Olympus Pen E-P3, E-PL3 & E-PM1 July 2011

What is a micro four third camera? 

A micro four third camera is a compromise between a bulky digital SLR and a compact digital camera. Like digital SLRs you can swap the lenses on a micro four thirds camera, but the body and the lenses are much smaller and easier to carry around.

The ability to change the lens on a camera makes the camera more versatile and can lead to superior and more creative photography.

The all-new E-P3, E-PL3 and E-M1 from Olympus

Which new Olympus Pen camera should I consider?

Olympus has named its series of micro four third cameras as Olympus Pens, and the three new models are designed for different users. The E-P3 is the most advanced model. It's larger and has more features and might suit a digital SLR user looking to downsize to something a little smaller.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Olympus E-PM1, which has a more compact body and fewer features than the E-P3, making it more suitable for a user upgrading from a point and shoot camera. Somewhere in between you'll find the E-PL3.

Find out how previous Olympus cameras have performed in our tests in our Olympus Pen camera reviews.

What are the key differences between the new Olympus Pen cameras?

The sensors in the three cameras are the same, so the still picture and HD video quality should be broadly similar. The key differences between the models, other than size and weight, include the quality of the screens, the flash and the number of photo effects (art filters) that can be applied to the photographs.

The screen on the E-P3 is a higher quality 3-inch OLED screen than the LCDs on the other two models. It also supports touchscreen control, so you can touch a part of the screen to focus the camera and take a picture, or swipe a finger across the screen to scroll through the pictures you've already taken. The screen on the E-PL3 can be pulled away from the body of the camera and tilted upwards or downwards. This helps when taking shots from tricky angles.

The E-P3 has a flash built-in to the body of the camera, while you'll have to remember to carry the external flash with you if you're taking the E-PL3 or the E-PM1 out for an evening, and manually attach it when it's required.

With the same processing engines, the E-P3, the E-PL3 and the E-PM1 should also be similar in terms of speed of autofocus, start up time and time lag between shots. We'll best testing all these features when we get them to the labs for testing.

Why would I consider upgrading to an MFT camera from my point and shoot?

The rise in digital photography has helped more users become familiar with a number of easy-to-use features that have historically been difficult to master, and as a result, many photographers now outgrow their cameras quite quickly and begin to look for a more advanced model.

The ability to change the lens on a micro four thirds is a huge benefit that doesn't exist on a compact camera. Furthermore, the larger sensors found on these new models should result in better quality photos.

How can changing camera lenses improve my photography?

There are a number of different lenses available for micro four third cameras, and lenses from both Panasonic and Olympus can fit all of these models.

Building up a lens collection can be expensive, so we suggest buying a lens with a versatile zoom initially. You can find out more about the types of different lenses and their benefits in our digital SLR lenses explained advice guide.

In the full review…

If the new Olympus cameras are still a little too large or advanced for you, then you might want to consider a basic point-and-shoot camera. We have Best Buy cameras starting at around £140.

We haven't tested these new Olympus micro four third cameras yet, but when we do you'll get the definitive verdict on the following:

• Picture quality – In our lab-based reviews we look at a number of aspects of picture quality, and put each camera through a series of challenging tests that reflect everyday use - such as photographing on sunny days or indoors.
• Viewfinder and monitor accuracy – Using a test chart, the accuracy of the viewfinder and monitor is measured by comparing what the viewfinder and monitor see with the image the camera takes at both wide angle and telephoto settings.
• Speed – Shutter delay is measured precisely using a sophisticated timing method so we can see how long the delay is between pressing the shutter and capturing the image. We also measure start up time, time between shots and the speed of the camera's burst mode.

See our how we test digital SLRs page for more on our testing, or try Which? today for just £1 to see the Best Buys in our digital SLR reviews section.