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Olympus PEN E-PL1

Olympus PEN E-PL1
alaScore 90

791 reviews

Apr, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 791 reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL1. The average rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Views about the price and image quality are overall positive. The usability and portability also get good feedback. There are some critical opinions about the memory and viewfinder, while comments about the contrast and screen are different.

performance, portability, usability, image quality, price

viewfinder, memory

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Olympus PEN E-PL1 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 90/100 = Excellent quality.

See all Olympus Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 791 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

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Showing 528 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 388 of 528 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (260)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Olympus PEN E-PL1

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 372 user reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL1 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Opinions about the price and image quality are generally positive. The usability and performance also get good feedback. Opinions about the contrast and focus are different. Many are negative about the memory and viewfinder.

portability, performance, usability, image quality, price

viewfinder, memory

96% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.ca)

Amazon.ca review summary for Olympus PEN E-PL1

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 6 user reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL1 from Amazon.ca. The average user rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.ca. People really like the design and price. The image quality and usability are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are less positive about the portability.

performance, usability, image quality, price, design

portability

83% of the reviews on Amazon.ca give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : de.engadget.com (engadget.com)

Olympus E-PL1 Hands-On und Video

 

Die Preise gehen auch für Micro Four Thirds in den Keller und mit der Olympus E-PL1 sogar unter die 550 Euro Grenze, dabei hat die Kamera einiges zu bieten und ist mit dem eingebauten Blitz sogar ein wenig vorraus. Ansonsten hat die E-PL1 zwar ein paar...

Apr, 2010

Expert review by : Ben Long (pcworld.com)

Olympus Pen E-PL1

 

Sitting somewhere between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR, compact interchangeable-lens cameras offer substantially lower bulk and weight than a DSLR, but more features than a pocket camera.

Fun-to-use Art filters, such as Diorama mode ; Reasonable price ; Small size ; iAuto Mode ; Built-in flash

Poorly-designed interface ; Confusing menus beyond its basic settings ; Sub-par LCD screen

Its image quality isn't quite on par with a DSLR, but the Olympus Pen E-PL1 is a groundbreaking and powerful interchangeable-lens camera that serves as an excellent learning tool.

Aug, 2010

Expert review by : Lori Grunin (cnet.com)

Olympus PEN E-PL1 review

 

The first round of interchangeable-lens cameras offered a lot to appeal to enthusiasts, but at prices upward of $800, they weren't quite a no-brainer for point-and-shooters in search of an upgrade. The bigger sensors in these models can generally...

Excellent build quality; very good photo quality; can shoot raw+JPEG in every mode, including Art Filters and iAuto.

Slow, with sluggish autofocus; short battery life; low-resolution LCD.

Reasonably priced for an interchangeable-lens model, with the same high-quality photos of its siblings, the E-PL1 nevertheless suffers from slow performance that makes it a poor choice for snapshooters looking to upgrade.

Apr, 2010

Expert review by : Daniel Lim (slashgear.com)

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Micro 4/3 Digital Camera Review

 

Micro-four-thirds cameras may be small in your pocket but their impact on your pocketbook can often still be significant. Stepping into the budget micro-4/3 market is the Olympus Pen E-PL1, packing much of the functionality from the 12.3-megapixel PEN...

Jul, 2010

Expert review by : Pop Photo (popphoto.com)

Hands On: Olympus PEN E-PL1

 

The third time's the charm. With the Pen E-PL1 ($600, with 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 lens), Olympus has finally gotten it all together in a Micro Four Thirds camera: plenty of pixels, attention-grabbing size and styling, and a built-in flash that lets you add...

Mar, 2012

Expert review by : InsideHW (insidehw.com)

Expert Review

 

In accordance with ASUS philosophy of presenting new devices in short periods of time, not long after the first Fonepad, new models, Fonepad Note 6 and Fonepad 7, have been announced. Unfortunately, f... Mechanical keyboard are conceptual way of going...

Nov, 2010

Expert review by (consumersearch.com)

Best micro four-thirds digital camera

 

Micro Four Thirds is a new breed of pocket-sized cameras that act more like digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras -- and experts say the Olympus PEN E-PL1 is the best of the bunch. It's also one of the least expensive. The E-PL1 shaves...

Costs less than others in its class, interchangeable lenses, shoots 720p video, rAW+JPEG-capable, solidly built, has pop-up flash

Slow performance in tests, limited lens selection, no optical viewfinder, battery life

Nov, 2010

Expert review by : chromodesk.blogspot.com (blogspot.com)

Test: Olympus PEN E-PL1 (Teil1)

 

Eine frische Perspektive, Deutschland 2010 Heute also nun endlich mein lang versprochenes Review meiner neuen Olympus PEN E-PL1. Aber es handelt sich nicht um einen gewöhnlichen Testbericht, sondern eher um einen Erfahrungsbericht aus dem persönlichen...

Oct, 2010

Expert review by : Photography Review (photographyreview.com)

Olympus E-PL1 Review

 

Light and compact, $599 with a lens!, Better image quality than a compact digital camera, 720p HD video, Built-in image stabilization, Pop-up flash, Live Guide creative controls, Auto focus performance not as good as a digital SLR, Image quality not as...

Auto focus performance not as good as a digital SLR, Image quality not as good as most digital SLRs, No dedicated exposure controls, Not enough dedicated lens options, Not so great for action photos, EVF (electronic viewfinder) is a $200 accessory,...

Taking the Olympus E-PL1 to Mazatlan was a great test. I don’t regret it one bit. It made air travel and customs easier, it didn’t attract attention while I was shooting in the street, and the image quality and performance didn’t let me down. The...

Aug, 2010

Expert review by : Ben Long (macworld.com)

Review: Olympus PEN E-PL1

 

The E-PL1 is a great choice for point-and-shooter users who want to move to a higher quality camera and begin experimenting with lens choice, raw shooting, manual controls, and working in low light.

The third Olympus camera to enter this category is the 12.3-megapixel Olympus PEN E-PL1. Priced closer to a high-end point-and-shoot than a low-end DSLR ($600 a time of review), the E-PL1 has a street price that’s more expensive than a point-and-shoot,...

Aug, 2010

Price comparison for Olympus PEN E-PL1

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