The Olympus E-PL3 Pen Lite Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- A look at my Olympus E-PL3 Pen Lite micro 4/3 camera with Panasonic 20mm f1.7, Panasonic 14mm f2.5 lenses and Panasonic 14-140mm f4 - f5.8 zoom
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I had been shopping around for a Samsung Mini, but thanks to your casual, yet quite informative video I have changed gears and will definitely look into this camera. - thank you...
I've been looking at this camera for some time. Your review has helped me make up my mind. Greatly appreciated.
finally an actual review not just a 60 second techblog ad. Thanks for this video.
Thanks Clive. Yes, I like a built in flash, too. The 20mm is good - and being so compact doesn't spoil the pocketability(?) of the Pen body.
I mainly use the GH3 monitor for tripod work or shifting the focus point when using the EVF. But I'm an EVF guy for reasons of more steady camera hold as well as use in bright conditions. British weather conditions don't help me much as I spend 5 months or more of the year in the south of France!
Just got a like new silver one with flash in the mail today. Only paid $82. Really small with the 14-42mm EZ zoom I added to it. Nice review.
Thanks! I actually have a review on the E-PL5 and like it a lot. It's my carry everywhere camera, actually. The 20mm and 17mm, I've not used the 17mm much but unless I really, really preferred the 17mm focal length, I wouldn't bother to swap one for the other myself. Image quality of both is similar.
The big difference is in the focusing speed and price. I can live with the focusing speed of the 20mm, so I save myself almost the cost of a 14mm f2.5....
Just bought this camera second hand from Park Cameras for £79. It is in great condition and to my surprise it came with an Olympus flash and to my even greater surprise it also came with the Olympus v3 clip on view finder. i looked the v3 on Amazon and found it for £150.00!. I am very happy. Thanks for your review which is very helpful.
I'm astonished you get a flash and the EVF for that. That would be a price for the EVF alone, I'd think. Either way, an absurdly low price for a camera which has essentially the same IQ as the latest ones. I don't think the entrance price to quality photography has ever been so low.
I really admire your reviews. Excellent presenting style and ability. Thank you :)
For me, using even the bright OLED display of the GH3 outside in sunny conditions is a poor substitute for the EVF much of the time. But perhaps it's a different proposition for you when factoring in British weather conditions?
Hi David,
The Panasonic lenses, have the same mount as the Olympus? Or did you use an adapter? How is the lens in low light, because the F Values are 4-5.8.?
JV
Hi Hanna. Unfortunately, the eye level electronic viewfinders for digital cameras are all proprietary, so an Olympus one like mine won't fit your Samsung camera. The Samsung NX1000 camera isn't one I know but I can see that it doesn't have anywhere to plug in a viewfinder so I'm afraid you're out of luck with that, it just isn't possible. The NX20 has a viewfinder but its a very different camera.
I ditched the VF as it is a nuisance for carrying around. My main camera, a GH3 has an EVF and I use the Olympus (an e-pl5 now) as a take everywhere camera, so the smaller the better.
Quite a few people prefer to frame up on the monitor. I don't but as you say, each to his own.
excellent video. thank you. im sold! does it come with the flash and what flash are you using?
Hey, is there a noticeable difference in performance between this and the e-pl5? I was looking around and found that the e-pl3 can be had for only $200 right now and was thinking I might just jump on that instead of waiting to get the e-pl5. What do you think?
Hi Jesse. This is one of the few occasions where I'd say spend the extra money. The reason is that the -e-pl5 is is a big jump from the e-pl3 in image quality and in fact has IQ on a par with the very best in M4/3. That means you are likely to keep it much longer and in the long run it might even work out cheaper than buying an e-pl3 and feeling you need to upgrade. Also, the little handgrip supplied with the e-pl5 makes a surprising difference to the feel of the camera. While you're waiting a special deal might come up.
In your video description you have Panasonic 17mm f1.7 where there should be Panasonic 20mm f1.7, right? By the way how is the Pana 20/1.7 for video, any good?
Thanks
Panasonic and Olympus have the same mount, the MFT is a standard so all MFT lenses will fit all MFT cameras. The 14-140 is not a good low light lens. The new version is f3.5-5.6 which is a little better. The fact is that comp[romises have to be made for a wide zoom range and lopw light capability is one of them.
Cheers David. Managed to get the camera with the twin zoom kit for £416 (bargain). Will def get that cool lens hood. For a pancake lens I'm looking at either the panasonic 14mm lumix lens or the 20mm panasonic lumix lens. The 14mm looks better all round option due to the internal focus being ideal for movies and smaller more compact size. I assume the 17mm you describe is actually the 20mm lumix lens?
Consiglio su Obiettivo generico e flash?
thanks for uploading! im very interested in the panasonic 14-140mm lens, do u have any suggestion between this and the olympus m.zuiko 14-150mm lens? I got a olympus ep3 at the moment, not sure which of the two works better with it.
Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely hold on until I can get the pl5 and some nice lenses to go with it. Plus I would definitely make use of the flip screen as well. I'm still using a Fujifilm S700 and it may have been decent years ago, but it's just not up to snuff any more. 7mp and only goes down to f3.5, plus it still uses AA batteries. As someone who likes having the ability to shoot in low light, it's not even close to adequate. I've got my eye on that e-pl5, that's for sure :)
Glad I was useful.
Nice video David, I love your style..loads of information but with an informal, friendly delivery. Also, it's obvious that you use the camera and are intimately familiar with it (unlike many camera review sites). I just started playing with the MFT cameras and while obviously I give up some features and specs compared to my DSLR, I think MFT is the way to go when traveling. Gotta go now .. gonna order a Panasonic 20mm lens.
wow, i just had to stop to say a few words:
Thanks for such a nice video.
Few things i love about this:
The fact that you are at your age and still fiddling around, taking your time to do this and upload these kind of things is amazing
Also love the fact that you said about the fashion at your age. Im sure i will be the same when the time comes. How funny that is
Thanks again
He passed away 😢
Hey david,
I have the Olymus E-PL3 which you present and I need a good lens to make full-body photos of people (With a blurred background, hope you know what I mean). Do you have any suggestions? (It shouldn't be so expensive.) Thanks :)
David where did you get that lens hood from? Looks really good alongside that black version (from another slave to fashion ha ha).
I would like your comment about the viewfinder and the dioptres adjustment. I am quite short sighted in the 5-5.5 range and I wear glasses, would that be a problem?
I yet to see a video where youmcould see inside the evf. Is it any good? I might switch my t2i for a ep3 but its hrd going from an ovf to evf
Thanks for that great review. Any comments on the aspect ratio thing? I like the tilt screen, great for street photography as a waist level finder but I'm having a hard time getting past the fact they put a 16:9 screen on something used mainly for stills which are traditionally 4:3 in size.
Also, how is the balance handheld with the larger lenses?
I miss David's videos...
Hi! I'm just curious to know where you bought your viewfinder or where I could now purchase one, because I'm desperately in a need of one...and do you know that does it fit for nx1000 or where could I find a suitable one for nx1000? I'd really appreciate, if you'd answer to this! :) Sorry for so long and complicated questions. :D Ps.your videos are truly educating and inspireing! :)
So if i purchased a thin lens for this camera, something like any micro 4/3 one... like a panasonic pancake lens... it will work with the auto focus? Just ones that require adaptors to fit that will not have auto focus enable? Please could someone help me... spent all day researching this camera and after stuck between it and the xz-1 I'm going for the PL3. Still usable for travel with a bum bag or simular.
I love this video. Had this camera ages ago, when they first came out. Great camera, wish I still had one for traveling. Do you still use yours regularly David?
No, I sold it a while ago to help finance a lens I needed to buy to review. I'm terrible, i'd just keep everything if I could.
Great video, your video was the reason why I bought the E-pl3
For all who need extra stability while holding the device in one hand
Ordered and waiting to come.For all who need extra stability while holding the device in one hand.
Ordered and waiting to come.
Do you think that this camera would be suitable for equine photography/videoing?
I don't see any reason why not, though for action shots, jumping etc, I personally would prefer an eye level finder. M4/3 are not the very best (though still capable) for unpredictable action but generally over jumps and racing equine action takes place at predictable points, the jump itself for example, so pre-focusing is the way to go.
Hi david, I'm planning to buy Nikon v1. Need your suggestions weather should i buy it or not?
Hi Taher. I'm quite committed to the MFT system and that is what I write about so anything I say should be seen in that light. The Nikon has a smaller and thus noiser sensor than MFT cameras and a very restricted range of lenses.
The Nikon is a perfectly viable camera but I'd look at the Panasonic GX7, G6 or Olympus E-M5 first, all of which, like the V1 have EVFs and offer much more extendable capabilities of the future.
David Thorpe dmc gf3
taher bakri I wish I could help, Taher but I don't know much about the Nikon V1. I do know that it has a smaller sensor than MFTs which is probably pushing the IQ a bit too far for my taste. But the Nikon has other attributes which may balance it for you. The big reason for not buying the V1 for me would be the lack of dedicated lenses compared to the arsenal available for MFT.
How do you record the audio when recording movies with that camera?
You just turn the sound on and it takes care of it. It won't be the greatest results but perfectly serviceable.
I do have that same Camera and I found two lenses Kyocera AF 70-210 mm and AF 35-70 mm Macro.
Do you think there is any adapter or convertor in order to use those lenses on my Olympus?
Carlos Carpio It depends what lens mount the Kyoceras are for. If they are the Contax fitting, I believe they do exist. but not for Kocera/Yashica.
Thank you alot!
Ive seen it for £370 on jessops. But u have already bought it now.
Hand grip is from Richard Franiec's
This camera shutter is not opening....what i want to do......
The shutter should be o[en until you press the shutter button, at which point it closes, opens for the exposure, closes and then opens again ready for viewing. Is it taking pictures at all?
@@DavidThorpeMFT when i am switching on the camera its working but screen is full black..
@@akhilbenny7960 So it'll take pictures but you just can't see what you are taking. So you can't even see the menu, I take it? It sounds like it'll have to go back to Olympus, though if the screen is defective it'll likely cost more to repair than the camera is worth.
First camera review :)
ottima recensione
It is tiny and build quality excels most of the later models of Oly and Lumix! The draw back is the small LCD.
Yes, the later, bigger LCDs are better but I agree about build quality. It's a smilar situation with the E-M10s and the E-M10 Mklll now. The new one uses more plastic and while it may even be stronger, it doesn't feel the same.
I notice your hands shaking in this 9 year old vid. I hope and trust that it hasn't got any worse, certainly not enough to affect your favourite hobby. I also hope that's not the reason we don't see you in videos any more. Best wishes!
My hands have always been shaky, a family thing. It's a nuisance but funnily enough they don't shake when I'm actually taking pictures. I stopped (mostly) appearing in the videos because...well, I don't like the look of myself :-)
@@DavidThorpeMFT Good to hear it's not impacting you much! Not sure why you don't like your own look; to me you look like the classic British gentleman, even with your northern accent :-D
It's an eBay item, less than £4 - search for 46mm lens hood. Fashion on a budget or what?
It's now Sept 2017 and I'm amused to see an E-PL3 (body only) advertised for £239 at the top of the screen. Earlier this year I paid £139 for an E-PL5 body only . These TH-cam advert placing algorithms are very will try anything LOL.
Some sellers seem to chance it - every now and again I've seen something like an Pen F on Amazon for £2,200. eBay too. I always wonder what's going on. Does anyone buy at that price? If so, why? If it works, maybe we could open a Camera shop between us called Double Retail Cameras where we sell everything for twice the maker's price :-)
I just bought one.. I'm a slave to fashion too!
I am waiting on delivery of my new Rolex brand solid gold UV filters with glass by de Beers, leather camera straps by Prada and Louis Vuitton suede and cashmere camera bag.
We fashionistas must stick together!
Oh my my!! You are a Fashionista!! I am taking my E-PL3 and having a Full spectrum filter added to it for IR Photography.... This will be camera #3 around my neck..lol... no wonder my neck hurts...
LindyLooo99 You need the latest 'Neck Pain Eliminator' neckstraps from Dolce & Gabbana, only £3.500 each in finest blended Peruvian LLama, goat and rabbit fur made into a fine wool and interwoven with gold thread from Liberty.
We fashionistas would use nothing else.
David Thorpe I am waiting for delivery of mine as I type. I paid very little for a new one. We had a snow storm here (Massachusetts) so things are a couple days behind.
I can't imagine buying a camera at this price level that doesn't have a built-in viewfinder, and as as for the dorky add-on VF, well, I could only laugh when I saw it. But each to his own.
:)