June 24, 2015 at 16:04Olympus E-PL7: learn how to do state employees | Part 1
Hi Geektimes! Not so long ago, we discussed mirrorless mirrors on the example of Nikon One : then the camera looked more like a soap dish with interchangeable lenses, good photo quality and some creative possibilities than a DSLR with a mirror torn off from it.
In fairness, you need to restore balance. Today we have the Olympus Pen E-PL7 Kit . After entering the market at the end of last year, it became one of the mass models of the company and earned a good reputation with professional photographers and not only. Great retro design, superior ergonomics, a common Micro 4/3 lens format. A good bid for success? So check it out.
In essence, the novelty is much like the previous model of the line, but it has a number of very interesting features, which speaks of it as a self-worthy device. If you evaluate the improvements purely in terms of ergonomics and qualitative changes, then first of all you need to talk about the new screen. The camera received a rotary (270 degrees) touch screen, which is extremely usefulwhen taking a selfieat all kinds of concerts and in general in uncomfortable poses. Another nice bonus is the Wi-Fi module for the quick transfer of pictures taken to other devices and to the network. Also, the camera, like previous models, is equipped with the function of recording Full HD video (with a resolution up to 1920 * 1080 pixels), but the maximum bitrate has increased - now it is 24 mb / s compared to 20 mb / s earlier. Well, in everything else, the E-PL7 looks very, very worthy in its segment. In general, let's talk about everything in order.
By itself, the E-PL7 is far from the most expensive camera at Olympus, moreover, it belongs to the line of budget mirrorless cameras. Here is what our camera has inside:
Unification with older models “forced” them to share a new processor, a focusing system, and optical stabilization. The latter, however, somewhat increased opportunities in the process of traveling from flagships to model models easier, but still very, very good.
Options Olympus Pen E-PL7 is quite familiar for cameras of this type, in the box, along with the hero of the review and its essential components - charger, battery, lens - were found: USB cable, cover, shoulder strap, external flash (the standard one is missing from the E-PL7 ), a disk with software.
Well, a detailed user manual, of course, was also present: a book a centimeter thick.
Like many other Olympus cameras, this model has an emphasized vintage design (note: the authors of the camera themselves call it that word, I prefer the word “retro”) , reproducing the trends of the 60-70s - characteristic color and material solutions, large notches on the controls, neat minimalism.
I would say that the design here most closely resembles the Bauhaus architectural school : what is utilitarian, comfortable is beautiful. A similar design in Olympus cameras is used from the very first mirrorless, and, I hope, this tradition will not be interrupted in the future. Especially since commercially it seems to be profitable, given the ramshackle fashion of retro. The dimensions of the E-PL7 may seem to someone too small - 115x67x38, and this weighs a little less than 500 grams. Indeed, for people with wide palms at first it can be uncomfortable, but thanks to the correct geometry, successful layout and no less successful weight distribution, it is easy to get used to it, after which the dimensions no longer matter.
Olympus E-PL7 can be found in two colors - black and white (at first it was planned to supplement the line with red and blue as well, but for the sake of tradition in design, the developers refused this idea). Well, since there are white cameras for girls, we had a strict black version on the test.
The main controls are scattered, as usual, along the upper edge and the back panel. On the latter, in addition to the flip-out rotary screen, there are two zoom buttons, a video recording button, a multi-function programmable button, as well as buttons for working with images and displaying the main menu.
The screen, as mentioned above, has a touch pad. It listens to the fingers just fine, although the icons and menus are still too small for it to be really convenient to control the device in this way, but the developer is not a fool, and the sensor is practically not used in the menu. Well, we will use the buttons, fortunately, the D-pad is pressed just fine.
It is accurate, the “click” feeling is made exactly the way you expect to feel, blindly finding the necessary controls is as easy as shelling pears. Well, returning to the question of touch control - even if the capabilities of touch control are not put at the head of the table, but where you can "poke" into the display and get the result - everything works very, very cool. Especially when shooting. Finally, it is worth noting that the screen has a resolution of 460 * 1037 pixels, and its rotary mechanism allows you to rotate it 90 degrees up and 180 - down.
On the right side of the device are microUSB and microHDMI connectors, hidden under a rubber anti-dust plug. Nearby is a ring for attaching a strap.
On the upper edge there is a speaker and a microphone, an external flash connector, which is carefully covered with a complete lid, as well as a toggle switch for selecting ready-made shooting modes, a power button and a shutter button.
Below, in addition to the thread for a tripod, there is a battery compartment and one slot for a memory card. And finally, on the “front” of the device, next to the lens, there is a backlight (for autofocus) and a flash eject button (recall, there is no default flash in the E-PL7, but a removable one is included).
The camera can be arbitrarily compact, or, conversely, massive, but if its weight and center of gravity are chosen poorly for the size and shape of the body - then write it is gone. Neither convenient buttons nor high-quality materials will save. E-PL7 with a whale lens in this regard, if not perfect, then very close to this state.
With this camera you can easily shoot with just one hand, even with two fingers - it’s very convenient if you need to take a picture with your outstretched arm above your head or slip the device somewhere in a bottleneck. There is a rotary screen, there are small sizes and a good move of the shutter button.
By the way, I used the previous Olympus (E-PL6), and I just can’t note the fact that in general the ergonomics and layout of the controls have improved so much that I just want to get rid of the E-PL6. So, the zoom buttons are shifted to the right, so that the folding display will not interfere with their use. Well, the fact that the viewing and scaling keys of already saved images are now located on the right, and not on the left, I don’t even want to discuss.
Once again to the question of how the camera sits in the hand. Of course, for those who are used to massive DSLRs or 35 mm “compact” cameras, the E-PL7 will seem like just a child’s toy: it weighs nothing and fits in your jacket pocket. In addition, the controls are reduced to fit into the overall scale of this camera. Fortunately, these are only the impressions of the first five minutes: after an hour, the device seems quite convenient, and by the end of the day of use, you will hold the device confidently and without fear that it will slip out of your palm.
The first acquaintance with the Olympus E-PL7 left the most favorable impression. The camera is convenient (although you need a “lapping”, as with any gadget), it fits easily in a bag or backpack, does not pull your shoulder when worn on a belt, is easy to configure, all buttons spin / press simply, and the functionality is impeccable.
The most important impression of the camera is, of course, the focusing system and the “program machine”. The first one is simply amazing, the only camera that (in my opinion) makes it faster and does not stand like a new car - Canon EOS 7D Mk2. Manufacturers can declare arbitrarily beautiful numbers, in laboratory tests you can get amazing results, but if you go out into the city in the evening, take out a camera and it shoots faster than some AF cameras start to move the autofocus motor ... Damn, this is very, very cool. Especially in conjunction with the touch screen, which allows you to “shoot by tapu” - where you poked, they focused and immediately made a finished shot.
The second coolest “bonus” is optical stabilization. Now you will hardly surprise anyone, but it was the mirrorless ones that made her massive in terms of “adult” cameras with excellent picture quality and sane price.
What else pleased you? Display. It gives a good clear picture and has a very good margin of brightness, so that the pictures taken are convenient to consider both in the dark and in bright sun. The flash that comes with the kit, of course, is not a fountain, but it is more likely for those who are just starting their amateur path (and for parents who will use the camera in the “green” mode.
The only slightest objective flaw is perhaps, perhaps the lack of a viewfinder, albeit an electronic one. I wouldn’t refuse. Well, the camera turns on for a long time, mainly because of the compact mechanism of folding the optics.
But, of course, a camera review does not make any sense if it is not accompanied by specific tests. How Olympus E-PL7 shoots in different conditions and what it can do in practice, which optics are available, what are the strongest and weakest points - in the second part, which will be literally in a couple of days. Stay tuned!
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In fairness, you need to restore balance. Today we have the Olympus Pen E-PL7 Kit . After entering the market at the end of last year, it became one of the mass models of the company and earned a good reputation with professional photographers and not only. Great retro design, superior ergonomics, a common Micro 4/3 lens format. A good bid for success? So check it out.
In essence, the novelty is much like the previous model of the line, but it has a number of very interesting features, which speaks of it as a self-worthy device. If you evaluate the improvements purely in terms of ergonomics and qualitative changes, then first of all you need to talk about the new screen. The camera received a rotary (270 degrees) touch screen, which is extremely useful
Positioning and iron
By itself, the E-PL7 is far from the most expensive camera at Olympus, moreover, it belongs to the line of budget mirrorless cameras. Here is what our camera has inside:
| Matrix | 4/3 ”17.2 MPix (effective - 16.1) |
| Sensitivity | 100-25 600 ISO in steps of шагом EV |
| Shutter speed range | 1/4000 - 60 seconds in increments of ⅓, ½, 1 EV |
| Supported Image Formats | JPEG, 12-bit RAW, MOV, AVI |
| Maximum shooting resolution | Photo: 4608 × 3456, video: 1920 × 1080 |
| Optical stabilization | In three axes, matrix shift |
| Autofocus | Hybrid, phase contrast, 81 points. |
| Source of power | Li-ion BLS-50, 8.7 Wh |
| Interfaces | HDMI, USB, A / V output, WiFi |
| Dimensions and weight | 115 × 67 × 38.5 mm, 359 grams without a lens, with batteries and a memory card. |
Unification with older models “forced” them to share a new processor, a focusing system, and optical stabilization. The latter, however, somewhat increased opportunities in the process of traveling from flagships to model models easier, but still very, very good.
Options, appearance
Options Olympus Pen E-PL7 is quite familiar for cameras of this type, in the box, along with the hero of the review and its essential components - charger, battery, lens - were found: USB cable, cover, shoulder strap, external flash (the standard one is missing from the E-PL7 ), a disk with software.
Well, a detailed user manual, of course, was also present: a book a centimeter thick.
Like many other Olympus cameras, this model has an emphasized vintage design (note: the authors of the camera themselves call it that word, I prefer the word “retro”) , reproducing the trends of the 60-70s - characteristic color and material solutions, large notches on the controls, neat minimalism.
I would say that the design here most closely resembles the Bauhaus architectural school : what is utilitarian, comfortable is beautiful. A similar design in Olympus cameras is used from the very first mirrorless, and, I hope, this tradition will not be interrupted in the future. Especially since commercially it seems to be profitable, given the ramshackle fashion of retro. The dimensions of the E-PL7 may seem to someone too small - 115x67x38, and this weighs a little less than 500 grams. Indeed, for people with wide palms at first it can be uncomfortable, but thanks to the correct geometry, successful layout and no less successful weight distribution, it is easy to get used to it, after which the dimensions no longer matter.
Olympus E-PL7 can be found in two colors - black and white (at first it was planned to supplement the line with red and blue as well, but for the sake of tradition in design, the developers refused this idea). Well, since there are white cameras for girls, we had a strict black version on the test.
Controls and screen
The main controls are scattered, as usual, along the upper edge and the back panel. On the latter, in addition to the flip-out rotary screen, there are two zoom buttons, a video recording button, a multi-function programmable button, as well as buttons for working with images and displaying the main menu.
The screen, as mentioned above, has a touch pad. It listens to the fingers just fine, although the icons and menus are still too small for it to be really convenient to control the device in this way, but the developer is not a fool, and the sensor is practically not used in the menu. Well, we will use the buttons, fortunately, the D-pad is pressed just fine.
It is accurate, the “click” feeling is made exactly the way you expect to feel, blindly finding the necessary controls is as easy as shelling pears. Well, returning to the question of touch control - even if the capabilities of touch control are not put at the head of the table, but where you can "poke" into the display and get the result - everything works very, very cool. Especially when shooting. Finally, it is worth noting that the screen has a resolution of 460 * 1037 pixels, and its rotary mechanism allows you to rotate it 90 degrees up and 180 - down.
On the right side of the device are microUSB and microHDMI connectors, hidden under a rubber anti-dust plug. Nearby is a ring for attaching a strap.
On the upper edge there is a speaker and a microphone, an external flash connector, which is carefully covered with a complete lid, as well as a toggle switch for selecting ready-made shooting modes, a power button and a shutter button.
Below, in addition to the thread for a tripod, there is a battery compartment and one slot for a memory card. And finally, on the “front” of the device, next to the lens, there is a backlight (for autofocus) and a flash eject button (recall, there is no default flash in the E-PL7, but a removable one is included).
Ergonomics
The camera can be arbitrarily compact, or, conversely, massive, but if its weight and center of gravity are chosen poorly for the size and shape of the body - then write it is gone. Neither convenient buttons nor high-quality materials will save. E-PL7 with a whale lens in this regard, if not perfect, then very close to this state.
With this camera you can easily shoot with just one hand, even with two fingers - it’s very convenient if you need to take a picture with your outstretched arm above your head or slip the device somewhere in a bottleneck. There is a rotary screen, there are small sizes and a good move of the shutter button.
By the way, I used the previous Olympus (E-PL6), and I just can’t note the fact that in general the ergonomics and layout of the controls have improved so much that I just want to get rid of the E-PL6. So, the zoom buttons are shifted to the right, so that the folding display will not interfere with their use. Well, the fact that the viewing and scaling keys of already saved images are now located on the right, and not on the left, I don’t even want to discuss.
Once again to the question of how the camera sits in the hand. Of course, for those who are used to massive DSLRs or 35 mm “compact” cameras, the E-PL7 will seem like just a child’s toy: it weighs nothing and fits in your jacket pocket. In addition, the controls are reduced to fit into the overall scale of this camera. Fortunately, these are only the impressions of the first five minutes: after an hour, the device seems quite convenient, and by the end of the day of use, you will hold the device confidently and without fear that it will slip out of your palm.
Work impressions
The first acquaintance with the Olympus E-PL7 left the most favorable impression. The camera is convenient (although you need a “lapping”, as with any gadget), it fits easily in a bag or backpack, does not pull your shoulder when worn on a belt, is easy to configure, all buttons spin / press simply, and the functionality is impeccable.
The most important impression of the camera is, of course, the focusing system and the “program machine”. The first one is simply amazing, the only camera that (in my opinion) makes it faster and does not stand like a new car - Canon EOS 7D Mk2. Manufacturers can declare arbitrarily beautiful numbers, in laboratory tests you can get amazing results, but if you go out into the city in the evening, take out a camera and it shoots faster than some AF cameras start to move the autofocus motor ... Damn, this is very, very cool. Especially in conjunction with the touch screen, which allows you to “shoot by tapu” - where you poked, they focused and immediately made a finished shot.
The second coolest “bonus” is optical stabilization. Now you will hardly surprise anyone, but it was the mirrorless ones that made her massive in terms of “adult” cameras with excellent picture quality and sane price.
What else pleased you? Display. It gives a good clear picture and has a very good margin of brightness, so that the pictures taken are convenient to consider both in the dark and in bright sun. The flash that comes with the kit, of course, is not a fountain, but it is more likely for those who are just starting their amateur path (and for parents who will use the camera in the “green” mode.
The only slightest objective flaw is perhaps, perhaps the lack of a viewfinder, albeit an electronic one. I wouldn’t refuse. Well, the camera turns on for a long time, mainly because of the compact mechanism of folding the optics.
But, of course, a camera review does not make any sense if it is not accompanied by specific tests. How Olympus E-PL7 shoots in different conditions and what it can do in practice, which optics are available, what are the strongest and weakest points - in the second part, which will be literally in a couple of days. Stay tuned!
Geek's health:
" What to do if the sound is too quiet, and how to protect your ears from too loud
" Geek's health: coffee is correct
» How not to turn sour to old age
Computer health:
" Proper nutrition
Our reviews:
" Logitech G27: when you want to drive a sports car, Part 1 , Part 2
»We connect original gamepads to the PC
" Razer Abyssus: the most affordable Razer
" Nikon 1 S2: one-button mirrorless
» Review Lenovo Miix 3-1030
» Understanding the art chaos of Wacom
» ASUS Transformer Pad