Full Olympus E-PL3 review at Dpreview
Dpreview (Click here) posted the complete Olympus E-PL3 review. So what they think after the 22 pages of testing? With an overall score of 73% the camera earns a respectable Silver Award: “We find the PEN Lite to be a well-thought out attempt to lure compact-camera upgraders to both higher image quality and the opportunity to explore manual controls while providing a day to day handling experience that will be far from intimidating.”
For me the real question is why Olympus didn’t simply make one camera instead of splitting it into two, the E-PL3 and E-P3. Hmmm…
Those are the search shop links to all three new PEN cameras. Click on it to check price and availability:
Olympus E-P3 Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Olympus E-PL3 Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Olympus E-PM1 Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
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Recent comments
Comment from roger: yes, i have seen the screen on both, but...
Comment from Scot: Have you ever seen the screen on the EPL...- Comment from Scot: Well we agree and don't agree because th...
Comment from Don Carrot: it's understandable that the customers a...
www.MilosJanata.com
9 months ago |“why Olympus didn’t simply make one camera instead of splitting it into two, the E-PL3 and E-P3. Hmmm…”
To spend the saved money from sensor division?
To collect two silver awards instead of one gold?
LOL, I don’t know, maybe a private chat with some dismissed employee could reveal what is going on there
YouDidntDidYou
9 months ago |@MilosJanata.com
you must work for Sony, the company that just launched the NEX 5n with over heating issues and loose parts that you can hear moving about when recording video??? No silver awards there then…
www.MilosJanata.com
9 months ago |Yeah I know, but it can be a master plan too :]
They release the best mirror less early at very low price just to win all awards, but they don’t have sufficient numbers in stock… so they decide to
include the “click glitch” to turn away customers from early purchase.
When they have enough NEX5-N in stock they fix the glitch with firmware.
Am I biased ?
WT21
9 months ago |Sounds like a winning product strategy to me. Convince people not to buy your product because of issues, and that (somehow) leads to market leading sales!
lorenzino
9 months ago |Oh, I love economy so much
Martin
9 months ago |IMO Olympus are still testing the market, no other explanation occurrs to me. They throw an array of camera variations to customers and observe their reaction, trying to figure out what features people value most.
Anyway, it’s not probably the best way of competing with other manufacturers.
WT21
9 months ago |If this is true, then Oly was testing the market with their DSLRs, too. This looks just like Oly’s E-XXX strategy. I think this is just how they operate.
lorenzino
9 months ago |Testing the market for three years, while all other producers actually produce a strategy, does not sound right to me…
Nick Clark
9 months ago |I like the look of the EPL3 and will probably get it as a compact backup for my GH2.
One rant though, not just about the L3 but most post-HDV cameras – please give us back ‘native’ stills LCD’s. 16:9 is a horrible aspect ratio and 4:3 cropped from a 3″ 16:9 is tiny :/ The screen on my GH2 is no better than the E-3 ffs…
Please, give us 4:3 screens and crop for video, not for stills…
Henrik
9 months ago |Not sure if 4:3 screens are better. I like it that they display camera data on the black borders instead of over the image. According to the DPR photos, the E-PL3 shows camera data equally on the left and right black margin, so when composing in live view, you see more of what matters (the image).
I would even prefer Oly to move the 4:3 image on their 16:9 screen fully to the left. So that you have *one* big black margin on the right side where you could show select camera data in bigger size.
Esa Tuunanen
9 months ago |This hyping of 16:9 everywhere is usual marketing scamming of selling less as more practised by corporations: For same selling size (diagonal) 16:9 gives you less actual area.
That’s why GH2 gives you 16MP picture in 4:3 aspect ratio, 15.1MP at 3:2 and 14MP at 16:9.
And when they keep shrinking body size this low but fat screen eats more space from buttons.
WT21
9 months ago |It might also be that the 16:9 aspect ratio LCD for that form factor is the only one available or is a relatively inexpensive one. Oly doesn’t make their own LCDs, so it likely depends on what Samsung, Sony or whoever they are sourcing from, is making on the cheap.
Simon
9 months ago |+1
I’ve tried the E-PL3 in a store – and yes, for stills the screen feels like it’s a 5 years old camera. I’d be finde with a 3:2 screen to show some control icons on the side, but please not 16:9…
steve
9 months ago |They made 3 cameras – don’t forget the E-PM1 – and it is to allow them to appeal to different price bands, just as any large company has more than one brand to appeal to different segments, e.g Toyota and Lexus.
I like 16:9 screens as I almost never print anymore and mostly view photos on a 42″ hdtv or 14″ notebook, which are both 16:9 of course, so I often shoot in 16:9 now too. Not exclusively, but often enough that I see no need to whine about different aspect ratios.
Esa Tuunanen
9 months ago |16:9 is one of the most stupidest inventions (even worser than Twisted Nematic LCD matrix) for computer monitors and plain devolution of usefullness.
For example 24″ 16:9 monitor’s size is actually nearly same as that of 22″ 16:10 in more important direction which is vertical. And in laptops vertically just acceptable 1680×1050 resolution was replaced by f’ed up 1600×900 low screen while still resulting laptop size bloat.
shade
9 months ago |No resolution issues here with my 27″ 2560×1440 (16:9).
om-4
9 months ago |That image of the PL3 just looks like a phone is dangling from the back, lol.
It won’t be long b4 Apple decides to bring out a camera where you can slot in your Ipod/Iphone.
WT21
9 months ago |It will be a long, long time. Apple defines new spaces. They don’t chase old ones.
lorenzino
9 months ago |But that would not be a bad idea at all. Apple dominates the computer niche dedicated to image makers (with the mac products). Imagine a camera-phone with a decent sensor able to immediately interact with the programs on your mac… or something like that…
It would not be that bad, after all…
maitani
9 months ago |i’ve handled the e-pl3 in a store and i have to say i prefer it even to the e-p3, nice camera (imo the best of the latest olympus announcements…)
two absolute no goes for me are the missing ‘orientation sensor’ a 1$ gimmick which is in every cellphone nowdays… and the odd screen..
otherwise a pocketable camera esp. great with the 17mm pancake..
the AF with the new kit lenses is really impressive too tracking works..
still puzzling for me is the sub-par sensor.. in the store i’ve seen in the nex5n went for the same price, also the shopmanager tried to sell me the nex, while i was fiddling with the e-pl3, i said no thanks, my next mirrorless i a GXR ricoh with A12 module…
bye
Victor
9 months ago |“We find the noise reduction to be overly aggressive even at lower ISOs.This problem is solved by adjusting both noise reduction and sharpening to taste, but these steps may be a bit beyond the level of user for whom a camera of this type may be intended.”
So, this camera is made for blondes only.
shade
9 months ago |I think the reason for different models (E-PM1, E-PL3, E-P3) is quite comprehensive.
E-P3: Put in everything they have right now (unfortunately, a new sensor is not part of “what they have right now”).
E-PL3: Probably remove the expensive components of the E-P3, i.e. the good touch-screen, probably the built-in flash is also much more expensive then the cheap clip-on one. But they leave the PASM-Dial to keep the people attracted that are interested HOW the picture gets from the lens to the memory card.
E-PM1: Classical consumer product. Tiny, sleek, clean design, Priority on point-and-shoot over manual control, for users who don’t care how the image gets from the lens to the memory card. Still, the advantage of the bigger sensor over P&S cams, plus it’s easy to even tell novices the use of different lenses (use “big lens” for your kid playing soccer, “small lens” for you birthday party indoor).
Martin
9 months ago |E-P3: Put in everything they have right now..
Well, not really. What about the tilting display? That feature would be especially useful with the touchscreen. What about the slower frame rate? These ‘omissions’ are illogical to say the least.
Bryan Brunton
9 months ago |They redesigned the body of the E-PL3.
The E-P3 body is actually a hold over from the E-P2. So they saved costs and sped the product to market by not redesigning the E-P3 body.
Redesigning the body from the ground up for a camera body is time consuming and expensive.
WT21
9 months ago |As Bryan said below. Also, the shutter for the EPL was redesigned, so they sped it up. They did not, however, redesign the shutter for the EP3.
Martin
9 months ago |Alright, this does make sense – it’s about cost cutting. Now let’s hope that strategy won’t last long, since it limits the competitiveness of their products.
When I saw the 3 new PENs, I said to myself, which one would I prefer, E-P3 or E-PL3? Their mix, obviously! A camera like that would possibly make me pay the premium price they ask for the E-P3. But guess what, I ended up buying the GH2 – much better value for my money. (What I really miss though, is the JPG engine of the Olympus cameras, which I am used to. Well, nothing is perfect.)
Scot
9 months ago |Just saw the EPL-3 in Best Buy today the 16×9 screen on the back now presents a smaller image view with less resolution. So they dropped the flash and screwed up the screen from the EPL-2. Why couldn’t they just leave the EPL-2 basic design alone and speed up the focus. As is as much as I wanted to upgrade to an Olympus my money will go for a new GH2 instead. I look forward to the next generation maybe the features of the fabled pro version to come will resonate better with me.
Scot
9 months ago |Woops actually was EPM-1 but same screen without the tilt so my comments still valid. Just got a bargain on a GH2 so I’ll quietly wait for the next wave of new cameras.
Martin
9 months ago |You and me are on the same boat, obviously.
Will
9 months ago |The E-P3 is the flagship 3rd generation model with all the trimmings.
Where the E-PL3 comes into play is when you realise it can be used in an underwater housing. The E-P3, with it’s OLED touch screen, cannot. This continues the underwater legacy from the E-PL1 and E-PL2.
The E-PM1, despite also having an underwater housing, is simpler than the other two and lends itself more to a point-and-shoot crowd.
Scot
9 months ago |Well we agree and don’t agree because the underwater housing was very important to me but also the pop up flash and EVF. I use that wink of light to often on my EPL-1 and a VF-3 together to give either up. So a uncastrated EPL-3 would have been perfect. I would have paid the EP-3 premium as a better continuation to the EPL-1-2 if it had an underwater housing. Oh and by the way tilty screen also useless in underwater housing so the lack of functionality to one feature hardly justifies not offering it.
roger
9 months ago |I can’t believe with all the favorable user reports this website links to (such as Steve Huff) who love these cameras, people still get hung up on details… no orientation filter is a deal breaker?? seriously? and the screen is no better than a 5 year old camera… uh, I still have a Canon 30d, which is basically a 5 year old camera, and the E-PL3′s screen blows it away in color and quality. Do you people even own cameras at all? get off the computer right now, and go take some pictures please.
Scot
9 months ago |Have you ever seen the screen on the EPL-2. Than look at the EPL-3 it is noticeably smaller image with less resolution because of it. I guess if that’s ok for you fine but once you have had better it’s always hard to take a step back. For me personally the EPL-3 is a disappointment. I was looking forward to it having resisted the allure of the EPL-2. Sorry if that is so hard to understand.
roger
9 months ago |yes, i have seen the screen on both, but I personally don’t use the screen for anything more than a quick check the sharpness. I rarely pass the camera to anyone to show them the picture. the straight picture from the camera is not a finished product 95% of the time anyway… why stress over it. Having shot film for 20 years prior to owning a digital camera it’s a non issue for me. I don’t have the E-PL3 yet, but from the looks of it the focus speed is faster and the image quality is better. good enough for me.
Don Carrot
9 months ago |it’s understandable that the customers are not happy with olympus, why should they, olympus crowd is (and was) mainly busy with waiting for the real thing for the last couple of years.. the camera everybody wants is basically a MIX between E-PL3 and E-P3 with a UP TO DATE SENSOR with low noise and high dynamic range and a built in viewfinder, and a big swivel display, how difficult is that to get? they could even command premium for such a camera i would pay it, anybody would, but olympus is not listening why does olympus has to castrate any of their new releases just enough to NOT be interesting? (one has video AF tracking the other not, one has a built in flash the other not, one has oled screen, the other not, one has touchscreen the other not, one has orientation sensor, the other not, one shoots 5.5 fps, the other not… puzzling!
reality is:
sony pulls away they got it pretty right with the nex7, oly blew all the time-advantage they had, nikon just shot in the left foot too, what a ridiculous approach, but they will sell anyway.. samsung will sell well mainly in corea, canon being last to the party could be the huge winner in the mirrorless camp, if they release a camera think of a G12 build/designquality with very small and big aperture interchangeble lenses
they have room to study now… heck even exotic approaches like ricohs GXR start to make more sense at a close look, than anything else on the market