Today sees the announcement of the Olympus E-PL9. The E-PL is the smallest model from the Olympus PEN family and it has to date been one of the go-to cameras for the vlogger, blogger and influencer set, not just because of its surface beauty, but its form and function.
Refined for its audience, the Olympus E-PL9 packs in a host of powerful new features, but it’s not just for bloggers, these new features will also appeal to those just getting into photography, or for that matter anyone looking for a fun camera with loads of shooting options.
The Olympus E-PL9, as with its predecessors, features a non-scary easy-to-use layout and everything that you need is available quickly.
The top mode dial provides a route to the program and auto modes for those just starting out, along with aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure mode for anyone wanting to take more control. And for the creative blogger, there’s the AP (Advanced Photo) Mode which we’ll touch on later.
The E-PL9 takes uncomplicated usability a step further than the E-PL8 with some intuitive interface changes that make it more akin to a smartphone interface, while still offering the menu system that many have become familiar with on previous models.
The smartphone-style approach can be seen in the scene modes, just double tap the style of the image you like and the camera will select the appropriate settings to capture that style of image.
As with the E-PL8, the E-PL9 has the blogger’s favourite – a tilt and flip-down screen. A flip-down screen is quite unusual, although not unique, and enables a better perspective for the user when taking selfies.
The top layout of the camera is much the same as the E-PL8, but it’s more refined with that new AP (Advanced Photo) Mode that I mentioned earlier.
This mode, seen previously on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 III, gives quick access to advanced shooting features such as LiveTime and HDR and with a smartphone-style interface.
There’s a whole bunch of shooting modes in there to appeal to bloggers, and I can see them appealing to those just starting out in photography or even to club photographers.
The E-PL9 also has the Art filters that Olympus has had nailed down since the outset of the PEN series back in 2010.
Two new filters to the E-PL-series, Bleach Bypass and Instant Film, take the total to 16 with Bleach Bypass being available in two strengths.
Processing Power
Powering the camera is a 16mp CMOS sensor which is backed by the TruePic III image processor. The TruePic III is the processor in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 MKII, so it offers plenty of speed and power.
This processing power enables some significant feature additions including 4K video at 30fps (frames per second), along with 1080p at 60 or 30fps and 720p at up to 120fps for slow-mo playback.
As this camera is aimed at ultra-connected shooters, there’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity built-in, so you can take and share your images with all your friends/followers.
Olympus’s app also enables remote shooting and the adjustment of settings.
Designed for the upwardly mobile, the E-PL9 measures W: 117.1mm x H: 68mm x D39mm and weighs in at 332g (body only).
Price and availability
The Olympus will be available either body only at £579.99 or as a kit with the 14-42mm lens for £649.99. It is set to go sale in March.
For more details check out olympus.co.uk