Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T – Retro Showdown

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T-

These two cameras are among the most popular retro styled cameras currently available. So I decided to put the Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T to see which camera is better built, has better handling and most importantly which produces better images.

I also shot a video if you don’t want to read all of this although I add a few more details here

So before we dive right in lets take a look at the features of each camera to see what you get before we put them up against each other in real World use.

Olympus Pen F features

New 20mp sensor The new sensor gives an image size of 5184 x 3888 pixels
5 Axis Image Stabilisation built in to the body.
2.36 million dot OLED Viewfinder. The viewfinder on the Pen F is the same as that found in the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II offering 1.23x magnification.
10 FPS mechanical shutter and up to 20FPS with the electronic shutter.
Fully articulating 1.04 million dot 3″ touch screen LCD screen.
50mp High res shot mode.
1/8000 mechanical shutter speed , 1/16000 with the electronic shutter.
1080/60p video.
Colour Wheel control dial giving access to fine tuning of black and white, colour and ART profiles.

Fuji X100T Features

16mp APS-C X-Trans II Sensor . Sensor size is 23.6mm x 15.8mm giving an image size of 4896 x 3264 pixels.
Hybrid viewfinder with 2.36 million dot LCD. This is both an optical and electronic viewfinder
Fixed 23mm f/2 Lens with leaf shutter, in built flash and ND filter
Mechanical 6FPS shooting speed.
1.04 million dot 3″ Fixed LCD
1/4000 mechanical shutter speed, 1/32000 with electronic shutter
1080/60p video
Fuji Film Profiles

Now before I start, both the Olympus Pen F and the Fuji X100T are great cameras. Both have a large following and the X100 series from Fuji has almost legendary status.

However a lot of people say that at the price you would be crazy to choose a micro 4/3 sensor over an aps-c or full frame camera. If you think that’s the case then you might want to see my Micro 4/3 vs APS-C article

If you are looking for more detailed information then check out my Fuji X100T review and my Olympus Pen F review . I also put the Olympus Pen F vs OMD EM5 II so make sure to check that out too.

Sensor size is not the only factor to consider here though. You need to look at the camera as a whole when deciding between the Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T and in the Pen F’s case that includes all the light and superb lenses available from Olympus and Panasonic.

Handling

Before writing up this Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T article I have had the chance to use both these cameras for an extended period. The Fuji for nearly two years and the Pen F for nearly two months now. I bought these camera with my own money (as I do with all my gear). I have no bias to any manufacturer or system although I have to admit that both Fuji and Olympus are among my favourite brands for cameras.

This is because they both continue to innovate and bring us great new cameras, lenses and features. Both Fuji and Olympus cameras are feature rich, more so Olympus as they give us incredible tools like 5 axis IS, live bulb, live time and the new high resolution mode. Fuji keeps it a bit more simple but that’s fine with me also as they give us great film simulations and beautifully handling cameras with real external dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation and aperture rings on most of their lenses which are a joy to use.

The Olympus Pen F and Fuji X100T feel similar when holding them. The Fuji X100T is a little larger at 127 x 74 x 52 mm compared to the Pen F’s 125 x 72 x 37 mm and slightly heavier at 440 g while the Pen F is 427 grams. However don’t forget that the Fuji includes a lens at this weight. Once you add a lens like the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 to the Pen F it actually feels a little heavier than the X100T.

The Olympus Pen F feels a little more solid. Both are well made but when holding them next to each other the Pen F feels better made. The Fuji has a small grip on the front whereas the Pen F does away with any front grip. The thumb rest on the Pen F gives decent purchase which makes the camera comfortable to hold.

I have the silver versions of both and they look very stylish although I actually wanted the black Pen F but it was out of stock and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this stylish camera.

The design of both cameras is nice but the Pen F wins in the style stakes with its beautiful shape, luxurious metal finish and a higher quality faux leatherette grip.

The dials feel better built on the Olympus, giving better feedback and feeling more solid in use. For example both cameras have exposure compensation dials but the Fuji’s is a little easy to accidentally knock while the one on the Pen F is stiffer and requires intentional movement to change.

Both cameras have plenty of external dials but they go about implementing them in different ways.

The Fuji X100T goes for an old school aperture ring on the lens as well as shutter speed dial on the top. There is no ISO dial like you find on the Fuji XT1 but I don’t miss it that much.

Shooting with the X100T is very intuitive and it’s nice to be able to see your settings without having to look at an LCD screen or viewfinder.

The Olympus Pen F uses a more standard PASM dial and control dials in front and behind it to control your settings. I actually find this to be slightly quicker to use in practise but there is not much in it so choose what you prefer. It is nice to see Olympus putting a push to lock button on the PASM dial. You simply press it to lock and press again to unlock.

The Pen F also has a physical exposure compensation dial with +-3 ev available. The on/off switch is also nice to use. I actually prefer it to the on off switch on the Fuji which can be a little hard to use sometimes as it is just a bit too small.

As you can see in my video the Fuji features a small hand grip on the front whereas the Pen F doesn’t. However the thumb grip on the Pen F is larger and makes up for this. I actually feel that I have a better grip on the Pen F but again with both cameras the differences are quite small.

The Pen F features a fully articulating 1.04 million dot 3″ touch screen LCD. The Fuji has a standard non articulating 1.04 million dot 3″ LCD screen. Some people love articulating screens others despise them. That’s up to you to decide what you prefer. I hope the Fuji X100T successor has a flip up screen like the X-T1. That would suit this camera better.

Winner – Draw

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T – Features

The X100T features the last generation 16mp X=Trans II sensor while the Olympus Pen F sports the latest 20mp Micro 4/3 sensor from Sony.

In reality 20mp vs 16mp doesnt make a huge amount of difference and in my testing the differences were minimal and any perceived increase in resolution is more to do with the lenses used on both cameras than the resolution itself.

The Olympus Pen F also features the new colour wheel on the front of the camera.

This gives you direct access to customise your Jpeg output using the new black and white simulation modes, the new colour mode or the older Art modes. If you shoot Jpeg (and even if you don’t) you will love the new black and white (Tri X simulation) from Olympus. It gives a fantastic contrasty image. What is even greater is the ability the Pen F has given users to customise the look of the images.

You can change the tone curves, introduce colour filters as well as add a grain and vignette.

Shot on the Pen F using the black and white colour wheel

The Fuji X100T added the Classic Chrome simulation mode to the other film simulations offered but nothing in there quite offers the customisation of the black and white output available on the Pen F.

You can add colour filters (red, green, yellow) to the monochrome mode in the X100T but again the Pen f has more options here with Yellow, orange, Red, Magenta, blue, cyan, greenand yellow-green. You can also vary the strength of each filter in three steps.

I’m dying to get my hands on the new Fuji X-T2 to try out their Acros black and white simulation as it looks beautiful. Some of the images I have seen Damien Lovegrove produce with it are simply stunning.

The Fuji X100T is not really about features and all the bells and whistles. It invites you to simply concentrate on your images. You wont find image stabilisation, live time or live bulb modes as in the Olympus but for some this wont matter. However it does have some advantages which are perhaps more useful in general photography. The X100T has a leaf shutter which allows fast flash sync speeds even up to 1/2000. Why does this matter? It allows you to add fill flash in daylight and for brightly lit subjects when you can’t decrease your shutter speed to the usual flash sync speeds of 1/200 or 1/250.

It also has a built in ND filter. This again is great when shooting in bright light when you want to use large apertures. Normally you would have to add an ND filter to your lens to enable you to keep your shutter speed below the maximum. However the X100T has this feature built in. There are basically very few situations where you can’t get the image that you want with the Fuji.

The built in ND filter on the Fuji X100T allowed me to get this shot and still shoot at f/2

The Pen F on the other hand looks like a simple camera but in reality it is feature rich. The 5 axis image stabilisation built in to the body is the best that there is. It allows you to handhold shots at unthinkably slow shutter speeds and still get sharp shots.

One of the newer features (first introduced in the OM-D E-M5 II) is the High resolution mode. This combines 8 images in to 1 using sensor shift technology. Basically it moves the sensor a tiny amount between each image and then combines them in camera to give you an 80mb raw file or 64mb Jpeg. The detail that this produces is incredible and easily on par with 36mp full frame cameras such as the Nikon D810 and Sony A7R.

The only issues is that it is limited in use to still subjects and you need to have the camera on a tripod as the Image stabilisation doesn’t work at the same time. So any subjects with movement will not work in this mode. Uses I can see for it are architectural, still life, fine art and Art reproduction photography. I also noted that the colours produced by the camera in this mode were very rich and beautiful.

Winner – Draw

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T – Auto Focus

Neither of these cameras are going to be useful for fast action or sports. The X100T’s auto focus is way too slow and the Pen F tracking is not up to scratch because there are no phase detection pixels. Instead it relies on contrast detection auto focus.

In reality no one in their right mind would buy these cameras with the intention of shooting wildlife or sports.

So in normal use which one is better and will give you more keepers?

Photos of moving subjects are easier to get on the Pen F

Simple, the Olympus Pen F wins here comfortably. In good light it is closer than you might think but the Pen F locks on faster and more decisively. Don’t forget that the Pen F also has a better implementation of face and eye detection auto focus. On the Pen F you can select face detection, eye detection, left, right or near eye detection and it works really well most of the time. It also has touch to focus on the LCD screen so you can touch where you want the camera to focus and it will take a shot with your subject in focus.

The Fuji has face detection too but doesn’t offer the customisation of the Pen F with no eye focus selection.

In low light both cameras can sometime hunt. In the case of the Fuji it can hunt back and forth and still not find it’s intended target. The Pen F is pretty good unless your subject has very low contrast, in which case it can sometimes fail to lock on.

Winner – Pen F

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T – Image Quality

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T

So we have an older generation 16mp X-Trans APS-C sensor against a newer generation 20mp Micro 4/3 sensor.

The new sensor in the Olympus Pen F is a slight improvement over the older 16mp sensor in previous Olympus cameras like the OM-D E-M5II but it’s not a huge improvement in terms of resolution.

In terms of IQ the Pen F combined with the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 produces sharper images than the Fuji. It is very close unless you shoot close to your subjects. Then the difference is greater as the 23mm lens on the X100T is known to be a little soft at close distances.

Olympus Pen F + 17mm f/1.8 Shot on Tripod using the same settings as the Fuji X100T

The Pen F definitely seems to perform better at high ISO with less colour noise than the OM-D E-M5II. The grain produced at ISO 3200 is small and quite filmic so I don’t mind shooting at up to ISO 3200 for some subjects. I think 6400 is too far for this format at the moment unless your output is on the web or small prints.

The larger sensor in the Fuji X100T naturally gives it an advantage here and around half to one stop advantage at high ISO. I would max the X100T at ISO 6400 but again only for some subjects.

In terms of colour you can check out my Micro 4/3 vs APS-C article to see comparisons. Both produce great Jpegs with very nice colours. Which you prefer is really down to the subjects you shoot and personal taste. I would say that Olympus and Fuji produce the best SOOC Jpegs in the industry right now.

Despite the difference in sensor size these two cameras are very close when it comes to image quality. However all things being equal the Fuji will produce shallower depth of field at the same aperture and handles high ISO noise slightly better.

The Pen F is more customisable if you are shooting Jpegs thanks to the fantastic new colour wheel at the front and the ability to tweak and perfect your output.

Winner – Fuji X100T

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You can buy the Pen F through Amazon UK below

You can buy the Olympus Pen F through Amazon.com below

Olympus PEN-F (Body-Only) (Silver)
Olympus PEN-F (Body-Only) (Black)

Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T – Conclusion

So which is the better camera overall?

If I had to pick one as my only camera it would be the Pen F due to the fact that it is an interchangeable lens camera. This doesn’t mean it is a better camera than the X100T.

For instance I have owned the X100T for nearly two years and for some of that time it was my only camera. I would prefer to have the Fuji as a second camera. One that you always take with you and know you can still capture great images. If the 23mm (35mm equivalent) focal length suits you then it is a fantastic camera. There is also something pleasing about having a fixed focal length as it teaches you to see in that format and to use the camera that you have. You wont spend time worrying about which lens to use. You will just work out how to get the shot. With that said there are some occasions where you wont get the shot because you are just too far away from the subject or you are too close and can’t fit everything in. There is only so much you can do with one fixed lens.

If you are trying to decide between these two cameras based on image quality then check out my full resolution files on Flickr. If ultimate image quality is what you want then again the Fuji would just sneak it. But it is close, much closer than many would have you believe. Don’t forget that the Pen F has in built IS and you can add a fast lens which will negate the Fuji’s slight advantage at high ISO’s.

In the end the Pen F is the more well rounded camera with better auto focus, better build quality, in built image stabilisation and of course you can switch lenses to suit your needs.

The IQ of the Pen F is very close to that of APS-C and as you can see from my Micro 4/3 vs APS-C shootout it is more dependent on which lenses you stick in front of the camera. For example the Pen F + Olympus 17mm f/1.8 was sharper than the 18-140mm kit lens on the Nikon D7200 and indeed it is sharper than the Fuji X100T.

If you shoot at high ISO a lot then you would probably want to look at full frame because the differences between Micro 4/3 and APS-C are not huge. Check out my quick look at the Sony A7II for a full frame camera featuring in body image stabilisation.

In the end both of these cameras are great fun to shoot with and give excellent results. You can take great photos with either camera and you will have a lot of fun doing so without lugging around all the extra weight of a DSLR and a bag full of lenses. The fact they both look great is just an added bonus and who doesn’t like pretty stuff.

Fuji X100T vs Olympus Pen F Video

Check out my latest video putting the Fuji X100T up against the Olympus Pen F.

Full Olympus Pen F vs Fuji X100T write up is now available.

Micro 4/3 vs Aps-C Just for Fun Shootout

I’ve got a bunch of cameras at the moment so I thought it would be fun to do a quick Micro 4/3 vs APS-C shootout.

This post is just for fun, it is not meant to be scientific but will just give a quick idea of how the different sensor sizes look and perform in the real world.

I woke up this morning with the sun shining and thought it would be fun to compare the various cameras I’ve got at the moment.

So I used a Nikon D7200, a Fuji X100T and the Olympus Pen F. I shot the Nikon with the 18-140mm kit lens at 24mm and compared it against the Fuji X100T and the Pen F with the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. Then I swapped out the Nikon kit lens for the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and compared it to the Olympus Pen F with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 attached.

So here are the images below. Looking at quick samples like this can give an idea of how different camera brands render images, how much bokeh can you get with each format, what is the difference in IQ and which camera produces the photos you like best. All the first images were shot in Raw and converted to Jpeg in Lightroom with no adjustments.

I shot the cameras at the same apertures where possible because this is how I would shoot them in real life. I know that this is not giving you scientific equivalents in terms of depth of field etc but most people don’t think like that when they are taking photos. So here goes.

Micro 4/3 vs APS-C Raw shootout

Notice the flare in the Nikon D7200 shot which is washing out the colours. This was unavoidable in this light at this focal length. This is the fault of the lens not the camera.

The colours are a bit richer from the Fuji because it doesn’t suffer with the flare issue.

The Pen F and Olympus f/1.8 handle flare fine but the colours aren’t quite as rich as the Fuji. The Fuji also offers a little more subject isolation at this aperture due to the larger sensor. It’s pretty close though.

Below is the same shot taken in the Olympus Hi resolution mode. This gives a huge raw file of 80mb.

High Resolution shot from the Olympus + 17mm f/1.8

Now there are some serious issues with this image due to movement in the background but just look at the colours it produces. The colours are so rich compared to all the other three shots. If Olympus can find a way to get this high-resolution mode to work handheld as rumoured on the OM-D E-M1 II then it could be incredible for landscapes. As it is it is a pretty cool feature and I could see it being superb for architectural photography and fine art for static subjects.

Below is a comparison of the Nikon D7200 + 50mm f/1.4 wide open vs the Olympus Pen F + 45mm f/1.8 again wide open.

Here we can see that the D7200 produces a richer image with more saturation and contrast . Whats surprising is that while the depth of field is shallower on the Nikon d7200 + 50mm f/1.4 combination it isn’t that huge a difference that a normal person would really notice.

Here’s a few more samples that show the rendering of the various cameras.

I’ve just been looking at the photos at 100% zoomed in on Lightroom and for sharpness it is close between the Pen F and the Fuji X100T with the Nikon D7200 + 18-140mm coming in last. Remember that is comparing prime lenses vs a kit lens so you should take that in to account.

When I compare the Pen F + 17mm f/1.8 at 1.8 and the Nikon D7200 + 50mm f/1.4 at 1.4 the Pen F is sharper by quite some margin.

Below are crops to show this

Nikon D7200 + Nikon 50mm f/1.4 wide open Crop

Olympus Pen F + Olympus 45mm f/1.8 wide open Crop

What do you think? Let me know in the comments what you think of these results.

Micro 4/3 vs APS-C Jpeg Shootout

Ok so the raw shots above show what each sensor is capable of in combination with the lenses used but both Olympus and Fuji are renowned for producing some of the best out of camera Jpegs in the industry so below I’ll take a quick look at what the images look like shooting straight out of camera Jpegs.

Nikon D7200 + 18-140mm SOOC Jpeg Standard Colour

Olympus Pen F + 17mm @ f/1.8 SOOC Jpeg Natural Colour

And here are the same shots below but with each cameras more saturated profiles.

Nikon D7200 + 18-140mm SOOC Jpeg Vivid Colour

Olympus Pen F + 17mm f/1.8 SOOC Jpeg Vivid

So looking at the above photos we can see that again the Nikon 18-140mm lens couldn’t quite cope with the flare and so the colours are a little washed out. I actually like the 18-140mm lens but it can’t compete here with the prime lenses on the other two cameras. The colours look a little washed out and the greens are actually too yellow.

Now this is the first time I have done real side by side comparisons between the Jpegs engines of Olympus and Fuji. I have used many of their cameras before and always really liked the Jpeg output of both.

However when looking side by side I notice several things. Fuji Velvia looks over saturated and un-realistic.

For me it is very close between Fuji Provia and the Olympus Vivid profiles as to which one I prefer. I think they are both excellent and it will really depend on what your photographing as to which you prefer.

When I look at the two images side by side in Lightroom one thing is clear, the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 on the Pen F is sharper wide open than the 23mm lens on the Fuji X100T when wide open.

The Olympus on the right is sharper than the Fuji wide open.

I know that Fuji are known to be excellent for portraits so when I get the time I will add a few portrait comparisons as well as some black and white images too. So keep checking back and let me know in the comments which photos you prefer.

You can see my reviews of the cameras below by clicking the links

Olympus Pen F Review

Nikon D7200 Review

Fuji X100T Review

Olympus Pen F Review-Style Over Substance?

In this Olympus Pen F Review I shall build on my Olympus Pen F first impressions after having had the camera for quite a while now.

Olympus Pen F Review – Features

Lets take a look at what the Olympus Pen F offers in terms of features as the latest Olympus camera in the Micro 4/3 format.

New 20mp sensor which is the first resolution upgrade we have had in a long time for an Olympus Micro 4/3 camera. The new sensor gives and image size of 5184 x 3888 pixels compared with 4608 x 3456 found on the previous 16mp sensor in cameras lie the OM-D E-M5 II. These added pixels are always welcome as long as they don’t come at the expense of noise. In my testing I have found that the noise performance of the new sensor is slightly improved over the older sensors, offering less noise at base ISO (200) and similar noise performance at higher ISO’s such as 3200 and 6400. The benefit of the extra resolution is noticeable even at higher ISO settings where noise performance remains similar but retains more detail in shots.
5 Axis Image Stabilisation built in to the body. Olympus’ 5 axis IS is simply the best in the industry. It is a fantastic feature which allows you to hand hold shots at implausibly low shutter speeds. In my testing I found the 5 axis IS to not be quite as effective as that found on the OM-D E-M5 II probably because of the increased resolution of the Pen F. I can comfortably handhold at 1/2 second on the Pen F whereas I can do so at 1 second on the E-M5 II.
2.36 million dot OLED Viewfinder. The viewfinder on the Pen F is the same as that found in the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. It is a very good viewfinder offering nice bright, clear view although slightly smaller than that found in the OM-D E-M5 II it is still very good in use offering a large enough view to clearly compose your photos.
10 FPS mechanical shutter and up to 20FPS with the electronic shutter. The Pen F is not built for fast action but with a fast 10FPS shutter speed it certainly ha no problems capturing the decisive moment.
Fully articulating 1.04 million dot 3″ LCD screen. The fully articulating screen on the Pen F is a pleasure to use. It can be folded back in to the body with the screen facing inwards to protect it from damage. This is also a useful feature for those that prefer to use the viewfinder. The LCD screen can also be used as a trackpad for auto focus when using the viewfinder. Simply slide your thumb across the screen to change your auto focus selection point.
50mp High res shot mode. This actually produces a 64mb Jpeg and an 80mb raw file. In practise it’s us is limited to static subjects but when you can use it oh wow the results are fantastic. The image is more detailed than any full frame Image I have seen and the colour detail and accuracy is improved too. Great for architectural, product and still life photography.
1/8000 mechanical shutter speed , 1/16000 with the electronic shutter. Thanks to the fast top shutter speed I have always found it possible to shoot wide open in bright light.
1080/60p video. Some of the product shots on my videos are shot with the Olympus Pen F and the video is clean and shows no artifacting. 4K would have been nice but this is a still orientated camera. Video with the Pen F and it’s 5 axis IS is great for being able to grab steady handheld footage.
Colour Wheel control dial givng access to fine tuning of black and white, colour and ART profiles. I’ll talk more about this later but for now I’ll say that this feature is a lot of fun to use and produces beautiful black and white photos.

Olympus Pen F Review- Build Quality

Firstly let’s go back over the build quality because I think this is worth re-stating as Olympus deserve some serious credit here.

Weighing in at 427grams and measuring 125 x 72 x 37mm the Pen F is a small camera but it doesn’t feel light or cheap.

The body itself feels solid, much more so than Fuji cameras. While the body is smaller than Fuji X cameras it is in the same ball park and actually feels heavier than the X100T for example. But it does not feel heavy in use, just reassuringly solid.

The Olympus Pen F offers fantastic build quality. Each knob and dial is well made, gives a solid feel and offers great tactile feedback when in use. The exposure compensation dial is certainly stiffer than that on the Fuji X series cameras and as a result it does not get easily knocked and ruin shots. It stays in place until you want to change it.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying there are no visible screws on this camera and this is true although I don’t know why so much is made of this. Perhaps Olympus wanted reviewers to mention this for some reason. While it’s true I prefer to note the high quality materials and feel of the Pen F. Magnesium alloy body, metal dials and a nice faux leatherette material wrapping the body for grip.

I like the on/off dial rather than a switch, the shutter dial feels great in use and as mentioned the exposure compensation dial has just enough resistance to stop unintended movements.

Olympus Pen F Review – Handling

Let’s be honest, we all buy Mirrorless cameras because we don’t want the weight of a DSLR system but that doesn’t mean we want to give up decent ergonomics and handling.

The Pen F wont suit everyone as it doesn’t offer a front grip to wrap your finger around although there is an optional front grip available.You can buy the grip from Amazon UK here Olympus ECG‑4 Camera Grip for PEN-F Camera and Amazon.com here Olympus Non-Powered Metal Grip PEN-F, Black (ECG-4)

What it does offer is a very balanced camera when combined with small prime lenses like the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 and 45mm f/1.8.

The Olympus lenses are available from Amazon UK below

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:1.8 Lens – Black
Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:1.8 Lens – Silver
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45 mm f/1:1.8 Camera Lens – Black
Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8 Lens – Silver

And for my friends in the USA and Internationally from Amazon.com below

Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 (Black) for Olympus and Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras
Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 (Silver) for Olympus and Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.8 (Black) Lens for Micro 4/3 Cameras – International Version (No Warranty)
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.8 (Silver) Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras

I found the camera to be comfortable in use. In fact it is a delight to use because of the way that Olympus has really thought about the design of the Pen F.

The thumb grip on the reverse gives plenty of purchase and due to its small size my ring finger sits under the base of the camera offering all the grip I need. What I also like is that on this model the strap lug does not get in the way as I found on my old OM-D E-M5.

The new front control dial which controls art effects and more importantly black and white output doesn’t get in my way at all. In fact it feels perfectly positioned to me. Ideally it would be customisable for those that don’t want or need to use the new dial as intended and perhaps Olympus will add this with firmware in the future.

You now have four custom settings on the PASM Dial which allows you to set up the camera to quickly switch to your favourite settings. The only issue I have with this is that the custom modes don’t allow you to switch between the black and white mode and colour modes. For example I wanted to have C1 assigned to my colour portrait settings, C2 for landscape shots and then C3 & C4 set to the black and white modes that I had tweaked with curves and filters. However if you are in standard colour mode on the front dial, changing to C3 will not take you into your black and white settings. You will still have to turn the colour control dial on the front.

All the buttons on the reverse of the camera offer decent feedback and as always with Olympus the camera is so customisable that you can set it up almost exactly how you want it.

The fully articulated LCD screen is bright and so useful when shooting street photography or from unusual angles.

Olympus Pen F Review- Image Quality

The Pen F is fast enough to capture fleeting moments with Kids

I mentioned in my first impressions post that the image quality looks about the same as previous 16mp Micro 4/3 sensors. However after having looked in more detail at the output I can now say that the sensor in the Olympus Pen F is an improvement in terms of detail captured and ISO performance. You wont notice it in every shot but when pixel peeping you can see more details in eyebrows, eyelashes and in the fine details of landscapes.

!00% Crop Straight Raw Conversion Lightroom ISO 500

What also seems noticeable to my eye is the way that the new sensor renders colours. The skin tones produced by this camera are more accurate and the tonal transitions are softer and more subtle. Portraits on the Pen F are noticeably better than the OM-D E-M5 II.

These small improvements are welcome although they alone might not justify an upgrade from any of the 16mp Micro 4/3 models.

ISO 3200 comparison between Olympus OM-D E-M5 II (left) and the Pen F

From my testing high ISO performance has improved around 1/3-1/2 a stop. What is more impressive is that the way the camera handles colour. Noise has improved with the Pen F showing less colour noise at high ISOs. Once you bump up the ISO the Pen F is also retaining more detail than the 16mp sensor found in the OM-D E-M5 II. The ISO comparison images were shot at night to show real world use rather than artificially bumping up ISO settings.

More detail is retained in the Pen F image at 6400 ISO (right) than on the 16mp sensor of the OM-D E-M5II

If you want to see full resolution files you can do so on my Flickr page

High Resolution Mode.

I’m not going to go in to too much detail here as I plan on writing a separate article on the high resolution mode.

So far it seems to work under very strict conditions. There must be no camera movement and no subject movement. When these conditions are met then the high resolution mode works very well. It easily out resolves the standard mode and improves colour accuracy.

Black and White Mode and the new colour Dial

Straight away I may as well tell you that this feature will be of no concern to those who shoot only in Raw format as it is only available for Jpeg shooters.

However I used to exclusively shoot Raw myself until recently and yet I find myself loving this new feature.

So what does it actually allow you to do?

Flick the dial to the black and white mode and you now have a whole host of customisation at your fingertips. Firstly there are three black and white profiles available. The first is a flat monochrome profile. The second (where the fun is) is a Tri X (ish) simulation offering bright whites and dark blacks. The third is an infra red like look. If you want to see how this works in operation then take a look at my Olympu Pen F vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 II video

Once you choose your mode (we will go to mode 2) you then flick the rear switch and option to change the curves now appear. It is set to +6 highlights and -6 shadows initially. This gives a very contrasty look so I changed the levels to +4 Highlights, -3 Shadows and + 1 midtones. I found this to retain decent contrast but also offer better tonal transitions.

Flick the switch again and you now have the ability to add colour filters to the image via a colour wheel. You can alter the colour filter, Green, red, orange, blue, magenta, yellow green and also vary the strength in the 3 steps.

Next you have the option to add a vignette to your shots and vary the strength in 3 steps as well as add a film grain overlay to your images. This grain is scanned in from film according to Olympus so it is pretty realistic. Again you can vary the strength with three settings.

The sheer amount of options can be overwhelming at first but you soon work out what your favourite settings are and the controls are intuitive and quick to use. These modes are so much fun to work with. I am a fan of getting the shot that you want in camera as I no longer want to spend hours sitting at a computer editing my images. Therefore with all this control at your fingertips you can create almost exactly the image you want straight out of camera.

I’ve found the results to be very good once I toned down the in camera default Curves. This kind of control along with the what you see is what you get nature of electronic viewfinders virtually eliminates the need to post process your images. Some may want the extra control offered by post processing software but at the very least you can shoot Jpeg and Raw and have the best of both worlds. Let me say the whole process is very addictive and you might find yourself shooting more black and white photos as a result.

My girlfriend has complained that all the photos I keep taking are black and white and this is entirely down to the Olympus Pen F and its new black and white modes.

Can you replicate this on other Olympus cameras?

I see a lot of people asking if you can replicate the same look on the OM-D E-M5 II or other Olympus cameras.

In my opinion it would take a lot of work to get close to the look that the Pen F gives you. Firstly the Tri X simulation is only available on the Pen F and no matter what I do on the OM-D E-M5 II I cannot replicate it with tone curves in the monochrome mode. Secondly you cannot vary the strength of the colour filter available on the E-M5 II and to add grain or vignetting would require time post processing the files.

Basically if you want this feature or the look then you will have to get a Pen F. I’m sure you can get close with PP work but in the end the Pen F allows you to shoot the photos straight out of camera and it really is great fun doing so.

Olympus Pen F vs Olympus OM-D E-M5 II

So in my first impressions post I mentioned that I wanted to see if the Pen F is worth the extra money over the OM-D E-M5 II.

The added features of the Pen F, 20mp sensor, new processor, colour wheel, black and white profiles, extra custom modes on the PASM dial apart, they’re the same camera right?

Here is how I look at it. If you need weather sealing or budget is the primary factor then the OM-D E-M5 II will do most of what the Pen F can but it wont do it as quickly and it wont be as much fun.

Sure the OM-D E-M5 II viewfinder is bigger, I can’t say I noticed a huge difference in real world use. What I did notice is that the Pen F feels quicker in use with far less lag when switching between the LCD and viewfinder. The whole experience is quicker when using the Pen F.

Auto Focus is faster on the Pen F, the images you get are slightly better thanks to having more mega pixels, slightly better high ISO performance and there is something about the rendering of images on the Pen F which just makes the images more pleasing to my eye.

Here are the pros and cons of each

Pen F

There is no denying it is a beautiful camera
New black and white mode is a lot of fun and produces beautiful photos
Improvements in image quality
Speed of handling and auto focus is faster

OM-D E-M5 II

Weather sealed
Larger viewfinder
Cheaper
Feels better with larger lenses

If you are trying to decide between these two cameras then you really want to take a look at my video comparison and write up between the Pen F and E-M5 II

So getting back to the start of this Olympus Pen F Review, is the Pen F all style and no substance?

It is certainly a stylish camera but some have bemoaned the lack of weather sealing and the price. It is undoubtedly one of the most stylish cameras currently available but I couldn’t ever justify keeping a camera for its looks alone. The price is the price, only you can decide if it is worth it to you. It certainly is for me.

Weather sealing would be nice but then how often do we really use it. A light shower is no problem to any camera that I’ve owned for years and are you really going to be out shooting in a torrential downpour even if a camera does claim to be weather sealed. The lenses that best suit the Pen F are in my opinion small light primes and these aren’t weather sealed anyway so having a weather sealed body makes no sense. I think Olympus probably knew that when they made their design decisions.

The Olympus Pen F has enough to keep even the most demanding enthusiasts happy. The new 20mp sensor is an improvement over the older 16mp sensors in almost every way. The camera operates more quickly, focuses faster and offers the ability to customise your out of camera jpegs beyond anything else on the market.

Add to this excellent build quality and a great range of small fast lenses which are available for Micro 4/3 and even at the asking price it is still a great camera.

If I had to choose between this and the OM-D E-M5 II it’s simple, I’d get the Pen F for the improvements in image quality, operation and a huge boost to the fun factor of using this camera.

Keep checking back on this review because I will add more images as and when I have them. I shall also add more hi resolution shots to Flickr. I also have a quick video which shows how the black and white mode works and will upload that as soon as I have a decent internet connection.

The Pen F is available fom Amazon UK here

and for international visitors the Pen F is available from Amazon.com here

Why UK Customers Should Upgrade their Camera Equipment Now!

If you live in the UK you will be aware that we voted to leave the EU in the June referendum.

What you might not be aware of is the impact this has already had and will have on the cost of cameras and lenses.

So far some of the main manufacturers have held their prices here but if you look at the value of Sterling on the internation markets it has already plumetted by 18% since the referendum result. The companies will have to pass on these costs soon.

After a brief rally when it looked like the In campaign would win the Pound has been losing value since March 2016 and after Fridays Asian crash it now sits at $1.24 against the US Dollar.

Why does this affect us?

Almost all camera brands are imported and because of the weak pound the cost of imported goods goes up.

Our pound now only buys us $1.24 of imported goods against $1.49 before the referendum.

So with an 18% drop in value, a camera costing £1000 pounds previously, is now likely to cost £1180.

Surely the Pound will recover so it is better to wait?

In the long term this may be the case but I suspect (and most market analysts predict) that Sterling has not yet reached its lowest value.

Respected analysts at HSBC suspect that Sterling will drop to $1.15 or lower by the end of next year.

I suspect it will go lower based on the volatility and fluctuations I have seen in the money markets since Brexit.

It already dropped to $1.18 on Friday before recovering.

Here is why it will go lower.

The EU is in a very difficult position financially and politically after Brexit.

When the UK voted to leave, the EU lost one of its largest economies and largest financial contributors.

This happened at a time when Italy is on the brink of a banking crisis.
The Greek debt crisis hasn’t been solved despite the EU exhausting almost all viable options to aid recovery.

The Spanish and French economies are stagnant.

Politically there are movements within major European countries to pull back from the EU and in some cases leave altogether.
The Front National in France is gaining momentum alongside similar movements in Greece, Holland and now, even the Germans are getting a little fed up with financing the EU and the migrant crisis is testing their patience.

What does all this have to do with the value of the Pound?

With this backdrop of economic and political unrest it is impossible to see how the European leaders are going to allow the UK to be seen to leave the EU and yet retain any of the benefits of membership.

The dream of UK politicians is to stop free movement of people while retaining access to the Single market.

The EU simply will not let this happen because they fear it would encourage other countries to leave and expect the same deal.

The EU is going to have to punish the UK during its negotiations to leave the EU to keep other countries in line.

Self preservation of the EU will take priority over economics.

The French president Francois Hollande has already said as much just recently.

That means in all liklihood we are heading for a Hard Brexit.

This will entail losing access to the single market because the British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that regaining control of immigration policy is her priority.

If the EU considers retention of Free movement of people to be non negotiable to retain single market access and the UK wont negotiate this point then the negotiations have nowhere to go.

That will panick the money markets as they see a hard Brexit scenario as the most damaging to the UK economy and this will drive the value of Sterling even lower.

That will result in the pound being worth less and therefore cameras and all other imported goods will become more expensive.

So if you are looking to upgrade your gear in the next year or so it is definitely advised to do so sooner rather than later or you could be paying much higher prices.

Fujifilm Updates the X-pro 2’s Firmware

Fujifilm have continued their excellent policy of updating their cameras firmware with useful new features by issuing an update for the X-Pro2.

Here are the list of updates that firmware 2.0 includes.

1.The NUMBER OF THE FOCUS POINT has incerased.(*)
The options available are 91 POINTS(7×13) and 325 POINTS(13×25) on the NUMBER OF THE FOCUS POINT of the AF/MF SETTING in the Shooting Menu.
2.Improvement of phase detection AF accuracy.
By employing the new AF algorithm used in the X-T2, the AF accuracy has been improved.
3.AF tracking function has been improved when CONTINUOUS L in the AF-C mode.
4.In AF-C mode, AE function will work while pressing the shutter button halfway.
5.AF tracking function works while CONTINUOUS shooting in the AF-C mode with the Electronic Shutter.
6.AF tracking function works while CONTINUOUS H shooting in the AF-C mode instead of zone AF.
7.STILL IMAGE(single frame shooting) is available when CONTINUOUS L in the AF-C mode.
8.The focus point of Eye Detection AF has been changed to the eye closer to the camera.
9.Compatibility with the Shoe Mount Flash EF-X500.(*)
Additional functions like the multi-flash lighting, high-speed flash sync and so on can be used with the EF-X500.
Accordingly, the FLASH SETTING and the Shooting Menu is dramatically changed.
10.The items that can be assigned to the Quick Menu have changed.(*)
FLASH FUNCTION SETTINGS and FLASH COMPENSATION have been added due to the compatibility with the Shoe Mount Flash EF-X500.
11.The roles that can be assigned to the Function buttons have changed.(*)
FLASH FUNCTION SETTINGS, TTL-LOCK and MODELING FLASH have been added due to the compatibility with the Shoe Mount Flash EF-X500.
12.Addition of AUTO POWER SAVE.(*)
AUTO POWER SAVE option has been added to the POWER MANAGEMENT of the Setup Menu. Select ON to save the power consumption and make the battery life longer.
13.Addition of setting time in AUTO POWER OFF.(*)
15 SEC, 30 SEC and 1 MIN have been added to the AUTO POWER OFF of the POWER MANAGEMENT in the Setup Menu.
14.S.S OPERATION option has been added to BUTTON/DIAL SETTING in the Setup Menu.(*)
Select OFF to disable the shutter-speed fine-tuning using the command dials.
15.Change of the CORRECTED AF FRAME in the OVF.(*)
Specification of the CORRECTED AF FRAME of AF/MF SETTING in the Shooting Menu has been changed.
·OFF:The frame moves according to parallax to show the focus point.
·ON:The CORRECTED AF FRAME in the OVF is fixed on the　recommended value described in the Owner’s manual. If the minimum focus range of the attached lens is greater than the recommended value, the frame is displayed on the position of the minimum focus range.
*Upgrade the firmware of the lenses after the firmware of the camera is upgraded.
16.The phenomenon is fixed that in rare cases the magnification of the OVF doesn’t switch appropriately when a lens is changed.
17.The bright frame movement in the OVF has become more smoothly while zooming in and out.
18.OIS function has been improved while using Electronic Shutter.
19.The phenomenon is fixed that in rare cases frames of live view on a smartphone drop while using the application software “FUJIFILM Camera Remote”.
20.The phenomenon is fixed that exposure sometimes doesn’t change appropriately in Aperture Priority AE while using an M MOUNT ADAPTER.

If you are an X-Pro2 user update your firmware here

Olympus Pen F First Impressions

UPDATE My full Olympus Pen F Review is now here.

So I have now had chance to try out the Olympus Pen F and the OM-D E-M5 II briefly although I haven’t taken them out on any serious shoots yet. Here are my first impressions. The Olympus Pen F is small but surprisingly a little taller than the EM5 II. Size wise it feels similar (slightly smaller) to the Fuji X100T although the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 is a little larger than the X100T’s fixed lens. It also feels a little heavier than the Fuji X100T and EM5 II. Build quality is superb. Both the Olympus Pen F and the OM-D E-M5 II make the Fuji cameras feel like toys. The dials and buttons are way better than the Fuji cameras in terms of build quality, materials used and tactile feedback. The Olympus Pen F feels very comfortable to hold, even without a grip attached. It has a nice heft to it. I’m very impressed with this cameras build quality and feel. I don’t find the front dial to get in the way or feel uncomfortable when shooting like some people have reported. Features I spent over a day acquainting myself with this camera and setting it up how I felt best. There are an incredible amount of customisation options which can feel a little overwhelming at first. The 20mp sensor seems to produce pretty much the same image quality as the older 16mp micro 4/3 sensor. I’ll have to do more serious tests but thats my initial impression. High ISO performamce seems around the same as previous micro 4/3 cameras. No great leaps in image quality here by the looks of it. The viewfinder is clear, bright and responsive. The button layout is excellent and highly configurable as always with Olympus cameras. The single shot auto focus is super fast. Easily as quick as the Nikon D7200. I haven’t tested tracking af yet. When comparing it to the Fuji X100T in any light it is no contest. The X100T is slow and ponderous in comparison. In low light the Pen F focuses confidently while the Fuji hunts back and forth. I can take shots of my daughter almost instantly with both Olympus cameras while I miss the shot a lot of time with the X100T. The camera feels more responsive and faster in use than the E-M5 II. There is hardly any delay when switching between functions, menus and importantly the rear screen and viewfinder.

Olympus Pen F Black and white modes

So far in my test shots I love the output of the new B&W Jpegs. I’ve toned down the contrast slightly from its original settings and the look that the files have are beautiful. What I also really like is the ability to add colour filters and vary the strength. In the shot below I added a blue filter to bring out the texture of the wood. High resolution Mode We all know the limitations of the high res mode but under the right conditions it definitely produces a lot more detail and improves colour rendition too. I’ve got some samples of this that I’ll add to the full review once I’ve had more time with the camera. Overall the Pen F feels like a great camera and I’m excited to test it thoroughly. Similar to the X100T, it makes you want to pick it up and shoot which is always a great quality for a camera to have. Please help me build this website so that I can keep reviewing gear. This site takes a lot of time to keep going and I can only do it with your help. If you want to buy anything from Amazon etc then please use my buying links. It wont cost you anything but I do get a small commission from Amazon. Thank you from me and my family to all of you who help.

Top 5 Photography Books

I’m the same as you. I love new cameras and lenses.
There is something satisfying and gratifying about getting a new tool and I believe that a new camera or lens can often kick start your inspiration to create the images that you want.

However in all honesty most cameras these days are capable of creating high quality images so a wiser investment of our money is perhaps to increase our photographic knowledge and competence.

I’m a self taught photographer as I guess a lot of you are too.

When I first picked up a proper camera I quickly realised that I wanted to know what makes a good image.
I read and studied a huge amount of books on the subject. Ranging from simple tips and tricks books that tell you what to do (but not always why) such as Scott Kelbies Digital Photography series to books on classical painters to study composition.
Below are my top 5 books that I feel give the most useful information in the most easily digestible form.

Don’t forget to buy through my Amazon links below. It wont cost you any more but I get a small comission which helps me to create new content. Thank you and enjoy.

1. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

This is my number one general photography book because it gives a great understanding of the basics of the exposure triangle (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) as well as the creative choices that these settings give us.

It teaches you to understand how to create images with total control over the final look of your photos in an easily digestible way.

This is the first book you should buy.

2. Digital Photography Series by Scott Kelby.

This series of books by Scott Kelby gives simple straight forward tips to help you create certain looks in your images. It never delves too deeply into the why but if you just want to know the how then these books are great.

3. Nature Photography: Insider secrets by Chris Weston

This book is not just about nature photography although it is a must read for anyone interested in shooting wildlife.

It also has some great explanations on the fundamental skills and principles needed to create high quality images of any subject. Its explanations on how to properly expose your photos to maximise image quality are the best I’ve read and it’s explanation of ISO is a ‘turning on the light switch’ moment.

4. The Photographers Eye by Michael Freeman.

Michael Freeman’s book concentrates on composition and is probably the most in depth of the books listed so far.

It explains the theories behind composition and goes in to more detail than just the rule of thirds which so many cite as the be all and end all of composition.

Information on Gestalt theory, how to use line, shape and form as well as great images to convey each point.

This book goes way beyond the basics but in an easy to read and interesting way.

If you want to really understand composition then I suggest this book as a great starting point.

5. Mastering Composition by Richard Garvey Williams.

This book offers a thorough examination of composition from the rule of thirds through to design, theory, colour and more.

It is the most thorough in its examination of composition. It is a little dry in the way it is written so perhaps not as engaging as Michael Freeman’s book above, however the content is excellent and worth working your way through.

So there you have it, my top 5 books on photography.

If you read just two of these I would suggest Understanding Exposure and The Photographers Eye as great places to start. Once you have read and digested the information in these books go out and put your new found knowledge in to practise and I guarantee you will be creating more interesting and compelling photos than the majority of people.

Olympus Pen F Review Coming Soon

UPDATE I’ve now added my first impressions of the Olympus Pen F here

With the recently announced Olympus OM-D E-M1 II coming soon (we expect around November) I thought it would be fun to try out the fairly new Pen F and put it up against the OM-D E-M5 II.

I’m just waiting for the two cameras and a few lenses to arrive before testing them.

The Pen F is considered by some to be priced too high, especially when compared to the OM-D E-M5 II so I’m going to see what you get for the extra money and ultimately whether it’s worth the extra cash.

Updates will be posted in a couple of weeks along with the usual sample images and full resolution files on Flickr.

Then when released we will hopefully get in the new Olympus flagship OM-D E-M1 II nearer to Christmas time alongside some of the new range of Olympus Pro lenses like the 25mm f/1.2.
I’ve got a trip to Hong Kong planned for the end of the year so it might be the perfect chance to take the mk ii with me.