Olympus pen f film camera review năm 2024
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The PEN-F is the digital reincarnation of the classic half-frame Olympus PEN-F that first debuted back in 1963. While the original PEN-F technically offered a larger photo-sensitive area, the digital PEN-F uses the highest resolution Four Thirds sensor of any Olympus camera to date, a 20MP chip. It is only the second Micro Four Thirds camera to use a sensor with more than 16MP, with the Panasonic GX8 being the first. Show In terms of design, the F is a gorgeous camera, both to gaze at longingly on a table or to physically hold and use. The enthusiast-oriented digital PEN line sits in parallel to the professionally oriented OM-D line, but in many ways, the PEN-F is the most physically remarkable Four Thirds camera to date. Still, the guts and specifications offered in the PEN-F look quite similar to those of the enthusiast-focused OM-D E-M5 II. Of course, the E-M5 II’s initial MSRP in the U.S. was $100 cheaper, and this will be a sticking point for many. Why spring for the PEN-F when an arguably more capable camera, with a nicer EVF can be had for less dough? The answer is really quite simple: with the PEN-F, you pay a bit of a premium for its lovely design. For some folks, that premium is totally worth it, especially if it means you’re more likely to pick it up and take it out shooting. Other will see it as an overpriced, glorified fashion accessory. Thankfully, the choice in how you view it is entirely up to you. Olympus set out to create a highly-capable design-oriented camera. To that regard, they were successful. But just how capable is the PEN-F and is it that camera for you? Let’s dig in. Design & HandlingI really can not speak highly enough of the PEN-F’s design. Of the digital cameras I've used over the years, I’ve never fielded more inquisitive bystanders out in the field than when shooting with the F. There are elements of the camera’s design I did not initially like, including the location of the on/off switch, but over the course of using the camera, I came around. Some Olympus cameras offer an overwhelming amount of direct controls, but with the PEN-F, Olympus got it just right. The front an rear control dials are both large, and easy to access, as is the dedicated exposure compensation dial. The majority of core setting can be accessed via the Super Control Panel, by pressing the 'OK' button. And the rear four-way/control dial offers dedicated buttons for ISO/WB, AF area, flash setting and drive. The PEN-F is a rangefinder-style camera, so the 2.36M-dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder (which is fantastic, though not quite as lovely at the EM5 II's) is located all the way to the left of the body. The camera's design, with its narrow body and shallow grip, means mounting anything other than a prime lens on the PEN-F can be incredibly awkward. Even the relatively well-sized 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens throws off the entire weighting of the camera when affixed. Thankfully, there are a ton of Micro Four Thirds primes available. I especially liked using the PEN-F with the well-priced 25mm F1.8 lens. Something about the combination felt just right. In the paws the camera sits comfortably; it can easily be used with just a single hand. The touchscreen is especially useful, especially if you are a street shooter: touch-to-focus and touch-to-shoot can help keep things discreet when trying to get candids, and can be near instantaneous. The touchscreen can also be used as an AF trackpad when one’s eye is to the finder. Though we have found that left-eye shooters occasionally activate this function with their nose, which can prove problematic. I do have some frustrations with the design, though. Neither the Creative Mode selector nor the two-way toggle tucked below the mode dial can be customized. Furthermore, there is no way to assign AF Mode to any of the custom function buttons, which is unfortunate. Olympus is known for making highly customizable bodies, with lots of direct controls. While I'd argue that Olympus got the physical number of control points correct, I simply wish those points were more customizable. FeaturesOlympus Micro Four Thirds cameras are often rich with useful features, and the PEN-F is no exception. By far, one of the most helpful inclusions is the camera's 5-axis sensor-based image stabilization system. It is extremely robust for both stills and video. Rated at 5EV by industry standards, and we found in real-world shooting that it gave us an average of four additional stops of handhold-ability (we tested it at 50mm). This is great for shooting in low light or with slow shutter speeds hand-held (of static subjects of course). And when it comes to video capture, the PEN-F's image stabilization is also invaluable for hand-held shooting. I really went back and forth regarding my feelings on the somewhat maligned Creative Mode selector. Ultimately, by the end of our testing, I really came to like it and here's why: The six film presets are awesome. Even if you're a dedicated Raw shooter like myself, simply giving yourself a chance to try say, the Infrared film preset, completely changes the way you compose and look at a scene. It's also a nice place to tuck your middle finger around for some added grip. On the other hand, while the film presets are a lot of fun to use, they don't have snappy names like Fujifilm's film modes and there are only six of them (though you can create you own by adjusting various parameters within the camera). At the end of the day, there's a pretty good chance these these presets will likely get overlooked by many, which is a shame. Other notable features include High Res Shot, also useful for shooting static subjects. It can spit out the equivalent of a 50MP JPEG or an 80MP Raw file. Of course to use it, the camera must be tripod-mounted and your final image will only be as good as the the lens used. AutofocusAutofocus performance from the Olympus PEN-F is on par with what we'd expect from a modern contrast detect AF (CDAF) system, which is to say, good. When using Autofocus Single (Olympus calls it S-AF), focus speeds are fast, though lens dependent, and acquisition is precise. When using Autofocus Continuous (called C-AF), the camera is capable of maintaining focus on a subject moving predictably toward or away from the camera, but often struggles with focus once you start firing a burst. This is not to say it can't depth track in continuous drive mode, you just need to be careful to keep a focus point over your subject. The PEN-F also offers Face Detect. It works well when shooting in either C-AF or S-AF with the drive mode set to Single Shot, though there can be a delay of nearly 1 sec from shutter press, to the frame actually being fired. This is due to focus acquisition (we also ran into this delay when using C-AF with tracking). That said, Face Detect is still quite useful for shooting portraiture. Like most cameras using a CDAF system, the F has a hard time both subject tracking (following a subject around the frame) and maintaining focus (depth tracking) on an erratically moving subject; this especially true if you're shooting in Continuous Drive. Image & video qualityThe PEN F marks the first time a 20MP Four Thirds sensor has appeared in an Olympus camera. We've been a bit critical of Olympus in some of our most recent reviews for sticking with the 16MP chip so long, and were overjoyed to see the PEN-F's use of higher resolution sensor. Image quality from the PEN-F is very good. Resolution is marginally increased in comparison to the OM-D E-M5 II which uses the 16MP chip, though dynamic range is about the same. The increase in resolution comes without sacrificing noise performance. The PEN-F's JPEGs are (as we expected) very pleasing, with accurate colors. We also found the PEN-F offered better high ISO JPEGs than its closet competitor, the GX8. And as we've said before, the film presets (3 color, 3 mono), are really quite enjoyable to try. Raw performance is also very good. Movie quality is just OK. For casual video shooters, it should be fine, but hard-core videographers will likely find the quality offered by other cameras to suit their needs better. Shutter shock has been an issue we've run into on past Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, including the E-M5 II. It also proves to be an issue with the Panasonic GX8. Fortunately, shutter shock issues does not effect the PEN-F. Sizing it upThe PEN F falls into a price class that includes a lot of very capable cameras, including quite a few others with similar designs but larger sensors and in some cases better AF performance and video quality. The Sony a6300 doesn't have nearly as lovely a design as the PEN F, but will likely out-perform the PEN-F in terms of AF abilities (the Sony a6000 surely does). It also 4K video capture. Of course, if you are not tied to the rangefinder-style, the Nikon D7200 is also more capable than the PEN-F. For those who have already bought into the Micro Four Thirds system and are considering the PEN-F against the similarly spec'd Panasonic GX8, the choice is slightly more clear: if video is important to you, definitely spring for the Panasonic. If stills are important to you, the Olympus may well be the better choice, but we'll hold our recommendation until we've finished testing (though we've encountered shutter shock issues with the GX8 at certain speeds. More on that in the forthcoming review). If you are considering the PEN-F against its OM-D siblings, the decision gets even more complicated and truly boils down to an individual use and needs case. For example, if you're considering it against the E-M5 II, the PEN-F has a higher-res sensor, but the E-M5 II has a nicer EVF...and so on. The final wordIn developing the digital PEN line, Olympus created a marriage of classic PEN style with modern Olympus technology. And the PEN F takes the line a step forward: by further refining the design, both in terms of materials/construction and the addition of a built-in viewfinder. In short, the PEN-F is a very capable camera jam-packed with features and tools to help shooters realize their vision. It offers impressive image quality, some of the best image stabilization available, acceptable video quality, direct controls and ample customization, all in one incredibly-handsome digital camera. Of course if you care more about specs and abilities, and less about design, there are more technically capable cameras available for the money. ScoringSamples galleryPlease do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don't abuse it. Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution. Because our review images are now hosted on the 'galleries' section of dpreview.com, you can enjoy all of the new galleries functionality when browsing these samples. Is Olympus PEN a good camera?The Olympus PEN-F checks-off a lot of boxes on our list for what makes a fantastic camera. It offers excellent image quality, great performance, fast autofocus, and stylish build quality. Is the Olympus PENThe PEN-F is the digital reincarnation of the classic half-frame Olympus PEN-F that first debuted back in 1963. When was the Olympus PENLast April, much to the consternation of many Olympus fans, the company announced it was discontinuing its stylish PEN-F. Does Olympus PENThe original Pen F has a double-stroke film advance and a distinctive logo rendered in a gothic font. The later Pen FT added a single-stroke film advance, and an uncoupled, integrated light meter, which uses a system of exposure numbers rather than f-stops. |
