Very first Olympus E-PL3 review at DSLRmagazine
Image courtesy: DSLRmagazine
Once again DSLRmagazine (Click here to read the google english translation) is the very first website to post an Olympus product review. This time they tested the Olympus E-PL3. In short:
- it has very favorable balance between physical dimensions and overall performance.
- Although the folding screens are nothing new to the E-PL3 gives a remarkable charisma.
- they miss an enhanced grip.
- The final opinion is that the E-PL3 deserve a great success of acceptance and sales. In fact, we seem to be technologically more advanced than the E-P3, despite the OLED display and most complete control of it, it simply inherits the E-P2.
The tester Valentin Sama did highlight one particular problem (google translation): “why provide an index of ISO 12,800 if you have no sense to use given the poor quality it offers? A little common sense, please. Each system has its limitations and it has been demonstrated that trying to cover an APS-C sensor with a 16 mm compact is foolhardy, just will recognize that the Micro Four Thirds System offers a compromise between optical quality (image) and weight , volume and price are unbeatable, but for now, with current sensors, providing EI values over 3,200, with picture quality seems just a pipe dream. And why pretend otherwise if the rest is superb?”
Yeah, that’s the power of marketing!
E-PL3 are only available at Amazon Deutschland (CLick here), Digitalrev (Click here) and notfying service at BHphoto (Click here).
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Recent comments
Comment from Mr. Reeee: I wear reading glasses, too but manual f...
Comment from cL: Very valid point. Most non-techy people...- Comment from cL: Yes, it looks pretty good. That's the P...
- Comment from cL: Actually even with Canon 7D, the best IS...
Rachnaroch
10 months ago |I was going to give you a better translation of the text since spanish is my main language, but I think I’ll pass after seeing that you didn’t link to the article BUT to the Google Translate page instead (and twice no less!), which from a webmaster point of view -that’s how I earn the food for my family- is a very ugly practice since it prevents linked sites to enjoy a well deserved PR or bot exposure.
Other than that, I agree this camera deserves success.
Beomagi
10 months ago |Well, that really sounds like more of an issue with google translate. I’m sure the Admin was simply trying to make it easier for the majority of his site’s visitors to view the page.
I am a little confused by what they mean by the shutter behaving differently.
don knizi
10 months ago |Other than any (including the E-P3) PEN the shutter will fully close and reopen on power on
John Krumm
10 months ago |That’s interesting. I think it’s a new shutter design that also allows the 5.5 fps (without IS).
admin
10 months ago |Spanish is also one of my languages. Read on top. With one click you can switch back to spanish!!! Fácil o no?
Anonymous
10 months ago |Claro que si. My mothertongue still remains german as yours. Gut erholt aus dem Urlaub – warst ja trotzdem fleissig…
Bu
10 months ago |A link to any website in another language would simply be annoying, I’d go there copy and paste the address into a translation page, that’s two steps. This way I click once and I see the translation easily… Kudos to you for the review! And kudos to the Admin here for making my experience of reading the website a single one click experience
ronnbot
10 months ago |The problem is that there is no direct link from this page to the original article on the other site. This doesn’t help the other site’s/article’s owner/creator in terms of in-bound links, SEO, and so on. Also, it isn’t just English speaking users following these links, but also crawlers/bots and non-English speaking users.
At any rate, two links should be provided: one to the translated page for convenience, the other to the original for the benefit of the other site and for people who want to see the article in its original form (first).
For example, the first line could have been, “Once again DSLRmagazine (English translation) is the very first website…”; the text ‘DSLRmagazine’ is a link to the original article, and the text ‘English translation’ to the translated page.
That said, I like other readers here do appreciate the link to the translated pages.
don knizi
10 months ago |Intresting that the in-built E-P3 flash offers better coverage at the wide angle than the new accessory flash on the E-PL3
And also do they report better focus speed on the 17mm opposed to previous PEN models, although many here still hope for an optically improved version. The authors believe due to its diminutive size small pancakes would be the most natural lens selection.
Steve-O
10 months ago |The VF-2 looks pretty silly mounted on this diminutive body, kind of like some giant bug chomping down on it
. Sounds like the VF-3 is about the same size, so no better. A shame, such an elegant body deserves an EVF designed to fit its form, even if resolution comes down a bit, as should price.
Tim
10 months ago |No handgrip, no flash, no style equals NO SALE!
Maybe they’ll finally get it right on the E-PL4.
infinity jr.
10 months ago |I can live without the grip. (aftermarket grips will surely come).
I can live without the built-in flash, although it was senseless to remove grip and flash from the E-PL2, just to become an NEX-clone.
But… no tilt AND swivel screen, no sale! FAR more versatile than tilt only, and only slightly more bulky.
NO, I don’t want a Panny faux-SLR type.
Nick
10 months ago |Interesting and valid comments about stated iso, although this isn’t an Olympus thing, or even a Micro Four Thirds thing… Every brand on the market at the moment publishes ‘maximum’ iso values about 2 stops past what you can actually use…
cL
10 months ago |Actually even with Canon 7D, the best ISO you can use is still ISO 800. Yes, that’s the power of marketing…. Companies just put outrageous numbers on their cameras, only to find it out it is not usable after they already made the purchase. In any case, if you can’t shoot something with ISO 800, and you don’t want to use a tripod, then don’t bother to shoot that scene. It’s probably too dark for any usable photos (it’s not just noise, but loss of detail and color rendition probably would be awful). Only a tripod can save that kind of situation.
The other option is flash…. Though I don’t use flash myself. Ugly lighting is better than shooting high ISO and get blurry ugly detail.
DonParrot
10 months ago |Oh man, this is one sexy little camera.
Just what the doctor ordered. Forget about the touch screen, this is the FT camera I want.
Neonart
10 months ago |Looks even better in silver. Put a half case on it and it’s gorgeous! One could also put a retro looking optical finder, like a Voigtlander, and it’ll be insanely cool.
cL
10 months ago |Yes, it looks pretty good. That’s the PEN I would choose if I were to buy a mirrorless. Only wish it’s full swivel screen, not tilt.
Camaman
10 months ago |Wow! Looking at these ISO and noise reduction charts Olympus is biting pretty hard into IQ!
Just look at the text at ISO 1600! Still readable without any NR, but when its on you can read 50%…
Even at ISO 400 the difference becomes visible!
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dslrmagazine.com%2Fpruebas%2Fpruebas-tecnicas%2Folympus-pen-lite-la-prueba.html
Neonart
10 months ago |You can usually make things WAY better by setting noise reduction to low. Helps with noise, but retains detail.
napalm
10 months ago |I think Oly seems to be catering for people who wants to use the images out of camera. so far from the people i know, non-techy people prefer clean images than more detailed but noisy ones. good thing is that we can turn the noise filter down, unlike the XZ-1
cL
10 months ago |Very valid point. Most non-techy people really does prefer no detail photos for some odd reason. Slight more noise is better than no detail! And Oly’s noise pattern is very similar to film grain, so it’s fine to me. Proper way to reduce noise level is choose lighting carefully.
Yes, just turn down or even turn off that noise filter and Zuiko lens will truly shine. No NR needed, no sharpening needed either.
Richy
10 months ago |I think this is the best looking m4/3 camera of them all. The ISO problem with m4/3 sensors are still way behind the APS-C though. Fuji/Sony ISO @ 3200 looks way better than the Oly @ 1600.
Neonart
10 months ago |Yeah, but if you want a compact system with great image quality, m4/3 is really a nice system as a whole. The combination of small cameras like this EPL3 with with very compact lenses is very hard to beat.
Check out the pancakes on dpreview. Notice how even the very compact Samsung 30 2.0 is larger than the brighter Panasonic 20 1.7. The Sony 16 2.8 in comparison with the Panny 14 2.5 is a larger lens as well.
http://a.img-dpreview.com/previews/PanasonicdmcGH2/images/14/pancakes.jpg
Gino
10 months ago |Tilt screen – check!
5.5 fps – check!
EP3 equal responsiveness – check!
I actually like that flash was stripped out of body. Tilt screen can be also used as small tripod.
Really looking to get EPL3 body as upgrade for my EP2.
tmrgrs
10 months ago |Me too Gino. I’m going to upgrade from the E-P2 to this exciting new E-PL3 as well.
To some of you others, everyone knows by now that 4/3 sensors lag behind APS sensors at high ISO’s. Enough of the repetitive reminders already. Find something else to talk about over and over and over ad nauseum.
To whoever it was that wants a grip and a built-in EVF & flash, this isn’t the right camera for you. Adios muchachos!
amalric
10 months ago |Major put off is lack of grip – not all my lenses are pancakes.
However there is a workaround. Its leather half case (from Olympus?) has a small grip. That combined with the protrusion in the back is probably enough.
DonParrot
10 months ago |“To whoever it was that wants a grip and a built-in EVF & flash, this isn’t the right camera for you. Adios muchachos!”
Don’t think so.
I will have a go at it without a grip but I’m nearly sure that mine will get one of those:
http://flipbac.com/camera-grip-about.htm
Miroslav
10 months ago |Those grips are too small. E-PL1 grip is too small to hold camera and larger lens with one hand comfortably. And built-in grip could contain something useful ( like larger battery or two SD slots ) unlike those addon ones. It was wrong to base E-PL3 styling on E-PM1. One NEX clone is enough. Waiting for E-PL7
.
Mr. Reeee
10 months ago |This is the most successful design of the all Oly PEN cameras. It’s simple, clean, functional and elegant without superfluous decoration.
Why the EP3 lacks the tilt screen is baffling.
Why this lacks touch controls is completely baffling as well.
A tilt screen is extremely useful for shooting at waist level, in low light situations and is perfect for discrete street shooting. Who needs a flash?
I’d have to try one before making a call on the grip/no-grip situation. A grippy silicone skin could easily solve that without adding much extra weight and/or bulk. I carry my GH2 by holding it in the palm of my left hand, steadying the lens between thumb and index fingers, which works well when not using the EVF and with larger lenses.
This would be a perfect second body to carry pancakes, or one of my Noktons and such. I could see mounting a 20mm on it and never taking it off!
I haven’t tried manual focus on a PEN, so how does it compare to doing it on a Panasonic?
Anonymous
10 months ago |Agree, the tilt screen was the reason for me to enter 4/3 with the E-330. But as they now have tilt-swivel screens I don’t understand why this is not on offer – like the PEN version of the E-620.
Anonymous
10 months ago |I have a G2 and and E-P2 with the VF2. MF is very similar on both. I have never has much luck with MF on the screen except for macro shots with the camera on a tripod. Like many, I use reading glasses so I value a diopter adjustment on an EVF.
Mr. Reeee
10 months ago |I wear reading glasses, too but manual focus with my GH2′s LCD held at waist level, where it’s stable. (That is, when I remember to actually wear my glasses.) I was shooting at a gathering with my Nokton 25mm and couldn’t figure out why the focus points were off… no glasses! Idiot!
I shot with Nikon CoolPix pivot body cameras for years and got hooked on waist-level shooting, especially for stealth street shooting. Now that I have also have an EVF… it’s perfect, the best of both worlds.
Soeren Engelbrecht
10 months ago |Amazing, how big that 17/2.8 looks on the E-PL3 body !!
Miroslav
10 months ago |That’s because the mount sticks out from the body. NEX styling touch again, albeit positive as far as I’m concerned.
Anonymous
10 months ago |Can you set NR to more than ON/OFF settings?