The Olympus PEN E-P5 ($1,449.99 list with 17mm lens and EVF) is the latest addition to the Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera family, and it's a winner. The PEN features the same imaging engine and stabilization system as our Editors' Choice OM-D E-M5, but uses a removable add-on EVF rather than a built-in version. It's got built-in Wi-Fi, a first for the PEN family, and an innovative control system that lets you take command of four camera settings via a toggle switch and two control dials. It doesn't have the OM-D E-M5's weather sealed body or kit lens, but it does put a few additional controls at your fingertips.
Design and Features
The E-P5 is bundled with the excellent M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 lens and Electronic Viewfinder VF-4. If the $1,450 asking price is too much for you, it can be had as a body only for around $1,000, but you'll lose a bit of value by not buying it as a kit. The 17mm lens sells for $500 on its own, and the VF-4 is priced at $280. Buying the three separately would put you out of pocket around $1,780, so buying the three represents a $380 discount.
The camera measures 2.7 by 4.8 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and is very heavy for its size at 13.3 ounces. It feels solid in the hand. The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5, the midrange body in the PEN family, a good camera in its own right, feels almost toy-like in comparison. The E-PL5 is narrower and lighter?it measures 2.5 by 4.4 by 1.5 inches and weighs 11.4 ounces. Even though EP-5's body has the same depth as its smaller sibling, it feels a bit thicker. This is because its tilting rear LCD is flush to the body when closed; the E-PL5's screen juts out a bit.
Physical controls are ample. You'll find the Mode dial, as well as the power switch, shutter release, and Fn button on the top plate. There are front and rear control dials, each of which can control two functions, which will change based on the camera's shooting mode. When the rear toggle switch is set to position 1 the function will change based on the shooting mode?the rear dial controls the f-stop in aperture priority, and the shutter speed in shutter priority, while the front dial adjust exposure compensation in both those modes. If you're shooting in full manual mode, the rear dial controls the shutter speed and the front the aperture. There's some customization of these functions available in the menu system.
When you toggle the rear switch to setting 2, the dial functions change. In most modes the rear dial adjust the white balance and the front changes the ISO. There's some customization of what position 2 does. You can also set it to start movie recording, which some users may prefer to the record button that is located inside the toggle switch. It can also be used to toggle between automatic and manual focus.
There's also a control pad with a center OK button and four directional controls; they control exposure compensation, the flash output, the drive mode and self-timer, and the current focus point. You'll also find buttons to access the camera's menu, change the amount of information shown on the display, magnify the live view frame, enter playback mode, and delete images. Additional settings can be controlled via an overlay menu?it's launched by pressing the OK button. These include the ISO, image quality, focus mode, flash mode, and metering pattern.
The rear LCD display is 3 inches in size and features a stunning 1,037k-dot resolution. It's mounted on a hinge, so you can view it from above or below. Its resolution is greater than the 610k OLED display that the OM-D E-M5 uses, but looking at them side-by-side it's hard to see a big difference. I'd give an edge to the E-P5; the display is very bright and can be used outdoors, even on bright days. The display is touch sensitive, but the touch functionality is limited. It's possible to tap an area of the frame to choose a focus point, or to focus and fire the shutter. This is controlled by tapping a small box on the left side of the display. There's also an option to disable touch focus entirely. It's also possible to move the focus point using the E-P5's rear directional pad.
If you opt to use manual focus, the E-P5 offers a couple of aids to help you grab sharp shots. Turning the focus ring on a Micro Four Thirds lens will activate either focus peaking (which highlights in-focus areas of your image in white or black), frame magnification, or both. It could be better implemented in terms of activation. If you're using a native Micro Four Thirds lens with a focus clutch, like the kit lens, it doesn't actually work when the clutch is set to manual focus adjustment, even if the camera is set to manual focus mode. If you use peaking frequently, and fans of legacy lenses will want to, it's best to assign the Fn1 button to activate it. There's already a magnification button on the body. Once you do activate it, the peaking is extremely helpful in getting an in-focus shot.
If you buy the camera in a kit you'll also get an external EVF. The VF-4 is stunning. It's the best EVF I've used. It's bigger and sharper than the excellent OLED finders in the Sony Alpha NEX-7 and Fujifilm X-E1. The only downside is its size. It's pretty big, adding a big hump to the camera. Both the Sony and Fujifilm cameras managed to work an EVF into the body and also retain a built-in flash and hot shoe; it's unfortunate that Olympus wasn't able to do the same with the EP-5. On the other hand, if you have other Olympus cameras with the AP2 accessory port you'll be able to use the EVF with them (although they'll require a firmware update), and the finder can tilt straight up, which will make it easier to get shots from lower angles. The E-P5 automatically switches to the EVF when you bring your eye towards it, though that function will be disabled if the rear LCD is tilted.
The E-P5 is the first PEN camera with built-in Wi-Fi. It's an impressive, albeit limited, freshman effort from Olympus, in part to the very slick method the company used to pair the camera with your iOS or Android device. In order to do so, you simply need to scan a QR code that is displayed on the rear LCD with your phone. The network information and password are contained within. If you're not within range of another saved network, the camera and your phone will automatically connect when Wi-Fi is enabled on the camera (accessible via a touch-sensitive Wi-Fi icon on the rear display) and the app is launched on the phone. If you're already connected to your home or office Wi-Fi network, you'll first need to disconnect from that in order to get the app working.
So, pairing is easy. What can you do? Your options are limited. You can transfer JPG images and QuickTime videos from the camera to your phone?the app lets you select a downsized resolution or transfer them at full quality. But if you shoot Raw, you're out of luck?you can't transfer them. You'll have to first develop them as a JPG in camera. You can also use the phone's GPS to add geotags to photos, just make sure the clock is set correctly on the E-P5 and that you've enabled the location log in the OI Share app. Images are quick to transfer, though it did take a while to transfer a short video clip.
You can also use your phone as a remote control with a real time live view feed. The speed of the feed is quite good, it's not choppy like we've seen on other cameras with this capability. Touch focus is supported, but you can only shoot in iAuto mode?the only real control you have access to is a self-timer, which will let you put your phone in your pocket before posing for a shot.
Everything about the Wi-Fi works; it's just unfortunate that it doesn't do more. There's no way to connect the E-P5 to a home network or hotspot. So if you're having a party and want to post a few photos to Facebook, you have to first transfer them to your phone and then to your social media profile. You're also not able to email a photo directly from the camera. Other Wi-Fi enabled cameras, like the Samsung NX300 let you do this.
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