The PEN has returned. OM Digital Solutions has announced the OM System PEN, the first PEN series camera released under the OM System brand.
The PEN series has a long, rich legacy dating back nearly 70 years. Since Olympus released its first PEN camera in 1959, the series has focused on making photography more accessible through compact, lightweight designs and ease of use.
Building on this philosophy, the new OM System PEN is designed to serve all photographers, casual and serious alike, and make taking photos easier and more enjoyable. The PEN incorporates a rangefinder-inspired design, an electronic viewfinder, and a splash-proof body. It’s the first PEN camera to feature IPX1-rated dust- and splash resistance.
The electronic viewfinder, positioned near the top-left corner on the back of the PEN, features about 2.36 million dots. The other display is a swivel-type 3-inch screen with about 1.04 million dots.
The PEN features fairly robust physical controls and dials. The expected mode dial sits on top, flanked by a top-mounted front control dial and shutter release, a dedicated record button, and a power switch that also swaps between photo, video, and S&Q modes.
The back of the camera includes a rear command dial, CP button, AF-ON button, and the usual controls and function buttons. Notably missing here is an autofocus joystick, meaning users will need to either use the directional pad to move the autofocus point or the camera’s touchscreen. Photographers can also rely on the PEN’s AI-powered subject detection autofocus mode.
Much of the OM System PEN seems familiar beyond its namesake. Inside, the camera features OM System’s tried-and-true 20.4-megapixel Live MOS image sensor and TruePic IX image processing engine. When PetaPixel reviewed the OM System OM-5 Mark II last year, Chris Niccolls remarked on the familiarity of its imaging pipeline. That’s still true today with the PEN. At some point, familiar becomes repetitive. It remains to be seen if that time is now.
In other ways, the OM System PEN is more like the OM-3 released last year. Like the OM-3, the new PEN is essentially a reimagined classic with a heavy emphasis on style, both physically in terms of the camera’s design and the resulting photos that people will capture with it. To that aesthetic end, the PEN includes Color & Monochrome Profile Control that promises customizable, film-like expression. There’s a dial on the front of the camera to swap between profile modes. These profiles can also be used when recording video, except when using the S&Q mode.
The PEN includes the same robust Color Profile control as the OM-3, letting photographers fine-tune different profiles across parameters like saturation, curves, contrast, and more. Monochrome profiles also include color filter effects to accentuate certain tones, like a red filter to make blue skies darker and punchier.
Like other OM System cameras, the PEN features a wide range of computational photography modes. These include High Res Shot modes (tripod and handheld), Live ND, Focus Stacking, HDR, and Multiple Exposure.
Additional specs and features include a 121-point hybrid autofocus system, up to 5.5 stops of shake correction thanks to in-body image stabilization, and Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160) recording up to 24p and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) up to 30p. The PEN also includes OM-Cinema1 and OM-Cinema2 picture modes designed specifically for video applications. The camera also supports vertical video and has a tally light, making it well-suited to content creator workflows.
The OM System PEN ships with a new BLS-7 battery that promises approximately 410 shots per charge. This battery will also be available separately for $99 ($139.99 in Canada).
Sample Photos
Pricing and Availability
The OM System PEN will be available in black and silver colorways in late October for a suggested retail price of $999.99 ($1,399.99 CAD) body only.
It is also available in a bundled kit with the new, refreshed M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III lens for $1,099.99 ($1,549.99 CAD). There’s a second kit with the new 14-42mm lens plus the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R lens for $1,299.99 ($1,799.99 CAD).
For a limited time, photographers who purchase the OM System PEN will receive a free Clever Supply Skinny Wrist Strap (black leather), valued at $54 ($76 CAD).
Image creditsOM System
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