Full Review: OM SYSTEM PEN

A sea of rumours and revealing teasers have finally borne fruit, with the arrival of the new OM SYSTEM PEN, the latest in the much-celebrated series, and the first new model to be added since the PEN-F back in 2015. Does this long-anticipated addition to the OM range meet expectations?

WORDS & IMAGES: TERRY HOPE

THANKS TO THE development of high-performing smartphones more of us than ever are now carrying on our person the means to shoot acceptably good stills and video clips, one of the key reasons why the lower end of the compact camera market has now effectively collapsed. For those just looking for a decent snapshot to serve as a memory, one that’s also very easy to share, a conventional means of taking pictures is going to struggle to compete.

Of course, set against all of this is the fact that, for all their improvements over the years, smartphones still come with a whole host of limitations, not least of which are much smaller sensors, fixed lenses and the lack of the sophisticated controls that a true fully-featured conventional camera will provide.

And here OM System has sensed an opportunity, by offering an updated version of a true classic, the PEN camera, which can trace its origins way back to the late 1950s. The highly anticipated OM SYSTEM PEN has finally arrived and now, over a decade after the launch of the previous model in the system, the PEN-F, it’s designed to offer an alternative to those wanting the convenience of a carry-everywhere camera coupled with a high-end feature set and files that come with genuine professional credentials.

It’s a brave declaration of faith, one centred on the belief that those who are serious about their picture taking will be willing to invest in a model that can become their constant companion. Much will depend on whether OM System’s reading of the move back towards more traditional values will translate into a viable market for a camera that’s got brilliant heritage while being small and light enough to be carried pretty much everywhere.

Fully featured compact

Reading through OM System’s marketing literature for this new camera, the intent is clear. There’s a quote included from the legendary original designer of the PEN, Yoshihisa Maitani, that reads ‘A camera is meaningless if you don’t take it with you,’ and it’s the sheer portability of the OM SYSTEM PEN that’s being promoted front and centre. This is a model that measures just 125.8×74.5×43.3mm, weighing just 393g, and the aim here is to encourage users to take their camera everywhere, and to discover the joy of being far more in control of their picture taking than would be possible using a smartphone.

At the heart of the PEN is a 20.37MP MFT chip, paired with a TruePic IX image processor, delivering enough resolution for the needs of much of the audience this camera is aimed at, while the model’s compact and lightweight form factor is set off by a 2.36 million dot electronic viewfinder that delivers a rangefinder-like experience. Building on one of OM System’s main USPs, the body also boasts an IPX1-rated dust-and-splashproof construction, the first PEN to do so, ensuring that it will withstand the worst that the weather is likely to throw at it.

Bringing the PEN design fully up to date, the camera also offers 5-axis image stabilisation and many of the top-line features that users have come to expect from the OM System range, such as High Res Shot, Live ND, Focus Stacking, HDR and Multiple Exposure. There’s also 121-point cross-type phase-detection autofocus on board, along with AI Subject Detection AF for people and animals plus Starry Sky AF and Pro Capture shooting at up to 30fps.

Truly versatile

Meanwhile there’s scope for creative photographers to explore Colour Profile Control and Monochrome Profile Control modes, allowing film-inspired looks and highly personalised image styles directly in-camera. A selection of presets inspired by colour and black-and-white film makes it easy to explore different photographic styles. Preset effects can also be previewed and adjusted through the viewfinder while shooting, making it easier to develop an individual photographic style. The Profile Control Switch on the front of the camera provides quick one-press access to this function while shooting.

For colour photography, the saturation of 12 individual colours can be adjusted across 11 levels to achieve the desired tones. These adjustments can also be combined with Highlight & Shadow Control or shading effects for an even wider range of creative expression. Four presets are available: ‘Film Rich Colour’ for rich, deep tones; ‘Film Vivid’ for vivid saturation and rich colours; ‘Film Soft Tone’ for light, soft tones; and Standard (Natural).

Users can also combine five effects essential for black-and-white photography, including Colour Filter Effect, Highlight & Shadow Control, Shading Effect, Film Grain Effect and Tone Effect, to create distinctive monochrome images. Four presets are available: Film B&W, which uses a film grain effect; Film IR, which emphasises the red colour filter effect for an infrared film-like look; Film Low Contrast, which reduces contrast for a softer impression; and Standard (Monotone).

Another important addition is the dedicated CP button, which has proved so popular on the latest OM System cameras such as the OM-3 and OM-5 Mark II, and which enables the by-passing of deep menu navigation to open advanced shooting modes. You simply need to press and hold the CP button while turning the Control Dial to select from the following shooting functions: Tripod High Res Shot, Handheld High Res Shot, Live ND (ND2-16), Focus Stacking, HDR (HDR1 and HDR2) and Multiple Exposure.

The 14-42mm kit lens functioned well, and retracts into itself to save on bulk. A simple twist is all you need to activate it, and that can be done in a matter of moments. Offering a 35mm equivalent of 28-84mm it’s designed to offer the range of an extended standard lens, and will be a useful and inexpensive way of getting up and running, even if its maximum f/3.5 aperture, rising to f/5.6, is a little unexciting.

It was good to have many of the controls that contemporary photographers have come to expect as standard built into this updated PEN model, and to have this combined with the portability and ease of use that so many have come to expect from this revered family of cameras. Certainly this was a very different experience to the one I might expect to have through using my smartphone, but then again it still required a bit of effort to carry it around, and sharing images, although easy enough, was still more convoluted and less intuitive.

As always with OM System cameras I enjoyed playing with the Art Filters (total hobbyist experience I know, but great fun!), the focus stacking was super easy to implement in-camera and very effective, and it was good to have the controls at my fingertips to take things on to a higher level had I wanted. I also took on board the fact that the MFT mount meant I had access to a vast array of alternative lenses, something that smartphones and fixed-lens compacts can’t hope to compete with.