Olympus Third generation ‘Pen Lite’ adds tilting LCD screen but subtracts handgrip and integral flash
Available in a quartet of colours, the E-PL3 may look gorgeous with its brushed aluminium faceplate and retro-style dials, but it’s worth a bit of back-story to secure a critical perspective. The original E-PL1 digital ‘Pen’ camera from Olympus – so-named because it harked back to an original camera series from the 1950s/60s with its refreshingly retro design – was the third such digital model to be released, and the first to include body integral pop up flash. Mystifyingly, this third generation E-PL3, appearing a mere seven months after the E-PL2 was launched, omits this arguably essential feature, long with the side-mounted handgrip that went with it. Clearly size is everything, and with the E-PL3 its manufacturer is aiming for minimal proportions rather than maximum features.
All is not lost however, as even though the E-PL3 is less chunky than its predecessors, and we’ll painfully admit looks the better for it, a plastic-y clip-on flashgun is included in the box. The impression this gives is rather better when actually mounted on the camera, attached via a combination of the vacant hotshoe and rear-mounted accessory port.
For anyone looking to trade up from a pocket snapper to a more sophisticated camera on which the lens can be swapped and more ‘professional’ looking results can be achieved, the E-PL3 is a good place to start and will set you back around £549 with bundled 14-42mm zoom lens. This provides the equivalent of a 28-84mm focal range in 35mm film terms, so it’s as adept at shoehorning landscapes into frame as it is excellent for portraiture, capable of background-blurring shallow depth of field effects. The zoom isn’t automatic however, so requires steady adjustment by hand, particularly when shooting video.
[T3]
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