Olympus Pen
The famous Olympus Pen trade name is brought back to life with this smart-looking camera that combines the ease of use and portability of a digital compact with the interchangeable lens facility found on a digital SLR. Olympus seem to have cracked it - it’s a camera we’d all want in our shirt pockets. It has formidable resolution, good ISO performance and tons of controls, all housed in a high-quality retro camera body. Add to that a range of superb Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses and you have a winner.
The downside? Well, the Olympus Pen is not cheap, although we all know that in the world of photography quality always comes at a price. So no surprises there. Apart from that, the camera strikes me as a little slow compared to the ultra-responsive kit you can buy for the money, and this makes for a different, slower kind of shooting experience. The screen is also not very high resolution, so you’re best browsing through the photos on your computer. Lastly, and I am really nit picking here, sometimes you do get highlight clipping when shooting in high contrast conditions with the sun in the frame.
All in all, however, the Olympus Pen is a real gem, as are the new lenses. It makes for a great shooting experience that those who can afford it won’t regret. I wouldn’t sell my DSLR kit for it, but the Pen is definitely on my “when I find some spare cash” list. Available to buy at Warehouse Express.
