Olympus E-P1 DSLR Camera Review

Introduction

The Olympus E-P1 is—by far—the smallest video-capable camera on the market that offers an interchangeable lens system. The E-P1 isn't technically a DSLR camera, as it uses the Micro Four Thirds lens system that was jointly developed by Panasonic and Olympus in 2008. Along with its compact design, the E-P1 also has 1280 x 720 HD video capability, a live auto focus feature, and a basic set of manual controls that work with video mode. The camera is currently available for $799, which includes its 14 - 42mm kit lens.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Olympus E-P1 at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.

Color & Noise Performance

The E-P1 didn't put up fantastic numbers in our bright light color testing, although its image looked quite good. The camera struggled to compete with the strong color performances we've seen from the other video-DSLRs we've tested. Click here to read our full color performance review, including color swatches and crops.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Olympus E-P1 produced a color error of 07.28 and a saturation level of 87.07% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

In bright light, the noise levels were relatively low on the E-P1—but they were still higher than the competition. The camera does have a few noise reduction settings, however, which we also tested. Click here to read our full noise performance review, including crops and comparative analysis.
 

Motion & Sharpness

The E-P1 records video at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720. The camera records all video using a 30p frame rate, which offers a different aesthetic than the traditional 60i rate used on most HD camcorders. We found the E-P1 captured smooth motion, although its recorded video showed a good amount of artifacting. Click here to read our full motion performance review, including video clips.

For a camera that records 1280 x 720 HD video, the E-P1 put up decent numbers in our video sharpness test. Of course, the DSLRs we tested that have Full HD capability were able to achieve much higher sharpness results. Click here to read our full sharpness performance review.

Low Light Performance

The E-P1 didn't show us anything special with its low light sensitivity. The camera needed more light than the Nikon D5000 and Panasonic GH1, but it didn't require as much as the Canon T1i. We tested the E-P1's low light sensitivity using the camera's 14-42mm f/3.5 - f/3.7 kit lens. Click here to read our full low light sensitivity performance review.

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

The colors on the E-P1's low light image looked very good and the camera actually had a better color accuracy in low light than it did in bright light. Click here to read our full low light color performance review, including comparative images and analysis.

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Olympus E-P1 produced a color error of 4.7 and a saturation level of 91.54% in our low light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

Low light noise was one of the biggest problems with the E-P1. The camera measured over 2.2% noise in low light, which is much higher than the rest of the video-DSLRs we've tested. The E-P1's Noise Filter mode was able to bring down the noise levels, however. Click here to read our full low light noise performance review, including crops and comparative images.

Conclusion

If all you want to do is play around with the video functions of a DSLR, the Olympus E-P1 is a good place to start. It's small, easy to use, and has a much lower price than some of the video-DSLRs on the market (like the Panasonic GH1 and Canon 5D Mark II). We specifically liked the compact body design of the camera, which was actually lighter than many of the high-end consumer camcorders we've tested. Of course, the E-P1 is limited when it comes to performance. Its maximum video resolution of 1280 x 720 is too low to compete with the likes of the Full HD camcorders that populate the industry. Still, the E-P1 did capture sharper video and smoother motion than the similarly-priced Nikon D5000, which also tops out with a 1280 x 720 video resolution. In low light, the E-P1 measured much higher noise levels than the rest of the DSLRs that have come through our labs. The E-P1 isn't loaded with video controls, but it does allow for manual aperture control, which is good for controlling depth of field. It also offers a variety of Picture Modes, some Art Filters, and a live autofocus feature that is helpful for shooting video. The lack of manual shutter speed and ISO control in video mode was disappointing. Other than its size, there really isn't anything that blew us away about the video capabilities of the E-P1. If the bulkiness of the previous video-DSLRs scared you away, however, then maybe the E-P1 is your chance to take the plunge into the world of video.

Exclusive - Read the full review of the Olympus E-P1 at DigitalCameraInfo.com, including complete, comprehensive video testing and analysis by CamcorderInfo.com.