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Olympus PEN E-P1 Pro Reviews

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www.whatdigitalcamera.com‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Though not aimed at the budget buyer, the Olympus E-P1 is not overly expensive. It is pitched as a premium product and will undoubtedly attract attention due to its looks, but considering it costs £699 with the 14-42mm, it is nearly half the price of the Panasonic Lumix GH1, and just over £200 more than the Lumix G1. Though, in retro terms, it is a relative bargain when placed alongside the £3,000 Leica M8. Put on a broader comparison, it is £130 more than the Canon's G10 creative compact, and £100 cheaper than the Nikon D5000, based on recommended prices, though both of these can now be found on the high street much cheaper. So, the Olympus E-P1 is not the cheapest option on the market but its unique looks and retro appeal will no doubt bring it a decent audience willing to pay the price. However, considering its current asking price it is unlikely to gain the mass-market sales of the original Olympus Pen.

8.8 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 24, 2009

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expertreviews‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The E-P1 delivers on its promise of SLR-quality images from a compact-sized camera, but it's disappointing that its performance and controls are more in line with compacts than SLRs. We could accept some compromises for the sake of size, but there are simply too many here for such an expensive camera.

6.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Sep 21, 2009

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Engadget‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Obviously some of the detracting factors here should give pause before you put down your $799 for the basic kit, but you should know that there are also a lot of really outstanding features and impressive performance packed into this small and extremely attractive package. The E-P1 would be an excellent pick for anyone getting serious about photography who wants something easy to use, but still powerful enough to take really striking pictures and video.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 01, 2009

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PC Advisor‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The retro feel of the Olympus E-P1 is wonderful. It's the sort of camera that puts a smile on your face when you use it and we loved the amount of control it gave us over what we took and its final look. In fact, our main criticism of a camera purportedly for the more general camera fan is its price. The £599 body only headline price makes the Olympus E-P1 seem expensive given that it doesn't claim to be a pro or even semi-pro model. You can buy it as a bundle for £749 with the 17mm pancake lens and separate viewfinder or, better still, the 14-42mm lens for £699. For both lenses it's £899.

8.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jun 22, 2009

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Macworld‘s review Edit Like Unlike

As a second camera for an SLR shooter, or as an advanced camera for the photographer who wants more than a point-and-shoot, but really needs the smallest camera possible, the E-P1 is a very good choice. Auto-focus is a little slow for some applications, but the image quality is very good.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Dec 07, 2009

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PC Magazine‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Despite slow focusing, the compact Olympus E-P1 offers a well-rounded shooting experience at a great price.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 23, 2009

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ephotozine‘s review Edit Like Unlike

During my time with the Olympus E-P1 I really enjoyed what it could do for me. It certainly has some issues such as no viewfinder and a slow focusing system. Noise is still good which shows my initial reservations were due to viewing the images on the camera's screen.

8.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jun 18, 2009

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ephotozine‘s review Edit Like Unlike

It's been a close call throughout the test and in their individual tests, they both scored very highly. It's great to see some of the old issues from the Olympus have been sorted out with firmware updates but the Panasonic still has the edge. I think this is down to the fact that it's newer so they had time to see the Pen and elaborate on the features and performance.

8.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jan 27, 2010

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TechRadar UK‘s review Edit Like Unlike

the Olympus Pen E-P1 is an unusual camera with undeniable appeal but rather too many laws. You have to admire Olympus for producing such an attractive, classically-designed body, not to mention a whole new concept in digital camera design. But it's let down by its controls, which make it more awkward to use. The AF needs to be faster, too. Lens build is a bit plasticky and cheap.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Sep 16, 2009

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PC Pro‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Beautiful image quality for such a compact camera and it's almost impossible to dislike, but it's expensive and does have flaws

6.5 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 24, 2009

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LAPTOP Magazine‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Have the money for a DSLR, but want something smaller? The E-P1 is a fast, versatile alternative.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 17, 2009

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softpedia‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The overall impression Olympus' E-P1 rangefinder left us with, after almost three weeks of non-stop handling, is that of a very elegant digital camera, which can be used both as a trustworthy imager and a fashion accessory. The device has a very solid, sturdy body (pretty bulky, though, compared to a compact digicam), with a minimalistic, yet very attractive design, reminiscent of the original film-based PEN cameras.

n/a Not rated

Published on:
Nov 16, 2009

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Shutterbug‘s review Edit Like Unlike

This latest and digital incarnation, the E-P1, is built using the Micro Four Thirds system that unlike the Pen F is not half-frame and uses the same chip size (17.3x13mm) as the standard Four Thirds system.

n/a Not rated

Published on:
Jan, 2010

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The Imaging Resource‘s review Edit Like Unlike

Not only did it introduce a new and much needed form factor to the digital camera market, the Olympus E-P1 is a great camera in its own right. The small size and low weight mean you're more likely to have it along all the time, and its high image quality means you won't often regret leaving your digital SLR at home.

n/a Not rated

Published on:
Sep 25, 2009

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Register Hardware‘s review Edit Like Unlike

It’s not a compact, it’s not a DSLR and, in theory, should have wide appeal. But the E-P1 is in danger of missing the target with many potential buyers, despite offering some useful features and a good performance.

7.5 Rated at:

Published on:
Nov 13, 2009

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Pocket-lint‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The E-P1 looks hard to justify at £700 (and a significant further price increase needs to be added when the optional lenses, viewfinder and flash are factored in) given it is not a DSLR but priced like one. When you start to factor in the handling, feature set, superb optics and the stunning picture quality, with image noise really being handled well, it starts to become more enticing.

9.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 13, 2009

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Steve's Digicams‘s review Edit Like Unlike

I feel Olympus has hit a home run with their new PEN series model. While there are a few things that I feel could be better (shooting performance, low-light AF performance, etc.), the list of positive aspects of this camera far out weight the negatives. With the ability to capture beautiful photos, a host of creative still and video options, pleasing HD video quality, and various accessory options, the E-P1 is one well-rounded digital camera.

n/a Not rated

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LetsGoDigital‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The Olympus E-P1 has made a daring move. The E-P1 is in many ways a very special camera. First of all, its appearance; retro and modern at the same time. For me, its design is as successful as the retro-design of the Volkswagen Beetle or the Fiat 500. While Panasonic hesitated to give the first Micro Four Thirds camera a different look, Olympus took on the challenge. And that deserves a huge compliment!

8.0 Rated at:

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CNET Reviews‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The Olympus E-P1 is an otherwise excellent enthusiast compact camera hampered by some performance problems and the lack of a viewfinder and built-in flash.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jun 24, 2009

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Camera Labs‘s review Edit Like Unlike

And in this respect, the E-P1 delivers the goods: the camera really does match (and in some cases slightly exceed) the image quality of models like Olympus’s own E-620 DSLR. Sure, like other Four Thirds models, Micro or otherwise, it may not match the noise levels of the best APS-C DSLRs at high sensitivities, but it’s a world apart from what you’ll achieve with a typical compact – and that in itself will be recommendation enough for many enthusiasts.

8.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Nov, 2009

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DigitalCameraReview‘s review Edit Like Unlike

As soon as we saw the Olympus E-P1 we fell in love. Unfortunately, that initial feeling quickly gave way to a love-hate relationship. The E-P1 is as close as anyone has come to developing a "pocket-sized DSLR" ... a camera that delivers exceptional image quality and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses in a package that's small enough to fit in your pocket.

n/a Not rated

Published on:
Aug 14, 2009

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PhotographyBLOG‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The Olympus EP-1 is a brave and largely successful attempt at fusing the small size and handling of a compact camera with the image quality and features of a DSLR. Most potential buyers won't remember the camera or decade that inspired the distinctive looks of the E-P1, so it's definitely a good thing that it's so easy on the eye, in an understated retro kind of way.

9.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 13, 2009

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www.trustedreviews.com‘s review Edit Like Unlike

The Olympus E-P1 is an interesting and innovative camera, and as a first model in what will probably be a series it has some very nice features. Build quality and finish are of an exceptionally high standard, and image quality and performance are safely superior to the vast majority of compact cameras.

7.0 Rated at:

Published on:
Jul 25, 2009

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DP Review‘s review Edit Like Unlike

You have to take your hat off to Olympus for getting so much right with its first Micro Four Thirds camera. From the stylish, retro design to the top notch image quality this is a camera that, unlike so many we see, pretty much completely lives up to the hype surrounding it.

6.5 Rated at:

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The average pro reviews rating is 7.5 / 10, based on the 24 reviews.

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