Olympus PEN E-P5 Pro Reviews

The E-P5 is the most substantial re-working of the original PEN model and it's the most impressive, yet. It produces the same excellent image quality as the E-M5 and has a proper two-dial control system. This, combined with a better touch screen and arguably the prettiest PEN body, make it a more attractive and more complete camera than the series has seen before.

We love the beautiful premium finish and styling Olympus E-P5, while the overhauled controls make it a much more satisfying experience to shoot with over previous models. Then there's the image quality – while it can't quite compete for out-and-out detail with its APS-C rivals, results are still impressive and shouldn't disappoint. That said, the body-only price is currently about £100 more than that of the OM-D (not to mention rivals like the Fujifilm X-E1 and Sony NEX-7), which has the luxury of a built-in EVF. While you may not be that fussed about an EVF and prefer the slightly more compact proportions of the E-P5, that's still a hefty premium to pay. There's no question that the E-P5 is a lovely camera and the best PEN model we've seen to date, but we'd plump for the OM-D and the money saved we put towards one of the wonderful Olympus primes available.

The Olympus E-P5 is a compelling mix of old and new, fusing together a gorgeous retro design with the latest 21st-century technology to create the most stylish and advanced PEN yet. It's not perfect though - fitting the expensive VF-4 viewfinder makes the E-P5 physically bigger than the flagship weather-sealed OM-D E-M5 (although the resolution of the VF-4 is higher than the E-M5's viewfinder), the wi-fi connectivity is rather limited, and the official price has shot up quite considerably since the previous E-P3 launched, making this very much a premium product. Still, that's very much what the E-P5 is - a premium camera in virtually every way. The E-P5's main new features - a tiltable 1.04-million-dot touchscreen, innovative 2x2 Dial Control system, built-in Wi-Fi, expanded ISO range of 100-25600, built-in 5-axis image stabilisation, top shutter speed of 1/8000th second, focus peaking in manual AF mode, and 9fps continuous shooting - make it the most full-featured Olympus mirrorless camera and one of the best on the market. It might not be weather-sealed like the OM-D or have a built-in viewfinder, but in many ways it's the equal and often the better of Olympus' flagship model.

The Olympus PEN E-P5 is a flagship model worthy of the name. It does exactly what manufacturers and retailers expect of a premium product - makes you yearn for it, regardless of whether you need or can afford it. It offers a truly compelling range of features in a form that combines half a century of design legacy with the latest that imaging technology has to offer. While the E-P5 has a range of features that are targeted at casual shooters with deep pockets, its real appeal lies in what it has to offer those who take their photography more seriously. Olympus has concentrated on improving the things that help photographers get better pictures - framing, focusing, selecting exposure, and, of course, shooting. The PEN E-P5's specifications are impressive, and its images look great, but it's in the handling that it really excels, and that's a difficult thing to get across in words and numbers, so more than ever, if the E-P5 is on your mirrorless compact system camera shortlist, you should attempt to spend some hands on time with it. In the time that I've spent using and reviewing it I've come to the conclusion that it's a very deserving recipient of a Cameralabs Highly Recommended award.

Subtlety of design has always been one of the distinctions between the Olympus Pen series and other compact system cameras. In the case of the E-P5, Olympus has put its name centre stage - quite literally, as the shiny "Olympus Pen" branding across the front of the camera attests. It's like a badge of honour, a proud statement that only confident brands can deliver. But the Pen E-P5 isn't just about its exterior quality. This interchangeable lens camera comes complete with the same sensor as found in the much-lauded OM-D E-M5, introduces Wi-Fi to the Pen series, while pro-spec features such as a 1/8000th sec maximum shutter speed give it extra pomp compared to much of the competition. But at a pound under £1,000 for the kit option the Olympus Pen E-P5 sure is pricey. Can it deliver substance in addition to style and elevate the already successful series to new heights?

The Olympus PEN E-P5 sits at the top of the Olympus PEN range and is the desirable premium mirrorless camera, while lacking weather sealing of the OM-D, the additional features and high IQ from the OM-D should make the E-P5 top of the list for a mirrorless camera. The VF-4 EVF (electronic viewfinder) with a high resolution, large view, and rapid refresh is an excellent bit of kit and well worth adding to the E-P5, making it a real pleasure to shoot with. The Olympus PEN E-P5 has a number of impressive features that would put it at the top of the list of desirable cameras for advanced photographers as well, including mechanical shutter speeds up to 1/8000th of a second, focus peaking, ISO100, plus an excellent 3 inch tilting touch screen with ultra-fast focus speeds and improved battery life. With Olympus delivering excellent noise performance (which started with the E-M5, and then the EPM2, and EPL5); Panasonic producing cameras and lenses, and with others due to join the Micro Four Thirds (M43) system, it’s never been a better time to buy a M43 camera. The only problem with reviewing the Olympus PEN E-P5 is the potential to run out of superlatives when describing how amazing this camera is. Although we, along with many others, do think the Olympus menu system is due a refresh, and to get the best out of this camera we'd recommend investing in one of the excellent Olympus or Panasonic prime lenses available. The price of the Olympus PEN E-P5 puts it at a very similar price to the E-M5, however, for those that want a more compact body, and the latest features, the E-P5 is the one to go for.

All the staffers who had a chance to try out the E-P5 loved it, and we were sad to see it leave our hands. It’s nicely designed, has a ton of features, and produces really nice images. The noise filter is a bit aggressive that results in less-than-sharp images, but this is easily fixable by adjusting the settings to your liking. The E-P5 is a camera that will do really well in any number of shooting situations, as long as you can handle the price tag.

With a nice shooting design and solid build, extremely good photo quality in decent lighting, and some of the fastest performance we've seen in its class, the Olympus PEN E-P5 has a lot to recommend it. I think I still prefer the photo quality of the Sony Alpha NEX-6, which is cheaper and more compact with its built-in viewfinder, but the overall package of the E-P5 comes pretty close.

The Olympus PEN E-P5 is an extremely impressive mirrorless camera, but we prefer its sibling, the Olympus OM-D EM-5.

The Olympus PEN E-P5 is now one of the highest specification Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras available. The major differences between the two cameras, the internal electronic viewfinder, weather sealing and optional battery grip, on the OM-D E-M5 suiting the outdoor photographer more, while the small size of the Olympus PEN E-P5 would suit those looking to travel light without a compromise in image quality between the two.