Olympus PEN-F Hands-On Field Test
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- The OMD E-M5 revitalized Olympus' mirrorless camera line with it's beautiful, classic styling, but the Pen series has failed to cause much excitement recently. Now, the new Pen-F camera bring gorgeous retro styling and a new sensor to the Olympus lineup. Is this the camera Chris has been waiting for?
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Shot and Edited by Jordan Drake
Shot on the Sony FS5 - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Chris and I are always as transparent and accurate as possible when it comes to testing products for TCSTV. If we are ever looking at a pre-production camera, we will mention that during the episode. Recent examples of this include the Sony A6300 and Fuji X-Pro 2 episodes.
For this reason, when Olympus approached us with the new Pen-F unit, we specifically requested that it was a production unit that the user at home would have access to. Olympus assured us that they had a production, reviewable copy of the Pen-F, so we told them to ship us the camera which is featured in this episode.
After the episode was posted, Olympus contacted us to state that the camera we tested was indeed not final firmware. This apparently led to our issues with the continuous AF performance. This was their mistake, as we requested and were assured a production-level camera with final firmware.
The good news is that Olympus says some of the issues we found are resolved in their final firmware. We are excited to retest this camera when it is available in a final production version. If the issues are addressed, it will be a much more capable camera than one we tested (and enjoyed) here.
Thank you for continuing to support TCSTV with your views, comments and shares. We'll do our best to bring you the consistent, reliable tests you've come to expect from Chris and I.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV
Keep what you're doing the way you do it, most decent/honest reviewers on youtube, at least you share your thoughts on gear as you realize them without any "backstage".
Thank you.
+TheCameraStoreTV Thx for the addendum. Whatever leads to a better production version is welcome.
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks guys. I look forward to your test and update when you get the production firmware final model.
+TheCameraStoreTV - Brilliant review as ever - the best reviews on the internet by far - would love to see Chris & Jordan come to the UK.
+TheCameraStoreTV Please keep up the good work. Best review channel on youtube. Full support for you guys.
I love how you guys always film these reviews with new camera's. Gives me as a videographer a real world look at how these camera's can perform. I almost only watch for that fact alone
A beautiful product that and possibly the perfect street camera that Olympus decided to shelve. Some companies just hate the potential …
This was the first time I had come across any of your reviews. I have to say it was a real pleasure to watch, well shot, well presented and full of relevant information and honest comments. I shall look forward to seeing an update to the Pen F from you as well as reviews of other equipment.
Thanks so much guys!! I really appreciate that Chris makes it so clear about the good, the bad and the ugly of the gear tested, keep going!!!
That's what's great about this channel: they have a way of making you watch and enjoy reviews of cameras you may not even be interested in buying (I'm a Nikon and Sony user). Sharing their passion for and knowledge of photography simply does the trick!
And the Olympus PEN-F Camera is still so lovely and good today in the year 2022 :)
Esthetic af improved?
Yep, the Pen F is truly beautiful.
As to the problems you mentioned:
-The touch screen issue is not a problem with me since I hate touch screen on a camera and turn it off on any camera I use that has it.
-I don't care about video.
-Never use CAF for any reason.
-Only care about the camera as a still camera with SAF.
I wish you had demo'd the mono mode and showed how you can configure the mono to your personal taste, setting the grain level, contrast, levels. color filter etc.
This new mono mode is not the old grainy B&W art filter that was on the E-M5, it is a totally new B&W mode with lots of user control.
Always great quality reviews with these guys !
that lens produces gorgeous image. thanks guys you are doing an amazing job, I really think no one out there is doing what you doing. hats off.
You guys can't do any wrong at the minute, every episode keeps on getting better! Absolutely gorgeous camera but it's nearly double the price of the Fujifilm X-T10 which is another great looking camera with a bigger sensor and from what I've heard fairly good CAF (for mirrorless).
+GuerillaRadio - Maybe Pen F has gotten worse, but E-M 5 mk II has better CAF than Fuji X-T 10 (I use both.) The Fuji is fairly fast, but misses subject a lot (easily thrown off by strongly patterned objects in foreground or background, which is typical fault of PDAF.)
I love the art filters. I've been making my living in photography for 27 years. I've made good money using art filters. Thank you Olympus.
Been waiting for this review!
Superb image quality - thank you so much!
Just discovered your channel and I'm trawling through all of your videos. You have some very good and fair reviews, and I really enjoy the banter between you guys. Glad to have found such a great and serious photography channel!
+bogrunberger Thanks for the kind words! Stay tuned for some good stuff coming up soon!
Jordan @ TCSTV
Pen-F is probably the best street photography and back up landscape/architecture photo camera.
Finally, a good comparison between PEN-F and the GX8! Thank you!
Yes I was obsessed with the look of this camera as well. Luckily The Camera Store's review just saved me a lot of money:)
Same here
+Jeremy Harris Same here
+Jeremy Harris Me too. Almost took me away from my desire for an X-T10. Now I'm back.
So which one you ended up buying ?
Love the double sweater look on Chris.
I liked your review a lot. Very comprehensive, very understandable and you were the first editor, who dared to mention some critics. I really loved that. You gave me a second opinion to all those praising reviews. Thanks for that. Thumbs up and abo.
+Svenja You're welcome Svenja! Although we are a representing a camera store, we really feel cameras are tools, and that people need the right tool, for the right job, for their creative goals. Cameras are not perfectly designed or universally loved so it's about finding out if this tool is the right match for you. To that end we try to keep it unbiased and with our own personal thoughts and feelings. Thanks for watching!
Chris @TCSTV
so glad you guys brought up the GX8. many respectable reviewers seem to have totally forgotten that had the 20mp sensor first. i'm a massive fan of olympus and think they have a great take on their cameras. IBIS, amazing jpeg engine that you can completely control, copyrighting in camera, custom file names, super control panel, a pleasing thumb rest that results in a confident grip, the dedicated button to switch displays (Sony's auto only system is a pain in the butt), and their cameras make you wanna shoot.
does the pen-f have a touchpad af system? because that has come in with the E-M10mkII and has always proved useful on the panasonics since the G6.
Nice work guys!
That was a really excellent review.
Quality review, well thought through comments. More of the same please! Thank you both.
Beautiful video!!! beautiful Camera.
Great review , I just got one. Olympus dropped the price so it's good deal now and I love the camera. With 17mm F1.8 it is perfect working tool. I have it as the backup to my E-M1m2.
The art dial, well I just love the BW settings, good contrast images ....
Loved the point-counterpoint nature of the final wrap-up here, very effective and informative. The GX8 seems like a logical comparison as well. On the point that Chris really enjoyed shooting the PEN-F that reminds me of my experience with M43 that not just the body, but the lenses (I use) are also more compact and I'm enjoying using this smaller system more and therefore shooting more. So the physical design is a big deal.
Very good review. I especially appreciate the large lens coupling to get a sense of whether it's usable for that. 100% agree on the front dial being a bit wasted. Would be great for focus modes. Thanks!
This was a surprisingly good review. I think the C-AF issue with video has been fixed with the latest body firmware update. Love my new PEN-F for what it is... dSLR image quality, great lenses, compact size.
Excellent review. Thanks
Excellent review
It's really nice that you immediately tell us what camera the episode was filmed on. I always wonder what you are using.
I have my first Olympus OM-D EM5 coming today from B&H, I am excited! Hopefully, this will hold me over until Olympus irons out all these short comings. I believe the camera manufacturers get in too much of a hurry to get their latest cameras out, because they don't want to lag too far behind the competition... Hopefully, firmware updates can address the issues. I really like where mirrorless is going.
I was really looking forward to this, it's a bummer it has so many downsides, because it looks gorgeous and it delivers some nice pictures.
It will be for the next one Olympus!
good work letting us to know about the caveats up front ; Like the part with the comparison against the GX8 , interesting points there ..
Well-done, and THANK YOU for not making it a fluff piece.
Your part at the end, comparing it against the Lumix was great. I thought it was silly at first, but the Olympus is just SO much nicer looking than the Lumix, I found myself making excuses for it: "Yeah, but do I REALLY need AF-C? Or video?"
I'm at odds with you for the JPG modes. Believe it or not, not everyone likes messing around in software after taking the pix. Sometimes, a fellow just wants a grainy B&W with no messing around. (street photography, right?) I just loved the Grainy B&W and Dramatic Tone ART modes on my old XZ-1.
In the end though, it's $1200 and doesn't even work as well as a $500 SLR. Olympus needs to fix it quick, through a free firmware upgrade to save their reputation.
The video mode on my XZ-1 was garbage too. Why can't they get this right. Hire a damn video guy already.
great video !
Just got one with 17 f1,8 - terrific camera !!!
"in fact this big lens is hiding right here in between my legs..... " that sounds like a great pick up line. Thanks Chris.
thank you guys
good job
Going by my own experience, I think Chris is off base in thinking that advanced photographers don't use JPEG and will be turned off by the Pen's JPEG-centric features. Shooting events and theater productions, I almost always need to get a few photos up on social media right away, so I always shoot in raw+JPEG: raw for post-production later, JPEG for uploading from the field. Editing the JPEGs on a phone is tedious; instead I use my E-M 5 mk II's tone-curve feature a lot, and the color creator and art filters occasionally, so I can get the look I want right out of the camera. It's the future, guys!
I usually find that if the JPEG is not good enough to publish the raw wants binning. The photo might just want cropping and maybe slight enhancement. If the JPEG is no good, the camera or more likely the photographer (me) is a waste of milk.
If you were raised on film, you couldn't take 4,000 shots, you only got one chance to do it right and little you could do to correct it afterwards. If we apply those same lessons to digital, let the camera do it. The firmware they developed, the engine, is usually way more sophisticated than any software package. Both Olympus and Panasonic are poorly supported by post-production apps, they rarely understand the raw files properly.
Curve adjustment on camera. Well done Olympus!
+TheCameraStoreTV -- Just wanted to compliment you guys on a great review/presentation and *excellent* production values, your reviews are always a pleasure to watch, thanks!
pretty cool vid guys, nice, thumbs up !!!!!!!!!!!!!
nice test video
Great video as always. Very thorough. I have to agree with Jordan that the GX8 is functionally a better camera. I think it worth saying the build quality on the GX8 is very high quality. As a GX8 and long-time Panasonic owner I've never been attracted to Olympus bodies and only recently bought my first Olympus m43rds lens (the beautiful 7-14/2.8) but I could finally see adding the PEN-F as a second camera body. I particularly like a sensor without the OLPF - although what I would ideally like is that sensor in the GX8. Both cameras together would be the best of both worlds.
regarding C-AF: from DPReview, from the review of the OMD M5 II, which I assume is similar to the Pen f:-- The camera won't continuous autofocus when set to maximum (10fps) shooting speed, so you have to use Continuous L.-- The default "release priority" setting for C-AF mode results in a high number of missed shots. Disengaging this setting will greatly improve the camera's hit rate.
Wow Jordan, KILLER image quality in this video!!! Even with the deep depth of field, the image held up to TH-cam's compression perfectly!
Obviously the FS5 is a beast, but how do you compare the Tamron 15-30 to the Canon 16-35 F/4? This Tamron seems to produce pretty phenomenal images, albeit it's a pretty huge lens I guess...
+Hammerhaus Kennel Both the Tamron 15-30 and Canon 16-35 F4 are beautiful lenses, which is the better option depends on the body used. Since the Tamron doesn't have filter threads, I would only use it on a camera with a built in ND or if I had a matte box. The Canon is a great choice with mirrorless cameras, since it's small, light and has threads for screw in NDs. I love the images out of both lenses, though I find the Canon less prone to flare.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thank you again Jordan!
Cool design, looks like a Leica II
I would certainly opt for an accessory adhesive hand grip if I decide to buy it.
The tripod thread placement actually makes sense, it might reduce the effect of parallax if you decided to take panoramas on a regular tripod head!
I'm glad you guys addressed the elephant in the room (the GX8) it kind of breaks my heart that nobody is really talking about the gx8 and many sites are not even reviewing it. The GX8 is a spiffy camera with great iq(i quite love mine to be honest) and I think at current pricing it makes a compelling argument vs the pen. I am curious if the IS on the 300 f/4 works on the Panasonic bodies.
Hope they make a mark II and sort out the cons you mentioned. Really wanted this camera
A couple of minutes in, and I feel compelled to mention the fact that Olympus does NOT always do dials well. The E-M1, their flagship model, has a well-documented design flaw in the rear control knob, which forces one to have the entire top assembly replaced... sometimes more than once.
The E-M1 is a great camera, but this problem (and Olympus' refusal to take responsibility for it) has really shaken my faith in the company.
Surely the saying applies here perfectly... Beauty it's in the eye of the beholder....
Great review as usual, thanks! Would love to know when you're going to review the Fujifilm X70? +TheCameraStoreTV
+suresureYT Hopefully soon! We want to finish our look at the X-Pro 2 with final firmware first though.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Thanks guys! Awesome review as always. The Pen F is a very stylish and nice camera but I think I get better features on a FUJI X-T10 (not to mention the IQ of the X-Trans sensor), even the movie mode seams to be better on the FUJI.
Thanks for a great review. I absolutely adore the aesthetics and I would love to own one. A camera like this would make me want to pick it up, go out and enjoy using it - Surely that has to be one of the most important things. I don't care much for video shooting and I have never used that feature on any camera that I have owned. Weather sealing would have been a nice feature but weather sealing doesn't stop the rain from getting on the front element of your lens and ruining your photo. The continuous auto focussing looks disappointing but maybe they will improve that with a firmware upgrade. I think the price is a little ambitious at £1k but I'm hoping it will drop a little in the coming months. Fingers crossed.
Jpeg is not aimed for beginners, this is not a RAW shooters dream camera, this is a creative monster to play and have fun with regardless if you are pro or not. Thanks for a great review as always :)
Thanks for the critical look at this camera. I was almost sold on it but now I’m going to take a far more careful look. Calling it a jpg users camera really got my attention. Nice size and it is a pretty thing.
The GX8 does really seem to be one of the most underappreciated cameras out there. Not a perfect piece by any means, but a great overall balance, and no one seems to care. It's on my wishlist.
+pjw2000 GX8 has two brothers that overshadow it in a way. GH4 is stellar for video for just a little more. G7 is very nice for video and good for stills, and underprices GX8 significantly at only a cost of IBIS (but with better ergonomics).
+mountainhobo Yes, very true. It is totally overshadowed by those other two. But it's also important to note that the GX8 has good weather sealing, an adjustable viewfinder, and a few extra megapixels to boot. Those, plus the benefit of IBIS, are big features for me personally. But yeah, I can totally see why someone else would go for something different.
JPEGs aren't just for beginners. The processors in these cameras can often more than better post-processing. I now find that if I have to post-process the raw it is because there is something that needs fixing and the photo should probably be binned. The only problem post-processing the raw in-camera, which it can do, is that the monitor screen is a bit small for that job.
The monochrome mode is rather good, as is the one-spot colour. I must admit a lot of the photo effects are a bit meh, why would I want to do that.
Sehr fundierter Verriss ;)
Eagerly waiting for your Fuji x70 review! Can I expect it anytime soon? :-)
I bought an excellent used black Pen F and I am buying small used Olympus primes. What a fun camera. I really like the art filters. Not something I normally use, but they can be fun in certain situations.
Some cameras are just damn sexy and fun to use. This is one of them. I don't expect this camera to be useful for action shots and video. It's just great everywhere else. Sometimes these online reviews expect way too much (i.e. measure up against the top line state of the art).
I would buy a Pan F ii in a heartbeat if they: 1) added weather sealing, 2) updated the AF, and 3) updated the back display and EVF.
I think if they used the same sensor as used on the E-M1 iii that would be fine. Get your bulky FF out if you want 45+ MP on every shot. I dont need all those MPs for a very portable walk around camera.
Best camera reviews on the net.
Still probably one of the best street cameras, I have a black version, I’ve blacked out the white lettering on the front, I’m now using the Olympus 12-40 2.8 pro lens with it.
re: touchscreen menus... The way the "super control panel" is supposed to be used is you select the parameter with touch, and change it with the rear dial; at least that's how it is on the OM-Ds. Love the review though.
If only it did sell really well.. I was really looking forward to a mark II 😭
me too, me too... I'm with Fujifilm but if they came out with a Pen Mark ll I would switch.
I´m using it for almost 3 years: nice look, lightweight, small, creative - a little bit slow in focussing. It´s good enough, nice photolook, interesting bracketin-ART-functions: not he best camera in technic - but the I own but th mot beauiful one - sympathic to use...you dont`have to use RAW - and that´s fine because it makes evraythin easy and simple; you have enough possibilities to handle with creative filters...gerat for beginners who don`t want to make RAW development. GREAT! LIFEQUALITY - not to spend hours and hours in front of the Computer...
Thanks for your info... Do you think I can find many of these features in the Oly EPL9 (albeit no EVF)...just to get started in the Olympus world?
Oh how disappointing. I had such high hopes for this one. It IS gorgeous though :)
Love my Pen-F. However, as far as the ergonomics go, as beautiful as it is, it needs a dedicated rear AF/On button. There isn't a good button for this on the body, at least for my hands. The EVF is functional but not great. I love the black and white jpegs it takes too. Having a dial to switch easily from RAW to B&W is a plus. They can keep their color wheel and art filters. And this camera doesn't need video. I wouldn't care if it had no video capabilities. I'd gladly trade the video for some weather sealing, or a better viewfinder.
those pictures with the 300mm were too damn good.
From frame one of this Pen oozes classic. Retro in a way the EM series failed at. Maybe someone at Sony can crank out a body this pretty ;)
7:51 awesome slow motion guys!
Kudos for a comprehensive review of this camera warts and all. it's pretty rare that anyone makes an attempt to test CAF in their reviews. Unless the camera is faulty the CAF is abysmal. It appears worse than my EPM2 and my camera is ancient. Good point about the functionality of the touch screen in stills mode.
+Anthony Gasparetto I'm almost thinking its a faulty model although that's unlikely. I was so surprised by it and the previous Olys have always done well. Hopefully they address it soon.
Chris @TCSTV
nice looking camera. I only wished it would be weather sealed. The rest, menu etc... hopefully is the same as the E M5. I also noticed on my E M5 mkII some issues with the EVF being finicky and not starting when putting my eye close to it. Never had an issue with the season with my E M5. Well something they hopefully will fix with firmware
It appears to be a little known fact, but it does rain "on the street" so weather proofing would have been nice here too.
A nice, thorough look at the Pen-F. Gonna wait until the price drops and I actually need another camera, though.
Such a beauty. But I think I'll keep my E-P5.
Good one, thanks. :-)
You should try the continuous autofocus with the touchscreen or with touchscreen while looking through the viewfinder. It may improve the hunting, maybe. Or maybe it's just bad.
Touchscreen for menus is disabled for the reason. You use front and rear dials to move around and change settings. So your right hand us always on the front and rear dial, ready to press shutter. And then you use touchscreen in SCP with left hand quickly choose the setting to adjust without moving selector around with dials.
Same thing example with color creator and those, front and rear dials adjust all around without requirement to use Dpad or OK at all (shutter button works as OK).
So you get quickly to modes with new front mode dial or the new shadow/highlights switch and then you do adjustments with front/rear dials and hit shutter to accept. All with a single hand, without taking camera off your eye or loosing a grip.
It works perfectly.
And then there is this video side. You can't rotate dials easily while recording as you easily move camera around or cause noise. Why touchscreen is better as finger taps doesn't generate noise or move camera that IBIS can't compensate.
Informative, and helpful review. I'm a Canon DSLR user, and have been dabbling with an E-M10 and want to move to mirror-less in the worst way, but my 63 year old eyes want good...no, really good auto focus. At $1,500, you would hope they'd hit the mark better. Thanks
Thank you for review! I am looking forward for Hasselblad X1D, and other new cameras, now it looks like nor Leica, Fujifilm or Olympus, Canon or Nikon can't give us a simple good working camera :) I mean I love Canon 5D mk IV, but I also want small awesome camera for travel, portraits and instagram that works easy, fast and perfect. I hoped for Olympus PEN-F a lot, but after your review - it failed :)
FS5 review in the works? I'm really looking forward to seeing what that upcoming firmware does, with raw and auto-ND.
I bought one 2 months ago and I'm pretty happy with it.
Of course my d7200 delivers better shots but the Pen F is very light and there's a ton of cheap very good lenses for it.
I took it in Japan one month ago and got some very good results with it.
For street photography, this works very well because almost nobody notices it :)
Looks like I'll just stick to my E-M5 for now and wait for the E-M1 mkII if it ever comes out.
I own it and love it. I use it like a Leica that is half the size but delivers awesome pictures. The shutter sounds like my Leica film camera. Luckily I ordered it before I saw this review. I take it everywhere.
Have you tried to set the frame rate on high and check if the lag on EVF is still there? This setting is available only if the art filter or focus peaking was not activated, and you can found it in menu on the D section on page 2.
the sony video looks great! Like the look of the olympus as always but i can't buy a photography camera without better shallow depth of field
Interesting review. So far it is the first I've seen point out the flaws. I was close to regretting my decision to buy the XT-10. Is there a category for "jpeg shooters"? I wonder if that is what some companies are going for because I find the film/filter options to be fun and I thought the new wheel on the PEN-F was a great idea. But as a pure hobbyist who hates post production software I might be unique. I've been on the fence with buying an Olympus for many years - am I wrong is saying their menu system has been called confusing for over 5 years? Seems like they'd do something about that by now. Thanks for the review.
Great review, so lemme ask this: Did you ever happen to test the production model with the updated firmware. I was probably too dumb to find it. Any pointer is much appreciated.
Such a great-looking camera. A pity the continuous AF system isn't up to the task of doing basic action photography...
Fantastic report I know it was a while ago any changes see ya
I wish more cameras would look as beautiful as this one, but even with it's beautiful looks It doesn't make me want to buy it, I think for me it's the micro four thirds sensor and there are better cameras for the money, like the Xpro 2 and A6300 that seem more appealing to me, but they also let me down with the lack if touch screen, I wish Sony would make an A6300 or a A7r lll that looks as nice as this Pen but also with a fully articulating and functional touch screen
Thanks again guys for a very comprehensive review. I was interested in this camera until I saw your review. That CAF sucks! Here in Australia they want $1700 for this camera body only,what a joke. For a few hundred dollars more I can get a D750 that has good CAF and video. This really is a case of form over function, and I want function for that kind of money.
Funny you mention the crappy auto focus with the 300 as I was using that combo on a Olympus walk a week ago and I was getting the same results it just wouldn't focus properly with things in the distance close up it was fine.
Holy crap! It's February right, where the heck is your snow Calgary !?!
Thanks to your earlier video, I can't help but wonder what that B-roll is covering up...
It's such a beautiful camera. sad to see the video performance and the other issues. But wow is it a beautiful camera.