Testseek.com have collected 137 expert reviews of the Olympus Pen E-P3 and the average rating is 79%. Scroll down and see all reviews for Olympus Pen E-P3.
July 2011
(79%)
137 Reviews
Average score from experts who have reviewed this product.
Users
(90%)
12 Reviews
Average score from owners of the product.
790100137
The editors liked
Very good photo quality (though see issues below)
Solid
Eyecatching rangefinderstyle body
Interchangeable grips let you find the right comfort level
Sensorshift image stabilization
Stunning 3inch touchscreen OLED display offers great color
Sharpness
And viewing angle
Very fast autofocus performance in nearly all situations
Full manual controls
With lots of white balance options
Five ki
Well thought out body with choice of handgrip sizes
Loads of external controls including dual control dials
Very fast autofocus speeds
Fast prefocused shutter lag
Built-in flash with wireless remote flash support
Touch screen is handy for autofocu...
Excellent overall performance
* Good still and video image quality
* Built-in flash
* Full complement of manual and auto controls
* OLED Semi-touchscreen
Beautiful images and video. Fast performance. Improved autofocus speed over its predecessor. Built-in flash. Big
Bright OLED touch screen.
Low image noise
Conservative metering
Fast contrastdetect AF
Short shutterlag
Almost instant video recording
Generally quick and responsive
Effective builtin stabilization
Excellent automatic Manual Focus Assist
Great LCD visibility and antireflec
BeautifulLoads of buttons and dialsStellar autofocus system
The Olympus PEN E-P3 is an attractively designed camera that's now one of the fastest in its class.
See Also
Olympus PEN EP3 Improves Almost Everything
NextGen Olympus PEN Hits the Micro Four Thirds Sweet Spot
Olympus Pen EP2
Now in RetroTastic Silver
Olympus Puts Pro Sensor into Tiny PEN EPL3 and PEN Lite
New Olympus Pen Adds Flash
Loses Good L
Incredibly high speed
Touchscreen and 3D shooting
Endless customization options
And new hardware for improved
Quicker manual use
User-friendly in-camera UI
Stylish look and comfortable feel
Stylish retro pedigree
1080i60 HD video
Hugely customisable
PASM modes for video
Builtin flash (finally)
Fast autofocus
OLED screen
Manual movie and CAF features
The editors didn't like
Some noise reduction artifacting visible at base ISO
Colors a bit warm for my taste at default settings (totally subjective
Of course)
Hard to see screen in bright outdoor light
Camera can struggle to lock focus in low light
No sensorshift IS in movie mode
AF system slow to react to moving subjects
Some redeye
Can't access memory card slot while camera is on a tripod
No AC adapter availa
Not as compact as some of its competitors
Touchscreen is easily bumped by mistake
High ISO performance and dynamic range not as good as APS-C rivals
Lowest available ISO sensitivity is 200
Low power flash (though better than no flash
And not a sur...
Pricey
* Confusing menu system beyond the basics
* Weak flash output
* Only 3 frames per second continuous shooting
Expensive. A bit heavy and slightly larger than its predecessor. No optical viewfinder. Touch screen interaction can be confusing.
Poor color accuracy
Below average AWB
Useless ISO 12800
No detents on lower controldial
Poor video framing preview accuracy
Modal ExposureCompensation
Histogram disappears during EC
Not always ExposurePriority and frequently wrong LiveHistogram
Un
PriceyNo dedicated ISO wheelPoor low-light performance
Poor video quality and suboptimal default image settings aren't that great
So you really need to shoot raw to get good results at midrange to high ISO sensitivities.
Would benefit from a new
Improved sensor. All that metal means it's no lightweight. It's got so many features and options you might spend more time figuring it out than shooting. What happened to 24fps video?
Without a doubt, this is one of the most fun cameras we've used on a daily basis. There isn't a high learning curve and what you see on its screen is usually what the camera records. It has extensive colour adjustments, Art filters and scene modes -- b...
Having used the Olympus Pen E-P3 for a few weeks, it is certainly a camera that ticks a lot of boxes for me. It handles well and allows easy creative control.While the AF system is generally fast if using one of the new MSC lenses, it is not always up to...
Very fast autofocus in good light, 1080i HD video mode with stereo sound, Noise kept in check up to 3200 ISO, Highquality OLED screen, Highquality build and finish
Autofocus slows down in low light with the 1442 mm f/3.55.6 kit lens, No swivel or tilt screen / No builtin electronic viewfinder, No settings (shutter speed, aperture) available in video mode and rolling shutter issues, Disappointing 3 fps burst mode, Battery life could be better
The Pen E-P3 brings Olympus back into the game when it comes to interchangeable lens compacts. With its boosted responsiveness, HD video mode and sleek OLED screen, the E-P3 now boasts most of the features that were sorely lacking in previous versions ...
OLED touchscreen, fast autofocus, wireless flash control, quality images
Expensive, subject tracking ineffective, too few shots per charge
Fast autofocus and a much-needed built-in flash brings the E-P3 up to a higher level than its predecessors. It’s a top model that produces great image quality from a Micro Four Thirds sensor and has plenty going for it bar the hefty £800 price tag...
Out of all the things we like the most about the Olympus PEN EP-3, the design and build quality stand out at the top of the list. It's a stunning little camera, with a cool retro feel and the ability to switch lenses whenever you need. Quality is high, with the use of aluminium throughout the body. It feels great, and it's also robust. The display on the back of the PEN EP-3 gets OLED technology,
The Olympus PEN EP-3 is a great little camera, but it's also expensive. You'll be able to get a decent DSLR for the same price, so you'll really have to want the more compact design. The lack of viewfinder will also put serious photographers off.
We really like the Olympus PEN EP-3. It looks fantastic, is stunningly well made and offers lots of fine features. It also delivers when it comes to image quality, so if the price isn't an issue, it's a great choice for those upgrading from a compact c...
Great image quality, Enthusiast-level shooting features, Solid build quality and stylish design
Zoom ring a bit hard to reach, AWB can be fooled under artificial light, Very expensive
Our review sample came fitted with the all-new Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R kit lens, although the camera is also bundled with a 17mm ‘pancake' lens kit. Thanks to the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds system, the Zuiko's 14-42mm equates to 28-84mm...
