Olympus PEN E-P3 - Best PEN Friend Yet (Updated!)

Updated: We've obtained a retail retail version of the Olympus PEN E-P3, and have upgraded our former preview article (on 30th June) to a full fledged review. Building on our earlier article, we've added an Image Performance review page, as well as Sample Photographs and a brand new Conclusion.

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix G1 may have been the first Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera to launch, but there's no doubt Olympus' first MFT camera, the PEN E-P1, was the one which caused a huge sensation when it was released in mid-2009. With its gorgeous, retrospective silver metal body, it had many aspiring owners at hello - and who could forget the stunning slow-motion commercial which accompanied its launch?

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The E-P1 was quickly followed by its successor the E-P2, a scant five months later in late 2009. It offered minimal upgrades at a higher price, so wasn't likely to give E-P1 early adopters buyers' remorse, but it was a curious decision Olympus made to update a flagship camera that quickly. Even curiouser, after the E-P2 was launched, the PEN E-P series then went completely dark for more than an entire year.

The PEN Goes Dark in 2010

To be sure, there was one new PEN model in 2010, the PEN E-PL1 which was released early in the year. It was a toned down, more affordable version of the E-P cameras (the E-PL1 did come with something the E-P cameras didn't; an in-built flash), and it was the only PEN highlight of the year. An E-PL1s was released in late 2010, but it was basically an E-PL1 with a new lens and higher capacity battery. Then there was the E-P2 Special Black Flash limited edition, also released in late 2010, but that was just a black E-P2 with a black FL-14 flash attachment, and a lens cap embossed with the F logo from the 1963 Olympus Pen F.

While Olympus was rehashing its old MFT cameras, the same year saw Panasonic launch four brand new Micro Four Thirds camera bodies, Samsung release four NX camera bodies and Sony introduce the NEX E-mount with two camera bodies. We heard from a local representative that Olympus was doubling down their efforts on Micro Four Thirds, but we had our doubts when 2010 came and went with hardly any news about any new PEN models.

Making a Comeback in 2011

After a year and a half, it looks like 2011 is the year the PEN makes its comeback. The E-PL2 was released earlier this year, and now Olympus has announced three brand new models scheduled for the later half of 2011. They've created not just a successor to the E-PL2 with the E-PL3, now called the PEN Lite, they've also created an even smaller Micro Four Thirds camera - the smallest MFT camera we've seen yet - the PEN E-PM1, or the PEN Mini. 

The EP series also gets an upgrade after one and a half years. The Olympus PEN E-P3 looks similar to its predecessors, but there are some changes to the controls layout and more changes under the hood, including a faster AF system, new TruePic VI image engine and sensitivity up to ISO12800. We've managed to score an early look with a pre-production E-P3, enough to gain some early first thoughts on Olympus' new flagship Micro Four Thirds model.

Design & Handling

Outwardly, the Olympus PEN E-P3 doesn't look dissimilar to the E-P2 and E-P1, but there are changes to the overall design and control placement. The E-P3 looks to us like the sleekest of the E-P cameras, being more rectangular than its predecessors, making them look almost squat in comparison. The edges look straighter and adds a modern finish to its vintage look (if that makes sense). The silver metal version looks out of this world, and not only adds to its retrospective appeal but makes it look like a premium collector's item.

As for the physical controls, whereas Panasonic's equivalent of the E-P series, the GF cameras, have become more consumer-centric with its major control dials removed, the E-P3 retains its appeal to the enthusiast by keeping them, and refining their placement in the process. 

Getting Flash at Last

The E-P series finally gets an in-built flash. It doesn't pop up as much as snap quickly to attention with a solid thunk at the end. Not only does the E-P3 gain a flash, its intensity can also be dialed up and down in the menu. Now that a flash occupies the left side of the top plate, the Mode dial shifts over to the right and is raised instead of recessed. It's not raised by much though, and only gives you a thin silver to grab on to. Where the exposure button used to be is now a programmable Function button, right beside the shutter release.

The PEN Gets a New Touch & OLED Screen

The E-P3 is the first and only PEN to get a touch-screen, in contrast to Panasonic's MFT line-up, which have five touch-screen models. The main benefit of having a touch-screen is a more intuitive way to determine AF (Auto-Focus) points. There are two touch AF modes available, when you first switch on your E-P3 touch focus is off by default.

You have to tap the crossed-out hand icon on the bottom left of the screen to go to the first touch and shoot option. In this mode, you simply tap on your subject and the camera focuses on it, then shoots. On a side-note, and not just about the E-P3, we've always felt uncomfortable with touch-screen cameras that shoot the moment they're tapped; the action feels too fast and prone to camera shake. We prefer touch-screen cameras which focus on tap, and shoot when the finger is lifted; the timing feels just right and the camera is less prone to shake.

Tap the bottom left icon again and you get to the second touch AF option; AF Tracking. Tap on your subject, and the camera will track its movements so that it'll always stay in focus, and the shot will be taken only when you tap the shutter release.

Like the Panasonic touch-screen cameras, the best thing about the touch controls on the PEN E-P3 is that they're complementary and not compulsory. In fact, in sharp contrast with the lack of physical controls on the GF2 and GF3, you can argue that the touch-screen on the E-P3 is even more complementary than on the latest GF cameras, which rely on the touch-screen to do things like change exposure modes, something you do with the physical Mode dial on the E-P3.

Besides touch, the E-P3's screen resolution has been substantially improved. From the E-P2's 230k dots LCD screen to a high 640k dot OLED display. The new screen is simply gorgeous, previews show up bright, colorful and beautifully detailed.

Auto-Focus by Area

The E-P3 gains a new AF area option, which is to concentrate focus on specific areas of the frame (a similar option can be found on Canon's 7D DSLR camera). It's a useful option to have, but to turn it on you have to go inside the menu, which means it takes too much time to activate and too much time to change areas. To select specific AF points, press the left direction on the d-pad and you can then select an AF point quickly and easily with the d-pad or scroll-wheel.

Wireless Flash Shooting

Something that's gotten us mighty excited is this item tucked away in the menu; the ability to shoot with a wireless flash directly without the need for an external commander. We're told that this new feature will pair with Olympus' brand new, compact FL-300R flash attachment, and that it'll be possible to control multiple wireless flashes, though TTL modes will only be supported with Olympus flashes. It's amazing to think that you can get a wireless flash system with these two small devices - even Panasonic's flagship MFT camera the GH2 doesn't support wireless flash out of the box.

Customizable Grips

The E-P3's grip is now removable, which makes the front surface flat and looking like the Olympus XZ-1. We prefer the camera with the grip attached, it's far more comfortable, and even larger grips than the standard grips will be available (very useful when attaching long lenses to the camera). Olympus will be making grips with different designs, so you can customize the look of your E-P3.

Brand New Interface

Also noteworthy is the fact that Olympus has finally redesigned their menu, no longer is it the garish and primitive yellow-dominated UI of their previous PEN cameras. Instead, we have a brand new blue and much more modern looking interface, with pop-up help describing each menu item for the first-time user. The control panel overlay, which lets you select and adjust essential settings, has also been given a face-lift.

Updated: The following pages were newly added in this updated article based on the retail edition of the Olympus PEN E-P3 that we spent time testing recently.

Image Performance

When Olympus said it overhauled its AF system for the E-P3 they weren't kidding. Olympus claims that the E-P3's AF focuses nearly three times faster than before, and we can confirm that it's a lot more accurate than it used to be as well. Out of the box, this is a camera you can trust to focus quickly and help you get the shot.

Face detection has been added, and to a finer degree you can even set the AF to focus specifically on the eyes (both, left or right), an important distinction when you shoot at wide apertures. But its accuracy still needs a little work, as it seems to have some trouble finding faces at times.

While the improved AF system is enough reason for us to recommend the E-P3 over the older E-P models, there are certain caveats when it comes to image quality. The E-P3 gets a good resolution of 1800 x 1600LPH (vertical and horizontal) on our resolution charts, and images look beautifully clear and defined. Colors are reproduced beautifully, and the dynamic range looks like it's been boosted. Images stay clean until ISO800, but noise and smudging of detail is visible at ISO1600, and shooting at settings above ISO3200 can't be recommended.

It's unfortunate that while Olympus has made leaps and bounds in their AF technology, they haven't managed to break the same barriers in image noise that we saw happen with the Panasonic G3. If it matters to you, the E-P3 shoots 'only' at 12MP, but we're glad that Olympus hasn't joined in on the megapixel war and 12MP is just fine with us.

A second caveat comes in when shooting on iAuto mode; the E-P3 sure likes those colors bright and vivid. When in other manual modes, you can set the color mode to Natural for a more neutral look, but in iAuto the camera likes to punch up the colors using Vivid or i-Enhance mode to shoot. You can change color saturation using an overlay menu but it's just a quirk we couldn't get used to. The camera also tends to underexpose, favoring the highlights in high contrast lighting situations.

 

Sample Photographs

These are sample photographs shot with the Olympus PEN E-P3. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images.

Conclusion

It's safe to say that the E-P3 is the best E-P yet. It retains its good looks, and comes with an AF system that's faster and more dependable than before. The physical controls haven't been compromised, the touch-screen adds another optional layer of control, and with more than double the pixels the OLED display is stunning. It finally comes with a built-in flash; you have immediate access to AF points and important controls via a convenient overlay menu.

As you can tell, there's so much we love about this camera that the Micro Four Thirds ISO ceiling of ISO1600 hits hard. It's not that ISO1600 is horrible per se, it just could have been better; especially seeing how much better the rest of the camera has been made. We wish that Olympus could have made ISO1600 cleaner than it is – but we'd also say that image noise acceptance is as subjective as color saturation. If shooting at higher ISO isn't as important to you, or you find that ISO1600 on the E-P3 is perfectly fine, then you'll find the E-P3 one of the best mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras ever yet made, not to mention it's still one of the most beautifully-designed cameras you can find today.

Olympus PEN vs. Panasonic GF

The PEN E-P3 also provides an interesting counterpoint to its closest counterpart in the Micro Four Thirds world; the Panasonic GF2 and GF3 cameras. The GF1 was similar in idea and design to the E-P3, with its physical controls the GF1 was an ideal bridge camera for enthusiasts and beginners alike. But the GF2 took away the physical mode dial, and the GF3 has slimmed down and simplified so considerably that the GF2 & 3 veer much more towards the beginning user who's looking for a compact camera upgrade, rather than an enthusiast looking for a DSLR downgrade.

The E-P3 on the other hand, maintains its focus on the enthusiast, while leaving its smaller brothers the PEN Lite and Mini for the beginning interchangeable-lens user. While Panasonic has said that they plan to release a GF camera which stays true to the GF1 roots within the year, the final product remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the E-P3 represents the best, compact EVF-less Micro Four Thirds camera for the enthusiast who wants all controls on hand.

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