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Nick Kirschenmann photo
1 Level
1282 Review
35 Karma

Review on πŸ“· Olympus PEN E-PM1 12.3MP Camera with CMOS Sensor, 3-inch LCD & 14-42mm II Lens (Black) - Improved SEO by Nick Kirschenmann

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great shot in a small body

I really like this camera. Autofocus and shutter response are very quick, colors are excellent, and after a little tweaking and getting used to the occasional buttons and wheels, most of the settings you use frequently are within easy reach. an advantage that makes it very easy to take it with you wherever you go. To top it off, it only takes about two seconds from cold/off to on and ready to fire. I have larger-than-average hands (without a lens I can almost hide the body itself in my hand), and while I wish there was some sort of snap-grip, I don't feel uncomfortable shooting with it. The downside is low-light performance, especially at higher ISOs - expect noise above 1000. Also, autofocus speed suffers a lot, even when he turns on the red LED as a kind of flashlight to find something to focus on. I haven't had a chance to play with the detachable flash, but at first glance it works pretty much like any point and shoot flash. I know you can set it up from the camera settings menu, but I haven't played with that yet. I've recorded a few short videos in 1080p and it works well, although it's more of an afterthought. There aren't many options, and a small built-in microphone is better than a cell phone and not as good as a cheap camcorder, especially when there's wind or background noise. a camera you can carry around and take great pictures most of the time. The 4/3 form factor is becoming more popular and there are loads of lenses and accessories for this camera so for the price you could do better but I don't see how. If I could, I'd probably rate it 4.5 stars for low-light performance and standard video capture, but the overall score is high enough that I can easily round it up.

Pros
  • Camera and photo
Cons
  • Slightly torn