The good

- elegant and sturdy design;
- very good ISO capabilities, even at high values;
- good sharpness and detail in many conditions;
- 720p video recording;
- numerous pre-set shooting options, useful mostly for mainstream photographers;
- advanced manual mode;
- several in-camera photo-editing options;
- very good LCD display, even in direct sunlight;
- well-implemented LiveView function;
- advanced slideshow and image organization/playback functions;
- built-in Art Filters;
- relatively user-friendly, intuitive controls;
- no xD memory card support, just SDHC;
- multiple connectivity options (including miniHDMI).

The bad

- a bit bulkier and heavier than expected;
- low FPS count when applying Art Filters to video recording;
- very expensive accessories;
- limited multiple exposure;
- relatively short battery life (especially when used in mixed modes – photo/video shooting and playback;
- still relatively slow auto-focus, in certain situations.

Overall impressions

The overall impression Olympus' E-P1 rangefinder left us with, after almost three weeks of non-stop handling, is that of a very elegant digital camera, which can be used both as a trustworthy imager and a fashion accessory. The device has a very solid, sturdy body (pretty bulky, though, compared to a compact digicam), with a minimalistic, yet very attractive design, reminiscent of the original film-based PEN cameras.

Besides being able to provide good quality photos in a wide variety of lighting and environment conditions, the E-P1 can also shoot very decent 720p videos. In fact, what really makes this function attractive is not only the possibility of using the very good M.Zuiko Digital lenses for video shooting, but also the possibility of seriously tweaking the video recording parameters in order to obtain a better image. Unfortunately, in certain situations (for example, when applying the art filters), the “software effort” is simply too much for the E-P1's image processor, with the FPS count dropping significantly.

As far as the usability is concerned, the E-P1 can prove to be a good solution for beginners and advanced photographers alike, albeit the latter might have some issues with the lack of a built-in viewfinder and flash unit (after all, this comes with the rangefinder family territory).

The menus (even the Super Control Panel) are fairly intuitive and fast to get accustomed to, even by people with less experience in the field of digital photography. Unfortunately, pricing is quite an issue in the case of the E-P1 (not to mention its accessories), but the recently released E-P2 might do something about that, by bringing about a price drop for its predecessor.

Sales package

- Olympus E-P1 body;
- Li-ion battery BLS-1;
- Li-ion battery charger BCS-1,
- USB/Video Multi cable,
- Shoulder strap,
- OLYMPUS Master CD-ROM,
- Instruction manual,
- Warranty card.