Performance
The E-PL3 already had a fast AF system at
one point it held the accolade of delivering the fastest AF of any camera to date
and we have to say that in Single AF. focusing on the E-PL5 is pretty
instantaneous, only having a slight tendency to hunt in poorly lit,
low-contrast scenes, or when you try to close focus near the limit of the
lens’s minimal focusing point; where it moves in and out of focus a couple of
times before it hits the sweet spot.
If you’re looking to shoot a lot of action,
then this probably isn't the camera for you because like a lot of CSC models,
the E-PL5 isn’t suited to continuous AF or Focus Tracking. Slow-moving subjects
are fine, but it won’t keep up if your point of interest is moving quickly.
The
E-PL3 already had a fast AF system at one point it held the accolade of
delivering the fastest AF of any camera to date and we have to say that in
Single AF.
You can manually specify the desired AF
point by using the d-pad/ scroll wheel or by using the touchscreen to tap on
the area of the mage where you want to focus, while the ability to vary the
size of the AF point is a welcome improvement.
The 16:9 ratio screen is a little b t of a
curious one if you’re going to be shooting in the E-PL5’s native 4:3 aspect
ratio - you’re left with two black bars either side of the image, which results
in the actual area employed significantly smaller than 3in more like 2.5in in
reality, though it could be argued that any larger and a standard ratio 3in
would be too big for the body.
Touchscreen controls aren’t as
comprehensive as rivals. While you can focus and trigger the shutter, as well
as flicking through images in playback, setting shooting modes is strangely
restricted to tapping the various options on the Quick menu (but not changing
settings) and other peripheral options. Thankfully though the E-PL5 is pretty
quick to use without the touchscreen, with the scroll wheel and four-way d-pad
delivering pretty painless control.
The 8fps burst mode is very good,
delivering a burst of 12 Raw or 15 JPEG files before the buffer slows. Write
times seem a little slow though, taking just over a second for a JPEG and two
seconds for a Raw file to be written to the card.
The
E-PL5's 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds sensor delivers an impressive amount of
detail.
Image quality
Tone And Exposure
The 324-zone metering system coped pretty
well under a range of lighting conditions, and in the main delivered pleasing
exposures from the off, though there will be the odd time you’ll need to dial
no more than +/-0.7 to get the exposure bang-on.
White Balance And Color
The Auto White Balance coped admirably,
delivering consistent results when shooting the same scene, as well as under
different lighting conditions.
Colors are nice and neutral, though you may
want to toggle the Picture Mode scene for slightly punchier colors, either by
selecting one of the presets, or increasing the saturation yourself.
The
Auto White Balance coped admirably, delivering consistent results when shooting
the same scene, as well as under different lighting conditions.
Sharpness And Detail
The 16.1 MP Micro Four Thirds chip in the
E-PL5 does a very impressive job, rendering 32 lines per millimeter at its base
ISO of 200 in conjunction with a 45mm f/1.8 lens on the front.
It's not all good news - the U-42mm kit
lens could be sharper, with edge softness at the wide end. If you can, invest
in a prime or two to do the sensor justice.
Image Noise
While it’s a shame the E-PL5 isn’t capable
of shooting at ISO 100, ISO 200 delivers clean, detailed images that are free
of image noise, which is maintained up to ISO 800. At ISO 1600, noise begins to
encroach on the image, but is still more than usable. At ISO 3200 and 6400,
detail begins to suffer, with more noticeable image noise disrupting the image.
Above that and while we would advise against shooting at these sensitivities,
they are at least a handy last resort.
Verdict
At firs: glance, the E-PL5 seem nothing
more than a tweak to the E-PL3, but while it may look similar, the E-PL5 feels
like a completely different camera underneath. This is in no small part due to
the rather impressive 16.IMP sensor borrowed from the OM-D. While it probably
doesn’t beat APS-C rivals, it’s much closer, making the difference negligible
and less of a deal-breaker.
Add to that a host of subtle improvements
over the E-PL3 and the E-PL5 is now one of the most competent CSCs at this
price-point. There’s still room for improvement however - the grip needs to be
refined, while the touchscreen interface needs to deliver more functionality.
Sharing many of the characteristics and
features of the flagship model, think of the E-PL5 as an OM-D Lite, rather than
PEN Lite, ideal for photographers looking for a quality, compact-sized CSC
that’ll deliver the goods.
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Specifications
§ SENSOR:
16.1 MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS sensor
§ FILE
FORMATS: Raw (ORF), JPEG, Raw - JPEG
§ COMPRESSION:
Fine & Normal
§ SHUTTER
SPEEDS: 60-1/400th second, plus Bulb
§ IMAGE
STABILISATION: 2-axis sensor shift
§ ISO:
200-25.600
§ EXPOSURE
MODES: P, S, A, M, Art Filter, Scene modes, i-Auto
§ METERING
SYSTEM: 324 zones Multi-pattern
§ DRIVE
MODE: Single, Continuous (8fpsl. self-timer
§ MOVIE
MODE: 1080 (30p) HD video
§ DISPLAY:
3in (16-9).460k-dot tiltable LCD II screen
§ VIEWFINDER:
No
§ FOCUSING
MODES: Single, Continuous, AF Tracking, Touch Target, MF
§ MEMORY
CARD: SD/SOHC/SOXC
§ CONNECTIVITY:
Acc 3ort 2, HDMI, Hi-Speed USB/AV Out
§ WEIGHT:
325g
§ DIMENSIONS:
110.5 x 637 x 38.2mm
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