Request a product

Olympus PEN E-P1 vs OM SYSTEM PEN

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

OlympusPEN E-P1OM SYSTEMPEN
Overview
ReleasedJuly 2009Coming late October 2026 (Japan and North America)
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFour ThirdsFour Thirds
Sensor typeHigh-speed Live MOSLive MOS
Sensor dimensions17.3 × 13 mm17.4 × 13 mm
Effective resolution12.3 MP20.4 MP
Largest image4032 × 30245184 × 3888
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–6400200–25600
Sensor detail4/3-type Live MOS; approximately 13.1 million total photosites, 4:3 aspect ratio; Supersonic Wave Filter dust reductionApproximately 20.37 effective and 21.77 total megapixels; 17.4×13 mm in maker Japan table. Ordinary output 5184×3888; not a stacked sensor
Image formats12-bit losslessly compressed RAW, JPEG and RAW+JPEG; sRGB and Adobe RGB. Aspect options 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 and 6:6; JPEG cropped to selected ratio while RAW records aspect metadataJPEG and 12-bit losslessly compressed ORF RAW; handheld composite 50 MP, tripod composite up to 80 MP RAW developed with OM Workspace, not single-shot sensor resolution
ISO detailManual ISO 100–6400 in 1/3 or 1 EV steps; automatic ISO 200–6400 customisable, default 200–1600ISO 200–25600 with expanded LOW approximately 64 and 100; default Auto upper limit 6400
Image processorTruePic VTruePic IX
Lens and shooting
Lens mountMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst3 fps30 fps
Lens detailLens kit includes M.Zuiko Digital ED 14–42mm F3.5–5.6; pancake kit 17mm F2.8 and VF-1 optical finder. These interchangeable kit lenses are not built-in camera specifications–
AutofocusEleven-area contrast-detection High-Speed Imager AF; single AF, continuous AF, manual focus and single AF plus manual override. Live View magnification 7× or 10×. Adapted Four Thirds lenses operate single AF when continuous AF is selectedSensor phase/contrast detection with 121 cross-type phase positions; human, cat and dog recognition for stills, face/eye detection for video; Starry Sky AF
ShutterElectronically controlled focal-plane shutter, 60–1/4000 second; Bulb up to 30 minutes, default eight minutes. Optional RM-UC1 wired remote supports Bulb control; Anti-Shock delay 1/8–30 secondsMechanical 1/4000–60 seconds; electronic 1/32000–60 seconds; Bulb, Live Time and Live Composite modes
Burst detailMaker continuous rate approximately 3 fps. Buffer approximately 10 RAW or 12 large-normal JPEG under maker conditions with Toshiba Super High Speed Class 6 4 GB card; JPEG count depends on resolution and compressionElectronic high approximately 30 fps with fixed focus/exposure, low approximately 8 fps with tracking; mechanical approximately 5 fps. Maker examples at electronic 30 fps give 20 RAW/20 JPEG frames, tracking 8 fps 23 RAW/48 JPEG, with specified SanDisk card and 12–40mm F2.8 PRO II
Stabilisation detailSensor shift for stills, with normal and horizontal/vertical panning modes and manual focal-length input for adapted lenses. Maker claims up to 4 EV depending on lens and shooting conditions. Movie mode uses electronic correction with a slight cropFive-axis sensor shift; CIPA 2024 up to 5.5 stops at centre and 4.5 at edges with 14–42mm F3.5–5.6 III at 42mm
FlashNo built-in flash; hot shoe supports FL-50R, FL-36R, FL-20 and FL-14. Flash synchronisation 1/180 second or slower; external flash compensation ±3 EV–
Exposure controlsiAUTO, Program with shift, aperture priority, shutter priority, Manual, scene modes and six Art Filters. 324-zone digital ESP, centre-weighted and spot metering with highlight/shadow options; ±3 EV compensation. Two-axis level gauge; two My Mode settingsPASM, Live ND2–16, focus stacking, HDR and multiple exposure; restrictions depend on shooting mode and lens
Video
Highest video resolution1280 × 720 at 30 fps4096 × 2160 at 24 fps
Video detailAVI Motion JPEG at 30 fps: 1280 × 720, 16:9, or 640 × 480, 4:3. Maximum individual recording approximately seven minutes HD or fourteen minutes VGA. Certain Art Filters lower the frame rateInternal H.264 MOV C4K 4096×2160 at 24p or UHD 3840×2160 at 30/25/24p; 8-bit recording (both reviews). OM-Log400 and OM-Cinema1/2 profiles; separate FHD S&Q up to 120 fps, with crop, no sound and no continuous AF (CameraLabs)
AudioBuilt-in stereo microphone and mono playback speaker. Stereo linear PCM, 16-bit 44.1 kHz, WAVE format; still-photo audio recording up to thirty secondsBuilt-in stereo microphones; external 3.5 mm microphone socket; 48 kHz/16-bit or 96 kHz/24-bit audio
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderNoneElectronic
Screen size3″3″
Screen dots230,0001,040,000
Touchscreen–Yes
Tilting screenNoYes
Display detailFixed HyperCrystal LCD with 100% Live View coverage, ±7-step brightness and colour-temperature adjustmentFully articulated 3-inch approximately 1.04-million-dot touchscreen; touchscreen menu operation
Viewfinder detailNo built-in finder; optional VF-1 optical finder supplied with the 17mm pancake kit uses the hot shoe, so cannot be fitted simultaneously with a shoe-mounted flashOLED approximately 2.36 million dots and 100% coverage; 1.10–1.23× magnification with 50mm lens at infinity, depending on finder style
Connections and design
Wi-Fi–Yes
Bluetooth–Yes
Battery life (maker's claim)300 photographs410 photographs
Body weight335 g344 g
Release detailOlympus support dates E-P1 to July 2009. The Japanese 16 June announcement schedules lens and pancake kits for 3 July, and made-to-order body-only versions for late July; month precision represents the model rather than assigning the kit day to every configurationMaker announcement 9 September 2026; Japan and North America scheduled for late October 2026. UK product page has an active preorder state on 2 October; first UK sale date unconfirmed
Recording mediaSD and SDHC memory cardsOne SD/SDHC/SDXC slot; UHS-I
PortsHi-Speed USB 2.0 and selectable NTSC/PAL analogue AV through proprietary multi-connector; same connector accepts RM-UC1 wired remote. Mini HDMI Type C provides HD video and stereo audio; flash hot shoeUSB 2.0 Hi-Speed Type-C, micro-HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm microphone socket and hot shoe; USB-C is not a USB 3 transfer-speed claim
Wireless connections–Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2; smartphone GPS tagging rather than built-in GPS
Battery life detailBLS-1 rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Maker CIPA claim approximately 300 photographs using BLS-1 and Toshiba Class 6 4 GB SDHC cardBLS-7; approximately 410 CIPA shots using EVF or LCD; approximately 80 minutes CIPA video or 130 minutes with zoom and other operations disabled
Charging–In-camera USB charging with camera off; no USB Power Delivery (maker Japan)
Dimensions120.5 × 70 × 35 mm (width × height × depth), excluding protrusionsApproximately 125.8×74.5×43.3 mm excluding protrusions (maker Japan)
Weight detailApproximately 335 g body only, excluding battery, card and lens344 g body only or 393 g including battery and card (maker Japan); pictured kit lens excluded. CameraLabs pre-production dimensions and loaded weight differ
MaterialsMetal exterior; silver version has hairline finishingDust-resistant and IPX1 splash resistance with an OM SYSTEM splashproof lens; not an immersion rating. Operating temperature 0–40°C
ColoursSilver and whiteBlack and silver

More comparisons