Olympus PEN-F

Olympus PEN-F is Olympus's Advanced Mirrorless camera first introduced on January of 2016. It includes a 20 MegaPixel, CMOS Four Thirds size sensor with a full resolution of 5184 x 3888.

The PEN-F stands at #33 out of 62 in Advanced Mirrorless cameras and over-all #193 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please look at our Smart camera finder to see camera listings based on your personalized criteria.

The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

You can view the PEN-F from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a shortlist of upsides and downsides of the Olympus PEN-F based on aspects which are usually regarded as crucial in a camera.

The Olympus PEN-F is run by the TruePic VII processor chip. The sensor measurement in the Olympus PEN-F is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 5184 x 3888 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). Optical stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 20MP and features a native ISO range of 200 - 25600. The ISO can also be extended electronically to a low of 80. RAW format is supported so you have more room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath illustrates the PEN-F's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The PEN-F sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is outlined in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Olympus PEN-F weighs around 0.94 pounds (427g or 15.06 oz) and the overall size of the camera is 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5"). The weight of average Advanced Mirrorless camera is 454g so the Olympus PEN-F is similar compared to other competitors.

Photography Glossary

Down below is a image of the Olympus PEN-F beside a soft drink to help you have a feel for its size.

The top view underneath will show you the button layout on the PEN-F.

The PEN-F fits the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses that you can purchase. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the PEN-F.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Samyang 85mm F1.4 Aspherical IF85mmf/1.4 539g

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II14-42mmf/3.5-5.6 112g

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Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm F3.5-6.312-200mmf/3.5-6.3 455g

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm F4-5.6 II Power OIS45-200mmf/4-5.6 370g

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power OIS100-400mmf/4.0-6.3 985g

Kamlan 28mm F1.428mmf/1.4384g

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Lensbaby Sol 2222mmf/3.5144g

The PEN-F has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that include NFC and Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily copy photos and in some cases change settings with no need to connect directly with the camera.

Certain apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can easily be hooked up to an external display. A good number of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack with the USB socket.

The highest possible video resolution in the Olympus PEN-F is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in MPEG-4, H.264 and Motion JPEG format. 1080p resolution delivers a great balance between quality vs file size but 1080p won't leave you with much room to downsample. The body does not offer a mic and headphone jack so you have got zero control over your audio. It is probably a better idea to take a look at another model if you require better audio in your video clips.

There is no environment proofing for the Olympus PEN-F so you have to be careful in wet or dusty situations.

The Olympus PEN-F includes a 3" fully articulated display with a resolution of 1,037k dots.

The display is selfie friendly to shoot self portraits as well as group photos when required. Moreover the display is touch friendly so you can easily shift focus points plus adjust settings with your fingertips.

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The View Finder specifications regarding Olympus PEN-F are the following:

• ViewFinder Electronic
• Resolution 2,360k dots
• Coverage 100 percent
• Magnification 0.62x

In those sunny outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and tough to view, viewfinders can be particularly useful.

Olympus PEN-F has the ability to shoot continuously at 10.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000 sec. The camera also features silent electronic shutter of 1/16000 sec. Keep in mind that the electronic shutter may cause "rolling shutter" in some conditions.

Olympus PEN-F boasts external flash support but is lacking built-in flash.

Olympus PEN-F boasts only Contrast Detect AF and does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more quicker and accurate than Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera includes Face detect which can be useful for taking photos of people.

The AF system includes 81 focus points to choose from. Olympus PEN-F has touch to focus. You are able to use your fingers in order to shift focus. It also has Tracking AF for moving subjects. Olympus PEN-F includes manual focus if required during low light scenarios or you require more accurate focus control.

The battery life (BLN-1) for the Olympus PEN-F is fashioned to last for 330 pictures as per the CIPA standards making it lower than its rivals. The average Advanced Mirrorless camera battery life is 390. Sony A6600 has the best (810) battery life within this class of cameras.

Here is a collection of Advanced Mirrorless cameras having the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Sony A6600
PEN-F vs A6600810 yesyesyes

Sony A7c
PEN-F vs A7c740 yesyesyes

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Fujifilm X-H2
PEN-F vs Fujifilm X-H2680 yesnoyes

Canon R7
PEN-F vs R7660 yesnoyes

Fujifilm X-H2S
PEN-F vs Fujifilm X-H2S580 yesnoyes

The following bar chart gives a rundown of the Olympus PEN-F for varying forms of photography. To see more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Olympus PEN-F receives a score of 75 which is nice, and means the camera is a good option to use for portraits. Photographing portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support together with the ability to use off-camera lighting.

With a great score of 84, the Olympus PEN-F is a outstanding fit for street photography. A good street photography camera has a good balance of image quality plus portability.

A above average sports photography points tally of 67 means the Olympus PEN-F is a very decent fit for photographing sports. A camera really should have fantastic focusing plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

Size is super critical when choosing a camera for travel. Over-all, the Olympus PEN-F gets a above average 75 as a travel camera which is a fine fit to take on your trips.

When you're planning to choose a camera for landscape photographs, the most essential aspect is going to be image quality. The Olympus PEN-F at it's great score of 76 as a landscape camera is a fantastic option within the current market.

A camera for vlogging preferably should come with a articulating screen, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Olympus PEN-F is a awesome fit as a vlog camera as it comes to a exceptional score of 78.

If you want replacements to the PEN-F, here is a list of the top placed cameras that fall under the class of Advanced Mirrorless.

The chart listed below will give you a summary of the PEN-F versus it's top scored rivals shown above.

Here are a handful of other cameras you may consider as alternative options. To check out a full comparison, visit the "compare" link.