The Olympus Pen E-P7 is the follow-up model to the 2013-released PEN E-P5. It does, however, carry over the attributes and capabilities of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV from the previous year.
Any time you need a travel camera, a mirrorless model is a terrific choice. When compared to smartphone cameras, they are ultraportable and lightweight while still being able to capture beautiful photographs even in low light. Also, it’s the first camera produced by OM Digital Solution, the Olympus’s new owner. We believe it to be advantageous for tourists for a number of reasons.
Design and portability are small.
The E-design P7’s is the first thing that stands out about it. We have always been satisfied with Olympus’ attractively designed cameras, and this one is no exception. It forgoes the more contemporary design of the E-PL series camera in favor of a stylish design with a vintage feel. It has two control dials on top, making it a far more complete manual photography instrument. Moreover, a new straightforward toggle button on the front lets you instantly switch to “Monochrome Mode” for quick clicks!
It is both lighter than its E-PL brothers and the PEN-F camera, weighing only 337 Grams. It is therefore perfect for walking around town and traveling. In addition, the kit lens automatically retracts when not in use, making it even smaller and lighter to carry. To make the camera more portable, an electronic viewfinder is however absent.
Date and cost of release for the Olympus PEN E-P7
The Olympus PEN EP-7 won’t be available in the US or Australia as of right now; it will only be sold in Asia and Europe.
This might be due to the fact that the first two markets are the most amenable to portable mirrorless cameras, or it might simply be a case of testing the market before making the camera available to a larger audience. If there is any information about a wider release, we’ll update this page.
The PEN E-P7 (body only) is currently available for about the same price as an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with a kit lens. The E-P7 costs either £849 with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ kit lens (about $1175/AU$1550) or £749 body-only (around $1037/AU$1,369).
The E-M10 Mark IV will be a better choice if you’re adamant about having a viewfinder. The E-P7, however, might be worth the extra cost if you’re looking for a camera that is as small and compact as possible.
Specifications and features
Although being the first Olympus camera to be introduced under the company’s new ownership, OM Digital Solutions, it is likely that it had been in the works for a while.
This is due to the fact that it substantially borrows features from earlier models. On the one hand, that makes it fairly uninteresting, but it is debatable whether keeping tested spec combinations is a good idea.
Olympus has been using the 20MP sensor for a while. Its resolution has been shown to be appropriate for a Four Thirds sensor, and the well-known pairing with a TruePic VIII processor results in a device that is useful in a variety of shooting scenarios.
The five-axis sensor shift image stabilization helps to keep ISO levels low and enables you somewhat longer handheld shutter speeds, which should result in cleaner images even if low-light shooting is normally not the strong suit of smaller sensors. As a camera designed for travel, it’s also likely that you’ll shoot the majority of your photos in daylight, which lessens the importance of its low-light capabilities.
When capturing video, the in-body image stabilization is very helpful. Uncropped 4K is available here, however the highest resolution is 30p. If you’re willing to go to Full HD, you can get up to 60p. The E-compact P7’s size and light weight may lure vloggers, but other video-oriented cameras like the Sony ZV-1 and Panasonic GH5 Mark II are more appealing due to their headphone and microphone ports and tilting screens, respectively.
If you don’t already have a large collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses, it makes sense to purchase the E-P7 with the included 14-42mm kit lens. It’s a good walk-around lens since it can fold back on itself to save space and because it’s a part of a system that provides you access to a wide variety of other optics.
There are possibilities whether you need an ultra wide-angle, macro, or telephoto lens. In addition, Micro Four Thirds lenses are so small that you can carry a fantastic travel setup with a variety of options in a small portion of the space a full-frame counterpart would require.
Performance
The autofocusing system for the E-P7 is not particularly impressive, as we discovered with the OM-D E-M10 IV. But at least it can be predicted, which is more than adequate for a camera of this kind and size.
If you’re considering buying the E-P7 to use for vlogging, you should know that it is less capable than cameras like the Sony ZV-1, which spend more money on a hybrid phase/contrast detect technology. In general, hybrid systems are speedier and crisper when focusing on objects like faces.
The contrast-detect AF mechanism of the E-P7 does an excellent job if photography is your primary focus. It swiftly and easily locks on to the target, barely struggling to focus in very low light. In low light, a focus-assist lamp is useful, however you might want to turn it off in private places.
Conclusion
The PEN E-P7 combines the aesthetic and shooting options of the PEN-F with the small size of the E-PL body. It also gains the power of the OM-D bodies at the same moment. It is an excellent creative instrument that you can bring with you wherever to create beautiful still photos and films. Overall, it’s a stunning camera that is both to use and to look at, making it perfect for trip photography.
