Olympus PEN-F Announced

Is 2016 shaping up to be the year of Mirrorless cameras? Well, Sony rev’d their line in 15 with a surprise late update to the RX1R II. Then, FujiFilm launched the X-Pro 2 two weeks ago. This week Olympus announced the PEN-F in conjunction with B&H Photo, who supplies our review cameras, and supports our shoots. So yes it is and we welcome it! Like the Verge said, it looks like the PEN-F came from the 1960s. We haven’t embraced Micro Four Thirds systems, preferring full-frame cameras and larger sensors (cause it’s all about the sensor), but the sharp styling, and compact form certainly got our attention. Expect street and daily shooters will love it too.  Read more about the PEN-F on the B&H blog. The retro camera — Olympus pretty much replaced the guts of an old PEN with digital bits — is available for preorder now, and costs $1,199.00. Specs and copy from the press release is included below the launch edit.

The Olympus PEN-F Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera, featuring a 20.3MP Live MOS sensor and TruePic VII processor to avail up to 10 fps shooting with a mechanical shutter, Full HD 1080p video recording, and a wide sensitivity range from ISO 200-25600. In-camera sensor-shift-type 5-axis image stabilization minimizes the appearance of camera shake by up to five stops for sharper handheld shooting, and the sensor and processor also enable a high-speed 81-area contrast-detection AF system for quick focusing and subject tracking performance.

The Olympus PEN-F also offers a High Res Shot mode, which composites eight individual exposures into one single 50MP JPEG with a resolution of 8160 x 6120 or a raw file with a resolution of 10368 x 7776 pixels. Interval shooting is possible for up to 999 sequential frames, and time-lapse movies can be saved at 4K resolution with 5 fps playback. Additionally, an electronic shutter can be used for completely silent performance, along with a top shutter speed of 1/16,000-second for working in bright conditions with wide aperture settings.

The Specs

  • 20.3MP Live MOS Sensor
  • TruePic VII Image Processor
  • Micro Four Thirds System
  • 2.36m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.037m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • 5-Axis In-Body Image Stabilization
  • ISO 25600 and 10 fps Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi, 50MP High-Res Shot Mode
  • Creative Dial, Color/Monochrome Profiles

Its retro-styled body incorporates a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, an articulating 3.0″ touchscreen LCD, and a dedicated Creative Control Dial for direct access to four separate artistic functions — Mono, Art, Color, and CRT. Built-in Wi-Fi enables the wireless transfer of images to a mobile device, as well as remote control of the camera.

The PEN-F is available in a solid black or silver and black body. Announced alongside the body itself is a slew of additional optional accessories to complement the svelte profile of the camera, including a form-fitted Leather Body Jacket, and External Metal Grip, a Premium Leather Camera Bag, a Premium Leather Wrapping Cloth, a Premium Leather Shoulder Strap, and a spare Battery Door.

 

My daily shooter is Sony A1 with a vertical grip and various Sony lenses attached like the FE 20mm F1.8. Find more gear recommendations in our shop. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.