Olympus PEN-F

    71
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    Highlights

    • 20 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
    • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
    • 81 Focus Points
    • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
    • 3.0" 1,037k dot Fully Articulated Screen
    • 2,360k dot Electronic Viewfinder
    • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
    • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
    • 30 min Video Recording Limit
    • Built-In Wi-Fi
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Olympus PEN-F was announced in 2016 and is a Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) Mirrorless camera with 20 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 200 to 25,600 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fully Articulated 3.0" screen with 1,037k dot resolution and built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in body image stabilization.

    Olympus PEN-F can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.


    Here is the Olympus PEN series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Olympus PEN series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-P7 June
    2021
    20 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL9 February
    2018
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 6,400 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL8 September
    2016
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,037k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN-F January
    2016
    20 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,037k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL7 September
    2014
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,037k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL6 August
    2014
    16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-P5 October
    2013
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,037k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PM2 May
    2013
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL5 September
    2012
    16.1 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PM1 November
    2011
    12.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 12,800 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL3 September
    2011
    12.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 12,800 Tilting 3.0"
    460k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-P3 August
    2011
    12.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 12,800 Fixed 3.0"
    614k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL2 February
    2011
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    460k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL1s November
    2010
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 6,400 Fixed 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-PL1 May
    2010
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 3,200 Fixed 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-P2 April
    2010
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus PEN E-P1 July
    2009
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 6,400 Fixed 3.0"
    230k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Olympus PEN E-P7 vs PEN E-PL9 vs PEN E-PL8 vs PEN-F vs PEN E-PL7 vs PEN E-PL6.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus PEN-F.

    PROS

    •   Cheap
    •   Video Capture
    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Live Composition
    •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
    •   Orientation Sensor

    CONS

    •   Small Sensor
    •   200 Lowest Native ISO
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Microphone Input
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
    •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
    •   DxO Overall Score - 74

    Screen and Viewfinder

    Fully Articulated Touchscreen

    Olympus PEN-F has a 3.0" Fully Articulated touchscreen with 1,037k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes this camera selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.


    Electronic Viewfinder

    Camera has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.23x (0.62x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

    Sensor

    Olympus PEN-F features a 20 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Olympus PEN-F's Micro Four Thirds sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    Sensor size chart
    Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
    Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
    Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
    Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.3 x 13 mm224.9 mm24:32x
    Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

    Photography Features

    Camera is equipped with TruePic VII processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution.


    Lens Mount

    Olympus PEN-F has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


    In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

    Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN-F.

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    Built-in Wi-Fi

    Camera has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
      Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Olympus PEN-F has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.


    Battery

    Olympus PEN-F comes with BLN-1 battery pack with battery life of 330 shots.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Olympus PEN-F's shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter. Camera can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.


    Flash

    Olympus PEN-F has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected.

    Physical Parameters

    Olympus PEN-F has dimensions of 125 x 72 x 37 mm (4.92 x 2.83 x 1.46"). It weighs 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    125 mm (4.92")

    72 mm (2.83")

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    72 mm (2.83")

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    37 mm (1.46")

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    Olympus PEN-F dimensions

    Olympus PEN-F for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Olympus PEN-F is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    GOOD
    72

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 72 and is GOOD choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    GOOD
    77

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 77 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.

    •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Wildlife Photography

    GOOD
    71

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 71 and is GOOD choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Portrait Photography

    EXCELLENT
    88

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 88 and is EXCELLENT choice for Portrait photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Street Photography

    EXCELLENT
    88

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 88 and is EXCELLENT choice for Street photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)

    Travel Photography

    GOOD
    84

    Olympus PEN-F gets a score of 84 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Olympus PEN-F Evaluation

    We evaluate Olympus PEN-F and give score of 71 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


    OVERALL
    71

    Sensor

    AVERAGE
    67

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 67 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
    •   200 Lowest Native ISO
    •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
    •   DxO Overall Score - 74

    Photo

    GOOD
    76

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 76 for Photo parameters.

    •   Image Stabilization
    •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps

    Video

    POOR
    45

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 45 for Video parameters.

    •   Image Stabilization
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit

    Focusing

    GOOD
    79

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 79 for Focusing parameters.

    •   81 Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    EXCELLENT
    85

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 85 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
    •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot

    Connectivity

    GOOD
    78

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 78 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   HDMI Output
    •   No Microphone Input
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth

    Battery, Storage and Physical

    POOR
    41

    We give Olympus PEN-F a score of 41 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


    For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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