The OLYMPUS PEN-F - The Mirrorless Masterpiece

Initially introduced in 1959, the Olympus PEN is something of an icon in the photographic world. With a sleek, distinctive aesthetic, as well as compact and portable form factor, the first Olympus camera designed by Yoshihisa Maitani aimed to provide a high quality, no compromise camera for photographers, that was small enough to be taken anywhere. Portable as a pen, thus the name.

Recent years have seen numerous iterations in the digital variation of the PEN, starting with the Olympus E-P1, the companies’ first foray into the world of compact system cameras back in 2009. Despite sporting an impressive specification and high build quality, to this point the digital PEN models have had one glaring omission- the integration of a viewfinder, a feature saved for the Olympus family of OM-D cameras.

Enter the all-new Olympus PEN-F.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the camera is a beauty. The classic styling captures the lines of the original PEN models perfectly (and even has a look of the Leica III). Looking at the exterior of the camera, you cannot see a single screw, giving it a premium, luxurious finish, again reminiscent of Leica.

The camera is loaded with dials, including ones for exposure compensation and the all new creative dial on the front, to go along with dual control dials and a mode dial. As will all Olympus cameras, these are extremely customizable meaning that it can be a tool set up precisely for the needs of the user.

The PEN-F also features a 3-inch, 1.04 million pixel vari-angle touch screen on the reverse for shooting for tricky angles.

As Olympus are touting though “this beauty is a beast”, and it’s impressive, flagship specification can certainly back this up.

The first point to make, is of course the viewfinder. As the first model in the PEN family to feature an integrated electronic viewfinder, the PEN-F marks an exciting new development in the range. The 2.36 million dot OLED EVF is the same as the one featured in the E-M10 Mark II, offering a direct feed of the imaging sensor, meaning what you see is what you get- it has great colour accuracy, a fast refresh rate and even a simulated optical viewfinder mode with enhanced dynamic range for a more traditional viewing experience. Situated on the left of the rear of the camera, it is ideally placed for street shooters and documentary photographers looking to shoot using their right eye whilst keeping the left open to watch the world around them.

Olympus has also upped their game with a brand new imaging sensor- the first in their line up to utilise a 20MP CMOS chip, over their tried and tested 16MP. The new sensor claims to maintain high dynamic range and high ISO performance whist increasing the overall resolution by 25% over previous models. It is, like all of their current models using the TruePic VII processor, without a low pass filter meaning fine detail should be excellent. Whilst image quality cannot be judged on the pre-production model we used, it looked like a solid improvement over previous models, with improved fine detail. The in built 5-Axis image stabilization taken directly from the E-M5 Mark II certainly helps here with delivering crisp results, even at slower shutter speeds. CIPA tested to be able to compensate for up to 5 stops of light, it is arguably the best image stabiliser on the market- we were certainly able to hand hold images at 1/8 second with no issues at all.

The HIGH RES shooting mode we have seen in the E-M5 Mark II is also featured here, with the added bonus of shooting to even higher resolutions- 50 Megapixel in JPEG and 80 Megapixel in RAW when processed using the new Olympus software or dedicated Adobe Photoshop plug in.

The new creative dial on the front of the camera also proves to be more than a pretty feature. Allowing the user to move between MONO, COLOUR, ART FILTERS, and COLOUR CREATOR at the flick of a switch keeps users out of the menu systems, and also offers some great new features. As well as coming with filters to replicate classic film stocks, the MONO and COLOUR modes allow the user to take complete control over the look of their image. In MONO you can alter the tonality with curves adjustment before shooting, apply colour filters, grain, vignettes, and sharpness, all to extreme levels. There are unlimited combinations available, meaning you can effectively achieve any specific look you could wish- prior to shooting. The COLOUR mode takes this further, allowing 12 separate colours on the wheel to be adjusted in 11 increments- simultaneously, again allowing film stock to be emulated and the user to make precise adjustments. In practical use, these features push the envelope of creative freedom, and allow users to create their own, virtually unique looks and presets, that can then be saved to the C-1 to C4 settings on the mode dial.

Speed has always been a key element in Olympus MFT cameras, sporting great AF and frame rates. The PEN-F uses Olympus’ 81 point contrast detect AF system with face and eye detect, but incorporates a new mechanical shutter unit. With the fastest release time of any CSC on the market, it is incredibly fast to react, with shutter speeds of up to 1/8000 sec (or 1/16,000 with electronic shutter) and up to 10fps (20fps with silent shutter), there is no denying this thing is quick. Autofocus is precise and almost instantaneous, once again making this a great tool for street and documentary photographers. You can even link the spot metering point to the AF point and use the touch screen to move it around whilst looking through the viewfinder- an incredibly intuitive and handy tool.

The PEN-F also comes with a whole host of familiar features, adopted from it’s siblings across the Olympus range. Live time/ live composite make a comeback, as do HDR, focus bracketing, 4K timelapse, Movie mode with full manual control and frame rates to 120fps at 1080p.

Without a doubt it is the finest digital PEN camera to date. It is also arguably the finest in the Olympus line up, with it’s brand new specification edging ahead of the OM-D line up, including the very well regarded E-M1. The sleeker form factor, and lack of integrated grip make it an ideal companion for fast primes (of which micro four thirds has no shortage of) and should make the camera appeal to a slightly different user than the OM-D range. Street photographers will find alot to love here, from the rangefinder style handling to the black and white capabilities.

The overall shooting experience with the camera was great, with it being fun to use, gorgeous in the hand and to look at, and beautifully crafted. Olympus have clearly raised the bar with the new PEN-F.

In their own words; this beauty is beast.