Olympus PEN E-P5
Announced May 10, 2013
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Olympus PEN E-P5 is a stylish, compact mirrorless camera that combines a solid, retro-inspired metal body with fast performance and excellent image quality. Although it offers a highly responsive shooting experience and advanced manual controls, it lacks weather sealing and a built-in viewfinder.
Weighted from 22 reviewer scores
Pros
- Fast, accurate autofocus and responsive performance
- High-quality, stylish retro design and metal build
- Excellent 5-axis in-body image stabilization
- Excellent image quality and color reproduction
- Highly customizable control layout with twin dials
Cons
- High price point compared to rivals
- No built-in electronic viewfinder
- Complex and unintuitive menu interface
- Lack of weather sealing
- Disappointing video quality and features
- Launch price $999 (USD)
- Sensor 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS
- Video 1080p 30p
- Stabilization In-body IS
- Burst 9 fps electronic
What the Reviewers Say
All 22 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 8.5/10
[I]t is the ability to make a high quality picture that captures everything you wanted in focus, properly exposed and in time [...] — all in a very small and convenient package size — that is perhaps the single goal of any camera like this.
- DPReview 78/100
The E-P5 is the most substantial reworking of the original PEN model, and it's the most impressive yet.
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[W]hen you consider its improved image quality, smart design and lightning-quick performance, the Olympus PEN E-P5 clearly marks a step up from the PEN E-P3.
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The Olympus PEN E-P5 is a flagship model worthy of the name. It does exactly what manufacturers and retailers expect of a premium product – makes you yearn for it, regardless of whether you need or can afford it.
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Compared to its competition, the Olympus Pen E-P5 is certainly stylish, if on the expensive side, being one of the best-looking CSCs available.
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The fact that the Olympus Pen got out of the way of my travels and came along for the ride, while also taking great quality images made it a wonderful on-the-go choice for the casual photojournalist.
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The Olympus PEN E-P5 delivers excellent image quality and features never before seen on an Olympus camera.
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The Olympus E-P5 is a compelling mix of old and new, fusing together a gorgeous retro design with the latest 21st-century technology to create the most stylish and advanced PEN yet.
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The E-P5 is a great camera, but it’s not without its flaws. The lack of a built-in viewfinder is a big one, as is the lack of a built-in screen.
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The Olympus PEN E-P5 is an extremely impressive mirrorless camera, but we prefer its sibling, the Olympus OM-D EM-5.
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We have not been disappointed by image quality from this camera, it matches the OM-D E-M5 in terms of detail and vibrance.
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There’s no question that the E-P5 is a lovely camera and the best PEN model we’ve seen to date, but we’d plump for the OM-D and the money saved we put towards one of the wonderful Olympus primes available.
- CNET 8/10
With a nice shooting design and solid build, extremely good photo quality in decent lighting, and some of the fastest performance we’ve seen in its class, the Olympus PEN E-P5 has a lot to recommend it.
- Photo Review 8.5/10
Like its predecessor, the PEN E-P5 will suit photographers who want a compact and versatile interchangeable-lens camera for general photography.
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On the whole, however, the E-P5 gets a lot more right than it gets wrong.
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There you go, the E-P5, the best PEN to date without a doubt.
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Big price equates to big things: the E-P5 is one of the best compact system cameras we've yet tested. But it's not quite perfection.
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Despite being a compact system camera the E-P5 is not a pocket camera, either. But then, when it looks this good - and provided you can justify the outlay - why would you want to do anything other than attach the provided shoulder strap and show it off?
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The Olympus PEN E-P5 mirrorless camera offers an advanced feature-set in a compact metal body.
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I liked the P5 but felt some of the controls unnecessary: like the two control dials.
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If you don’t want to postprocess at all, I highly recommend taking a look at the E-P5 over the OM-D (or any other camera, for that matter).
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It's very difficult to decide between the OM-D and the Olympus PEN E-P5, but in my opinion I like the Olympus PEN E-P5 a little bit more because the design is very nice.
