Olympus Pen E-PM1 review

Given the lack of a mode dial, the menu system provides instant access to the various exposure modes, there’s no touchscreen either, as on the NEX-5N. The settings menu is bewilderingly bare at first glance, however, we eventually found a rather obscure setting that gives you access to the full menu. From here you can assign a wide range of controls to various buttons, or to the dial, making the E-PM1 a usable camera for any shooting style, as long as you don’t change modes for every shot.

There are few buttons, but you can customise their uses if you delve deep into the menu system

The screen itself follows the current trend for widescreen designs, so video fits but photos only take up the centre of the screen – although the black bars down either side make it easy to read the icons that would otherwise sit over the image. Unlike its E-PL3 sibling, this screen doesn’t tilt, making it guesswork to compose shots while holding the camera above your head. It’s not the best screen either, not as sharp as that on the NEX-5N and a little smeary when it comes to fast motion.

We’d have liked a mode dial, but with the E-PL3 having one, it’s hard to complain of its absence here

Previous Pens were plagued by poor performance and sluggish autofocus – which struggled in low light – but this has now all changed. The new image processor is a massive improvement, with the camera going from off to taking a photo in just 0.9 seconds, with subsequent shots following at 0.6 second intervals. The autofocus is now startling quick, especially with the new kit lens, routinely outpacing the NEX-5N. It’s far better in low-light too, with an AF-assist lamp giving sharp shots in conditions that would have defeated older Pens.

Noise reduction isn’t laid on too thickly at fast ISO speeds, and image quality holds together well – click enlarge

Speaking of low-light, there was impressively little noise from the sensor at higher ISO settings. Our tests showed that the sensor was superior in this respect to the GF3 and the Nikon 1 J1, though it couldn’t stand up against the superb NEX-5N. Image stabilisation was also a little disappointing, with less than half as many steady shots at full zoom compared to the NEX-5N.

All that said, the results are impressive overall. Photos were filled with detail, focus was sharp and automatic exposures were well chosen. There’s little noise reduction, so you get plenty of detail in your shots too. The results may be a little vivid for some, with boosted contrast and digital sharpening, but you can always play around in the menu if this isn’t to your taste.