EP2 are sluggish in the focus department, seems like with the EPL3 this is no longer an issue. Panasonic lens 20mm 1.7 and 14mm 2.5 seem to be fully compatible, both lens slipped on and were ready to shoot. Once this camera is in your hands you should be impressed by the seek look and quality feel. This camera delivers wonderful photos and video. The EPL3 is definitely not a toy.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect but good enough August 1, 2012

By matt1234

Color Name:Silver|Amazon Verified Purchase

Updated February 19, 2013:

2 things to mention.

1 - I recently got the Olympus FL-600R flash, which while bulky with this camera will allow you much better control over light. Also the FL-600R flash recharges very quick so you can quickly take multiple pictures using the flash as opposed to the kit flash which is slow. Definitely a recommended add on that will allow you much more flexibility in using the camera. I definitely find myself getting better pictures much quicker (especially indoors) with the FL-600R as compared to the kit flash (or just due to the kit flash being too slow using no flash).

2 - I still wish this camera would perform better at high ISO settings, like at 1600 (even 800+). I have a lot of night or low light pictures where flash is not desired but due to the camera sensor not dealing well with ISO 1600 these pictures tend to suffer (i.e. could not use adequate shutter speeds at ISO 1600 without underexposing too much). For the most part I am happy with the pictures I get but I still would very much like better ISO performance. I knew this when I bought this camera, but at least now there is the E-PL5 and OM-D which should both have more than adequate ability to deal with high ISO settings. Meanwhile I am holding off on upgrading, especially now that the new flash has helped improve things, but if buying now and deciding between the E-PL3 and the E-PL5 I would choose the 5 as the extra ISO capability will make the camera a more versatile performer with the kit lens and in low light.... One more thing about this, if I took a picture at night and want the effect of darkness to be noticeable, then by using a flash it kind of lights up the area too much making it look like daytime, whereas using high ISO can help capture the nighttime feeling but at the same time giving a sharp image with good color reproduction.

Original Review August 1, 2012:

I bought this camera about 1 month ago before going on vacation. In addition I bought the 20mm Panasonic Prime Lens, the 45mm Olympus Prime Lens, the 40-150mm Olympus Zoom Lens, and the VF-2 viewfinder. I had wanted to step up from my previous point and shoots (Panasonic Lumix Camera) as I was very disappointed with how they performed indoors and in low light situations. For well lit places any camera will get a decent picture so for me, who was not interested in pixel peeping, that was not the major concern.

After using the camera for a month my dislikes are as follows:

1 - Unless you switch to a prime lens in low light situations you are risking the ISO going to high for good pictures. The ISO on this camera should probably be limited to 400. I think you can get away with 800 ISO as well, but if you want to zoom or crop the noise will be noticeable already. If you want the micro 4/3 and are willing to spend a bit more the OM-D E-M5 is supposed to be much better at this. Alternatively the Sony NEX cameras have much better ISO performance, but my feeling was that the lenses on them are too large and make the camera too bulky for what I was looking for. For the most part the camera will perform fine even with the stock lens in low light situations, it just won't be perfect. It still is better than any point and shoot (maybe the new Sony RX-100 would perform better if you are only getting this with a stock lens). If you use the prime lenses then the low light performance is excellent, as the ISO will stay way down. The problem is that you have to busy switching lenses, but isn't that the point of ILC's?

2 - No grip on camera. You can buy aftermarket grips but holding this camera would have been greatly improved had the added a bump for gripping in the front.

3 - If you want to use A/S/M modes you have to be careful that you are changing the correct settings. I sometimes adjusted the exposure control when I was trying to adjust the Aperture. There is probably not much that could have been done to improve this as there is limited space for controls due to the small size.

What I like about this camera:

1 - Size! It is a fraction of the size of a DSLR. With the 20mm lens attached it is actually pocketable. With the stock lens you will not get it in a pocket, but that is what point and shoots are good for, but they lack the versatility and performance of this camera.

2 - Prime Lenses - With the prime lenses this camera really performs well. The one down-side to the sensor on this camera is it does not perform well at high ISO settings. With the prime lenses the ISO is kept down and the pictures are very clear, sharp, well colored, bright, etc. With the Oly 45mm Prime lens this camera is a super performer. I compared pictures taken on a safari ride where I took pictures of animals with this and with my old point and shoot. The pictures were taken during daylight. The pictures with the Oly 45mm Prime, came out so much sharper then the pics from the point and shoot. Even if the point and shoot could have zoomed much closer than the prime 45mm lens, since the pictures from the prime 45mm lens came out so much sharper, I could still crop and zoom them several times, which means I would get a much better result than a super zoom point and shoot. This is obviously talking about a picture where things are moving, a scenery shot where everything is still, this would be less apparent. However the telephoto lens for m4/3 will outperform a point and shoot.

3 - RAW shooting and full camera setting control - Although most shooting with this camera will be in auto mode, there are times when I want to customize the settings and I appreciate having the ability to do so. Also RAW shooting allows you to customize the results on the computer, better than any camera processor could do.

Final thoughts - If I had to make the decision today, I would still go for the m4/3 camera. To me it is the smallest format that allows for the versatility and performance that I wanted. Even a camera like the Sony RX-100 which is the best point and shoot out there, still is limited once you start zooming. The m4/3 allows you to have the zoom with high performance as well. All in all you can cover every photo situation in a good way. My only dilemma is whether I should have gone with the OM-D but overall I think I prefer this camera due to the small size. Read more ›

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Your Mileage May Vary April 3, 2013

By P. Perry

Color Name:White|Amazon Verified Purchase

To me, a camera's needs to succeed at producing a top quality Image first and foremost. If it fails to deliver in any way related to the final output of the camera, then it has a tough road ahead that is littered with other failed prospects. Ultimately, you can be the worst camera in the world functionally and deliver the best image out there and I'll rate the camera highly because, in the end, it's all about the image!

LOOKS AND BUILD QUALITY

The Olympus E-PL3 is a solid little body but, it is constructed from Polycarbonate (High Impact Plastic) so, it isn't as solid as some of the other bodies that it competes against but, it isn't bad either.

The styling is very nice and clearly shows that it's roots are halfway between the point and shoot crowd and halfway between the SLR crowd.

I have two issues here, how slick the body is, and with no grip on the camera, I'm a little nervous about dropping it when I have it out and about. The other issue is the fact that the AF Assist light is right where your left index finger might be while holding the camera and this interferes with the focusing in lower light situations.

MENUING SYSTEM

One area that seems too complex is the menu system. Each menu is fine on its own but, it seems as though more than half of the buttons on the body launch a different menu! I'm really baffled by this design as there's no rhyme or reason to some of them and some are turned off by default so they need to be activated for you to see many key features and fortunately, in the tip below I tell you how to do it....

My tip here is that you press Menu, select the Wrench, select Display Menu and activate the one that looks like two gears as this is activates the Custom Menu on the Main Menu Screen and here the ability to adjust the camera to your settings really comes alive!

METERING

Well, this is a big flaw in this camera, checking spot metering seems to show a Meter that is well calibrated and yet, their algorithms for Matrix Metering seem to heavily favor under exposure and that increases noise. Center Weighted will also favor under exposure to a lesser degree and it is almost as though the metered circle isn't the proper size. The good news is that, Olympus provided a fix for this and you can enable it using the tip below.

In the hidden custom menu (we turned this on earlier), you can tweak the exposure bias for each metering mode so, once you figure out where you want it to be, just set it and forget it.

AF SYSTEM

The AF System is very fast for this type of camera and I have to say that Olympus really stepped up here given the fact that the earlier bodies were known for having slow AF. Accuracy also seems to be fairly good so, no real issues with the focusing at all.

IMAGE STABILIZATION

I've used just about every image stabilization system around and honestly, I am not impressed with the Olympus Sensor Shift. Some reviews suggest it only works between 1/30th and 1/8th of a second and going outside that range will either not reduce blur or will actually increase the chances that blur will exist (above 1/30th or on a tripod mount). To say the least, don't buy this camera for this feature because, there are much better options.

I also found out the IS system uses the Auto-ISO as a crutch and if you attempt to stabilize the camera with a fixed ISO, it is going to create problems for you. I discovered this when I found the custom menu and set the camera's Auto ISO Max to 800 and turned the ISO back on. Next thing you know, 1/10 shutter speeds were producing sharp images, sure enough, looking at the ISO should it was toeing the max ISO I had set.

One more tip to help you get the most out of your camera, set the Anti-Shock to 1/4 when shooting at slower shutter speeds (under 1/50) as this will allow any excess movement from the internals to pressing the shutter release, to reside before releasing the shutter (Obviously this isn't good for moving objects but, neither is IS unless it features a panning mode and both should function exactly the same for that purpose.

AESTHETICS

The best things about this camera are the color and white balance reproduction. There's a certain look to Olympus photos that are really hard for others to replicate. Canon images are too yellow, Nikon's are too Red, Sony's are just plain bland (high quality but nothing special for color) and yet, Olympus just seems to pull off the perfect balance of the bunch.

If you're looking for a reason to buy this camera, this is the best reason going for it!

IMAGE QUALITY

This is somewhat of a Mixed Bag... If you are careful and babysit the metering, or learn the camera and adjust the bias, you'll get awesome results right up to ISO 1600 but, if you don't watch it, you just might find some of the worst High ISO images you've seen in this class.

With that said, I've gotten some really nice images and I only have the kit lens so the camera is more than capable of delivering on the image quality and the better, and brighter, the lens, the less of an issue High ISO becomes.

I recommend Shooting with Natural Mode, Sharpening to -1, and Noise Reduction to Low.

CONCLUSION

I started this review after spending just a few hours with the camera and I was sure, I hated the body. As I continued writing the review and shooting with it, I started to figure it out a bit more and have found that it is capable if you work within its limitations.

Overall, I like the camera because I like the Image Quality but, I cannot fathom how throwing a metering system that has to be babysat, putting the workaround in a hidden menu, and a menu system that is a bit of a mystery, into a body aimed at beginners makes any sense at all. If you're new to this level of Photography, you're either going to leave the body in IAuto or you're going to return it out of frustration.

Would I recommend this body? If you have some understanding about metering or, you like to tinker and want to make the camera your own then yes, I would. If you're the type of person that thinks cameras take nice pictures, then you should probably look elsewhere because, you're about to found out just how hard taking those nice pictures can be so, read through the review and adjust the camera based on the tips I've provided. Read more ›