The Olympus PEN E-PL9 combines the unique PEN style with generous features. Audley Jarvis learns whether it’s Olympus’s best entry-level mirrorless model to date
Alongside the E-PL8 that was released in 2016, the E-PL9 serves as the entry point to Olympus’s PEN family of retro rangefinder-inspired mirrorless digital cameras. Positioned by Olympus as a fashionable entry-level camera for style-conscious users, the E-PL9 is primarily targeted at bloggers and first-time mirrorless buyers looking to upgrade from their smartphone. As such, it’s designed to be small, stylish and easy to use.
Features
The E-PL9 is built around a 16MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor that has been widely employed by other entry-level and mid-range Olympus mirrorless cameras over the past few years. This has proved to be very capable in the past, delivering image quality that is far above anything that could be expected from a small-sensor compact or a smartphone camera. While the sensor remains unchanged, the E-PL9’s image processor has been upgraded to the TruePic VIII – as used by both the OM-D E-M10 Mark III and the flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II. The primary benefit this brings is 4K video capture at 25fps, along with a 120fps slow-motion capture mode. It’s also possible to extract 8MP still images from 4K footage while in playback mode. While the E-PL9 features twin stereo microphones directly in front of the hotshoe, there’s neither a dedicated microphone input nor a headphone socket.
The E-PL9 also inherits the same 121-point contrast-detect AF system found inside the OM-D E-M10 Mark III, which provides an 11x11 grid that covers the majority of the frame, with only a small border around the edges left uncovered. In addition to single-point AF, the E-PL9 also provides nine-point group AF and a fully automatic AF mode that employs all 121 AF points. Face priority and Face/Eye priority are also provided for easy portrait shots, while autofocus modes extend to Single (S-AF), Continuous (C-AF), Tracking (C-AF + TR) and Manual focus (MF).
Denne historien er fra April 14,2018-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 14,2018-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
140 years of change
AP has become the world’s oldest surviving consumer photo magazine because we have moved with the times, says Nigel Atherton
Preserving history in platinum
A deep dive into the meticulous art of platinum printing, and the collaboration between the Royal Geographical Society and Salto Ulbeek. Mike Crawford explores how they brought historical photographs to life with enduring beauty and precision
Life in the past lane
What was life like for an amateur photographer in 1884? John Wade takes a trip back in time
Choice cuts
How many trillions of photographs must have been taken in the past 140 years? Amy Davies asked some of our regular contributors for their favourites....a difficult task, to say the least
How good a camera can you buy for just £140?
Three members of the AP team see what they can find for the money
Round Five: The Best of the Rest
The APOY judges choose their favourite images that didn’t make the top ten of our Landscapes category
Amateur Photographer of the Year
Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Five, Landscapes, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
FILM STARS A lifetime of landmarks
Cameras that hit the headlines between then and now. John Wade is your guide
140 years of Amateur Photographer
As AP celebrates its 140th birthday next month, Nigel Atherton looks back at its glorious past
John Wade considers...World War II: Home Front 1940, by A.J O'Brien
Say the word 'Wall's' to those of a certain age and two things spring to mind: sausages and ice cream.